Buying tubes...do they vary???

I don't own CJ gear so I can't say why you would need to purchase the tubes from them, but I'd would expect that as long as you get matched pairs/quads you should be able to get them elsewhere. Both vendors you mentioned are reliable; have purchased new production tubes from both, as well as some NOS tubes from tubedepot w/o any issues

The last thing you want is to buy new tubes from Joe Blow Tube Supply, only to have some fail prematurely.  I definitely would do some research on the Audiogon forums and not simply buy from the cheapest supplier out there that pops on your first google search.   

I had good luck with RAM Labs (tubeaudiostore.com) on a fairly recent purchase of twelve tubes to retube my Music Reference RM9 MK II.  Buying from CJ is also a good option.   Good dealers of vintage NOS tubes include Brent Jessee and Vintage Tube Services.

I once purchased power tubes from a self pronounced tube guru & dealer of audio equipment based in California, only to have one tubes fail within 20 hours.  When I called requesting a replacement I got a lot of attitude, even though the tubes were guaranteed.  He told me I had to ship it back on my dime so he could test it.  I chose to cut my losses and moved on.

+1 for Andy at Vintage Tube Services. He's probably one of the best in the business.

I too would suggest either CJ (if you want the same sound you had when you bought the amps) or, if you want to try vintage tubes, Andy at Vintage Tube Services.  Andy would certainly be able to suggest tubes that would suit your tastes, as he's very knowledgeable about which tubes will give the desired result in your amps.

Appreciate the responses folks, thank you! Yep, will have to take a look at Vintage Tube Services.

Thank you!

Andy is great and sells top quality NOS tubes, but I don't think he sells new production power tubes.
If the tubes in your CJ say EH 6550, then you can replace them from one of the reputable dealers. The key is in testing for the lowest noise and microphonics, then matching the tubes. I'm sure that's what CJ is doing and charging a higher price.

Power tubes do more so than the smaller signal tubes IMO and why you buy matched sets.

Chuck 

Aside from the Tubedepot 

+1 on Brent Jesse
and will add tctubes, and thetubestore

They are the same tubes and will perform the same!

elizabeth

Then you get into NOS where the stock ALL used, just not worn out.

Oh no, not if the product is properly labelled. NOS means "New Old Stock," not "slightly used old stock."

 I guess I always thought these supposed caches of 1950's etc. tubes were mostly slightly used tubes that tested out as basically new stock.  The thought that all of the modern tube vendors could have such a wide variety of NOS tubes in such numbers in stock is rather unrealistic.  Perhaps those valves should be called SUNOS.

Elizabeth. you have to understand that back in the 40's, 50's, and 60's there were tens of thousands of new tubes produced. Not just for people's TV;s and radios, but for medical equipment and for the military of which great supplies where produced but not all used. There is a vast supply of those old tubes out there that never saw daylight outside the boxes they were put in. Call Andy Bauman of VTS. He will give you the REAL skinny on what is out there, NOS......

@mr_m , you’ve brought up an interesting subject. I like to deal with Andy of VTS not only for his high quality tubes and advice, but also to hear about his experiences in the electronics/tube world. He once told me about after WW II and Korea, the techies would grab all the tubes they could gather and ship them home. The tubes came from radio installations and anywhere electronics were used; that includes the enemy and the Allied forces supplies. Tubes were even scooped up from the battlefield.
I once ordered a rare Amperex tube from Andy, he only had one and said he would look for it on the top shelf of an area he hasn’t used for a while. I received the order and the box was dirty, faded, and tattered, just like it had been through a war. The tube inside was perfect and had incredible low noise.

There is a vast supply of those old tubes out there that never saw daylight outside the boxes they were put in.

Think of all the different scenarios where tubes may have come from.

But, I agree with @elizabeth that there are many, many tubes being sold as NOS that were lightly used and taken from electronic devices. If they test well, they are called new old stock. It’s funny how many NOS tubes come in a generic white box.

Love it when a post takes off! Thanks all for the wonderful responses!

lowrider57 and elizabeth. While I believe there are a lot of true NOS tubes out there, I agree that a lot of those tubes peddled as never used is quite likely fraudulent. Or at the very least the seller isn't quite sure of usage. They can say the tube measures strong, but I believe a tube's microphonics and noise levels are at least a probable indicator of much usage or lack there of. IMO.

I agree with the poster who stated that NOS really means the tubes test well or test “like new.” The designation NOS is not (rpt not) supposed to mean brand new nor does anyone who buys NOS tubes expect brand new tubes. I would obtain NOS military grade 12AX7WA (Sylvania and RCA) from a friend of mine who worked in tech at NASA back in the 70s and while the tubes had been used previously they were spectacular. Caveat emptor. Don’t be hornswaggled. You have to do due diligence. There are lots of deals out there the last time I looked about three years ago. I did quite well on eBay for some hard to find expensive type NOS tubes like Sylvania Bad Boys. But you really need to do due diligence since some tubes advertised as Bad Boys aren’t really Bad Boys, but are very close. And when you find the tubes of your dreams be sure and check out Herbies tube dampers and contact enhancer for the tube pins.

NOS tubes come in white boxes because most tubes were bought in bulk by manufacturers or large scale users of electronic equipment. They came in boxes of 100 or maybe even 500. Individually boxed tubes were a smaller piece of the market.

There are still new tubes around, a lot of them actually, but a lot of tubes sold as NOS are not.

NOS tubes come in white boxes because most tubes were bought in bulk by manufacturers or large scale users of electronic equipment. They came in boxes of 100 or maybe even 500. Individually boxed tubes were a smaller piece of the market.

Thanks for that info @tomcy6 .