Winged C's out of production?

  • Thread starter Thread starter projectx102
  • Start date Start date
Just thought I'd bump this. Been looking at some SED winged C's today and both tube depot and doug's tubes say as of February 2014 the SED factory is no longer producing glass tubes. Maybe it's been talked about here before, but just wanted to see if anyone else saw this. Just checked SED's site and it says they stopped production in '12 as well with no intention of producing them in the future.
That blows! :thumbsdown:
 
It's coming. When the machinery reaches the end of it's useful life, the ROI on replacing it simply isn't there these days. Better start hoarding...or get an Axe Fx :scared:
 
jkkkjkhk":1cyupj2w said:
Just thought I'd bump this. Been looking at some SED winged C's today and both tube depot and doug's tubes say as of February 2014 the SED factory is no longer producing glass tubes. Maybe it's been talked about here before, but just wanted to see if anyone else saw this. Just checked SED's site and it says they stopped production in '12 as well with no intention of producing them in the future.
That blows! :thumbsdown:
Click to expand...

There is a guy on TGP selling 5 quads of SED Winged C EL34's
 
SED plant has been closed for a while. Any new SED tubes you find are either NOS or factory seconds. I'd stay away from them personally.

Got a matched set months ago that shit themselves. Sounded like crap too.

I've switched to KT77.
 
Yep SED did stop making receiving tubes back in 2012. You can still buy them especially EL34's but since it is now a finite number, they are very expensive, and the quality is not what it was. I have seen many catastrophic failures as of late with several of them.
 
Also, when inquiring to tube sellers, be aware that some of them are now asking "what they will be going in". It seemed silly yet harmless, so I played along with one a few months ago to find out why, and was a little shocked with the logic.

He claimed that since my 100 watter was a push/pull type circuit, that I did not need a truly matched quad. He advised that I merely needed two pairs (Outer ttube pair and then the middle pair), that were capable of handling 50 watts....collectively. "Oh....well you just need a 20 and a 30 grouped together.....and I think I have a 19 and a 31 that we can group together, too".

I make no claims to being a tube guru, but that truly sounds fucked up to me. When I stated that I would rather just have a true matched quad, he then told me that it would be impossible from the 50-60 SED's that he had on hand, in stock.

Maybe I am wrong, but I will just stick to the matched SED quads that I have stashed away, and hope for the best.
 
I have not bought the =C= tubes due to them being double what other decent alternatives cost. EH, JJ, Groove Tube, Ruby - all have decent EL34's.
 
Interesting. Seems now the overriding opinion of SED's is that there's equally tonefull, cost effective tubes available in response to their NOS status.
I made this claim a year ago and got trashed for it. :confused:
Oh how the worm has turned...
 
guitarman967":14jnzt7e said:
Interesting. Seems now the overriding opinion of SED's is that there's equally tonefull, cost effective tubes available in response to their NOS status.
I made this claim a year ago and got trashed for it. :confused:
Oh how the worm has turned...
Click to expand...

No.

SEDs are still one of the best tubes as far as I can tell. But because they are no longer being produced, most SEDs you find available are either factory seconds or not the cream of the crop. Therefore, the other good tubes out there that are still in production are a better bet. That doesn't mean those other tubes were ALWAYS better.
 
FourT6and2":3c0eqklh said:
guitarman967":3c0eqklh said:
Interesting. Seems now the overriding opinion of SED's is that there's equally tonefull, cost effective tubes available in response to their NOS status.
I made this claim a year ago and got trashed for it. :confused:
Oh how the worm has turned...
Click to expand...

No.

SEDs are still one of the best tubes as far as I can tell. But because they are no longer being produced, most SEDs you find available are either factory seconds or not the cream of the crop. Therefore, the other good tubes out there that are still in production are a better bet. That doesn't mean those other tubes were ALWAYS better.
Click to expand...


Very true, also SED is responsible for upping the quality and standard of current production EL34's. Before SED there were the Chinese and Russian (Sovtek) versions and they were good for the 4th of July fireworks, totally crap, so much Marshall stopped making EL34 based amps. When SED came on the scene, Marshall started making EL34 amps again. Also right about he same time Groove Tubes got the Tesla company to make a EL34LS, this was right before JJ bought them and took over.

