Tube Experts, Are these RCA Black Plates?
- Thread starter bob06
- Start date
Hiya,
So you "Experts" are saying no matter what the color variation of a RCA 6L6GC plate its always black plate.
I mean in that picture (From my admittedly bad eyes I guess)
We have three transformers with black color end bells and laminates (Check)
We have one power cord bushing and two power utility outlets that are black (Check)
We have three Octal tubes with black bases (Check)
We have one 5U4GB and the 12AU7 behind the 6L6GC's with black plates (Check)
And because my stupid , dumb , bad eyes see Grey on the 6L6GC's I am a idiot and clueless because every RCA 6L6GC is a black plate to you experts.
So if that is so ... rather than say I am a idiot with dumb bad eyes and be argumentative why not say that all RCA 6L6GC's have black plates and just accept that rather than the lighting says so ... or hey look at my tubes in my stash ...
Frannie
So you "Experts" are saying no matter what the color variation of a RCA 6L6GC plate its always black plate.
I mean in that picture (From my admittedly bad eyes I guess)
We have three transformers with black color end bells and laminates (Check)
We have one power cord bushing and two power utility outlets that are black (Check)
We have three Octal tubes with black bases (Check)
We have one 5U4GB and the 12AU7 behind the 6L6GC's with black plates (Check)
And because my stupid , dumb , bad eyes see Grey on the 6L6GC's I am a idiot and clueless because every RCA 6L6GC is a black plate to you experts.
So if that is so ... rather than say I am a idiot with dumb bad eyes and be argumentative why not say that all RCA 6L6GC's have black plates and just accept that rather than the lighting says so ... or hey look at my tubes in my stash ...
Frannie
jaymanaa
RIP 1961-2018
From my experience, and I have totes full of these things, the RCA 6L6GC was made in more subtle variations than any other tube I can think of. Some are short, shorter, tall, taller, fat, fatter, shoulder, no shoulder, etc. It kinda makes it a PITA to find 4 that look exactly alike. Terrybluelite and I went through this when we were tubing up his Conn Monos. Trust me, there is NO definitive "RCA Blackplate 6L6GC" like there is, say a Siemens EL34 dimple top. They are like 5U4s, lots and lots of different styles. I know the guitar players get passionate about it, but in HiFi, they all sound fine to me, including the lowly grey plates.
Hiya Jay,
Thats the thing ... I just got done looking at about 20 miss matched 6L6GC's from my collection last week.
And dang if I could not find from the 10 that I could assertain where RCA 4 that had the same color plates and structure.
There was a wide variation from light Gray to Dark Inky Black. There was no way I was gonna send a guy with a nice Set of MC30's 4 tubes that looked different.
Maybe my eyes don't see Gray shades like a Audiophile.
Frannie
Thats the thing ... I just got done looking at about 20 miss matched 6L6GC's from my collection last week.
And dang if I could not find from the 10 that I could assertain where RCA 4 that had the same color plates and structure.
There was a wide variation from light Gray to Dark Inky Black. There was no way I was gonna send a guy with a nice Set of MC30's 4 tubes that looked different.
Maybe my eyes don't see Gray shades like a Audiophile.
Frannie
You need bigger lamps, Fran.
How about a nice 30" Carbon Arc Searchlight
How about a nice 30" Carbon Arc Searchlight
Hiya,
Or one bigger lens for these Glasses. With that new Audiophile filter coating.
Frannie
You need bigger lamps, Fran.
How about a nice 30" Carbon Arc Searchlight
Or one bigger lens for these Glasses. With that new Audiophile filter coating.
Frannie
Hiya,
So to clear this up for my Cat Brain.
I found these picture's out there as my Camera takes crappy pictures (Or more likely the person operating the Camera takes crappy pictures)
So Actually both of these RCA labeled 6l6GC's in this top picture are Black Plates. And the one on the left is a close match to the Gray (Ooops ... Black) in the Ops's picture. And the bottom picture is a better lighting picture showing what my cat brain see's as black.
