Mesa SPAX7 relabelled Ei ECC83/12AX7 price check

[adonixx]

I found locally some NOS MESA SPAX7 from mid-80s that are relabelled EI 12AX7s. They have 4 of these left in the store.

I checked pictures online and compared and they are legit EI and have Mesa SPAX7 label on and black shrink wrap.

What would be street value of these?

 

[Neptical]

I wouldn't say sanymore then $30 a pop.



~Nep~

 

[MrMarkIII]

Brand new from Mesa is $21.50 each + shipping.

 

[adonixx]

Brand new from Mesa is $21.50 each + shipping.

I know how much brand new ones are. They are Sovteks mostly and not really good.

But since these are NOS vintage, the guy is asking a bit more. I think ill go for it.

 

[MrMarkIII]

Brand new from Mesa is $21.50 each + shipping.

I know how much brand new ones are. They are Sovteks mostly and not really good.

But since these are NOS vintage, the guy is asking a bit more. I think ill go for it.

You do know that the SPAX7s are selected for low noise and microphonics?
Low noise has little or nothing to do with "good" tone characteristics.
Still, NOS Chinese may be better than new Russian. Good luck!

 

[adonixx]

Brand new from Mesa is $21.50 each + shipping.

I know how much brand new ones are. They are Sovteks mostly and not really good.

But since these are NOS vintage, the guy is asking a bit more. I think ill go for it.

You do know that the SPAX7s are selected for low noise and microphonics?
Low noise has little or nothing to do with "good" tone characteristics.
Still, NOS Chinese may be better than new Russian. Good luck!

My god bro, why are you responding when you clearly know next to nothing. You put few obvious things and few misinformations. How did you come to conclusion that these tubes are Chinese?

 

[adonixx]

Yet oddly enough EI had a bad rap for microphonics.

Here's a post from Doug of Doug's Tubes on the gear page in 2008 related to Ei's micorphonic problems:

Doug's Tubes
07-09-2008, 09:47 PM
I used to use the EI 12AX7 tubes. They were a great tube;I loved the sound. They were my favorite current production 12AX7 until they started developing problems with microphonics. In my experience, 80% of the tubes went bad within 2 to 3 months of use. EI started putting out an "Elite" version of the tube, but they eventually developed microphonics as well. Did EI ever correct the problems with their tubes? Has anyone used any of their recent production tubes? I'd like to purchase some more 12AX7's, but not if the reject rate is still high.

The Ei factory in Serbia never manufactured any tubes with gold pins. Ei Elites were a "brand" created by PM Components in the UK, they just purchased tubes from Ei and did the gold plating(a pretty crappy plating at that) which by the way did absolutely nothing for the tone one way or another. Gold plating wont save a microphonic tube. Ever hear the old saying, you cant polish a turd? Pretty much what Mike said.

The Ei tooling was purchased by Westrex Corp(Western Electric) at the end of 2005, the deal has been in limbo ever since. I dont think there are any Ei tubes being manufactured at the present time.

George, i read the same thing. Thats why i was a bit worried. But then i read some more and Doug was referring to reissue EI tubes (he actually says in that quote "current production". Ones from after the country (Yugoslavia) stopped to exist.

These are from 80s, and i heard nothing but great things about them. I was too surprised that Mesa used them as SPAX7 tube, but that only adds to the value, the fact that they were tested for low microphonics. The guy gave me one to test it, and it sounds phenomenal, no problems at all. I think ill go this weekend and buy all 4. Its about $35 each if i buy all 4.

 

[boogiemon]

i had a set of Ei/Mesa tubes a while back & sold them on eBay for ~$35 for the set of 5.

They sounded ok to me but were nothing to write home about.