One would think that with around 8 million people that there would be a parts store in Los Angeles! With the coming end of All Electronics there is no where to get any parts and hardware at all in the city. You can get wire and assorted hardware out at Apex Surplus but there isn’t anyone carrying high end caps and resistors in stock. Let alone tubes themselves! Does anyone know of a secret location to get parts without ordering from Canada or similar? I would think a US based store would do well. I’m almost tempted to get some investors and open a place!
Off the top of my head:
SonicCraft (https://www.soniccraft.com/) Texas
Upscale Audio (https://upscaleaudio.com/) La Verne, CA
SonicCraft (https://www.soniccraft.com/) Texas
Upscale Audio (https://upscaleaudio.com/) La Verne, CA
Upscale only is selling tubes to people that purchased amps. SonicCraft has a limited range of values but better than nothing.
https://www.tubedepot.com/ Memphis, TN
https://www.percyaudio.com/ Brooklin, ME
https://www.partsconnexion.com/ Yes they're Canadian, but no problems ordering from them.
https://rubytubes.com/ Petaluma, CA
https://www.sweetwater.com/ Fort Wayne, IN
https://www.parts-express.com Springboro, OH
https://www.thetubestore.com Canada
https://www.amplifiedparts.com/ Tempe, AZ
https://dougstubes.com/ Wantagh, NY
https://www.riverstoneaudio.com/ Sheriden, Wyoming
https://www.mojotone.com Burgaw, NC
https://www.percyaudio.com/ Brooklin, ME
https://www.partsconnexion.com/ Yes they're Canadian, but no problems ordering from them.
https://rubytubes.com/ Petaluma, CA
https://www.sweetwater.com/ Fort Wayne, IN
https://www.parts-express.com Springboro, OH
https://www.thetubestore.com Canada
https://www.amplifiedparts.com/ Tempe, AZ
https://dougstubes.com/ Wantagh, NY
https://www.riverstoneaudio.com/ Sheriden, Wyoming
https://www.mojotone.com Burgaw, NC
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All good sources but still nothing in Los Angeles for quality resistors and caps etc. mind boggling that a city of 8 million has no place to walk in and buy this stuff! I have been using Partsconnexion but when you only need a couple resistors it’s not ideal. I always over buy so I have parts on hand but there always is that oddball value that you need in a hurry. Such is life in the first world.
LA was never that kind of place. San Francisco, Chicago, and New York, yes.
Note that I used the term "was".
Newark used to have a surplus store directly across from their main warehouse in Chicago.
It was great, with new parts for a fraction of the catalog price, but unfortunately that is long gone now.
You gotta understand that the market for small quantities of electronic parts has been dwindling
for many years. Just about since computers became a thing, in fact. What a coincidence.
Newark used to have a surplus store directly across from their main warehouse in Chicago.
It was great, with new parts for a fraction of the catalog price, but unfortunately that is long gone now.
You gotta understand that the market for small quantities of electronic parts has been dwindling
for many years. Just about since computers became a thing, in fact. What a coincidence.
I understand the attraction of walking into a place and looking at stuff, but what is wrong with Mouser or Digikey? Amazon also has a limited selection.
When the shipping costs more than the part you are ordering. I ”save up” to place orders in the $3-400 range most of the time, not usually just as I “need” them onsey twosey. That would run the UPS drivers ragged.
Over the years, I found some small, independent surplus electronics places. Not sure if any are still around. They tend to have older parts, not high end caps and resistors. But All was more a surplus electronics place, but with a pretty good selection of stuff.
For tubes, I think there is at least one hamfest around, maybe a monthly event. But never went.
EDIT: Added link to a electronics swap meet for Redondo Beach radio club
For tubes, I think there is at least one hamfest around, maybe a monthly event. But never went.
EDIT: Added link to a electronics swap meet for Redondo Beach radio club
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Get ready to order online.
(have you noticed the empty shelves at your local food market?)
I get my JJ tubes from Eurotubes.com. I drive right over and pick them up. You are not that lucky, but . . .
They ship to the US, and many places around the world.
The JJ tubes are Very Extensively re-tested by Eurotubes.
Antique Radio Supply has many parts, etc.
Other Posters have listed some good vendors too.
