Groove Tubes GT-6CA7-GE

From the GT website;


?The GT6CA7GE is the classic American-style EL34 tube made in the exact likeness of the famed General Electric 6CA7 tube of the 60's. This was the tube GT sold to Eddie Van Halen for his Marshalls used on the first two Van Halen albums (often cited for his best tone on record).?


The Groove Tubes 6CA7GE is a USA-style power pentode tube with similar specifications to the European style EL34 tube. However, the 6CA7 differs in design from the common EL34 types by the use of an active beam-forming electrode similar to that of the 6L6 and 6550. Groove Tubes purchased the actual GE production formulas, along with many of the original General Electric machines and vintage Plate materials via the closing of the GE tube factory several years ago. Using these original machines, the original components and their ?secret processing recipe?, GT was able to authentically reproduce the classic GE power tube. Pittman says, ?The 6CA7GE will appeal to players using Marshall EL34-style amps (and the many Marshall impersonators), providing a whole new sonic signature option that will certainly please a wide range of musical playing styles. If I had to simplify the description, the GT6CA7GE is somewhere between a Mullard EL34 and a GE 6L6?more ?chest' and certainly more power than any EL34 tube. Plus, they are directly interchangeable in all EL34 circuits (with proper rebiasing, as always).


Contrary to what is said by some lower quality tube dealers (The Tube Store), GT actually produces these tubes (GE 6CA7) and the GE 6l6 at some expense and anyone who doubts this should Contact Myles.

The first thing I noticed was the size of these bottles compared with my older 5881?s, their just HUGE. When anyone speaks of Eddie?s tone, it immediately gets people attention and I don?t have to state the obvious as to why. I?m also partial to Marshall flavors except the quality and consistency of Marshall amps is poor at best. I?ve been using Groove Tube amps for almost 8 years now and would never play anything else. I currently play a Soul-O 45 single channel A/B head and have found it to be simply the best (my opinion only) and could get an amazing sound even with 6L6?s. Personally, I prefer Eddie?s darker Fair Warning tone with its heaviness and depth and was looking for that vibe as well as a classic EL34 tone (Zeppelin, Cream, Hendrix, Trower, Beck, etc) coupled with the modern aggression of bands like Puddle of Mud, Shine Down, Rage, etc. So, I called Rick in GT Sales, ordered a matched pair at $90.00 and waited for 6 weeks until my new bottles to arrived in a fancy brown package.


Now, the NOS 5881?s I was running were in a word, amazingly sweet so I was hesitant these new tubes would live up to billing and to my surprise, they surpassed even my own expectations. I could never have imagined how nasty my amp would sound and although there?s no perfect match for any one players sound; sustain, higher power, clarity of character, rich harmonics and big bottom are all there to get you very close to many. The harmonics are so full and available everywhere on the fret board and I?m playing a Fender Strat. I use a combination of Micro Vibe, Vintage Rat and Chorus straight into the amps front end. I love to use the guitars volume on 7, the Ratt distortion on 7-9 and volume on 3-6 with the amps volume higher, which gives me an unbelievable amount of power tube distortion. These tubes will push your wattage significantly higher and I?m closer to 75watts. It?s a very classic type of vibe and with a few little adjustments I can dial in any modern tone other than the sterile Recto stuff which I actually dislike. I get so sick of every band sounding, acting, singing the same and long for the days of when guitar players who could play more than just a dropped D tuned song.

I absolutely love these bottles and can appreciate the quality and care the folks at GT put into what they produce. They are again, in my opinion the benchmark the industry follows and have spent many an hour on the phone with knowledgeable, caring musicians who take the time and understand the needs of a fellow musician

Without Question !!!!!!!