Genalex Gold Lion KT77

[Jim McShane]

One fellow I know of was interested in trying some of these New Sensor "Genalex Reissue KT-77" tubes. He did a bit of research (this in the past two weeks), and reported back:

So I'll save my money for now until I start hearing some good reports. You could substantiate the above claim I guess by calling Tube Depot yourself, or some other mass quantity tube movers, and see what the story is.

New Sensor does respond to email, and you could give them a try. Whether they'll be openly honest about massive failures in this, their first run of these particular KT-77s, I can not possibly say.

I've sold about 100 - with ZERO failures. ZERO. The odds of that happening if the info Tube Depot has is correct are very long indeed...

A Google search of the web, newsgroups and blogs turned up nothing.

You have to be very careful about some of these reports. There is often much more to the story...

 

[thousandshirts]

The person who got that reply from Tube Depot was a studio engineer with no horse in the world of tube sales. Just a guy who wanted some KT-77's for a guitar amp at less than $1000 a quad.

I have no clue as to what Tube Depot has going on. I didn't call them, write them, and I've never bought a tube there in my life. Quite frankly I don't give a damn what Tube Depot has to say about anything at all, even about the weather. Just relaying the story.

If you've got a 100% success rate with the New Sensor KT-77, I should pass that on -- this guy will be interested.

 

[thousandshirts]

I should also say, in regards to the $1000 quads of KT-77, that the JJ KT-77 is generally despised in the circles I know of who have tried it in musical instrument/guitar based applications, and not regarded as an option at all. And so, the news of the New Sensor offering was regarded as a true "kinkless tetrode of hope" for those of us too poor to pay for the NOS 77s.

 

[Trout]

I should also say, in regards to the $1000 quads of KT-77, that the JJ KT-77 is generally despised in the circles I know of who have tried it in musical instrument/guitar based applications, and not regarded as an option at all. And so, the news of the New Sensor offering was regarded as a true "kinkless tetrode of hope" for those of us too poor to pay for the NOS 77s.

I find that odd simply based on the number of guitar/amp forums I subscribe to. The reviews on the JJKT77's have been pretty solid the past year+ and seem to be improving regularly.

This has been especially true in Marshall amps and amps that are known for pushing the voltage limit a bit.

My KT77 PP amp is running in the 450V range, The current set of JJ's have been in the amp since 2006. I have experience a 5-6ma drift in the matching over that period, but none the less they have been real work horses.

2 years worth of heavy practice sessions and gigs, not to mention slamming around in the truck dragging it everywhere.

I know its not luck, murphy law owns my luck

 

[thousandshirts]

Oh, I've heard some reports that of the JJ KT-77's are good for 550 over sustained periods of time But the JJ KT-77, as well as the JJ EL-34 (the JJ EL-34/B have been extremely durable tubes in my experience, though I've received a few duds, the ones that don't drift way west and forward within a few weeks generally will last a few years) don't sound anywhere near my preferences. And then there's the JJ 6V6 -- or can we even call it a 6V6? Anyways. The hope is that the New Sensor Genalex provides a different flavor to savor than the JJ. I'm glad that ANYBODY is making tubes at all. I don't mean to be a choosy floosy, but if I can get it. . . I'll take it. Or wait for it. Or something. . .