Most current production tubes are made in Russia and China. The war in Ukraine and supply issues with China set off a wave of tube hoarding. In order to maintain a supply of tubes for their customers, some tube sellers have limited purchases and raised prices to keep from getting cleaned out.
It has been posted that Electro-Harmonix is still making tubes in Russia and they are not being sanctioned. Electro-Harmonix is owned by an American. China will eventually get back to full production and supply chain problems will get sorted out.
It’s a good idea to have a spare set of tubes on hand, but don’t go overboard and buy a bunch of tubes you may never use.
|
The supply of NOS and "tests as NOS" tubes has been dwindling for the past couple of years. When the Russian tubes stopped being exported there was a run on all tubes from every dealer in the US, Canada, and abroad. Now inventory is limited and dealers that do have tubes have raised prices dramatically.
For example, I wanted to buy a spare set of NOS tubes. I inquired about a pair that I paid $300 for two years ago, one dealer was charging $650/pair and my dealer had no stock.
|
I only buy low power preamp tubes such as 12ax7's....these seem plentiful.
|
NOS 12AX7s have also been affected by the tube shortage. Prices for premium types have increased.
|
I have had good luck finding NOS tubes for my amp because it doesn't use common tubes like those in guitar amps. It uses e180f type which are super cheap and plentiful. NOS Mullards are between $ 6 and $40 , I picked up a pair of JAN USA Amperex for $60, Heerleen mfg 7788 for $50. The rectifiers are 5r4gy , widely available. I was lucky to get 6 JAN CRC circa 1956 for $89 ea. Time capsule condition. 2 Ken Rad from 1945 $40 ea, also time capsule condition...... not really expensive for real deal NOS , most which are JAN military stock .
I also bought 2 pair of Western Electric 300b...... those were not cheap. But they should last a long time .
|
I've noticed that both Upscale Audio and the Tube Depot are running out of tubes, or, at least, they are limiting buyers to ONE TUBE PER MONTH (UPSCALE) or simply out of many popular tubes
omg the sky is falling... 😂
|
Why do you even bother posting jjss?
|
Why don't folks just place a wanted to buy ad. I'd be surprised if some folks didn't have some used or new tubes they would be happy to sell at a reasonable price. I know I do but I'm to lazy to post an ad to try to sell them.
|
The real depletion occurred more than a couple years ago- truly "new" old stock of even common audio tubes is scarce and some of the more desirable old tubes, including rectifiers, are simply not on the market or very recherché. (and you have to know what you are buying).
The latest crunch doesn't affect me since the gear makers can supply most; and the few tubes I roll-- I'm good and have various back-ups. Truly new old tubes of the never used variety have performed better for me than pulls.
Good luck, it's a jungle out there! :)
|
Unfortunately you need to be careful in these times.... just because you are paying premium prices, you aren't always getting premium tubes. Lot of junk out there right now, especially due to the "purge" .... by purge I mean all the "NOS" tubes that aren't really NOS. As much as I hate eBay, I have received some holy grail tubes I could never find locally. When you deal mostly in tubes and have 10,000 transactions like some of these guys with nearly perfect feedback I will take the chance.
Brent Jessee
Www.tubes.rs
Uncle Kevin
Those are the places I trust with respect to NOS.
|
@whart
That’s true about NOS inventory. I noticed about 2 - 3 years ago my favorite dealers were slow to restock premium and popular tubes. That’s when I decided to buy backup pairs of rare and holy grail tubes. I also learned my lesson buying from Ebay, these were not NOS tubes and even with a return policy some vendors would either fight with me or ignore my messages. I finally returned to my go to dealers and waited for inventory to be replenished at a higher price.
Oh yeah, I did find one honest Ebay dealer who states that tubes are new or used and posts test results.
|
I agree you can still find good and honest sellers on ebay, with positive transaction ratings and at least you know that you will get a refund in case something is not as advertised.
But for common tubes like ecc81/ecc83/ecc88 chances for getting true NOS are dramatically low so you trust the test data the seller provides.
Better double check after receiving even on a different tube tester.
|
|
Unless you cannot operate without a particular tube, it might be best to wait until the hysteria\hording abates. Fortunately (or unfortunately) for me, there is no change in the availability and price of the tube types I need (348, 349, 310)--they remain rare and expensive. I have not seen a recent listing for a 348, and the offers I have received are $2,000 each for pulls that test good; the 349s are about the same. The 310s are, fortunately cheaper, but I don't need as many of them.
|
With NOS, this is simply law of supply and demand. There is a finite supply and continuing depletion of that finite supply over time. There will come a day when NOS will cease to exist, I can't predict the day. I assume the larger stashes from closed down factories and hoarding individuals are fast disappearing. Pre-boomers and boomers both had access to large stashes at cheap prices, these guys dead or dying off, where will these stashes come from in future? At some point, end of nos will bring about price pressures on new tubes unless manufacturing ramped up.
Hopefully we'll see both innovations in tube manufacturing which will create new tubes with improved quality over nos, and increased production capability. If not, the future may become grim at some point. As for myself, I mostly now use unusual tubes not in high demand or have my own stash of both NOS and more common tubes.
|
Case in point @rodman9999.
Prices are high though but what can you do.
Always keep some spares.
|
Why do you even bother posting jjss?
sometimes i wonder myself... 😂
it is a such hard, worried-filled life we lead in expensive-tube-amp owners tip-top-1%er land... oh, and then you get old, go deaf and die... wonder how the tube amp aficianados in kyiv are getting tubes these days 🤔... btw i hear there is a quad of kt120’s to be found in the aiming mechanism of bt7 russian tank turrets 🙄
i do hope you find a source a source of cheap plentiful reliable good sounding tubes soon... or at least the reassurance you seek from others in this oft-suffering, deprived community of ours
|
Hopefully we'll see both innovations in tube manufacturing which will create new tubes with improved quality over nos, and increased production capability.
Redesigning what? Tube topology? What makes NOS tubes desirable is their sonic character and durability compared to modern production contributed by used materials used back then. Nowdays most of these materials are health hazardous.
Still you need new plants and raw material, back to square one.
Old tube factories are sold or dismantled, ROI would be low.
As for NOS how many hands to switch before dead if not already.
My friends every year old production tubes availability is dropping drastically and only hope for users to benefit is a min demand.
Anyway procurement was not great, for new tubes, but during this time nothing is.
|
@petg60 I agree that nos tubes have unique qualities that can't be replicated, that's why I mentioned innovation. And I do in fact observe in reviews, have heard and purchased contemporary tubes that match or exceed some nos. Some of the nos tubes such as the 101D and 300B's I use are virtually unobtainable. Thanks to the boutique tube manufacturers nice tubes are available again. We better hope for innovation and attention to making fine sounding tubes in future, barring that, having tube equipment will be less desirable.
|
With the quality of solid state amps these days ie Gryphon, Boulder, Constellation etc...why bother with it?...and that was a rhetorical question
|
I'd add Simaudio Moon to that list missioncoonery. Nothing else has propelled my Martin Logan Summit X electrostatics to the rarified heights they have reached with the 700i integrated by Simaudio.
|
