Telefunken Tubes?

[big_teee]

Looking at the web tube stores, and noticed all the Telefunken Black Diamond's available.
These turn out to be new JJ tubes.
Seem kinda pricey for JJ's?
Especially since JJs are the only tubes I've personally had a high failure rate with?
Anyone try this brand?
T

[Leo_Gnardo]

New so-called "Telefunkens" had a thread, couple weeks back: http://music-electronics-forum.com/t42058/

Nobody seems to be in a rush to spend 4 to 10X the going rate for JJ's, even though they claim to have been cryo-treated, and of course painted with the attractive Telefunken logo.

In recent times (2011-present) I've had little to no problems with ordinary JJ's.

Earlier in the millenium JJ obviously had problems, learning curve building tubes and spotty kwality kontrol. Also those skinny pins on their octal tubes, what a fiasco that was!

Funny, one of our correspondents mentioned the Telefunken-painted octal JJ's also had skinny pins. Somehow I don't think that was a result of the cryogenic treatment... Maybe they picked up a big lot of otherwise unsaleable JJ's left over from the bad old days and they're trying to flog them any way they can - and an excellent way to do this is raise the price to stratospheric levels, repaint 'em, soak 'em in liquid nitrogen, and make the usual outlandish claims. Pardon me "Telefunken" if I'm not impressed. "Things ain't now like they used to be..."

[big_teee]

The JJs I had fail were in the 2012-2014 range.
I quit using them after that.
I did like the tone of them though.
I had a JJ KT77 that sounded wonderful that shorted, blew the HT fuse and some other minor things.
That was enough for me. I was probably just lucky and got the lemons out of the bunch.
I went to TADs, and never had another issue, but they cost a lot more.
Fixing to buy a pair of Tung Sol 6V6 reissues, for a new blues amp in the making.
I hope they like the 400+ Volts? Time will tell.
T

[J M Fahey]

JJ's also had skinny pins. Somehow I don't think that was a result of the cryogenic treatment...

Sorry but I politely disagree, big time.

When in cold Winter , getting in unexpectedly cold sea or simply when honey opens some water tap in the kitchen and I get a cold shower instead, my pin always ....... oh ...... sorry .......you were talking metallic tube pins I guess

[Richard]

The JJs I had fail were in the 2012-2014 range.
I quit using them after that.
I did like the tone of them though.
I had a JJ KT77 that sounded wonderful that shorted, blew the HT fuse and some other minor things.
That was enough for me. I was probably just lucky and got the lemons out of the bunch.
I went to TADs, and never had another issue, but they cost a lot more.
Fixing to buy a pair of Tung Sol 6V6 reissues, for a new blues amp in the making.
I hope they like the 400+ Volts? Time will tell.
T

Don't most 6v6's have 400+ volts?

How would you compare the sound of the JJs to the Tung Sols?

[Justin Thomas]

Nope, any actual 6V6 has a listed plate voltage of 315 or 350, depending on manufacturer. Yes, the Fenders ran them at 400+, but it's only JJ who listed a plate voltage over 400. But, there are many more other considerations besides voltage.

Never played a TS, but have used GE & RCA & JJ. But I wonder if JJs can be fairly compared on the level playing field, with the expanded ratings.

Justin

[Leo_Gnardo]

What Justin wrote ^^. And to expand a little, some amps run 6V6 up near 500V (!) - Jim Kelley for instance recommends NOS RCA's or Sylvanias, and it turns out JJ will take that punishment too.

I often find old RCA, Sylvania, TungSol and other legacy brands still carrying on just fine in old amps with B+ running in the 270-390V range.

For other currently made 6V6, EH 6V6 started out strong when they were first issued @ 15 years ago, then quickly sank. TungSol - the current made-in-Russia ones - look and act an awful lot like EH with TungSol paint on them. IOW S.O.S., what we've come to expect from New Sensor. OK for under 400V use but don't expect much lifetime if you stress 'em. Same for MIC "black glass" 6V6's.

[big_teee]

Don't most 6v6's have 400+ volts?

How would you compare the sound of the JJs to the Tung Sols?

I don't do JJs anymore. I'll leave them to you guys.

I have this PT. Going to run a 5AR4.
See chart at lower left.
http://www.classictone.net/40-18016.pdf
I may need to scratch the Tung Sols, and find a pair of these.
I've had great luck with TADs.
https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=..._gQocQ&cad=rja

[Leo_Gnardo]

I don't do JJs anymore. I'll leave them to you guys.

I have this PT. Going to run a 5AR4.
See chart at lower left.
http://www.classictone.net/40-18016.pdf
I may need to scratch the Tung Sols, and find a pair of these.
I've had great luck with TADs.
https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=..._gQocQ&cad=rja

TAD are Shuguang China however TAD does have tubes (in most cases) specially made for them, and subjects them to some quality testing. Between the testing and round-the-world shipping pattern, naturally the prices run high. All it takes is money, you can have all you want. Heck why not use 6L6's? There's lots of choices there Terry, and practically all more likely to give you a good lifetime in your amp especially if you go fixed bias. With that PT you may be able to get a pair of good 6V6's to run well in self-bias mode. Once you've built it, if the hi voltage is running too high with 6V's, you can easily dial it back by subbing a 5U4 or 5Y3 rectifier. Keep us posted on your blues build, it deserves its own thread.

[big_teee]

The 5U4 may be a better choice than the 5AR4.
That would get it down under 400v, and stick with the Tung Sol 6V6s.
I have the Iron, but don't have the tubes yet.
The amp is going to be more Farshall, more of a FJTM-20, JTM with Fender Attributes.
TBC.
T

[J M Fahey]

Looking at the web tube stores, and noticed all the Telefunken Black Diamond's available.
These turn out to be new JJ tubes.
Seem kinda pricey for JJ's?

On Jaws Novel (not sure about the movie) the young hero asks his mother to buy him a trendy Chemise Lacoste French T Shirt "to mingle better with rich tourists".
She answers: "so you want the $5 T shirt with the $35 crocodile sewn to it ?"

Remember to multiply by 5 to get current prices
Joys of hidden inflation