Stumbled Across This Documentary On The Old Mullard Works

[Rob S]

Following a comprehensive discussion on The Matamp Forum, I thought that you all might find this rather an interesting Film? Obviously you may well have seen it before, but for those that have not, this is a history of The Mullard Valve Works, narrated in a glorious Plumby English Voice of the sort that us English so miss.

Anyway, I hope it is of some interest to you Chaps.

http://www.techtubevalves.com/about_us/film_reels.php

Pip Pip

Rob

[Structo]

Thanks for that!
I love that kind of stuff!

So I gather from this website that the Blackburn site is going to be making valves again?

"In September 2008 Blackburn Microtech Solutions launches the TechTube brand of valves."

This is pretty exciting if this happens like they say!

The E813CC has the same performance as the world renowned ECC83. Unlike the ECC83 however the variability in performance between two valves is reduced from an industry standard ±20% down to ±10%. Obvious benefits in application set-up are obtained by this new performance.

10 year life

Planar valve design

CRT cathode proven technology

Supersedes ECC83

6.3V driving voltage
B9A pin base

[captain_rusty]

I just watched it - terrific!!

Thanks for posting it.

[Tubetwang]

Excellent!!!



Major Twang

[FunkyE9th]

Awesome! Thanks for sharing.

[Andy Le Blanc]

It made me think that tubes became obsolete in the market place......
not because the technology was inferior......
but more likely..... the numbers of people that the process of manufacture required.......

great find..... I found an un-used glass envelope at a junk store today too...

[Structo]

Did you guys take a look at the data sheet?
This is one weird looking ECC83 tube!
Really small plate and cathode areas.
Talk about a short plate!

[IMG:640:800]http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b392/ ... valent.jpg[/img]

It has a lot less capacitance than a standard 12ax7 too.
I would be interested in trying some of these.
Hopefully they won't cost too much!

[gearhead]

I am highly enthused myself, but wonder how they'll pan out.

Typical tube capacitance for a 12AX7 is in the 1.5-2 picofarad range. This tube is about 1/4 of that value.

If an amp was designed to take advantage of that (Miller Capacitance), wouldn't this alter the frequency response?

[FunkyE9th]

Yup, it should shift the 3dB point further out. May have to compensate by changing the grid resistor. But if there is not much signal where the new 3dB point is, maybe it won't matter for guitar amps? Perhaps better for Hi-Fi?

[Alexo]

Your old amps might start getting radio signals ...?

I wonder what the price point will be - if they'll go the way of the new WE 300B's and sell them for something equivalent to NOS prices.

But watching that video, as incredible as all of the engineering in that plant is, it seems obvious to me that we could make superior valves today by applying modern technology to the process. But as we all know, superior does not necessarily equal more musical...

But I sure am curious!

[Structo]

Yeah, I hope they aren't aiming their products at just the Hi Fi crowd.
That would be a silly and unfortunate marketing decision.

[Structo]

I emailed them with some questions.
Received a reply today.
I had asked if they would have US dealers and some other questions.
Here is their brief reply:



Thanks for your interest in the new TechTube valves.

As we have only just started up production we are not at the distributor startup stage but soon hope to be.

Keep watching the WEB site as we intend to have sales up and running in October. Intially sales will come direct from the factory.

With kind regards,

Andy Blades

Sales and Marketing Manager



Phone: +44 (0) 1254 507317

GSM mobile: +44 (0) 7785 110930
Skype address: andy.blades1

See our technologies at: www.blackburnmicrotech.com www.techtubevalves.com & www.lpdlabservices.co.uk

Blackburn MicroTech Solutions Ltd., Philips Road, Blackburn, Lancashire, England. BB1 5RZ +44 1254 507400

========================================================================

[Abstract]

http://www.thegearpage.net/board/showth ... p?t=438130

They're all geeked about it.


Sounds about right...since it looks like it'll be close to $100/pop...you know TGP will be all over it.

[fishy]

Just looking for some info on the new tube and came across this. It doesn't say anything about its performance but does suggest a price. It was launched at the weekend.

A newcomer to the valve game but no stranger to glass electronics TechTube is a brand name from Blackburn Microtech Solutions that was formally the Mullard CRT factory. It has used its expertise to produce a new cathode-based valve that is a direct replacement for the popular ECC83 found in guitar amps, preamps and CD players. It is said to have significantly longer life than the triode it replaces and be more power efficient, price will be between £20 and £30

[benoit]

Just looking for some info on the new tube and came across this. It doesn't say anything about its performance but does suggest a price. It was launched at the weekend.

A newcomer to the valve game but no stranger to glass electronics TechTube is a brand name from Blackburn Microtech Solutions that was formally the Mullard CRT factory. It has used its expertise to produce a new cathode-based valve that is a direct replacement for the popular ECC83 found in guitar amps, preamps and CD players. It is said to have significantly longer life than the triode it replaces and be more power efficient, price will be between £20 and £30

Raise your hand if you own a CD player with an ECC83 in it.