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8 x 10 opinion

#22
SirMjac28 said:
If I change tubes in my SVT I'm going with the GE's Beans told me they're better than the Winged C's and the price is about the same but I agree with Jimmy the JJ's do sound good and they're inexpensive.
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I don't know where you see GE for about the same price as Winged C 6550....point me there!

Unless they are strong pulls......GE and Sylvania have been put of production since the early 80's at the latest.

Funny thing, many SVT my tech friends would see at shops locally would often have a mix of 6550 tubes...as long as transconductance and current draw are fairly close its not as huge a deal mixing brands as some would believe.
 
#23
churchman said:
Anybody running fresh ge 6550's in there svt's?
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I did it for a while but I did not like them over time. To me the over all sound was somewhat lifeless and stiff with GE 6550. So I retubed the power amp with the former (old) tubes, and so was happy so far with the old stuff.

BTW I use the GE 6550 for spare only. A matched quartett of them still remains, if there is any interest?
 
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#24
I thought the 6146 would be extinct. Nice you can still get them. GE 6550 are 100 a piece nos. I bought a sextet of winged c Svetlana back in 96 for my svt, they were only 25 bucks a piece then. I know they are pricey now if you can get them. Have a stash of nos minitures for it. I don't use it but can't bring myself to sell it.
You loose some midrange with the 6550. I like kt88. Wish there was a real good one. My jmp loves ge 6550.

Back to the cabinet, I searched here before posting, and a few guys said they loved those speakers, especially after a fresh recone. What is it about the raised area on the magnet you spoke of David? Lucky you to have stashed tubes. I have to. Expensive adventure these days.
I haven't reconed the 69 super reverb because I liked the idea of original. But I like to play it and it is to floppy over 3.
 
#25
Magnavox era Emi loudspeaker made in 1978

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#26
DavidEdenAria said:
I don't know where you see GE for about the same price as Winged C 6550....point me there!
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Winged C's 6550's are currently going for around $100 each -- www.thetubestore.com - Winged "C" (SED) 6550C. Way over the top.

GE 6550's are much harder to find than they were even a year ago. Not too long ago tctubes.com were offering well tested and matched sets of pairs, quads, sextets, and octets for under $100 each. Worth keeping you eye on them in case they get more in stock. They current only have a pair of Sylvanias: tctubes.com 6550's.

RF Parts is another very good source but their stock is down to only a handful of GE 6550A's. They sell them for around $70 each. Taylor is a rebranded tube from a company long associated with communications equipment. They sell what they call 6550A's. I can't see them closely enough to tell but I've bought Taylor 6550A tubes in the past that were made by GE. At that price, they must not be GE's, maybe they are Winged C's at $25 each. Then again, they could be Sovtek. They also have a set of Tung Sols at a good price.

NOS GE tubes can be found on ebay for under $100 but you never know how well they are matched or how much life is left in them. Invalid Link Removed.
 
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#28
Lord Valve in Denver has a stash I believe. I've been to his shop and picked up some military 7168 from phillips 80's era. Used, they tested stronger than a new str 415 From phillips. ( sylvania ) If I had a vintage svt museum piece I would do GE. Oh I do! Hard to spend that kind of money. He likes the re issue tungsol 6550. You can sesrch him on denver craigslist. You have to deal with his attitude. He also would match up used strong ones.
I'm going to call the guy. If those speakers were in a 78 cab I'd be happy with them.
 
#30
Going to go get it. We can do a comparison, from a 1980 cab to a known 83 cab. It might be the last of the magnivox era. I'm not the pro here, but it is a towel bar cab, no aluminum trim, different logo badge, different jack. Just looked at my 83, the speakers are pristine condition. Sound comparison to sometime. Measure at 3.7 ohm and tested all speakers work, no buzzing.
 
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#31
beans-on-toast said:
Winged C's 6550's are currently going for around $100 each -- www.thetubestore.com - Winged "C" (SED) 6550C. Way over the top.

GE 6550's are much harder to find than they were even a year ago. Not too long ago tctubes.com were offering well tested and matched sets of pairs, quads, sextets, and octets for under $100 each. Worth keeping you eye on them in case they get more in stock. They current only have a pair of Sylvanias: tctubes.com 6550's.

RF Parts is another very good source but their stock is down to only a handful of GE 6550A's. They sell them for around $70 each. Taylor is a rebranded tube from a company long associated with communications equipment. They sell what they call 6550A's. I can't see them closely enough to tell but I've bought Taylor 6550A tubes in the past that were made by GE. At that price, they must not be GE's, maybe they are Winged C's at $25 each. Then again, they could be Sovtek. They also have a set of Tung Sols at a good price.

NOS GE tubes can be found on ebay for under $100 but you never know how well they are matched or how much life is left in them. Invalid Link Removed.
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100 a piece for Winged C is crazy......I agree that you can scarf up SINGLES here and there with USA Sylvania or GE for reasonable.....try getting a matched new in box quartet of Sylvania or GE, aint happening for $100 each.

I would stick with KT88 or JJ 6550.

Make sure when you refer to modern Tung Sol you say "reissue"......very few real Tung Sol 6550 exist that are brand new or test near new, not the "reissues".

