Found: GZ34/5AR4

[Jakeboy]

I want an old used, ANOS, or NOS  Euro, USA, or Japanese GZ34/5AR4 rectifier tube. I have NP but like the old vintage glass much more.

Edited November 2, 2024 by Jakeboy

[1 bottlerocket]

Have you checked Tube World? They have a great vintage selection. They are not cheap, but you will be getting a guarantee with your purchase. I have bought a lot of pre-amp tubes from them and they are always great.

[Cboss]

I have a fantastic NOS 5ar4 left over from my Deluxe reverb, bought from Brent jesse, it is almost new, let me dig out the box and I will send you some pictures if you'd like, PM me your email address please, if interested

I also have two fantastic 6v6 power tubes, same story NOS from the good old days bought from Brent jesse, barely used, they've just been sitting around, if anyone is interested in those let me know

[ArnieZ]

Might be interested in the 6v6’s

arniez

[Jakeboy]

PM’d ya @Cboss

[Cboss]

Need your Email 

[crunchee]

What's the attraction to NOS 5AR4/GZ34 rectifiers vs. recent manufactured ones, besides the expense and the perceived collectability?  I've heard that NOS 5AR4s have a reputation for lasting a long time as a rule, but I've also had a low-hours vintage Mullard-made 5AR4 go bad on me in the past in a vintage '65 Deluxe Reverb as well.  I tend to avoid amps with 5AR4s anymore anyway; if I want an amp with a tube rectifier, I look for ones that use 5Y3s as they 'sag' more than 5AR4s.

Tube Vs. Solid State Rectifiers

The above article is just a reference, as I've heard pretty much the same info there about 5AR4s given online over the years too, all the way back to during the pre-Internet Aspen Pittman Groove Tubes books.

 

[1 bottlerocket]

5 hours ago, Cboss said:

I have a fantastic NOS 5ar4 left over from my Deluxe reverb, bought from Brent jesse, it is almost new, let me dig out the box and I will send you some pictures if you'd like, PM me your email address please, if interested

I also have two fantastic 6v6 power tubes, same story NOS from the good old days bought from Brent jesse, barely used, they've just been sitting around, if anyone is interested in those let me know

Have you sold those 6v6s?

[Cboss]

23 minutes ago, 1 bottlerocket said:

Have you sold those 6v6s?

PM sent

[luis]

I have lots of european and american tubes (about 200 units,maybe more).

 el-84-el34- gz34- ez81- ef86- ecc81-82-83 and american 6v6.

All the tubes are tested in two tube testers modern one and Hickock 600A. Some are tested in a Funke 19 also.

I am overseas however.

Let me know if anyone is interested in.

 

PS: Arnie I remeber you help me in the past so I will return your kindness if you need so.

[Jakeboy]

@crunchee, my preference for vintage glass is twofold: reliability and tone. I find that old Euro/USA/Japanese tubes last much longer and fail far less often than NP tubes. This has been my experience in my amps.

Tone is more subjective, especially with rectifier tubes. It’s subtle but they do a better job of converting and regulating AC to DC to my ears than NP. And that affects how the amp sounds. When I had a TopHat Marshall clone built recently, I sent some old glass to include a gz34 to Brian Gerhard and he was blown away at how much better they all sounded..,and he swapped them in and out with NP tubes repeatedly. I need all the help I can get and I play better and sound better with good tools..,and for me at least, that includes good glass.

[1 bottlerocket]

2 hours ago, luis said:

I have lots of european and american tubes (about 200 units,maybe more).

 el-84-el34- gz34- ez81- ef86- ecc81-82-83 and american 6v6.

All the tubes are tested in two tube testers modern one and Hickock 600A. Some are tested in a Funke 19 also.

I am overseas however.

Let me know if anyone is interested in.

 

PS: Arnie I remeber you help me in the past so I will return your kindness if you need so.

Where are you located? I'm in Switzerland.

[luis]

I am from Spain.

I guess your country has some agreements with UE so it would be Custom free fee.

[Jakeboy]

@Cboss has what I needed. Thanks!

[hamerican gigolo]

I don't see the " tone " differences in rectifier tubes when it's not in the signal path. As long as it drops the proper B+ voltage, there should be no tonal advantage/disadvantage whatsoever .

[Cboss]

13 hours ago, hamerican gigolo said:

 

 

Edited November 4, 2024 by Cboss

[DaveH]

14 hours ago, hamerican gigolo said:

I don't see the " tone " differences in rectifier tubes when it's not in the signal path. As long as it drops the proper B+ voltage, there should be no tonal advantage/disadvantage whatsoever .

It's not so much about "tone", per say. It's more about the touch response of the amp, and how the amp responds to the dynamics of your playing. If you're using a high gain-balls to wall amp, it means nothing. If you like to play low gain amps cranked (i.e. Top Hat, early Marshall, etc,), and rely on the guitar volume pot along with your touch/style, then it can mean a lot.

Your left hand is what you say, and your right hand is how you say it. Its all about dynamics. In this case even the power supply can influence your tone, because your approach is going to influence it too... The sags, the swells, the blooming notes, and all that good stuff. Decades ago, Ken Fisher would not build a Rocket amp for someone unless he had access to an NOS Mullard or Telefunken GZ34 for this reason.

[luis]

Also, old GZ34s realibility is higher than current ones, they stand more current flowing. Some modern rectifiers failed easily.