Shuguang 807s?

AD5GB · 23rd October 2006, 10:55 PM

Hey all,

Just wondering if anyone's had any experience with the Shuguang 807 in audio applications out there? If so I would like to hear about it. Wondering how they sound and if they're reliable. I've had some less-than-wonderful experience with Chinese 6146s in radio stuff recently. Would rather not repeat that experience.

Thanks in advance.

wrenchone · 24th October 2006, 04:45 AM

NOS and Russian 807s aren't all that hard to find. Why bother with the Chinese knockoffs, except for the price?

sorenj07 · 24th October 2006, 05:16 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by wrenchone
the price

but yea i agree, just search "807 lot" on ebay and you'll find 10-packs of russian G-807's for not too expensive. they might cost less than nice 5-pin ceramic sockets.

jarthel · 24th October 2006, 05:26 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by wrenchone
NOS and Russian 807s aren't all that hard to find. Why bother with the Chinese knockoffs, except for the price?

just because they are made in china doesn't mean they perform poorly. I've read various threads in tubes AA praising various tubes made by TJ and Shuguang.

Geek · 24th October 2006, 08:07 AM

Shuguang's quality has gone wayyyyyyyy up in the last several years. They're a contender with EI/JJ nowadays.

kstagger · 24th October 2006, 01:14 PM

there are still plenty of US 807s available... or a cheaper alternate is the 1625 (UX7 socket) with the 12V filament.

tubelab.com · 24th October 2006, 01:32 PM

I can't speak for the Shuguang 807's. The US 807 is derived from the 6L6GB. If Shuguang adopted the western philosophy of stuffing the same guts into a few different bottles, then you could be in luck.

I have been experimenting with the Shuguang "Coke Bottle 6L6GC" and the tubular 6L6GCR, which appear to be the same guts inside different shaped glass. These tubes sound good in audio application, and stand up to serious abuse without any problem. I have been operating a pair, that previously served duty in a Bandmaster, in an SE amplifier at 35 watts plate dissipation (dull glow in dark room) to test their reliability. These tubes have been going strong for over a year at this power level without issue. I have cranked this pair to 44 watts dissipation for an hour (serious plate glow) without failure. I have recently tested 6 more pair at the 35 watt level for about an hour each without issue.

If their 807 is made with the same guts they should be indestructible at 807 power levels (19 watts). I looked at the picture, and it looks the same as their 6L6GCR.

richwalters · 26th October 2006, 09:07 PM

I agree......More 807's were produced than any other tube and are very reliable. I've used newer SHugang types and found the internal cage not so mechanically stable as other makes. So I don't use Shugangs in amps parked on a bass bin. In the past, it was the done thing to put tube amps on top of bass bins, but I went through a bad experience with a 200W bass amp using KT90's which ended up with internal shorts and a blown psu.
Generally I mod amps to take 5881's instead of 807's. I can't count the number of times I've had the inside arm "stung" by the wretched top cap.

richj

AD5GB · 27th October 2006, 02:58 AM

I never thought about the possibility of mechanical weakness. That's a good point. The PA section will be used either for bass guitar or pedal steel, depending on the need at the time. I've wanted to use an older 'top cap' type of tube for a while now just to be a bit different. They're also far cheaper. I have several NOS 807s and 1625s in the junk box but wondered about supply should this crazy idea of mine take off and by some strange stroke of luck actually be something marketable. (NOT) Since "lots-of-watts" is a requirement for this project, I do want the ability to be able to run them all the way up to the maximum rated anode voltage though if that's where the 'sweet spot' is, and based on a not-so-fun-filled experience trying to do this with EL-34s some time back (arcing through the tube socket at 725 volts) I figured there'd be a pretty good chance that wouldn't happen with 807s. I also heard a push-pull 807 monoblock some time back and it had an enchanting character about it. I've heard those tubes are real sleepers. Speaking of EL-34s.... I just re-tubed my Marshall guitar amp clone with some new JJs. Nice! Very nice! ( mentioned this because someone mentioned JJ tubes earlier in this thread ) So really, to answer the questions as to "why Chinese", mostly because of cost and supply considerations. I'll poke around as a couple have suggested and see what I can find on ePay. I know I can get NOS 1625s for around $5 a piece but there aren't many left.

