Where do you buy tubes?

[metropolis_4]

Now that I’ve got an amp I need to find a good source. What are the best places to buy tubes these days?

 

[newholland]

i bought mine at sweetwater for just plain janer mesa bottles. tubestore and tube depot were my longtime gotos.

 

[Byrdman]

For older, vintage tubes, there are a few guys on Ebay that have a great reputation. Other than that, it's probably the same no matter where you buy them since there are only a few factories left in Russia and China.

 

[maguchi]

Viva Tubes
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Unbeatable prices on thousands of guaranteed vacuum tubes for sale, vintage NOS hi-fi audio tubes, radio tubes, ham and industrial ready to ship. The only NOS valve dealer with a real webstore. We carry everything from NOS RCA 6L6GC black plates to JJ 12AX7s. We carry brands like Western...

www.vivatubes.com

 

[la szum]

Gently used old stock. Lots of reputable dealers/sellers on Reverb/Ebay. I just think
for the $$$ the outcome in tone and durability is superior.

 

[metropolis_4]

For older, vintage tubes, there are a few guys on Ebay that have a great reputation. Other than that, it's probably the same no matter where you buy them since there are only a few factories left in Russia and China.

Gently used old stock. Lots of reputable dealers/sellers on Reverb/Ebay. I just think
for the $$$ the outcome in tone and durability is superior.

Who are some of these reputable sellers?

 

[Will Onyx]

Last time I bought tubes (other than Mesa) I would use either Tube Depot or The Tube Store and just shop the prices/specials between the two.

 

[la szum]

Who are some of these reputable sellers?

Do your own legwork, Bruh!

I have a nice stash, so have not investigated the arena in some time. Simple things
like searching Reverb, doing a Feedback check and seeing how many sales a Seller
has should be more than enough. It's what I would do if I were in the market. Hell,
I have seen a matched pair of older RCA 6L6s for under $100. There are decent
deals to be had on old stock tubes that will last the rest of our lifetime.

 

[la szum]

That amp has a funky preamp tube, too, right? Like a 5879 or something?

Given that I would def hunt down some 1960s era tubes. RCA 6V6s are probably
the best old stock power tube deal out there. You can find them pretty readily.

Maybe some sweet ass Amperex EL84s.

 

[KHAAAAAAANNNNNNN!!!!!!!!]

I haven't bought tubes in a long time. Back then new production 12ax7's were about $8.

I always went to Doug's tubes. Was able to talk to him on the phone, and he never steered me wrong. Never got a bad tube from him.

Holy shit prices are off the rails these days...

Vacuum Tubes For Guitar Amps and Hifi Audio | Dougstubes.com – Doug's Tubes

Supplier of vacuum tubes for guitar, audio, and recording applications. We burn-in, test and match all tubes. Free Shipping on orders $105 and over.

dougstubes.com

 

[metropolis_4]

Do your own legwork, Bruh!

I have a nice stash, so have not investigated the arena in some time. Simple things
like searching Reverb, doing a Feedback check and seeing how many sales a Seller
has should be more than enough. It's what I would do if I were in the market. Hell,
I have seen a matched pair of older RCA 6L6s for under $100. There are decent
deals to be had on old stock tubes that will last the rest of our lifetime.

I was hoping to benefit from the collective wisdom of the forum and the legwork you guys have already done!

Yeah, it uses 5879’s in the preamp. I’ve heard they are very similar to an ef86 and might even be interchangeable… those are the ones I might stock up on just in case, although one benefit is that because they aren’t as common there seems to be a lot more NOS stock at reasonable prices.

Right now it’s mostly JJ and I don’t mind JJ el84s, but those JJ 6v6’s have to go

It’s got a Chinese made rectifier I’m not familiar with…

 

[GuitarBilly74]

I haven't bought tubes in a long time. Back then new production 12ax7's were about $8.

I always went to Doug's tubes. Was able to talk to him on the phone, and he never steered me wrong. Never got a bad tube from him.

Holy shit prices are off the rails these days...

Vacuum Tubes For Guitar Amps and Hifi Audio | Dougstubes.com – Doug's Tubes

Supplier of vacuum tubes for guitar, audio, and recording applications. We burn-in, test and match all tubes. Free Shipping on orders $105 and over.

dougstubes.com

Doug is fine until you have an issue with one of his tubes. Learned it the hard way. Never again. But YMMV.

I like Viva Tubes. They were always good, including when I had to exchange one. Eurotubes is good too for JJ only.

 

[nicolasrivera]

TUBES "R" US

 

[KHAAAAAAANNNNNNN!!!!!!!!]

Doug is fine until you have an issue with one of his tubes. Learned it the hard way. Never again. But YMMV.

Fair enough. My brother and I never had any issues.

 

[la szum]

I was hoping to benefit from the collective wisdom of the forum and the legwork you guys have already done!

Yeah, it uses 5879’s in the preamp. I’ve heard they are very similar to an ef86 and might even be interchangeable… those are the ones I might stock up on just in case, although one benefit is that because they aren’t as common there seems to be a lot more NOS stock at reasonable prices.

Right now it’s mostly JJ and I don’t mind JJ el84s, but those JJ 6v6’s have to go

It’s got a Chinese made rectifier I’m not familiar with…

View attachment 40175

Oh man.... you have a significant tonal upgrade in your future, Met.

Yeah, I kind loathe JJs. Just a last resort option for me.

I had some decent luck with Tung Sol 6V6GTs in the 2000s. I haven't bought
any new tubes in a looooong time.

I like the English/Dutch EL84s. The Russian Military grade version of an EL84
is not bad. I used to see a ton of them on Ebay. Dr. Z was using them in his
new production amps for a bit there, too. 6P14P I think they were.

 

[la szum]

Old Stock Rectifier Tubes are very reasonable, too. You could get a nice 5AR4 equivalent.

I used to have some Tweeds and may have an old RCA 5AR4 around here.

I wonder if that amp of yours allows you to swap out different Rectifier types. They alter headroom
and overall wattage, as well as feel/sag, and such.

 

[la szum]

Holy shit prices are off the rails these days...

Vacuum Tubes For Guitar Amps and Hifi Audio | Dougstubes.com – Doug's Tubes

Supplier of vacuum tubes for guitar, audio, and recording applications. We burn-in, test and match all tubes. Free Shipping on orders $105 and over.

dougstubes.com

I just looked, too. Scared the shit out of me.

 

[KHAAAAAAANNNNNNN!!!!!!!!]

I just looked, too. Scared the shit out of me.

I just put about $2K of tubes in a Twin Reverb...







...in my FM9.








I liked it better stock...

 

[metropolis_4]

Oh man.... you have a significant tonal upgrade in your future, Met.

Yeah, I kind loathe JJs. Just a last resort option for me.

I had some decent luck with Tung Sol 6V6GTs in the 2000s. I haven't bought
any new tubes in a looooong time.

I like the English/Dutch EL84s. The Russian Military grade version of an EL84
is not bad. I used to see a ton of them on Ebay. Dr. Z was using them in his
new production amps for a bit there, too. 6P14P I think they were.

I’m finding some pretty reasonable prices on RCA 6v6gt’s on Reverb. Even a few JAN

I’m wondering it matching matters very much with this particular amp? Someone is selling a pair of RCA JAN 6v6gt’s that are matched ~6%

 

[gearJunkie]

I always went to Doug's tubes. Was able to talk to him on the phone, and he never steered me wrong. Never got a bad tube from him.

This describes my experience with Doug's Tubes also.