Just ordered the pair off of Evil Bay. Damn these long business trips - boredom sets in and I get the itch to build things! 
-Pat
-Pat
4 posters
Trigger pulled - M125s
Cubdriver- Posts : 83
Join date : 2014-01-21
Age : 59
Location : Southeastern Litchfield Co, CT
sKiZo- Posts : 1530
Join date : 2013-04-01
Location : Michigan USA
Spin the magic wheel!
Best o'luck ... shopping off that auction site can be an experience, but it's really the way to go if you don't mind taking a chance. I've been real lucky with this and that.
Already planning to refurb or do any upgrades?
Wocher got fer tubes?
PICS!!
PS ... winter's here ... time for me to get antzy and thinking about bench projects. Already got a few lined up, including a couple left over from last spring ...
Best o'luck ... shopping off that auction site can be an experience, but it's really the way to go if you don't mind taking a chance. I've been real lucky with this and that.
Already planning to refurb or do any upgrades?
Wocher got fer tubes?
PICS!!
PS ... winter's here ... time for me to get antzy and thinking about bench projects. Already got a few lined up, including a couple left over from last spring ...
Cubdriver- Posts : 83
Join date : 2014-01-21
Age : 59
Location : Southeastern Litchfield Co, CT
Hey sKiZo!
In retrospect, I probably should have looked into simply buying them and driving up and getting them directly from Bob, but of course that thought didn't occur to me until AFTER buying and paying for them. D'oh!!
I don't have tubes yet, but am leaning towards the KT120s, with GZ37 rectifiers. Of course I'll need to FIND GZ37s, but seem to recall having seen someone out of Canada selling NOS ones on the bay. (A tube amp needs a tube rectifier as far as I'm concerned. Yes, I know it's a bit less efficient, I prefer it.) I may initially run them with only pairs rather than parallel pairs of outputs, and use something like a 5U4 for the rectifier in the short term.
This will be attempt #2 at powder coating. And yes, no worries, I'll take and post pics.
-Pat
In retrospect, I probably should have looked into simply buying them and driving up and getting them directly from Bob, but of course that thought didn't occur to me until AFTER buying and paying for them. D'oh!!
I don't have tubes yet, but am leaning towards the KT120s, with GZ37 rectifiers. Of course I'll need to FIND GZ37s, but seem to recall having seen someone out of Canada selling NOS ones on the bay. (A tube amp needs a tube rectifier as far as I'm concerned. Yes, I know it's a bit less efficient, I prefer it.) I may initially run them with only pairs rather than parallel pairs of outputs, and use something like a 5U4 for the rectifier in the short term.
This will be attempt #2 at powder coating. And yes, no worries, I'll take and post pics.
-Pat
audiobill- Posts : 425
Join date : 2014-03-13
Location : Albany, NY
Weber GZ38, from an owner.
deepee99- Posts : 2244
Join date : 2012-05-23
Location : Wallace, Idaho
Aw, bite the bullet and get a pair of NOS Mullard GZ-33s. They're a steal at $150 a pop.
deepee99- Posts : 2244
Join date : 2012-05-23
Location : Wallace, Idaho
audiobill wrote:Weber GZ38, from an owner.
Audiobill, you meant the Weber 68s, didn't you?
audiobill- Posts : 425
Join date : 2014-03-13
Location : Albany, NY
Yes, sorry.
Again, from an owner , Weber GZ 68. period.
Again, from an owner , Weber GZ 68. period.
sKiZo- Posts : 1530
Join date : 2013-04-01
Location : Michigan USA
WZ68
(There ... I think that's right!)
Ah! You bought new from Bob & Co. No upgrades or refurb required then! As far as picking them up, probably not too late, but gas ain't cheap, the weather ain't pretty, and he packs the amps up real nice. Besides which, your evil overlords are probably planning to send you out on the road again sooner than later. ;-}
I just got a used NATO CV378 for $60 from these guys ...
(In case anyone's wondering, the "CV" is the military code for "Common Valve". Identical to the same year production Mullards. Different labeling is all. You'll see rumors that they're somehow "ruggedized" for military use ... not true.)
http://tubeworldexpress.com/collections/rectifiers/GZ37
Tested good and works nice. That's what I'm running right now. Their inventory changes often, but I figure they're worth checking. Hard part might be finding a pair, so maybe mix 'n match.
