Just Checking Opinions On The Mullard El84 Re-issue

[neon333]

No one likes 'em. Right?

[soma_hero]

I have a pair in the TW Liverpool i just built. I like them, but I've never heard NOS ones.

[katopan]

I have them in my 18 watt. Also don't have a point of reference, but have had guys with a decent collection of amps tell me it sounds pretty good. Did I read somewhere that they were EH?

[RocksOff]

Yup. Another New Sensor rebrand. Tungsol, Genelex and Mullard. I have some in a Vox AC30. I think they sound good. No complaints.

[neon333]

Has anybody out there had the chance to compare them to JJ's? I'm currently using JJ's but am always looking for improvements. Not being in the NOS tax bracket new production is where I look.

[zaphod_phil]

I'm not in the "NOS tax bracket" either, but I don't get the logic of spending time and money on a beautiful 18W amp and then using ordinary run-of-the-mill tubes. Speaking personally, I only ever use NOS for my own amps (with the exception of JJ 6V6s) - but I'm also a cheap skate. So I've built up a real nice stash of NOS tubes through a combination of patience and keeping my eyes open for bargains. One great source of budget-friendly NOS tubes is Terry Kilgore aka Tube Tramp aka Sgt Overdrive - http://mhuss.com/sgtoverdrive/ He can get you some great sounding affordable NOS deals.

[tonejester]

do keep in mind that alot of times the NOS tubes you find today are yester years cast offs that didn't make the grade then.

[CurtissRobin]

"Yesterday's castoffs" may, in fact, be better than today's top of the line. They might even be yesterday's top of the line. Nothing says they are necessarily second rate tubes and nothing says they aren't.

KennyO

[zaphod_phil]

AFAIK the big name tube companies of the past didn't let reject tubes get out the door. Mullard is a good example of that. So if I find a genuine Mullard tube with its logo and production codes on it, I know that this is a tube that has been tested rigorously, and was shipped out as a good solid working tube.