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Learning the hard way.
With two sets of tube amplifiers, a tube preamp and a passion to roll tubes, I decided to try a few different new tubes out - Psvane Mark II and Shuguang Treasures. It doesn't really matter what type of tubes, but if you're curious, KT88's, 6SN7's, 300b's, 845's and EL34's.
Looking to save a few bucks, I decided to TRY and buy a few tubes from a few different Chinese eBay resellers who all had 98% or higher ratings. All offered money back guarantees, fast shipping, yada, yada, yada.
Over the past few weeks, the tubes have been arriving from China. At this point, roughly 50% are either damaged or just flat out, don't work and some have become downright dangerous due to damaged filament causing blue streaking across the tube. On one 845 tube, the base just spun like a top and when I installed it in my amp, I didn't notice the damaged base and it blew a fuse in my amp. As a side story, I went to Radio Shack to buy a new fuse for the amp, and the girl working there was stunning - absolutely stunning - I walk up to the counter and say "I need a half amp, 250v fuse", she looks and me and smiles, "would you like a slow blow or a fast blow?" I'm not sure how I kept a straight face.
Yes, all this damage could be from shipping....but I have my doubts. But here is the rub. Yes, all these Chinese eBayers have offered me my money back ONCE I SHIP THE TUBE back! Well, guess what? It costs more to ship the tube back then the actual tube is worth! I even tried sending one by regular mail (read: no tracking once it leaves the U.S.) and guess what - they CLAIM they never received it. Such BS.
So, I've decided to give the folks at Grant Fidelity a shot. Stay tuned.
So goes the old expression....penny wise and pound foolish. I'm always game for trying something - I did and I got burned. Lesson learned. Never again.
With two sets of tube amplifiers, a tube preamp and a passion to roll tubes, I decided to try a few different new tubes out - Psvane Mark II and Shuguang Treasures. It doesn't really matter what type of tubes, but if you're curious, KT88's, 6SN7's, 300b's, 845's and EL34's.
Looking to save a few bucks, I decided to TRY and buy a few tubes from a few different Chinese eBay resellers who all had 98% or higher ratings. All offered money back guarantees, fast shipping, yada, yada, yada.
Over the past few weeks, the tubes have been arriving from China. At this point, roughly 50% are either damaged or just flat out, don't work and some have become downright dangerous due to damaged filament causing blue streaking across the tube. On one 845 tube, the base just spun like a top and when I installed it in my amp, I didn't notice the damaged base and it blew a fuse in my amp. As a side story, I went to Radio Shack to buy a new fuse for the amp, and the girl working there was stunning - absolutely stunning - I walk up to the counter and say "I need a half amp, 250v fuse", she looks and me and smiles, "would you like a slow blow or a fast blow?" I'm not sure how I kept a straight face.
Yes, all this damage could be from shipping....but I have my doubts. But here is the rub. Yes, all these Chinese eBayers have offered me my money back ONCE I SHIP THE TUBE back! Well, guess what? It costs more to ship the tube back then the actual tube is worth! I even tried sending one by regular mail (read: no tracking once it leaves the U.S.) and guess what - they CLAIM they never received it. Such BS.
So, I've decided to give the folks at Grant Fidelity a shot. Stay tuned.
So goes the old expression....penny wise and pound foolish. I'm always game for trying something - I did and I got burned. Lesson learned. Never again.
