eBay help

Billy Batz · Post by **Billy Batz** » Tue Feb 28, 2006 11:14 pm

I hate to be so ignorant of soemthing like this but I search on ebay for mullard, tungsram, amperex, bugle boy and the rest and so much stuff comes up. Some with high starting prices others with 2 days to go and a low price, some look good and are cheap others look like bad dals but theyve been bid up high. What the hell am I looking for?

Where do you guys get your mullards and how do you know what the good stuff is to get?

killertone · Post by **killertone** » Tue Feb 28, 2006 11:31 pm

I have been spending way too much time on ebay recently and have bought a bunch of vintage tubes. What I look for is someone who has tested the tubes and posts the results. Also, I make sure that the Mullard date codes are visible so that I can tell that it is a Mullard. Anything that says it is NIB NOS I ask questions to the seller before I bid or buy to just confirm taht they are definitely NOS and not used. Lastly, feedback goes a long way with me. I check that and look at their other auctions so I can bid with confidence. Buying on ebay is a risk but a way better deal than the big tube dealers on the net. I buy tubes wholesale from a large distributor and sometimes I can get NOS cheaper on ebay.

Billy Batz · Post by **Billy Batz** » Tue Feb 28, 2006 11:39 pm

Im no novice to ebaying, but I dont know how to tell what in the mass of tubes there are the really good ones. I can sort out the testing but I dont know which tubes are the good ones. Any old mullard that isnt long plate and tests good is good to go after?

killertone · Post by **killertone** » Wed Mar 01, 2006 12:38 am

That is the logic that I have been using. Since Mullards were made so well and reportedly have 100,000 hours of life in them (??), I think it is safe to say that if one tests good on a reliable tester it is a safe bet.

5150loveeddie · Post by **5150loveeddie** » Wed Mar 01, 2006 2:06 am

Billy Batz wrote:Im no novice to ebaying, but I dont know how to tell what in the mass of tubes there are the really good ones. I can sort out the testing but I dont know which tubes are the good ones. Any old mullard that isnt long plate and tests good is good to go after?

Not always, soundwise I mean, they might be strong but out of ten strong ones you might get 3-4 really sounding magic.....fuckin dilema hey? But you will always have better tones, period, then any modern crap.....

Koa-dogg · Post by **Koa-dogg** » Wed Mar 01, 2006 8:45 am

Don't forget that there was a lot of rebranding that was going on. IEC, EICO, BOGEN, FISHER, all could be made by mullard.

Scott

Billy Batz · Post by **Billy Batz** » Wed Mar 01, 2006 9:07 am

Yeah it seems people know that. Half the mullard search comes up those brands but I guess trying those names specifically could find someone who doesnt know what he's got?

5150loveeddie · Post by **5150loveeddie** » Wed Mar 01, 2006 9:09 am

Billy Batz wrote:Yeah it seems people know that. Half the mullard search comes up those brands but I guess trying those names specifically could find someone who doesnt know what he's got?

Exactly............be caution.............or just go with TT when he will get some mules...

SB Monster · Post by **SB Monster** » Wed Mar 01, 2006 9:41 am

Billy Batz wrote:Yeah it seems people know that. Half the mullard search comes up those brands but I guess trying those names specifically could find someone who doesnt know what he's got?

Exactly, you can get lucky like that. I think a lot of guys are put off by the unknown, that they're afraid of buying a lemon. If the guy's tested the tubes and they're strong, it'll be bad luck if you get scrap. 100 zillion billion hours and all that.

Google up on the factory codes, that'll help you when someone has a 'rebrand'. Mullard made tubes in a few different factories and there are at least 10 different factory codes altough the Blackburn stuff seems to be the most desirable. The only mullard stuff I have is Blackburn and it all sounds good so maybe that's why.

I think a section on the forum on NOS stuff would be a good idea, it's gonna help everybody because none of us here knows it all.

Paul

killertone · Post by **killertone** » Wed Mar 01, 2006 12:13 pm

Like I said before, I won't bid on any unless I can see the manufacture codes. It is fairly easy to tell if one is a Mullard or not. None of my Mullards are branded Mullard, but they all have Blackburn production codes.