Am I correct in assuming that 6L6 and 6L6GC's are 100% interchangeable. I got flamed royally when I said that they were on another forum. The flamers
reasoning was that since the 6L6GCs have a 30 watt plate dissipation, 500 V plate rating and 450V screen rating and 6L6s are rated a t 25 watts at up to 400V
that a 6L6 will fry when used in place of a 6L6GC. Thus if you use 6L6s in a 69 super reverb the tubes will fry. I don't mind being wrong and I always say
"correct me if I'm wrong" when giving my humble advice but this asshole gave me a real ass reaming.
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6L6 Substitutions
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 CrazeeChester |
6L6 Substitutions |
Lead | |
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Posts: 128 (03/31/08 14:23) |
Statistician: A person who can make a mathematically precise line between an unwarranted assumption and a foregone conclusion.
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SG123 |
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Posts: 7644 (03/31/08 20:24) |
As far as I know, the metal 6L6, and glass 6L6GA and 6L6GB are rated 19 watts. The 6L6WGB / 5881 ( real ones ) are rated 23 watts and the 6L6GC is 30 watts.
Don't know the voltage ratings off the top of my head, but I can imagine in a lot of modern guitar amps [ 1955 - present ] - that are run to the ragged
edge of the specs. anyway - that anything other than the 6L6WGB/5881 and 6L6GC might have problems. I consider the older 6L6 types to be radio tubes.
Whether you were right or wrong was no reason for the other person to display his lack of upbringing.
So many
frequencies, so little time...
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CrazeeChester |
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Posts: 129 (03/31/08 23:18) |
Thanks SG, snivil, snivil, I hates gettin' my butt reamed. I don't think he was refering to the metal tubes since he said "that guitar center put
the wrong tubes in my Super Reverb so they fried. They should have been 6L6GCs instead of 6L6s." I simply said "The difference between 6L6s and
6L6GCs would not make the difference between a working and non-working amp. The problem was fried tubes not incorrect tubes. 6L6's and 6L6GC's are
basically the same. Same goes for 7581A's and 5881's all of these tubes are interchangeable, as far as I know."
Then it's like Smaug the Dragon flew into the room.
Statistician: A person who can make a mathematically precise line between an unwarranted assumption and a foregone conclusion.
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Psycho Bass Guy |
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Posts: 309 (03/31/08 23:34) |
Chances are Guitard Center didn't put actual 6L6's in the amp anyway. The mouthbreathing idiots don't even have access to actual 6L6's, which
are metal tubes, or 6L6GA's which have enormous coke bottle envelopes. Neither have been made in almost 60 years. 6L6GC's are generally referred to
generically as "6L6's" and have since the early 70's when they first became common. The Super didn't fry because of the wrong tube type.
It fried because GC got ahold of it.
"I'm the fly in the ointment, the monkey in the wrench, the pain in your ass."
Psycho >^} |
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CrazeeChester |
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Posts: 130 (04/01/08 00:45) |
And no doubt GC put Pittman's GTs in it. The dude also tried to get us to believe that he bought this amp with said goob tubes from GC for $600. GC would
never sell a 69 SFSR for $600, maybe $6000, but never $600.
Statistician: A person who can make a mathematically precise line between an unwarranted assumption and a foregone conclusion.
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Old Tele man |
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Posts: 1373 (04/01/08 11:33) Techus Maximus |
19W, 360V = 6L6/6L6G/6L6GA/6L6GB
19W, 360V = 6L6WGB/5932 23W, 400V = 5881 25W, 500V = 7581 26W, 400V = 6L6WGB; Ps = 3.5W 30W, 500V = 6L6GC; Ps = 5.0W 35W, 500V = 7581A 35W, 600V = 7027A
"...Renovatio, non Exauguratio..."
Last Edited By: Old Tele man
04/04/08 10:12.
Edited 1 times.
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SG123 |
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Posts: 7646 (04/02/08 18:47) |
I would sure like to see the Data sheet for those 26w. 6L6WGB, OTM. Not doubting you, of course - just one I don't have.
Most of the real 5881 I've seen [ Tung-Sol, Sylvania/ECG/Philips ] have been dual labelled as 6L6WGB...
So many
frequencies, so little time...
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Old Tele man |
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Posts: 1375 (04/03/08 09:02) Techus Maximus |
...here's the Tung-Sol datasheet: http://tubes.mkdw.net/sheets/087/6/6L6WGB.pdf
"...Renovatio, non Exauguratio..."
