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    Building, troubleshooting and testing of these amplifiers should only be
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    the safety precautions around high voltages.

Tube Adapters

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OK I have two options, my pre amp use 6sn7 tubes in the line stage. I am using two 6f8g tubes with adapters there, I want to try the 6j5g tubes there. Also my amp SET 45 uses two 6sn7 tubes but, it only uses half of each one the other half goes to ground. I would like to try the 6j5g tubes there as well.
 
I make tube adapters for myself. But I am in Germany und get the parts from China.
You can easily make them yourself.

Kaputt:
Sockets are easy to find, but I have difficulty finding tube bases.
Where do you get yours?
Thanks!
Do you have any 'construction hints'? I usually solder the connections and then use epoxy for 'mechanical strength'. Do you use plastic tube to join the base and socket?
 
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OK if I want to make an adapter to go from a 6sn7 to a 6j5g, that is 6sn7 on bottom what exactly do I need?

Can you post a picture of the adapters you already have?

As you have pointed out, the 6J5 is 'half' of a 6SN7, so you need to know how your 6SN7 is wired (you say only half is being used..which half?)

For most circuits, you would need an adapter that went from 6SN7 to TWO 6J5 tubes (as mentioned above).
 
Kaputt:
Sockets are easy to find, but I have difficulty finding tube bases.
Where do you get yours?
Thanks!
Do you have any 'construction hints'? I usually solder the connections and then use epoxy for 'mechanical strength'. Do you use plastic tube to join the base and socket?
You can find the bases on ebay, most come from China or Hong Kong. I didn't have the need to use an extra tube as the bases used where mostly UX4 types, that already have a tubey part. I solder leads to the socket, glue that the base with the leads sticking out of the pins of the base, cut them and solder.
It helps glueing to rough up the slick surface of the phenolic bases with sandpaper.
 
I am expecting the 6j5g to sound much better than the 6sn7, at least that's what I been told and read about. Cost has nothing to do with it.

Don't believe everything you've been told or read about, the 6J5 is exactly 1/2 half of a 6SN7 and utilizes the same construction as a given manufacturer's 6SN7. In practical terms there is little difference between the two, there may be a bigger difference between any two manufacturer's product than between the two types.

I have lots of both, good 6SN7 measure as well and sound as good as the equivalent 6J5 IMLE.
 
While I agree with you for the most part, I tried the 6f8g on word of a friend and it has panned out!!! Quite a bit better sounding in my system over the best 6sn7 tubes I have. Also I was just gonna try this I wasn't planning on investing alot in it unless it proved out.
 
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I am expecting the 6j5g to sound much better than the 6sn7, at least that's what I been told and read about. Cost has nothing to do with it.

If you have the skill, it would probably be quicker and easier to just re-wire the socket rather than making adapters, since there won't be many places where an adapter for 'half a 6SN7 to 6J5' would be used in the future.
However the adapter does have one great advantage: You can hide the amp from your view and have a friend swap tubes (or not) and you can audition the sonic effect.
(I know, it's not very 'audiophile' to test without visual (or financial) confirmation of a change, but it might be interesting...)

Do you have details on your amplifier (model or schematic)? It seems to me a 'funny' design choice to use 1/2 6SN7 when the 6J5 is so readily available.
 
OK I have two options, my pre amp use 6sn7 tubes in the line stage. I am using two 6f8g tubes with adapters there, I want to try the 6j5g tubes there. Also my amp SET 45 uses two 6sn7 tubes but, it only uses half of each one the other half goes to ground. I would like to try the 6j5g tubes there as well.

Tube adapters are just ok but are no real substitute for hardwiring the tube socket for the proper tube. I tried them and could always discern some loss of detail and dynamics with an adapter. In your amp it would be fairly easy to rewire the sockets to the proper basing since you would not need to change out the socket. For the 6f8g your problem is more complicated to work around, unless you wanted to switch to 6sn7 which would retain the octal tube base.
 
Tube adapters are just ok but are no real substitute for hardwiring the tube socket for the proper tube. I tried them and could always discern some loss of detail and dynamics with an adapter. In your amp it would be fairly easy to rewire the sockets to the proper basing since you would not need to change out the socket. For the 6f8g your problem is more complicated to work around, unless you wanted to switch to 6sn7 which would retain the octal tube base.
I am not sure if you misunderstood something or not but, to clarify my pre amp uses 6sn7 tubes this is where I use the adapters and 6f8g tubes. My amp also use 6sn7 tubes but only half of the 6sn7. This is where I want to try the 6j5g tubes.
 
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