6L6 STR-440 VS. 5881 STR-425 Russian

[Kincaide]

Hey guys,

I'm trying to decide which 6L6's to put in my two channel Dual Rec. My local music store sells the Mesa Boogie factory 6L6 STR-440, and 5881 STR-425 Russian. Can anyone help explain the tone difference between these two tubes?

Any good experiences with either one of them?

Thanks,
Matt
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PEACE..

 

[HipKitty]

Kincaide, the STR-440 6L6 can best described as fat sounding with a sweet top end...very round and warm. The 5581 STR-425 has a lower gain to it in comparison and breaks up earlier than the 440..a lot of blues based players seem to gravitate to the 5881, whereas the 6L6 is fitting in other arenas of style.

Of course, which one to choose is up to you and the style/sound you are looking for. In a perfect world, you could buy both types and try them both out for your own comparison.

Let us know what you choose.