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Thread: Fender Groove tubes colors??

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    Forum Member 10-15-14's Avatar
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    Fender Groove tubes colors??

    I was just wondering if anyone knows what characteristics each of the colored sets of Fender Groove tubes are?? I've read that blue has more gain and sustain, but I can't find anything on the red or white sets. I just know you don't "have" to re-bias if you use the same set as what was originally installed.

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    Forum Member Kap'n's Avatar
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    Re: Fender Groove tubes colors??

    Given a fixed bias voltage, they run hotter or colder.

    That's all.
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    Forum Member stratcat55's Avatar
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    Re: Fender Groove tubes colors??

    You really should check the bias anyway. I never liked GT's anyway.

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    Re: Fender Groove tubes colors??

    forget groove tubes, put sovtek 6L6WXT+ instead!

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    Forum Member Kap'n's Avatar
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    Re: Fender Groove tubes colors??

    Quote Originally Posted by Largol View Post
    forget groove tubes, put sovtek 6L6WXT+ instead!
    Not my first choice for any amp.

    Speaking of which, he never did say what amp they're going in.
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    Forum Member 10-15-14's Avatar
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    Re: Fender Groove tubes colors??

    I own a super-sonic head. But I'm not looking to re-place tubes right now. I just wondered why some fender amps have the blue and others have white or red groove tubes. Whats the difference? All of them are labelled 6L6 GE. If they were all biased at say...ex. 32mv, would they all sound the same?? I'm not tech savvy so I'm curious. The extent of work I've done on amps is limited to biasing a DSL100 (easy), a HRD and replacing speakers. I've also only been playing a tube amps for a few years.

  7. #7

    Re: Fender Groove tubes colors??

    The White ones have the max clean headroom.

    The Red ones have a mediate headroom.

    The Blue ones are made for Blues and have the tiniest headroom and the best power-stage-distortion.

    But GT's are crap even if they are hot biased. And the GT preamp-tubes are more crap, liveless and cold than the power amp tubes.
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    Forum Member Kap'n's Avatar
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    Re: Fender Groove tubes colors??

    Quote Originally Posted by ˛Thom View Post
    The White ones have the max clean headroom.

    The Red ones have a mediate headroom.

    The Blue ones are made for Blues and have the tiniest headroom and the best power-stage-distortion.
    No.

    Given a fixed bias voltage, they run hotter or colder.

    That's all.
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    Forum Member Big Alex's Avatar
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    Re: Fender Groove tubes colors??

    Actually the red ones have the largest headroom. The white ones stay in the middle and the blue ones the earliest distortion
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  10. #10
    Forum Member Kap'n's Avatar
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    Re: Fender Groove tubes colors??

    Quote Originally Posted by Big Alex View Post
    Actually the red ones have the largest headroom. The white ones stay in the middle and the blue ones the earliest distortion
    No, all of the tubes are the same type, they just separate the tubes into ranges (from the natural variation in manufacturing), so that for a given bias voltage, some are hotter, some are colder, and some in the middle.

    The ones "that have the most headroom" bias colder at a particular voltage. You could get the exact same results from the "earliest distortion" tubes if you actually biased the amp.

    Don't make me get out the quote again.
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    Forum Member stratcat55's Avatar
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    Re: Fender Groove tubes colors??

    Kap'n knows of which he speaks. That Red, White and Blue is nothing but BS if you adjust the bias on the amp. Never liked Groove Tubes or the hype surrounding them.

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    Forum Member 10-15-14's Avatar
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    Re: Fender Groove tubes colors??

    Let me change the question....Whats the point of having different colors?

  13. #13
    Forum Member Kap'n's Avatar
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    Re: Fender Groove tubes colors??

    Marketing.
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    Forum Member boobtube21's Avatar
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    Re: Fender Groove tubes colors??

    Wellllllllll.....that and if you aren't tech-savvy and can't bias your own amp, and want to change your own tubes anyway, you can make an estimation of what a particular color might do to your sound, right?

    You'll be better off buying better tubes and taking your amp to a tech to have it biased correctly though, I do know that.

  15. #15
    Forum Member Big Alex's Avatar
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    Re: Fender Groove tubes colors??

    Kap'n

    Sure you're right. You just explained better what I meant to say.
    Seriously engaged in playing the Blues!!!
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