Anyone here into tube electronics?

[Unobtainium]

I'm from the old school, I suppose. I like vintage tube gear, amps, tuners, receivers, from the golden age of audio, namely the 1950's to early 60's. I prefer spinning vinyl on my Thorens TD124 turntable through my Fisher 800C tube receiver. I don't care for digital, or the sound of CD's. They seems to lack the warmth of analog music reproduction. Anyways, just curious if there are other tube-a-holics on this forum.

[iOWNme]

Im with you...

Im a musician and use tube amps. decade old Mesa stuff. I actually found a local place that sells vintage tubes used. Some incredibly priced stuff. I have some tube mic pre's i have swapped tubes in, just to mess with different sounds.

But there is no doubt that digital audio is POOP.

Listen to an analog record like Jimi Hendrix, Beatles, Floyd. There is no amount of production in the digital world today (or talent) that can duplicate the warmth they were able to produce. It is outstanding.

I was born a bit late for records, (75') so i never really got to enjoy them. I grew up with cassette tape! Which in hindsight probably sounded better than current cd's....LOL

Long live tubes!

[Dave Thomas]

I sure wish the audiophile community would drop the whole tube avenue. I mean why matched pairs of 300Bs should cost close to 1200 bucks is beyond me.

Leave it to audiophiles to make something so simple and cheap, exotic and expensive.

All things equal, I like tubes in my finals, since I have a bit of breathing room, oh and I'm talking radio not audio amps.

Still getting around to one day building a guitar amp out of a 6146s.

Heh.

[Mouse]

I would like to get my hands on some tube stereo stuff, but it's really expensive. I will say that without a doubt, you cannot get a guitar to sound right without tubes. A lot of people can't tell the difference, but when you hear a guitar played through digital or transistor stuff as opposed to tubes, to the guitar tube snob, it sounds really bad. I can usually point it out a mile away, especially the trashtone emanating from POD units.

[Unobtainium]

I sure wish the audiophile community would drop the whole tube avenue. I mean why matched pairs of 300Bs should cost close to 1200 bucks is beyond me.

Leave it to audiophiles to make something so simple and cheap, exotic and expensive.

All things equal, I like tubes in my finals, since I have a bit of breathing room, oh and I'm talking radio not audio amps.

Still getting around to one day building a guitar amp out of a 6146s.

I hear ya. The Western Electric 300B output tubes are outrageously expensive, but that is because they are NOS (New Old Stock). There is a finite amount of them in existence and that drives the price into the stratosphere. The Chinese are making a knock off 300B that is closer to earth in price, but not in sound.
I really like the build quality of USA made tube gear. Built like a tank and made to last. Most of the off shore stuff is crap.

Heh.

[Unobtainium]

Im with you...

Im a musician and use tube amps. decade old Mesa stuff. I actually found a local place that sells vintage tubes used. Some incredibly priced stuff. I have some tube mic pre's i have swapped tubes in, just to mess with different sounds.

But there is no doubt that digital audio is POOP.

Listen to an analog record like Jimi Hendrix, Beatles, Floyd. There is no amount of production in the digital world today (or talent) that can duplicate the warmth they were able to produce. It is outstanding.

I was born a bit late for records, (75') so i never really got to enjoy them. I grew up with cassette tape! Which in hindsight probably sounded better than current cd's....LOL

Long live tubes!


I was born in 1955, and remember feeding the jukebox with a quarter to listen to the latest Hendrix release. Those were the days... ;D

[Unobtainium]

I would like to get my hands on some tube stereo stuff, but it's really expensive. I will say that without a doubt, you cannot get a guitar to sound right without tubes. A lot of people can't tell the difference, but when you hear a guitar played through digital or transistor stuff as opposed to tubes, to the guitar tube snob, it sounds really bad. I can usually point it out a mile away, especially the trashtone emanating from POD units.




Check out your local garage sales. You'd be surprised at all the great old tube gear you might find.

[saint]

I would like to get my hands on some tube stereo stuff, but it's really expensive. I will say that without a doubt, you cannot get a guitar to sound right without tubes. A lot of people can't tell the difference, but when you hear a guitar played through digital or transistor stuff as opposed to tubes, to the guitar tube snob, it sounds really bad. I can usually point it out a mile away, especially the trashtone emanating from POD units.




Amen.

I have a line 6 amp that I use for practice, it has neat little gimmicks like music beds to play along with. I use it primarily with headphones and the effects can get the SS electronics to sound about 50% as good as a tube amp.

When it comes time to play out - I always go for my Fender twin reverb.

Nothing like the sound of a driven tube amp. ;D