6v6 tube rolling

[acrockett55]

Will any 6v6 tube work with the moreplay? Mine sounds a little thin and I am hoping some tube rolling will fix that. Has anyone had any success with any specific tube?
On a side note, does anyone know the make of the 6V6 tubes that came with the kit?

[Paul Joppa]

I posted in this thread, in January.

https://forum.bottlehead.com/index.php?topic=12949.0

[Doc B.]

We are currently shipping kits with Chinese 6V6s. If I remember correctly the earliest kits shipped with Russian 6V6s.

[sfojws]

Greetings - I'm a first-time "tube-roller", to set the context. Last week, I plugged in a pair Electro-Harmonix 6V6 tubes. Although I expected to wait a week or two to hear whether or not there would be an audible difference, I noticed an immediate change. The bass articulation improved, and the "shaping" of the notes by the musicians was conveyed more clearly. Midrange and upper midrange notes were fuller and better-defined. Upper frequency notes, such as cymbal crashes, were cleaner. Over the past week, the sound has continued to improve.

The tubes were obtained from an online retailer in Canada (I won't mention the name, as I'm not sure whether that is OK on the forum). For a few dollars extra, the tubes can be ordered as a matched pair. They arrived pretty quickly (about 8-10 days), in perfect condition. I had also ordered a pair of JJ E88CC tubes (equivalent to the 6922tubes included with the Reduction kit), and will switch the tubes in the phono preamp once the EH tubes seem to have burned in.

BTW, this is no knock on the tubes shipped with the Moreplay kit. I appreciate that Bottlehead makes the kits available as affordably as possible. From what I have read on the forum and website, it's expected that we will experiment and play. The fun has just begun!

[sfojws]

Oh yes, the system is an old Linn LP12 that I've rehabbed, Ittok arm and Sumiko Pearl cartridge, Reduction phono preamp, MOreplay, a Hafler DH220 amp that I built in 1985, and Epos ELPS 8 speakers.

[Paul Birkeland]

You might want to try something like this:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/174803006316?hash=item28b312336c:g:y2IAAOSwDsxgtil3

[erick.lehnert.baron@gmail]

And this, boys and girls, is why I stick to Bottlehead. They are not just a parts supplier. My 2 cents.

[Tubegopher]

You might want to try something like this:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/174803006316?hash=item28b312336c:g:y2IAAOSwDsxgtil3

Paul, what do you think of the 6V6 shoulder tube design for the Moreplay?  I know it is more expensive, but is it a good option?

[Paul Birkeland]

I use CV509s in one of my Moreplays, which are G shaped tubes.  They are quite a bit more expensive, but they are very handsome.   

[oldtriode]

I have probably 20-30 mostly used 6V6 "old school" tubes, including metal and GT varieties.  Current faves are Ken-Rad 1940s pairs, GE (who acquired Ken-Rad in 1945) and CBS labeled ones, some of which have the GE etchings in the glass.  Most are gray-coated, some are clear.  They all sound superb!  Shop around on the usual sites, plenty can be had for $25-30 per pair.  If you are testing 6V6 tubes on your tube tester, be aware that some testers (B&K with Jet-test sockets, in particular) will test them as weak.  Try them anyway...one of the advantages of the Moreplay is that it doesn't stress 6V6 as much as a guitar amp, and tested gain differences per pair isn't particularly critical, in my experience anyway.  Have fun, and enjoy the music!

[Tubegopher]

OldTriode,
first of all I like your name. I imagine it is quite descriptive!  
I appreciate the good info on testing of 6V6 tubes and the fact that the Moreplay doesn't work them  that hard.

[oldtriode]

Hi Tubegopher,
I chose oldtriode because I couldn't get the forum to recognize my originally registered user name, I suppose it was too old (from the early days of Bottlehead forum)...but I do identify with the simplicity of the triode, especially in single-ended designs.  The Moreplay is a unique amp, and I really enjoy how it works driving a "power" amp.  Doc, and PB and PJ, hit a home run with this one!  I also like rolling tubes through it; when you get to hear the subtle differences between tubes, you know you're dealing with an amp whose design is letting it all come through.
Have you found some tubes you find to be exemplary, for the sound in your setup?

[Tubegopher]

Hi Old Triode, I have the BeePre with some mods made by Paul B. and it is fantastic. My son built the Moreplay on my recommendation. I am planning on taking my son over with his Moreplay to meet Paul and let him take a look at it soon, but Paul and his wife just had a baby girl recently so I thought I would give him some space.
So far, my son Mike is really enjoying the Moreplay. He replaced a Dynaco PAS that I had given him a few years ago. It was a significant improvement.
Regards,
Tubegopher

[oldtriode]

Lately I've been using a pair of 6K6-GT tubes in my Moreplay.  They seem happy in the circuit.  Sound is slightly different, a little more top end maybe, more detail in the upper-mid ranges; hard to quantify it really.  Makes vocals really stand out.  Plus they are easy to find, and not expensive.  These have 400ma heater current, so that's still ok I believe; voltage is measuring 6.48.  Current measured across the cathode resistor is about 13ma.  I'm thinking about getting a couple pairs of ST big bottles, for the cool factor.  Lol!!

[Paul Birkeland]

6.48V is nothing to worry about!