Frannie
So to clear this up for my Cat Brain.
I found these picture's out there as my Camera takes crappy pictures (Or more likely the person operating the Camera takes crappy pictures)
So Actually both of these RCA labeled 6l6GC's in this top picture are Black Plates. And the one on the left is a close match to the Gray (Ooops ... Black) in the Ops's picture. And the bottom picture is a better lighting picture showing what my cat brain see's as black.
Frannie
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Funny When I first started this thread I knew nothing about tubes. Now I know that black plates could be gray and gray plates could be black.
Hang around here long enough ... you will be re-programmed.
Frannie
At the risk of committing sacrilege, I am also not that droolful about RCA 'black' plates. Admittedly I do not have experience of using many under adverse circumstances, but 'in the day' we did not particularly prefer them over others. (Talking about use of power tubes in a national research lab.) As Jaymanaa said.
If allowed to be OT, regarding preference of power tubes there are other matters of importance. E.g. the heat radiator fins on G1: These are small for many 6L6s including the Black Plate. Rather larger for the more recent TungSol STR, and about twice the size in the GE models, and so forth. There may have been closer consistency for 'black plates' etc.
If allowed to be OT, regarding preference of power tubes there are other matters of importance. E.g. the heat radiator fins on G1: These are small for many 6L6s including the Black Plate. Rather larger for the more recent TungSol STR, and about twice the size in the GE models, and so forth. There may have been closer consistency for 'black plates' etc.
Funny When I first started this thread I knew nothing about tubes. Now I know that black plates could be gray and gray plates could be black.
Yea but what you really don't want are the ones with the red plates those are not good
Hiya,
So to clear this up for my Cat Brain.
I found these picture's out there as my Camera takes crappy pictures (Or more likely the person operating the Camera takes crappy pictures)
So Actually both of these RCA labeled 6l6GC's in this top picture are Black Plates. And the one on the left is a close match to the Gray (Ooops ... Black) in the Ops's picture. And the bottom picture is a better lighting picture showing what my cat brain see's as black.
The one on the right is absolutely a black-plate RCA - even though it's not perfectly consistent, the black coating is clearly visible. I don't know if some were just made with wonky-looking coating, or if the coating ages with use and exposure to light, but I've only had one or two that had that even, nearly jet-black appearance. The one on the left appears to be a different manufacturer relabeled for RCA, though I'm not entirely sure what it is. It doesn't look like any RCA, Sylvania, or GE that I've seen. That vertical mica spacer is throwing me off.
Edit: Got it! Westinghouse!
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Hiya Sam,
My money is on a relabel ... and I guess that may explain the ones in the Amp in question.
I did learn one thing ... Actual RCA made 6L6GC's do seem to be either Dark Black plates or a Charcoal Black plate structure.
And as far as I am concerned the Plates are just a identifier and anything else about them is subjective and left alone.
Frannie
My money is on a relabel ... and I guess that may explain the ones in the Amp in question.
I did learn one thing ... Actual RCA made 6L6GC's do seem to be either Dark Black plates or a Charcoal Black plate structure.
And as far as I am concerned the Plates are just a identifier and anything else about them is subjective and left alone.
Frannie
One of these days I'll dig out some of my RCA 12AX7s. Unlike the 6L6GC, which retained the black coating until the RCA production lines were shut down, the 12AX7 lost it early on. A well-used black-plate next to a standard grey-plate in an otherwise identical tube is easy to tell in comparison. Would be a useful photo to have posted here.
Hiya,
Would be also kinda handy to take pictures of these against a Black and then White background.
When I get some clutter cleared I might take a few of my lineup of motley suspects.
Frannie
Would be also kinda handy to take pictures of these against a Black and then White background.
When I get some clutter cleared I might take a few of my lineup of motley suspects.
Frannie
jaymanaa
RIP 1961-2018
I sort of liked the purple myself.:yes:
I just found a quad on my desk downstairs that are definitely grey, or is it gray. Oh hell, who's on first? Serious though, did they all have double solid pan getters are or mine just extra nice?
