Sweet Find

[Daniel Sorbera]

Earlier today I was cleaning some of my grandparents stuff and we we're throwing away a whole bunch of old military radios and other things that I had no clue what they we're.

I salvaged

5 Sylvania 6V6GT

1 Tung-Sol 6V6GT/G

1 CBS 6V6GT

1 KEN-RAD 6V6GT/G

(I was already planning on making an amp with a single 6V6. Aussuming they all work, which 6V6 do you think would sound better?)

2 matched Sylvania 6L6GA

a bunch of 12AT7

a couple 12AX7

a whole bunch of Sylvania 12SL7GT (no idea what there used for, it looks exatly like a 6V6)

and a lot of other tubes that I have no idea if they can be used for guitar building.

All the tubes look in good condition but is there some way I can test them to see if they work other than sticking them in an amp?

[haggardguy]

If the matched 6L6Ga tubes work fine want to give them to me?

I know that theres some form of machine that can test tubes but I don't know where youwould have access to one. Sweet find though, sounds awesome.

[Daniel Sorbera]

If the matched 6L6Ga tubes work fine want to give them to me?

Not a chance buddy

[crafty]

Hmmm...old tubes, especially used ones, can be funky, man. I used to go to Hamfests where there'd be a ton of old tubes sitting in tubs for a nickel a piece that no one would touch unless they were desperate. Some of the NOS tubes still in the little boxes were a good deal, but not the ones with hours on 'em. I would never try testing used tubes by installing them in a modern amp, either.

Unless you're getting started in building tube projects, I'd pitch 'em.

[M_A_T_T]

A tube tester is needed to test them. I have an old one from the 1950's my dad gave to me, still works.

[Daniel Sorbera]

I have an old one from the 1950's my dad gave to me, still works.

Well that don't help me much.

Unless you're getting started in building tube projects

Thats exatly what I'm doing.

I figured I'll build the P1 Extreme from the ax84 website for my first amp.

[soapbarstrat]

What's the worst that can happen if you build a simple little amp and use a power tube that's dead or near dead ?

I have a nice little collection of old tubes I've found. !2AX7's, 12AT7,EL84's, 6V6's

Perhaps the best one, is the CBS 12AX7 that was in the old 60's stereo put out for the trash by the lady up the street. I looked up that tube on the internet and found this about it :

"CBS 7729 / 12AX7 Low noise industrial version of the 12AX7, with gold plated pins. This is a nice, but very scarce, version of the 12AX7 only made by CBS. Perfect for tube microphone preamplifiers. $55.00"

[crafty]

What's the worst that can happen if you build a simple little amp and use a power tube that's dead or near dead?

Not much. I just wouldn't, say, retube a brand-new 6505 with some junk-drawer tubes. But if you're just getting started building some projects and you want some tubes you don't mind burning up, I say go for it. Just don't get your hopes up with stripped parts is all I'm saying.

[Southpa]

One of my BEST finds at a garage sale. I picked up a Jackson model 49 tube tester for 5 bucks! yeah, I know, doesn't do you any good ...sorry.

[lovekraft]

Godin, surely there's an amateur radio hangout somewhere near San Antonio! There used to be a couple of military surplus outfits in your area that I ordered components from back "in the day", but that was back when phones still had dials and cords. Check your local area for HAMfests and amateur radio clubs, those guys often have access to tube testers. Bottom line is, even if you can't get 'em tested, if they were removed from working equipment, they're probably as good as anything you can buy at Guitar Center, even used. Those JAN spec military tubes are very tough! We pulled a couple dozen 12AX7s out of a telephone switchboard last year that had been removed from the local Air Force base back in the 50s and stored pretty haphazardly in an old warehouse ever since, and all but one was 90% or better on the tester. As always, YMMV, but my experience has been positive almost without exception, so you're probably sittin' in high cotton.

[soapbarstrat]

According to my old 'Groove Tubes' book, it's the *power* tubes that take the real beating during use, while a quality *pre-amp* tubes can last for years and years, under normal, regular use.

But I wonder what kind of wear and tear happens on power tubes that were in equipment that wasn't "cranked up" like most guitar amps often are, Like the 4 Magnavox 6V6GT's in the latest tube stereo I found.

If any of these old tubes are good as new, I still wouldn't put wear on them just for 'around the house jamming'. I keep saving mine for a possible future recording project. I mean I wouldn't want to be left with nothing but new Sovteks when tone becomes real critical. In other words, I think for experimenting on a new amp, something you can easily buy new, right now, is better for taking your chances with.

Don't forget about other components out of old tube equipment, like tube sockets, pots, power transformers. If I could only have a set-up to know the specs for all the output transformers I have

I have already built one little 5 watt tube amp 95% from junk parts I found or was given. I actually think the results are more pleasing than if I would build a guitar from scratch.

[Scott Rosenberger]

Get yourself a THD Univalve Amp and go to town with those tubes

[Daniel Sorbera]

Get yourself a THD Univalve Amp and go to town with those tubes smile.gif

I would if I had the money. Oh trust me I would