WTB 7189 Tube

[tasar]

Prefer Mullard (rebranded ok) or Telefunken 7189 testing high or NOS. Price and ship to 49670, email direct please acat40@gmail.com.

[electra225]

Sorry, tasar. All I have is used GE.

[tasar]

Thanks for offer, may revisit GE/RCA types down the road.

[tasar]

Still looking

[Firedome]

I have all kinds of 7189a, but none for sale right now as I have 3 amps that use them.

Honestly I wouldn't fixate on Tele or Mullard, the Russian Military ones that end in -EV (EB) are excellent sounding 7189a spec ruggedized tubes that sound as good as the vintage ones imo, I also have quads of Amperex BBs and the EV construction looks virtually identical. They're a real bargain for new tubes imo, and are far better than any other new production, again my opinion. I have several quads of them salted away. Also reliability of Mullard's 7189 and 6BQ5s are rather suspect in my experience with them... kinda like British cars lol.

[tasar]

Hi Roger. My experience from scores of rebuild and old working sets tells a different story. Badged and rebadged Mullards survive. Funkens likewise. Mfg. required best available, reliability was do or die. Having said that, post war Europe likely had competitive pricing, a subject you know better than I. Appreciate your input here.

[Firedome]

What are they being used in? Teles and Amp BBs survive for sure, but Mil-spec Russki 7189s EVs were designed to take v high and nearly abusive use. I've have had excellent results with 'em in some v demanding amps like some Zenith consoles that drive them probably too hard and also require the best. For their low-ish price, comparatively, might be worth it to give them a try! Just my $.02.

[tasar]

What do a quad of EVs $ run ?
Can you supply ?

[Firedome]

Here's some on eBay right now... wow, not nearly as cheap as they used to be. You know they're the real deal in these weird boxes with staples on the top and bottom panels and these style box designs. EB is Russian for EV, so these are the ones you want. Mil-spec ruggedized tubes that also happen to sound excellent, way better than new production Russian tubes like Electro Harmonix and other Mike Matthews (New Sensor) produced tubes with various labels. These will take a beating. The seller here is in FL, a bonus, as most are in E. Europe.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/224215755529?h ... BMsKWCn45h

I think the last 4 that I bought about 3 yrs ago was less than half the current price, but that was before the current conflict, I bought them directly from Ukraine then. The seller was great, they took about 3 weeks to arrive. Some were for sale in Bulgaria more recently. I just sent off some sold tubes I sold in that box I still from Ukraine, it had Cyrillic lettering all over it. IMO for a quad at current price they're still a good alternative to overpriced US and Euro NOS, these tunes can hold their own.

If of interest I may have a pair of used but test-like-NOS Amperex Bugle Boy (with that label) 7189s that came out of a Fisher when I get back from Denver in mid-December, but I need to go through my pile and do a bunch of testing first. Imho Tele and Amperex are the creme-de-la-creme when it comes to all 6BQ5 types. I like RCAs and GEs as well. I may have some excellent RCA 6BQ5s as well. And I will check, I may have 1 pair of the Russkie EVs I could part with.

[Firedome]

No boxes but these are a great buy from a bulk pack if you want these tubes nowadays, I've bought from this seller in Romania, he's dependable! I'm almost tempted to add another quad to the pile LOL. My problem is I have 3 amps that
need 7198s. Not much left so act fast!

https://www.ebay.com/itm/183569430763?h ... R5rT9KCOYQ

[tasar]

Tube audio getting expensive, think I'll be patient and purchase only as needed. When back let me know if you can spare a NOS or strong testing 7189 EV. Thanks for the leads anyway, appreciate your time Roger !

[Firedome]

Especially for those first getting into tube audio it is getting very expensive. Once upon a time people were throwing this stuff away. About 25 yrs ago I met a guy who serviced drive-in theaters who told me the week before had taken a pickup -load of tubes and movie theater tubes amps to the dump. But he had saved a bit of it and I did get a rusty Mc75 that had been used as a car-speaker amp at a drive in plus 4 new RCA BP 6L6gc in their original Altec-label boxes for I think it was $75. Those days are long gone!

[tasar]

Revisiting this ad as I have another Scott needing 2 matched pair of 7189 or Russian 6P14P-EV/EB (per Roger's recommendation.
Also need couple pair of 6LN8 drivers and set of 7591 in new ad.

[electra225]

The 6LN8 is used in some Zenith TV sets as a horizontal oscillator.

[tasar]

Definitely a plus using this linear non-microphonic valve as an audio driver. The 6L7 is the only radio tube that's given me noise problems in circuit, tube testers don't tell the whole story for sure !

[Conelrad]

Speaking of noisy tubes, if anyone has noiseless 6SC7's, please let me know.

Unobtanium.

Dennis

[Motorola minion]

The 6LN8 is used in some Zenith TV sets as a horizontal oscillator.

Yes, Admiral and Sylvania too. This is identical to the 6BL8, many were used in Motorola and Philco color sets.

The 7199 was similar but with different pinout and considered the audio version

[Firedome]

Although prices have gone up a lot since the Russkie invasion, those 6P14p-EV are still a relative bargain, I got some used ones quite cheap once, all were sold as pre-tested and they tested very strong for me. They had to rotate them out of military equipment on a fixed-hour basis that was very conservative so they are a very good buy imo and are true 7189s. I have 2 amps that use those. Some of the bulk sellers of them on eBay are Bulgarian, Ukranian, and Romanian, and I've had very good luck with them, they're dependable sellers. I wouldn't hesitate to buy from them again.

[tasar]

https://www.ebay.com/itm/224732963590
Would this supplier be known to any of you ?

[TC Chris]

Not at all. But I'm curious about the "reflector" tube description added to several of his offerings. Brand name, or some less-common word for beam power?

Chris Campbell