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SOVTEK 5881 WXT/6L6 WGC TUBE GUIDE

Cracking the Sovtek 5881 WXT Tube Code


Sovtek 6l6GB, 6L6WXT+, Electro Harmonix 6L6GC, 6L6WXT, 63C-E, 63C, 6P3S-E, 6N3C-e, 63C, Mesa Boogie STR425, Fender GT-6L6B or 6L6R Groove Tubes GT-6L6B or GT-6L6R, Ruby Tubes 6L6R Fender 6L6 Precision Matched Tubes are just some of the names for just a few different Russian tubes. Russian Tubes? Why not buy American? Unfortunately we cant. They no longer make tubes in the United States, England, or Western Europe. By all accounts they were the best but now supplies of them are running out and they have gotten very expensive and are harder to find. Several online stores sell NOS (New Old Stock) tubes. These are tubes produced long ago that have been sitting in a warehouse for years unused. You can still find them if you have the cash, but buy them from a reliable dealer. I buy new production Russian tubes, so I have no experience with dealers who I could recommend. New tubes are made in Russia, China, and Slovakia. The most common one is a Russian variant of the 6L6. It comes in many names and it is sold at many (often outrageous) prices. But we'll need a little background in tube codes first.

The letter codes unraveled:


RUSSIA USES THE CYRILLIC ALPHABET:
- Cyrillic Capital letter es (equivalent to an S, but looks like a C) Cyrillic Capital letter pe (equivalent to a P, but looks like an N) - Cyrillic Capital letter ie- (Same as our E) A -E Designates a Russian military spec tube

U.S. TUBE CODES:


6L6GC- 30 watt power tube (used by most Fender, Soldano, many Mesa, and a few Marshall Amps) 6L6GB- 23 watt earlier version of the 6L6GC 5881- Short Plate Military Version of the 6L6GB, glass part is smaller than most other 6L6GBs or GCs) W- Indicates a military spec version of a tube (Equivalent to Russian E code) JAN- Indicates the tube was produced under contract for the U.S. Military (Tube almost always has a W in its name) It Stands for Joint Army Navy

FAMOUS/INFAMOUS COLD WAR ERA TUBES:


63C-E- (Really 6P3S-E, but often mistakenly translated 6N3C-e) Servo Tube for Soviet (Now Russian Federation) Mig Jet Fighters 63C- Russian consumer version of the military tube JAN 5881WGB- Servo tube for American B-52 Bombers

SOVTEK TUBE CODES:


6l6GB- 63C Tube. Sometimes rebranded 6L6GC out of ignorance or dishonesty. Most Fenders will eat this for breakfast. 5881 WXT- 63C-E Tube With a regular U.S. size base. 5881/6L6 WGC- 63C-E Tube With its original small disc base. 6L6 WXT- New longer plate Sovtek 6L6 design with 20% more power 6L6 WXT+- New name for the 6L6WXT, to avoid confusion with earlier models Electro Harmonix 6L6GC- Brand name for the 6L6WXT+

The Sovtek 6L6-GB (AKA 63C) Vacuum Tube


The Sovtek 6L6GB has a very smooth warm and round tone (and can be had super cheap). It is used in some low wattage boutique amps (Traynor for instance). Unless you own a boutique amp that has these recommended for it, DO NOT BUY IT FOR A 6L6 AMP! I have heard that these tubes have been discontinued, but that there is still a massive supply of them. If you really like these tubes and they are appropriate for your amplifier, now would be the time to get them! Once supplies drop, people will start wanting them. Even if they hate them now.

The Sovtek 5881 WXT or 5881/6L6 WGC (AKA 63C-E)


The 5881WXT or 5881/6L6 WGC (same tube different base) is used as the OEM power tube for almost all amps calling for 6L6GCs by Fender, Mesa, Marshall. It is a reliable, low cost replacement, and its probably what you have in there now. They have about 20% lower output than a true 6L6GC. However, being rated for 500 plate volts with 2 tubes, they will probably handle any guitar amp you are likely to have. Some folks dont like the tone. But they are near indestructible and long lasting. They have a mean, crunchy tone with an upper midrange spike. Highly recommended if you play loud in a band with a 50-100 watt head these things sound great, punch you through the mix, and survive tours and drunken roadies. Not recommended if you play small boutique amps and are looking for a smooth warm tone for solo playing or home recording. Why is it called a 5881 if it can handle going into a 6L6GC (30 watts per tube) amp, a 5881 is 6L6GB (23 watts)? Remember its really neither; its really a 63C-E. When choosing a name for the American market the JAN 5881WGB had similar function (Servo tube for military aircraft, compact size and plate structure, and lower output than a true 6L6GC).
ALL OF THESE TUBES ARE REALLY THE SOVTEK 5881 WXT OR 5881/6L6 WGC:
Fender 6L6 Precision Matched Tubes (5881WXT) Fender GT-6L6B or 6L6R (5881WXT) Groove Tubes GT-6L6B or GT-6L6R (5881WXT) Marshall 5881 (5881/6L6 WGC) Mesa Boogie STR425 (5881/6L6 WGC) Ruby Tubes 6L6R (5881/6L6 WGC) Sovtek 5881/6L6 WGC Sovtek 5881WXT THEY HAVE BEEN REBRANDED BY VARIOUS COMPANIES EITHER TO:

