I might of over cared for my NOS tubes...

Discussion in 'Audio Hardware' started by apesfan, Oct 14, 2014.

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  1. apesfan

    apesfan "Going Ape" Thread Starter

    As some here know Im into Nos 12ax7 tubes from Amperex foil Bugles to Mullards 56-59 long plates , Telefunken and all Medical and rare early year tubes. They make a mediocre amp (Vincent 236mkII) incredible.
    Problem, I over cared or loved the tubes so I clean, Caig them and so forth and now I have a crackling, hissing right channel. I got 99 percent alcohol and cleaned up all I could and now I ordered a tube care kit from Music Direct. It arrives Thursday.
    The distortion seems to be getting ever slightly better with I assume the heat from the unit drying up the muck I caused. When the kit arrives I will be very judicious.
    Has anyone done the same thing to their setups and how did it turn out, I hope I did not permenantly cause a right channel socket problem. Im not that handy when it comes to MY stuff. Take care all, some advice and replies cause I feel like a mooron. John M.
     
    Last edited: Oct 14, 2014
  2. chervokas

    chervokas Senior Member

    I suppose it's possible you got some gunk into a tube socket, though if you just used Deoxit and alcohol on the pins and thoroughly dried them my guess is that that's probably not the issue (with some old used pulls with blackened pins I've used silver polish on a cotton swab, Deoxit and alcohol before and not had any problem, thought I only use that kind of stuff if there's visible gunk and tarnishing.) It's also possible that you have have a tube that's gone noisy. It does happen. Is this cracking and hissing in the right channel happening with known good tubes? Does it move from channel to channel when you swap tubes?
     
  3. Upinsmoke

    Upinsmoke Well-Known Member

    Location:
    SE PA
    I thought Caig was the company that made Deoxit. Just make sure you don't spray the tube or the socket with anything that might have a lubricant in it, like the Deoxit Gold. You want to leave no residue. Products like Deoxit Gold are more for a shot in the pot after using a cleaner on it. Just make sure your pins are clean again and your sockets.

    Edit: also you can spray a proxabrush with deoxit to go in the pin holes on the socket.
     
  4. apesfan

    apesfan "Going Ape" Thread Starter

    It was deoxit gold-bad. I did put another tube in the right socket and the noise was still their.
    My gut tells me the socket needs a proper cleaning. The tubes are not blackened just silver and very slightly aged sort of speak. I over cared for it. Alchohol the deoxit gold liquid which I left on while putting the tubes back into the socket.
    I did this once when I got all the new tubes and all the sockets/tubes made noise when I wiggled them during their noise festival. After a few minutes it all went away. Now the right socket is staying noisey but livable and like I said as I play the unit as it heats up it seems to get ever so slightly better. No matter how this post sounds I do not twist and turn and abuse the tubes in the sockets as they are removed. Just wanted to add that.
    The Music Direct kit is the Caig- Tube Survival Kit. 24 bucks. The sockets look clean but initionaly the gold stayed on the white socket and had to be wipped off. I learned my leason. Tommorow kit arrives as I said and clean the socket and dip the pins though they are clean and no gook. I dont know?,,, Keep writing, John M.
     
    Last edited: Oct 15, 2014
  5. Upinsmoke

    Upinsmoke Well-Known Member

    Location:
    SE PA
    I'd get a can of the regular Deoxit - no lubricant in it, and try that on the socket. Also get a pack of the proxabrushes from your local drug store. Just don't go crazy jamming them into the socket holes though.
     
  6. Bill Hart

    Bill Hart Forum Resident

    Location:
    Austin
    I have that kit, and it contains the cleaner and the contact enhancer coating (for high heat), along with a selection of brushes, pads, swabs and the like. I'm always reluctant to poke stuff into sockets, let alone put any kind of liquid on them, via a brush or otherwise. One thing I do use- killer app, as they used to say, is an Eraser Co. Fyber brush pen to clean the tube pins. It leaves no particles that can arc or screw up the tube. The company makes a variety of these things, in different grades of coarseness, and they are sold in pen like holders, along with refills. The only problem is that nobody seems to sell these at retail- and a minimum order is 100 bucks as I recall. It is a great product. I got tipped to this from Albert Porter.
    (I had an old Mullard fat base rectifier that apparently had very thick pins, and a little work with the Fyber brush- voila- fit like a charm).
     
  7. chervokas

    chervokas Senior Member

    Just be careful sticking anything in the tube sockets. Not only should you unplug the unit, you should also discharge the caps before sticking anything in the tube socket, and certainly anything conductive.
     
    Bill Hart likes this.
  8. apesfan

    apesfan "Going Ape" Thread Starter

    Well this is a laugh. The Amperex foil tube thats in the common position (V1 for guitar)- the two Mullards are after it for left right playback is the culprit.
    I removed the Amperex and put many many other tubes in the slot and all played well. I never thought only HALF the tube, the right filiment would go bad. I called Brent Jesse audiotubes.com and I must return the bad amperex and he will send a new on. He would send a new one right away but my credit card is full.
    So I guess thats it. I put in its place an Amperex Medical from1958. Almost as sweet but not quite.
    Take care all Ill report back after the new Amperex is home or some other tragedy hits:shake: Bye, John M.:goodie:
     
  9. Metralla

    Metralla Joined Jan 13, 2002

    Location:
    San Jose, CA
    I bought one of those many years ago at Fry's in Palo Alto. Although they leave no deposit, they are made from spun glass and particles of glass break off and need to be blown away. It's a great tool though.
     
    Bill Hart likes this.
  10. apesfan

    apesfan "Going Ape" Thread Starter

    The new Amperex rplacement- the Amperex foil getter 12ax7 1956 BugleBoy- to me is the greatest small tube in my system I ever heard. I will buy a third one just in case- NUTS I know. Take care, John M.
     
  11. daglesj

    daglesj Forum Resident

    Location:
    Norfolk, UK
    Is it a good idea to keep playing around with tubes? Plugging, unplugging, handling etc. I thought tubes were meant to be pretty much 100% reliable...as long as you leave them alone and just let them do their job. Kind of like messing around with halogen lights..not good.
     
  12. chervokas

    chervokas Senior Member

    Well, you're very unlikely to do any damage to the tubes by changing 'em. As for 100% reliability, nothing's 100%, the old production ones tend to be pretty darn reliable, new production ones it's more of a crap shoot. Of course I guess if you have tube sockets mounted to printed circuit board and you're pulling 'em in and out a lot, you might have a problem with the circuit board, especially if you're wiggling the tubes or pushing and pulling hard. But just changing tubes and tube rolling (and not trying to swap 'em while they're hot or something), you're extremely unlikely to do any kind of physical damage to the tubes.
     
  13. GreatTone

    GreatTone Forum Resident

    Location:
    Falls Church, VA
    Just for future reference, I am not a fan of the DeOxit products. Way overpriced, and IME they all leave a residue to some extent. If I need a spray, I prefer something like plain old non-residue contact cleaner:

    https://www.techspray.com/p-19-g3-contact-cleaner.aspx

    Much, much cheaper and better than DeOxit. Really fine sandpaper works well on tube pins too, as long as you wipe off the particles afterwards (gold-plated pins should probably just be left alone).
     
  14. apesfan

    apesfan "Going Ape" Thread Starter

    A family friend who works for Northrop/Grumman uses this stuff. John M.
     
    GreatTone likes this.
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