The amps I'm retubing are a Fender Hotrod Deville 410, a Mesa Boogie DC-5 head, an Electar Tube 10, and a Budda Phatman preamp pedal. The Hotrod has THD Yellow Jackets in it which lets me run two EL84s in Class A mode instead of the two 6L6's in Class A-B (they call it a Hotrox because its like a Hotrod and Vox combined). I did this because it lowers the amps output (to around 20 watts instead of 60) and smoothes the tone like a Vox does. The stock Hotrod was way too loud for my use. The Mesa DC-5 I run stock because this amp sounds great already. The Electar Tube 10 I am currently modding to improve the tone. It will use an EL34 and is supposed to sound like a mini-Marshall. The Budda Phatman is a sweet, fat sounding pedal that uses two 12AX7's in it. I'll tell you which tubes I ended up putting in everything when I'm done and tell you how it sounds (owners of the same amps might be interested).
All my data was taken from several websites (testing was not done by me). They are: Watford Valves, Kropotkin Classic Amplification, Eurotubes, and Lord Valve (emailing him with "SPAM ME" in the subject is the only way to get his tube FAQ with prices). I picked up other notes here and there at random tube websites.
6L6 | EL84 | EL34 | 12AX7 |
back to top | Details/ Comments |
Summary/ Typical Application |
Watford Tubes |
in U.S. currency |
KCA NOS |
Lord Valve |
Tube Store |
Audio Tubes |
Vacuum Tubes |
Angela | Tubes & More | FNS Tube | Euro-tubes | Parts Express | Triode | Sovtek | Elderly |
6L6 | single | single | matched | matched | matched | single | single | matched | single | matched | matched | matched | matched | matched | single | ||
Harma S.T.R. 6L6GC | best production 6L6, bass response is deep and more weighty than R.C.A, distortion sounded full and vibrant, second to G.E. in sound staging, treble response full smooth and creamy, sustain long and pleasing with punch and definition, gets highest recommendation | best current production, big sound stage | £15.00 | $22.50 | |||||||||||||
G.E. 6L6GC (early type) | sound stage and imaging is huge (notes fly out of amp), bass deep rich and equally extended as R.C.A, strat voice remained under drive conditions, top end has rich bell-like clarity and beg to be sustained, rich fat tone (sounds better than R.C.A in Boogie, made sound like stack), clarity in mid range | one of best, highly rec., pure ROCK 'n' ROLL | £25.00 | $37.50 | $85.00 | $22.00 | $35.00 | $180.00 | |||||||||
G.E. 7581A/ KT66 |
similar tone to G.E 6L6GC, 35 watts instead of 30, extremely rare | unsure, probably same as the G.E 6L6GC | $75.00 | $45.00 | $175.00 | ||||||||||||
RCA 6L6GC Black Plate |
handles all situation with great authority, bass is big with perfect balance between top middle and bottom, sonic presentation is full, sweet and musical distortion, makes amp sound huge, no hint of harshness when saturated, makes you want to play | one of best, the ultimate "legendary" tube | $175.00 | $48.00 | $65.00 | $399.00 | |||||||||||
RCA 6L6GB Black Plate |
same tone as above, but lower power capability, used like a 5881 | unsure, probably same as the R.C.A 6L6GC | $80.00 | ||||||||||||||
Harma SB | specially selected version of the Phillips 6L6WGB, most detailed mid range presentation, broke up earlier than US valves, big fat distortion with taking your head off, recommended to any club player | in Boogie it provided nice breakup | £15.00 | $22.50 | |||||||||||||
Philips NOS JAN 6L6WGB | US military, overdrive easier than 7581A, tight bass and midrange clarity of Tung-Sol, BARGAIN, very musical break-up and big soundstage, dominant mid range response (classic Fender) with no harshness, warmer with less bass than Tung-Sol, all mid-range honk you could want, Fender breaks up early at clubs | ideal choice for Bassman, Boogie and Soldano | £11.00 | $16.50 | $36.00 | $33.00 | $44.95 | $35.00 | $128.50 | $15.85 single |
$31.95 | $27.00 | $27.00 | ||||
