Sourcing 12AU7 Tubes

[suraj]

Hello,
I borrowed a bravo headphone amp from a friend for listening.
And,yesterday,my dog knocked it onto the floor,and,as a result,the tube burst on impact with the floor.(honest.dog did it)
Now,i need to replace the tube-12AU7 (not that he cares,but for myself)
I mailed BE3 and have received a quote of 700 for a BEL 12AU7 and 1050 for a JJ/Tesla.I mailed rajesh nair and am waiting for a response.
I also PM'ed a few members and am waiting for their reply.

I do have a 2 12AU7 tubes,that a cousin will bring down from the states,but that will take a few months,and they are slated to be used in another project.

So,where do i source 12AU7 tubes?
I thought BEL would be cheap,having bougth 2 12AX7 from corsons audio a while back(cost me 190rs+shipping for one piece)
Also,a member tells me he sourced it for a few hundred rupees from delhi.

So,are BEL tubes that costly now?Also,does SP road still have tubes like these left?If so,which shop?

Kindly advise
Thanks
Suraj

 

[linuxguru]

So,where do i source 12AU7 tubes?
I thought BEL would be cheap,having bougth 2 12AX7 from corsons audio a while back(cost me 190rs+shipping for one piece)
Also,a member tells me he sourced it for a few hundred rupees from delhi.

So,are BEL tubes that costly now?Also,does SP road still have tubes like these left?If so,which shop?

Those prices are fine - the last shop specializing in NOS tubes (forgot the name, some xx Radio) closed down about 1 or 2 years ago, and sold a large lot of tubes to scrap dealers by weight. However, those scrap dealers are probably smart enough to sell them at full mark-up, so those tubes are still around somewhere, waiting to be sold again for a few hundred rupees each. I know about at least one reseller in Bangalore who sells NOS BEL tubes on EBay (US).

I did find very small quantities (1 or 2) of ECC83, etc., at some older component shops, but they're more or less tapped out now. You'll only find TV receiver tubes, rectifier tubes, and a few magic eyes like UM84 left now, but look around. I've seen some power pentodes/triodes like the 845B, but no guarantee that they're functional. If you do take the risk, make sure that you at least take a multimeter along to check heater continuity - everything else is pure chance.

 

[murali_n]

Hi suraj,

If you are interested I have a pair of Sylvania 12AU7, which I am not using.

Here is a link to the product:

Matched Pair Premium Sylvania 6189 ECC802S 12AU7 ECC82 Long Gray Plates Tubes | eBay

PM me your Cell No if interested.

N.Murali

 

[Simon Wires]

Kindly let me know if any one comes across an IL6 miniature tubes..

 

[pranavkumar]

Suraj,

i have some spare BEL Tubes, i think they are from the original 1980's lot.
I bought them for Rs.150/pc.

Let me know if you need them!

Cheers!

 

[suraj]

BUMP!
Ok,so i came across this chap on Ebay
demag1 | eBay

He's from Byataranayanapura in Bangalore.He has a LOT of stuff to offload especially Altec stuff-I noticed this while digging around for a few parts.
Has anyone dealt with him before?
ALso,Corrsons audio has closed down?

Thanks

 

[techboy]

And Bravo only supports 12AU7, no other family!

 

[suraj]

Naah,I replaced them already.
So,thread closed,please!

The reason i did bump the thread was to rant about a guy who exploited a great business opportunity and is selling cheap tubes(former cheap) for a decent killing online.

Going even more offtopic-I have noticed a lot of vintage DIY gear at "gujris" and junk yards.Never thought too much about them.

I remember the distinctive shapes of those Altec Lansing horns,old Philips Tube radios and vintage TV sets which still worked.And a LOT of tape decks and turntables.

Well,i didnt give a hoot about those-i was in pre-degree college,with the latest ipod.It was the limit of fine music to me.

Another music that i did appreciate was the sound of exhaust.I have visited a lot of junk yards to collect exhaust pipes for my Yamaha RX-100.I have about 5 of them hyeah: ranging from the gentleman's puttering to the roaring l?a?d?y?cop-magnet

I do regret it now-me and my friends would have a good time popping caps with over voltage or playing target,busting tubes of the TV's stacked there.And belts from turntables and sundry equipment made good elastic for slings.And Ive spoilt hundreds of vinyl disks by using those as frisbees.