tbonesullivan Posted February 14, 2019 Share Posted February 14, 2019 I guess this might be a continuation of the preamp tube thread? Anyway, recent developments from both JJ and New Sensor/Russia have resulted in "real" 5881 tubes being available again. These are "military" small bottle versions of the 6L6WGB, that conformed to military size standards. They were used in a lot of earlier amplifiers, sometimes interchangeably with 6L6GC tubes, but got their own following. The Marshall JTM45 "BluesBreaker" combo used by Clapton had 5881 Tubes biased hot, which is credited for part of his sound on the albums he did. Anyway, for years Sovtek had a 5881WXT that was also rebranded by Mesa as a 5881, but these are actually just Russian 6P3S-E tubes, which have the same specs as a 6L6GC. The 5881 should have the lower max output of 23 watts, compared to the 30 of the 6L6GC/6P3S. In 2014, JJ came out with an actual (on paper anyway) 5881 tube, and around the same time, New Sensor put out the Tung-Sol Reissue 5881, which is also a true 5881. Both are rated at 23 Watts, with the lower headroom expected. I've been thinking about finding a JTM45 clone, and wondered if anyone has gotten their hands on either of the new production 5881 tubes, and if so what they thought. Also, as a kind of addendum, Tung-Sol also reissued the 7581A, the highest rated of the 6L6 family, which can put out 35 Watts, so if someone wanted maximum clean headroom, now they can get it, even on a 120 watt amplifier. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jakeboy Posted February 15, 2019 Share Posted February 15, 2019 I have a set of original TungSol 5881s from the 60s and OMG they blow away the Philips 6l6wgbs that I have and any NOS 6l6gc that I have. There is a certain sweetness about them...no harshness at all. I would LOVE to try some new 5881s if they are indeed real 5881s. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tbonesullivan Posted February 15, 2019 Author Share Posted February 15, 2019 The datasheets claim they are, and they definitely LOOK like 5881 tubes. The Tung-Sol reissues are based on the originals, though they are made in Russia like the rest of the Tung-Sol reissue tubes. I have seen a lot of favorable reviews of that tube in particular. With JJ tubes, I don't know if they really adhered to any type of model when designing their 5881. If you're going to try any of the new production ones, definitely go for the Tung-Sol reissues. They also now have a Tung-Sol 6L6STR that is a 6L6GC equivalent, as well as a BIG BOTTLE 6L6 if you really want the best look in those old amplifiers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gino Posted February 15, 2019 Share Posted February 15, 2019 Hmm, I was under the impression that the early Bluesbreaker combo / JTM 45 used KT 66 power tubes? Maybe I'm wrong... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shankyboy Posted February 15, 2019 Share Posted February 15, 2019 1 hour ago, Gino said: Hmm, I was under the impression that the early Bluesbreaker combo / JTM 45 used KT 66 power tubes? Maybe I'm wrong... I don't know about the original but my JTM45 OS Reissue has KT66 tubes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jakeboy Posted February 15, 2019 Share Posted February 15, 2019 I believe the KT66s were easier to source in England. I can check my Bluesbreaker history book. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tbonesullivan Posted February 16, 2019 Author Share Posted February 16, 2019 12 hours ago, Gino said: Hmm, I was under the impression that the early Bluesbreaker combo / JTM 45 used KT 66 power tubes? Maybe I'm wrong... The JTM45 was pretty much a Bassman copy, and the bassman called for Tung-Sol 5881 tubes, which is what the earliest Marshall's apparently used. The KT66 I think started being used after that. I find conflicting information on the interwebs. I also remember reading somewhere that Marshall went to the EL34 when for some reason they couldn't get KT66's anymore. I found an article with way to much information: https://www.mercurymagnetics.com/premier-guitar-the-bluesbreaker-revisited/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sugartune Posted February 16, 2019 Share Posted February 16, 2019 47 minutes ago, tbonesullivan said: The JTM45 was pretty much a Bassman copy, and the bassman called for Tung-Sol 5881 tubes, which is what the earliest Marshall's apparently used. The KT66 I think started being used after that. I find conflicting information on the interwebs. I also remember reading somewhere that Marshall went to the EL34 when for some reason they couldn't get KT66's anymore. I found an article with way to much information: https://www.mercurymagnetics.com/premier-guitar-the-bluesbreaker-revisited/ That all sounds right to me. 5881s for a short while, until they decided to source from the UK (Transformers too, for that matter) KT66s until the cost became prohibitive, then on to el34s for even easier/more cost effective access Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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