Power tubes and pre-amp tubes - Good, better, and best?

[AlainJazz]

I bought a "biamaster" from TAD about a year ago. Correctly biasing an amp can make a night and day difference on both tube life and sound. The device makes it easy to do your own biasing and tune to taste. Well worth the investment and very easy to use.

[Klatu]

I like Roger Modjeski. I have been a fan of his Music Reference hifi amps since about 1988. This is his RAM Labs Tube Store: Tube Audio Store - Home of RAM Labs & Music Reference . You'll find better prices and better quality tubes than those stores or shops catering for guitarists.

$12 per 6L6? 6L6G .

The Suitability of the 6DJ8 for Audio

(The other hifi tube amp guy I really like is David Berning. I use 'tube' in deference to them because they are Americans.)

Thanks for posting this site. I'm interested in possibly replacing the 6l6s in two of my amps, so these inexpensive tubes look like tempting options. Please indicate whether you've had the opportunity to play through these particular tubes and how they've held up as compared to the name brands.

Another question: what would you recommend for cheaper preamp tubes? I'm getting some microphinic noise for the first time in years from one of my Heritage amps and think that the source is some burnt out 12ax7.

[2bornot2bop]

All the more reason not to go cheap on preamp tubes. TAD's work great and are cheap enough.

http://www.amazon.com/Tube-Amp-Docto.../dp/B005GHEI32

http://www.tubeampdoctor.com/en/

[KirkP]

I like Roger Modjeski. I have been a fan of his Music Reference hifi amps since about 1988. This is his RAM Labs Tube Store: Tube Audio Store - Home of RAM Labs & Music Reference . You'll find better prices and better quality tubes than those stores or shops catering for guitarists.

$12 per 6L6? 6L6G .

http://www.tubeaudiostore.com/suitof6dfora.html

It's disappointing that the $12 6L6G has no description or specs. Most important is whether it can handle 6L6GC plate dissipation (30 Watts). The original 6L6G was spec'ed for 25 Watts. Also, the 6L6G is larger, so might not fit some combos if the speaker is close.

Modjeski has this right:
"I am often asked if X tube is bright or Y tube is bloated, etc. ... I cannot ascribe a particular sonic quality to a particular tube because tubes in themselves do not have a sound."

[icr]

Hard to predict performance by looking at the tube or thinking one knows from where it came. Putting the tube in an amp and listening is the only way I know. When I build an amp I want it to sound good with the commonly available new tubes.

Solid state can be just as troublesome to keep in shape. I don't own or build any SS guitar amps, but at any given time one of my pieces of solid state high-fi equipment needs something.

[Bushwackbob]

I just pulled power tubes from a Mesa Lonestar (at least 5 years old; they owe me nothing) and the metals leads show some funky corrosion. Should one routinely clean the socket before installing new tubes? Is this akin to the audio world of always cleaning the connectors if the cable "breaks contact"? Does one use the same contact cleaner as on an audio interconnect?

[KirkP]

Deoxit D5 seems to be the most popular contact cleaner.

[KerryWood]

Tubes are no longer manufactured by companies that use them in their own products or supply them to large-volume customers that can impose very strict spec's and QA/QC requirements.
So, there's essentially no warranty-driven or demand side pressure to keep quality up.
At the same time, because it's an obsolete product outside the tiny niche of guitar amps and audiophile components, highly qualified technicians and engineers don't participate in the industry.

pcb manufacturer

[abelljo]

I'm fan of the Tung Sol reissues as well as the Mullard reissues. Great for your guitar amp!

[mad dog]

I have experimented quite a bit with tubes in a variety of amps. For my own purposes, NOS is typically better, often way better. But you do not have to go there, especially on power tubes. The 6L6 TADs mentioned here are good sounding tubes. As are Tung Sol RI 6v6s and JJ 6v6s (though the JJs are a bit different sounding than other 6v6s.

It's harder to step away from old tubes when it comes to preamp and rectifiers. NOS rectifier tubes are relatively cheap, much hardier and long-lasting than most new ones. Much tougher to recommend NOS preamp tubes. There are so many. Yes, they can get pricey, but find the right one for a particular spot in a particular amp, and you'll see why people spend the money.

My favorite NOS 6L6 types:
Tung Sol 5881
Phillips 6L6GC
Phillips or Sylvania 6L6WBG

NOS 6v6:
Brimar
RCA blackplates
Sylvania

[2bornot2bop]

Tubes are no longer manufactured by companies that use them in their own products or supply them to large-volume customers that can impose very strict spec's and QA/QC requirements.
So, there's essentially no warranty-driven or demand side pressure to keep quality up.
At the same time, because it's an obsolete product outside the tiny niche of guitar amps and audiophile components, highly qualified technicians and engineers don't participate in the industry,

Audiophiles aren't complaining about a lack of quality tubes to mate with their $12k preamp. They hear tubes far differently than a guitarist blasting away a tube guitar amp. What's your complaint?