Who are the trustworthy sources of New Old Stock vacuum tubes? - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / general

author: cvanc
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: January 30, 2019, 01:50:08 pm
content: Hi all-I find myself getting busier and busier fixing old tube stuff. No one is more surprised at this than meThere's so many players in this space, it's challenging to know which are solid purveyors and which are not.Would love to get input and build a list of the good guys to shop NOS tubes with. I'm in the USA but am already getting tubes sometimes from Canada so international sources (if trustworthy) are fine.All comments, good or bad, welcome. Thank you.

author: plurn
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: February 02, 2019, 10:12:59 pm
content: Electols/Halfin in Belgium are trustworthy. They have been around for many decades. They have been around so long I would not be surprised if they purchased tubes direct from the manufacturer at the time they were made decades ago and have had them sitting in their warehouse the whole time (though I don't know this for certain).They are slowly ending tube distribution as their tube guy has retired but they still have stock.https://halfin.com/history/https://electols.com/shopping/en/content/7-ending-tubes-distribution

author: 0culus
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 03, 2019, 05:43:57 am
content: If you have surplus stores around you, be sure to check them. My local ones have mountains of vacuum tubes. Not necessarily a lot of the common ones made expensive by audiophools and guitarists, but definitely a LOT of radio and TV type tubes that those crowds don't care about. You'll want your own tube tester(s) of course, so you can verify what you're buying.

author: SilverSolder
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 03, 2019, 03:49:25 pm
content: Aren't there people making new vacuum tubes as well? - There is definitely a market, would be surprising if nobody stepped in!

author: 0culus
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 03, 2019, 04:04:06 pm
content: Yes, but most production focuses on a few types that are commonly used in amplifiers. And quality control is nothing like it was in the golden age for tubes.

author: Exosia
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: February 03, 2019, 04:35:44 pm
content: https://dbtubes.com/en/

author: rdl
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 03, 2019, 04:56:13 pm
content: A search on ebay in "vintage tube and tube socket" category for tube NOS results in almost 40,000 hits.

author: WA1ICI
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: February 03, 2019, 06:34:44 pm
content: Antique Electronic Supply in Tempe, Arizona (https://www.tubesandmore.com/) used to carry a large stock of NOS tubes, but over the years have de-emphasized this and specialize in musical instrument items (i.e. guitar amp stuff). They do carry many new-production tubes. They also have a wholesale division that carries the same items: CE Distribution (https://www.cedist.com/).Disclosure: I do consulting work for Antique Electronic Supply, and designed and built their Apex tube matching system.Vacuum Tubes Inc. in Orlando, Florida (https://vacuumtubesinc.com/) has an extensive line of NOS tubes. It is run by Jim Cross, who I know, and is very trustworthy.Ebay is always an option, but the word trustworthy generally doesn't apply. However, I have had no problems purchasing ex-Soviet tubes from various Eastern European and ex-Soviet countries.- John Atwood

author: PA0PBZ
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 03, 2019, 07:12:20 pm
content: https://www.vivatubes.com/Bought a few times from them, they are ok.

author: 0culus
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 03, 2019, 07:30:55 pm
content: Quote from: 0culus on February 03, 2019, 04:04:06 pmQuote from: SilverSolder on February 03, 2019, 03:49:25 pmHere's a decent breakdown (as of 2016) of the manufacturers still in business. tl;dr, all manufacturing is split between China (greatest volume), Russia, and eastern Europe. JJ in the Slovak Republic (Slovakia) produces using original Tesla tooling.https://theartofsound.net/forum/showthread.php?44432-State-of-the-Vacuum-Tube-Industry-2016

author: coppercone2
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 06, 2019, 05:42:43 pm
content: What is the apex tube matching system?I dont see mention of it on their website. Is it like a iv tester for tubes?

author: rhb
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 06, 2019, 07:31:31 pm
content: FWIW I've been sorting my dad's tubes. That's pretty much completed. I know there are more, but not sure how many. Most are US military surplus. I've collected a large number of small boxes so I can repack the tubes by type for easy access.I don't want to be in the tube business. I just want to sell this stuff off at decent prices. I've got around 2 dozen VT-211s and I'm guessing 30-40 VT-52s. Then lots of other general purpose tubes. The stuff you buy because it's the tube equivalent of a 2N3904. I've got loads of what are basically 6L6s with 3 V filaments. They were used in bomber intercom systems.I bought a TU-7/B that had been refurbished and calibrated about 6 months ago. So anything I ship will be tested before shipment and the measurements provided.

author: Stray Electron
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 07, 2019, 02:04:55 am
content: I know the owner of this placehttp://www.thetubecenter.com/and I trust him and they have about a zillion tubes. He is the largest tube dealer in the US. What part of the US are you in? There is an upcoming show at the warehouse and he lets people in to dig though the boxes and search for un-inventoried items. He bought out many of the tube dealers in the US and has, literally, rooms full of electronic parts that have never been unpacked or inventoried.Give them a call and tell them what you're looking for.rhb: Give them a call, they buy out other dealers all of the time.

author: MarkL
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: February 07, 2019, 08:10:51 pm
content: Surplus Sales of Nebraska has a large selection of tubes (and many other hard-to-find old electronics parts and equipment):http://surplussales.com/Tubes-Sock-Acc/index.htmlI've purchased from them before. They're not the cheapest, but the quality has always been great.

author: rhb
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 07, 2019, 11:09:38 pm
content: I'm in central Arkansas. TubeDepot is in Memphis, but they seem not to be interested unless I want to sell tubes really cheap so they can sell them the VT-211s for $300. I never even got an offer on the 211s.I'd guess I have 1000-2000 tubes, mostly AF and RF power tubes, Typically 30-100 of each type. We lived in Brooklyn at the time and Dad would go to Cortlandt street looking for bargains. for his projects. Sadly his employer moved us and then two years later were going to move us again when Dad quit and we came to Arkansas. Sadly, Dad never had a workshop setup gain. He would still fix the TV, I'll never forget 4 15-20 watt wirewound resistors wired up to replace a value he could not find, with wire leads and lots of electrician''s tape.High on my list of things to find is the mono HiFi amp he built about the time he was making a pair of knockoffs of Klipsch corner horns. A friend supplied materials and Dad scaled the patent drawings and built them.It was no longer functional at the time, but Paul and his wife lived about 30 miles from our restaurant and motel, so they would come in late just before the kitchen closed and the 3 of them would listen to records together as all 3 liked the same music. The corner horn sat mute, but I always thought it amusing that Dad's piracy got caught 30+ years later. Of course, Paul was a real gentleman. I didn't care for German art songs, so I didn't often hang around, but Paul was a delight to chat with.

author: WA1ICI
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: February 07, 2019, 11:58:14 pm
content: A detailed description of Antique Electronic Supply's Apex tube matching system can be found here:https://www.apexmatching.com/They have been using it on virtually all of their new-production power tubes for the past two years. The common types (6V6, 6L6, 6550, EL34) can also be burned-in. See:https://www.apexmatching.com/apex-burnConstruction details here:https://www.apexmatching.com/designing-our-systemElectronic hardware design and construction by me, software by Dan Moberly at Antique Electronic Supply.- John Atwood