Who's up on 6L6GC's?

dromunds
dromunds Posts: 9,969
If anybody would be willing to discuss some options with me regarding the direction I may go with some 6L6GC's please let me know. I had a 1960 RCA BP double D bottom getters go "plate glow" on me. I'm trying to determine whether to remain on the RCA black plate path or to go rogue. Lol. I've had JJ's and Winged C's in there, and the RCA's ate them for breakfast but the prices are getting astronomical these days. Thanks.

Comments

  • Jimbo18
    Jimbo18 Posts: 2,310
    I know some Russian, French, a little Spanish and German, but some of you guys on here speak a language that is totally foreign to me.
  • george daniel
    george daniel Posts: 12,096
    Believe it or not,, I had some EH 6L6’s in my old VTL and they were a great match,,now I am running some Ruby’s that I found in my stash in my old GLA ( quicksilver),, maybe some Shuggies,, or drop a line to McShane
    JC approves....he told me so. (F-1 nut)
  • heiney9
    heiney9 Posts: 25,053
    edited March 2019
    RCA's are the best. 2nd best are the Winged =C= SED's made in St. Petersburg. Sylvania BP's are good too.

    Old American 6L6's are expensive. The SED's are better than JJ's and EH's. I've heard really good things about the new Tung Sol's

    https://www.tubedepot.com/products/tung-sol-6l6g-new-production-power-vacuum-tube?taxon_id=136

    https://www.tubedepot.com/products/tung-sol-6l6-str-new-production-power-vacuum-tube?taxon_id=136

    If I was going to stray from the Winged =C=, I'd opt for the new Tung Sols based on reviews and what I've read. Jim McShane has high praise for them

    H9
    "Appreciation of audio is a completely subjective human experience. Measurements can provide a measure of insight, but are no substitute for human judgment. Why are we looking to reduce a subjective experience to objective criteria anyway? The subtleties of music and audio reproduction are for those who appreciate it. Differentiation by numbers is for those who do not".--Nelson Pass Pass Labs XA25 | EE Avant Pre | EE Mini Max Supreme DAC | MIT Shotgun S1 | Pangea AC14SE MKII | Legend L600 | BlueSound Node 3 - Tubes add soul!
  • heiney9
    heiney9 Posts: 25,053
    edited March 2019
    To me the Winged C's compared favorably to the RCA's. RCA's were still better, but god, the prices are ridiculous especially since I would us them in a secondary rig.

    https://www.tubedepot.com/products/rca-6l6gc-black-plate?taxon_id=136

    Wowzers, a quad sets you back $1400
    "Appreciation of audio is a completely subjective human experience. Measurements can provide a measure of insight, but are no substitute for human judgment. Why are we looking to reduce a subjective experience to objective criteria anyway? The subtleties of music and audio reproduction are for those who appreciate it. Differentiation by numbers is for those who do not".--Nelson Pass Pass Labs XA25 | EE Avant Pre | EE Mini Max Supreme DAC | MIT Shotgun S1 | Pangea AC14SE MKII | Legend L600 | BlueSound Node 3 - Tubes add soul!
  • mhardy6647
    mhardy6647 Posts: 32,926
    edited March 2019
    6L6s were rather often used in the voltage regulator circuits of high voltage DC power supplies. Sometimes an old Heathkit or even Lambda P/S can be picked up at a ham radio or other electronic swapmeet for less than the tubes in it are worth.

    Just thought I'd mention that.

  • heiney9
    heiney9 Posts: 25,053
    Most times if the 6L6 is used as a power tube in modern gear you need 6L6GC's as the 6L6G, 6L6GA, 6L6GB can't handle the voltage.

    The new Tung Sol's are listed as 6L6G's and are coke bottle shaped, but can handle the plate voltage a GC can handle.

    I know you know that Mark, but I was just throwing this out there for general knowledge.

    I tried to use old Tung Sol 5881's in my integrated that uses 6L6GC's and they started to get really hot!! Couldn't handle the plate voltage.

    H9
    "Appreciation of audio is a completely subjective human experience. Measurements can provide a measure of insight, but are no substitute for human judgment. Why are we looking to reduce a subjective experience to objective criteria anyway? The subtleties of music and audio reproduction are for those who appreciate it. Differentiation by numbers is for those who do not".--Nelson Pass Pass Labs XA25 | EE Avant Pre | EE Mini Max Supreme DAC | MIT Shotgun S1 | Pangea AC14SE MKII | Legend L600 | BlueSound Node 3 - Tubes add soul!
  • dromunds
    dromunds Posts: 9,969
    Thanks for the comments fellas. Anybody have thoughts on how a Sylvania STR-387 grey plate disc getter would compare to a 1960 GE double D side getter ? Would both be a considerable step down from the RCA BP double D bottom getter? Also I have a spare RCA mentioned above but it has a piece broken off the guide pin, what is the ramification of a broken guide pin ?
  • mhardy6647
    mhardy6647 Posts: 32,926
    The ramification of a broken guide pin is simple -- you need to be very careful inserting the tube in the socket :)
    heiney9 wrote: »
    Most times if the 6L6 is used as a power tube in modern gear you need 6L6GC's as the 6L6G, 6L6GA, 6L6GB can't handle the voltage.

    The new Tung Sol's are listed as 6L6G's and are coke bottle shaped, but can handle the plate voltage a GC can handle.

    I know you know that Mark, but I was just throwing this out there for general knowledge.

