Preamp Tubes? - Who, What, When, Where, Why, and How?

[RiverRatt]

Yikes! I just noticed that the shipping is $47.89! That seems excessive.

 

[Marshall Mann]

Yikes! I just noticed that the shipping is $47.89! That seems excessive.

Thanks again for the tips Alan!

I noticed this on just about all of them! The one that close this morning was $35.00.

I will try to cap it at $125.00 or so (I hope no snipers are reading this!) If it goes over that I may wait for the one that closes on Thursday

Vintage B and K Dyna Jet Model 707 Tube Tester - eBay (item 290598441529 end time Aug-17-11 16:24:20 PDT)

Oh yea, but he wants $74.40 for shipping ! But you can elect for standard at $26.76. What are people thinking!!

Thanks again Alan!

 

[RiverRatt]

No prob.

I feel like going to bed already! I changed my blood pressure meds a couple of weeks ago. I feel 10 times better now and I've lost 15 lbs, so to celebrate I grilled steaks and we had potatoes and I downed a few beers, what my son calls "man food". It was damned good after salads and chicken for 2 weeks! BURP!!! Plus, the f'in heat wave broke this afternoon. It's down in the 70's with a nice breeze blowing out of the north. If my daughter hadn't wiped out my car Friday night, this would have been a great weekend! I'd go fire up the Marshall but I feel content just to sit for awhile and enjoy what's left of it.

 

[Marshall Mann]

No prob.

I feel like going to bed already! I changed my blood pressure meds a couple of weeks ago. I feel 10 times better now and I've lost 15 lbs, so to celebrate I grilled steaks and we had potatoes and I downed a few beers, what my son calls "man food". It was damned good after salads and chicken for 2 weeks! BURP!!! Plus, the f'in heat wave broke this afternoon. It's down in the 70's with a nice breeze blowing out of the north. If my daughter hadn't wiped out my car Friday night, this would have been a great weekend! I'd go fire up the Marshall but I feel content just to sit for awhile and enjoy what's left of it.

Nice Alan! I am glad your weekend turned the corner so to speak, and that your BP is back on track my friend!

We are doing burgers and I am on my 2nd beer. Life is good.

Well I lost the 2nd B&K 707. It went for $152.50 + 31.00, so $183.50 for a broken meter. Too much in my book, at least right now. There are a couple more that come up this week. And one that is re-ferbed and calibrated for 399.00.

Hey, do you know anything about the B&K 700? There is one coming up that looks almost new.

Enjoy the rest of the evening Alan!

 

[MartyStrat54]

Hey, do you know anything about the B&K 700? There is one coming up that looks almost new.

The 700 is almost the same as the 707. It will test any guitar tube and most TV and radio tubes. It uses an #83 rec tube and a 6BN8 just like the 707. Try to get it if the bidding is reasonable.

 

[Marshall Mann]

The 700 is almost the same as the 707. It will test any guitar tube and most TV and radio tubes. It uses an #83 rec tube and a 6BN8 just like the 707. Try to get it if the bidding is reasonable.

Thanks Marty!!!!!!

This thing is really clean!

B&K Dyna-Jet 700 Dynamic Mutual Conductance Tube Tester - eBay (item 120763990962 end time Aug-17-11 13:33:52 PDT)

 

[RiverRatt]

Hey I was doing some recording and trying for an Alex Lifeson tone. It came out much heavier than I intended when I tried to record it so I did a little clip. This is just something I pulled out of my ass. It's the Les Paul into a Boss Mega Overdrive and GE-7 with just the 800 band boosted, into a Rocktron Chorus split into the VM and Ampeg. The mic on the Ampeg is about shot. I had to boost it a bunch to get the level up to the Marshall. This is just the raw recording. I recorded it louder than usual which may be why it's more distorted sounding than it actually was. The Vintage Modern is where the heavy bottom is coming from. Still running the Telefunken in V1 and the Mullard in V2.

heavy2.mp3

 

[Marshall Mann]

Hey I was doing some recording and trying for an Alex Lifeson tone. It came out much heavier than I intended when I tried to record it so I did a little clip. This is just something I pulled out of my ass. It's the Les Paul into a Boss Mega Overdrive and GE-7 with just the 800 band boosted, into a Rocktron Chorus split into the VM and Ampeg. The mic on the Ampeg is about shot. I had to boost it a bunch to get the level up to the Marshall. This is just the raw recording. I recorded it louder than usual which may be why it's more distorted sounding than it actually was. The Vintage Modern is where the heavy bottom is coming from. Still running the Telefunken in V1 and the Mullard in V2.

heavy2.mp3

Nice man!!! Great harmonic distortion / feedback towards the end there!

 

[RiverRatt]

I think that was the Ampeg doing the weird oscillating feedback thing. I was practically on top of it. I gotta get a bigger space.

