buying NOS tubes

[selloutrr]

I've noticed that although a lot of things Musical have takin a hit during this recent economic period, NOS Tubes have continued to increase in value. Looks like they are a good investment, as well as a lot of fun to try, anyway. Now if I can just get my wife to beleive this.

They may have gone up or held the asking price but I'm not sure sales have been as strong. You can price anything for big money but it's meaningless unless you sell it for that price. I think NOS prices are based on the tube supply houses that don't make the bulk of the $ selling the NOS tubes. I have a feeling, a phone call might equal a lower price, lets face it right now $ talks, and a large order of NOS can make the difference for a small company, even if it's just to move inventory so they can free up some money and pay bills.

[mclmk8d]

Some photos from a while back
[img:720:540]http://img708.imageshack.us/img708/3012/img1520m.jpg[/img]
[img:720:540]http://img607.imageshack.us/img607/9420/img1560.jpg[/img]

[selloutrr]

nice stash Brimar are my personal favorite

[Cliff Schecht]

In addition, and some people will think I'm crazy but I'm a believer in using tube dampers on V1 of a Wreck. I've tried lots of different nos glass and found a few that worked well in v1 but after a few days they went micro-phonic. I started putting a couple of o-rings on since then and have not had another go bad. I think it helps stabilize the vibration somewhat. Even if I'm wrong it's cheap enough to do it.

I've had an Amperex 7025 in the V1 position for nearly a year now without microphonics issues. I do use a tube shield with a fairly heavy spring but I think even KF did this in the Express to tame said issue.

[David Root]

I have seen tube damping rings recommended by others recently. Maybe I should pick up a few.

I'm beginning to wonder if what think is parasitic oscillation in my #124 D-type is maybe microphonics. My amps all have shield base sockets.

Y'day I scoped what looks like a secondary signal overlaying the main signal, even on the input to V1, so I don't know what to think now. Come to think of it I didn't see that with a sinewave from my signal generator. Maybe I need to look at the guitar. Sorry, going off OT here, thinking aloud.

[buddyrama]

KCA Nos Tubes

[Structo]

Yeah you can get filament rattle in some tubes.

Combo amps of course are much worse for microphonics and rattles.

I used the silicone rings on a combo I have and it seemed to help.

They just dampen the tube and help keep it from vibrating too badly.

[Gargoyle]

I have bought from KCA, Tubemonger and Tube Tramp... all have been ok. But for the V1 in an Express I'd go with Mike at KCA, he really gives a good going over before he sends em out.
I got some good RFT's from Tubemonger and they have been fine in the V1, having said that, i haven't come across any of the RFT's that were rattling or squealing.
I got a pre war Ei from Terry that was a bit ordinary in terms of microphonics but everything else has been spot on.
My favorites have been the RFT's and Brimars (not box plate though).

[212Mavguy]

I have accumulated over 400 vintage old stock tubes in the last 4 or 5 years, mostly from eBay. It'm my version of buying stocks. Supply is constantly diminishing, and demand is constantly increasing. About one in 4 or 5 turns out to not be usable in a guitar amp. I own both PCB and turret board amps, some are boutiques. Just won an auction on fleabay for 40 various mil stock at7's including shipping for less than 80 bucks. Even if a quarter or more turn out to be bad, I still made out like a bandit. When they arrived, they looked surprisingly good from the signs of usage standpoint.

As far as the tube damper thang for a 12__7 type, I use two thicknesses of one inch heatshrink tubing. If the tube in question is to sit in a socket where there is a lower flange to attach a shield to, I put the heatshrink from just above that height on the bottle all the way up to the top. As the tube heats, the heatshrink gets more rubbery and effective in damping. Much less expensive than damper rings or other devices to buy a 3 foot strip of heatshrink and cut to size.

[smokin' tone]

I've never tried heat shrink although I know people that have used it. Actually I use automotive O-Rings. I do my own auto repair and I have a good selection of AC O-Rings so they really didn't cost much at all. I'm guessing I might not be happy with the HS tubing. I don't like tube shields. I mostly have the military type but I've tried the stock ones that come in amps as well. I can hear a difference with them on and I don't like the tone. I'm not super anal (red, blue and green wire all sound the same to me) but I've experimented with them several times and never liked the results.

[212Mavguy]

I'm not sure that the HS tubing has similar effects as a tube shield regarding shielding effects. I have run tubes with and without the shield in place with the HS tubing, and there is a significant difference in bottle temp while the shield is in place, hotter. The only tube shield that I can think of that does not allow a premp tube to run hotter is an IERC milspec shield, and they cause tubes to run significantly cooler, extending tube life, particularly when used with hot running output tubes like 6aq5. But they would not work on a tube with HS applied to it. Since you get your automotive o-rings for cheap, the $$ savings of going to HS in your case would not be much, if any. But if a player did not have access to inexpensive o-rings, than the HS tubing is a viable option. It works fairly well.