Tube Experts Needed

audiocr381ve

My Amperex Bugle Boy 12AU7's just made it in and just by seeing them in person, I'm thinking they are fakes. I paid a pretty penny for these tubes from an eBay seller named old_guy_radiola. He has a 99.7% rating so I wasn't alarmed and I figured I was good to go. I didn't think to check what the negative feedback was about (huge mistake on my end) and it looks like someone else got a refund for phony tubes. I should have taken Brock up on his offer to look help identify tubes before a purchase but I didn't want to miss out on someone else snagging these.

Anyway, here are some shots of them:







Genuine or fakes?

vmaxer

H9 can tell you, hope it works out.

Dawgfish

I'm comparing your Bugle Boy 12AU7s to my Orange Globes, which were manufactured slightly later than the Bugle Boys. The construction looks very similar to my Orange Globes, with the exception of the getter. My Orange Globe has a halo getter while it appears yours has a horseshoe or D getter. It's hard for me say if yours are fake from the photos. Do they have a Delta or triangle etched in the bottom of the tube? Also can you see small date codes etched near the bottom?

audiocr381ve

Dawgfish wrote: »

I'm comparing your Bugle Boy 12AU7s to my Orange Globes, which were manufactured slightly later than the Bugle Boys. The construction looks very similar to my Orange Globes, with the exception of the getter. My Orange Globe has a halo getter while it appears yours has a horseshoe or D getter. It's hard for me say if yours are fake from the photos. Do they have a Delta or triangle etched in the bottom of the tube? Also can you see small date codes etched near the bottom?

Thanks for the input Dawgfish. I do see what looks to be 48G. The 4 could totally be a slanted looking triangle too. I posted over at Audiocircle under my username there, Neep, and nobody has said anything is off yet. I'm hoping I got the real deal.

Dawgfish

The important thing is how do they sound? I'd put those bad boys in and see how you like em.

headrott

It's somewhat difficult to tell from the pictures, as the logos/writing should be easily rubbed off of the tubes (if real) or not (if fakes). The bugle boy logo does look correct to me (but there are a number of these logos out there.) I cannot see it, but they do not say "bugle boys" on the tubes do they? If they do, they are fakes.

Also, the fact they are D-getters represents they are from the late 50's to very early 60's in and of itself as D-getters haven't been madnufactured by any company since then. What year are these supposed to be?

My thought is they are real. If nothing else, they are from the late 50's to early 60's for sure.

audiocr381ve

headrott wrote: »

It's somewhat difficult to tell from the pictures, as the logos/writing should be easily rubbed off of the tubes (if real) or not (if fakes). The bugle boy logo does look correct to me (but there are a number of these logos out there.) I cannot see it, but they do not say "bugle boys" on the tubes do they? If they do, they are fakes.

Also, the fact they are D-getters represents they are from the late 50's to very early 60's in and of itself as D-getters haven't been madnufactured by any company since then. What year are these supposed to be?

My thought is they are real. If nothing else, they are from the late 50's to early 60's for sure.

Here is the seller's description:

AWESOME SET OF 4 MATCHED TUBES MATCHED QUAD TYPE ECC82 / 12AU7

ALL FOUR TUBES ARE EXCELLENT . AMPEREX HOLLAND BUGLE BOY LARGE D FOIL GETTER TUBES

ALL FOUR TUBES ARE THE EXACT SAME

THESE TUBES WERE MADE IN 1958 IN HOLLAND

MADE WITH CREASED GLASS TOPS AND TALL PLATES

YOU GET ALL 4 TUBES FOR THE ONE BID

THESE 4 TUBES ARE ALL 100% GUARANTEED . THESE TUBES DO NOT HAVE ANY BURN MARKS AROUND THE MICAS AND ALL 4 TUBES TESTED EXCELLENT

THESE TUBES ARE ALL GUARANTEED TO WORK EXCELLENT IN YOUR AUDIO AMPLIFIER STEREO GEAR.

VERY RARE TO FIND A MATCHED QUAD OF THIS TYPE WITH LARGE FOIL GETTERS.

audiocr381ve

With the feedback I've gotten so far, I felt safe enough to install them. My initial impression is that they're very well balanced. I was expecting a bit of mushiness but it's sounding really tight. Plenty of air. Need more time of course.

Thanks a ton for your time guys.

headrott

Sounds accurate to their description. I think you are ok and good to go with real bugle boys. The long plate D-getters 12AU7's are pheoninaml tubes!

headrott

Also, I forgot to ask is there an etched manufacture code on the lower portion of the tubes? It should read something similar to: delta (the symbol) 8 (the year of manufacture) and the month of manufacture (sybolized with a capitol letter) starting with A= Jan. to L = Dec.

So, the code should read something like: Delta (the greek symbol) 8C

The codes should be etched in a goldish color towards the bottom of the tube somewhere on the side of the tube. Not; The etching can get worn off, but since you have 4 tubes, one of them should have the code at least partially etched into the tube remaining.

Edit: After looking at a couple of the pictures again, I see that there is still the gold etching on the tube you have in the picture. I can only read 8G on it, however. So the tube was manufactured in July 1958. If the Delta symbol is nect to the 8, they were made in Holland.

Again, I believe these tubes to be genuine.

audiocr381ve

headrott wrote: »

Also, I forgot to ask is there an etched manufacture code on the lower portion of the tubes? It should read something similar to: delta (the symbol) 8 (the year of manufacture) and the month of manufacture (sybolized with a capitol letter) starting with A= Jan. to L = Dec.

So, the code should read something like: Delta (the greek symbol) 8C

The codes should be etched in a goldish color towards the bottom of the tube somewhere on the side of the tube. Not; The etching can get worn off, but since you have 4 tubes, one of them should have the code at least partially etched into the tube remaining.

Edit: After looking at a couple of the pictures again, I see that there is still the gold etching on the tube you have in the picture. I can only read 8G on it, however. So the tube was manufactured in July 1958. If the Delta symbol is nect to the 8, they were made in Holland.

Again, I believe these tubes to be genuine.

Thanks headrott. All of the replies I've gotten here and over at Audiocircle confirm that they are genuine. I popped them in and they sounded great!

headrott

Excellent! Glad you are liking them.

heiney9

They look good to me based on photo's and description. The code is a delta sign (looks like a 4) 8 D.

Weren't you paying attention about the codes. That's the SINGLE most important thing when hunting tubes, especially Philips made tubes.

How do they sound? That's the most important thing. Tube prices are all over the board. Amperex BB labeled Heerlen long plates command the most $$$. As I said before there are computer tubes which are exactly the same tube sans the expensive label graphics, and they can be (not always) cheaper. People are catching on that a 1958 Holland made long plate tube are all the same.

Some people just want the BB label to show off. Me, I don't care a bit about labels.

I just bought a pair of Silvertone tubes listed as 12AX7's. They were the ultra rare 1958 Mazda silver plate tubes with the hole in the center plate and 4 bars cut out, that sell for $300/pr if you can find them. I paid $30 because the seller didn't know what he had.

NOS too! Best score of the year so far!

heiney9

audiocr381ve wrote: »

With the feedback I've gotten so far, I felt safe enough to install them. My initial impression is that they're very well balanced. I was expecting a bit of mushiness but it's sounding really tight. Plenty of air. Need more time of course.

Thanks a ton for your time guys.

They rank among the best. Only one's that are better..........well, I'll share that later after the auction is over.....lol

H9