NOS ANOS GZ34 Crazy Prices

[ToneMerc]

Am I the only one that thinks that the NOS and ANOS 5AR4/ GZ34 market prices are far overpriced? A few years ago you could still get a NOS Mullard for $40-50 bucks.


TM

[Blackburn]

Agreed! I NEVER see them under a bill, even the American made ones. I just paid out the nose for a couple Mullards a few months ago but expected to at least source some other brands for cheaper but to no avail. They'll probably just go up even more.

[Firestorm]

Am I the only one that thinks that the NOS and ANOS 5AR4/ GZ34 market prices are far overpriced? A few years ago you could still get a NOS Mullard for $40-50 bucks.


TM

Really? I haven't seen NOS Mullards (even the 1970s ones) for under $100 in years; and I love those things so I check. Mullard/Philips was the only company that took rectifiers seriously; everybody else thought they were B-team or C-team stuff. I wish I could figure out what characteristics made them so great; maybe there are examples of current tubes that match some of them.

[rdjones]

Agreed that certain tubes like the Mullard GZ34 have attained inflated price levels that may not be realistic.
Are there a number of shrewd tube dealers that have manipulated the laws of supply and demand ?

I've recently got a few 5R4's and 5V4's to try.
60's NOS for really reasonable cost, probably due to not being commonly used in guitar and/or HiFi amps.
5R4 is directly heated and the 5V4 has separate cathode and filament.
Just a bit less current capacity than 5U4 and 5AR4 but should be fine in moderate demand circuits.
Bottles are larger than 5AR4 which can be a concern.

rd

[Firestorm]

Dammit rd, we're trying to keep those 5V4s a secret!!!

[rdjones]

Dammit rd, we're trying to keep those 5V4s a secret!!!

Oooops, nevermind ....
I just blew one up, they're junk !



rd

[tribi9]

I got a NOS 5U4 for $5 bucks a couple of months ago.

[gingertube]

How much space do you have? - old 5AS4 rectiifers from B&W TV sets are often dirt cheap. They are the ST shape (like a 5U4) and are a slightly higher ratting that a 5U4. Just one of those tubes which never became "trendy" so you sometimes still find at reasonable prices.

I most recently put one into a Fender Bandmaster which the owner wanted reverted to tube rectifier (it had been modded to SS rectifier at some time).

Cheers,
Ian

[Diablo1]

I don't understand why anyone would pay $100+ for a rectifier. It just passes current to charge your filter cap, and you can do the same with a couple of diodes for a few cents. Add some resistors for the proper voltage sag if you like.

[Blackburn]

I don't understand why anyone would pay $100+ for a rectifier. It just passes current to charge your filter cap, and you can do the same with a couple of diodes for a few cents. Add some resistors for the proper voltage sag if you like.

Because a good Mullard will usually last longer than a lot of people do. My heavily gigged 66 Princton Reverb is COMPLETELY original with its Mullard GZ34, RCA 6v6s and Telefunken and RCA 12ax7s...

And because NOS tubes are the shit and worth paying for to some but obviously not everyone.

[Toppscore]

Recently I purchased three NOS unused
1954 GE JAN-CG-5Y3GT Black Pater rectifier tubes.
Two were a matched pair for my 1950s Bassman.

Are they worth anything? Desirable?
Worse/Better than Mullards?

[Colossal]

Because a good Mullard will usually last longer than a lot of people do. My heavily gigged 66 Princton Reverb is COMPLETELY original with its Mullard GZ34, RCA 6v6s and Telefunken and RCA 12ax7s...

And because NOS tubes are the shit and worth paying for to some but obviously not everyone.

+1!

Mullards are an investment but I have yet to hear a better sounding GZ34.

[Blackburn]

I just as of 5 minutes ago ordered a 5V4GY Tungsol and 5R4G RCA, both coke bottles for half the price of one non-Mullard 5AR4. My Mullards are accounted for and I want to test the waters with these. I'm such a sucker for coke bottles!

[Colossal]

I'm such a sucker for coke bottles!

A few years back, I acquired some really fantastic 6L6G and 5U4s for the same reason

[pdf64]

Add some resistors for the proper voltage sag

GZ34 don't seem to sag in a linear manner. Not to say they can't be modeled, rather that it's not trivial.
Pete