Audio 'Glassic' Tubes

[Mars Amp Repair]

Just though this was amusing
Audio 'Glassic' tubes. Kinda creative. Anyone know what vintage these might be?
Made in China.
g

[Justin Thomas]

I saw that brakd last around 2001, 02 in a Fender something or other...

Jusrin

[mozz]

In 1992, with help from the Defense Enterprise Fund, the Svetlana factory in
St. Petersburg formed a joint stock company with R&G International (better
known in the audio world for Audio Glassic tubes) called Svetlana Electron
Devices (SED). SED was set up to distribute broadcast tubes and audio tubes
throughout the world.
During the summer of 2000 SED stopped shipping tubes
from their headquarters in Huntsville, Alabama due to a series of money
related problems they were having with the factory.

In January of 2001, it was clear that SED would not be shipping any tubes
any time soon, several offices closed.

According to recent discussions with Audio Glassic sales staff, they currently sell
Svetlana 6550B2, 6550B3, and 6550C. The 6550B2 has two splashes of getter on the top and
one on the side. The 6550B3 has NO getter spalshed on the top, and two rings on the side,
ouside the plate, which are solid centered and hold getter material which is not splashed
on the glass. This tube is referred to as a “clear top”. The 6550C has two splashes of
getter on the top and none on the side. I previously purchase two sets of Audio Glassics
6550B(the first version, similar to the B2) and Svetlana labeled 6550B’s from ANtique
Electronic Supply. They were identical. The 6500B’s from both sources were identical AND
unique. All the 6550’s I have ever seen , besides these tubes, have seven pins and one
missing pin. These all had eight pins. Also, the pins and bases were unusual, in that they
did not fit the tube socket exactly right. The pins are longer and skinnier, and the
key/guide is also skinnier. With all these anomalies, it was possible, as I stupidly
proved, to put the tube in the socket with the wrong pin facings.

[Chuck H]

For my own part I remember the name/brand/moniker making a splash. And then I sort of held back and watched to see if anything good would come of it. Admittedly a new entity needs a long shelf life to qualify for my patronage. Too many market splashes with less than useful product. Just the nature of the beast IME. So I never got into the Audio Glassic stuff before they were gone.

If that's any kind of testimony. Splash in the pan - not much shizzle for the sizzle.

[Tom Phillips]

...the pins and bases were unusual, in that they did not fit the tube socket exactly right. The pins are longer and skinnier, and the key/guide is also skinnier. With all these anomalies, it was possible...to put the tube in the socket with the wrong pin facings...

I remember that. When it happened, I gave up any ideas of stocking those tubes. I felt like, if they are so bad at getting the physical base right, the guts would probably not be reliable either so I returned the first batch without further testing.

[Mars Amp Repair]

In 1992, with help from the Defense Enterprise Fund, the Svetlana factory in
St. Petersburg formed a joint stock company with R&G International (better
known in the audio world for Audio Glassic tubes) called Svetlana Electron
Devices (SED). SED was set up to distribute broadcast tubes and audio tubes
throughout the world.
During the summer of 2000 SED stopped shipping tubes
from their headquarters in Huntsville, Alabama due to a series of money
related problems they were having with the factory.

In January of 2001, it was clear that SED would not be shipping any tubes
any time soon, several offices closed.

According to recent discussions with Audio Glassic sales staff, they currently sell
Svetlana 6550B2, 6550B3, and 6550C. The 6550B2 has two splashes of getter on the top and
one on the side. The 6550B3 has NO getter spalshed on the top, and two rings on the side,
ouside the plate, which are solid centered and hold getter material which is not splashed
on the glass. This tube is referred to as a “clear top”. The 6550C has two splashes of
getter on the top and none on the side. I previously purchase two sets of Audio Glassics
6550B(the first version, similar to the B2) and Svetlana labeled 6550B’s from ANtique
Electronic Supply. They were identical. The 6500B’s from both sources were identical AND
unique. All the 6550’s I have ever seen , besides these tubes, have seven pins and one
missing pin. These all had eight pins. Also, the pins and bases were unusual, in that they
did not fit the tube socket exactly right. The pins are longer and skinnier, and the
key/guide is also skinnier. With all these anomalies, it was possible, as I stupidly
proved, to put the tube in the socket with the wrong pin facings.

Crazy stuff!
In 2001 I was working for ATT doing something called 'Translations'. It had nothing to do with repair of any kind, as the consumer electronics repair field was drying up. If you worked for a mom & pop repair joint, you got minimal if any benefits and usually worked on commission.
I had previously spent my career in consumer electronics repair,. The last job in electronics repair was at Panasonic Service Center in Aurora, CO (YES, Aurora, CO way before all this nonsense about Venezuelan gangs surfaced). I had actually quit that job in 1998 as the hand writing of the future of repairing VCR's was clearly on the wall with them selling for around $100.00.
So, I had not dealt with tubes since the 70's and I missed all this stuff about the Glassic tubes and cool info like that Mozz discussed. I would have thought those tubes were from the 70's.
I guess that's a rather long-winded way to get around to that, but we older repair dudes like to do that .
Glen

[stokes]

When I was working for a local rehearsal studio back in the 90's theowner bought a big batch of various Audio Glassic tubes to keep on hand for repairs. When the place went belly up in the early 2000's the owner told me to take the tubes left, I declined. Dont think any of the ones we used even made a year in service. I did have a piar of 6L6GC's in my tube caddy. Last year I had a good client of mine bring his Fender Vibrolux in for a repair he needed that night. I didnt have any 6L6GC's on hand and said I would give him the Audio Glassics for free and hopefully get him thru his gig. They lasted that night and when I got his new tubes in and he bought the amp back a couple weeks later, one was shorted. He didnt abuse them at all, he's strictly a jazz guy.

[Mars Amp Repair]

When I was working for a local rehearsal studio back in the 90's theowner bought a big batch of various Audio Glassic tubes to keep on hand for repairs. When the place went belly up in the early 2000's the owner told me to take the tubes left, I declined. Dont think any of the ones we used even made a year in service. I did have a piar of 6L6GC's in my tube caddy. Last year I had a good client of mine bring his Fender Vibrolux in for a repair he needed that night. I didnt have any 6L6GC's on hand and said I would give him the Audio Glassics for free and hopefully get him thru his gig. They lasted that night and when I got his new tubes in and he bought the amp back a couple weeks later, one was shorted. He didnt abuse them at all, he's strictly a jazz guy.

I guess that tells it all!