Let’s be real - were most of Brent Jesse’s tubes really NOS? I have serious doubts. The Mazda 12AX7’s I got from him early on measured a LOT stronger than the ones he sold years later. Ebay is a fine source of tubes. I’ve had good results and the prices are better. You DON'T need to buy strictly NOS anyways. Check seller feedback, and look for measurements from a good tester (not emissions). If you do this a lot, you’ll want to have your own tester to re-match and screen the duds.
Where do I Go for Tubes now that Brent Jessee has Closed Shop?
I've been buying tubes from Brent for many years. I am now looking for 12AX7 tubes as back up for the tubes I now have in my 80s preamps (ARC SP-6B and the rare Paragon System "E"). Since I only use the phono section of these, I'll need 3 tubes for the SP-6B and four for the "E". I'm most interested in the Amperex and Mullard brands. I like a warm, full-bodied sound. I detest any and all sibilance.
I completely missed his closing. So now where do I go?
I've looked at the SND and vacuumtubes.net. These seem to have most reasonable prices. Are they legit? I will not buy from eBay.
What are other well-regarded vendors?
My sincere apologies if this duplicates an existing thread.
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Was also a Jesse customer but I purchased many from TX Audio Tubes via Reverb. He has been pretty good and consistent. There are a few good sellers also in usaudiomart that also publish measurements. My other one has been TC Tubes. Purchased many from them also and were all pretty reliable. |
- 31 posts total