New tubes from JJ - 6550 and 6CA7

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briango2000

briango2000

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I saw Eurotubes.com has them in stock ready to ship and other vendors soon. I think I'm going to order a pair of each to test. Interested to check them out.
 
I didn't care for the Electro Harmonix Big Bottle 6CA7's. I might by a pair and throw them in the outside sockets of my quickrod? Bob told me I could throw 6550's in it, but would have to go the full quad.....I am a little frightened paying $130 for a quad and not liking them....
 
Yeah...they are pretty proud of them. I have a 50 watter that I'm gonna try first.
 
while I didn't get either of those I just received a quad of JJ EL34s from tubedepot.com. My mullards are starting to go teets up methinks so I figured I'd give the JJs a shot
 
For EL34's I really like the Svetlana's for new production. I have been using the JJ E34L which has more bottom end and later breakup but still in the EL34 family. I like them in 50 watters to give a little more bump.
 
briango2000":3r9ho5eo said:
For EL34's I really like the Svetlana's for new production. I have been using the JJ E34L which has more bottom end and later breakup but still in the EL34 family. I like them in 50 watters to give a little more bump.
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I'd considered those E34Ls for those same reasons..but I'd previously run KT 77s and tung sol EL34Bs that kinda have similar descriptions and didn't find them to work that well in my amp so in the end I just went with a more traditional power tube...in something a little more mushy I'd definetly give them a go though
 
The real Sylvanias are the best power tubes that I ever had for my Matchless Chieftain but they cost a small fortune and that amp kills power tubes faster than anything I've ever come across. I tried the EH ones and they were some of the worst sounding tubes that I've ever used. I've been using the E34Ls and they sound pretty good, but I'm anxious to give these new big bottles a shot...if they're anywhere close to the real deal I'll be happy.
 
rupe":1vfrosr2 said:
The real Sylvanias are the best power tubes that I ever had for my Matchless Chieftain but they cost a small fortune and that amp kills power tubes faster than anything I've ever come across. I tried the EH ones and they were some of the worst sounding tubes that I've ever used. I've been using the E34Ls and they sound pretty good, but I'm anxious to give these new big bottles a shot...if they're anywhere close to the real deal I'll be happy.
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The Matchless kills sylvania's or just newer tubes in general?
 
Greazygeo":dvjzoc5t said:
rupe":dvjzoc5t said:
The real Sylvanias are the best power tubes that I ever had for my Matchless Chieftain but they cost a small fortune and that amp kills power tubes faster than anything I've ever come across. I tried the EH ones and they were some of the worst sounding tubes that I've ever used. I've been using the E34Ls and they sound pretty good, but I'm anxious to give these new big bottles a shot...if they're anywhere close to the real deal I'll be happy.
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The Matchless kills sylvania's or just newer tubes in general?
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It kills power tubes in general, although the NOS Sylvanias lasted longer than new tubes. When I was gigging it 3-4 nights/week I had to retube every 3 or so months with JJ E34Ls...got 6-8 out of old Sylvanias but around '99-'00 prices skyrocketed on them.
 
rupe":13sbdr90 said:
It kills power tubes in general, although the NOS Sylvanias lasted longer than new tubes. When I was gigging it 3-4 nights/week I had to retube every 3 or so months with JJ E34Ls...got 6-8 out of old Sylvanias but around '99-'00 prices skyrocketed on them.
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Too much voltage or just circuit design? That sounds about right gigging that much though (at least for new El34 type tubes).

I've been wanting to get some sylvania 6ca7s for the 1959RR, but yeah the prices are a holdback for sure.
 
Greazygeo":4qsutffo said:
rupe":4qsutffo said:
It kills power tubes in general, although the NOS Sylvanias lasted longer than new tubes. When I was gigging it 3-4 nights/week I had to retube every 3 or so months with JJ E34Ls...got 6-8 out of old Sylvanias but around '99-'00 prices skyrocketed on them.
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Too much voltage or just circuit design? That sounds about right gigging that much though (at least for new El34 type tubes).

I've been wanting to get some sylvania 6ca7s for the 1959RR, but yeah the prices are a holdback for sure.
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I think it's by design...supposedly class A but I believe it transitions to A/B at volume (? never did fully understand class A beyond a single ended design)...essentially a 2xEL34 spin on a Vox power section. 3 months seemed short for new tubes but maybe it wasn't...I could get 6 months from Svetlana 6L6s in my Tonemaster prior to the Matchless.
 
rupe":2u3ulq9x said:
Greazygeo":2u3ulq9x said:
rupe":2u3ulq9x said:
It kills power tubes in general, although the NOS Sylvanias lasted longer than new tubes. When I was gigging it 3-4 nights/week I had to retube every 3 or so months with JJ E34Ls...got 6-8 out of old Sylvanias but around '99-'00 prices skyrocketed on them.
Click to expand...
Too much voltage or just circuit design? That sounds about right gigging that much though (at least for new El34 type tubes).

I've been wanting to get some sylvania 6ca7s for the 1959RR, but yeah the prices are a holdback for sure.
Click to expand...
I think it's by design...supposedly class A but I believe it transitions to A/B at volume (? never did fully understand class A beyond a single ended design)...essentially a 2xEL34 spin on a Vox power section. 3 months seemed short for new tubes but maybe it wasn't...I could get 6 months from Svetlana 6L6s in my Tonemaster prior to the Matchless.
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Yeah Class A type amps seem to burn thru tubes. My old OR120 (not class a) would burn thru new style tubes pretty quickly, a combination of over 600 volts and no standby switch= early death! But the original Mullards (from 68) were still going strong.
 
Enough about the EL34 and 6CA7. I want to know how the 6550 stacks up against the gold standard GE. My JCM 800 with 6550's is dying to know!!
 
baron55":3h0j25i5 said:
Here is my Review, got a chance to play with these.

They are indeed a bigger bottle and plate structure. I biased them up at 65 and to 70 % for the tone tests. Plate voltage is is the 420v range.

They are very fat and clear sounding and very strident. There is not give or sag in the tone. There is not much touch sensitivity like EL34's have. Which is probably because they are a harder tube. The mids tonally are indeed like a EL34, and the bottom end is like an extended 6L6 but thicker and tighter and more forceful with a low mid emphasis. The bass is not deep and extended like KT88's.

The mids and bass are the strong points of this tube. The highs are the weak point. The tube is very dull in the top end no sparkle or sheen at all. It is what I would call dry sounding. But every JJ I have tried you could say this about except fort the long plate ECC803 and the 6V6-s tubes. I find that the JJ EL34 and 34L have more highs than this tube does.

So my final thoughts are it is a good alternative. If it had the real extended highs like a real Sylvania 6CA7 it would be killer

Also the tube pics are the correct diameter for a change!!!!!!!!!!!! I do like the pamphlet you get talking about cleaning the tube pins and sockets!!! :confused: That is due to the infamous undersized tube pin diameters JJ suffered from all these years.
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Thanks my friend....! :rock:
 
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