Anyway.... thanks all!

sorenj07 · 27th October 2006, 03:31 AM

good luck with all future projects, and keep us posted pictorially

23rd October 2006, 10:55 PM	#1
AD5GB diyAudio Member Join Date: Oct 2006	Shuguang 807s? Hey all, Just wondering if anyone's had any experience with the Shuguang 807 in audio applications out there? If so I would like to hear about it. Wondering how they sound and if they're reliable. I've had some less-than-wonderful experience with Chinese 6146s in radio stuff recently. Would rather not repeat that experience. Thanks in advance.

24th October 2006, 01:32 PM	#7
tubelab.com diyAudio Member Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: South Florida	I can't speak for the Shuguang 807's. The US 807 is derived from the 6L6GB. If Shuguang adopted the western philosophy of stuffing the same guts into a few different bottles, then you could be in luck. I have been experimenting with the Shuguang "Coke Bottle 6L6GC" and the tubular 6L6GCR, which appear to be the same guts inside different shaped glass. These tubes sound good in audio application, and stand up to serious abuse without any problem. I have been operating a pair, that previously served duty in a Bandmaster, in an SE amplifier at 35 watts plate dissipation (dull glow in dark room) to test their reliability. These tubes have been going strong for over a year at this power level without issue. I have cranked this pair to 44 watts dissipation for an hour (serious plate glow) without failure. I have recently tested 6 more pair at the 35 watt level for about an hour each without issue. If their 807 is made with the same guts they should be indestructible at 807 power levels (19 watts). I looked at the picture, and it looks the same as their 6L6GCR. __________________ Too much power is almost enough! Turn it up till it explodes - then back up just a little.

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24th October 2006, 04:45 AM	#2
wrenchone diyAudio Member Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Silicon Valley	NOS and Russian 807s aren't all that hard to find. Why bother with the Chinese knockoffs, except for the price?

24th October 2006, 08:07 AM	#5
Geek diyAudio Member Join Date: Sep 2004	Shuguang's quality has gone wayyyyyyyy up in the last several years. They're a contender with EI/JJ nowadays.

24th October 2006, 01:14 PM	#6
kstagger diyAudio Member Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: Grand Rapids	there are still plenty of US 807s available... or a cheaper alternate is the 1625 (UX7 socket) with the 12V filament.

26th October 2006, 09:07 PM	#8
richwalters diyAudio Member Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: Alps:Tube amp designs over 150W, SMPS guru.	I agree......More 807's were produced than any other tube and are very reliable. I've used newer SHugang types and found the internal cage not so mechanically stable as other makes. So I don't use Shugangs in amps parked on a bass bin. In the past, it was the done thing to put tube amps on top of bass bins, but I went through a bad experience with a 200W bass amp using KT90's which ended up with internal shorts and a blown psu. Generally I mod amps to take 5881's instead of 807's. I can't count the number of times I've had the inside arm "stung" by the wretched top cap. richj

27th October 2006, 02:58 AM	#9
AD5GB diyAudio Member Join Date: Oct 2006	I never thought about the possibility of mechanical weakness. That's a good point. The PA section will be used either for bass guitar or pedal steel, depending on the need at the time. I've wanted to use an older 'top cap' type of tube for a while now just to be a bit different. They're also far cheaper. I have several NOS 807s and 1625s in the junk box but wondered about supply should this crazy idea of mine take off and by some strange stroke of luck actually be something marketable. (NOT) Since "lots-of-watts" is a requirement for this project, I do want the ability to be able to run them all the way up to the maximum rated anode voltage though if that's where the 'sweet spot' is, and based on a not-so-fun-filled experience trying to do this with EL-34s some time back (arcing through the tube socket at 725 volts) I figured there'd be a pretty good chance that wouldn't happen with 807s. I also heard a push-pull 807 monoblock some time back and it had an enchanting character about it. I've heard those tubes are real sleepers. Speaking of EL-34s.... I just re-tubed my Marshall guitar amp clone with some new JJs. Nice! Very nice! ( mentioned this because someone mentioned JJ tubes earlier in this thread ) So really, to answer the questions as to "why Chinese", mostly because of cost and supply considerations. I'll poke around as a couple have suggested and see what I can find on ePay. I know I can get NOS 1625s for around $5 a piece but there aren't many left. Anyway.... thanks all!

27th October 2006, 03:31 AM	#10
sorenj07 diyAudio Member Join Date: May 2006	good luck with all future projects, and keep us posted pictorially

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