MK IV and Mesa STR 420 tubes?

[mule#1]

Hey does anybody know where to get or what would be a similar tube to the Mesa 420? I've heard they were Chinese 6L6's and the MK IV was designed around them. We were talking in another post and it came up that they open up the MK IVB more like the A version. Anybody else found this to be true?

 

[Boogiebabies]

http://www.tubesandmore.com/scripts/foxweb.dll/catalog@d:/dfs/elevclients/cemirror/ELEVATOR.FXP?SEARCH_KEYWORD=SP_6L6


T-6L6GC-CHN--C As used for STR-420
T-6L6GC-CN--S As used for STR-420
T-6L6GC--CHIN Similar, but more reliable.

 

[mule#1]

http://www.tubesandmore.com/scripts/foxweb.dll/catalog@d:/dfs/elevclients/cemirror/ELEVATOR.FXP?SEARCH_KEYWORD=SP_6L6


T-6L6GC-CHN--C As used for STR-420
T-6L6GC-CN--S As used for STR-420
T-6L6GC--CHIN Similar, but more reliable.

Thank you! I'll check it out. Have you tried these? How would you compare them to the STR 440's tonally?

 

[Boogiebabies]

Do you mean 420's or 440's ?

The STR-440 is a Ruby/Shuguang 6L6GC MSTR. It's a newer style of a Sylvania/Phillips copy
with no where near the harmonic content of the 420's. Every one I have ever used had a terrible
tube rattle as well. I have a few quiet quads that are decent, but I have never left them in an amp
long enough to comment on life span.

These are STR-420. The 420 is/was basically a Chinese Sylvania/Phillips knock off made by Shuguang or Sino.
Mesa was using both straight and coke bottle types. I'm running 6L6 GE's and 6CA7 GE's now, but I still have
the NOS STR-420's the IV came with in December 1993. The 420's in the amp have a more complex tone than the
GE's. Better top end and harmonics, just don't expect them to last too long. At $35 a quad, who cares if they don't last
more than six months to a year. They sound nicer than a $160 quad of GT's in that amp.

See if you can get them in the 30-35mA range.


For those cheap chuckleheads out there, don't try these in 100W/Simul C+'s. If they don't blow up after five minutes at 483V they will last
a month. You 60W owners will be fine with them at 448V.

For humorous anecdotal purposes, the original 1980's STR-440 was the same tube as the STR-420 but they drew so much
plate current Mesa labeled them EL34's !!!! :shock:

 

[mule#1]

I just ordered the Quad of them for $35. I have really been a fan of the 5881's as I don't care for the 440's. Hopefully I'll like these puppies!

 

[dodger916]

I just ordered the Quad of them for $35. I have really been a fan of the 5881's as I don't care for the 440's. Hopefully I'll like these puppies!

+1 on the 420s. I replaced the 440s with them (Mesa) and haven't looked back. I've since installed a par of 5881s in the outer sockets. Even more sweetness!

 

[mule#1]

Well I like the 420's! Definately a better tube. I am experimenting mixing with the 5881's but overall a big improvement!

 

[miqueas92]

I just ordered some of these, they only had them to 27mA, is that ok, or too cold¿¿

Mick

 

[Boogiebabies]

I just ordered some of these, they only had them to 27mA, is that ok, or too cold¿¿

Mick

That's pretty good considering most Yellow 440's from Mesa read 17mA.

 

[miqueas92]

I just ordered some of these, they only had them to 27mA, is that ok, or too cold¿¿

Mick

That's pretty good considering most Yellow 440's from Mesa read 17mA.

So... should they last for a while or are they gonna pop on me ¿¿ :?

Mick

 

[thunda1216]

those old 420's have a good long lifespan. I actually like them in my Heartbreaker. I recently went back to them after about 6 years with Winged C tubes and I'm really liking the tone. The old ones I pulled out after 4 years of hard service are currently serving duty in my Pignose amps with no problem...

ty

 

[chipaudette]

Any recommendations for power tubes my IIC that was upgrade to a IIC+?

When MikeB did the upgrade last year, he dropped in a new pair of gray-label Mesa 440s. I've always felt the clean channel could sound a bit more lively (compared to by Fender Deluxe Reverb Re-issue) and wondered if the power tubes were partly to blame. The Boogie plays nice and even, but lacks the bounce and sparkle of my Deluxe Reverb.

Granted, there can be a big difference between 6L6 and 6V6, but maybe there's another variety of 6L6 that'll get me where I want to go...

As an aside, I tend to prefer new tubes over NOS because they're easier to find. I always have difficulty finding (and confirming) that I've found that particular long-lost NOS variant that was recommended by someone. Buying a newly manufactured tube is just so much easier. But, if you've got a winner of NOS recommendation, and know where I can buy it, I'm all ears (and grins!).

Thanks for your thoughts.

Chip

 

[miqueas92]

Well, I plugged the new quad of these into my MKIV, I can say this, they work!!!!!

How long, who knows¿¿

It may be me, but they seem to be a tad thinner that the =C=´s I had in it.
Maybe they are supposed to be. At any rate, $40 something for a quad, shipped, not a bad deal.

Happy Tone Hunting...

Mick

 

[Mongo1]

http://www.tubesandmore.com/scripts/foxweb.dll/catalog@d:/dfs/elevclients/cemirror/ELEVATOR.FXP?SEARCH_KEYWORD=SP_6L6


T-6L6GC-CHN--C As used for STR-420
T-6L6GC-CN--S As used for STR-420
T-6L6GC--CHIN Similar, but more reliable.

I just ordered some of these, they only had them to 27mA, is that ok, or too cold¿¿

Mick

I don't see anywhere to pick a ma range on the website.
Does it require a call to the site?

 

[miqueas92]

When you are ready to pay there is a box for comments, thats where I put it.
You can call them also.
Mick

http://www.tubesandmore.com/scripts/foxweb.dll/catalog@d:/dfs/elevclients/cemirror/ELEVATOR.FXP?SEARCH_KEYWORD=SP_6L6


T-6L6GC-CHN--C As used for STR-420
T-6L6GC-CN--S As used for STR-420
T-6L6GC--CHIN Similar, but more reliable.

I just ordered some of these, they only had them to 27mA, is that ok, or too cold¿¿

Mick

I don't see anywhere to pick a ma range on the website.
Does it require a call to the site?

 

[mule#1]

I just ordered some of these, they only had them to 27mA, is that ok, or too cold¿¿

Mick

That's pretty good considering most Yellow 440's from Mesa read 17mA.

So... should they last for a while or are they gonna pop on me ¿¿ :?

Mick

OK I hate to expose my ignorance but what effect does the mA rating have on the tube? The 420's I ordered came with numbers 18 over 2.3. I'm assuming the 18 is the mA rating. Does it affect just tube life or tone?

 

[miqueas92]

OK!!!

Got maybe 10 hrs. on these tubes. Last night I started to have volume drop, unwanted, bad distortion on the clean channel.

Put the amp on standby, then turned it back on and got blue spark in all 4 tubes :evil: .

So, what is up, just bad tubes¿¿

Mick

 

[mule#1]

That's odd? They were working fine before that?

 

[miqueas92]

Yep :evil:

 

[BlackBoxy]

having both str 420 of the 90's and newer shuguang GC pairs, they pretty much the same build quality, they both sounds same, great harmoniXX and breaking tone, cleans too are very sexy!

i'll tell if the new one are as sturdy as the old mesa ones!

i got new tung sol gc str, at first 30hours they sounds pants, but after burned in, their tone gets smouther and harmonics gets through , but at first they are mushy compressed especially for OD works!

Winged c are coming, i'll try them too!