DerMetzgermeister Posted November 27, 2014 Share Posted November 27, 2014 First of all... It's been ages! Feels like I went away a thousand years. I can't believe there was a time when I was one of the most regular regulars around here :o My question: well, the topic title says it all. It's the time to change the factory tubes of my Spider Valve 112 and I want to know if it's safe to replace the original Sovtek 5881 power tubes with Sovtek 6L6WXT+. I don't mind if the tone changes a little as long is not for the worse. Thanks for your attention. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DerMetzgermeister Posted December 5, 2014 Author Share Posted December 5, 2014 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
radatats Posted December 5, 2014 Share Posted December 5, 2014 hahahaha... good one... honestly, I looked at them on line and can't see why they wouldn't work but I really don't know. They should swap out just fine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DerMetzgermeister Posted December 6, 2014 Author Share Posted December 6, 2014 Another human! :lol: I'm not alone! ;) Well.. they better fit 'cause I already ordered them! :D Thanks for the answer ^_^ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
radatats Posted December 6, 2014 Share Posted December 6, 2014 they will definitely fit and I see no reason why they won't work... Sovtek claims it has 20 percent higher output than their 5881WXT. As yu see in the link below these are listed in the 5881 tube type section. Let me know how you like them! http://www.thetubestore.com/Tubes/6L6-5881-Tube-Types/Sovtek-6L6WXT Always fun to play with tubes... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mpquin88 Posted February 5, 2015 Share Posted February 5, 2015 Another human! :lol: I'm not alone! ;) Well.. they better fit 'cause I already ordered them! :D Thanks for the answer ^_^ So how did it work out with the Sovtek 6L6WXT+ tubes? I have the same amp and need to replace them. Very interested in your feedback. Sorry to hijack...but while we are on topic.. Also, the original preamp tubes for ths amp are 12AX7-B. Has anyone had experience replacing them with any other 12AX7 verision (other than "B")? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DerMetzgermeister Posted February 6, 2015 Author Share Posted February 6, 2015 So how did it work out with the Sovtek 6L6WXT+ tubes? Hi. They are mighty fine! :D The sound definitely changes. I like it better because the bass got much tighter, the mids-lows more pronounced and the shrill highs are gone. That can be a good thing or not, it depends on your preference. Work very well with my EMG's, it sounds more focused and heavy (crooshing palm mutes :P ). Main potential downside: a lot less high end. It works for me as it tamed the shrillness that IMO it used to have, specially with the Vintage 30 speaker, but they may sound too dark for other people with a different style, guitar, pickups, etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AquaRegia Posted June 21, 2015 Share Posted June 21, 2015 I apologize in advance for resurrecting a topic from WAY back 4 months ago, but I'm in the same boat - bought a used Mk1 112 two years ago and have been using it pretty regularly (5-10 hours a week, including at gig volumes). Now the tone is getting mushy and it seems a safe bet it's time for new tubes. Which ones? I'm reading posts here and my head is spinning! One guy here claims the SV amps shipped with Sovtek 5881 6L6WGC power tubes... but someone else says the SV needs 450 volts, and the tech specs on the Sovtek WGC say "Maximum plate voltage is 250 volts". Then there are WXT, WXT+, and I don't even know what else... and all the User Manual says is "Sovtek 5881". A complicating factor for me is that the "presence" function on my amp doesn't function, so I'd like to keep the tone as bright as possible - tubes that "darken" the tone will not be good for me. Amazon has Sovtek 5881/6L6WGC matched sets for $30 + $5 shipping. Is this my best bet for reproducing the original tone of my amp, or is the 250 V vs 450 V really a problem? Also, I plan to replace the preamp tubes while I have the amp open, so... Shuguang 12AX7b? Some people say they are noisy and quick to wear out. JJ, Sovtek, TungSol, EH, others? Thanks in advance for any help. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stormtrooper12 Posted June 26, 2015 Share Posted June 26, 2015 Because these SpiderValves aren't fixed bias I thought they always had to be readjusted every time you changed the power tubes, to +/- 35 mV I swear I read that here years ago :ph34r: :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spaceatl Posted June 27, 2015 Share Posted June 27, 2015 The WXT and the WGC are the same tube with different bases...WGC has a short base and the WXT has a tall base...If you have spring retainers on the sockets, WXTs work better as the clips snug on the plastic base where they touch the glass on a WGC....Nothing is operationally different between those two tubes... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AquaRegia Posted June 29, 2015 Share Posted June 29, 2015 I'm happy to report I had no trouble swapping out the tubes and biasing them. The new Sovtek 5881 6L6WGC and Sino 12ax7b tubes sound pretty much the same as the old ones, which is exactly what I hoped. Thanks all! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
psarkissian Posted July 20, 2015 Share Posted July 20, 2015 WXT has the cup on the bottom the WGC doesn't. Use the WXT if you have the amp with the the bear trap or clamp type retainers. WXT are good for amps with the spring retainers, since the base cup helps counter any pressure from the springs. With taller tubes, the spring pressure was enough to crack a tube during transport. 5881 vs 6L6WGC (or WXT),.... 1) Bias won't be the same between them because,... 2) the characteristic curves are slightly different, and so,... 3) you can't get away with the same sort of swapping we used to get away with back in the 1960's and 1970's. This is a different beast. Be aware, it may work now,... but later,... that's another thing. And how hard you run it,... that factors into it as well. 12AX7B is fine, anything else is fancy, and unnecessary overkill, but it will work, it's th s small signal pre-amp stage. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kenneysteve Posted February 11, 2018 Share Posted February 11, 2018 Just had a factory tube go bad on SV 112 Just replaced both power tubes with Sovtek 6L6WXT , still no sound tubes are burning , where one was definitely bad before. Any info would help Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
psarkissian Posted February 12, 2018 Share Posted February 12, 2018 Use the specified 5881WXT match sets for power tubes. Line 6 authorized service technician. Keep yours fingers out of the insides of these things, the shock hazard is too great. If one went down, was replaced and still doesn't work, there's something else involved. Leave it to an authorized tech that knows the product well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spaceatl Posted February 14, 2018 Share Posted February 14, 2018 My SV Mark 1 does not have spring retainers as this was in the tube cage days of the SV...But since my sockets do not have retaining clips I use the WGC version...WXT in my SV MK2 that does have the retaining clips... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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