These 6n2p tubes (standard and -ev models) sound like vintage Black Plate RCA or GE tubes. As I’ve said, these last on the low side 5000 hours at least! I love these tubes and I use these in all my 12ax7 sections of my amps and our recording studio owns a LOT of amps. I have not used a 12ax7 tube in years as they are problematic and in almost every guitar amp. Even though 12ax7’s are not really the best choice, they became the standard for better or worse and like ancient fiction that becomes truth, 12ax7’s remain in every new amp to this day.
Another example of this quandary is the 6p14p power tubes. The same company over in Russia that makes the best 6n2p tubes also make the 6p14p which sound 10x better than a EL84. EL84’s are noisy and cheaply made tubes that cannot handle the voltages they are given in an amp circuit. These don’t require an adapter and once you try them you will be blown away! We should have stopped using 12ax7 and EL84 tubes a LONG time ago with the knowledge we have today. But it’s a standard and it’s hard to get people to open there mind. Maybe the amp companies are trying to make a buck off these cheaper inferior tubes, who know?
I’d say its worth trying these 6n2p tubes with adapters if you’re having microphonics or noise issues. It is the least expensive way to do this and get the best tone you can get out of your amp. It’s a very simple process and now your amp should be good for decades rather than months or a short year.
If you have any more questions we recommend you reach out to Walt at Geekarooit.com to get you set up with some new tubes and adapters.
Don’t forget to add a helpful comment if you have questions or feel you have additional information to share. Check out our other interesting blog posts here at Lutz Media too!
Still want more tube talk? Head on over to Walt’s website or watch this great video on how to clean your tubes properly!