Svetlana 6L6GC | growing list of professional users, less prone to microphony, balance was perfect in all amps just like R.C.A, bass was crisp and clear (not as deep as the Harma), distortion sweet with good punch, pushed hard it never got muddy (unlike Sovteks), second best current production item behind Harma | highly recommended, 2nd best current production | £11.00 | $16.50 | $32.00 | $30.00 | $31.95 | $13.45 | $92.50 GC-S ver |
$29.95 | $20.60 | $20.60 | |||||
Philips 7581A | these are HIGH GRADE 6L6GC's, military grade long life version of the Sylvania S.T.R 387, highest output of 35 watts, greatest clean power, wide dynamic range, great low end, just plain awesome in Fenders, Mesa | highly recommended | £20.00 | $30.00 | $60.00 | $55.00 | |||||||||||
Tung-Sol 5881 | used in original Fender bassman, bass tight and in your face, well balanced with classic midrange twang, superb drive and early distortion (less power than Sylvania, G.E or R.C.A), sound stage makes amp seem bigger than it is, deserves classic status | recommended | £40.00 | $60.00 | $95.00 | $40.00 | $99.00 | ||||||||||
JJ 6L6G | NEW production tube; "best sounding 6L6 ever made", lows are big and round, mids and highs thick and creamy, very detailed, runs with no problem at over 600 plate volts | sounds like it could rock…must try out first | $29.50 | ||||||||||||||
G.E.C. KT66 | aweseme setup in Marshall bluesbreaker reissue with vintage 30s, has control, deep bass with midrange beef and definition, has blues stamped all over it, played with Les Paul makes best combo, sustain clear and loud, best of its type and true legend | highly recommended, costs a lot too | £140.00 | $210.00 | $75.00 | $249.00 | |||||||||||
Philips/ Sylvania S.T.R. 387 |
this is JAN NOS 6L6GC; no difference between this and Sylvania 6L6GC, sounds brighter than the earlier brother (too bright with JBLs), same characteristics as Sylvania and can be recommended, use in vintage Fenders etc. | recommended, pretty much same as Sylvania (above) | $65.00 | $65.00 | $170.00 | $29.90 single |
$54.95 | $51.00 | $51.00 | ||||||||
Russian 6P3S | many U.K valve dealers sell under numbers such as 6L6GT, 6L6GB, 6L6GC and one world wide dealer has branded it KT66...doesn't like even moderate voltages and cannot be recommended under ANY circumstances | don't use | |||||||||||||||
Sylvania 6L6GC | sounded rich and full, no microphony problems, bass was tight and warm, Fenders sounded a lot brighter than Boogie (not harsh though), mid range punchy and forward sounding (not as detailed as R.C.A), imaging and presentation far better than Sovteks, ALL TONE for fender (out of phase pickups was heaven) | Great choice for Fender twang | £25.00 | $37.50 | $65.00 | $35.00 | $75.00 for 3 tubes | ||||||||||
Sovtek 6L6WXT+ | more top end clarity than 5881, mid range muffled when pushed, very well in microphonics | general repairs | £8.00 | $12.00 | $24.00 | $27.95 | $89.00 | $24.95 | $20.60 | $20.60 | |||||||
Sovtek 5881 6L6WXT | industry standard, stock tube sent in Fenders, warm tone but lacks sound stage and harmonic detail (of R.C.A), loses control and sounds muddy when pushed very good microphonics, run very good in SF or BF Fenders | general repairs | £5.00 | $7.50 | $30.00 | $21.00 | $25.95 | $75.00 | $25.10 | $15.50 | $15.50 | ||||||
Ruby 5881R/WXT | Russian tube, dependable and soft sounding, less power than 6L6GC, WXT version is longer base than the R version | worth a try, Ruby tubes seem highly regarded | |||||||||||||||
Ruby 6L6GC-STR |
used forever by Carlos Santana, reproduction of the Philips S.T.R series, great power, full sound, dependable, "fat tone on a budget" | Santana has sweet tone, so these can't be that bad! | $32.00 | $24.00 | $15.00 | ||||||||||||
Chinese KT66 | these are the 1st actually decent chinese tubes…6L6 on sterioids, super fat tone, great power, lots of clean headroom, can be used in EL34's with slight modification | sounds promising, worth a try | $59.00 | $59.95 | |||||||||||||
Chinese 6L6GC | brittle distortion, bad tone...don't bother | don't recommend using these…a lot better ones at that cheap of price | |||||||||||||||
