6L6 / 5881 / KT66 Beam Pwr Tetrode
The 6L6 is an 8-pin "octal" beam power tetrode tube found in the power amp section of many guitar amps, mostly in sets of two or four matched valves. It has a 6.3v heater filament and can dissipate 30W. Other similar, but not identical beam power tetrode tubes are the KT66 and 5581. These can be substituted with appropriate bias adjustment. The original 6L6 tube featured a metal envelope. Due to superior performance, the more modern 6L6GC, which also features a glass envelope, remains the only type still manufactured. The 6L6 is synonymous with the "American Tone" style of amplifier. The 6L6GC may be used in all 6L6 applications, but where a 6L6GC is specified, then it must be replaced with a 6L6GC equivalent tube.
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