If you just want good-working tubes, in the USA, order from
Hoffman Amps. He's a real player and builder, he sells parts too. His stocked brands vary because if a batch gives trouble for his customers he gets something else. Every tube I've gotten from him worked perfectly, at normal conditions and also pushing past specs. And he ships
quick: post your order before morning coffee, he hands it to the route-truck at lunchtime, and in many cases you got it next-day.
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what's with the prices on tubes on Ebay? those are insane.
Just so. There are a few old-stock batches with high sex-appeal. Whether deserved or not, high prices encourage mis-marking and outright fraud. If a 1957 Ken-Rad with Z-shaped support wires creams your jeans, you can place your bets and maybe get lucky. If you just want to rock, do what we did all through the 1960s and 1970s: get better-grade current-production tubes and just beat it. The better Russian, Yugo, and Chinese tubes CAN be as good as 95% of anything that came out of Kentucky.
Be sure you order gitar-amp power tubes from a
guitar-amp specialist. There are many 6L6 applications which can be filled with any old 6L6-ish junk. Guitar amps tend to work tubes HARD, and need the better grades of 6L6. Someone who sells to stage-amp players and stands behind the sale will probably be selling the good stuff that won't explode in the middle of your best solo.
$30 is too cheap for guitar-amp grade 6L6. EL34 should run over $30/pair, the trickier 6L6 should run over $40/pair.
And don't whine about the price. When I used to pay $7 for 6550-size tubes, gasoline was $0.34/gallon, Camels $0.50/pack in a machine. All things considered, vacuum tubes are CHEAP today.