back to top | Details/ Comments |
Summary/ Typical Application |
Watford Tubes |
in U.S. currency |
KCA NOS |
Lord Valve |
Tube Store |
Audio Tubes |
Vacuum Tubes |
Angela | Tubes & More | FNS Tube | Euro-tubes | Parts Express | Triode | Sovtek | Elderly |
EL84 | single | single | matched | matched | matched | single | single | matched | single | matched | matched | matched | matched | matched | single | ||
Mullard | crisp ringing sustain and huge tight bottom end with clarity which sounded better than life, gave impression of space and immense detail, never seemed to lose control (even with treble booster) instead seemed to get more punchy and dynamic, bass mid and treble all in proportion | great all around valve | £25.00 | $37.50 | $100.00 | ||||||||||||
Harma S.T.R. 6L6GC | as close to the Mullard as you can get, rich creamy mids with G.E. style sound stage, bottom end tighter and deeper than Sovteks, always in control even under normal drive, treble is sweet and clear, aggressive edge and musical tone under treble booster | just as good as mullard | £15.00 | $22.50 | |||||||||||||
6BQ5 G.E. U.S.A. | stamped "Made in Great Britain" on the glass, a favorite, good gain balance and huge sound in Vox, treble booster thickened up valve and it sounded heavy and crisp without definintion loss, extremely touch sensitive | sounds superb in Vox AC30 | $50.00 | $25.00 | $69.00 each |
||||||||||||
Sylvania 6BQ5 | unknown | ? | $25.00 | ||||||||||||||
JJ EL84 | NEW production tube; excels in head room and balls, great rock tone, punchy, strong attack (Mike Zaite of Dr. Z amps) | great price, sounds attractive | $15.00 | ||||||||||||||
RCA 6BQ5 | NOS, classy sounding tubes, maybe a bit too clean for dirty guitar sound | rugged & reliable, awesome in hi-fi and clean applications | $25.00 | $75.00 | |||||||||||||
Philips E.C.G. 6BQ5 | the favorite, plenty of bottom end, sweet clean midrange and top end brighter than Mullard, had quality and refinement when pushed with standard distortion pedals, cutting solos on the edge of mayhem, treble response sweet and clear with definition, in Vox had mega distortion with treble booster but less control | thoroughly
rec. for all apps, best sounding tube in Vox |
£18.00 | $27.00 | $42.00 | ||||||||||||
JJ Tesla | sound quality is great, cross between bright sweetness of Philips and balls of Mulard, not as high gain as S.T.R (more headroom), nice rich overdrive with clear top end response, didn't handle treble boost as well as Sovtek EL84M, seemed to go very middley, great in Fenders and Boogies, may be best EL84 for the money | balanced presentation makes this an ideal choice | £7.00 | $10.50 | $18.00 | $19.95 | $39.00 | $50.00 | $13.95 | $12.40 | $12.40 | ||||||
Ruby EL84BSTR | new high-gain EL84 | don't know about this one yet… | |||||||||||||||
E.I. Yugo | good performer, awesome in Fender Blues Jr, most often described as "sweet", will not be produced for a long time again, so stock up! | decent tube, good performer | $22.00 | ||||||||||||||
Sovtek | gain is much lower, sounds better than Chinese, wear out quickly, not much bass, goes muddy when pushed hard, breaks up more smoothly than the EL84M | general repairs | £4.50 | $6.75 | $12.00 | $14.95 | $7.95 | $11.95 | $9.60 | $9.60 | |||||||
Sovtek EL84M | Russian military surplus, MUCH more reliable than above, sounded fine with good balance, midrange more detailed than Sovtek EL84, sounds aggressive with deep bass when driven, not good with treble booster, pushes solo right out (recesses bass and top under heavy distortion, unique mid range honk, muddy to Mullard | okay tube, Brian May liked the mid range honk | £6.00 | $9.00 | $27.00 | $24.95 | $60.00 | $17.60 | $24.95 | $18.40 | $18.40 | ||||||
back to top | Details/ Comments |
Summary/ Typical Application |
Watford Tubes |
in U.S. currency |
KCA NOS |
Lord Valve |
Tube Store |
Audio Tubes |
Vacuum Tubes |
Angela | Tubes & More | FNS Tube | Euro-tubes | Parts Express | Triode | Sovtek | Elderly |
