sylvania 6L6 GB

[tony777]

sylvania 6L6 GB Can I use these in my markII?
what is the difference between GB and GC?

thanks
Tony

 

[tony777]

well, I guess I better let the sylvanias go then.

thanks anyway
Tony

 

[stoz]

GC stands for guitar combo. It means they have heavy duty internal construction and a thicker glass envelope, to protect it from the microphonic effects of being really close to the speaker in a combo.
I'm afraid I've never come across GB though.
Hope this helps.

 

[mesanomad100]

hay thanks alot this has cleared this topic up for me

 

[Timbre Wolf]

6L6GB does not tolerate the plate voltage that the later-production 6L6GC does. Modern amps (post-'50s), such as Mesa's, feed higher plate voltage that would rapidly redplate (and ruin) the 6L6GB. '50s tweed Fenders can use the lower plate-voltage GB, GA, and G types (as well as WGA/5932 and WGB/5881).

6L6"GC" does not stand for "guitar combo," as stated above. There was a progression of 6L6 tube types, from the earliest metal 6L6, to the first glass version, 6L6G ("G" for glass; this one bulbous-shaped), to 6L6GA (another bulbous glass, but smaller), to 6L6GB (first straight-sided glass), to 6L6GC. The A-B-C represents progressive versions of the tube, all with somewhat different electrical specs.

- Thom

 

[mesanomad100]

wow great info here man,thanks ever so much

so these letter are merely like,say different types of Glass tubes

 

[Timbre Wolf]

I have to apologize to Stoz - after researching a bit more, I've found that "GC" does stand for guitar combo, a common term for a popular piece of equipment in the US military at the end of the '50s.

It is well known that the US Military has always been very supportive of contemporary artistic culture, particularly incipient musical stylings. The older "GB" version was named after beatniks became enamored with their own speed-fueled rantings, and began keeping the late-night "beat" with bongo drums they bought at garage sales. These cast-off skins from early-'50s Mambo craze needed to be be amplified to balance out the vocal ravings of the benzedrine-wired hepcats, so US Military electrical engineers set their priorities and came up with bongo amplification systems, complete with the new, improved 6L6GB tube. "GB" stands for "Groovy Bongo."

The cold war was a blast!

Anyone know how they came up with the GA name? How 'bout the brown-colored "yellow" based 6L6"GAY" (yes, there have been gays in the military from way, way back).

- T

 

[Timbre Wolf]

wow great info here man,thanks ever so much

so these letter are merely like,say different types of Glass tubes

Brent Jesse's tube site has some good information on this topic.

8)

- T

 

[stoz]

Gordon Bennett, Timberwolf!
Pardon me for trying to help a guy out.
I got my information from Watford Valves. Have a look - scroll down to their description of the 6l6gc.
http://www.watfordvalves.com/products_harma.asp
I'm not going to fight over it - I don't give a toss where the name came from. I was trying to be helpful and PLEASANT. Some people have the idea that anyone who knows much about electronics must be a socially inept sneering snob. Personally, I think they're wrong most of the time.

 

[Timbre Wolf]

Just having a bit of fun, albeit at the expense of the grossly misinformed. Reread the Watford info, by the way, and see if you actually can quote to me where they say "GC" means "guitar combo" (what, can't use these in heads?). I'm sure you would have been more understanding if I said that the GB stands for "Great Britain."

I applaud your kind spirit for trying to help out Tony with his original question. I'm trying to help out with information that is factual. That, in my opinion, is much more helpful. Lighten up, mate!!

- Thom

p.s. who is Gordon Bennett? The guy who designed the 6L6GB?

 

[mesanomad100]

hahahaaa ****** fantastic!!!!!

 

[stoz]

I have to say it - you're right. Where the hell did I get GC from? I don't know. I must have had too much coffee or something.
Great Britain? Come on.

Oh - Gordon Bennett - I don't know who he was. There was a class of racing car named after him in the earliest days of motoring, which was, apparently, a hair-raising ride. Nowadays it's is used as an exclamation, merely to avoid using any expletives. Pretty naff I suppose. The U.S. equivalent would be words like oh my gosh.

 

[mesanomad100]

STOZ,I like the sound of your MKIV I bet it looks awsome with the curly maple.....I think I hate you for having it though,

where about in engalnd do you stay,what times you definatly out the house,what sort of security do you have in your home???

just a few questions

 

[stoz]

Thanks Mesa. I think it's a beautiful object.
I think it looks so unassuming and small - almost home-made with the wicker front, but when it gives forth the magic of rock and roll, it is a monster. I love it.

Forgive me if I pass on the other, security related questions.

I don't go out with it as much as I should - I only use it in a blues band, but I get more gigs in a covers band where I use a line6 Vetta (I hope that won't get me barred from this site!).

 

[mesanomad100]

-BARRED-

 

[Timbre Wolf]

Oh - Gordon Bennett - I don't know who he was. There was a class of racing car named after him in the earliest days of motoring, which was, apparently, a hair-raising ride. Nowadays it's is used as an exclamation, merely to avoid using any expletives. Pretty naff I suppose. The U.S. equivalent would be words like oh my gosh.

How 'bout consarnit or dagnabbit?

I wonder how one goes about becoming a surrogate-expletive?

 

[stoz]

Hmmm.
There's plenty of 'em. The only American one I use regularly is 'Rerritt', as used by the old prospecter guy in Blazing Saddles. It's quite satisfying if you do the clenched-fist arm movement at the same time.
I suppose that one gained currency because it made people laugh, so they remember it.

 

[mesanomad100]

hoho this is getting funny now

 

[mesanomad100]

haha glass ass




Is that what you were meanin????

 

[mesanomad100]

haha glass ass




Is that what you were meanin????