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UNPLANNED DOWNTIME: 12th Oct 23:45

Vintage valves

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NelsonPNelsonP Frets: 3116
edited September 2023 in Amps
Found a box of vintage valves when clearing out a house. At least 40 years old. They are about to go into a skip. Is there likely to be any value in them, or will they just be junk.
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  • ICBMICBM Frets: 69426
    What types are they? There's a lot of value in the right ones (guitar amp and hi-fi types), but next to none in the 'wrong' ones (most of the thousands of other types used in radios, TVs, and other equipment).

    "Take these three items, some WD-40, a vise grip, and a roll of duct tape. Any man worth his salt can fix almost any problem with this stuff alone." - Walt Kowalski

    "Just because I don't care, doesn't mean I don't understand." - Homer Simpson

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  • KittyfriskKittyfrisk Frets: 16332
    As @ICBM says, the details are the difference between desirable & junk.
    Your profile doesn't have any location details, perhaps if you let members know what area you were in, you might find someone local that can help you ID the valves? Also photos posted here would help you too ;)
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  • ecc83ecc83 Frets: 1488
    Ey up IC! A lot of TV&radio valves had 6v, 300mA heaters and so could be used by gitamp hobbyists in experimental circuits. Triodes such as the ECC88 used IIRC in VHF tuners would probably make a lower noise front end than the ubiquitous ECC83. There are combined pentode/triodes that might produce novel OD characteristics. The EF80 pentode was a very very common TV IF valve. Too noisy for the front end but can be used with feedback to drive a tone stack. There is at least one low power ppull amp circuit using a pair. Pentodes can be strapped as triodes and give medium gain.

    Then there are some useful power valves. The ECL80 was a common TV valve and two will gives you a decent ~4W power amp with the triodes doing duty as PI and pre amp. Later radios and radiograms used the range of more powerful triode pentodes...ECL82, 83, 84, 86.

    But yes, likely to be quite a few valves with names starting with P or U and they are hard to fit in with 6volt systems.

    Dave.
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  • ICBMICBM Frets: 69426
    ecc83 said:
    Ey up IC! A lot of TV&radio valves had 6v, 300mA heaters and so could be used by gitamp hobbyists in experimental circuits. Triodes such as the ECC88 used IIRC in VHF tuners would probably make a lower noise front end than the ubiquitous ECC83. There are combined pentode/triodes that might produce novel OD characteristics. The EF80 pentode was a very very common TV IF valve. Too noisy for the front end but can be used with feedback to drive a tone stack. There is at least one low power ppull amp circuit using a pair. Pentodes can be strapped as triodes and give medium gain.

    Then there are some useful power valves. The ECL80 was a common TV valve and two will gives you a decent ~4W power amp with the triodes doing duty as PI and pre amp. Later radios and radiograms used the range of more powerful triode pentodes...ECL82, 83, 84, 86.
    All true, but most of them don’t have the same pinouts as the commonly used guitar-amp types, so only of any use to experimentalists, hence of limited value.

    There are a couple of Marshall and WEM amps that used the ECL82 and 86, but they’re not very desirable - in fact a common mod for the Marshall is to convert them to EL84s by adding an ECC83 to replace the triode sections.

    It’s not quite as bad as the early 90s, when for a while it looked like there would be only three valve types manufactured - 12AX7, EL84 and 6L6/5881 - but there are still only a few compared to the historical numbers.

    "Take these three items, some WD-40, a vise grip, and a roll of duct tape. Any man worth his salt can fix almost any problem with this stuff alone." - Walt Kowalski

    "Just because I don't care, doesn't mean I don't understand." - Homer Simpson

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  • ecc83ecc83 Frets: 1488
    Ah yes IC, the 'oddities' will not make money I agree. I had my 'sperimenters hat on!

    Dave.
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  • SassafrasSassafras Frets: 30022
    VALVES FFS!!!
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  • NelsonPNelsonP Frets: 3116
    Sassafras said:
    VALVES FFS!!!
    Sorry, edited. TGP this is not.
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  • SassafrasSassafras Frets: 30022
    NelsonP said:
    Sassafras said:
    VALVES FFS!!!
    Sorry, edited. TGP this is not.

    You didn't have to go that trouble, I was only joking.
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  • NelsonPNelsonP Frets: 3116
    edited September 2023
    Sassafras said:
    NelsonP said:
    Sassafras said:
    VALVES FFS!!!
    Sorry, edited. TGP this is not.

    You didn't have to go that trouble, I was only joking.
    Honestly it was no trouble, although it took a little while to find my phone in my fanny pack as it had gotten lost in there ;-)
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  • SpoonManSpoonMan Frets: 138
    You could probably sell them as a job lot or if you can be bothered pick out any more "desirable" ones and sell them separately.

    Don't bin them all though! 
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  • NelsonPNelsonP Frets: 3116
    I'll take a pic on Sunday and post it here.
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  • NelsonPNelsonP Frets: 3116
    Turns out the box was quite small. About 8 or so Mullard ECC88s
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  • ecc83ecc83 Frets: 1488
    NelsonP said:
    Turns out the box was quite small. About 8 or so Mullard ECC88s

    Almost pin compatible with the 81/82/83 except a 6.3V heater on pins 4&5.
    It is a medium mu ~33, high gm ~12mA/V low noise, low microphony double triode originally used in VHF amplifiers.
    I suspect one would make a nice low noise front end for a guitar amp or one could be used for a very low power amplifier delivering about 1.2W.

    Dave.
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  • ICBMICBM Frets: 69426
    I think ECC88s were used in some hi-fi amps, but I’m not sure. They’re not worthless, anyway - stick them on Ebay as untested and someone will buy them.

    "Take these three items, some WD-40, a vise grip, and a roll of duct tape. Any man worth his salt can fix almost any problem with this stuff alone." - Walt Kowalski

    "Just because I don't care, doesn't mean I don't understand." - Homer Simpson

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  • ecc83ecc83 Frets: 1488
    ICBM said:
    I think ECC88s were used in some hi-fi amps, but I’m not sure. They’re not worthless, anyway - stick them on Ebay as untested and someone will buy them.

    Indeed they are IC (I'll check me Big Book) and often as the "E88CC" they were said to be the very best valve for a cascode circuit. Not a front end you want for a guitar amp because it has a very good RF response!

    Dave.
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  • beed84beed84 Frets: 2295
    My mate was going to do the same with a load that was left in workshop he bought. He put them on eBay for spares and bagged almost £400. I wouldn't skip them.
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  • ecc83ecc83 Frets: 1488
    Confirmed a desirable valve for hi fi bods. Very low open loop distortion. My valve book by Morgan Jones* favours it for lots of uses, including as I said the very best valve for a cascode.

    Now, I DO NOT recommend this but they could be a 'drop in' for many of Blackstar's amps and pedals because most use a DC heater supply and put 12V on pins 4&5 but I would have to check that for individual devices.

    *Obviously a very clever chap but a bit 'odd' in some ways? He is not for instance keen on negative feedback!

    Dave.


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  • NelsonPNelsonP Frets: 3116
    edited October 2023
    This is the lot of them.....

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  • Fingers657Fingers657 Frets: 70
    Good luck with your used valves sale.
    Not something I would be interested in purely because they’ve been used.
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