Who has tube-rolled Audio Note amps?

If I were adding a set, I'd be tempted by the Siemens Longplates. Eis are a great value, IMO.

 

The ones I'm looking at are $80:

"Matched pair of Vintage Mullard 12AX7 / ECC83 made by Mullard, made in Great-Britain, . You will never find better 12ax7, these are truly matched, date codes are both I63. These are ribbed plates, with halo getter. They test very strong, reading are 48/50 & 46/50 where 32/32 is Good 65%, and most of new test 49." I believe the i63 date codes put them around '69 or '70?

Anyone running these?

 

Really? Hence the Amperex suggestion earlier, huh? Hmmm... maybe I'll skip the Mullards then?

 

Thanks Steve!

 

OK, I found, and ordered a matched pair of Amperex 12AX7 tubes for the input stage on my Oto SE.
From the ad:
"Vintage Amperex ECC83/12AX7 tubes. Made in Heerlen in 1966 ( delta etched codes) Holland , Small halo top getter with grey plates, clean pins.

Average good = 70 and strong testing new 12ax7 tubes test around 120

Tube 1- 122-121
Tube 2- 119-122"

The seller is highly rated and very knowledgeable, and related to me a bunch of info regarding the tubes which I didn't know.
They should be here by Friday, will report back on they sound.
Also, is there any trick to replacing valves in AN UK amps? I've never tube-rolled before.
I know to disconnect the mains, and make sure the amp has been off for at least 30 mins for total discharge... anything else?
Are they just pull out/push in?
Thanks in advance!

 

Most all socket are similar. Wiggle the tube gently and apply slight pressure. The pins come through the glass so you don't want to crack the base. It will work out slowly. You can always clean the pins before you put the new ones in, but be sure they are dry and clean. Keep an eye on things when you power up and as the unit comes to temp. Some of the European NOS tubes flash on power up, but continual flashing or anything besides a slow building glow is suspect and the unit should be powered down.

 

Thanks Jupiterboy! Much appreciated. Will do!

 

I have heard various Mullard and Amperex Bugle Boy 12AX7s in four different phonostages. While I don't know about the dates and specific models of tubes, I had a consistent preference for the Amperex Bugle Boy in all of these phonostages. Both are on the warmer side, but, I found the Mullards to be a bit too warm and lacking in clarity in some of the phonostages. I also thought that they sounded a bit oddly "phasey" sounding. The Bugle Boys were great sounding in all four phonostages. For my own phonostage, I liked the Bugle Boys as well, but, in the end, I went with something quite different--Telefunken ECC803S which are leaner, much more clear and extended sounding and have better dynamics (often too lean for many applications, but, not in my Viva Fono).

 

I know you are looking NOS, but the Shugang Treasure and Gelelex Gold Lion reissues are pretty nice alternatives. Something to keep in mind for the future. Edit: I think Psvane is the new Shugang Treasure.

 

Installed a set of the Gold Lion reissues in my Croft pre a week ago & am highly impressed, they walk a lovely line between warmth and detail that encourages long listening sessions.

Psvanes I tried were very noisy, and various users on another forum reported similar, for the money I'd avoid them myself. ymmv of course

 

What should I clean pins with? Alcohol?

 

When I asked about "Bugle Boys" the tube dealer replied:

"There are no such thing as Bugle Boy tubes in reality the Bugle Boy logo was for Amperex tubes sold in the US and Canada in the 60's.
The important thing in Amperex tubes is the acid etched revision of the code and the date of manufacture, you might have 3 tubes with the same etched codes one will be silkscreened "Bugle Boy", the other Philips Miniwatt and the other Amperex ....if they have the same etched codes there is absolutely no difference between the three, they were made on the same tooling and machinery in the same manufacture.
It is actually the Dutch Philips consortium that owned, Amperex (Holland,U.S.A), Philips (Holland), Valvo (Germany), Mullard ( U.K), La radiotechnique ( France), the sure way to differentiate them is the codes and not the silkscreen."

Anyone else familiar with this? I'm a tube newbie, so learning as I go.

 

Probably depends. Some NOS are patinated, some are gold plated. There is a high-heat Deoxit Gold. I use regular Deoxit in a small bottle/brush and hit the pins and then set the tubes up on a sheet of cotton paper and let gravity/capillary pull any leftover cleaner away.

Noticed this in another thread recently.

http://store.caig.com/s.nl/it.A/id.2644/.f

Just don't plug them in wet.

 

People like the pretty silkscreen, but a pro can tell what time/factory. You can often get a better price on well matched NOS that don't have matching art on the outside. One of my Eis is blank, the other says something on it, but the match/performance is what I'm concerned with. My tubes are in the back.

 

Thanks bud!

 

I don't care what they look like, it's all about the sound.

 

Big fan of the Gold Lions as well ... I especially like the Cryoset version.

 

Labels mean nothing. You can find the Amperex name on anything. US made up until 1955, US, Canada, Holland and UK made until the late 70s, then it gets complicated from the late 70s onward when the company is sold again. The Amperex manufactured in the 80s should be avoided since they were not made in the US nor by Philips. Again, do not get fooled by labels. Manufacturing code and tube construction are everything.

 

Finally received both tubes in good order and installed them last night.
They certainly smoothed out after warming-up for 30 mins and then the first hour or so of playing.
Definite change (in a very good way) to the sound of the amp.
I'll write a detailed post after the weekend when they have at least 20 hours on them of playing time.
Thanks again to everyone for helping me on the forum, especially our host, Steve, who told me to get these tubes to begin with, based on Peter Qvortrup's personal recommendation for the Oto.
Cheers
–R

 

I'd clean those pins

 

Compared to the Sovteks (which is all I can personally compare these Amperex to in this amp, in this set-up/space) they make a dramatic improvement over the entire tonal/timbral spectrum - every instrument, every voice - and just incredible holographic/3D-spatial imaging on a level I've never been exposed to before.
Highs are sweet, without even the slightest hint of hardening, and the midrange is like golden, liquid smoothness. I want to say grainless, but it's not because any bow rasp, horn blaat or huskiness in a voice comes through with exquisite detail.
Bass has definitely extended and tightened-up. Drums/percussion are just incredibly lifelike; the decay on trailing notes - especially piano (pedal movement as if it's in the room!) - well, to me, it feels like you could reach out and touch the sound. The music has become a far more palpable, living presence in the room.
So, ya, they seem pretty good
I get why tube rolling is so crucial now, and am looking forward to grabbing some different 12ax7s in the months to come to further tune/enjoy a different flavor in the system...
As I mentioned mine are from '66, which years of the Amperex are you most familiar with Steve?

 

Man do I love following threads like this. Tube rolling is an addiction.