Tubes, Tubes, Tubes -- Resources for Rollers!

Discussion in 'General Audio Discussion' started by The Alchemist, Oct 7, 2015.

  1. velvetx

    velvetx Gear Master West/Vendor Spotlight Moderator

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    I would say that either of those things work but definitely be careful with the amount of pressure you apply as you are only working on scraping away the oxidation.
     
  2. The Alchemist

    The Alchemist MOT: Schiit - Here to help!

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    thank you velvetx
     
  3. JK47

    JK47 Guest

    I use gun brass bore brushes from Walmart. 1-2$ each. Work like a charm and cheap for a single brush that will last a while.
     
  4. velvetx

    velvetx Gear Master West/Vendor Spotlight Moderator

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    Kind of curious how this turned out? Were you able to clean them without issues?
     
  5. Griffon

    Griffon 2nd biggest asshole on SBAF

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    Anyone has any knowledge of Sylvania green hornet tube?
     
  6. The Alchemist

    The Alchemist MOT: Schiit - Here to help!

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    Honestly, I have been too afraid to mess with them and try to clean them because those tubes were expensive (well expensive for me anyway) - but After having them a few weeks, there is no popping or any noise coming from them any more, I can start to hear their warmth now and they sound really nice - so as long as that continues I am just going to leave them alone. Thank you velvetx for asking!
     
  7. gurubhai

    gurubhai Friend

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    I have been trying a few 6DJ8/6922 tubes in my 6AS7 OTL and here' s how I would rank them ( lower down is better)

    All tubes in this comparison were from Heerlen (delta code), Holland.

    6DJ8 (nickel pins) :

    Amperex label, Orange Globe, 1967

    HP label, small halo getter, 1962

    Philips label, small halo getter, 1966

    Amperex label, Bugle Boy, 1965

    Philips label, large halo getter, 1962


    6922 (gold pins) : These are in general more refined and resolving than the nickel ones but some of these can sound too soft for my liking.

    Philips E88CC, SQ , 1968 or 1965

    Beckman E88CC 1962

    Amperex Bugle Boy E88CC 1962

    Miniwatt E188CC, large halo getter, 1963

    Miniwatt E188CC, D getter, 1959 = Mullard E88CC, large halo getter, 1960

    Valvo, pinched waist, 1956

    Feeling too lazy to post details but if someone needs me to compare a specific pair, let me know.
     
    Last edited: Nov 2, 2015
  8. kevnin

    kevnin #facetweeting - Friend

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    So after saying I didn't want to just buy from some random Ebay seller, I went ahead and bought a pair from some random Ebay seller. :D The price difference for the ones I decided I wanted vs a dealer was just too much. I bought a pair of 1969 Valvo E188CC with same date codes from the Heerlen, Holland factory for $130.

    Guess I lucked out cause they sound great. There is increased texture to the mids and bass vs the stock tubes on my mjolnir2. Female vocals sound really good. I also feel like there is increased detail, though it is hard to say for sure without swapping back and forth, which is kind of a pain.

    From what I've learned the brand on the label and the exact year does not matter, as long as they are E188CC from Heerlen in the 60's they will have the same sound.
     
  9. batriq

    batriq Probably has made you smarter

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    I try to never scrape the pins of tubes. Tube pins are usually plated and scraping them deteriorates the plating. Also scraping reduces the contact area of the pin with the socket. Shiny smooth pins are preferable. I use alcohol to clean the pins. Isopropyl alcohol is OK; it sometimes leaves a white residue so make sure to wipe it off. Ethyl alcohol would be better. If they're in really bad shape, I use BlueMagic 300:
    http://www.amazon.com/BlueMagic-300-Metal-Polish-Cream/dp/B002UJ1DD2/
    You have to follow the BlueMagic with alcohol to remove the silicone coating it leaves on. I've cleaned silver plated WE tube pins with that.
     
  10. The Alchemist

    The Alchemist MOT: Schiit - Here to help!

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    The whole tube rolling thing to me is a bit scary. What I mean is, it's kinda like tattoos. The more you get, the more you want, or at least want to try. This adds much more money to your audio gear budget. Gosh I hate t be poor lol.
     
