Siemens N.O.S. EL-34

[mloiaco]

Has anyone used the Siemens N.O.S. EL-34's? If so, which amp did you use them in, and how was your experience?

 

[Boogiebabies]

 

[Russ]

Yes, nice tubes... Made my uh ummmmmmmmm *cough* arshall kick some serious @$$. Kind of expensive, but nice... Anything worth buying will be more expensive though, especially in NOS. It comes down to supply and demand.

 

[harryjmic]

I have them in a Guytron and they sound really nice but in all honesty I'd probably buy more winged "C's" if it came down to it. The winged C is known by many as being the best current production EL-34.

 

[hans-jürgen]

I got my '69 JMP Plexi combo with them in the early '80s, and they still work fine at a plate voltage of +425V. They are probably original, because those Siemens EL34 were produced by RFT since the mid '60s:

As far as I know, Siemens themselves never built EL34 tubes, so these are either made by Telefunken, Philips/Mullard, RFT (a manufacturer in the former GDR) or maybe EI in former Yugoslavia.

Here it's mentioned that all Siemens EL34 would have been made by Philips, but that's very likely not true:

http://www.tube-classics.de/TC/Tubes/SieTel%20EL34/EL34.htm

Also interesting to read, but unfortunately only in German (split into several parts):

http://www.jogis-roehrenbude.de/EL34-Story/EL34-Story.htm

 

[Russ]

Those are clearly stamped made in Germany.

Also, nice Brimar and Tungsol.

I bet that Plexi is sweet....

I have always loved those little hat style retainers. They remind me of some WWII helmet netting or an asian hat. I only have the metal type retainers.

 

[hans-jürgen]

Those are clearly stamped made in Germany.

Right, but this doesn't mean that they could not have been manufactured elsewhere, as far as I know. I just explained my latest findings about Siemens EL34 in another thread on the Plexi Palace, maybe you've seen it already?

http://vintageamps.com/plexiboard/viewtopic.php?t=49743

 

[Russ]

I think I had some Svetlana tubes that had been dimple tops and single getter but were not Siemens or RFT so that is kind of a weak identifier. RFT was just a manufacturing group mainly. They were made by anyone from Tesla to Telefunken to Siemens to Phillips to you name it depending upon the tube type. Unfortunately it is hard to fully identify the RFT as one brand or another without seriously studying the structure inside. The Siemens on the other hand were for the most part Siemens. They did make some tubes for others as others made some for them. I think it is funny to watch people think that their British made RCA 12ax7as will sound like their American counterparts. To honestly answer your post about the el-34s I know that some Phillips resemble the Siemens but I cannot say whether or not they were made by Phillips. I also know that some Svetlana look identical as well so who knows. I would like to believe that because they are stamped as Made in Germany that Siemens actually made them. If I could only read German.... That article looks really interesting.

 

[hans-jürgen]

RFT was just a manufacturing group mainly. They were made by anyone from Tesla to Telefunken to Siemens to Phillips to you name it depending upon the tube type. Unfortunately it is hard to fully identify the RFT as one brand or another without seriously studying the structure inside. The Siemens on the other hand were for the most part Siemens. They did make some tubes for others as others made some for them.
If I could only read German.... That article looks really interesting.

I'm still reading through that massive amount of information, but so far I've understood that it's just the other way round: Siemens never made an EL34 themselves, they outsourced this task to others (maybe because they were more into high frequency applications like TV tubes etc.). In the '50s the EL34 labeled as Siemens were either made by Telefunken or Philips/Mullard, at least that's what is said there. Then (either from the '60s or '70s, still learning...) RFT in the former GDR took over who were the manufacturer, not a rebrander. They had four factories of which the one in Mühlhausen seemed to have produced most of their EL34s. Jogis Röhrenbude and its forum seemed to be crowded by people who either worked in the RFT factories or know people who did, so I tend to trust these informations.

So far, so good, "information is subdued to change without further notice..." :wink:

 

[Timbre Wolf]

RFT definately made their own tubes, in several factories, as H-J said. RSD was a re-brander, hence a possible source of confusion. RFT tubes are easiest to identify by their inner structure - I particularly notice their uniquely pointed mica disks.

Siemens (Siemens und Halske) was a tube manufacturer as well, part of the Philips conglomerate (which included Mullard, Amperex, Valvo, Miniwatt, and others). I don't know if Siemens made their own EL34, but the way to identify a Siemens-made tube is with its Philips etch code, which looks like an equals sign with a slash through it. Telefunken tubes have the "diamond" shape embossed on the bottom, between the pins. And Mullard-made tubes will also have etch codes ("B" for Blackburn, "R" for Mitcham, etc.).

I hope that all is perfectly clear :wink:

- T

 

[Russ]

I think I may have had that backwards, my bad. I do a lot of my tube research late at night and I may have somehow switched things backwards. It is odd that it is the exact opposite of what I believed to be true. I was unaware though that Mullard as part of a conglomerat that included the other Euro majors. I do recall hearing about some tubes that appeared to be other than what they were labeled but fall within the conglomerate.

Last night I was looking at one of my Mullards and noticed it leaning almost bending over. I think I was getting tired. The tube is very slightly bent but I think it is only the lowest portion of the tube where the pins run out. I have tested it and played it and it tests and sounds fine. It just plays mind games with you. BTW, the wrinkle is ugly in comparison to the typical smooth top.

 

[Timbre Wolf]

:lol:

Russ, what you've got is a rare "slouchy" Mullard. HiFi enthusiasts seek those out even more fervently than "pinched waist" Amperex! :shock:

- T