Why Are Winged C's so expensive?

[Alabama Thunderpussy]

I think I may try the Ruby EL34BSTR's. I haven't had a set of Rubys in a while.

 

[RobS]

=c='s are $200 a quad here in Aus at the moment.
What about the Svetlana el34's....how much different are they?
My 800 came with them from the factory and they sounded pretty good.
I have also tried the JJE34L and they seem quite good as well but I had one quad red plate and they went in the bin.
ROb

 

[blues_n_cues]

I think I may try the Ruby EL34BSTR's. I haven't had a set of Rubys in a while.

i've got ruby el34's in mine & it sounds pretty good.

 

[TwinACStacks]

For the money, over-all tone and durability of CP (current Production) through my recent usage in my amps & customers Electro Hamonix EH EL34's I have had the best luck with. Not trendy and not cool but oh well.

Now of my personal stash RFT NOS's, Mazda EL34/6CA7 NOS and I have one duet of Mullards from the early 70's. My absolute favorites and I don't have any more either are the Telefunken EL34

Major, aren't the Siemens/RFTs very similar to the Teles in construction and Sound?

:cool2::cool2: TWIN

 

[redscott131]

I think I may try the Ruby EL34BSTR's. I haven't had a set of Rubys in a while.

Just to let you know, according to the tube store the Ruby EL34B-STR is just a relabled Shuguang EL34-B.

Shuguang EL34-B

I used the Ruby ones before, and they sound pretty decent.

 

[jcmjmp]

For the money, over-all tone and durability of CP (current Production) through my recent usage in my amps & customers Electro Hamonix EH EL34's I have had the best luck with. Not trendy and not cool but oh well.

Now of my personal stash RFT NOS's, Mazda EL34/6CA7 NOS and I have one duet of Mullards from the early 70's. My absolute favorites and I don't have any more either are the Telefunken EL34

I've got the EHX EL34 in my JCM800 and I have no complaints. I also like the Tung Sol EL34B but my fave is still the SED =C=

 

[Madaxeman]

I used to buy Winged C's for my Marshalls all the time.
Recently I found a supplier with a large stock of NOS RFT EL34s and they are less for a matched pair than winged C's and EHs. Total no brainer for me.
The RFTs leave winged C's for dead.

 

[chuckharmonjr]

Im running JJ E34L's in mine these days and I have no complaints with them whatsoever. Good tone and rock solid.

 

[MajorNut1967]

Major, aren't the Siemens/RFTs very similar to the Teles in construction and Sound?

:cool2::cool2: TWIN

I hear tale that they were all made possibly at the same factories. But the Telefunkens always seemed to have this top end that was able to cut through with out being harsh and the bottom end was thunderous.

 

[MajorNut1967]

I've got the EHX EL34 in my JCM800 and I have no complaints. I also like the Tung Sol EL34B but my fave is still the SED =C=

Tung-Sol are great too sonically, but I have had issues with the envelopes are a bit delicate (break easy).

 

[jcmjmp]

Tung-Sol are great too sonically, but I have had issues with the envelopes are a bit delicate (break easy).

Major - Hitting the tubes with a big coconut isn't a valid test.

 

[TwinACStacks]

Major - Hitting the tubes with a big coconut isn't a valid test.

Well How the Fuck Else are you supposed to get them to fit in those little 9 hole sockets?

TWIN

 

[chuckharmonjr]

Why, Dr Maxwell's Silver Hammer..of course

 

[Troy T. Blues]

As much as I hate the price hike of the SED's, they are still cheaper than most good NOS. In fact, I just got done comparing them to a quad of JJ EL34's again. Same result as before, I find the the difference to be amazing. The SED's absolutely slay the JJ's tonewise IMO.

I've never been a big fan of JJ's, though I believe their EL84's and rectifier tubes are pretty good. I will give them kudos for relability and they are well made. They just don't sound good to me, they sound choked. My opinion of course...

 

[MajorNut1967]

Major - Hitting the tubes with a big coconut isn't a valid test.

Ha Ha hee hee ha ha! "Hitting the tubes with a big coconut" that's the best you got?

Actually I had two incidents of them rolling into to each other on the bench and the envelope cracking.

 

[Lespaulnmarshall]

Recently I found a supplier with a large stock of NOS RFT EL34s and they are less for a matched pair than winged C's and EHs.

Seriously? I can buy EH 34's for 14 bucks each!

 

[MajorNut1967]

well how the fuck else are you supposed to get them to fit in those little 9 hole sockets?

Twin

lol

 

[demonufo]

=c='s are $200 a quad here in Aus at the moment.
What about the Svetlana el34's....how much different are they?
My 800 came with them from the factory and they sounded pretty good.
I have also tried the JJE34L and they seem quite good as well but I had one quad red plate and they went in the bin.
ROb

Current Svetlana's are a different tube altogether, made in the same Reflektor plant as the Sovtek, EH, Mullard etc. And they're disappointing to say the least.

The OLD Svetlana's that would've come stock with amps in the 90's however, are the same tubes as the Winged C's. But like just about all tube manufacturers, the quality has gone downhill somewhat.
I've got a few Svetlana's from '99 and '00 (with the Winged C logo rather than Svetlana by the year 2000) and a fairly large stash from '05 and '06. The older ones are notably better, and the '05's and '06's are still better than the current crop.

With all the word being around that Winged C's are "The" best production tube spread all over the internet, I guess they thought they'd try and maximise their capital, hoping that people would "buy the hype". Well, they're still good, but not worth the sort of money they're attempting to extract from the consumer currently. You can still get certain decent NOS tubes for more sensible money.

I still like the Winged C (although I've only tried a couple of current production sets), but I'm damned if I'm prepared to pay the price myself, and I seriously doubt that anybody bringing in an amp for a service will either. I say pass, at least untill they stop smoking the crack pipe.

 

[RobS]

Current Svetlana's are a different tube altogether, made in the same Reflektor plant as the Sovtek, EH, Mullard etc. And they're disappointing to say the least.

The OLD Svetlana's that would've come stock with amps in the 90's however, are the same tubes as the Winged C's. But like just about all tube manufacturers, the quality has gone downhill somewhat.
I've got a few Svetlana's from '99 and '00 (with the Winged C logo rather than Svetlana by the year 2000) and a fairly large stash from '05 and '06. The older ones are notably better, and the '05's and '06's are still better than the current crop.

With all the word being around that Winged C's are "The" best production tube spread all over the internet, I guess they thought they'd try and maximise their capital, hoping that people would "buy the hype". Well, they're still good, but not worth the sort of money they're attempting to extract from the consumer currently. You can still get certain decent NOS tubes for more sensible money.

I still like the Winged C (although I've only tried a couple of current production sets), but I'm damned if I'm prepared to pay the price myself, and I seriously doubt that anybody bringing in an amp for a service will either. I say pass, at least untill they stop smoking the crack pipe.

Demon,
My 2203 is a reissue that I got a year ago. The original tubes were Marshall branded ones which Marshall here in Melbourne told me were Svetlanas. They sounded good but did not last that long and wonder if they were current ones?

I have =c= in there now and yes they are a great tube and I have a spare quad as well.

I guess / hope that thier greed factor will subside and the laws of supply / demand will do it's thing!

By the way. This joint http://www.vacuumtubes.net/RES Audio pages/el34.html has them listed for $25 ea.

Rob

 

[Madaxeman]

Seriously? I can buy EH 34's for 14 bucks each!

Hmmm alright maybe not that cheap. But under £50 for a matched pair of NOS RFT EL34's is not to be sniffed at.