I think tubes could become a new currency, anyone have change for an EL34

[dhuber]

https://www.gearnews.com/mike-matthews-owner-of-electro-harmonix-says-no-more-russian-vacuum-tubes-in-2022/

[crunchee]

I started getting into tube amps in the early '90s, a few years after US tube production ended, and I remember hearing about guitar players getting concerned about US-made tubes becoming scarce back then.  The sky still hasn't fallen yet, they (NOS tubes) just keep getting expensiver and expensiver.  

[gorch]

Someone should have thought twice before banishing Russia?

[crunchee]

There's always 'amp modeling' amps out there to choose from, like Boss Katanas or Quilters, y'know.

[Steve Haynie]

 

[Dave Scepter]

38 minutes ago, Steve Haynie said:

 

Thanks for sharing... sad but interesting 

[dhuber]

IMO the price of valve amps should decline if vacuum tubes become scarce.  For some years I've had a slight itch for a Princeton Reverb.  Already owning numerous valve amps, there is no way I want to buy more if the price of re-tubing an amp costs as much as decent solid state amplifier.  That's just me.  I think the amplifier manufactures will do just fine as most of them already have a decent solid state and modeling line up.

[jwhitcomb3]

7 hours ago, crunchee said:

There's always 'amp modeling' amps out there to choose from, like Boss Katanas or Quilters, y'know.

I have two Quilters (MicroPro Mach 2, Aviator Mach 3) and a Katana v1 100 1-12. Both wonderful amps, and nary a tube in sight. Katanas are what most folks think of as modeling amps - specifically, digital modeling amps, where the input is converted from the analog guitar signal to digital data, the digital data is manipulated by a computer (usually a digital signal processor (DSP)), and finally converted from digital data back to an analog signal to be fed to an analog amplifier-speaker chain.

Quilters are a different beast. A Quilter is entirely analog (except for the digital reverb circuit). They use class D power amp circuitry which is light weight and generates much less heat than a class A or class A/B amp. They don't mathematically model specific tube amps, but rather the analog circuitry is tuned to emulate certain desirable amp characteristics. The older Quilters are more general in their emulations, while the newer ones (Aviator Cub, Aviator Mach 3 and the SuperBlocks) are tuned to emulate specific classic tube amps. Since the signal chain is analog throughout, they have none of the latency inherent in the ADC-DAC conversion process, which IMO makes Quilters feel somewhat more "connected" to my fingers - but that said, I do often route my signal through digital effects. 

I was pretty tempted by the Fender Tonemaster amps I tried, and many die-hard tube amp fans are begrudgingly admitting they like them. But the Quilter Mach 3 is more versatile, basically simultaneously offering any two of six amp voicings, and all six voicings are excellent. 

All of these amps can get very loud, and can also produce satisfying tones at "honey-the-baby-is-sleeping" volume levels.

This isn't to say these amps will fully satisfy every tube amp lover, but they might ease their pain (financially and physically (tube amps are heavy!)) when tubes and tube amps are at a premium.

[crunchee]

The current situation kinda makes me glad I've got a VHT Special 6 head to fall back on...they use one 6V6 and one 12AX7, but IMO they're much more versatile than an old Fender Champ, and it sounds good to my ears.  You can hook it up to either a 4, 8, or 16 Ohm speaker load, plus they don't cost much used: 

https://www.vhtamp.com/avsp6h

[Disturber]

It is well known that Putin hates rock music. This was his plan all along.

I just ordered from TAD. 1 pair EL34's, 1 pair NOS 6V6's and three 12ax7's. And found two pairs of unused EL34's on a hifi forum that I'm buing as well.

 

[Biz Prof]

I found a matched duet of Russian-made EL34G in my tube box.  Frankly, I forgot I had them since I bought them via phone order from New Sensor back in the mid-90s.   Given that I have two amps spec'd for EL34s and another spec'd for 6CA7s (the tube version of toe-MAY-toe; toe-MAH-toe), I should keep these in my stash, but IF I unloaded them online now, I could probably fill up my truck with gasoline....once.

[LucSulla]

I just bought a Marshall Vintage Modern. The guy had it in the shop when he posted on Reverb, and initially, I retracted my bid. I after talking the GF into receiving it if it got here while I was on a trip, I went ahead a pulled the trigger. 

It was already priced well, but the fact it has all new glass...  man, I'm glad I did that.  Plus, even if JJ KT66s aren't "real" KT66s, they at least supposedly last damn near forever. 

 

[django49]

I wonder what my Mesa 2-Ninety with EIGHT 6L6s is worth this week.......

[LucSulla]

The guys selling NOS tubes in many corners of the web are lagging.  All the sudden $40-$60 NOS pre-amp tubes and $30 organ pulls are looking mighty fine.

[tbonesullivan]

57 minutes ago, LucSulla said:

The guys selling NOS tubes in many corners of the web are lagging.  All the sudden $40-$60 NOS pre-amp tubes and $30 organ pulls are looking mighty fine.