A) Maker it easier to know its the proper tube for a specific amp. Or more cynically: B) Really just to extract more money from you.
REMEMBER THE 5881 WXT OR 5881/6L6 WGC IS A DIFFERENT TUBE THAN THE 6L6WXT, 6L6WXT+, & ELECTRO HARMONIX 6L6GC (WHICH ARE ALL THE SAME AS EACH OTHER).

Its also different from the Sovtek 6l6GB which you should not buy unless it is recommended for your amp. The Ruby Tubes 5881WXT+ seems to be a Chinese made copy of the 5881WXT!?! If anyone can confirm this please contact me. Avoid Overpaying for name brands unless you have to!

THE SOVTEK 5881 WXT/6L6 WGC TUBE GUIDE II


The Sovtek 5881 WXT/6L6 WGC Tube Guide II
CRACKING THE SOVTEK TUBE CODE: PART TWO

5881 WXT & 5881/6L6 WGC DIFFERENCES


As I said in the original article, they are the same tube (63C-E) with different bases. Some readers found this unclear. So, I tossed some arrows on their press photos for clarification. The base is the black plastic part the the pins stick out of on the bottom of the tube. The bases pointed to in the pictures to the right are the only things that differ between the two tubes. You only need to spend the extra cash on the WXT if your tubes both: Hang Upside Down (Glass side points to floor like in most combo amps) and Are held solely from the base by little clips (called Bear Trap Retainers) If your tubes stand on their bases or are held by the glass part by a holder and springs (kind of like a playground swing), you can save your money and get the WGCs.

Same Tube Different Base:

5881/6L6 WGC

WATTAGE AND CLASSIFICATION


Remember the Sovtek 5881 WXT and 5881/6L6 WGC tubes are Russian 63C-E tubes and do not fit neatly into the U.S. tube classifications. It is nearly impossible to find data on the tubes output in class AB operation (which is what we are concerned with for guitar amps). However, if we extrapolate from what info is out there we come up with these approximate wattages:

5881 WX

Approximate Output in Class AB Operation: Power Tube Specification:


U.S. SPEC. 6L6GC 63C-E (AKA SOVTEK 5881 WXT OR 5881/6L6 WGC) U.S. SPEC. 6L6GB, OR 5881 63C (AKA SOVTEK 6L6-GB)

Output (w) 30 watts ~25-26 watts 23 watts ~23 watts

Usage in Guitar Amplifiers: At about 23 watts the Sovtek 6L6GB should be treated as a direct replacement for a 23 watt 6L6GB or 5881. Dont stick these in an amp requiring 6L6GCs! However, despite its lower output, we treat the Sovtek 5881 WXT and 5881/6L6 WGC tubes as direct replacements for a 30 watt 6L6GC! The reason this works is that guitar amps are not designed to run their tubes at %100 of their rated output. If they did, the tubes would die a quick death. Instead, guitar amp power tubes are usually run at ~%50 to a maximum of ~%70 of their rated output. Because of their rugged military design, they can be run closer to their maximum output without killing them, and we can safely treat them as 6L6GCs.

SOVTEK 5881 WXT 5881/6L6 WGC BIASING IN GUITAR AMPLIFIERS


With no math, charts, or Java Applets! This can be a whole lot of stress. If your amp doesnt have a way to adjust the bias (e.g. Mesa-Boogies and Silver Face Fenders), or if your amp is already biased for tubes that have a Groove Tube rating or manufacturer color code, consider yourself lucky and skip ahead to the next section. If you can measure and set the bias (with test points built either into the amp or with one of the various bias probes available online) I offer the following advice:
FORGET THE WACKY FORMULAS ON THE VACUUM TUBE SITES!