    I tried to use old Tung Sol 5881's in my integrated that uses 6L6GC's and they started to get really hot!! Couldn't handle the plate voltage.

    H9
    Yes I was playing a little too loose; should've said 6L6 family members -- in fact, the unsuffixed 6L6 (which, IIRC, was only the metal 6L6) aren't common in the power supplies -- I've never seen any in one, at any rate.

    I'll have to go see what're in the Heathkit & Lambda supplies downstairs; probably 6L6GC -- but I won't swear to it.




  • dromunds
    dromunds Posts: 9,969
    Heaney: These are the Winged C’s that I have. I take it these are not the ones you referred to. Mine are labeled Shetland.

    yaqf4x8109fw.jpeg
  • dromunds
    dromunds Posts: 9,969
    Mine are labeled Svetlana, not Shetland. Gods I swear you have to watch every word or the spellchecker goes ape
  • mhardy6647
    mhardy6647 Posts: 32,926
    Ahh, like the Svetlana Sheepdog -- I see.

    :p
  • dromunds
    dromunds Posts: 9,969
    Yeah, I can’t afford those Shetland tubes
  • pitdogg2
    pitdogg2 Posts: 24,478
    dromunds wrote: »
    Mine are labeled Svetlana, not Shetland. Gods I swear you have to watch every word or the spellchecker goes ape

    Turn it off problem solved :p
  • george daniel
    george daniel Posts: 12,096
    Get those Shetland’s cryoed!
    JC approves....he told me so. (F-1 nut)
  • heiney9
    heiney9 Posts: 25,053
    edited March 2019
    dromunds wrote: »
    Heaney: These are the Winged C’s that I have. I take it these are not the ones you referred to. Mine are labeled Shetland.

    yaqf4x8109fw.jpeg

    http://www.sedtubes.com/

    https://www.stereophile.com/news/022304svetlana/index.html

    http://www.dissident-audio.com/Yves/WingedC.htm

    Any tube with the crylic C (=C=) was made by the JSC Svetlana tube plant ins St. Petersburg Russia. These are better sounding, better made than the Svetlana branded tubes (with the S) made at the X-pol factory in Russia after about year 2000.

    There was a trademark and distribution issue circa 2000 about tubes sold in US and hence the confusion of marketing a completely different tube under the old Svetlana name.

    So Svetlana tubes prior to about 2000 were infact made in St. Petersburg marketed under the Svetlana name but with the =C= logo usually in black ink. Tubes produced after the split or marketing debacle with the Svetlana name were made at the X-pol plant in Russia.

    The tube you have is a JSC tube made at St. Petersburg and is the better of the 2 tubes IMO, an many other's opinion.

    As one of the links states above the St. Petersburg plant was re-tooled in 2012 and =C= tubes are no longer manufactured, so that makes them a) true old stock tubes and b) prices tripled and quadrupled over the years as they are becoming a bit more scarce.

    H9

    P.s, 0203 is the date code and I can't remember if the 1st number (02) is the year or month. So your tube was manufactured in 2002 or 2003. Earliest =C- tubes with Svetlana branding and boxes have black lettering.

    svetlana-sed-winged-c-6l6-gc-166-p[ekm]296x296[ekm].jpg
    "Appreciation of audio is a completely subjective human experience. Measurements can provide a measure of insight, but are no substitute for human judgment. Why are we looking to reduce a subjective experience to objective criteria anyway? The subtleties of music and audio reproduction are for those who appreciate it. Differentiation by numbers is for those who do not".--Nelson Pass Pass Labs XA25 | EE Avant Pre | EE Mini Max Supreme DAC | MIT Shotgun S1 | Pangea AC14SE MKII | Legend L600 | BlueSound Node 3 - Tubes add soul!
  • heiney9
    heiney9 Posts: 25,053
    "Appreciation of audio is a completely subjective human experience. Measurements can provide a measure of insight, but are no substitute for human judgment. Why are we looking to reduce a subjective experience to objective criteria anyway? The subtleties of music and audio reproduction are for those who appreciate it. Differentiation by numbers is for those who do not".--Nelson Pass Pass Labs XA25 | EE Avant Pre | EE Mini Max Supreme DAC | MIT Shotgun S1 | Pangea AC14SE MKII | Legend L600 | BlueSound Node 3 - Tubes add soul!
  • dromunds
    dromunds Posts: 9,969
  • mhardy6647
    mhardy6647 Posts: 32,926
    edited March 2019
    @heiney9's links above jogged my age-addled memory :)

    Some "vintage" (ca. 1990s) 6L6 views & reviews from the legendary Vacuum Tube Valley magazine.

    https://web.archive.org/web/20131122141326/http://www.jumpjet.info/Pioneering-Wireless/eMagazines/VTV/VTV04.pdf
    http://www.jumpjet.info/Pioneering-Wireless/eMagazines/VTV/VTV13.pdf


    drb4ai98p5wk.png

    huzrd5m210b8.png

    an index to the 20-ish volume run of VTV may be acquired at http://www.tubecollectors.org/archives/VTVDEXnu.doc


    zu6feybktzdc.png

  • george daniel
    george daniel Posts: 12,096
    That EL 37 could take some voltage eh?
    JC approves....he told me so. (F-1 nut)
  • pitdogg2
    pitdogg2 Posts: 24,478
    So could one substitute a 7027 or 7581 in the circuit?