  11. JK47

    JK47 Guest

    Invest in a tube tester if you plan on rolling tubes. My testers have saved me $$$ big time. I end returning almost 1 out of 3 vintage tube purchases, even from "reputable sources". Even had a seller try and send me back the same tube I returned, hoping I wouldn't check it again. The vintage tube world is murky and full of fabulous stories, it's almost fun..if you have a tester...
     
  12. The Alchemist

    The Alchemist MOT: Schiit - Here to help!

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    thanks for the advice -it would be even more better if I had the money to experiment with different tubes lol. But so far, I am extremely happy with the advice I have received for the Amperex Orange globes
     
  13. johnjen

    johnjen Doesn’t want to be here but keeps posting anyways

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    As an alternative try scotch brite to clean the pins.
    It is much less abrasive and puts way less stress on the pins etc.

    It comes in various grits and is a flexible, porous, pad that will conform too the contours of the pins.

    And I'll second the idea of getting a tube tester.

    Some can be had for ≈ $100 depending…
    I just got my hands on a transcendent tube analyzer that needs some repair.

    It is quite a useful tool.

    JJ
     
  14. MIKELAP

    MIKELAP New

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    These little rubber bits work great but didnt last very long and because of the vibration that i felt while cleaning the pins of my small tubes i was worried that it would crack the glass when i tried this method. Best and cheapest thing i found so far is fine sandpaper
     
  15. Shaffer

    Shaffer Acquaintance

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    FWIW, I use the scraping technique with only the dirtiest and most corroded pins. It works well in this application in conjunction with a small, dull Swiss army knife. Typically, if the pins need cleaning, I'll spray a tiny amount of Deoxit (full strength) onto a Q-tip and brush the pins, let them sit for a short time, and then clan-off the residue. Really, I only clean pins if they indicate a need to be cleaned. Otherwise, a quick wipe with an alcohol prep and into the amp they go.
     
  16. IndySpeed

    IndySpeed Friend

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    For cleaning tube pins, I have been using an eraser (the type that is actually used to clean model train tracks) and 99.953% pure isopropyl alcohol with a Q-Tip. I clean the glass tube with a cloth with distilled water. I'm new to tube rolling. Is this an ok way to do this? Or could it cause any problems?
     
  17. IndySpeed

    IndySpeed Friend

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    Here are my impressions of the tubes that I have tested thus far for my Schiit Lyr 2:

    [​IMG]

    For anyone that is interested, here is my review philosophy: http://www.waltershobby.net/reviewphilosophy.html

    Also, I have tested each tube for a ton of hours with a HD600 (stock) and HE-500 with velour ear pads with music ranging from Classical to Heavy Metal/Grunge, and my signal chain is a Linux Laptop w/DeaDBeeF player (using ALSA directly) -> Schiit Wyrd -> Schiit Bifrost Multibit -> Schiit Lyr 2. All cabling is Blue Jeans including the USB 2.0 cables except for the headphones which were stock or Moon Audio Blue Dragons. As a side note, the tubes were allowed to warm up sufficiently before listening critically, and the Bifrost has been on for many weeks without actually turning it off.
     
    Last edited: Jan 27, 2016
  18. shaizada

    shaizada Friend

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    Bhai, you missed a very very important tube in this list. The Amperex 7308 Green Label...I suspect it will go to the top of the list :) Probably the best of this family of 6922/6DJ8 variants.
     
  19. gurubhai

    gurubhai Friend

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    From what I understand, Amperex 7308 was manufactured at New York factory of Philips.This list included only the tubes from heerlen, holland. I do have a couple of US made E88CC and they would probably feature somewhere near the top of the this bunch, but the 1956 pinched waist is in a league of its own.
    Another tube that I really like and of particular interest to fellow Indians is the 1960s E88CC of Indian make, it has that 'heerlen' sound but with better treble extension and dynamics.
     
  20. shaizada

    shaizada Friend

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    Guru, do you have a way of getting some of the Indian make E88CC? I have a feeling this might have been made my BEL (Bharat Electronics). They had all Mullard tooling, but I might be mistaken. If you can get a pair of the Indian E88CC, I'd love to try them. If not, no harm :)
     

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