What is the 6V6GT vacuum tube?

The 6V6GT is a tetrode vacuum tube designed for power (se/pp) applications. GT envelope..

What is a 6V6GT substitute or equivalent?

Direct equivalents to the 6V6GT include 6V6. 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 6V6GT?

Amplification factor μ ≈ 10, transconductance gm ≈ 4.1 mA/V, plate resistance rp ≈ 50.0 kΩ, max plate voltage 315 V, max plate dissipation 12 W, heater 6.3 V / 0.45 A.

Is the 6V6GT still in production?

Production status varies by year and manufacturer. The current Amperatubes catalog classifies the 6V6GT 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 6V6GT sound like?

GT envelope.. 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.

6V6GT Tetrode Vacuum Tube

Also known as 6V6

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

TetrodeHeater 6.3 V · 0.45 AOctalRCA 1937

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

6V6GT

Characteristics

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

HeaterIndirectly heated

Specifications of 6V6GT — Heater
Heater voltageVh	6.3 V
Heater currentIh	0.45 A

Limiting valuesDatasheet maximum ratings — not to be exceeded

Specifications of 6V6GT — 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 6V6GT — Mechanical
Base	Octal
Rarity	Common
Pinout

Small signalDatasheet parameters at the reference operating point — not limits

Specifications of 6V6GT — Small signal
Transconductance	4.1 mA/V
Plate resistance	50 kΩ
Amplification factor	10

Capacitances

Specifications of 6V6GT — Capacitances
Input	9 pF
Grid–plate	0.7 pF
Output	7.5 pF

Charactereditorial reading, not a measurement

Specifications of 6V6GT — Character
Gain	10%
Power	30%
Drive	50%
Linearity	95%

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	rp	Source
triode connection, single-endedclass not stated · fixed bias	250 V		-12.5 V	49.5 mA						5		read on the sheet GENERAL ELECTRIC · 1955 · transcript
Class AB, push-pullpentode connection · fixed bias	250 V		-12.5 V	49.5 mA						5		read on the sheet GENERAL ELECTRIC · 1955 · transcript
Class A, single-endedpentode connection · fixed bias	180 V	180 V	-8.5 V	29 mA	3 mA	5.5 kΩ	2 W	8%	3.7 mA/V		50 kΩ	OCR, to be checked GENERAL ELECTRIC · 1955 · p. 2 · transcript
Class A, single-endedtriode connection · cathode bias	250 V		-12.5 V	37.5 mA		9.8 kΩ	1 W		4 mA/V	9.8	2.4 kΩ	OCR, to be checked RADIOTRON / AWV · 1944 · p. 1 · transcript

Using this tube

No interactive loadline model for this tube yet — download a SPICE model below to simulate it in LTspice or ngspice.

Featured in these amplifiers

Replace or compare

Sources

By Jean-Michel Falligan DevergneReviewed May 29, 2026Source : Frank/pocnet 6V6 datasheet

Manufacturer datasheets

3 manufacturer datasheets cross-checked for 6V6GT3 verified

Triode-connectedGENERAL ELECTRICMarch 1955 (3-55; supersedes ET-T351D dated 6-53)

µ: 7.5

6V6GT DatasheetLocal mirror · PDF

SPICE models

Revision and verification status

Source: Frank/pocnet 6V6 datasheet
Reviewed: 2026-05-29
Status: DataModelCalc
Model: under review

Context

The 6V6GT is a indirectly-heated beam tetrode from RCA, introduced around 1937. It provides a gain factor (μ) of 10 with 50.0kΩ plate resistance. Commonly used in power (se/pp) applications. GT envelope.

History

Introduced: 1937
Manufacturer: RCA
Era: Pre-War

METRIX TESTER