Equivalent to the Groove Tubes GT-6CA7GE OR suggest a tube

[user 6002]

I heard that GT just buy tubes and write their logo on them and sell them for near double. With that being said, I wouldn't pay double for a name. I was really interested in the GT-6CA7GE power tube. Apparently EVH used it on the first two albums. Can someone tell me what the equivalent powertube by the 'parent' company is (the original company that GT bought these from) ?

Also, would these be good for getting a nice, early EVH to tight early Metallica tone? If not, can someone suggest a more suitable tube for my Mesa/Boogie Nomad 55 head?

Thanks in advance.

 

[Russ]

GT doesn't just relabel tubes. Anyone thinking that is retarded. They screen tubes. That is their whole market. They ensure that you are getting good tubes. Sure you can pay less for a non screened tube but you might get a less than quality tube. You might get a noisy tube or a microphonic tube. GT and Mesa do their best to make it so that when you buy a tube you know it works and sounds good. If I am not mistaken you can even return a bad tube if it manages to sneak through. There again, I have yet to have to return a bad GT out of the box. I have found that GT typically tests better and their tubes typically show better life for this. Because this is their main business GT tends to sell a better tube because they have screened it. Mesa on the other hand has their tube screening business as a side gig. Another nice thing about GT tubes is that you can get them more places than Mesa tubes. Using screened tubes in general helps to ensure consistent tone also. I look at paying the little extra for GT as saving me the time to troubleshoot and locate the bad tube then the time and gas of having to return a bad tube more often or even having to buy tubes more often. Just for comparison, I tested a half dozen brand new in box SPAX7's from Mesa and only one actually tested decent. They work but don't have much life expectancy. I tested new GT 12ax7's that were also brand new in box and they all tested as new. I don't know who is actually making the GT-6CA7GE for GT but from what others have been saying it is a great tube. I would still buy the screened tube though. Sometimes GT and Mesa reject whole batches of tubes because they do not meet their standards. These tubes find their way to retailers anyway but are not labeled as GT or Mesa. Honestly tubes that are not up to snuff in reality should be recycled. I think too that there should be a recycling of old tubes anyway because the steel in old tubes was better than the steel in newer tubes. It might help keep the purity of the steel being used up and help to make for better tubes in the long run.

 

[Guitarzan]

+1^

 

[Platypus]

That is a GE tube, hence the name. It is actually made by GT in this case using GE's original equipment.

 

[Elpelotero]

+1 lol.

It's one of the better tubes out in the market right now. It will definitely get you the sounds you are after.

 

[edgarallanpoe]

GT doesn't just relabel tubes. Anyone thinking that is retarded. They screen tubes. That is their whole market. They ensure that you are getting good tubes. Sure you can pay less for a non screened tube but you might get a less than quality tube. You might get a noisy tube or a microphonic tube. GT and Mesa do their best to make it so that when you buy a tube you know it works and sounds good. If I am not mistaken you can even return a bad tube if it manages to sneak through. There again, I have yet to have to return a bad GT out of the box. I have found that GT typically tests better and their tubes typically show better life for this. Because this is their main business GT tends to sell a better tube because they have screened it. Mesa on the other hand has their tube screening business as a side gig. Another nice thing about GT tubes is that you can get them more places than Mesa tubes. Using screened tubes in general helps to ensure consistent tone also. I look at paying the little extra for GT as saving me the time to troubleshoot and locate the bad tube then the time and gas of having to return a bad tube more often or even having to buy tubes more often. Just for comparison, I tested a half dozen brand new in box SPAX7's from Mesa and only one actually tested decent. They work but don't have much life expectancy. I tested new GT 12ax7's that were also brand new in box and they all tested as new. I don't know who is actually making the GT-6CA7GE for GT but from what others have been saying it is a great tube. I would still buy the screened tube though. Sometimes GT and Mesa reject whole batches of tubes because they do not meet their standards. These tubes find their way to retailers anyway but are not labeled as GT or Mesa. Honestly tubes that are not up to snuff in reality should be recycled. I think too that there should be a recycling of old tubes anyway because the steel in old tubes was better than the steel in newer tubes. It might help keep the purity of the steel being used up and help to make for better tubes in the long run.

There are a lot of tube sellers who screen their tubes and charge a lot less than GT or Mesa. Guys like KCA and other online retailers sell the same tube, for less money. GT does offer some tubes that you cannot get elsewhere, the 12AX7 Mullard reissue is an example. However, IMHO if you pay more for a Chinese tube because it has a GT label, you are retarded. :lol:

 

[Russ]

I don't see anything wrong with ordering a SAG (Special applications group) tube that is chinese with a higher gain factor of say 1.3 or something specific and also maybe getting it balanced at the same time. To me, that makes sense. Buying any GT is worth it to me also just having the convenience of being able to walk into just about any guitar shop and being able to get what you want and know it is going to be reliable. It would be nice if KCA and other retailers would have their products readily accessible for purchase in local shops. For the amount you will pay for other screeners and shipping you can just as easily go to a local shop and get a GT and not have to wait.

 

[Guitarzan]

The SAG stuff was a bit fizzy for my tastes.

 

[Russ]

It just depends upon what you load it into.

 

[HipKitty]

Yea...more 2 cents worth! Actually, some eductation this time...

Companies like Groove Tubes, Ruby, Electro Harmonix, TAD, Tung Sol etc. actually have the factories in Russia or China manufacture tubes to their spec.

Therefore, an EL34 is not just an EL34 anymore. GT, Ruby and TAD offer EL34's made in the Svetlana factory, but each one is made to their own spec. They just don't order a ton of stock SED tubes and pick through them for matching and testing. If you were to buy a pair of EL34's from GT, Ruby and TAD, you could see some of the differences just by looking at them carefully and comparing each.


Then there is the (now) Svetlana brand tubes...owned by the same company that owns EH and Sovtek. The old Sventlana name became Winged C (SED) when the old Svetlana lost it's rights to market their tubes under that name and New Sensor got the Svetlana name (they also own the rights to the Tung Sol, Genelex Gold Lion, Electro Harmonix and Sovtek names).

Lots of room for confusion though......lol!

 

[phyrexia]

The GT tubes that end in GE are made in the US on old GE tooling, using the old GE formulas.

My 6L6GEs are awesome. I haven't tried the 6CA7s. I don't have an EL34 amp.

 

[MKIII]

The GT-6CA7GE's are out of production at the moment; I'm just itching to get a couple to go with my GT-6L6GE's...

 

[Platypus]

The GT-6CA7GE's are out of production at the moment; I'm just itching to get a couple to go with my GT-6L6GE's...

ditto, love to get a pair for my Ace and my Mark IV

 

[Rocky]

I had to of the GT's in my Stiletto. Nice but I like the Mesa 450's more.

 

[lshred365]

Groove Tube has there own tube factory in California, they have manufactured a 6L6 & EL34-6CA7 there. The recent sale to Fender could change that, I here they might be moving the tube factory to mexico.The EL34-M was the latest GT product not sure where it was made US or Mexico,China. That being said GT test there tubes 8 ways not counting SAG & MPI tubes. Mesa is catching up with there testing 7 peramitors. Ruby tubes definitely in the top 3 the current labeled on tube makes it easy to bias & lower price. But don't listen to me use your ears and feel the reaction of the amp. Try to find a music store with your amp look at the the tubes in it try it out with your guitar. If your a newby player start with finding cheap matched pairs get a collection, stay away from NOS lot of fakes out there & cost up to $400 a pair.