Tubes Asylum Questions about tubes and gear that glows. FAQ

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RE: What underlies the question.......

Posted by TubeAcolyte (D) on June 5, 2014 at 05:51:55

In Reply to: RE: What underlies the question....... posted by DannyR on June 4, 2014 at 20:54:21:

Well, I'm not Jim, but I have some experience with 6550's and guitar heads of all makes. I find the GE 6550A is really an exceptional tube. It has few to no equals. It's ultra-robust and never sounds offensive in any way (to my ear). Also, it all depends on the sound you're attempting to create with the head. If it's the GE 6550A you want, you'll have to bite the bullet on it :( That said, for the price of a quad ($500), you may as well buy 2-3 varied quads of new production types to see which sounds best for you.

New Sensor makes great tubes, but I cannot recommend Sovtek power tubes. I have found they burn up too quickly. They get eaten up by my 100-120W heads. Heck, I have a modded Fender 6550/KT88 Bassman went through two sets of Sovtek KT88s before I simply had to move onto another tube. The Bassman now has JJ 6550s; those perform and sound great. I find JJ has done well in encapsulating the "midrangey 6550 sound". Also, while I have never tried these, but the reissue Tung Sol 6550 is apparently pretty nice. I would explore that route, as well.

If you have room to spare between sockets, maybe look into KT88 types. The KT88SC (TubeStore sells it as the Preferred Series) is a wonderful tube. I used them in an Ampeg V5, an amp somewhat like a JCM800. I was replacing its original (very tired) set of GE 6550A's, actually. The KT88SC tubes in the amp sounded amazing. No tubbiness in the low-end (like the JJ), no sluggishness in the sound, wider soundstage, and an overall midrange presentation that was comparable to what the GE's were doing with the head.

Hope that helps!


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