Show your stash, OR "the great tube panic relief thread"

[johan.b]

So, I though just to offer relief and peace of mind to those with little or no spare tubes, why not show your stash, big or small, of tubes. Old and New, used or not.

Just a way to show our fellow forumites there is most likely someone fairly close, who could help you many years into the future, to keep your elephant grained or levant clad "precious" going...

I'll start


I got 3 pairs new EL34
1 quad and 3 pairs+1 vintage /used EL34
Big plastic bag of mixed old/ new/ used ecc83/12ax7
~10 NOS 6V6
~ 10 NOS 12AU7
And a number of mixed odd tubes...

I know this is next to nothing compared to what some others have but... let's see what you've got...
J

 

[StingRay85]

My tube stash/collection is like a savings account, with the big advantage that it doesn't take that much space compared to my amps and cabs, and my wife doesn't know what it's worth. Even though with skyrocketing prices for CP tubes, and even scalpers active now, I'm not happy with the situation.

I think it's safe to say that I could easily fill the AC/DC backline with NOS glass and keep all amps running for at least a decent world tour.

 

[MarshallDog]

I have far too many too list, EL34's 6550's, 12AX7s, Mullard, Tung-Sol, JJ's Tube Store Preferred Series, RFT's, =C='s, etc. Probably more than I will ever need.

 

[StingRay85]

RSD Tubes El34 2000? Glass https://reverb.com/item/52360962?ut...are&utm_campaign=listing&utm_content=52360962

Those are RFT made in '88, cheaper than CP Mullard from the reverb scalpers

 

[fitz288]

My little tube stash.

Quad of CVC EL34 from the 6101
3 red Marshall ECC83
old Haze set - pair of 6V6GT, 2 more red Marshall ECC83
2 gold Marshall ECC83
1 JJ 802S
old C5H set - unknown EL84, Bugera ECC83C, white Marshall ECC83

And I got amps with no tubes required if I run out.

 

[lespaul339]

I have:
3 - JJ12AX7
2 - JJ KT66 (matched)
2 - JJ 6V6 (matched)

It's not a lot, but enough to get me by for a while.

I still need to get a spare GZ34 and a 5Y3. I'm hoping to pick those up when things settle down.

 

[myersbw]

I could do an instantaneous chord with this for about 1uS or less...ala Michael J Fox style.

 

[Matthews Guitars]

Photo later. Didn't make one yet.
But today I did encounter an "interesting" tube. Brand new, Mullard 12AX7 reissue, which I just bought and installed in a customer's reissue Fender Twin Reverb.

The amp was behaving oddly. It would even go into uncontrollable squealing if my guitar (the one in my avatar) was switched to the bridge pickup only. And it was cutting out, sounded like blocking distortion. It was noisy, too.

So I started some tube swaps to see if I could find it. And I found this Mullard RI with a seriously bad attitude.

I stuck that tube on my B&K 707 to see what was up with it.

On the 707, a good 12AX7 reads 20 on the meter, or better. A high gain tube might read a bit over 40. I've never seen one read more than 45 since I got the unit recalibrated. But this one...triode B reads 63. That's insane. And...unusable.

Just for fun I stuck it in V1 of my '69 Superlead. It's so sensitive that it makes my guitar's volume control, which is fine, sound so scratchy you'd think it was broken.

It behaves like it's oscilating in the supersonic frequency range.

I've never see a 12AX7 that is anywhere near as sensitive as this one. But it's so sensitive, it's useless. I wonder if I could mellow it out some by letting it run for a while?

 

[Bern1]

Nope, can’t say I’m covered in the power tube department.
i just hope Slovakia and China will fill the void going forward.

 

[StingRay85]

Photo later. Didn't make one yet.
But today I did encounter an "interesting" tube. Brand new, Mullard 12AX7 reissue, which I just bought and installed in a customer's reissue Fender Twin Reverb.

The amp was behaving oddly. It would even go into uncontrollable squealing if my guitar (the one in my avatar) was switched to the bridge pickup only. And it was cutting out, sounded like blocking distortion. It was noisy, too.

So I started some tube swaps to see if I could find it. And I found this Mullard RI with a seriously bad attitude.

I stuck that tube on my B&K 707 to see what was up with it.

On the 707, a good 12AX7 reads 20 on the meter, or better. A high gain tube might read a bit over 40. I've never seen one read more than 45 since I got the unit recalibrated. But this one...triode B reads 63. That's insane. And...unusable.

Just for fun I stuck it in V1 of my '69 Superlead. It's so sensitive that it makes my guitar's volume control, which is fine, sound so scratchy you'd think it was broken.

It behaves like it's oscilating in the supersonic frequency range.

I've never see a 12AX7 that is anywhere near as sensitive as this one. But it's so sensitive, it's useless. I wonder if I could mellow it out some by letting it run for a while?

Sounds like a malfunction to me, instead of a "super high gain" tube.

 

[Timo V]

I have tubes to last my lifetime, but most valuable tool to manage my stash is a tubetester i build ten years back. I'll never part with it.

Tubetester

 

[Gunner64]

Here's what I had handy in the bedroom. I have tons in the basement..bags n old ice cream buckets full. I got one dead Ruby in there if you can find it..I'll sell it for $25..lol.

 

[Matthews Guitars]

I think I have enough to make it through the year.

 

[mrrstrat]

I have thousands of tubes

Hundreds of them are 12AX7s - all brands, USAs, Eastern block. I just don't have as many EL34s/6CA7s as I would like because they are now too valuable NOT to sell them lol.

 

[Browneyesound]

I have tubes to last my lifetime, but most valuable tool to manage my stash is a tubetester i build ten years back. I'll never part with it.

Are there any schematics or instructions to build this?

 

[Moony]

I think I have enough to make it through the year.

Fortunately 2022 isn't a leap year, otherwise you would probably have run out of tubes.

 

[Timo V]

Are there any schematics or instructions to build this?

Schematics and instructions came with the PCB. I don't remember if they were in french, but it was easy enough to put together.

Digital vacuum tube tester-lampemetre ultra compact | eBay

( débit max permanent de 28 mA sous 80 volts, 12 mA sous 250 volts ). La platine qui supporte le tube en test n' est pas inclue dans l' enchère mais disponible sur demande avec un support octal + un support noval installés.

www.ebay.com

 

[StingRay85]

Love these

Stupid app refuses to upload

 

[StingRay85]

 

[Browneyesound]

Schematics and instructions came with the PCB. I don't remember if they were in french, but it was easy enough to put together.

Thanks! I just ordered one. This will help me go though my NOS stash. Also nice to pick up some single power tubes cheap on eBag and then be able to match things up, though I’m not a big proponent of precisely matched tubes in guitar amps, for Hifi sure.