EL34 | single | single | matched | matched | matched | single | single | matched | single | matched | matched | matched | matched | matched | single | ||
Mullard Single Getter | crisp ringing sustain and huge tight bottom, HAS IT ALL, huge with wide imaging and detail, sounded ferocious with cutting bite when pushed hard, power chords rocked the foundations and this never lost control, best valve in all history | best valve ever | £75.00 | $112.50 | $240.00 | $50.00 | $85.00 | ||||||||||
E34L S.T.R. Harma | selected version of the JJ/Tesla | best current production; superb, highly recommended | £15.00 | $22.50 | |||||||||||||
JJ/Tesla | 30 watts (instead of typical 25), bass response is big and bold, valve is very well balanced, tone was bright and slightly forward, sound stage was big Mullard style, rock solid reliable, mid response is clear and sweet, never loses control when driven (rich distortion), top end response easy on ears | same as above, but the Harma is better | £8.50 | $12.75 | $24.00 | $21.95 | $21.95 | $17.00 | $17.00 | ||||||||
Svetlana | stands the test of time, more linear than Sovtek with better defined bass response, sound stage bigger than Sovtek (trad British rock sound), very well balanced with midrange in correct focus, top end smooth and crisp, great Mullard bottom end, not as involving as Tesla | great valve, thoroughly recommended | £8.50 | $12.75 | $30.00 | $30.00 | $29.95 | $14.95 | $84.00 | $34.95 | $27.95 | $19.00 | $19.00 | ||||
Siemens NOS 6CA7 | German tubes, same as found in 80's Marshalls, smooth, refinded Mullard-like, recommended for Marshalls (not plexi) and hi-fi amplifiers, etc. | good for Marshalls, hi-fi audio | $78.00 | ||||||||||||||
Sovtek EL34WXT | upgraded Russain replaces EL34G and G+, stood road test in countless Marshalls, good tight bottom end response, not big sound stage but with 1-dimensional focus great for lead work (pushes sound right out), saturated the distortion had great fuzzy grunge thing, top end is grainy with nice top end chime | recommended for all applications, fierce for solos | £6.00 | $9.00 | $21.95 | $75.00 | $17.00 | $17.00 | |||||||||
Electro-Harmonix EL34EH | also known as Sovtek EL34EH; updated version of WXT (made Electro-Harmonix), Mullard-like characteristics, vastly improved over WXT, "best currently-produced EL34" | same as above, maybe slightly better | $24.00 | $79.00 | $23.95 | $18.40 | $18.40 | ||||||||||
Ruby STR-EL34A | Chinese made, from same factory as Chinese KT66; especially well-rounded, no fizziness in high end, no boominess in bass, hard to kill, not recommended for Music Man, older Orange, Hiwatt, old Marshalls | good tube, doesn't work great in all amplifiers; being closed out | $12.00 | $12.75 | |||||||||||||
Ruby STR-EL34B | latest entry in EL34 STR series, near-total absence of microphonics, one of the best EL34s on the planet, closest current production tube to 6CA7 | much better than above, kickbutt tube | $25.00 | ||||||||||||||
Ruby EL34WXT | copy of German EL34 tube, very dependable | don't know about this one yet… | |||||||||||||||
JJ EL34 | NEW production tube; as close to a NOS Mullard as you can get (according to guy who sells it), breaks up better than Svetlana, very smooth, great for non-master volume amp people, great blues | sounds sweet, great price again | $23.00 | ||||||||||||||
JJ EL34L | NEW production tube; special alloy plate stableizes performance better; 20% more head room than JJ EL34, same great sound, great for master volume amps, not the greatest tone on earth | same as above, better if you want more head room | $24.00 | $24.00 | |||||||||||||
E.I. Yugo | lacked bottom end of Mullard, Sovtek, Svetlana, and Harma, nice top end response wasn't harsh (easy on ears), midrange recessed and very fuzzy when pushed, not as good as most tubes | avoid these | $14.80 | $14.80 | |||||||||||||
E.I. Yugo 6CA7 | same traits as above, unreliable and unstable…blah, blah, blah | these suck too | |||||||||||||||
Chinese | bad name for reliability, blows a lot of fuses, no top end, sound is dull | don't bother | |||||||||||||||
back to top | Details/ Comments |
Summary/ Typical Application |
Watford Tubes |
in U.S. currency |
KCA NOS |
Lord Valve |
Tube Store |
Audio Tubes |
Vacuum Tubes |
Angela | Tubes & More | FNS Tube | Euro-tubes | Parts Express | Triode | Sovtek | Elderly |
12AX7 | single | single | single | single | single | single | single | single | single | single | single | single | single | single | single | ||
Mullard | most sought-after tube, valve distorts and reproduces exactly what is driven into it, smooth drive w/ balanced low microphonics, reproduces every subtle detail with rich sound stage, 3D effect when overdriven, sounds amazing in Boogie, low noise, great kick with bass | anything, best tube ever | £35.00 | $52.50 | $60.00 | $25.00 | |||||||||||
Mullard M8137 Box Anode |
special military grade Mullard, lowest noise and distortion tubes ever built, better than above, mid band is superb with vocal rich and clear | anything, best tube ever too | £40.00 | $60.00 | $45.00 | ||||||||||||
Mullard 12AT7 | not much info yet… | supposedly great driver upgrade in every amp | $36.00 | ||||||||||||||
R.F.T. | German valve, rich bass response, great drive, very low in microphonics (thick glass envelope), distorts earlier than US types and less treble response (good for rock-style setup), rich harmonic distortion & sustain, plenty of bass crunch, mid range clear and detailed | great for Marshall, Boogie, Vox amps; rock and blues | £8.00 | $12.00 | $15.00 | ||||||||||||
Siemens E83CC | German valve, well balanced with large sound stage and low distortion, relaxed and detailed, percussive ability (good for Fender picking), bass and treble in correct proportion, superb mid band response (crisper than US valves), quiet as Box Anode Mullard | treble is forward, superb for Fender amp | £25.00 | $37.50 | |||||||||||||
Tungstram | Hungarian valve, identical construction to Mullard, good balance and clean top end response, vibrant in Fenders, low noise (important in Marshalls for high presence without hiss), more headroom than R.F.T and quiet as Mullards | good all-around, less balls than Mullard or R.F.T | £15.00 | $22.50 | $26.00 | $26.00 | |||||||||||
Sovtek 12AX7LPS | Russian tube medium-high gain, well balanced, low microphonics, large full sound stage, very musical with great detail, smooth and involving, some people say they have tone like early Telefunken and Mullard equivalents, very low noise; the 12AX7LP version is for amps with DC filament supplies (some botique's use this) | best Sovtek hands down; recommended, very good price | £8.00 | $12.00 | $12.00 | $10.49 | $11.95 | $24.95 | $9.95 | $15.50 | $15.50 | ||||||
Telefunken | classic German, low noise, righ superb sound stage, no mid range honk or bite like Mullard, shares Siemens strong points, does everything exceptionally well, perfect clarity with no fuzz or bass distortion, all-time classic | high regard in audio circles | $90.00 | $50.00 | |||||||||||||
G.E. JAN 12AX7WA | US military, immense quality, standard in 70's Fenders, big crisp sound stage, bright top end and response, supplies Fender twang, brighter than US valves, worked well in vox (gave clearer top end response), distorted has rich harmonic feel and chime, bass and mid detail superb even in Boogie | great all around, low microphony, crisp distortion | £10.00 | $15.00 | $18.00 | $11.99 | $48.50 | ||||||||||
RCA Black Plate |
don't know about this yet | ? | $18.00 | ||||||||||||||
Philips JAN 12AX7WA | NOS 7025; US military, low noise, classic warm of Sylvania (less drive), useful in Boogie for low gain & microphonics, mid range musical with clarity, bottom end is superb & tight & well defined (welcome in Marshalls), bass not as deep as Mullard, british style tone, tone in Fenders, tigher bass than Sylvania | upgrade for all modern amps, great in Fender | £6.00 | $9.00 | $14.00 | $9.99 | $12.95 | $36.50 | $10.80 | $9.95 | $15.40 | $15.40 | |||||
