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Tubes !!
Posted: Tue Oct 11, 2022 3:40 pm
by bfitz
So one of my EL84's kicked it last night in my AD30
I haven't had to buy tubes for quite a while and dang has it all got mad expensive.... 90 of the finest eurobucks for 4xEL84s direct from JJ and thats the cheapest I could get em
Any europeans on here have a source?!?!?! or is it just the way it is now?
Re: Tubes !!
Posted: Sat Oct 15, 2022 11:51 am
by Jondog
bfitz wrote: ↑Tue Oct 11, 2022 3:40 pm
So one of my EL84's kicked it last night in my AD30
I haven't had to buy tubes for quite a while and dang has it all got mad expensive.... 90 of the finest eurobucks for 4xEL84s direct from JJ and thats the cheapest I could get em
Any europeans on here have a source?!?!?! or is it just the way it is now?
No source, but yeah. Since the war started sanctions have limited the tube supply.
Re: Tubes !!
Posted: Tue Oct 18, 2022 10:08 am
by adkguy07
No source either, and I just paid $100.00 US for a matched and tested pair of Russian EL84 tubes for my Dark Terror. I don't spend money on pedals, but I keep good quality tubes in my Orange Dark Terror.
Tube prices from my source (Canada) have steadily risen even before the eastern European conflict. Prices only moved higher still, afterwards.
adkguy07
Re: Tubes !!
Posted: Fri Oct 21, 2022 9:02 am
by groundmeat
Jondog wrote: ↑Sat Oct 15, 2022 11:51 am
No source, but yeah. Since the war started sanctions have limited the tube supply.
Yeah, it's easy to forget that about 1/3rd of the worlds supply of tubes (because there's only about THREE factories that make them anymore) comes from the one place where no one's willing to buy stuff from anymore. I was thinking that there used to be at least one place here in the US where tubes were still being made, but perhaps not. I don't know if Mesa is making their own tubes, but from what little I've heard, people seem to not like them at all.
How did this ever happen? These rich folks pay enough money for these hi-fi tube amps they have, you'd think somewhere in the wide-world of consumerism more companies would notice it and start trying to fill that void and lay claim to that market.
I thought part of it also had to do with some kinda major guitar warehouse fire that happened plus or minus a year ago. BAH, who knows anymore. You can't get a straight answer about so many things anymore. Prices are high because of this or that,... I don't care, I just want the truth for once from freakin' SOMEBODY, and I wanna know when (if ever) things will be NORMAL AGAIN!
I've seen places on Amazon with JJ tubes, but some of them might not be so trustworthy. One of the sellers was Sam Ash, and I think you can probably trust them, but theres other sellers/shippers with names I've never heard of.
Re: Tubes !!
Posted: Sat Oct 22, 2022 8:38 pm
by Jondog
groundmeat wrote: ↑Fri Oct 21, 2022 9:02 am
Jondog wrote: ↑Sat Oct 15, 2022 11:51 am
No source, but yeah. Since the war started sanctions have limited the tube supply.
Yeah, it's easy to forget that about 1/3rd of the worlds supply of tubes (because there's only about THREE factories that make them anymore) comes from the one place where no one's willing to buy stuff from anymore. I was thinking that there used to be at least one place here in the US where tubes were still being made, but perhaps not. I don't know if Mesa is making their own tubes, but from what little I've heard, people seem to not like them at all.
How did this ever happen? These rich folks pay enough money for these hi-fi tube amps they have, you'd think somewhere in the wide-world of consumerism more companies would notice it and start trying to fill that void and lay claim to that market.
I thought part of it also had to do with some kinda major guitar warehouse fire that happened plus or minus a year ago. BAH, who knows anymore. You can't get a straight answer about so many things anymore. Prices are high because of this or that,... I don't care, I just want the truth for once from freakin' SOMEBODY, and I wanna know when (if ever) things will be NORMAL AGAIN!
I've seen places on Amazon with JJ tubes, but some of them might not be so trustworthy. One of the sellers was Sam Ash, and I think you can probably trust them, but theres other sellers/shippers with names I've never heard of.
I think there was a fire that initially caused a small price increase.
Mesa tubes are rebranded. What makes them Mesa tubes is that they test them to meet a standard and because if that come with a better guarantee. I like them myself.
Really though, because of the limited manufacturers many brands came out of the same equipment, just certain characteristics from testing decide what label they get. I was watching a video of Mike Matthews from EHX giving a warehouse tour. Was surprised to see that he owns the JJ distribution. All the JJ tubes were right there beside the EHX tubes. That might be where I heard about charateristics deciding what label goes on??
There are tubes made in North America, but they’re more Hi-Fi quality and not the type typically found in guitar amps. Also super expensive. One company here was putting research into whether it would be worthwhile to start manufacturing guitar amp tubes.
Re: Tubes !!
Posted: Mon Oct 24, 2022 8:51 am
by bfitz
Its just the way it is. JJ in Slovakia sorted me out directly. They were very nice about it too so id recommend for anyone in the EU.
I used to use Watford valves in the UK all the time but Brexit has made that just silly expensive so thats the end of that.
Thanks for all the info fellas....Much appreciated as always
B
Re: Tubes !!
Posted: Thu Oct 27, 2022 8:44 pm
by Les Paul Lover
bfitz wrote: ↑Mon Oct 24, 2022 8:51 am
Its just the way it is. JJ in Slovakia sorted me out directly. They were very nice about it too so id recommend for anyone in the EU.
I used to use Watford valves in the UK all the time but Brexit has made that just silly expensive so thats the end of that.
Thanks for all the info fellas....Much appreciated as always
B
You did fine, those JJ EL84 are very decent in my experience, I like their power valves.
Just tonight, I was browsing for 6P14P EV soviet era NOS valves (soviet long life version of the EL84). Prices for a new quad has increased from around £45 4 or 5 years ago to £90 today!!!
Bought a spare quartet of JJ 6V6s in February this year, £78, now £96!!!
Anyhow, I don't think there are great deals anymore, but for EL84 I can really recommend the nos 6P14P EV, 2nd the JJ.