Which vacuum tubes are valuable?
Here is a shortlist of valuable vacuum tubes for collectors:
- The 2A3 (from $50), 45 (from $25), 50 (from $200) are enjoyed explicitly by the audiophile crowd.
- The 12AX7 preamp tube (from $10)
- The American 6L6 tube (from $15)
How are vacuum tubes named?
The US names “vacuum tube”, “electron tube”, and “thermionic tube” all simply describe a tubular envelope which has been evacuated (“vacuum”), has a heater and controls electron flow. In many cases, manufacturers and the military gave tubes designations that said nothing about their purpose (e.g., 1614).
What are the types of vacuum tubes?
There are a lot of different vacuum tube types, all with their own applications, characteristics and construction, most of which fall into four general types: (1) The diode, (2) the triode, (3) the tetrode, and (4) the pentode.
How can you tell if a vacuum tube is bad?
Sometimes you will hear strange sounds, loss of power, or heavily distort sound. These are signs that a tube is failing. Often power loss that seems like the amp is performing at half power or less will be one or more bad power tubes, or even a dying phase inverter tube.
What is the oldest vacuum tube?
thermionic valve
1904: British engineer John Ambrose Fleming invents and patents the thermionic valve, the first vacuum tube. With this advance, the age of modern wireless electronics is born.
What does Jan mean on a vacuum tube?
Joint Army Navy
The JAN designation is found on many American made new old stock tubes, and stands for “Joint Army Navy”. It means they were originally built for the military, often with improvements in their construction and quality control.
Where are vacuum tubes manufactured?
Most of the world’s new production vacuum tubes are now manufactured in Russia, Slovakia, and China.
Are old vacuum tubes worth anything?
Any early vacuum tube with a “tip” (the little glass nub on the top) and a brass base has some value to collectors even if it’s just usable for display. Common tubes manufactured in the late 1950s or 1960s used primarily in televisions currently have little or no value.
Do vacuum tubes have a place in the future?
Future: The Nano Vacuum Tube. Vacuum tubes may make a comeback and replace standard microchips. Engineers have been able to build a structure in phosphorus doped silicon and use nanotubes to build a switch. These devices can operate 10 times faster than silicon transistors.
What is the best preamp vacuum tube for bass guitar?
The ECC803s/12AX7 Gold Pin Preamp Vacuum Tube from Tung-Sol is a Russian-made tube reputed for its ultra-low microphonics and low noise. Bass guitarists opt for this Tung-Sol 12AX7 because of its pleasant 3D soundstage and also for its engaging dynamics and elegant mids.
Are tube preamps any good?
Tube preamps use vacuum tubes which don’t behave as predictably as digital audio signal processing. This means that no two tube preamps will sound precisely the same, and performance can vary greatly across makes and models. To help you make the right decision, I’ll take a closer look at the best tube preamps on the market right now.
What power supply does the Universal preamp use?
The preamp uses a 6CA4 tube rectified power supply which is very quiet. The Universal preamp is fun as it allows tube rolling to compare various tubes in your stash.
What is a 12AX7 preamp vacuum tube?
The Mullard 12AX7 preamp vacuum tube is a superlative high-gain twin triode optimal for use in hi-fi amps. The Mullard ECC83 large plate tubes which were in vogue in the 60s and 70s have inspired this 12AX7 that simulates their signature sound.