Gold is where you find it, but you have to look for it.
Or, you can get your passport, airline ticket to Japan, and go to Akibahara.
Say hello to my friend when you get there!
. . . Hi!
Good luck building your next amplifier!
(have you noticed the empty shelves at your local food market?)
I get my JJ tubes from Eurotubes.com. I drive right over and pick them up. You are not that lucky, but . . .
They ship to the US, and many places around the world.
The JJ tubes are Very Extensively re-tested by Eurotubes.
Antique Radio Supply has many parts, etc.
Other Posters have listed some good vendors too.
Gold is where you find it, but you have to look for it.
Or, you can get your passport, airline ticket to Japan, and go to Akibahara.
Say hello to my friend when you get there!
. . . Hi!
Good luck building your next amplifier!
Because there are two national laboratories here in NM, one being in Albuquerque (Sandia National Labs). Sandia Labs used to wind coils (transformers), had a pattern shop/foundry, machine shop, plating shop, welding shop, neutron generator production facility, and electronics fabrication shops and semiconductor fab/class 1 cleanroom. There were a few electronics places in Albuquerque, catering to JIT contracts with the labs.
I just looked up Electronics Parts Co. and found they moved right between Taco Sal's and Budget TV, across from the old Octopus Car Wash. (Think of Breaking Bad). In the early 1980s, at the opposite end of Budget TV shop, there was a used record shop called Merlins Workshop. He would write down what records you were looking for and call you when he got a copy in his store.
There were also a few surplus stores where you could dig through their surplus electronics, but they no longer exist. Most of the Just In Time products are online now. Guess that's just the way the world is going... and I'll be holding on to the boxes of what my wife calls junk for a longer time. Digikey ships to my house in about two days if I place my order Monday. Antique Radio Supply is very prompt and has good products. I bought wire by the pound from Apex in Burbank, CA and a lot of my silicon about 10 years ago. The vacuum tubes are holding out for the guitar amps and audio amps. And I'm holding onto the KN-2 tube.
I just looked up Electronics Parts Co. and found they moved right between Taco Sal's and Budget TV, across from the old Octopus Car Wash. (Think of Breaking Bad). In the early 1980s, at the opposite end of Budget TV shop, there was a used record shop called Merlins Workshop. He would write down what records you were looking for and call you when he got a copy in his store.
There were also a few surplus stores where you could dig through their surplus electronics, but they no longer exist. Most of the Just In Time products are online now. Guess that's just the way the world is going... and I'll be holding on to the boxes of what my wife calls junk for a longer time. Digikey ships to my house in about two days if I place my order Monday. Antique Radio Supply is very prompt and has good products. I bought wire by the pound from Apex in Burbank, CA and a lot of my silicon about 10 years ago. The vacuum tubes are holding out for the guitar amps and audio amps. And I'm holding onto the KN-2 tube.
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Mouser and Digikey don’t carry high end audio parts like Partsconnexion. Apex Surplus is good for wire but not much more for audio builds. Yes, the world is changing but it would still be nice to have brick and mortar stores to grab that one or two things you need quickly and without paying more for shipping than the parts! Like I said originally, in a city of 8 million you’d think there would be one store that carried this stuff!
I get my wire from Apex Jr along with some nice pp caps 75uF at 600v for my tube amps.
Sounds like Apex Jr. is 30 minutes up the highway from me! It's ages since I have been in a real electronics store. Microcenter in Chicago had a small DIY section, mostly kits though, no components, if I remember correctly?
Apex jr is run out of his back house in Torrance. It’s important to call ahead to make sure he is there and to have him get what you need ready. It is stacked pretty deep so some things are not easy to reach! Steve is a great guy that I’ve been buying from for like 30 years. Check his eBay store to see what he currently has in stock because it’s all surplus and when it’s gone it’s gone! He has more wire than anything else but you can find oddball stuff too.
http://allashers.com/products/
This is in Berkeley, while they may not have boutique stuff, it's still a storefront with seriously crusty dudes and wooden countertops.
I think burning man people keep them going. Not to be confused with burning amp people.
This is in Berkeley, while they may not have boutique stuff, it's still a storefront with seriously crusty dudes and wooden countertops.
I think burning man people keep them going. Not to be confused with burning amp people.