John Gatski is the Publisher & Executive Editor of Pro Audio Review.
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Fender Deluxe owners can rejoice. There finally is a currently manufactured 6V6 output tube designed to accommodate the higher plate voltage of vintage tube amps.
The made-in-Russia, Electro-Harmonix 6V6EH is said to be able to handle the high plate voltages - about 400 volts to 425 volts - of Fender Deluxes, Princetons, Gibsons and other vintage amps that used the mighty 6V6. Since the heyday of tubes waned about 25 years ago, guitar players have been wishing for a readily available, robust, good sounding 6V6.
The new old stock RCAs, GEs and other vintage tubes have become rare as the supplies have been used up. Those tubes were conservatively rated at 250 volts plate voltage, but could deliver in excess of 400. Prior to the EH, the currently produced Chinese- and Russian-made 6V6 tubes, some of which sounded good, often suffered premature failure or wear out because of the high voltage requirements of old amps. Those tubes were not made to take the higher plate voltage.
According to Electro-Harmonix, the 6V6EH uses a improved cathode coating and a 6550-grade tri-alloy plate material as well as close-tolerance alignment of the tube grids. The result is robust reliability and good sound, according to EH.
The Audition
I received a couple of "matched pairs" of the 6V6EHs and tried them in several amps. A good 6V6 is an interesting tube. It has a tendency to have a soft, compressed, sweet tone that only compresses more and distorts pleasingly as you crank it up. It does not, however, have a lot of headroom like a 6L6. Generally, amps using this tube in a push-pull configuration crank out 10-20 watts max. Single-ended amps, about 4-6 watts.
I have used vintage new old stock (NOS) RCAs, Philips, GEs, Raytheons, etc. I also have tried numerous pairs of the other currently-manufactured tubes, such as the Russian Sovteks and various manufacturer-branded Chinese 6V6 versions. I usually find the old stock U.S. tubes to have a smoother, more open character than the newer tubes. (But at low volumes, some of the overseas tubes sound decent).
So the expectations were high for the EH. Would it finally be the new king of 6V6s? I tried them in my vintage amps: a 1966 Fender Deluxe Reverb, 1971 Fender Princeton Reverb, and an early '60s single-end output Valco. The Deluxe's adjustable bias was set at 30 milliamp of idle current to get 415 volts. In the Princeton, the same set of tubes drew 25 milliamps of current and the plate voltage was 409 volts. The single-ended Valco drew 50 milliamps and showed 355 volts on the plate.
The 6V6EH tube's sound quality was much closer to the sound of my old RCAs. They both had the same smooth, compressed character, but the sound was more open with the Electro-Harmonix tube as I cranked the gain. The Deluxe delivered the most clean gain while the Valco, a 5-watter with no feedback began growling relatively early in the decibel cycle.
For single coil guitars, the EH tubes take off the treble edge - with its tendency to compress as you crank it up. This characteristic makes the thinness of spring reverb circuits sound a little fuller as well.
For reliability testing, I used the tubes for several weeks, leaving the amps on for days at a time. The tubes did not "soften" with age; the high-end was still there. They still were able to crank it up a bit - even after the extended use.
The only anomaly in the EH's tube trial was a little bit of thermal clicking sounds that emanated from the speaker as the tube warmed up. After a couple of minutes, though, no more clicks.
Conclusion
Bravo to Electro-Harmonix for getting its Russian factory to make a great 6V6, which is just about my favorite type of guitar amp output tube. It sounds nearly as good as the old RCAs everyone gushes over - and they are inexpensive. Suggested retail price is $11 per tube. From Electro-Harmonix, there is a $2 per tube matching charge. The tubes are also available from music/guitar retailers and mail order firms.
Fore more information, contact Electro-Harmonix at 800-633-5477; visit the web site at www.ehx.com
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