Mic Kaczmarczik's TubeInformation - The Blue Guitar

From Kevin@UPSCALEaudio.com Fri Jul 12 20:46:17 CDT 1996
Article: 11979 of rec.audio.tubes
Path: geraldo.cc.utexas.edu!cs.utexas.edu!swrinde!sgigate.sgi.com!news1.best.com!nntp.primenet.com!news.primenet.com!primenet
From: Kevin@UPSCALEaudio.com (Kevin@UPSCALEaudio)
Newsgroups: rec.audio.tubes
Subject: How to tell if Tubes are FAKES? Was: Source/subs for GZ34?
Date: 12 Jul 1996 07:11:01 -0700
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In article ,
Elton Toma wrote:
>
>
>On 11 Jul 1996 Kevin@UPSCALEaudio.com wrote:
>
>> I have some rarer stuff too for the folks that need it...1950's Philips
>> Miniwatt made in Holland, G.E's, Mullards, etc..but the pricing is almost
>> embarrasing...even to me.
>
> How can I tell if the Mullard or GE 5AR4s I have are real or made
>in Japan versions? How much are the 'real things' going for these days
>anyway?
>
>Elton
Real Mullards 99% of the time will have a hole in the center locating key...in
addition, at least in the falsely labeled Mullards and RCA's, there is an X
sheped seam in the top of the glass, and the getter is a dark caramel color.
One other thing....a fellow netter bought a couple of the Amperex JAN 7308's
being advertised by Four Seasons Audio in Audiomart. We were discussing tube
upgrades for his equipment, and when I recommended Amperex, he said he had
some, and they suuuuucked. I asked him if he got them from Four Seasons...he
seemed suprised that I knew.
He has now sent them to me for inspection....they're cheap ass Russian
6DJ8's..the biggest piece of shit in the 6DJ8 world....I mean, they could have
at least used Russian 6922's if they were going to bullshit the public.
I called Four Seasons a year ago, first to buy some (and I would have at that
price...a bargain), but after I heard the description I new they weren't real.
I told the owner that I know that tube about better than anybody...and he was
doing his customers a disservice...and his position was "prove it, show me in
print in some Amperex literature". I also called Audiomart, and they said
well....it's a tough one with tubes...but they wouldn't do anything. Could
this have something to do with the advertising revenue they get from Four
Seasons?
The problem here is there are a lot of people trying this tube and either
getting turned of to the glory of tube hi fi or as a minimum getting ripped
off and thinking "yea, I tried the Amperex...they sucked"...when indeed
they're one of the all time greats in the 6DJ8 family. I expect this type of
stuff at a hamfest....I mean it's so common, and the fakes are so obvious it's
almost laughable and boring..but a high end dealer should either know better
OR be concerned when more than one expert has clued him in. Shame on Four
Seasons AND Audiomart.
Best Regards,
Kevin Deal