SED's are more vintage EL34 sounding, with great mids and even bass and highs. The other offerings today have a more modern vibe thus the reason they are liked more by metal players. But the SED were the only current production EL34 that could handle 500V on the screens, thus the reason they were known as bullet proof. All EL34's can handle 800V on the plates, but the screens are were the weakness of that tube is, and most guitar amps run the screens about the same as the plates.

The Chinese tubes made from Shuguang and re-branded by TAD, and Ruby IMO are the best current EL34 offerings out there.
 
baron55":2v4bjb7h said:
FourT6and2":2v4bjb7h said:
guitarman967":2v4bjb7h said:
Interesting. Seems now the overriding opinion of SED's is that there's equally tonefull, cost effective tubes available in response to their NOS status.
I made this claim a year ago and got trashed for it. :confused:
Oh how the worm has turned...
Click to expand...

No.

SEDs are still one of the best tubes as far as I can tell. But because they are no longer being produced, most SEDs you find available are either factory seconds or not the cream of the crop. Therefore, the other good tubes out there that are still in production are a better bet. That doesn't mean those other tubes were ALWAYS better.
Click to expand...


Very true, also SED is responsible for upping the quality and standard of current production EL34's. Before SED there were the Chinese and Russian (Sovtek) versions and they were good for the 4th of July fireworks, totally crap, so much Marshall stopped making EL34 based amps. When SED came on the scene, Marshall started making EL34 amps again. Also right about he same time Groove Tubes got the Tesla company to make a EL34LS, this was right before JJ bought them and took over.

SED's are more vintage EL34 sounding, with great mids and even bass and highs. The other offerings today have a more modern vibe thus the reason they are liked more by metal players. But the SED were the only current production EL34 that could handle 500V on the screens, thus the reason they were known as bullet proof. All EL34's can handle 800V on the plates, but the screens are were the weakness of that tube is, and most guitar amps run the screens about the same as the plates.

The Chinese tubes made from Shuguang and re-branded by TAD, and Ruby IMO are the best current EL34 offerings out there.
Click to expand...

I've tried the Ruby BHT and BSTR. Bother are pretty good. A little brighter than most though. The BSTR sounds a bit like the Gold Lion KT77 (which is what I currently use) from what I remember.
 
^^^ That's for sure.

Picked up a couple of quads from a place recently and had to send them both back. Shit quality, had to be these factory seconds.
 
I have Ruby Winged C's in my Mark III, not sure if they're from the SED factory relabeled or if different all together. Don't want to start a shitstorm but what would be considered the "new" top quality 6L6 out there now (that is assuming SED was considered the top)?
 
jkkkjkhk":pvh0d87c said:
I have Ruby Winged C's in my Mark III, not sure if they're from the SED factory relabeled or if different all together. Don't want to start a shitstorm but what would be considered the "new" top quality 6L6 out there now (that is assuming SED was considered the top)?
Click to expand...

I don't know if the SED 6L6s were ever the best. Most folks usually talk only about their EL34s. For 6L6s, though... I don't know... there's a lot of choices out there.
 
FourT6and2":2og14yl4 said:
jkkkjkhk":2og14yl4 said:
I have Ruby Winged C's in my Mark III, not sure if they're from the SED factory relabeled or if different all together. Don't want to start a shitstorm but what would be considered the "new" top quality 6L6 out there now (that is assuming SED was considered the top)?
Click to expand...

I don't know if the SED 6L6s were ever the best. Most folks usually talk only about their EL34s. For 6L6s, though... I don't know... there's a lot of choices out there.
Click to expand...
To be honest I don't have much experience with different brands of tubes. I always read Mesa Mark guys talk about the old sylvania's (??) that came in them back in the 80s and how nothing quite compares, but the SED Winged C's were the best after those.
 
charveldan":3h9ckrzd said:
https://www.tubedepot.com/products/sed-svel34-power-vacuum-tube

$50 bucks each as many as you want, whats the problem beside the price ?

*** Also there's a virus on this thread [ not the rest of RT] that my spyware keeps blocking.
Click to expand...

The problem is they don't actually have any...

And Doug's Tubes only sells singles, no matched sets. Also, there are factory seconds floating around out there. No way to tell what's what at this point.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top