If you know how to check and set the bias on your amp, set it to the bias specified on the schematic or in the owners manual. Its that simple. If you have neither the manual nor the schematic, a search on any search engine should reveal sites where you can download a free PDF version. It may take a

good 20 minutes to locate it on the schematic (do yourself a favor and rotate the page in your PDF reader so you can read it more easily) but its there, and its usually marked with a footnote or asterisk.
SHOULDNT I, LIKE, BIAS IT REALLY HOT FOR MAXIMUM TONE, DUDE?

Read the above section. You are already biasing them hotter. If running the tubes to the point of death was the best way to get a good sound out of your amp, the amplifiers designer would have indicated that on the schematic or in the manual. Many amp manuals do actually specify a range. My Fender Evil Twin has built in bias test points and the manual offers three bias settings: a hotter one for tone, a conservative one for max tube life and a medium setting in between them. In which case pick the one that sounds best. With Math and Charts: If you have a gig to play, rehearsal to go to, chords to practice, or pretty much anything productive to do in your life etc. feel free to skip this companion article: The Sovtek 5881 WXT/6L6 WGC Tube Guide III (Ok, you can skip to it as soon as I've finished writing it. Until then, you can read on.)

WHAT GROOVE TUBES/ FENDER/ MESA/ SOVTEK DISTORTION RATING SHOULD I GET?
First, lets clarify what we are actually buying as the tube Manufacturers use different ratings. The Groove Tube rating is the de facto standard, as they invented the whole rating idea to begin with. FYI: Fender recently acquired Groove Tubes but is maintaining both systems. Note that color codes are very confusing. For example, Fender red and Mesa/Boogie red are very different and are not interchangeable without rebiasing.

TUBE RATING CONVERSION CHART Groove Tube 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Sovtek


Soft Soft Soft Medium Medium Medium Medium or Hard? Hard Hard Hard

Fender
Blue Blue Blue White White White White Red Red Red

Mesa Boogie
Red, Yellow Green, Grey Blue, White -

Notes:

Will break up earlier and draw less current the closer to the GT 1 rating we get.

Design Spec.

Will break up later and draw more current the closer to the GT 10 rating we get.

If your amp is biased for, tubes with a specific tube rating use the chart above to find a replacement and dont sweat the rebiasing. Just make sure to get a matched pair (for 40-50 watt amps) or quad (for 85-100 watt amps). If you are setting the bias yourself or your amp has no adjustment (and unrated tubes), buy Sovtek Mediums or equivalent. Why? Heres the ugly truth: In the Groove Tube rating system, they set GT 5 to spec. Thats what manufacturers are trying to make when they make each and every tube. The closer we approach the GT 1 and GT 10 ratings, the more the tubes electrical characteristics deviate from the norm. While GT 4 and GT 6 are close enough to be considered normal, as you deviate from the medium ratings you are, in a very real sense, buying a defective tube. Will it have shorter life span or other problems? I really dont know. Just understand that the tube manufacturer was trying to produce a GT 5 rated tube every time they made a tube. Make your own decision from there. To simply things:

NEED TUBES? WHAT TO DO IF...

...your guitar amplifier:

Then:
Replace them with a matched set of tubes of the same rating or an equivalent from the chart

Has tubes with a rating

Has no way to adjust the bias

Replace them with a matched set of tubes rated Sovtek Medium or an equivalent.

Unrated Tubes and bias test points

Replace them with a matched set of tubes rated Sovtek Medium or an equivalent. Set the bias according to the directions on the Schematic or in the owners manual.

Unrated Tubes, a bias adjust, and you have a bias probe

Replace them with a matched set of tubes rated Sovtek Medium or an equivalent. Set the bias to the suggested figure on the Schematic or in the owners manual.

Is rated 40-50 watts

Buy a matched pair.

Is rated 85-100 watts

Buy a matched quad. Dont settle for 2 matched pairs unless your amp has a balance adjust. Even then a matched quad (all 4 the same) is much better!

Note: The Sovtek 5881 WXT and 5881/6l6 WGC have traditionally been very consistent, and close to spec. I received some reader feedback that the pieceto-piece consistency has dropped since the factory was bought by New Sensor, but I have not experienced this with any I have purchased.

THE SOVTEK BLUE GLOW


The blue glow inside of Sovtek tubes is normal and is not a sign of a defective or worn out tube. It is simply a byproduct of trace mineral elements in the materials Sovtek coats the internals with.

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