Many folks aren't even aware that Tung Sol made 6550 back in the day (early 60's)...Tung Sol also made real 6L6GC very briefly...I have several that test at new with full getter flashing...twin getters.
 
#33
DavidEdenAria said:
100 a piece for Winged C is crazy......I agree that you can scarf up SINGLES here and there with USA Sylvania or GE for reasonable.....try getting a matched new in box quartet of Sylvania or GE, aint happening for $100 each.

I would stick with KT88 or JJ 6550.

Make sure when you refer to modern Tung Sol you say "reissue"......very few real Tung Sol 6550 exist that are brand new or test near new, not the "reissues".

Many folks aren't even aware that Tung Sol made 6550 back in the day (early 60's)...Tung Sol also made real 6L6GC very briefly...I have several that test at new with full getter flashing...twin getters.
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In any event, the going rate is around $100 for both GE and winged c. The ebay link that I provided currently has NOS matched quads. I have seen some good deals on ebay but I could never bring myself to buy them without knowing exactly what I'm getting. I have to know amd trust the seller.

Every once in a while, reputable resellers find a supply of 6550A's but they are snapped up pretty quickly.
 
#34
IIRC there are different GE 6550 available. The 70's production line shows a bigger glass bulb then the tubes made in the 80's. I have no idea when GE changed the design into the smaller glass bulb. The anode power dissipation remained the same but I think sound character changed somewhat with 80's design. IMO the former production line provided more musical color to the over all tone and feel.
 
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#35
churchman said:
Going to go get it. We can do a comparison, from a 1980 cab to a known 83 cab. It might be the last of the magnivox era. I'm not the pro here, but it is a towel bar cab, no aluminum trim, different logo badge, different jack. Just looked at my 83, the speakers are pristine condition. Sound comparison to sometime. Measure at 3.7 ohm and tested all speakers work, no buzzing.
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You may be right about that. I just busted out my Ampeg book, and they had shut down production at Magnavox by spring of 1980, so I guess this is one of the last Magnavox cabs to go out. From now on, I guess I better bust out the book before I try to rely on my middle-aged memory of it :D
 
#36
beans-on-toast said:
In any event, the going rate is around $100 for both GE and winged c. The ebay link that I provided currently has NOS matched quads. I have seen some good deals on ebay but I could never bring myself to buy them without knowing exactly what I'm getting. I have to know amd trust the seller.

Every once in a while, reputable resellers find a supply of 6550A's but they are snapped up pretty quickly.
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The quad you referenced for $100 each states they were lightly used in a Dynaco amp..not a problem.

No mention of current draw readings at idle in a live amp....that's a problem.

The ONLY way I ever sell any of my power tube stash, the tubes have to pass in my Hickok 533a and B&K 600 and then tested in a live amp for current draw match, stability, noise..... which I use a Weber Bias Rite w the plate volt option so I can quickly calculate dissipation quickly at the flick of a switch.

Runaway current draw is a possibility...i've seen it a dozen or more times out of close to a 1000 power tubes.

Back to the quad for $100 each.....its not to say these cant be good tubes and worth the money, but I would want a solid return policy.
 
#37
DavidEdenAria said:
The quad you referenced for $100 each states they were lightly used in a Dynaco amp..not a problem.

No mention of current draw readings at idle in a live amp....that's a problem.

The ONLY way I ever sell any of my power tube stash, the tubes have to pass in my Hickok 533a and B&K 600 and then tested in a live amp for current draw match, stability, noise..... which I use a Weber Bias Rite w the plate volt option so I can quickly calculate dissipation quickly at the flick of a switch.

Runaway current draw is a possibility...i've seen it a dozen or more times out of close to a 1000 power tubes.

Back to the quad for $100 each.....its not to say these cant be good tubes and worth the money, but I would want a solid return policy.
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That's why I would never buy tubes on ebay.
 
#38
ThisBass said:
IIRC there are different GE 6550 available. The 70's production line shows a bigger glass bulb then the tubes made in the 80's. I have no idea when GE changed the design into the smaller glass bulb. The anode power dissipation remained the same but I think sound character changed somewhat with 80's design. IMO the former production line provided more musical color to the over all tone and feel.
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The earlier 6550A's had welded plates. The later revisions had crimped plates. Some people claim that they can hear the difference.
 
#39
beans-on-toast said:
The earlier 6550A's had welded plates. The later revisions had crimped plates. Some people claim that they can hear the difference.
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Hard to believe this little design deviation will cause an audible difference but, I did AB-ing the "crimped plates" versus the former ones several times and eventually decided to get with the old ones. I did not know anything about the internal design deviations when I did this "blind" A/B-tesing. That's all many years ago when I never had an idea that different 6550 tubes may actually sound different.

At the other hand it was a nice experience cause I thought the power tubes must be bad after several hundreds hours of playing with. What happened? I expected improve the sound with brand new GE out of the box, but finally went back to the "thought" worn out ones.
 
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#40
Sheesh.....remember with an SVT you have SIX power tubes.....all are going to vary a bit in transconductance & current draw....even if they are very close from the start, they will wear down to differing specs!

Unless you install a bias pot on each tube there is no way you will keep the current draw within 1 or ma of current at idle....nor is there a need to.

My point is there are many varying factors affecting tone and response....this can evolve into "Hi-Fi anxiety tube cork sniffing" if yer not careful!!
 
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