New 6l6 441 tubes

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Alanws

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After blowing a fuse or two lately in an amp I putchased used I decided to get a new set of tubes, the current ones look pretty old. I was about to get a couple of matched pair 6l6 440 from mesa then I noticed the 441 varient that mentions these come in the MkV now by default, supposed to have a more vintage and less ice picky tone. Anyone here tried them and what were your results?

thanks
Alan
 
Interesting about that. I hadn't seen those before and didn't know they changed the stock tubes in the Mark V.

Does anyone know when they made that switch?
 
By the looks of them and being Russion origin, I'd say they were New Sensor Tungsol 6L6GC or New Sensor Mullard 6L6GC.
 
I havent use any Tung Sol tubes for years but having just searched for some I'd say you are 100% correct in saying thats what they are.
 
The best new 6L6 imo is the New Sensor Tung-Sol 7581A. These tubes are fabulous. Extremely rich sounding. And they are the best 6L6 I've ever used in my Mark V. The best tube since Winged-C 6L6GC.
 
Well, I ordered 4 of the 441s as my current 440 6L6s were getting long in the tooth. I’m curious about them. I found it interesting that Mesa now ships Mark Vs standard with these 441s.
 
Received mine yesterday and they are indeed tung Sol tubes it's printed right on them, so far though they sound good, definitely sound a little darker to me and help tame the treble.
 
"Dear Santa..."

EDIT: This might not be able to wait for Santa...going in next month.
(Intrigue meter needle is going off scale high and I want to hear more of these, any clips (standard 440s vs 441s) would be amazing...)
 
I''ll try to get some clips..... would not recommend holding breath.. They arrived earlier this week and I haven't put them in yet. I'm trying to really get my ears used to the current 440s so I play a while, with the intent of swapping them out. Then I get sidetracked learning some new songs or messing around and then time's up. :)
 
I got a set on Friday a couple weeks back and played a gig with them on Saturday. Like a previous poster stated "they tame the treble." They're a little more "rounded" with the highs but they still cut through the mix. To my ears, they sounded great right out of the box. No "breaking in" period.
 
Fantastic. Any difference you noticed in the low end? Any expanded capability with the 80hz slider?
 
Markageddon said:
Fantastic. Any difference you noticed in the low end? Any expanded capability with the 80hz slider?

Honestly, I can't say. I'm usually right in the middle for that slider.
 
I recently purchased a quartet of the 441 tubes and was able to try them immediately at a gig. Observations: 1) A taming of the high frequencies resulting in more possibilities with the treble and presence controls. I used to run the presence control at 9 o'clock or so with the 440 tubes in channels two and three - now I can go up to two to three o'clock and not sounds harsh. 2) I felt the tone I was getting at the gig was aggressive but never harsh (mostly classic rock). it is hard to quantify tone (and to each their own opinion). This is one of the best tones I have ever gotten at a gig. 3) I played almost exclusively in the Mark I mode and could have played everything with that channel if I had wanted to.

I would now consider my Mark V my desert island amp (currently own about twenty others). I purchased my Mark V barely used from a friend who bought it new. Initial thoughts were it sounded a little harsh overall. The first thing I did was experiment with preamp tube substitutions - ended up replacing all the JJ made stock preamp tubes with Gold Lion, Sino and a GE 5751 in slot 4. This helped a bunch to my ears - still could sound a little harsh. Decided to "exercise" the speaker to help break-in as I play mostly at home at low volumes. I broke in the speaker using eleven to twelve volts ac for about sixteen hours. This helped a lot to tame the high end. Finally added 441 tubes to get to a very happy place sonically.

I just wanted to add the 441 tubes do not sound like the old STR387 6L6s in my opinion. The STR387s have more lows and highs. The 441s sound like a good 6L6 mated with a good EL34 to me. I hope this helps someone.
 
Installed a 441 quartet (two matched sets) a couple days ago.

They do help "tame the treble" as others have said. To which, I understand why MB would shift to making these the stock power tubes in a Mark V.

I don't know how long the Mesa 440 tubes were in my amp that I replaced. It is an early (serial # less than 700) production and they could've been originals.

But the amp was also distinctly louder with the 441s.

I'll put this in the same category as the AT7 Mod in V4 & V6: Not a night and day difference but noticeable in improving tone, making it a little darker and less harsh -- both good things. This amp can always give lots of treble and cut. Helping it soften to a more rounded projection is appreciated.
 
JD1965 said:
Installed a 441 quartet (two matched sets) in a couple days ago.

They do help "tame the treble" as others have said. To which, I understand why MB would shift to making these the stock power tubes in a Mark V.

I don't know how long the Mesa 440 tubes were in my amp that I replaced. It is an early (serial # less than 700) production and they could've been originals.

But the amp was also distinctly louder with the 441s.

I'll put this in the same category as the AT7 Mod in V4 & V6: Not a night and day difference but noticeable in improving tone, making it a little darker and less harsh -- both good things. This amp can always give lots of treble and cut. Helping it soften to a more rounded projection is appreciated.
 
I cheated and ordered a set of Tung Sols. I played a gig shortly after installation and found the tone just sightly "softer" than with the original 440s. But, I played clean the entire gig, so I have no real reference for channels 2 and 3. I was on Tweed mode the entire night and was pleased by the results. Like others have said, it wasn't a "day and night" experience, but still something I enjoyed.
 

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