What's with tube vendors these days??

[KenW]

I was looking for some NOS tubes and sent a few emails out. The responses have been more than a bit puzzling. Is it now the norm to have customers place the order without knowing what brand of tubes he can expect to receive? Maybe I'm being unreasonable, but I'd kinda like to know what brand of tube I'm actually going to be receiving BEFORE I place the order. Is this now how the tube vendors operate? Is it accepted that Sylvania, RCA, Tung Sol, etc....are all pretty much the same so who gives a flip? All of a sudden, SS is looking pretty good to me again. Someone want to make a beta22 for me?? \

[JBLoudG20]

I'm in for a Beta!

[JBLoudG20]

good deal!

[KenW]

how about this, ken, i'll trade you the Beta JBLoud builds for your Supra

Hmmm.....tempting. You throw in a MicroStack and I'll let you take my Opus, too.

[postjack]

deal [me=EdipisReks]spits in palm[/me]

[me=postjack]waits for the scene to segue into a Swearegan blowjob soliloquy [/me]

[KenW]

If I weren't secure in my own masculinity, I'd begin feeling as though this thread had taken a distinctly uncomfortable turn.

[Dusty Chalk]

Is it now the norm to have customers place the order without knowing what brand of tubes he can expect to receive?

No. And you're not being unreasonable. L, Kevin Deal even knows what period his came from.

I mean, if it's an esoteric tube, you shouldn't expect much variety in your choices, but I still don't think it's unreasonable to ask what brand you'd be getting if you ordered them within the next two days.

And I realized you haven't spoiled anything yet, but please keep your fucking television discussions to your fucking selves, cocksuckers. I do intend to watch Deadwood someday, you fucking fucks.

[Guest sacd lover]

I was looking for some NOS tubes and sent a few emails out. The responses have been more than a bit puzzling. Is it now the norm to have customers place the order without knowing what brand of tubes he can expect to receive? Maybe I'm being unreasonable, but I'd kinda like to know what brand of tube I'm actually going to be receiving BEFORE I place the order. Is this now how the tube vendors operate? Is it accepted that Sylvania, RCA, Tung Sol, etc....are all pretty much the same so who gives a flip? All of a sudden, SS is looking pretty good to me again. Someone want to make a beta22 for me?? \

Yes, you are being unreasonable. They cant read your mind. Unless you specify what you want they will grab the first tubes on the shelf. Some typical buyers dont feel there is a difference, especially ham operators. So, if you dont let them know what you are looking for they will send whatever. Understand too, when you request a specific tube they may have to look through a hundred boxes to find that tube or even more to locate a matched pair. Expect a brand charge when you request a specific tube brand. Also, some tubes are termed premium. Their website may say $19 for a 6sn7 .... but that TS black glass round plate is going to be priced differently.

[KenW]

Yes, you are being unreasonable. They cant read your mind. Unless you specify what you want they will grab the first tubes on the shelf. Some typical buyers dont feel there is a difference, especially ham operators. So, if you dont let them know what you are looking for they will send whatever. Understand too, when you request a specific tube they may have to look through a hundred boxes to find that tube or even more to locate a matched pair. Expect a brand charge when you request a specific tube brand. Also, some tubes are termed premium. Their website may say $19 for a 6sn7 .... but that TS black glass round plate is going to be priced differently.

Thanks for the information. I assumed, being in the computer age, that they'd have inventory information on hand and could tell me if they had the brand I requested available. Just thought placing an order and paying without knowing if I was going to get the tube I requested was a bit odd. I'd asked for a Tung Sol brand but they informed me they wouldn't even look to see if they had it until I placed the order. Just seemed an odd way of doing things. Thanks for clearing it up.

[n_maher]

Thanks for the information. I assumed, being in the computer age, that they'd have inventory information on hand and could tell me if they had the brand I requested available. Just thought placing an order and paying without knowing if I was going to get the tube I requested was a bit odd. I'd asked for a Tung Sol brand but they informed me they wouldn't even look to see if they had it until I placed the order. Just seemed an odd way of doing things. Thanks for clearing it up.

