SED =C= 6L6 Lifespan

[domct203]

SED =C= 6L6 users, what kind of lifespan are you getting from them? I'm changing mine about 8-9 months with 8-12 hours per week at band volume. They run around 50% MPD (32-34mA) in my Roadster.

I threw my last set in the end of April '08 and I can tell the're beat already (cranking the amp ain't the same, sustain is lacking, etc.)

I've heard good things about TAD, anyone have some experience with both in a Recto? How do they compare? How did they hold up?

Dom

 

[R_ADKINS80]

SED =C= 6L6 users, what kind of lifespan are you getting from them? I'm changing mine about 8-9 months with 8-12 hours per week at band volume. They run around 50% MPD (32-34mA) in my Roadster.

I threw my last set in the end of April '08 and I can tell the're beat already (cranking the amp ain't the same, sustain is lacking, etc.)

I've heard good things about TAD, anyone have some experience with both in a Recto? How do they compare? How did they hold up?

Dom

Both me and my buddy have Triple Recs and both of us have TAD 6L6GC and =C= 6L6GC tubes. I can't comment on the life span of the =C='s because we will only use them as spares. They don't compare to the TADs in any way-shape-or-form in our opinions. As for the life span of the TAD's....My buddy is going on his 4th year with his and his were used in punishing volume live situations for the 1st 2 years and they still sound phenomenal. Mine are almost a year old but I just get together with him every week or two for some decent volume riffing. TAD's are the very best 6L6's I have out of the 3 sets I have.

 

[domct203]

Both me and my buddy have Triple Recs and both of us have TAD 6L6GC and =C= 6L6GC tubes. I can't comment on the life span of the =C='s because we will only use them as spares. They don't compare to the TADs in any way-shape-or-form in our opinions. As for the life span of the TAD's....My buddy is going on his 4th year with his and his were used in punishing volume live situations for the 1st 2 years and they still sound phenomenal. Mine are almost a year old but I just get together with him every week or two for some decent volume riffing. TAD's are the very best 6L6's I have out of the 3 sets I have.

Are those the TAD 6L6GC-STR or the 6L6WCG-STR?

OR

Dom

 

[R_ADKINS80]

We use the 6L6GC STR. The W version is more of a vintage type from what I can gather. If I read correctly on the site the GC's are based off a black plate RCA (which they are black plate design) and the WCG's are based off of a GE and have black plates as well if I recall. Another buddy of mine ran the WCG's in a Laney GH100 but pulled them in favor of Tungsol KT66's. I liked his tone with the TADs waay more, though, but he plays a majority of 80's pop tunes rearranged for a more modern rock band.

 

[domct203]

We use the 6L6GC STR. The W version is more of a vintage type from what I can gather. If I read correctly on the site the GC's are based off a black plate RCA (which they are black plate design) and the WCG's are based off of a GE and have black plates as well if I recall. Another buddy of mine ran the WCG's in a Laney GH100 but pulled them in favor of Tungsol KT66's. I liked his tone with the TADs waay more, though, but he plays a majority of 80's pop tunes rearranged for a more modern rock band.

Thanks,

Dom

 

[domct203]

FWIW-

I just ordered a quad of the TAD 6L6GC-STR. I'll give 'em a roll and post my thoughts vs the SED =C='s I've been using.

Dom

 

[R_ADKINS80]

Don't be too quick to judge them, as I find they sound better after a good burn in. I always run through at least a week or two of heavy punishment on a set of tubes before i start to critique them.

 

[droptrd]

Don't be too quick to judge them, as I find they sound better after a good burn in. I always run through at least a week or two of heavy punishment on a set of tubes before i start to critique them.

I do the same thing. New tubes bug me. They sound different every day for the first couple of weeks. One day they sound good, one day they sound bad... Its frustrating. But when they break in, im in heaven!

 

[LerxstLee]

Both me and my buddy have Triple Recs and both of us have TAD 6L6GC and =C= 6L6GC tubes. I can't comment on the life span of the =C='s because we will only use them as spares. They don't compare to the TADs in any way-shape-or-form in our opinions. As for the life span of the TAD's....My buddy is going on his 4th year with his and his were used in punishing volume live situations for the 1st 2 years and they still sound phenomenal. Mine are almost a year old but I just get together with him every week or two for some decent volume riffing. TAD's are the very best 6L6's I have out of the 3 sets I have.

Are those the TAD 6L6GC-STR or the 6L6WCG-STR?

OR

Dom

I opted for the TAD 6l6wgcs and I love them .
If the SEDs were 6l6s and not 6l6GCs , they won't last long any how .
6l6 is closer to a 5881 , 375volts max I think ?
I have had great luck with tad's , including their EL84s

 

[domct203]

Damn, one of the TAD's redplated on me !!