 

[Marshall Mann]

I think that was the Ampeg doing the weird oscillating feedback thing. I was practically on top of it. I gotta get a bigger space.

Small spaces (especially with wood floors and a window or two for some high end slap back) are great for recording a mono-e-mono recording! Unless you want a more ambient kind of thing. But thats easy to add with a decent delay / reverb.

 

[Marshall Mann]

Hey guys,

So I keep getting hosed on the testers! One came up for 180.00 + 25.00 shipping that needed a calibration and it was gone like that!

This is what I am thinking....

1) These are selling for high $200 to low $300 inconstantly.
2) All but one so far has needed at least a calibration, if not a fairly major overhaul.
3) Shipping has been anywhere from $25.00 to $75.00

Marty's guy in Washington has one listed that has been completely gone over for 399.00 + $11.00 shipping (see below) that looks almost new. By the time I get one used, buy the parts, calibrate it or have Marty's guy calibrate it, I am at almost the same price ($399.00). I may just go all out and get the ready to go unit. What do you think???

From his description..............

B&K 707 tube tester in very good condition

"The B&K 707 is the ultimate professional-grade tester for any user that values his or her time and appreciates convenience. This tester has been calibrated and cleaned. This is what was done: Cleaned all switches and tube sockets with Dexoit contact cleaner; Replaced all electrolytic capacitors; Checked all voltages and bridge resistors; Made all service adjustments according to B&K standards; Adjusted operation of short detection and leakage circuitry, grid emission, signal voltage, DC Bias balance and balance control. The 83 tube rectifier has been replaced with a solid state rectifier and both GE55 have been replaced. Cleaned case and front panel.Tester comes with copy of the Instruction Manual and Tube Chart.

Features a clever voltage control circuit that eliminates the need to constantly set the AC line level to insure accurate tests, regardless of line voltage variations. Has sockets for most late model hifi tubes, including compactrons, novar, duodecal, and Nuvistors. Dyna Jet System, where many popular tubes can be tested by just setting two dials. Dual section tubes can be checked with just two pushbuttons. Sensitive grid leakage and shorts read on the meter and on a neon lamp, indicating grid emissions, internal shorts, or gas. Life-test pushbutton, which will indicate on the meter, gives indication of relative good use left in a tube.

 

[MM54]

I have less than $40 in mine and it needed work and (naturally) calibration when I got it, I wouldn't go for the $400 tester (unless you really really want to spend $400 on a tube tester). I went through several auctions before I managed to score mine.

 

[RiverRatt]

I'm still waiting for a Fluke meter to calibrate mine with. I can't shell out $150 for one right now and there's not many alternatives. If I'm going to have to get one, I'd might as well wait until I can do it right. Anybody wanna trade a Fluke for a nice collection of toobz?

 

[Marshall Mann]

I have less than $40 in mine and it needed work and (naturally) calibration when I got it, I wouldn't go for the $400 tester (unless you really really want to spend $400 on a tube tester). I went through several auctions before I managed to score mine.

Hey MM,

So you got your 707 off EBay??? How much did you pay for it???

 

[MartyStrat54]

I believe I paid $275 for the last one on EBAY. However, it was in the best condition. The others I had all had worn tube sockets.

Keep in mind that the first 707's came out in 1966. These had an annealed copper top plate. Later, B and K changed over to an aluminum top plate. I believe these were made until 1972, then the 747 solid state tester was available.

 

[Marshall Mann]

I believe I paid $275 for the last one on EBAY. However, it was in the best condition. The others I had all had worn tube sockets.

Keep in mind that the first 707's came out in 1966. These had an annealed copper top plate. Later, B and K changed over to an aluminum top plate. I believe these were made until 1972, then the 747 solid state tester was available.

Thanks Marty!

Everything I am seeing is the newer aluminum faceplate. That 700 is up to $105.00 with two days left to go.


The one listed from that guy in Woodland Washington (the same guy that calibrated yours I believe) is incredibly clean. I understand what Matt is saying, but they seem to be fetching at least 250.00 in need of work. $400.00 seems a bit steep.

 

[BluesRocker]

I would love to have a tester.. But I dont do enough rolling to keep one.. Plus I keep Marty in business.

 

[Marshall Mann]

I would love to have a tester.. But I dont do enough rolling to keep one.. Plus I keep Marty in business.

I have close to 300 preamp tubes that I have amassed, and thats not counting the power tubes and rectifiers. I figure I can sell the ones that are worth something if I can test them. I dont trust putting them in a customer / friends head with out testing them either. So right now I am only installing CP tubes in re-tube jobs to keep returns down. If I had a tester, I could up charge for NOS.

 

[MM54]

Hey MM,

So you got your 707 off EBay??? How much did you pay for it???

I got it from ebay a while ago, just under $200. It was the third or fourth one I bid on, so your search seems to be going similar to mine.

 

[BluesRocker]

Yeah I dont have that many tubes