Sturdiest 6550?

[dazco]

Current production that is. Aside from SED which is double the cost of most current production, whats a very sturdy 6550 that can take punishment and voltage? This is for a friend's SVT.

[Prairie Dawg]

I've got the same question and I'm wondering, is there any profit to using KT88s? I'm not very impressed with ANY current production 6550 including Winged C-this is a set that is six months old and they've drifted to a 24 per cent mismatch, lowest to highest. I built a special test rig for these tubes. The SVT dishes out nearly the maximum that a good old GE could handle (design maximum value was 660v) and I know these amps are really dishing it out.

I've got this amp in the shop right now.

The obvious thing would be for Ampeg to derate these amps down to a value that current production 6550s could tolerate.

[jay42]

I worked on an SVT that was loaded with Sovtek 6550WE. I don't have a 400W load, so I didn't see what it could do power wise. They seemed fine and are available. Any good?

[dazco]

sovteks are garbage. Thats what had gone bad in the SVT more than anything.

[Trout]

Have it modded for KT120's? Those can handle anything an SVT can dish out and then some.
(former SVT owner)

I seem to recall my first SVT had 7027A's in it but I doubt the current product versions would be much better than the other stuff.

[schmidlin]

^^ watch your heater current.

Yeah, new production is hit or miss, but I've had good luck with SEDs, unlike PD. A lot of Monday tubes out there. If you can afford NOS GEs, go for it.