E88CC Mullard fake

[Cassiel]

Hi,

I bought a Mullard in a flea market but then i got home, search the net and what i have is this valve:


http://www6.head-fi.org/forums/showp...&postcount=555

THESE ARE FIRST SERIES HEERLEN HOLLAND - THE OLDEST AND MOST DESIRABLE!

Does this mean I have a good audio valve or just a rare one? Can i use it as a 6DJ8?

Thanks.

Sorry for the pic, camera run out of batteries.

Al.

[analog_sa]

Can i use it as a 6DJ8?

The only difference between ecc88 and pcc88 afaik is the heater voltage. That's why you can get nice pcc88s cheaply - they won't work in your Audio Research unless you change the heater. For diy they're great.

[Cassiel]

Another one. Same Mullard logo but under the Philips tag. Just changes the first letter.

http://www.mif.pg.gda.pl/homepages/f...30/p/PCC88.jpg

Thanks for the info Analog, despite needing a special transformer i think i'll try it.

[Andypairo]

I'm not an expert .. how do you tell that it is a fake?

Cheers

Andrea

[Majestic]

Looks like an "E..." rather than a "P..." on the photo to me. Admittedly, this ain't crystal clear. (Photo makes it look like a 'pinched waist' variety from the LHS, but not the right... curious artifact of the light, I'm guessing). Anyway...

If it's a PCC88, it's supposed to be run with a 7v (c.f.: 6.3v) heater voltage. However, every audophile I've heard/read of, speaks about little -- if any -- audiable performance penalty from running them in the lower, 6.3v standard heater supplies. Longer life can reasonably be expected from such operation.


As for the real origins of the tube; this would be better served by supplying us with the codes (usually etched in light goldish coloured print) near the base of the tube. There should be two lines of them, of 3-4 characters each.

I'm not familiar with any Mullard "A-frame" dimpled/saucer getter's made in G.B. (though I'm not an expert in these matters), which means it's probably 'a Mullard' of dutch manufacture, at an off-the-cuff guess at 3am in the morning (my time )

But write back with the codes and we can tell you for sure.

[Cassiel]

Code in gold letters is:

GAE 4113 or 41J3 (hard to tell if 1 a number or a letter)

[Cassiel]

Another pic.

Andrea i'm not an expert either but if the tube is labeled ECC88 and turns out to be a PCC88 , umm...maybe just a mistake at the factory.

Majestic, too low filament voltage is no good, a little less (say 6v instead of 6.3v) is ok even good.. Besides Philips PCC88 specs sheet says it needs 7.3 volts not 7. But as i am lazy and the tube wasn't expensive i'll probably end up using the 6.3 volts transformer, to hell with cathode stripping. But i don't like the idea of losing power, could this be?
About the code. Now on closer inspection the 4 looks like a triangle...ummm, again, hard to tell.

[Cassiel]

Well Majestic couldn't wait so i searched the net for Mullard codes.
It is indeed an E88CC and it was made at the Philips factory in Holland.Your guess was right, year 1961.
My mistake was that the pic of the E88CC Mullard that some people are selling for 100 bucks didn't look like mine at all and this one looked just like mine:
http://www6.head-fi.org/forums/showp...&postcount=555
In the end it seems i got a Philips E88CC with the Mullard logo, is that right?
Thanks for your help.

[Alastair E]

A very long time ago, Between the wars if I recall correctly, Philips, the Dutch electonics company bought out Capt. Mullard's Valve buisness, Including the rights to use the 'Mullard' name and logo (Hence some earlier Mullard types started PMxx, in number, meaning Philips/Mullard....)and hence Philips =
Mullard for all intents and purposes.......

They had factories making varous tube types all round the world, including the UK and Holland of course.......

They even bought some types in from people like Ei and others, and re-branded...........
:

[Majestic]

Ahh, glad we found out!
(Sorry I had to briefly bail)
Knew it was something like that


Obviously it's no longer a PCC88, but...

Originally posted by stalker
Majestic, too low filament voltage is no good, a little less (say 6v instead of 6.3v) is ok even good.. Besides Philips PCC88 specs sheet says it needs 7.3 volts not 7.

Ahh yes, right-on on the 7.3 thing.

And yes, they shouldn't work as well in 6.3v circuits, but by all accounts they do much beter then should be expected. Like I said, this is from (many) other reports, and of course, YMMV on the very day I dish out advice like this