Vacuum Tubes

@bluedmc777 seems I need to get into some tube rolling then, since you are so into the details and in the know...
I didn't know that the grey plate Telefunken EF86 was pretty rare, I just stuck it in there after testing the amp with more basic tubes.
Sounded good to me, I might need to dig a bit in the cabinet and compare then.

Since this is evolving into a tube peep show....

ynFqnUr.jpg


Upper row in above pic are EF86s (two stack high, so twice as many as you see), below ECC83

AtCZtY9.jpg
 
cooder said:
@bluedmc777 seems I need to get into some tube rolling then, since you are so into the details and in the know...
I didn't know that the grey plate Telefunken EF86 was pretty rare, I just stuck it in there after testing the amp with more basic tubes.
Sounded good to me, I might need to dig a bit in the cabinet and compare then.

Since this is evolving into a tube peep show....

ynFqnUr.jpg


Upper row in above pic are EF86s (two stack high, so twice as many as you see), below ECC83

AtCZtY9.jpg
Click to expand...
Beautiful! Looks like you do have several silver plates Mullard and Telefunken! I’d try one of those against the gray plate Telefunken and compare the differences and then try one of those TESA branded RFT’s. The RFT should break up much quicker than the silver plates but won’t have the clarity. I just put a gray plate in mine last night after seeing the pic of yours. Completely different breakup. Have to roll the bass down quite a bit. Mines a Sylvania branded RFT in the case. Everybody rebranded these RFTs for a while. Same as everyone re-branded the last “vintage made” SED Winged =C=. You have a couple of those too one being branded Zaerix. You have a hell of a collection.

IMG_4112.jpeg
IMG_4114.jpeg
 
Chuck D. Bones said:
Holy Crap, Cooder! That is a bitchen tube collection you have there.
Click to expand...
I had an retired radio technician in the neighborhood who was into tubes, testing and on-selling. Really nice and helpful guy.
So yeah, I often enough couldn't say no...
Since I unpacked the lot, after moving into our new dugout, I had to admit that I probably have enough tubes for now.
 
I love some NOS preamp tubes. But I never got into NOS power tubes because I could never afford them, and the risk involved buying online for something of unknown provenance is high. I once bought a pair of "NOS" 6V6s the seller promised were perfectly matched. Um, no they weren't.

So the only NOS tubes I buy now are tube rectifiers when I can afford them. They can last forever! I've never had to replace a good Phillips or GE GZ34/5AR4.

So I tune my amps around JJs. If my amps sound good with JJs I'm happy.
:cool:
 
cooder said:
@bluedmc777 seems I need to get into some tube rolling then, since you are so into the details and in the know...
I didn't know that the grey plate Telefunken EF86 was pretty rare, I just stuck it in there after testing the amp with more basic tubes.
Sounded good to me, I might need to dig a bit in the cabinet and compare then.

Since this is evolving into a tube peep show....

ynFqnUr.jpg


Upper row in above pic are EF86s (two stack high, so twice as many as you see), below ECC83

AtCZtY9.jpg
Click to expand...
@cooder what are those two amps? Preamps? on top of the cabinet?
 
@HamishR Im right there with you man. I’ve never owned NOS power tubes but have owned some used matched Mullard xF2s and RFTs but was just in the right place at the right time for a good price. Immediately Had them tested and sold them. After playing them of course. Current production power tubes sound close enough for me.
 
HamishR said:
So I tune my amps around JJs. If my amps sound good with JJs I'm happy.
:cool:
Click to expand...
Couple months ago I bought NOS Telefunken 12AT7 from my local shop with ~20 coins and I know they’re reliable and test their tubes. Still it wasn’t good and had terrible microphonics. Got money back and they let me too keep the tube. Haven’t had guts to test it again, but maybe some day it find it place in an amp or into garbage can.

Next time when shopping new JJs preamp tubes Im gonna buy some excess to test in amp to pick what to keep and what to return as some are just too weak or microphonic for my use. I bought few in couple different times last year and I’m back using 10-20 year old JJs, Sovteks and Tungsols. :D
 
@HamishR Not a thing wrong with JJs if you ask me. I have plenty of them. @JohnnyCreepy When’s the last time you tried a JJ? I believe they’ve become more consistent within the last couple years. Possibly due to the fact of Psvane entering the market. I believe they’re doing TADs tubes now and even producing different designs. Atleast from what I gather.
 
bluedmc777 said:
@HamishR Im right there with you man. I’ve never owned NOS power tubes but have owned some used matched Mullard xF2s and RFTs but was just in the right place at the right time for a good price. Immediately Had them tested and sold them. After playing them of course. Current production power tubes sound close enough for me.
Click to expand...
The only JJs I've ever had problems with are recent GZ34s, I'm sad to say! I must have bought from a bad batch because I've had 2-3 go all fireworks in amps. Quite spectacular if you see it happen. Not good though. They've just blown the mains fuse so no harm done. I love JJ 6V6s, EL84s, 6L6s, EL34s, KT66s and KT77s. I don't get the base model 12ax7 any more because they tend to rattle, but the long plate versions are great.
 
bluedmc777 said:
When’s the last time you tried a JJ? I believe they’ve become more consistent within the last couple years.
Click to expand...
Some E83CCs and couple 5751s bought within last two years. Haven’t really looked into manufacturing time, but there’s always a chance they date earlier.
 
cooder said:
The left one is a 5F1 based amp in a 1590XX enclosure, it's 5 watts or so and makes a good rattle. I used it on band practices with a 2x12 and got told to turn down at times hahaha... built using tube radio transformers.
Click to expand...
It's amazing how LOUD a 5W amps gets when driving large speaker(s).
 
HamishR said:
The only JJs I've ever had problems with are recent GZ34s, I'm sad to say! I must have bought from a bad batch because I've had 2-3 go all fireworks in amps. Quite spectacular if you see it happen. Not good though. They've just blown the mains fuse so no harm done. I love JJ 6V6s, EL84s, 6L6s, EL34s, KT66s and KT77s. I don't get the base model 12ax7 any more because they tend to rattle, but the long plate versions are great.
Click to expand...
I like those long plates too… and those are some looong plates to not go microphonic. Guess I’ve been lucky with their GZ34. I’ve owned 3 with no issues. Actually have never tried a different rectifier tube in my deluxe and have wondered if something different would be noticeable. I’m a right on the edge of break up player for the most part. Just past 4 on my deluxe.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top