Telefunken tubes on the market: don't get too excited :/

[Leo_Gnardo]

Had an amp stop in for servicing last week, it was sporting a new-ish looking pair of 6L6GC output tubes marked Telefunken. Everything except the paint told me: JJ.

Out of curiosity, I had a look at the Telefunken website, tubes department, right here: VACUUM TUBES | Telefunken Elektroakustik

A blink at their photo of 12AX7A reveals the well known rectangular indentation we see in JJ dual triode plates.

They have some NOS 5751 and 12AT7 from various manufacturers, if you care to shop there. Also a couple used in tube microphones.

Aside from the astronomical prices, these so-called Telefunkens appear to be repainted JJ's. If anyone's run across 'em, feel free to share your experiences.

The JJ,... oops Telefunkens in the amp I looked at worked just fine like we expect JJ... oops - - - - - - Over and out.

[nickb]

Well spotted Leo. I hope this doesn't turn into another marketing triumph. You called it right, according to the datasheet these are cryo selected JJ tubes.

From the small print in the data sheet:

[Beyer160]

This is the same company (in their former guise as "Telefunken USA") who rebadged a $99 Chinese condenser mic as the "Telefunken M16" and charged $1,000 for it.

[Leo_Gnardo]

This is the same company (in their former guise as "Telefunken USA") who rebadged a $99 Chinese condenser mic as the "Telefunken M16" and charged $1,000 for it.

If you can do that kind of biz, it seems like too much work to cryo treat then burn in JJ's and test 'em again. $44 for a deep-froze AX, hmmmm I'll let someone else try them on.

Mike Matthews must be PO'd big time he didn't grab this marque.

At least we can get Telefunken beer glasses for a mere $7. I'll have to see about stopping in next time I navigate northeast Connecticut.

[drewl]

These also have thinner pins like JJ's.

[Leo_Gnardo]

These also have thinner pins like JJ's.

Didn't notice that on the 6L6's I encountered. If that's the case, can't think of a better deal breaker. Wonder if Teleflunkout bought a batch of early 00's dodgy JJ's for pocket change, and they're trying to put lipstick on those pigs.

I'll stick with the beer glasses. Hope they don't have holes in the bottom.

[Mick Bailey]

Looks like a rebrand/marketing exercise. The day the start actually making Telefunken tubes would be the time to write home to Mother - especially if they came up with the cylindrical plate EL84s.

[J M Fahey]

Just remember Telefunken is (was) an European Company and never ever made 6L6 ... in fact would have taken offence if somebody even suggested that, since they were making their native EL34, some of the best in the planet.
The others also being made by German or Holland companies.

I bet in 20 or 30 years somebody will market Hammond labelled guitars or Fender labelled wheel organs to the no clues.

But just as guilty as them (or even more) is the ton of "Magazines" which will "test them and find them superb" ..... while pocketing the full page ad fees.

[Leo_Gnardo]

Just remember Telefunken is (was) an European Company and never ever made 6L6

One of the first things I thought of when I saw 'em, along with those recognizable hemispheric dome tops. "What's wrong with this picture???" Telefunken, indeed!

Last time I heard of anything near Telefunken, was that EI had bought their tooling and was making tubes with it in Serbia. Of course all that went away some 20 years ago. Some EI 12AX's were pretty good, others execrable, unit-to-unit variation. Some were even marketed as counterfeit Tele's; they had no diamond pressed into the glass base, an easy "tell." Similar with EL84 and some other amp tubes. The only thing you could count on with EI, was that you couldn't count on them. One has to wonder, where did Tele's old tube making equipment go and will anybody ever pick up the ball and make some good tubes with it?

[Justin Thomas]

The problem with collecting all the old machinery but without the brainpower to operate it is...

Well, like when GT bought up all GE's original equipment. Didn't help GT make any great tubes, either... great tools in the hands of an inept operator can be even worse than mediocre tools in the hands of a skilled operator.

Justin

[Tom Phillips]

...One has to wonder, where did Tele's old tube making equipment go and will anybody ever pick up the ball and make some good tubes with it?

Ah yes. The big issue is that there is so much more to manufacturing a product than ownership of the basic factory equipment. That "anybody" would need a team of people with a wide range of unique expertise and access to various raw material supplies just to name a couple of things.

[Leo_Gnardo]

The problem with collecting all the old machinery but without the brainpower to operate it is...

Well, like when GT bought up all GE's original equipment. Didn't help GT make any great tubes, either... great tools in the hands of an inept operator can be even worse than mediocre tools in the hands of a skilled operator.

Justin

Also when - JJ - bought Tesla's equipment. You're 100% right. Further, witness the gathering of tube manufacturing gear in Saratov Russia. There's a long learning curve in building the classics. Not so much in marketing them . "Everything we paint our name on is FANTASTIC!" Especially when those names are defunct companies that were known for making high quality tubes, now just logos whose rights were bought for pocket lint.

[Justin Thomas]

Well, maybe the new ones will cause demand for the old ones to plummet, and once again we'll be getting real NOS 5881s cuz their reputations are killed by the imitators. I know, I'm idealistic...

Justin

[Leo_Gnardo]

Well, maybe the new ones will cause demand for the old ones to plummet,

To some small extent this has happened, with some excellent reports on KT88 from New Sensor's "Genelex Gold Lion" line. Perhaps also the other New Sensor "Gold Lion" KT66 and KT77. But these are expensive, appeal to well-heeled hi fi buyers, and rarely used by us skinflint guitar amp folks.

[bob p]

Out of curiosity, I had a look at the Telefunken website, tubes department, right here: VACUUM TUBES*| Telefunken Elektroakustik

When I logged onto the site called "T-Funk.com" I was expecting to find a picture of George Clinton.



I think the most interesting item on that site is not the tubes, it's the T-shirt.

T-Shirt Classic Black*| Telefunken Elektroakustik