Just ordered some GT6L6-R2's

[G.I.G.]

Well, I just ordered a quad of GT6L6-R2's from "Darren Riley's Guitar and Amp Shop" (I just Googled GT6L6-R2 and that's who came up...couldn't find them on Musicians Friend or any of the other big stores) so I'll give a report when I get them in. I ordered them in a #5 power rating.

Why in the F are these puppies so expensive? On Groove Tubes website the MSRP is $140 for them. Riley's was selling them for $109 which is cheaper but still expensive. Tube Depot and The Tube Store sell the SED =C= 6L6's (same thing as the GT6L6-R2's) for around $80. I went with the Groove Tubes because my amp is still under warranty and it's worth a few extra bucks to me to have piece of mind.

Does Groove Tubes do a better job of matching these tubes or did I just spend an extra $30 for the name??? Seems a little odd to me. If I like the Groove Tubes, I might order them direct from someone else next time like Tube Depot or Doug's Tubes.

Is anyone running the GT6L6-R2's in their amp currently? If so, what do you think?

 

[CaughtLikeFire]

Groove Tubes goes a little beyond most other tube dealers as far as matching goes. Is it worth the extra $30? Hard to say, but you know that what you bought will work well and is guaranteed for 3 months so don't worry about the $$.

I had GT 6L6R2s in my Single Rec Rectoverb head and they were the best tube for that amp that I found (KT77s were nice too though for certain tones). I bought them from Darren as well. Mine were a #6 rating.

You made a good purchase in my opinion 8)

 

[G.I.G.]

Thanks for the input! That makes me feel better about buying them. I thought about just buying the SED's from one of the tube stores, but I thought that the Groove Tubes would be a better bet. Did you feel that they were hard to find. A lot of places carry Grove Tubes, just not the GT6L6-R2's though.

CaughtLikeFire, did you still use the R2's or do you still have your single recto? What, in your opinion, made them better than the stock tubes? I always hear that they are a better tube but I'm curious to find out more about what changes I can expect.

 

[CaughtLikeFire]

Thanks for the input! That makes me feel better about buying them. I thought about just buying the SED's from one of the tube stores, but I thought that the Groove Tubes would be a better bet. Did you feel that they were hard to find. A lot of places carry Grove Tubes, just not the GT6L6-R2's though.

CaughtLikeFire, did you still use the R2's or do you still have your single recto? What, in your opinion, made them better than the stock tubes? I always hear that they are a better tube but I'm curious to find out more about what changes I can expect.

more clarity and note definition when the tubes were overdriven. overall warmer feel with the cleans - less harsh.

like any power tube, you really need to have the amp at a higher volume to notice the difference. bedroom levels won't cut it.

I don't have the Rectoverb anymore. Only had room for one half stack and I decided the Stiletto Ace was the best if I had to pick one.

 

[LUCRETIA]

on ebay,New set of GT6L6 R2(quad)selling for $78.Ended without any bidder.
http://cgi.ebay.com/6L6-R2-Groove-Tubes-NEW-MATCHED-QUAD-rating-6_W0QQitemZ290185042137QQihZ019QQcategoryZ121164QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

 

[G.I.G.]

on ebay,New set of GT6L6 R2(quad)selling for $78.Ended without any bidder.
http://cgi.ebay.com/6L6-R2-Groove-Tubes-NEW-MATCHED-QUAD-rating-6_W0QQitemZ290185042137QQihZ019QQcategoryZ121164QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

Darn, wish I saw that a few hours ago!

 

[G.I.G.]

more clarity and note definition when the tubes were overdriven. overall warmer feel with the cleans - less harsh.

like any power tube, you really need to have the amp at a higher volume to notice the difference. bedroom levels won't cut it.

I don't have the Rectoverb anymore. Only had room for one half stack and I decided the Stiletto Ace was the best if I had to pick one.

Excellent. That's what I'm looking for! I never expect miracles from changing tubes, especially when they're not bad to begin with.

I should notice the difference then because I never play my Roadster at bedroom levels. I use my Roadster for band practice and gigs so I get to stretch her legs quite a bit.

Did you have to alter your eq, gain, or presence settings after changing to the R2's? I noticed that when I put JJ's in my Dual Rectifier that I totally had to re-eq it to get back to the sound that i liked. FWIW I think the JJ's are too dark and not worth the hype.

 

[CaughtLikeFire]

more clarity and note definition when the tubes were overdriven. overall warmer feel with the cleans - less harsh.

like any power tube, you really need to have the amp at a higher volume to notice the difference. bedroom levels won't cut it.

I don't have the Rectoverb anymore. Only had room for one half stack and I decided the Stiletto Ace was the best if I had to pick one.

Excellent. That's what I'm looking for! I never expect miracles from changing tubes, especially when they're not bad to begin with.

I should notice the difference then because I never play my Roadster at bedroom levels. I use my Roadster for band practice and gigs so I get to stretch her legs quite a bit.

Did you have to alter your eq, gain, or presence settings after changing to the R2's? I noticed that when I put JJ's in my Dual Rectifier that I totally had to re-eq it to get back to the sound that i liked. FWIW I think the JJ's are too dark and not worth the hype.

with preamp tubes you'll need to re-eq a bit. Power tubes, maybe slightly at higher volumes (also may need to adjust the gain depending on the distortion characteristics of the tube). With new power tubes, I would just leave the amp on standby for a few minutes then crank it and rock out.

I agree that JJs are not the best choice for Rectifier preamps. As far as power tubes go, they can sometimes be a little sterile (6L6 and E34L) but they tend to be strong/reliable.

 

[G.I.G.]

Good to know. I'll post a tone report once I get them in and have some time to experiment with them.

 

[OUTLAW1969]

I just bought a quad of these on Ebay for $80 a few minutes ago, and I only need two for my Single Rec.

If anybody needs the other two, I will split the cost evenly with you when they arrive. I can also provide references from several other forums, since I am new here.

Seriously just trying to help anyone else out, since I had a hard time finding them myself. Brand new in the boxes, and have a 4-5 rating. Seller had 100% feedback with over 500 transactions.

If not, then I will have a pair for my next re-tube...

JSMEEKS69 at COMCAST dot NET

 

[G.I.G.]

Well, it looks like I never posted a tone report after I put these puppies in. I've had them in my Roadster for several months now.

I definitely noticed an improvement with these tubes over the stock, Mesa tubes. I don't think the stock tubes sounded bad, I just needed to replace them for preventative measures.

Overall, it improved my tone across the board, but not drastically. The =C='s are punchier, smoother, and more balanced across the entire EQ range to my ear. The highs are smooth, not shrill. The lows are deep but not loose. The mids are clear and punchy. Even my band mates noticed a difference, and they don't listen as closely for tonal variations in my sound as I do.

Are they worth the extra money? That depends. To me, yes. So far they have been reliable and sound great. I think I will buy a set for my DR as well.