Not for $150 per tube ! Sellers want crazy prices for some of these "NOS" tubes, I refuse to play.
I can understand. I was lucky to do tube swapping in the 1990s and 2000s when people didn't know about certain makes/models. I kept a LOT of RCA 7025 from owners who insisted on replacing their units with Telefunken ECC83 tubes. It was THE thing to do at the time.
The only $$$ tubes I buy are known-good replacement types for my stuff. I try not to roll tubes anymore, unless I have the tubes in my stash.
Last edited:
Check out this one- $199 each
www.tubedepot.com
The Psvane ECC83 tubes sell for $16.95, the excellent JJ EC83CC for $28.95
RCA 7025 / 12AX7A
Considered to be the best 12AX7 ever made in the US - these are the famous RCA 7025 that used to be in all of the great amps. We have a small stash of these rare NOS tubes available.
www.tubedepot.com
The Psvane ECC83 tubes sell for $16.95, the excellent JJ EC83CC for $28.95
BMC
Active Member
What shape are your micas if you don’t mind me asking? I ask, because mine are circular and don’t have the straight edge like the RCA’s. Looking around the internet, I have seen many theories on these. Brent Jessee’s site has them as Raytheons (magnavox branded). The guitar forums Link seemed to land on Sonotone making these based on Roger Russell’s site Link
The plates look like what I’ve seen in Philips longplates, and it is thought that Raytheon used Philips guts on other tubes like the 12AU7.
that tubedepot for you. they buy from retailers and often sell at 4x retail. im sure theyre good for current production power tubes and guitar amps, but i dont think anyone serious about old stock tubes considers tubedepot.Check out this one- $199 each
RCA 7025 / 12AX7A
Considered to be the best 12AX7 ever made in the US - these are the famous RCA 7025 that used to be in all of the great amps. We have a small stash of these rare NOS tubes available.
The Psvane ECC83 tubes sell for $16.95, the excellent JJ EC83CC for $28.95
Last edited:
For all cases that are not super critical I have been rewiring my 12AX7 sockets for 6N2P-ev tubes (bought in bulk before the Ukraine war). So far I have been very pleased, although YMMV. Take note that the 6N2P-ev needs slightly more 6.3 V current than a 12ax7 (340 ma vs 300 ma) and pin 9 likes to be grounded. Also heater cathode max voltage is 100V for 6N2P vs 150V for 12AX7 - watch this in cathodyne phase splitters and cathode follower use.
Last edited:
Lavane
Lunatic Member
I payed less for a pair of GE 12DW7's at Tubesandmore that what new manufacture JJ 12DW7's cost that I had been using in my ST-35.
Last edited:
RCA canada cleartops dont have round micas not the 2 flat sides. oh, ill be damned--one of em has the typical 60s rca USA grey plate micas withv 2 flat sides.
most RCA canada 12AX7 and 12AU7 ive seen have round micas.
in the first link i saw a pic. i couldnt see the 12AX7 cleartops good enough to compare to mine. the article speaks of sonotone vacuum tube hearing aids.
interesting
very odd to think that. raytheon 12U7s dont much philips made, at least not to me. their 12AU7 looks like their 12AX7, dont think anything else looks like em. however, raytheon rebranded several japanese manufacturers. add to that the westinghouse was also a canadian tube manufacturer, and westinghouse rebranded a lot of japanese tubes. i have some westinghouse-branded matsushita 12AU7 cleartops, the only two ive ever seen. in addition, there may be some relation between westinghouse canada and RCA canada. heck, they may be one and the same. someone here must have a good grasp of the canadian tube manufacturing.
some cleartop 12AX7
GE-labelled and "canada" etched above tube type. this is black plate. the rest are grey.
RCA-style micas with RCA-style tube type logo, used by several manufacturers really.
tubes labelled "the fisher" or "sonotone" appear to be the same
Lavane
Lunatic Member
The 6N2 has a slightly lower gain than the 12AX7, but not much.
The 12AX7 has a high mu of 100, the 6N2 is 90. Inreall6bcouodnt tell the difference in a phono preamp I had.
Lavane
Lunatic Member
It may depend on the cartridge being used? If the cartridge has a little lower output it may matter I guess.
I'm probably one of the few critics of the 6N2P-EV. That tube does not sound good initially and requires a long break-in time.
A couple of people asked me to return their circuits to 12AX7 pinouts.
Just my 2¢ worth, of 2¢.
I looked around at a bazzillion different tubes sites, all of them have pretty much the same prices:
Tube Depot, TC Tubes, Tube World,NOS Vacuum Tubes, Viva Tubes,Valves N More, Audio Tubes, NOS Tube Store, and where I usually get mine- The Tube Store (in Canada)
Lavane
Lunatic Member
Good to know. I removed the new 6N2's from the phono preamp. The high end was fatiguing to listen to. I guess I should have let them burn in.I'm probably one of the few critics of the 6N2P-EV. That tube does not sound good initially and requires a long break-in time.
A couple of people asked me to return their circuits to 12AX7 pinouts.
Just my 2¢ worth, of 2¢.
My son wouldn't let me rewire the sockets for 12AX7's in his guitar amp.
He liked how the 6N2's sounded. They had been in the amp since new though and have plenty of hours on them.
I've yet to try an amp initially designed to use the 6N2P-EV. My guess is that the ideal parameters around that tube are different from those around the 12AX7 (besides the heater specs).
The Red Bear amp came with those Reflektor tubes. Correct?
Lavane
Lunatic Member
Yes. I had read se ersl threads on that amp and found some had rewired the sockets to use easier to get 12AX7's with good results. Thats why I asked my son if he wanted me to try it. But he declined.
That would be an interesting experiment. The voltages around the Soviet tubes may not be ideal for the 12Ax7.
Lavane
Lunatic Member
Have you have mu h experience with the Sovtek 7025's?
This amp kit I'm building uses 12AX7's instead of the 6N2's he likes in his higher powered JCM800 clone. I bought a pair of 6P3S-E's for the output, but all I have are some JJ 12AX7's at the moment to put in it. I was wondering if the Sovtek 7025's would maybe sound closer to the 6N2's.
From what I've read the Sovtek's can sound bright or harsh to some folks though.
