[SonicTrance]

I am 99.99% certain there are no current production 6AS7/6080 tubes. If there were, amp makers like AtmaSphere, who sell amps loaded with 6AS7s, would use them. But they don't. They use NOS Russian tubes.

And honestly, what fool would go into production of this tube? There is literally no money in it. One can buy NOS Svetlanas for $5 each, or even less when purchased in bulk, and there are clearly mountains of these available. A while back I thought about buying a box of 200 for $100 plus shipping. I don't think it's possible to manufacture that tube today for less than that.

I can see a potential market if someone were to make replicas of some of the nicer sounding tubes like GEC A1834's, that sound just as good or better than the original. I know it's highly unlikely but I would be interested in such tubes

 

[Jeb Listens]

I can see a potential market if someone were to make replicas of some of the nicer sounding tubes like GEC A1834's, that sound just as good or better than the original. I know it's highly unlikely but I would be interested in such tubes

 
Indeed Mister-X if that were to happen I'd be all over it. 
 
I'd be less excited about the replicas/re-issues that typically come out of factories like New Sensor in Russia. Since they own the Mullard/Tung-Sol names that seems like one of the most likely sources of replicas at least for those brands. Maybe they'll do a 5998 re-issue. 
 
Some of their efforts are definitely commendable  in terms of sound/cost ratio and they give amp producers a stable stock of reliable tubes to support their products.  But sonically/tonally, the ones I have tried haven't really shared much in common with the Euro & US tubes they were trying to emulate. I've usually preferred other NOS tubes that were often less expensive & still freely available.

It would certainly be interesting to see what someone like Takatsuki could do with a 6AS7G -  Of course, that's unlikely to help anybody's wallet but in some ways its good to see companies trying to push the boundaries and try and better what has come before rather than just replicate it.   
 
Plus I want one of those Takatsuki wooden boxes.  I hate myself for it, but there you go. 

 

[i luvmusic 2]

 

Aren't they the same as the parts express GE 6AS7GA??? They look identical to me...

Talking about GE 6AS7GA is this the one?

THANKS!

 

Heh, that pair has been an ebay forever. Badas is referring to these:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/6AS7GA-GE-JAN-Vacuum-Tube-072-612-/221562674917?hash=item33962a1ee5:g:avwAAOSwEK9UKZ5v

They can be had from PartsExpress for even less; though, this is a parts express ad. I bought mine from ebay, same as as above, as it was easier and the difference in cost came to a shade more than $3. If one were buying a lager quantity, going directly to the source is a better idea.

They look idendical to me to ,so i bought a pair , plus side is they ship from Canada none of that GLOBAL SCAMMING PROGRAM . 

Same here bought a pair.

 

[Skylab]

I can see a potential market if someone were to make replicas of some of the nicer sounding tubes like GEC A1834's, that sound just as good or better than the original. I know it's highly unlikely but I would be interested in such tubes

It's a nice idea. The issue is, has that EVER worked? The Shuguang CV-181's sure don't sound like real CV-181's.

 

[SonicTrance]

It's a nice idea. The issue is, has that EVER worked? The Shuguang CV-181's sure don't sound like real CV-181's.

No it doesn't. But the Shuguang is not a replica. It's a totally different tube with different specs. They only copied the name...

 

[Mechans1]

It is more than just structure.  The materials are almost certainly not what GEC or even WE used in their making tubes.  They may look identical whilst being made out of current production metals and wires.  It would take quite a bit of time and money to analyze and then reproduce the alloys the were used 60, 70 years ago. I am not sure this problem is surmountable.  Oh well! 

 

[JOHNNY LOLO]

It would be no different to cloning vintage speaker drivers such as the JBL and WE compression drivers which by most accounts sound identical to the originals. It is just a matter of measurement and replication of the electrical characteristics of the tube. Their is nothing magical about the metals that were in the 50s and 60s

I believe this could start happening as popularity and price of certain unobtanium tubes grows to the point that such an undertaking would become viable

It is more than just structure.  The materials are almost certainly not what GEC or even WE used in their making tubes.  They may look identical whilst being made out of current production metals and wires.  It would take quite a bit of time and money to analyze and then reproduce the alloys the were used 60, 70 years ago. I am not sure this problem is surmountable.  Oh well! 

 

[Skylab]

For better or worse, that's not really possible. Many of the processes required for making vintage vacuum tubes exactly as they were made in the tube heyday wouldn't be legal today. Certainly not in Europe, where ROHS pretty much precludes tube making.

 

[JOHNNY LOLO]

Which processes? I know cathode ray tubes are dangerous but vintage audio tubes? Regardless the Asian countries have far less restrictions for production of such things!

For better or worse, that's not really possible. Many of the processes required for making vintage vacuum tubes exactly as they were made in the tube heyday wouldn't be legal today. Certainly not in Europe, where ROHS pretty much precludes tube making.

 

[JamieMcC]

Try googling "Bendix factory site contamination" they were still dealing with it a few years ago

 

[JOHNNY LOLO]

Let's see what this little guy fetches!...http://pages.ebay.com/link/?nav=item.view&id=181917121617&alt=web

 

[JOHNNY LOLO]

Try googling "Bendix factory site contamination" they were still dealing with it a few years ago

Bendix made radioactive tubes as well we are not talking about that though. Let's not get melodramatic guys tubes are not any more toxic than batteries and light bulbs. I've dropped a few tubes and haven't had to call hazmat yet.

 

[mordy]

Hi Johnny Lolo,

If you search YouTube under Mullard vacuum tubes you will find films from the 40's showing how they made vacuum tubes. It is very interesting to watch, but seeing the workplace without much of safe guards in place in the presence of chemicals, electric and heat sources could make nervous....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GDvF89Bh27Y

 

[abvolt]

Bendix made radioactive tubes as well we are not talking about that though. Let's not get melodramatic guys tubes are not any more toxic than batteries and light bulbs. I've dropped a few tubes and haven't had to call hazmat yet.

Simply put It's because the politically correct bureaucrats say so..

 

[Mechans1]

Bendix made radioactive tubes as well we are not talking about that though. Let's not get melodramatic guys tubes are not any more toxic than batteries and light bulbs. I've dropped a few tubes and haven't had to call hazmat yet.

I agree, the typical audio tube has fewer reactive and poisonous elements than a broken fluorescent  light tube/bulb.  Cathode ray tubes or very poisonous, or so I've been told and there still many of them out there.  I had a SS  Marantz  power amp that caught fire.  I extinguished it quickly but I am sure the smoke was toxic. Think of all of the amp components circuit boards, resistors, capacitors etc..