Where do you prefer to buy your tubes?

[theaero]

I hear good things about eurotubes and dougstubes.

Where do you guys get your tubes? I'm currently looking for a whole new set of 12ax7s for my brand new Triaxis.

Also wouldnt mind some new 6l6s for my 2:90. Also, when should I replace the 12ax7s in the 2:90?

Thanks!

 

[Rocky]

I buy tubes from my local music shops for the most part. I also prefer to buy tubes that can be easily and readily replaced.

My tone is fine and I'm glad not to be chasing the tube dragon..

 

[Anonymous]

EBAY FTW!

 

[212Mavguy]

Ebay...no better place for me and my po' boy cash situation... I know one of the top tube dealers in the US as a personal friend and I still shop ebay. So does he. But his tube/hifi amp testing lab is one of the best in the world. Lacking his facilities, I used to only use my personally way modded Silverface Champ-en-stein and roll my newly acquired tubes in circuit there. Was recently given a Hickok Cardmatic by a friend who works for the telephone company, it was sitting in a back room unused and ignored, now I can test more precisely and sell off my accumulated excess as desired...on ebay. 8) The more informed a buyer is, the better the screaming deals that can be had there. Nothing wrong with tube dealers, I'm just not going to spend more money per tube with 'em.

 

[Anonymous]

Hey Magic.. How's the amp sounding these days? You get some more arsenal for your gear?

I like it a lot. I've got pretty much the exact sound I want out of it, although I'm liking my cab less as time goes by. Just a little too modern for me. Which speakers / cabs do you prefer?

 

[Anonymous]

That's really cool...I mean, let the ears be the judge! Hell, I'd play out of a Behringer 1x8 if it got me the sound I wanted. What's the B-52 got that the V30s don't?

I really want to check out a Mesa Recto cab. That's probably a lot more of what I'm looking for.

 

[theaero]

I'm looking for a full triaxis tube set. Any recommendations to somewhere / one who could help me out?

 

[212Mavguy]

Hello theaero!

Send a PM to Timbre Wolf. Great knowledge and helpful attitude. Peace.

 

[212Mavguy]

Hi Shredd,

Regarding the listing pic of that "Mullard," looks like a long smoothplate Gold Aero label, E.I.-Telefunken type of build, The "germany" on label to me means most likely a Siemens long smoothplate, rarely seen that build with a Mulllard label... although I have more often seen Westinghouse labeled tubes with identical looking guts to the pictured Gold Aero with "Made in Great Britain" on the bottom as well. Did not see an etch code in either pic. Glad you had such a good result! What seemed wrong to you, I'm curious what you noticed... or was it simply the wrong pic of the wrong tube for the listing, seen that lots of times, but I'm ready to learn!

I was watching a pair of identically labeled Gold Aero 12ax7's with Mullard shortplate kind of guts from the same seller, but my GF asked me to spend some time with her and I missed trigger pulling time. But I wasn't too sad, because earlier this week I bid on a relabeled pair of longplate tubes, description was cryptic, pic was poor, I gambled, thought they might be Siemens, and that's what they ended up being, a pair of Siemens long ribbed plates, one was close enough between sections to work in PI position, both were strong, and both were unusually quiet for microphonics...around 43 bucks delivered.

 

[MarkIVwidebody]

Long story short, doug at dougstubes mislead me into trying some EL34's after I bought a pair of 6L6 and 5 preamp tubes before that. They did not do what he promised and then I talked to him again. I really think he was telling me anything to make a sale. In fact the 6L6's were a let down too.

 

[Gtr_Pkr]

I have always found my tubes on Ebay. Guitar Center workers are too unknowledgable on the subject. Learn what works for your amp and then get them on the 'bay. Plenty of dealers out there, so do your shopping for the best deal.

 

[Gtr_Pkr]

I have always found my tubes on Ebay. Guitar Center workers are too unknowledgable on the subject. Learn what works for your amp and then get them on the 'bay. Plenty of dealers out there, so do your shopping for the best deal.

 

[Timbre Wolf]

I usually am looking for a very specific tube, and that limits where I can buy. Which brings me to eBay, where I can eventually find the tube(s) I want, but the quality is always questionable - gotta build that into the price.

If a reliable dealer has what I want, at a price I can stomach, I'll buy there. At one time or another, I've had wonderful dealings with:
Tubemonger
Doug's Tubes
Jim McShane
Brent Jesse
SND Tubes
Zeitmann Tubes

I highly recommend the above dealers. They're all selling fine tubes, tested as expected, and they're all tried and true gentlemen in their dealings.

There are other dealers, which I won't name here, that I have had distasteful dealings with. A couple of high-profile (at least at The Gear Page) have sold me mis-identified tubes, and have been real resistant about making amends. I don't do business with them anymore, nor are they on my recommended list. Hopefully they've improved for others' sake.

- Thom

 

[nwoforlif]

Ebay...no better place for me and my po' boy cash situation... I know one of the top tube dealers in the US as a personal friend and I still shop ebay. So does he. But his tube/hifi amp testing lab is one of the best in the world. Lacking his facilities, I used to only use my personally way modded Silverface Champ-en-stein and roll my newly acquired tubes in circuit there. Was recently given a Hickok Cardmatic by a friend who works for the telephone company, it was sitting in a back room unused and ignored, now I can test more precisely and sell off my accumulated excess as desired...on ebay. 8) The more informed a buyer is, the better the screaming deals that can be had there. Nothing wrong with tube dealers, I'm just not going to spend more money per tube with 'em.

Yea.. Ebay can be fun.

Hey Mav.. What's wrong with this listing??

http://xrl.us/okqt5

Hahaha.. I just said. "Oh well, I'll buy it and see what the guy sends me". Dude sent me a PERFECT NOS Mullard!! Had it been in the picture the guy could have gotten $50 for it. The listing couldn't have been more wrong. The tube came extremely clean, perfect labeling, and tested extremely high.

Sometimes the gambling pays off. This one goes into the personal not for sale stash.

Secondly he had some ridiculous shipping rates outside the USA. It quoted me $27. WTF!

NWOFORLIF

 

[JimmyB]

Secondly he had some ridiculous shipping rates outside the USA. It quoted me $27. WTF!

NWOFORLIF

Yeah... I noticed that too... ridiculous, unless you like pissing off potential customers! :twisted: