Members -Norge- Posted October 6, 2011 Members Share Posted October 6, 2011 any good places to buy from? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members woolyh Posted October 6, 2011 Members Share Posted October 6, 2011 I thought only Americans say tubes, they should be valves ;p Anyway I use Hotrox and Watford in the UK but your best bet for the continent is Tube Amp Doctor who have a very good rep with their own brand valves. http://www.tubeampdoctor.com/en/shop_TAD_Tubes_amp_Accessoires/ http://www.watfordvalves.com/home.asp http://www.hotroxuk.com/matched-valves-links-page-12ax7-6l6-909-0.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members RadioSilence Posted October 6, 2011 Members Share Posted October 6, 2011 I was gona say we call them valves but you beat me i've never bought any Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Zozobra Posted October 6, 2011 Members Share Posted October 6, 2011 voc roc guitars have done me the best matching recently. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members the Dodo Posted October 7, 2011 Members Share Posted October 7, 2011 Tube Town, fantastic service and good matching. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members t_e_l_e Posted October 7, 2011 Members Share Posted October 7, 2011 i always bought them local, and just out some standard jj's or sovtek they had in my el84 amps. lately i replaced my tubes in my laney lc15r, and my local store now has tube amp doctors el84,... yes the old tubes were old, and i guess the el84 were also damaged, but when i put the TAD in, wow the amp began to shine currently i only play the lc15r.. so TAD might be a good choice for you Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members django5 Posted October 7, 2011 Members Share Posted October 7, 2011 PROTIP: Britain is in the EU Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members bieke Posted October 7, 2011 Members Share Posted October 7, 2011 I've never bought a tube so far, well just one vintage NOS 12AX7 on a flea market in Barcelona, still haven't found a good use for it ... all my amps still have original tubesn been contemplating to retube my old Mark I because I've been playing it a lot and I figured that after 25 years, it could use some new tubes, so took it to my service guy and he tested the tubes and told me to carry on with the original tubes.So I would buy my tubes from him, he's some local guy that makes incredible amps (I have the first amp he ever made, using it as my main amp since I got it) and he carries a nice collection of NOS tubescheck out FAD Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members ArrMatey Posted October 7, 2011 Members Share Posted October 7, 2011 just ordered valves from watford valves, their website is still so basic though. Actually a bit annoyed at their checkout system: it doesn't include any clear information on the final price and shipping. It gives you a net price and you have to add %20 VAT to it. Why not give me the full price!? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Zozobra Posted October 7, 2011 Members Share Posted October 7, 2011 just ordered valves from watford valves, their website is still so basic though. Actually a bit annoyed at their checkout system: it doesn't include any clear information on the final price and shipping. It gives you a net price and you have to add %20 VAT to it. Why not give me the full price!? Thats why I don't use them any more. Pissed me RIGHT off that! Their matching isn't all that great either based on the last few quads I have biased up for people. I can't praise voc roc enough, their selection isn't huge but everything I've had from them has been within a mA or 2 and he gave me a free mini torch which is handy to keep in your bag of tricks for setting up on dark places Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Expressway to yr Skull Posted October 7, 2011 Members Share Posted October 7, 2011 I used a company from Cornwall who's name escapes me and has disappeared since the last time I used them. Watford valves are a bit expensive. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members flanging_fred Posted October 7, 2011 Members Share Posted October 7, 2011 Watford valves - good service and advice but the VAT+postage thing is VERY irritating. Expensive.Hot Rox - consistantly excellent service and good prices GAK - didn't have a bloody clue. Was told "just buy Marshall valves, they're all the same anyway". Avoid. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Cirrus Posted October 7, 2011 Members Share Posted October 7, 2011 I used to use Watford valves but last time I ordered from them I got a duff el84 and was met by quite a lot of attitude on the phone when I asked for a replacement - at first he said I'd biased my amp wrong, then when I told him it was an AC30 the guy said my amp was probably broken and he'd only accept a return if I had it checked over by a qualified tech. I did some research then and found I wasn't the only customer to be pissed off with them. On top of that, their much hyped "Harma" brand doesn't sound all that special to me and on the rare occasion they have NOS in stock they're overpriced. Plus the VAT thing... HotRox are always good - I've bought valves, pedals and spare parts from them and the orders always arrive really quickly. Once recieved a defective pedal from them and they replaced it without any hassle. I think you can have problems with orders no matter where you shop, it's how the company deals with you that sets businesses apart. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members woolyh Posted October 7, 2011 Members Share Posted October 7, 2011 Yeah I did alot of researching on the Harma valves before placing a big order and it turned out apparently they were just hand picked JJ valves rebranded Harma, glad I didn't buy them in hindsight. Also that VAT thing seems purposely deceptive. It wouldn't surprise me if someone from Watford signs up to HC to tell us we're all wrong, they've done it before Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Cirrus Posted October 7, 2011 Members Share Posted October 7, 2011 yeah I saw a thread over on Musicradar where someone was so moved by the "unfair bashing" of watford valves that they signed up just to tell us how great the company was, before vanishing into the night. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Loobs Posted October 7, 2011 Members Share Posted October 7, 2011 curry's Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members melx Posted October 7, 2011 Members Share Posted October 7, 2011 I can't be arsed to argue this afternoon.... everything I say is just my personal experience which will may well be the opposite of others. TAD (tube amp doctor) were the {censored}tiest sounding valves I've ever heard, they come stock in Laney's and mine sounded arse.Personally I've never had any problem with Watford Valves in the 10 years I've been using them.Harma ECC83's are the great sounding 12ax7's and the filament looks nothing like a JJ... so I dunno on that one.These days I like the Reissue Tung-Sol which sound really good to me.It's probably best not to believe anything you read on the internet, people have different ears and agendas. Hotrox are goodBuy RussianDifferent valves sound different in different amps. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Zozobra Posted October 7, 2011 Members Share Posted October 7, 2011 The harmas are just a rebadge of other stuff, most likely bought from and relabelled by edicron. No different to ruby, mesa, GT and the ilk.Hotrox have a good returns dept. although they have given me some horribly matched stuff in the last few years. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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