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SG123 |
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Posts: 7648 (04/03/08 14:26) |
Thanks. So there must have been an early/initial version 5881- per the following excerpt from the September 1950 Tung-Sol release:
"The 5881 carries ratings similar to the 6L6, except that the allowable screen dissipation is 3.0 watts instead of 2,5 watts while the maximum plate dissipation is 23 watts instead of 19 watts for the 6L6. The tube has a low loss micanol base. Preliminary tests give results, which augur well for the future of the type." ..and the later dual labelled 5881/6L6WGB TungSol are in fact rated 26 watts max. [ no date on the Data Sheet you linked to that I can find ] So the short bottle 6L6WGB Philips I have are probably 26 watts??
So many
frequencies, so little time...
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Old Tele man |
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Posts: 1376 (04/03/08 19:24) Techus Maximus |
...this one's dated: http://tubes.mkdw.net/sheets/127/6/6L6WGB.pdf
...I believe the "difference" was the introduction of different plate and screen materials, because the envelopes didn't change between 5881 and 6L6WGB...with 6L6WGB envelope = 6L6GC envelope.
"...Renovatio, non Exauguratio..."
Last Edited By: Old Tele man
04/03/08 19:50.
Edited 2 times.
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Old Tele man |
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Posts: 1377 (04/03/08 21:41) Techus Maximus |
...and, just to keep things "...interesting..." here's a data sheet for the 6L6WGA/5932:
http://www.mif.pg.gda.pl/homepages/frank/sheets/137/5/5932.pdf ...notice two things: (1) how the 6L6WGA envelope is same size/shape as 6V6, not like the BIGGER-sized 5881 and 6L6GC envelopes; and (2) the operational limit differences between "ABSOLUTE MAX." (21Wp, 2.75Ws) and "DESIGN CENTER" (19.0Wp, 2.5Ws). ...if you want, I have an old GE announcement about "how" the wattage for 6L6GC was increased by using a "sandwiched" plate technology.
"...Renovatio, non Exauguratio..."
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SG123 |
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Posts: 7652 (04/05/08 08:25) |
I generally associate the 6L6GC with having a larger envelope than the 5881/6L6WGB [ short bottle vs tall bottle ], but as memory serves, the original
GE 6L6GC [ 1958 ? ] and the early "black plate" RCA 6L6GC were in a more compact envelope.
So the 6L6WGB dates to 1955. Never knew that. Thanks for the data sheets ! [ I know most of them are commonly available on the 'net, but getting them sorted and in a relevant place is always nice  ]
Note that the 5932/6L6WGA [ Sept. 1952 !! ] has a spec. listed for Mechanical Resonance - "none under 100 c.p.s." [ probably sang like a bird at 800 hz.  ]
So many
frequencies, so little time...
Last Edited By: SG123
04/05/08 08:31.
Edited 1 times.
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mxvin |
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Posts: 270 (04/05/08 18:11) |
Hey Guys,
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SG123 |
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Posts: 7653 (04/06/08 11:31) |
Probably another of New Sensor's "unpublished" specs.
I haven't seen any data on them. Perhaps someone like Lord Valve over on alt.guitar.amps has done a torture test on them. That seems to be the way we get data on most of the new stuff. JJ is pretty good about publishing their specs.
So many
frequencies, so little time...
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mxvin |
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Posts: 271 (04/06/08 12:24) |
I had a set of originals in my BFSR. I used a variac to get the A/C down to 117. This brought the plate VDC down to 420 with 33mA draw.
HOWEVER>>>>>>the other night one of the 5881s let go.....took out a Mullard GZ34 and blew one of the socket on my Weber Bias Rite 
Oh.....and popped the breaker on the variac. Luckly.....no other damage to the BFSR.....whew.
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mxvin |
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Posts: 272 (04/07/08 21:19) |
SG123 wrote: just got an e-mail back from New Sensor stating that the new TS 5881 can withstand 500vdc on the plates. Also stating that they were designed with the fact that they woudl want to be used in all types of Fender amps. |
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SG123 |
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Posts: 7655 (04/08/08 17:04) |
Glad to hear that.
They have a page on their website where they could have posted the info, but it's blank so far. http://www.newsensor.com/TubeSpecification.aspx
So many
frequencies, so little time...
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mxvin |
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Posts: 273 (04/08/08 18:27) |
yeah I saw that......click on tube specs...........and nothing
I may get a pair and try them out.....heck for 35$ why not |
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jbmojo |
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Posts: 81 (04/12/08 17:57) |
How do you tell the difference (if any) between Sovtek 5881WXT's with silver letters and one with black letters? The ones with black letters have what I
presume are manufacture dates "98 & 99 04. Any reliable links I could go to?
Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic
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SG123 |
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Posts: 7666 (04/12/08 18:11) |
I've never used those, but I'd imagine there are people on here that have experience with them. Do the ones with silver print have newer, older or no date codes ?
So many
frequencies, so little time...
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jbmojo |
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Posts: 82 (04/13/08 01:06) |
The silver ones have no date code at all as far as I can tell.
Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic
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- Important Announcements
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