I've had much better luck with tube vendors when I can get them on the phone. Takes a little more effort than banging out an email but the results are worth it.

[Guest sacd lover]

Thanks for the information. I assumed, being in the computer age, that they'd have inventory information on hand and could tell me if they had the brand I requested available. Just thought placing an order and paying without knowing if I was going to get the tube I requested was a bit odd. I'd asked for a Tung Sol brand but they informed me they wouldn't even look to see if they had it until I placed the order. Just seemed an odd way of doing things. Thanks for clearing it up.

With this info my response is a little different. Here you have a dealer that knows what you want and is going to process the order and send you a TS ... if they have one. I dont like this nonsense either. Tell me if you have the tube, if so I will buy the tube, if not, I am not interested.

One thing you need to understand is a lot of people call a dealer, have them search through untold boxes, they find the tube, and then the caller says .... thanks I wondered if you had that tube and hangs up without buying the tube.

To establish a relationship with a dealer you need to get it into their mind that if you ask for the tube, and they have the tube, you buy the tube. If I find a tube I want I often buy them all. If they know you will buy most or possibly ALL of the tubes you are looking for they will gladly search through all the boxes and find what you want. Understand too, most tubes boxes are deteriorated and have been reboxed in white boxes. They know they have say 200 6sn7's in stock. But they dont list each brand and they dont even know what is in a lot of the boxes until they open the box and look.

Furthermore, a lot of tube dealers ARE NOT used to audiophiles and really dont see a difference .... a tube is a tube to them. Plus, some employees dont understand what a windmill getter or staggered plate is. The terminnology we use is unkown to them and you will be requiring them to take considerable time to examine each tube. They are a business and time is money.

[KenW]

With this info my response is a little different. Here you have a dealer that knows what you want and is going to process the order and send you a TS ... if they have one. I dont like this nonsense either. Tell me if you have the tube, if so I will buy the tube, if not, I am not interested.

One thing you need to understand is a lot of people call a dealer, have them search through untold boxes, they find the tube, and then the caller says .... thanks I wondered if you had that tube and hangs up without buying the tube.

To establish a relationship with a dealer you need to get it into their mind that if you ask for the tube, and they have the tube, you buy the tube. If I find a tube I want I often buy them all. If they know you will buy most or possibly ALL of the tubes you are looking for they will gladly search through all the boxes and find what you want. Understand too, most tubes boxes are deteriorated and have been reboxed in white boxes. They know they have say 200 6sn7's in stock. But they dont list each brand and they dont even know what is in a lot of the boxes until they open the box and look.

Furthermore, a lot of tube dealers ARE NOT used to audiophiles and really dont see a difference .... a tube is a tube to them. Plus, some employees dont understand what a windmill getter or staggered plate is. The terminnology we use is unkown to them and you will be requiring them to take considerable time to examine each tube. They are a business and time is money.

Very helpful info indeed! I think the best bet is to use Nates approach and give 'em a call. Maybe if they know I'm not just fishing, they'll be more helpful. Thanks for giving me some insight in the tube business.

[Dusty Chalk]

With this info my response is a little different. Here you have a dealer that knows what you want and is going to process the order and send you a TS ... if they have one. I dont like this nonsense either. Tell me if you have the tube, if so I will buy the tube, if not, I am not interested.

That's what I was trying to say. I think I should get points for interpreting the question correctly. Even if my answer wasn't as lucid.

Furthermore, a lot of tube dealers ARE NOT used to audiophiles ...

You got that right. Can you say, 'musician'?

[hirsch]

A lot of the people dealing tubes are HAM radio types. To them, a tube is a tube. If it's a given type, and works, they don't really care what brand it is. Then you get the guys who sell to musicians. They deal a lot of new stock, and are experts at what a tube sounds like when driven into distortion. Finally, there are the actual audiophile tube dealers. They know how the different brands sound in audio systems. They also know how much an audiophile will pay for a given tube, and are not afraid to charge it.

Me, for the most part when I'm digging up tubes, I like eBay. Find a nice lot of tubes where the seller doesn't recognize what's sitting in front of him, or has mislabeled the lot so nobody else sees it...