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good store for VERY hard to find tubes?

post #1 of 10
12/10/02 at 11:56pm
Thread Starter 
hi. i'm looking to buy some tubes, but no one carries any decent versions of these:

2x 6C2C/6J5/6C5
2x 6(Pi)9/6P9P/6AG7

anyone know good retailers that sell really rare types of tubes? i've called Upscale, and he said they don't stock any of these. TheTubeStore.com carries some, but the ones they have kinda suck... and they won't match these for me when i asked. i think if i bugged the lady, she would... but she kept bitchin' that she has to open every old box to look for matches. (i wonder why my almost new amp was spec'd with such rare types.... why the heck don't manufacturers just stick with tubes in production!?)

i want a good matched pair. any suggestions?

also.... not really related to this post... but anyone have a suggestion for the best 5Z3P/5U4G rectifier? i have a NOS RCA version.... but it doesn't seem to be what i want.

thanks,
orpheus
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post #2 of 10
12/11/02 at 12:20am
Sorry, can't help you with the 2 pairs of tubes you're looking for, although you may be able to find some assistance regarding your choice of 5U4G rectifier here:-

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/hktubeaudio/message/1263

A few months ago I was also in the market for a 5U4G for my Sun Audio SV-2A3 power amp, which was at the time fitted with a NOS Canadian RCA 5U4G, because I found the sound not too satisfying. I subsequently was able to purchase 2 used but good GEC/Osram U52 locally for about $100 each, which turned out to be far nicer and smoother than the RCA in my amp.

U52s occassionally come up on Ebay and sell for between $45 to $60 each, depending on condition, much like these 2 here:-

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...tem=1941181266

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...item=742616915

Not too many tube shops stock them, so Ebay might be your best bet. Hope that helps.
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post #3 of 10
12/11/02 at 12:26am
Thread Starter 
thanks man.

is the U52 completely compatible with the 5U4G? my amp came stock with a 5Z3P, but the manual said that i can sub 5U4G's. is the U52 supposed to sound better?

......i wish i could find those other tubes though....
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post #4 of 10
12/11/02 at 12:49am
You're welcome.

According to this table (see the entry under 5U4G), they're all directly compatible.

http://hktubeaudio.homestead.com/files/tubecode.html

As to which is better, since 5Z3P is the Chinese equivalent of 5U4G and since U52 is the British equivalent, IMHO any U52 would be better than any 5Z3P.
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post #5 of 10
12/11/02 at 1:26am

Just did more searching...

and found some nice matched 6C2C/6J5/6C5 tubes here (look at the entry under L63 / 6J5):-

http://www.machmat.com/sales/6.htm

I would personally go for the first pair, i.e. Old English version of the 6J5, coke bottle shape, black glass, black plates, matched pair, because I just can't resist old coke bottle shaped British tubes (yummy!).
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post #6 of 10
12/11/02 at 1:33am

Found 'em...

Check out this link for some 6(Pi)9/6P9P/6AG7 (look under 6AG7/6AK7):-

http://www.radiodaze.com/tubes-03.htm

The best thing is that they do matching for an extra $2!

Over and out...
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post #7 of 10
12/11/02 at 2:34am
Thread Starter 
my god... you're the MAN.

let me check them out.... i appreciate this.
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post #8 of 10
12/11/02 at 2:45am
Brent Jessee could have most anything in the way of these tubes. His site only itemizes the rectifier, however. Good for you, because the others won't have been picked over.

I routinely find RCAs at his place, all good, genuine performers spanning the behemoth's entire history (and what a good history it was!).

NGF
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post #9 of 10
12/11/02 at 3:15am
Quote:
Originally posted by Orpheus
my god... you're the MAN.

let me check them out.... i appreciate this.
You're welcome...just trying to help.
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post #10 of 10
12/11/02 at 3:43am
Thread Starter 
k, i emailed all 3 retailers. hopefully i can get all the tubes...

so.... tell me, why the heck do tube amp manufacturers insist to spec NOS tubes in NEW designs? are they nuts!?

i mean... i bought my amp (Tube City 300BC) thinking that since it's pretty darn new, it would use modern tubes...... but no...... half the tubes aren't even in current production! couldn't they just make some minor adjestuments to their design and use modern tubes and make my life so much easier!? eventually all these NOS tubes will be gone.... then what do we do with these crazy amps?
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