Mesa el34 str448

[Mike Lamury]

I found some of the Mesa el34 str448 tubes for a good price. They're NOS from the 2000's(what the seller is claiming). Does anyone have experience with these tubes and how do they compare to the current str447?

 

[bandit2013]

Not sure if Mesa ever recycled their STR numbers. It is possible but doubt it. Can you share a picture as I am curious what Mesa called the STR448 in 2000. If it is just a description, it is probably a typo.

If the tubes have a brown base it may be the STR442. If it is a red base it is a 6L6GC tube but those are more recent 2022 compared to early 2000.

I would assume if it is an EL34, it is either the STR447 (EH EL34), STR442 (NOS SED =C= EL34) or the STR450 (NOS Siemens EL34). It could be the STR416 as those were 6CA7 tubes from 1989. There may have been other STR # used in the past. Not sure if anyone has a full list of what each special tube request number represents.

 

[Mike Lamury]

These are what I'm talking about. It says str448 on the tubes and you can make out the EL34 On the tubes also. The seller is claiming these are NOS Tubes from 2000-2010's.

 

[playingitloud]

These are what I'm talking about. It says str448 on the tubes and you can make out the EL34 On the tubes also. The seller is claiming these are NOS Tubes from 2000-2010's.

I am assuming you purchased some of these yesterday as well since two pairs were sold yesterday (I was watching them myself).

The seller never responded to my email about another brand they were selling (I believe it is their brand) and I wanted to know if they would work for my Mark V but no reply back so hopefully these NOS sound as good as what I remember from the 2000-2010 period.

 

[Mike Lamury]

Yes your correct. I saw that 25 were watching these so I pounced on them for $60 /pair I got two pairs of green color code boxes

 

[Mike Lamury]

I am assuming you purchased some of these yesterday as well since two pairs were sold yesterday (I was watching them myself).

The seller never responded to my email about another brand they were selling (I believe it is their brand) and I wanted to know if they would work for my Mark V but no reply back so hopefully these NOS sound as good as what I remember from the 2000-2010 period.

The seller was quick to get back to me about the color codes they had which makes me think that the seller will list some more of these eventually. He said he had a good selection of color codes excluding red and white. I also found a website associated with the seller (nesstone.com) when I was looking up the tubes which also has these tubes listed. The seller seems to have 100% positive feedback so I'm not worried.

 

[tjt73]

448 are 6l6. 446 are el34. According to Mesas website.

 

[user 41014]

Not sure if Mesa ever recycled their STR numbers. It is possible but doubt it. Can you share a picture as I am curious what Mesa called the STR448 in 2000. If it is just a description, it is probably a typo.

STR 420 at the very least as I type with a bowl in my mouth. Coke bottle vs the early chinese straight that have a rep for lasing as long the bowl I'm smoking.

For the 1st version of STR 418 mesa dissed the metal based 6550A's until the sylvania's ran out. The dis then disappeared when those same metal based ones started getting the 418 screen print.

Btw, anyone got any NOS 418's? I have one or two pair waiting for the Bass 400 full set.

 

[bandit2013]

448 are 6l6. 446 are el34. According to Mesas website.

I will have to check the 446 out. Never saw that STR # before. 447 is the EL34 Mesa is currently using.

 

[bandit2013]

STR 420 at the very least as I type with a bowl in my mouth. Coke bottle vs the early chinese straight that have a rep for lasing as long the bowl I'm smoking.

For the 1st version of STR 418 mesa dissed the metal based 6550A's until the sylvania's ran out. The dis then disappeared when those same metal based ones started getting the 418 screen print.

Btw, anyone got any NOS 418's? I have one or two pair waiting for the Bass 400 full set.

the STR420 were killer in the Mark IVb. They should work in the MKV90.

 

[TRENCHLORD]

The seller was quick to get back to me about the color codes they had which makes me think that the seller will list some more of these eventually. He said he had a good selection of color codes excluding red and white. I also found a website associated with the seller (nesstone.com) when I was looking up the tubes which also has these tubes listed. The seller seems to have 100% positive feedback so I'm not worried.

