The tube find thread.

[charles hidalgo]

My recent score last weekend is going to take months to sort through. Thousands of tubes were found last week and I'll be showing some random tubes that I personally will keep and use in my tube gear to stuff that I just find interesting. There's everything from tubes covered in almost mud, NOS tubes in minty boxes to tubes that are in random boxes that are new and dead. Those will be the toughest as every box will eventually need to be opened as not to miss anything. For instance I came across a small box of about 50 tubes that were in shredded boxes that were mostly TV type boxes and upon opening them I came across probably 30 6SN7's in GT and GTA that all tested acceptable and a dozen or so that tested new and above. It's been sorting, cleaning, testing, and finally grading a few hours a day and I have not even made it though a few hundred. Here's just one example where I found a small box with about 35 tubes in it and I recognized them right away after inspection. 80% of the box tested strong and bright! The pics show the condition from dirty to clean to testing strong. The "Green Eye" or 6U5, 6E5, 6G5 guys will like this. There are even some 1629 "eye" tubes (For AC radios you can make a simple voltage doubler that will convert the 6.3 volt filament of the original tuning eye tube to over 12 volts DC for the 1629). These are not any "audio" type tubes I would use but it's an example of some desirable tubes that were dirty and just piled into a box glass on glass.

 

[thin_ice]

Interestingly enough, these arrived yesterday. They are 12AU7 tubes to try with my Rogue V2 (pre section) that I purchased from MikeT (great amp, thanks again!). Someone over on Hoffman had recently enquired about rolling 12AU7 and someone responded he had a bunch he would sell for shipping and a few extra bucks. The OP responded that he would rather get them from a reputable dealer. His loss, my gain, they were mostly purchased from Brent Jessee. So far Baldwin, a couple versions of Sylvanias, RCA. I figured "it never hurts to ask". SCROE!

 

[charles hidalgo]

In the garage since 2a.m. and brought inside 4 more big bags of tubes to be sorted, cleaned, and tested. I opened up a big box (approx 18"x20"x12") and I had to have a seat. Dozens of EL34's! Most codes on the majority of the batch including inspecting visually show EL34/6CA7 Mullard made in Blackburn, UK, brownbase, XF2, single halo getter made for RCA so far. Some blackbase also. I'm going to end the week of tube sorting on a high note with quite a few 1960’s and some early 1970’s EL84 tubes rescued today.

 

[old_borg]

Any updates on this find?

 

[charles hidalgo]

Thousands of tubes that ALL have to be gone through, each box opened (as many tubes are not what the boxes say), cleaned, tested, then sorted. I have been going through small batches at a time when I can but this will take months and months even if I do it a little every day. Many test bad but surprisingly enough most test very good to new. So far early on I am already way ahead of what I paid. I serviced and restored the tube testers (one from 1935 a "Jackson 535a) a B&K700, and a SECO88 that work great, and I might sell a few as I have a great TV-7D/U already. Sooooo many tubes that I hope to start some builds based on the amazing tubes I have found, researched (so many cross references with adaptors etc) , recorded test results, boxed up, and put away in a prioritized way. These tubes go back to the late 20's-60's, but some stop somewhere around the mid to late 70's. There's the 45,46,47,42,6v6,6l6,2a3,6sn7,12sn7 etc but then when you think you have seen tube after tube again you (or me I should say) stumble across a half dozen NOS testing Bendix 5992's!! So I will plow on and check EVERY single box till whenever I'm done.

 

[charles hidalgo]

Snapped a few examples …

 

[charles hidalgo]

Hundreds and hundreds of little guys.

 

[old_borg]

So, can we start hitting you up when we're looking for tubes?

 

[charles hidalgo]

I'm currently not selling anything. Though I have been around tubes since I was 12 if I did sell them in the future I want to be absolutely positive I am not selling them for too much or too little, as I have not really sold them before, but I sure have bought plenty over the years. If I could help people at some point with tubes that they may want or need I would certainly love to help. I'm hoping I will be in a better position to to answer your question possibly in a few months as I am not going to hoard this stuff but I definatly want to go through everything and then offer up some stuff soon. It would be easier if what the boxes said is what actually was inside of them but too many do not so I'm having to open every single one. The tubes that are not in boxes also are another story as I have to clean dust and dirt off of every single one while being careful not to remove any logos or lettering that they may have. I just ordered hundreds of new tube boxes ( I've went through all I had) so after testing they can go in and values recorded so it's a massive time consuming task. I'm going to see if I can get my godson to help as to speed a few steps up but cleaning and testing I would only trust to myself at this point.

 

[old_borg]

Appreciate the care you're taking with these. There might be a reason they've ended up in your hands!

 

[Andyman]

In the garage since 2a.m. and brought inside 4 more big bags of tubes to be sorted, cleaned, and tested. I opened up a big box (approx 18"x20"x12") and I had to have a seat. Dozens of EL34's! Most codes on the majority of the batch including inspecting visually show EL34/6CA7 Mullard made in Blackburn, UK, brownbase, XF2, single halo getter made for RCA so far. Some blackbase also. I'm going to end the week of tube sorting on a high note with quite a few 1960’s and some early 1970’s EL84 tubes rescued today.

Wow, if you have dozens of Blackburn EL34s, you've truly hit a motherlode as those are perhaps the most sought after EL34 out there.
Congratulations on your good fortune!!

 

[Ernie]

If the guitar guys get word of what you've got, they'll be lining up outside your door. They are crazier than audio guys, for certain tubes, EL34s among them.