And ya ... I'd also pick up on a pair of WZ68 Copper Caps. Get ya started, and make good spares if nothing else. I used one for first fire after the build rather than risk a bottle, but didn't much care for the sound - kinda thin compared to the big bottle. Besides ... it ain't a REAL rectifier unless it lights up!
Oh ... Canada Guy is selling NOS CV's for $125. Just search for "mullard GZ37" on that auction site ... You'd have to dig real deep to find a better price any more. I paid $90 for a NOS 1968 real Mullard, shield and all, a few months back, but I figure I just got real lucky there.
(There ... I think that's right!)
Cubdriver wrote:
In retrospect, I probably should have looked into simply buying them and driving up and getting them directly from Bob, but of course that thought didn't occur to me until AFTER buying and paying for them. D'oh!!
Ah! You bought new from Bob & Co. No upgrades or refurb required then! As far as picking them up, probably not too late, but gas ain't cheap, the weather ain't pretty, and he packs the amps up real nice. Besides which, your evil overlords are probably planning to send you out on the road again sooner than later. ;-}
I just got a used NATO CV378 for $60 from these guys ...
(In case anyone's wondering, the "CV" is the military code for "Common Valve". Identical to the same year production Mullards. Different labeling is all. You'll see rumors that they're somehow "ruggedized" for military use ... not true.)
http://tubeworldexpress.com/collections/rectifiers/GZ37
Tested good and works nice. That's what I'm running right now. Their inventory changes often, but I figure they're worth checking. Hard part might be finding a pair, so maybe mix 'n match.
And ya ... I'd also pick up on a pair of WZ68 Copper Caps. Get ya started, and make good spares if nothing else. I used one for first fire after the build rather than risk a bottle, but didn't much care for the sound - kinda thin compared to the big bottle. Besides ... it ain't a REAL rectifier unless it lights up!
Oh ... Canada Guy is selling NOS CV's for $125. Just search for "mullard GZ37" on that auction site ... You'd have to dig real deep to find a better price any more. I paid $90 for a NOS 1968 real Mullard, shield and all, a few months back, but I figure I just got real lucky there.
Cubdriver- Posts : 83
Join date : 2014-01-21
Age : 59
Location : Southeastern Litchfield Co, CT
sKiZo wrote:Ah! You bought new from Bob & Co. No upgrades or refurb required then! As far as picking them up, probably not too late, but gas ain't cheap, the weather ain't pretty, and he packs the amps up real nice. Besides which, your evil overlords are probably planning to send you out on the road again sooner than later. ;-}
There's that, and the fact that he's already shipped them - he's fast!!
sKiZo wrote:
I just got a used NATO CV378 for $60 from these guys ...
(In case anyone's wondering, the "CV" is the military code for "Common Valve". Identical to the same year production Mullards. Different labeling is all. You'll see rumors that they're somehow "ruggedized" for military use ... not true.)
http://tubeworldexpress.com/collections/rectifiers/GZ37
Tested good and works nice. That's what I'm running right now. Their inventory changes often, but I figure they're worth checking. Hard part might be finding a pair, so maybe mix 'n match.
Thanks for the lead, I'll check that place out.
sKiZo wrote:And ya ... I'd also pick up on a pair of WZ68 Copper Caps. Get ya started, and make good spares if nothing else. I used one for first fire after the build rather than risk a bottle, but didn't much care for the sound - kinda thin compared to the big bottle. Besides ... it ain't a REAL rectifier unless it lights up!
Oh ... Canada Guy is selling NOS CV's for $125. Just search for "mullard GZ37" on that auction site ... You'd have to dig real deep to find a better price any more. I paid $90 for a NOS 1968 real Mullard, shield and all, a few months back, but I figure I just got real lucky there.
That's probably the guy I saw last week while contemplating this build. Painful, but you only live once... I've got a bunch of old 5U4s, so I'll likely bring them up with pairs instead of quads for initial testing, and use a 5U4 as the rectifier for now...
-Pat
Cubdriver- Posts : 83
Join date : 2014-01-21
Age : 59
Location : Southeastern Litchfield Co, CT
Amp kits were dropped off yesterday by Brown Santa. Output tubes have also been ordered and are allegedly in transit. I'll hopefully get a chance to start building in the next few days.
-Pat
-Pat