Topic: Tube Picture Guide

[Nick Culbreth]

This is a current production tube made in Russia by Svetlana and distrubuted in the US under the label SED.  Be warned that New Sensor owns the rights to the Svetlana brand name in the US, so any Svetlana labeled tubes would actually be made by Reflektor who also make Sovtek and Electro Harmonix tubes.  These are made in Saint Petersburg and are denoted as flying C logos.  Hopefully that isn't too confusing. 

[Nick Culbreth]

These were made in China, they have a slightly fatter bottle than the SEDs.

[Nick Culbreth]

These were made in Holland in the late 1960's and the early 1970's.  If you compare this to the earlier Amperex Bugleboy 6DJ8 you'll notice this tube lacks a shield and instead of the halo getter it has a dimpled getter dish supported by two metal bars making an A shape, hence the name A Frame.

[Nick Culbreth]

This tube was manufactured for the US military by Phillips.  Often tubes which were originally manufactured for the military were labeled JAN which the acronym for Joint Army Navy.

[Nick Culbreth]

RCA Black Plate 12AU7

[Nick Culbreth]

Amperex Holland EF86

[BobW]

Nice tube pics !

[Lil Kim Jong-Il]

no camera here, but I found this link today when trying to find some options for 6550s.  Lots of pictures and data,

http://www.tubecollector.org/

[cheshirecat]

Mullard XF4 Single Halo 6CA7/EL34 notice the hole in the guide pin and the date code etched in the glass.  This one branded for GE.

[cheshirecat]

RCA Big Bottle 6CA7/EL34 welded plate version with dual disc getters.

[cheshirecat]

Mullard 6CA7/EL34 XF2 date code with dual halo getters, widely regarded among the best sounding EL34s produced.  Also with hole in guide pin (see above mullard xf4 pic).  This one labeled for Dynaco.

[BobW]

Can someone I.D. the Electro Harmonix EL-34s with dimpled tops ?

[cheshirecat]

Japanese 6CA7/EL34, this one labeled RCA, also "Made in Gt. Britian".  Word on the street is in the 70s when these were produced there was still a pretty big bias against Japanese products.  Also, Mullard had set up the tube factory for Matsushita (I think) so these were labeled Gt. Britian.  You can tell these Japanese tubes because of the crease in the top of the glass and the lack of a hole in the guide pin.  See detail photos.

[cheshirecat]

Westinghouse "Made In England" 6CA7.  Buyer beware, there was a guy selling these things on ebay for a while, they pop up from time to time.  Personally I think they sound terrible.  Look for the thick halo getter, mica fins, and 8 pins on the bottom with no hole in the guide pin.  Plates are a little darker gray than then mullards.

[cheshirecat]

Mullard XF5 Double D getter  Brown Base, welded plates.  "Made in Holland"  I only have one of these, so no comments on sound.