What is the 6V6 vacuum tube?

The 6V6 (6V6GT) is a tetrode vacuum tube designed for power (se/pp) applications. Small-amp magic..

What is a 6V6 substitute or equivalent?

Direct equivalents to the 6V6 include CV511. These share the same pinout and operating envelope, so they can usually be swapped without circuit changes — though batch-to-batch variations between manufacturers (NOS vs current production) may shift the sonic character noticeably.

What are the key specifications of the 6V6?

Transconductance gm ≈ 4.1 mA/V, plate resistance rp ≈ 52.0 kΩ, max plate voltage 315 V, max plate dissipation 12 W, heater 6.3 V / 0.45 A.

Is the 6V6 still in production?

Production status varies by year and manufacturer. The current Amperatubes catalog classifies the 6V6 as Common availability. NOS (new-old-stock) examples from RCA, Mullard, Tung-Sol, GE, Sylvania and Telefunken trade among collectors; modern production where it exists comes mostly from JJ Electronic, Electro-Harmonix, Tung-Sol (New Sensor), Genalex, and a handful of small-batch makers.

What does the 6V6 sound like?

Small-amp magic.. Sonic character also depends heavily on the circuit operating point, the surrounding tubes in the stage, and the output transformer when present — use the interactive loadline calculator on this page to explore the trade-offs.

6V6 GT Tetrode Vacuum Tube

Also known as CV511

Beam power tetrode rated at 12W for high-power output stages

TetrodeHeater 6.3 V · 0.45 AOctalRCA·Sylvania 1937

Plate dissipation: 12W
Max plate voltage: 315V
Max screen voltage: 285V
Transconductance: 4.1mA/V

6V6

Characteristics

Datasheet values, once each. Every value cites its sheet.

HeaterIndirectly heated

Specifications of 6V6 — Heater
Heater voltageVh	6.3 V
Heater currentIh	0.45 A

Limiting valuesDatasheet maximum ratings — not to be exceeded

Specifications of 6V6 — Limiting values
Plate voltageVa max	315 V
Screen voltageVg2 max	285 V
Plate dissipationPa max	12 W
Screen dissipationPg2 max	2 W

Mechanical

Specifications of 6V6 — Mechanical
Base	Octal
Rarity	Common
Pinout

Small signalDatasheet parameters at the reference operating point — not limits

Specifications of 6V6 — Small signal
Transconductance	4.1 mA/V
Plate resistance	52 kΩ

Capacitances

Specifications of 6V6 — Capacitances
Input	10 pF
Grid–plate	0.3 pF
Output	11 pF

Charactereditorial reading, not a measurement

Specifications of 6V6 — Character
Gain	0%
Power	30%
Drive	48%
Linearity	75%

datasheet cited · model or editorial reading · catalogue value, no citation attached yet · nothing invented

Typical operation

Conditions published by the manufacturers, one row per condition. Nothing is computed.

Typical operation
Setup	Va	Vg2	Vg1 / Rk	Ia	Ig2	Load	Pout	THD	gm	μ	Source
Class A, single-endedpentode connection	180 V	180 V		29 mA		5.5 kΩ	2 W	8%	3.7 mA/V		OCR, to be checked Tung-Sol · p. 1 · transcript
Class A, single-endedtriode connection	250 V			49.5 mA					5 mA/V	9.8	OCR, to be checked RCA · p. 1 · transcript
Class A, push-pullpentode connection	250 V			70 mA							OCR, to be checked RCA · p. 1 · transcript
Class AB1, push-pullpentode connection · fixed bias	250 V	250 V	-15 V	70 mA	5 mA	10 kΩ a-a					OCR, to be checked RCA Cunningham Radiotron · p. 1 · transcript

Using this tube

Featured in these amplifiers

Classic circuits

Fender Tweed Deluxe
Guitar Amp12W
Fender 5E3 Deluxe (1955-60). Cathode-biased 6V6 push-pull. Iconic breakup at moderate volume. Neil Young, Billy Gibbons tone.
PPVb 360V · Vg -17V · Vg₂ 360V · RL 8kΩFender 5E3 Schematic

Replace or compare

Sources

By Jean-Michel Falligan DevergneReviewed May 29, 2026Source : RCA·Sylvania datasheetActive model : Koren v1

Manufacturer datasheets

6 manufacturer datasheets cross-checked for 6V6GT6 verified

6V6 DatasheetLocal mirror · PDF

SPICE models

Revision and verification status

Source: RCA·Sylvania datasheet
Reviewed: 2026-05-29
Status: DataModelCalc
Model: Koren v1

Context

The 6V6 is a compact beam power tetrode delivering about 4.5W in single-ended or 14W per pair in push-pull, and is the quintessential small American amplifier tube. It is the output tube of the Fender Champ, Deluxe, and countless other small combo amplifiers prized for their warm, compressed, touch-responsive overdrive character. The 6V6 breaks up earlier and more gracefully than the 6L6, with a sweeter, more vocal distortion character that has made it a favorite for blues and roots guitar players. Matching can be critical as the tube operates near its limits in many designs; RCA and Sylvania NOS remain the gold standard.

History

Introduced: 1937
Manufacturer: RCA·Sylvania
Era: Pre-War

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