Good thing I was paying attention for the first 5-10 min of playing. The damn thing lit up like a wierd flouresent light! I caught it before the fuse blew, and all seemed fine when I threw my Mesa STR-440 backups in.

They sure did sound pretty good though. They biased right up to where my Mesa STR-440 GRN's do.

The dud is on it's way back, and a replacement is being sent. It was definatly the only tube lit up (I shut it down real quick) so I'm sure the other three are fine.

I'll give it another go, if I have any more issues it's back to the SED =C='s for me.

Dom

 

[cliffdove]

Don't be too quick to judge them, as I find they sound better after a good burn in. I always run through at least a week or two of heavy punishment on a set of tubes before i start to critique them.

How do you know when the tubes are burnt in? Sonically, what's the indicator? I love the TADs by the way, good recommendation.

 

[R_ADKINS80]

The best indication for tube burn-in, for my ears anyways, is to play with a completely dry signal. Guitar straight into the amp with no effects what-so-ever. New power tubes, reguardless of brand, always have a shrillness to the treble, peak in the mids and sometimes rather thin bass.....to MY ears anyways. I will suffer through the first week or two of dry playing untill I notice that tubes are the opposite of when they were new......Nice treble/presence, smoother mids and the bass hass finally filled out to some real girth. For me, as I said, it usually takes about a week or two. When I notice those little transformations in the sonics of the tubes I know it's time to plug in my pedal board and head for Tonetown.

A burn-in tip I can give you that some people will frown upon, but has never caused me any ill efects in the 10 years I've been playing tube amps: I turn my amp on and take it off stand-by and let it cook those tubes over night. With my boogie I set it to bold and silicon diodes to get the bias as hot as it will go and let it run all night like that. A few nights of that along with some playing will burn-in tubes pretty quick like.

DISCLAIMER: notice I said leave it on OVERNIGHT.....not all day. I put it to standby in the morning to let it cool down a bit and then I turn it off.

 

[Dror520]

Damn, one of the TAD's redplated on me !!

Good thing I was paying attention for the first 5-10 min of playing. The damn thing lit up like a wierd flouresent light! I caught it before the fuse blew, and all seemed fine when I threw my Mesa STR-440 backups in.

They sure did sound pretty good though. They biased right up to where my Mesa STR-440 GRN's do.

The dud is on it's way back, and a replacement is being sent. It was definatly the only tube lit up (I shut it down real quick) so I'm sure the other three are fine.

I'll give it another go, if I have any more issues it's back to the SED =C='s for me.

Dom

Hey, after you order new tubes and they arrive do you simply replace the old with the new or do you have to reset the bias in the amp? I'm asking because I'm about to order a quad of Winged c 6l6's and wanted to know what to do ... thanks!

 

[prspastor]

Hi Dror520,
Your Mark IV has a fixed bias so, easy enough for you, you don't have to adjust the bias. When you order your tubes, tell them what kind of amp you have and they'll send you tubes that will work well with the bias voltage in your Mark IV. I've had good luck with both The Tube Store and Tube Depot.

By the way, those =C= 6l6s are really a great tube. I have them in my F50. Enjoy!

Hope this helps.

 

[Dror520]

Hi Dror520,
Your Mark IV has a fixed bias so, easy enough for you, you don't have to adjust the bias. When you order your tubes, tell them what kind of amp you have and they'll send you tubes that will work well with the bias voltage in your Mark IV. I've had good luck with both The Tube Store and Tube Depot.

By the way, those =C= 6l6s are really a great tube. I have them in my F50. Enjoy!

Hope this helps.

thanks for your help! so you're saying that I should write in the comments in the order that my amp is a Mark IV and they will send me the right tubes for that amp?

 

[prspastor]

Hi Dror520,
Your Mark IV has a fixed bias so, easy enough for you, you don't have to adjust the bias. When you order your tubes, tell them what kind of amp you have and they'll send you tubes that will work well with the bias voltage in your Mark IV. I've had good luck with both The Tube Store and Tube Depot.

By the way, those =C= 6l6s are really a great tube. I have them in my F50. Enjoy!

Hope this helps.

thanks for your help! so you're saying that I should write in the comments in the order that my amp is a Mark IV and they will send me the right tubes for that amp?

Yes, that is exactly what I've done in the past and it was worked out really well. All you have to do is then pull out your old tubes and insert the new ones. As a precaution, I always watch the new tubes for red-plating a while as I'm playing. Sometimes, I guess tubes are damaged in transit, their plate current was mis-labeled, or they are not matched well at the store for one reason or another, or other various reasons and the electrons pour off the cathode with such intensity (because your fixed bias voltage does not repel all those electrons) that the gray plate starts to turn red. I think that it is a fairly rare thing, and it has never happened to me, but I think prudence would suggest to watch the new ones for a while.

All in all, it should be a smooth transition for you...
jw