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Post subject: Don't stop looking at the "Mom and Pop" hardware stores.
Posted: Thu Feb 20, 2014 12:47 pm
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Aspiring Musician
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I just picked up these 1970 dated rectifiers from a small local hardware store for $18 a piece, new on the back room shelf. I can't figure out what the letters "ER" is for under the RCA on the glass, but the tubes have Great Britain on them so would that make them Mullards?. I get the biggest kick out of the receipt.

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Post subject: Re: Don't stop looking at the "Mom and Pop" hardware stores.
Posted: Thu Feb 20, 2014 2:29 pm
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Congrat. :D


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Post subject: Re: Don't stop looking at the "Mom and Pop" hardware stores.
Posted: Thu Feb 20, 2014 2:37 pm
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Aspiring Musician
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Uh....hmm, <excuse me>.....ah......err, <pardon me>....... eh........huh.........(back to) uh :roll:


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Post subject: Re: Don't stop looking at the "Mom and Pop" hardware stores.
Posted: Thu Feb 20, 2014 3:01 pm
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Aspiring Musician
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Well..... when something looks to good to be true it usually is. After research I think these are made in Japan. They have the X in the glass on the top, no small etching on the glass and no hole in the center pin. Does anyone know if these MIJ - RCA 5AR4's are any good? They even say "Gt. Britain" on them. I'm pretty new to NOS tube buying, as you can tell.

Thanks for any info.


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Post subject: Re: Don't stop looking at the "Mom and Pop" hardware stores.
Posted: Thu Feb 20, 2014 3:21 pm
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Even if Japanese in origin, there's nothing wrong with those tubes. Nothing at all. NEC and Matsushita (aka Panasonic) both manufactured vacuum tubes under license by an number of US companies.

Quite a score!

8)

Arjay

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Post subject: Re: Don't stop looking at the "Mom and Pop" hardware stores.
Posted: Thu Feb 20, 2014 3:43 pm
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Aspiring Musician
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Thanks Arjay. I was concerned they were junk. I'll try one in my DR when I get time.


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Post subject: Re: Don't stop looking at the "Mom and Pop" hardware stores.
Posted: Thu Feb 20, 2014 4:05 pm
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Retroverbial wrote:
Even if Japanese in origin, there's nothing wrong with those tubes. Nothing at all. NEC and Matsushita (aka Panasonic) both manufactured vacuum tubes under license by an number of US companies.

Speaking of Matsushita tubes and caps - the best audio grade ones are labeled Technics, right?


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Post subject: Re: Don't stop looking at the "Mom and Pop" hardware stores.
Posted: Thu Feb 20, 2014 6:06 pm
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He shoots, he scores! Congrats! Even if they are MIJ...they are still probably better built than most of the new tubes out there!

T2

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Post subject: Re: Don't stop looking at the "Mom and Pop" hardware stores.
Posted: Thu Feb 20, 2014 6:23 pm
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T2Stratman wrote:
He shoots, he scores! Congrats! Even if they are MIJ...they are still probably better built than most of the new tubes out there!


Absolutely!!!

Arjay

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"Here's why reliability is job one: A great sounding amp that breaks down goes from being a favorite piece of gear to a useless piece of crap in less time than it takes to read this sentence." -- BRUCE ZINKY


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Post subject: Re: Don't stop looking at the "Mom and Pop" hardware stores.
Posted: Fri Feb 21, 2014 3:18 am
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upnorth wrote:
Well..... when something looks to good to be true it usually is. After research I think these are made in Japan. They have the X in the glass on the top, no small etching on the glass and no hole in the center pin. Does anyone know if these MIJ - RCA 5AR4's are any good? They even say "Gt. Britain" on them. I'm pretty new to NOS tube buying, as you can tell.

Thanks for any info.



Made in Japan in '70 is a way better than any tubes made in 2014

A very good deal


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Post subject: Re: Don't stop looking at the "Mom and Pop" hardware stores.
Posted: Fri Feb 21, 2014 4:47 am
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I do not understand. Where does it say Japan and why are they marked G.B. if they were Japanese made? Doesn't that violate some sort of trade agreement to mislabel origin like that?


Last edited by brotherdave on Fri Feb 21, 2014 6:22 am, edited 1 time in total.

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Post subject: Re: Don't stop looking at the "Mom and Pop" hardware stores.
Posted: Fri Feb 21, 2014 4:57 am
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brotherdave wrote:
I do not understand. Where does it say Japan and why does are they marked G.B. if they were Japanese made? Doesn't that violate some sort of trade agreement to mislabel origin like that?



+1


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Post subject: Re: Don't stop looking at the "Mom and Pop" hardware stores.
Posted: Fri Feb 21, 2014 4:36 pm
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Roadie
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http://www.audiotubes.com/audtube.htm

check the prices here and youll see you got a bargain and then some


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Post subject: Re: Don't stop looking at the "Mom and Pop" hardware stores.
Posted: Fri Feb 21, 2014 4:38 pm
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http://www.thetubestore.com/Tubes/5AR4- ... llard-GZ34


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Post subject: Re: Don't stop looking at the "Mom and Pop" hardware stores.
Posted: Sat Feb 22, 2014 2:33 am
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amx05462 wrote:
http://www.thetubestore.com/Tubes/5AR4-GZ34-Tube-Types/Mullard-GZ34



It is not a Mullard , it is a fake !


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