Anybody Try To Find Tubes Lately?
- Thread starter Hoss
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Benlostforyears
Squier-holic
Ya everyone freaked out and bought up all the stock. Unfortunately, tube production has been declining for a long time now that they aren't widely used in modern electronics. They are expensive to produce, and it's just us guitar players and audiophiles who still buy them. All the opportunists who bought up the stock will make retubing an amp cost the same as whole a new amp. Im afraid it may be the end of an era if China doesn't up their tube production.
I bought some four new matched 6CA7 tubes for $$$! The credit card is still smoking. They are still out there, just harder to find and you have to pull up your big boy pants when you plunk down your duckets for them.
DougMen
Squier-Axpert
You're crazy. I just did a few quick searches, and Sweetwater, as well as the two big online tube stores, The Tube Store, and Antique Electronic Supply (tubesandmore.com) all have the most popular tubes from the usual companies (JJ, EHX, Sovtek, Groove Tubes, Tung Sol, Mullard, Svetlana, etc.) in stock- 12AX7s, EL34s and EL84s, 6V6s, 6L6s, !2AT7s, etc.
Hi Doug,I’m glad to hear from you and also glad to hear that some places still have tubes in stock.
so1om
Squier-Axpert
I have a lot of tube amps new and old. I think the last time I bought some was in the early 90s.
I think you'd better check again. I just went to sweetwater and they're out. Be sure to pay attention to the "more on order" portion of the program. They don't have a 6v6 in stock. Same with Mojotone, Antique Electronic Supply etc. You might find a JJ because they're made in Slovakia.
Electro-Harmonix 6V6EH Power Tubes - Matched Duet
6V6EH Power Tubes - Matched Duet
www.sweetwater.com
Las Palmas Norte
Squier-Axpert
TimTheViking
Squier-holic
This video gives some insight. Russia has banned tube exports and they are the major manufacturer. The plant in is China shutdown which leaves just one plant in the world (Slovakia) making tubes? Keep in mind, all the various brands come from the very few plants making them. So the "cheap" no label tubes come from the same plant as the JJs, Electro Harmonix, etc. Also interesting to note is the Stage Right 15 watt combo tube amp is up to $280. Not sure when the price increased from $250. I suspect it won't be on sale anytime soon. They are also out of stock. Amazon has them for $300 but with a 1-3 week shipping time which also means they may be out of stock if Monoprice can't get any.
Benlostforyears
Squier-holic
fattboyzz
Dr. Squier
My MP15 is my only tube amp. It has 2 new JJz in it. They are biased cold, so maybe I will be good. I have 2 more chineeze ones, but 1 is buzzy ;(
Alright now who’s hoarding tubes?
Actually today I got a call from an old friend ask me if I was interested in some tubes. He said he has two boxes full that he was going to throw away cleaning out his shop. I’m going to pick them up this weekend hopefully there be some guitar amp tubes in there.
DougMen
Squier-Axpert
See? This is how selfish so many humans are. Everyone goes nuts and hoards a bunch of tubes they don't need, just like all the DBs that bought 100s of rolls of TP and hundreds of bottles of hand sanitizer and Lysol wipes back in 2020. I'm glad all my guitar amps are modeling amps now, but I do have a Jolida stereo amp with one 12AX7 for the preamp, 2 12AT7s for the PI/driver tubes, and four EL84s for the power tubes. I haven't changed the tubes in 10 years, and I only swapped the power tubes then, 'cause the stock ones were wearing out (using matched MB Sovtek EL84s from the store where I worked, the same tube as came stock), and changed the stock 12AX7 for a Sovtek LPS 'cause it sounds better, but the 12AT7s are still the 20 year old ones that came in the amp. I tried some JJ EL84s and Sovtek EL84Ms, which are supposed to be their deluxe version, and they both sounded stiff and harsh compared to the standard Sovteks. I also tried some EI EL84s, before EI went out of business after their factory was destroyed by us in the bombing raids there. They sounded good, but failed quickly 'cause they couldn't handle the 380V on the plates that the amp bludgeons the power tubes with. If I need new tubes before they're available, then I'll just use my 100W Kenwood instead.
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Radiotech
Squier-Axpert
In the 80’s and early 90’s I bought bunches of tubes at garage sales, ditched the TV-only tubes, and kept all the amplifier and rectifier tubes. I sold some to a local shop that serviced vintage equipment (most of the used-but-good ones), and when eBay hit a few years later, sold all the NOS there (kept one extra set for my Knight PA.
Made a good buck.
Made a good buck.
I bought a set of tubes because my amp tech said the ones in my Music Man are just enough out of tolerance to be unable to get a proper bias on them. I also bought an ECC83S tube, since they are kind of odd ducks. It was actually more than the 6CA7's I bought. Some of the 12AX7A tubes are close to or over $100 USD right now.
tubedepot.com still has a good selection of tubes at the moment and as of this post, the website is still up, taking orders.
tubedepot.com still has a good selection of tubes at the moment and as of this post, the website is still up, taking orders.
