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Where to buy tubes?

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J

Just Dave

Member
Joined 2019
#1
I have an old RCA WA-44C sine/square wave tone generator which has multiple tubes. I'd like to replace them, just because I think I should. The last time I turned the unit on was about 15 years ago! Now, with my speaker project, I need to use it again.

I know there are several places where I can buy tubes on the 'net, but I'd like to know which places (in the US) you folks have had good experience with in buying high quality new tubes.

Thank you very much!
 
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#7
Second that regarding Antique Electronic Supply, especially NOS tubes.

You want to buy tested tubes. All the online vendors who test tubes before they sell them have been good for me.

Viva Tubes, Jim McShane, The Tube Store, Tube Depot are a few of the places I've bought tubes from and had no problems.
 
#10
Probably not enough to justify the cost difference. As a disclaimer, there are people who swear that they can hear a difference between NOS and new production tubes (of the same type) and that NOS tubes "sound better" but that is a subjective view that can't really be proven or disproved. I use new production tubes unless a particular tube is only available as NOS and have no complaints. In my own designs, I only use tubes that are in current production. Of course, builders of those designs are free to use NOS tubes if they like; they just aren't required to.

In the end, the choice between NOS and new production tubes is a personal decision. You are the only person that you need to satisfy. 🙂
 
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#11
Just Dave said:
I had not thought of NOS.

What would be the performance difference from new?

Thank you!
Click to expand...

In my experience going NOS (if possible) is preferable in the sense that original tubes tend to have less tendency to fail, last longer, and adhere to the strict standards that "were" the mainstay of the "tube era".
Of course, and you'll often find, that NOS is substantially higher cost in some cases.
Supply and demand also factor into the mix, and the rarer the tube is, the higher priced it is.
As was mentioned previously, tubes, NOS, do not "go bad" from sitting in their boxes - as long as they're not damaged.
A bit of oxidation on the pins can be removed, so not an issue.
Testing any tube before use is always a good idea, and if you're into tube stuff, you should have a decent tester, if only to check for shorts or emission quality.
I've done restorations of "vintage/antique" customer radios going back to the 1920's/1930's, and surprisingly, a lot of those old tubes held up well!
Of course, the bottom line is that any tube's life is dependent on its operating conditions - and those are the components UNDER the chassis.

As for "new manufacture" tubes, the quality is all over the map in some cases.
As a long time servicer, I've seen plenty of issues with some new tubes, not all.
This compared with NOS of course, where the issues are less in my opinion.
 
#12
Just Dave said:
I had not thought of NOS.

What would be the performance difference from new?

Thank you!
Click to expand...
A poster mentioned 6U8, if you need one of theses you don't have any choice
as they no longer are produced by any tube maker. Same goes for most of
the historic tubes. A few ( less then 50) types are made today, and about 20
is made by several factories. ECC83/12AX7 and 6L6GC are two examples
of the latter.



There might be quality differences between NOS and new production, but
there is usually a huge price difference too. Another difference is that

new production is sold with warranty by serious vendors, NOS have been
hidden in the shelf's for 50+ years and the origin and authenticity may be

questioned as there seldom exists any tracing of origin.
 
#14
Just Dave said:
I have an old RCA WA-44C sine/square wave tone generator which has multiple tubes. I'd like to replace them, just because I think I should. The last time I turned the unit on was about 15 years ago! Now, with my speaker project, I need to use it again.

I know there are several places where I can buy tubes on the 'net, but I'd like to know which places (in the US) you folks have had good experience with in buying high quality new tubes.

Thank you very much!
Click to expand...


With today's prices for NOS tubes, you will be better to BUY brand new tone generator.
 
#15
I *have* seen a bad tube in an audio generator. It had been tossed into a metal dumpster, one filament was intermittent.

In a dozen lab oscillators I have seen one burnt power transformer and LOTS of dead-dry capacitors.

Leave the tubes alone. (Especially the stupidly popular 6U8.) Even that dumpster-drop H-P only had one bad tube.
 
#18
academia50 said:
Be very careful when buying NOS tubes, this article can guide you .....

Empty Page
Click to expand...

Indeed, fake tubes are out there, just as much as used tubes.
Just because it's in a proper box doesn't mean crap to me.
Telltale signs of being used - a closeup of the pins, indicating they were inserted into tube sockets, or extremely clean pins from someone "polishing" them in order to give the appearence of "newness".
Partially removed lettering/numbers, from someone cleaning the glass envelope to look shiny and "good". (in hopes of selling it)

And those sellers - you know the ones, "Hey, I got boxes of tubes to sell, left by my grandfather", some still in boxes...

Sure... you take those tubes child, and dump 'em in the recycling bin.
Old geezers, and some repairmen, were known to put an old tube in a new box.

Ya gotta know all the tricks.
I only deal with reputable sellers like I mentioned.
My reputation as a professional restorer/servicer is worth more to me than taking a chance on someone's bunch of golddigging junk.
 
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