Tube Costs

  • Thread starter Thread starter glpg80
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Cool thread..got inspired to go thru the "stash"..totally forgot about these..they've been sitting buried in a drawer for 15 or so years brand new never used..




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Krull said:
Better switch to digital. ?
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The problem with digital isn’t that they don’t sound like tube amps anymore.

The problem with them is that specific IRs have to be used to make them sound like the real deal which is more money. It isn’t any different than the hassle of purchasing tubes to be honest.

You have to dive deep into menus to tweak because the stock settings are useless garbage even with aftermarket IRs. It’s a real honest hassle that people just don’t want to deal with. Why can’t they come sounding good without needing to be tweaked?

The advantage of a tube amp is that you turn it on and just play.

I haven’t spent this kind of coin on tubes in maybe 25 years. Every once and a while I have to buy a few but they last quite a long time.
 
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I got a spare quad of JJ EL34s from Euro Tubes this week, they said they are getting a big resupply of all kinds of JJs in about 2 weeks, so if you are good with those, it's a good place to look. Prices still reasonable for the moment.
 
War isn't helping either. You'll see a dramatic price increase in some months.
 
9985 said:
I got a spare quad of JJ EL34s from Euro Tubes this week, they said they are getting a big resupply of all kinds of JJs in about 2 weeks, so if you are good with those, it's a good place to look. Prices still reasonable for the moment.
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JJs aren't made in Russia or China, so they'll probably be all that's available for awhile. I've been hoarding tubes over the years so I probably have a lifetime supply of what I need, though I still stress about having enough with 9 amps and another on the way. lol I had ordered some more 6L6s from Eurotubes the other day. They showed available on the site, but they were not in stock so the order was cancelled. I found the 6L6s eleswhere for slightly more. I'll be buying more KT88s from them when they come in.
 
HarryCooter said:
Most of the time shipping goes like that. A few months ago I had a situation where I shipped a TC100 with 2 day shipping to New Jersey and the amp was lost for a month. But, I made sure I demanded that it be scanned at pick up so the buyer's purchase was protected, because that's the right thing to do with someone else's money on the line. With Tube Depot, my package eventually got to me after a few weeks. But they allow their packages to be picked up with no scan. After mentioning the problem with that to them, they made it clear that they couldn't care less. So, I got to deal with the whole "we shipped it" and "we never got it" run around for those few weeks. They can blame USPS all they want for delivery times(which were terrible and USPS's fault), but it only takes seconds to ensure the customer doesn't get screwed, and they don't care enough to do that. If a business doesn't give two shits about my money, I'll take it elsewhere.
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Tube Depot's Customer Service is terrible. I had an issue with an order awhile back, and the guy I spoke to was a real asshole. Rude, mouthy, and could care less.
 
glpg80 said:
The problem with digital isn’t that they don’t sound like tube amps anymore.

The problem with them is that specific IRs have to be used to make them sound like the real deal which is more money. It isn’t any different than the hassle of purchasing tubes to be honest.

You have to dive deep into menus to tweak because the stock settings are useless garbage even with aftermarket IRs. It’s a real honest hassle that people just don’t want to deal with. Why can’t they come sounding good without needing to be tweaked?

The advantage of a tube amp is that you turn it on and just play.
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Amen.
 
mhenson42 said:
Fixed!
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That was true 10 years ago. Now they can sound identical under a recording but not in the room. So I agree - in the room there’s no contest. Under a microphone they’re there, but need a lot of babysitting.
 
Searched for two days and scrounged up 5 chinese 12ax7’s….used to get these for $7 each. Limit 2 of one brand and three of another. Dang Wizard is picky….
 
Greazygeo said:
Searched for two days and scrounged up 5 chinese 12ax7’s….used to get these for $7 each. Limit 2 of one brand and three of another. Dang Wizard is picky….
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Yeah I had the same problem. I started ordering from companies I hadn’t even heard of before but they had what I wanted in stock.

I didn’t buy as much as I should, but I know it will hold me off for a while at least.

I didn’t realize this until now, but with the amps that I have in my arsenal as they sit right now, there is legitimately $1,000 in glass between all of them. Just nuts.
 
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The EL34s I ordered are backordered. But the two matched quads of 6CA7s I ordered were here in two days. I'll settle for those.
 
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