Most are thankfully back in action. For a while they weren't getting any pulls due to Covid crap getting in the way. I think the NOS and ANOS market are still relatively healthy.

Also, while everyone talks about the big THREE, there is actually the 4th, Psvane, based in China. However they are much more directed towards the audiophile crowd at present. Their tubes are nice but pricey compared to what was being produced at the other three major producers.

There are also some smaller makers in China and Central Europe, but most are pretty niche.

[LucSulla]

11 minutes ago, tbonesullivan said:

Most are thankfully back in action. For a while they weren't getting any pulls due to Covid crap getting in the way. I think the NOS and ANOS market are still relatively healthy.

Also, while everyone talks about the big THREE, there is actually the 4th, Psvane, based in China. However they are much more directed towards the audiophile crowd at present. Their tubes are nice but pricey compared to what was being produced at the other three major producers.

There are also some smaller makers in China and Central Europe, but most are pretty niche.

I just bought a quad of Psvane.

Bought another quad of the Redbase TAD EL-34, a quad of TAD KT-66s, and another pair of butt ugly RCA 6v6s, along with some NOS 12AX7s.

I have 3 pairs of EL34s as is and a million different oddball 12AX7s. I don't like all of them in V1 and sometimes V2, but aside from the PI slot, the can go in anywhere else fine.

Worst case scenario, I don't have to buy tubes for a couple of years I guess. 

[Dutchman]

Black Market Russian tubes will still be available, someone will be shipping them out of China, possibly relabled as Chinese tubes. I doubt the factory will close due to USA not allowing direct trade. There will be a work around, but those in need will pay for it.

[LucSulla]

I figure it will all settle out in 12-18 months one way or another.  I just want to make sure I'm good in the meantime. 

On a side note, I wonder how many perfectly good tubes I threw away over the years. I used to buy into that nonsense about changing them every so many months or hours... SMH.  There's a pair of Ei 6CA7s and a couple of pairs of Winged Cs I'd love to have still. I imagine they had plenty of life left.

[Biz Prof]

10 minutes ago, LucSulla said:

I figure it will all settle out in 12-18 months one way or another. 

I'm figuring the same...which is why I made sure I had at least one matched pair. The brown base Tesla EL34L duet in my 50w four-holer was manufactured in the mid-'80s, purchased in '93 for a princely $42 at a vintage guitar show in Virginia Beach, installed in the early '90s, and still test strong.  Not sure how newer production EL34 compare in terms of reliability and strength.

[tbonesullivan]

My Rivera R55-12 still has the original RFT EL34s going strong. I've also got some S.E.D. Winged C EL34s waiting for the right amp to go in. I think I have a spare set of tubes for every amp I have BECAUSE I AM OCD.

[LucSulla]

1 minute ago, Biz Prof said:

I'm figuring the same...which is why I made sure I had at least one matched pair. The brown base Tesla EL34L duet in my 50w four-holer was manufactured in the mid-'80s, installed in the early '90s and still test strong.  Not sure how newer production EL34 compare in terms of reliability and strength.

I'm probably going to drop another $100 on one of those VHT testers/bias units. I think I may start hanging on to the good tubes when one goes, at least as a box of matched emergency backups. I know all that jazz about one going affecting the rest, but I am also very skeptical of a lot of tube amp lore after years of listening to it. 

Also, thanks to the efforts of guys like Pete Thorn and Dave Friedman, I have started buying more for dependability over tone because, with a few exceptions, the former seems quite a bit more variable than the latter, particularly for a guy who is playing bars.  The chances of my playing in an environment ever again where the nuance between tube brands really matters is pretty slim. 
 

 

[Biz Prof]

Shootouts like the ones that PT and Friedman do really are entertaining and informative.  I farted around with a pair of EH EL34s in my shopping cart on one of the tube/amp parts retail sites over the holidays...and of course, they're sold out now.

[tbonesullivan]

I love how that video starts out with an AC/DC riff. Beating Around the Bush. Deeper meaning maybe?

[duncans]

Got me thinking of doing an inventory sooo. 3 pair of nos russian before the invasion, plus all my used ones that still test good. A couple sets of 6v6. Mostly used 12ax7s but all test good. EL34s from my Seymour Duncan Convertible days. 6l6s from various mfg. I have 2 amp that use 6v6 plus one I hope to finish this week. 3 amps that use el84s. And a lonely 6l6 amp. Since I don't play out I think I'm set with tubes. Maybe not as many as a lot of you have but I'm not panicking.

[woodpile]

Glad I switched to my old Peavey Bandit for all rehearsals/practicing a long time ago. Has saved me a bunch on tubes. Also glad I've kept my THD Univalve. That amp does pretty good for most places we play and I've got a ton of Heinz 57 tubes for it. 

Also recently picked up a Quilter Micropro M2 head to go along with a Katana 100w head I have as a backup and future setups. The Quilter sounds really good at all volumes plus I can run an acoustic through it.