Using Older Tubes(IE ones made about 40 years ago or more)

  • Thread starter Thread starter Sabith
  • Start date Start date
S

Sabith

New member
Well, I was searching around my dad's workshop lookin for any old gear I could salvage, and I stumbled upon a box, about 2'x1'x1' filled with tubes. These tubes were givin to him by HIS uncle....... so that dates them........

I have a tube from Rogers(U know, Rogers Video, Television, @home ect....) that was made when they were soley in the tube business. Back when their logo had a tube through the "o" and their colours were green and yellow..... hehehehe so thats another example of how old these tubes really are.

BUT my question is, how different will these tubes sound from the tubes made now-a-days. I found 2 12ax7's and 1 12ax7a. And I know I can put these into my Bluetube, and regardless of what the consensus is I think I will experement with em anyways, but I'm just curiuos.......

What U guys think will happen?
(btw the brands are Rogers, Hit-Ray and Westinghouse if that makes a diff)

Sabith
 
I also had a bunch of old tubes I bough from a guy years ago. They are dated from the 60's. I switched out the 12ax7 from an Art Tube MP and put tried a variety of different tubes, RCA's, Westinghouse, Philips.

It's an interesting thing to do, I didn't do any damage in my experiments with them. Ended up leaving one of the old tubes in it. Overall, I didn't notice a helluva lot of difference. Mostly in the gain, which is interesting in itself.
 
Hello Sabith, I do not know too much about the tubes you described but , I did work at Philips for twenty five years in R & D fabricating different types of Plumbicons which are color tv camera pick up tubes. This tube was a mainstay in the color tv camera market for over thirty years until CCD's came into being. As far as the tubes you describe: As long as the "getter flash" usually barium, is still in tact, the tube should work as when new. If the getter flash (silver color) is shrinking, that means the tube parts are outgassing or, the tube is losing vacuum. If that is the case, the tube will not perform to it's standards or at all.
Later...Den
 
Thx, I'm lucky that my dad is an old school electronics guy, so he knows all about tubes, but I didn't think of checking them for that, thx!

and I have a bunch of those old tubes for TV's....... big mofo's........ =)

Sabith
 
Sabith,
My dad is an old tube guy too, with loads of old gear just waiting to be restored/pillaged. Lots of old/new tubes, and he has a tube tester, too! UTC transformers, telefunken tubes and lots of parts that just aren't made anymore! I was always into electronics, I couldn't help it, dad's business (electronics repair) was connected to our house, but only recently have I really gotten into old tube gear. Dad is pretty psyched that I'm getting into it and it makes him happy to haved saved and pack-ratted all the stuff that he did. I love my dad........not just for the gear, dad.

peace.
 
I bought a '58 Gibson GA6 in the early 80s that had Sylvania 6V6 "blackout tubes" from WWII,painted black so the glow wouldn't give your gig away to enemy bombers at night!
6V6s had about half the voltage of the modern 6L6 and the distortion quality was correspondingly less high gain and more rounded like EL34s.

Tom
 
recently my uncle passed away and he had boxes and boxes of old tubes ,He was a radio technician in and after wwII.They all got sold to some collector:( I sure which I kept 'em for myself.tube testers also.And loads of all these oscilliscopes and stuff that I did not know what it was for.I did get a multi meter though.
RIP uncle frank..
 
Hey Dr.Den! Was that in Eindhoven?

Dr's advise is spot on, but I'd like to add that vintage "new" tubes are often a lot better then new ones, as in the "old days" they simply made them better
 
Hello Sjoko2, I worked at Philips in Rhode Island and traveled on company business to Eindhoven many times in 25 years. Each time was between 4 to 8 weeks. So, needles to say, I know Eindhoven very well. I also agree with your comment. Later...Den
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top