Nesstone is super solid. I snagged a small stockpile of 420 coke bottles and the old mesa chinese 12ax7s from the 90s. I was lucky to do it just before the world's tube prices went crazy. Old school prices!

Btw, nesstone is located in Mesa's backyard, which might explain the access.

 

[Mike Lamury]

Nesstone is super solid. I snagged a small stockpile of 420 coke bottles and the old mesa chinese 12ax7s from the 90s. I was lucky to do it just before the world's tube prices went crazy. Old school prices!

Btw, nesstone is located in Mesa's backyard, which might explain the access.

That's good to know. It looks like he already has some more str448 available on eBay. There the same ones listed on the nesstone site but the ones on eBay are $5 cheaper but there is a $6 shipping charge per box so that may factor into the price.

 

[bandit2013]

NessTone had these on their site. The glass does have EL34 above the Mesa logo and STR448 just below it. Now that is interesting. Not sure what tubes they are. From the color of the base, it reminds me of the SED =C= EL34 but they had those listed as STR442 and classified as a EL34/6CA7. I give up.


https://nesstone.com/product/mesa-el34-str-448/

 

[user 41014]

NessTone had these on their site. The glass does have EL34 above the Mesa logo and STR448 just below it. Now that is interesting. Not sure what tubes they are. From the color of the base, it reminds me of the SED =C= EL34 but they had those listed as STR442 and classified as a EL34/6CA7. I give up.


https://nesstone.com/product/mesa-el34-str-448/

The 442's are winged =C= 34's for sure. Can't help on the others. What's the word on the 450 siemans in a III?

I grabbed 3 of the last 442 sets from Mesa and my sisters of no mercy knocked over a blue stripe I was working on busting the brand new 440'2/442's and even one of the sockets. I put it away for another day when I am not as disgusted.
It was an excited moment and one of the sisters had a bad leg that ended up doing her in so I blame no one but myself.

 

[Mike Lamury]

The 442's are winged =C= 34's for sure. Can't help on the others. What's the word on the 450 siemans in a III?

I grabbed 3 of the last 442 sets from Mesa and my sisters of no mercy knocked over a blue stripe I was working on busting the brand new 440'2/442's and even one of the sockets. I put it away for another day when I am not as disgusted.
It was an excited moment and one of the sisters had a bad leg that ended up doing her in so I blame no one but myself.

Nesstone has some of the winged c el34 str442 but they are like $250/pair.

 

[user 41014]

Nesstone has some of the winged c el34 str442 but they are like $250/pair.

I think they were $200 when I got them from Mesa.

I have a batch of the straight unlabelled 420's from Nesstone that I should just throw away. I'm happy with other purchases from him and Craig is easy to communicate with. I never brought up the unlabelled 420's that were great at getting a mark to redplate, chalking it up to lesson learned.

 

[bandit2013]

Not sure on the STR450 in a Mark III. It may only be like 15W but what matters is the plate voltage, screen voltage and that is about it. It plate is under 450 you may be ok. I would send off an email to Mesa customer service and ask about the STR450 in a Mark III. If I still had my Mark III, I would have tried them.

 

[shawnohio]

My experience with nesstone was I had an el84 redplate on install. They made good on it instantly, so no issues buying from them.

 

[G Thor]

Greeting folks, jus purchased pair 448's and 446's for my Badlander50. Mesa says the 446 is a cross el34 and 6L6 but not sure what 448 sounds like. ,
I jus wanted extra tubes, now i gotta do a tube swap video !

 

[G Thor]

I found some of the Mesa el34 str448 tubes for a good price. They're NOS from the 2000's(what the seller is claiming). Does anyone have experience with these tubes and how do they compare to the current str447?

These are what I'm talking about. It says str448 on the tubes and you can make out the EL34 On the tubes also. The seller is claiming these are NOS Tubes from 2000-2010's.

i bought a pair from eBay wasn't paying att to the # just read "New Mesa el34's'' when they arrived i noticed look like a 6l6 . Apparently they're 25-30 yrs old in mint !! can't wait to plop'm in my Badlander50. not sure if 447's will be available or not but they do have now STR 446's.
WHATEVER!!! keep ya updated g