Rectifier problems: Are a 5AR4 and a GZ34 really the same thing??

[metropolis_4]

I’m having weird problems with the rectifier tube on my Divided by 13 JRT 9/15.

First I tried a New Sensor Mullard GZ34 and the amp immediately blew a fuse as soon as I flipped it off standby. I figured it must be a bad tube so I returned it.

Next I tried a JJ GZ34S. The amp turned on, no blown fuses I see the tube glowing, but when I flipped the amp on there is no sound coming out and the tube stays cold.

I guess there’s a chance I got two bad tubes in a row, but is there something else going on?

This is the tube that is in there now. Is there something special about this that I don’t know that would explain why it works? The tube chart for the amp just says 5ar4/gz34

 

[Blix]

I remember I had trouble finding good rectifier tubes for the Deluxe Reverb I had some years back, frustrating.
Ended up putting in one of these instead, and I even prefer the sound!

 

[metropolis_4]

I remember I had trouble finding good rectifier tubes for the Deluxe Reverb I had some years back, frustrating.
Ended up putting in one of these instead, and I even prefer the sound!

View attachment 52709

That’s a possibility. I think I remember hearing once that they can be hard on NOS tubes, is that true?

I’ve got some old NOS RCA JAN 6V6 and 5879 tubes in the amp

 

[QQQ]

As far as I know those two models are generally interchangeable. Not positive if there is an actual technical difference between the two.