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Groove Tubes made by Slovtek?


Slunderfungus

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I've been cruisin ebay looking for tubes and was able to pick up some new in box blue label Groove Tubes for the Power section and looking for some Gold Series for the Preamp. I've seen a few auctions that state their made in Russia, and some auctions are actually State "12AX7 GrooveTubes by Slovtek". so if these are made by Slovtek are they just plain old Slovtek Tubes with Groove Tubes written on them, or are they made to the specs of the actual Groove Tubes.:freak:

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In other words the famous Groove Tubes the ads tell us are the choice of tone meisters the world over are nothing more than Slopteks with the GT in a big circle logo. And the bastards sell for twice the price that Slopteks do, serious as {censored} on your shoes, from the doberman's ass to your coffee table as you sit back and rest your feet. Thats {censored}ed up. Well atleast I'm good deal finder, I bought them new for a very, very low price, soI can re-sell them and use that to get the JJ Teslas, or a set of Rubies that a few have suggested to me.:evil:

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groove tubes doesn't actually make tubes. my apologies to anyone who "swears by em" they are nothin but an overpriced rebrander.

 

 

this is actually not the case anymore. groove tubes does actually have its own production facilities, such as the factory making their new 12ax7 and their GE flavored 6L6. most of their tubes are relabeled chinese or russian tubes, though.

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I saw an auction for the 12AX7M and yes there is a difference you can see with the naked eye in construction from the ones I just bought. The photo in the auction is shot in macro, well focued, and well lit. Looks beefy, better be for 21 froghides a peice. I can always mess around with tube swappin later this Summer, right now I just need new tubes. My Crate VC5212 came with Slovteks and I figure new tubes is new tubes. With the SwampThangs in it I have to pull the bass down to keep it warm, but it gives it a nice, warm growl. I tuned down to D the other day and hooked the Digitech Grunge Pedal I bought into it and got a nice tone. I pulled out the STP, Nickel Crack..ahemBack, and a few other newer CDs to start screwing around with...:blah: be glad to get new tubes.

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groove tubes doesn't actually make tubes. my apologies to anyone who "swears by em" they are nothin but an overpriced rebrander.

 

 

That statement is mostly true. GT actually have a few proprietary designs now that you can't buy from any other tube maker. Apart from those, they rebrand Sovteks, Svetlanas, JJs, Chinese, etc.

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Groove Tube relables them and rates each tube. Mesa does the same thing. They do make tubes, but only their 6L6GE (GE replica) and 12AX7M (Mullard replica).

 

 

...and the EL34M, 5751M (and maybe a few more that I'm not thinking of).

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I think only 3 countries make 99% of all the planet's tubes now.

Russia

China

Serbia/Croatia/ Bosnia (the former Yugoslavia - I do not know where the Tesla/JJ factory is? EI tubes just went out-of-business there).

 

Steve

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I think only 3 countries make 99% of all the planet's tubes now.

Russia

China

Serbia/Croatia/ Bosnia (the former Yugoslavia - I do not know where the Tesla/JJ factory is? EI tubes just went out-of-business there).


Steve

 

 

JJ is in the Czech Republic.

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JJ is in the Czech Republic?

Sounds good to me.

I think I need to get a new map of Europe.

The one I have now....came from the Kennedy-era!!


Steve

LOL! I have a map like that too:)

 

That would be half of the old Czechoslovakia.

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the e34l's that are in my amp can only be had with the GT label. they are made in the JJ factory, but on tooling owned by GT.

 

my opinion on preamp tubes is that there is as much difference between two tubes from one factory as there is between brands...meaning, it's all hit and miss.

 

when you buy GT, you're paying for two things...primarily, you're paying for the tubes that they threw away for being out of spec, the rest is the testing. their silver series tubes are the ones that aren't quite good enough to meet their gold standard, but are still usable. the rest go in the trash, supposedly.

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the e34l's that are in my amp can only be had with the GT label. they are made in the JJ factory, but on tooling owned by GT.


my opinion on preamp tubes is that there is as much difference between two tubes from one factory as there is between brands...meaning, it's all hit and miss.


when you buy GT, you're paying for two things...primarily, you're paying for the tubes that they threw away for being out of spec, the rest is the testing. their silver series tubes are the ones that aren't quite good enough to meet their gold standard, but are still usable. the rest go in the trash, supposedly.

 

 

What's that old saying about "polishing a turd"? :D

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I think only 3 countries make 99% of all the planet's tubes now.

Russia

China

Serbia/Croatia/ Bosnia (the former Yugoslavia - I do not know where the Tesla/JJ factory is? EI tubes just went out-of-business there).


Steve

 

 

Include the USA on that list. Western Electric reissue 300B's are made in Alabama.

 

Here's a news flash on Ei tubes......I saw this last year.

 

http://www.westernelectric.com/

 

 

Here's a new Russian tube...........

http://www.dougstubes.com/images/Mullard%2012AX7RI.jpg

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