I just took a blind plunge with a new seller from eBay for these: With this description is all: "Pair of Philips 6L6GC tubes. These tubes are new with original boxes. Markings on tubes are Canada 6L6GC. " It doesn't say they're matched but I have a couple single 6L6GC amps I can use them in if they don't match up ok. I'll check them when I get them. I only paid $43 and change for both. Any ideas about these tubes? Reputation? Anything about Philips Canada tubes at all? What they compare to? Thanks!
Philips the parent company (Mullard, Amperex, Valvo, Miniwatt, Pope, Adzam) distributed tubes in Canada - many of which were made in Europe - under the name ROGERS in the 50's and 60's (green and yellow boxes)... some time around the late 50's - early 60's they set up a factory in Scarborough (near Toronto) and manufactured some tubes (I've seen 12AX7's and EL84's, both of which bore the "r" acid-etched code). Maybe they made a 6L6 too, or bought them from some other Canadian manufacturer to rebrand. At some point (early 70's?) it appears Philips dropped or retired the Rogers brand and started using their own name. Around then I think they started bringing in tubes from pretty much anywhere, although I have still found Euro-made tubes in the orange Philips boxes.
They kinda look like GEs, check for the GE "dots" etched into the glass. If they're made in Canada, they're probably high quality tubes.
Thanks for the reply, Mike. That is EXACTLY what I thought when I went for it. That they looked like GE's. It was a gamble but we'll soon find out. Thanks for the tip. Rick
Well, I got these tubes and they indeed look like GE's but a little different than I normally see in US made GE's. The have the t"L" shaped etched dots on the left of the word Canada above the word Philips to the right of the three etched dots. Classic GE shaped bottle too. Sure looks like a GE to me for sure and they're NIB too. It appears like a great score I'll know once I plug them in . . . Like this: . . Canada . . 6L6GC Classic GE looking etching.
