Best Tubes for 2 Stroke

[sthebluesman]

Also, has anyone tried an RCA blackplate 6L6GC?

[Andy]

I have used quite a few new tube brands in the 6L6GC category. For the Two Stroke, I just used new JJ tubes. I havent dived too much into NOS yet, aside from dabbling with the 12AX7 and Rectifier. I have a couple NOS 6V6’s to try at some time, but…. time and all that.

In terms of the 6L6’s, In another amp project, I have used Sovtek, Tube Amp Doctor, JJ, and Winged C. For that particular amp, I really liked the TAD tubes the best.

[Robin]

I have limited my NOS tube use in the 2Stroke to the rectifier and pre-amps sections. I would be happy to give an extended “test” to any
NOS RCA or GE 6L6s that you care to send my way , Also, please send along any original Genalex and Mullards you have as well.
Thanks

[Andy]

I’ve got a stack of lightly used CONN 12AU7’s and a smattering of NOS tubes, I just havent gotten that bug yet. Its an expensive bug

Actually, I did buy a few lots on eBay looking for that diamond in the rough, but pretty much ended up with boxes of non-amp usable NOS tubes.

I do however, own a LaChapell audio mic preamp that has 8 12AX7s in it all of which are Brimars and Mullards. Like a buried treasure

[red_fever]

Tube amps are still a new journey for me and until now 6v6’s were my thing! Put EL34 in and it was ok, swapped it out for 6v6’s and I was grinning from ear to ear ( just love this amp). Finally fitted the 6L6 (new JJ) and the little 2 stroke barked at me!! SENSATIONAL.

AND I live on a 5 acre property so today I took it outside to share with the neighbours! Amp is awesome , pity about my playing.

Have a bunch of NOS preamp tubes coming.
What is the consensus for rectifier and 6L6 brand and date range.

[Robin]

GE, Sylvania and RCA NOS 5Y3s all work great. I just Wikipedia-ed the 5Y3 and it confirms my tests that the current Sovtek 5Y3 puts out more voltage than any of the NOS tubes. The older tubes sag more and have a greasy-er tone. Great for blues, the Sovtek might be better for a little more head room, but I like the Solid State rectifier for that. The Two Stroke never gets chimey clean anyway. NOS is getting harder to find. Any NOS from the late 1950s through the 1960s would be worth a try.

A NOS RCA black plate 6L6GC would might be the ultimate 6L6 but the gray plate versions made prior to the black plate sound great too. I’ve been using new JJ 6L6 and 12AX7s and they are great (IMO).

I have a supply of NOS 12AX7s, all in the original, unopened boxes dated 1959, but I don’t think they bring much to the party over the JJ. Has anyone tried a 12AT7?

[sthebluesman]

I experimented for a while and finally settled on a ’60’s Mullard ECC83 (12AX7), a NOS ’60’s Tung-Sol 5881, and a 1964 Silvertone 5Y3 (Sylvania?). The amp is perfect. I went with the 5881 because I love them so much in my Bassman and Bandmaster. I also use this amp to drive my homemade Leslie and it works perfectly with one 4 ohm speaker. The impedence switch is very handy for this. This amp is the best project I ever thought of doing. I am so glad I built it. Enjoy.

[red_fever]

Love your playing,Your bassman clip is awesome. For you to like the 2 stroke given your other toys says something.

It was your clip that convinced me to build this amp.

[red_fever]

I tried some 1946 Hytron 6k6gt’s and they were awesome for dropping the volume (read as wife friendly) but with a brilliant tone of their own. Clean up nicely at lower volumes and to my ears and playing environment ( wife and kids asleep) they produce a really useable sweet distortion when cranked.

Ordering a bunch more to put in storage.

Does anyone know what would happen if I swapped out the 6v6’s in my rebel 20 for a pair of these?

[Andy]

I’ll have to consult the RCA tube manual, but it’s likely that you would need to change some of the resistors in the Rebel 20. I would not advise a straight switch.

The Two Stroke is a very forgiving little amp and it does things that most amps wont tolerate. In order to make it work, you would have to rebias the Rebel 20 so that it supplies the correct voltage to the power tubes.

[Robin]

Weber includes the 6K6GT in the listed power tubes of their power tube bias calculator. The link: http://www.webervst.com/tubes1/calcbias.htm

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