What to do with these RCA 6V6GT power tubes...

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Z_Stingray
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What to do with these RCA 6V6GT power tubes...

Post by Z_Stingray »

My local electronics store has about a dozen of these.

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I bought these three but I think I'll go back and buy the rest. Of course I want to use these in my SuperLite 6V6 and other 6V6 Fender amps. I know they have pairs but I doubt they are matched pairs.

Can I individually bias these with their own cathode resistor and cap? Or will that mess with the crossover dynamics of the power amp?

If I can't bias them that way them I'm left with changing the circuit to individually fixed bias a la AX84.com.

Your experience is greatly appreciated.

Also, what's the true value of these tubes? The internet tells me they are rare and in demand; expecially the RCA 6V6GT/G VT-107's. Should I sell them or use them in my amps. I could pawn these off to the Hi Fi audiophiles for top dollar and use that money to build more amps?

I'm itching for an AX84.com California Dreamer.
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zaphod_phil
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Post by zaphod_phil »

Matching isn't too important, as long as they're not so badly out of whack that they hum or you find one red plates. So just buy a bunch and just find pairs (usually of the same brand) that hum the least when running together. That's all the matching you will really need.

By way of example, I was recently testing a 6V6 amp I had built, and I put in a NOS Brimar 6V6 tube which had apparently been made in Russia. I also put in a friend's Sovtek 6V6 (with his permission), which happened to look identical. The amp sounded killer, and so far these have become my favourite sounding tubes in the amp.
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Post by dotfret »

There is a definite quality advantage with RCA over the other USA manufacturers.
There are two big reasons that put the price of RCA above the others. One is that Fender fitted them as original equipment, so the "tweed contingent" seek them out for authenticity. The other is that, in certain cases, they really do sound better. You going fishing for that SRV sound? Put a RCA blackplate 5751 in V1, and you are halfway there.

Trouble is, people charge high prices for all RCA old stock on this basis - and the 6V6GT are not very special. Don't get me wrong, they sound great - and they are the best version of the 6V6.
However, the 6V6 is a peculiarly nice design, and the Russian NOS versions also sound really good, at much lower prices.

Do you need money? If so, put them up for sale, and buy NOS Russki replacements. If you don't need money, buy them, keep them, and enjoy them
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