I just checked prices on a tube im looking for (7868) and the prices t the Tube Store were ludicrous.Much better deals on Fleabay.
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Thanks for the great info. Wild Bill. I thought the 50 bucks was for a single tube. yes, thats about what they -a pair-are going for , the EH, that is. My friend built me a Bogen, and thats what I need the tubes for.
Wild Bill said:Apples and oranges, Gerald!
The 7868 had not been made by anyone for years. Now one and only one company is making this tube, to my knowledge.
Although it's a great tube I think it may have come out near the end of the tube era without enough time to get popular, like the 8417. Bogen used it sometimes in their PA amps.
So on Fleabay we see used 7868s going for not too bad a price because they simply aren't that much in demand. Of course, you're getting a used tube. You're trusting the seller to have tested it correctly (he may not be a cheat, just ignorant but sincere!) and you have no way to guess how much life is left in it.
If you need a new tube today you have only one source. Supply and demand, my friend. I still think the tube is cost-effective. A Bogen converted to guitar amp service will deliver over 40 watts with just 2 7868s. I modded one single 7868 Bogen into a 15 watt class A blues dynamo and the player just loves it!
The 7868 doesn't need a lot of drive. Like EL84s, the usual preamp circuit will deliver more than enough signal for that classic Plexi power-amp distortion. $50 a pair seems reasonable to me.
:rockon2: :rockon:evilGuitar:
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