C#@$ quality 6L6EH's

[GK]

Instead is using a mixed brand batch of NOS 6L6GC’s for my current hybrid amp project, I splashed out on a new matched quartet of 6L6EH’s. However, I think the guy/gal who assembled the one pictured below was on the vodka.
The other three aren't particularly straight either, but this one is the worst.
Has anyone here ever tried straightening one of these out? I’m guessing maybe the glue that holds the base on can loosened with a really hot heat gun????

[kstagger]

if you drink enough it might look straight!

anyways - my favorite modern production 6L6 type is the SED version... it really does hold itself up well against the old stuff.

[SY]

If it were my tube and it worked fine, no way I'd be trying to do something to screw it up (the cement is generally not thermoplastic, and you don't want to stress the glass-to-metal seal of the lead-outs).

If it didn't work fine, I'd return it.

Crooked glass is not unusual.

[Wavebourn]

Are you sure you did not buy factory rejects?

[tubelab.com]

The EH6L6GC and the Sovtek 6L6WXT look different from any 6L6GC that I have ever used. They seem to work pretty good, and can take some serious abuse. I have about 10 of them. At least 5 of them are not perfectly straight. Yes 5 out of 10 is poor odds, but I have some equally crooked RCA's and GE tubes, so the Russians don't have the market cornered on bent tubes.

I have also got some Russian tubes labeled "Orion" brand, obtained from a tube seller in Hong Kong. The 6L6GC's were all consistent, and of good quality. They passed my "serious abuse" tests. The EL34's were absolutely the worst constructed tubes that I have ever seen. The grid rods were all bent, and 2 of the 4 tubes arrived with internal shorts. Oddly enough, I was able to clear the shorts by whacking the tubes on the workbench. The tubes function , and don't sound half bad, but I am sure that a fireworks display will occur if I ever attempt to operate them near the max ratings.

[Colt45]

I've got a couple old GE 6L6GC's that are just as crooked...

[kevinkr]

I've bought ones that were both crooked as shown and of slightly differing heights as well. All have worked fine, and if I look hard enough through my not inconsiderable* stock of NOS tubes I can find many examples of the same thing..

I'd leave them completely alone as SY suggests.

* I am not nearly in the same league as George (Tubelab) when it comes to shear quantity..

[Trout]

I Get lots Of JJ's like that all the time.

I have a couple 6V6S's here that are about as bad is the one in the picture above.

I got a couple EL34's with opposing tilted bottles that really look sick in my guitar amp, More the 3/8" difference between the tops and bases.

But all things considered they work just fine and compared to NOS prices, I just use them.

I wish these companies would realize that most of us would be willing to pay a bit more for better quality, both mechanical and electronic !

They make themselves look bad sending out less than perfect junk, But they make themselves look even worse by not caring to improve!

Trout

[GK]

OK, OK. The tube works fine, it just looks wonky - especically when poking out of the chassis.
Since I’d probably do more harm attempting to fix it though, I guess I'll just have to live with it.

Cheers,
Glen

[GK]

Originally posted by Trout

I wish these companies would realize that most of us would be willing to pay a bit more for better quality, both mechanical and electronic !

They make themselves look bad sending out less than perfect junk, But they make themselves look even worse by not caring to improve!

Trout

I agree. Considering the fact that probably 90% of those who actually buy these things actually plug them in to designs in which valves are on display, one would think that physical appearance is one thing the manufacturer would pay particular attention to.
The forming of the glass in my valves is quite consistent, it’s just the plastic bases which are glued on crooked.
I don’t know exactly how these things are assembled, but I doubt that a decent assembly jig which accurately lines up the plastic base with the glass bulb would be a particularly difficulty thing to arrange, even without significantly increasing manufacturing costs.

Cheers,
Glen