JJ ECC83 | NEW production tube; sound is comparable to Mullard and Telefunkin | great price if it sounds like he says it does | $7.50 | ||||||||||||||
G.E. 12AY7/ 6072 |
low gain, nice round tone, not much else for info yet… | seems like it would work good after a driver tube | $42.50 | $9.95 | |||||||||||||
Sylvania | classic US used in 60's amps, rich, warm, exe balance, fat dist, plenty of drive (no top end clarity loss), bright response in Fender, single coils sound full & detailed, sweet clean in Boogie (crisp and clear), classic rock sounding (mid forwardness), low microphony, not for driver positions | vintage Fenders, Boogie for classic rock | £9.00 | $13.50 | $14.00 | $15.00 | $9.95 | ||||||||||
Brimar CV4004 | British military, british rock sound, exceptional balance & sound staging, great drive (not good rich harmonic distortion or 3D effect of Mullard, not the same bite), relaxed and musical (new ECC83 types don't match that), not as aggressive as Mullard, G.E, or R.F.T | well balanced, does everything very well | £20.00 | $30.00 | $30.00 | ||||||||||||
JJ Tesla | exact copy of Telefunken, used by GT, medium-high gain, bottom end response is clean and clear, tonally great, mid range has slight blurring which increases when pushed harder, great for rock, not ideal for clean, top end is sweet clear and has nice sustain, rough when pushed really hard | current production is good for pure sound quality | £6.00 | $9.00 | $10.00 | $8.99 | $11.95 | $21.00 | $6.95 | $11.20 | $11.20 | ||||||
G.E. JAN 5751 | low gain valve, produced classic G.E sound stage and performance as WA, very low distortion and difficult to clip, excellent for Fenders or any clean stage application, bright and vibrant with plenty of detail, very well balanced and easy to identically match | best valve for clean pure Fender style twang | $12.00 | $11.95 | $21.00 | $7.90 | $9.95 | $13.40 | $13.40 | ||||||||
Philips NOS JAN 5751 | the "balanced" 12AX7, low noise high gain tube, response is fairly flat, no emphasis in any particular tone regions, a little "darker" than 12AX7 | excellent phase-inverter, tame an extra hot stage | $9.99 | ||||||||||||||
RCA 5751 | don't know about this yet | ? | $18.00 | ||||||||||||||
E.I. Yugo | far too microphonic for guitar amps, plenty of gain and rich rock sound, don't use in high gain phono stages, good for phase-inverter | too microphonic, maybe use in really low gain amplifiers | $5.99 | $11.95 | $14.00 | $19.50 | |||||||||||
Ruby 12AX7CZ | newest Tesla 12AX7A, good gain and very low microphonics | unsure, need more info. | $9.50 | ||||||||||||||
Sovtek 12AX7WA | low-medium gain, no detail when distorted, pushed everything through midband, compressed early when pushed hard, suffer mid range fuzz | general repairs | £3.36 | $5.04 | $6.95 | $19.95 | $3.97 | $9.90 | $9.90 | ||||||||
Sovtek 12AX7WB |
low-medium gain, low microphonics, clear bright sound, earlier distortion than WA, lacked clarity and definition of NOS, suffer mid range fuzz | general repairs | £4.50 | $6.75 | $7.95 | $23.00 | $5.90 | $11.20 | $11.20 | ||||||||
Sovtek 12AX7WB Silver Anode |
earlier WB (used by GT), identical to WB, generally higher gain than modern WB | general repairs | £6.50 | $9.75 | |||||||||||||
Sovtek 12AX7WXT+ | same as above versions, 10% more gain, this model came just before the 12AX7LPS | general repairs | £4.50 | $6.75 | $9.95 | $6.95 | |||||||||||
Chinese | good gain and low microphonics, complete lack of tone, treble was fizzy, bass response gave hazy distortion; were stock in Mesa amps and recent Marshalls | I don't really recommend these | $14.99 | ||||||||||||||
Details/ Comments |
Summary/ Typical Application |
single | single | single | single | single | single | single | single | single | single | single | single | single | single | single | |
back to top | Watford Tubes |
in U.S. currency |
KCA NOS |
Lord Valve |
Tube Store |
Audio Tubes |
Vacuum Tubes |
Angela | Tubes & More | FNS Tube | Euro-tubes | Parts Express | Triode | Sovtek | Elderly |
Created by Luke Chase © 2000
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