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BRENT JESSEE RECORDING & SUPPLY, INC.

1566 West Algonquin Road #111

Hoffman Estates, IL 60192

Voice Phone 847-496-4546, Monday-Friday 8AM to 4PM USA Central Time

If busy, during Weekday business hours only, alternate phone 847-345-8046

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e-mail: brentjes@audiotubes.com

EL34 / 6CA7 TUBES CURRENTLY IN STOCK


This page lists all of the EL34 / 6CA7 tubes I currently have in stock, including all industrial and European versions.

It is a long page, use your scroll button and scroll down the page to see it all.

These are extremely high demand vintage tubes, so I have these listed on their own page, as my stock changes rapidly. If you need a quantity of these tubes, or have specific needs such as matching, special construction, etc., please e-mail me. NOTE: Our inventory is being simplified to show that we either have adequate stock on hand ("in stock"), are out of stock ("temporarily out of stock"), or stocks change very rapidly with rare, high demand tubes ("call/e-mail"). Stock levels with actual quantity on hand shown are being phased out as we update inventory. The only exception to this will be very scarce tubes where we typically will only have a small stock on hand. Of course, any time you need a large quantity of tubes of any type, is is a good idea to email us for a stock check first.

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The EL34 and it's "Americanized" version, the 6CA7, are among the most popular and sought out vintage tubes today. This tube is a pentode of the power amplifier type. It probably gained most of it's popularity as the output tube of choice in the famous Dynakit ST70 amps, but it has been around since the 1950s. It was found in musicial instrument amps, public address systems, and other types of home and professional audio systems. It packs quite a whallop in a rather small glass package, and yet, in well crafted amps like the ST70, it can image well, with a delicate airy touch and a solid bottom end. I have never heard a "bad" vintage EL34. Even those made in the late 1970s in Great Britain are wonderful tubes, easily outperforming the current made tubes of this type. The EL34 and 6CA7 are identical, and most versions have both type numbers on the label. Another British-made tube, the KT77, is also a drop-in replacement for the EL34/6CA7 family. This is an excellent, but rare tube not often found in the USA>

This tube is capable of MAXIMUM plate voltage of 800 volts and peak power at 25 watts! Of course, these are absolute maximum readings, at which stage nuclear meltdown occurs! In typical class A operation, I have seen suggested specs of 250 volts on the plate and screen, giving a conservative power output of 11 watts. The vintage versions of this tube have no problem running at 440 volts on plate and screen at about -38 to -42 bias volts, and this is what is often found in vintage amps. Unfortunately, Russian and Chinese tubes begin to spit and spark at these voltages, which is why the British and Dutch vintage EL34 tubes are so much in demand. These tubes are getting pricey and hard to come by. These tubes last so long, that used ones testing sufficiently above minimum Gm are usually priced nearly as high as NOS versions, and it is often difficult to tell NOS from used on the open market as most of the boxes have rotted away!

NEW! CURVE TRACER MATCHING AVAILABLE! We can match most small signal preamp tubes and we now match all of our power output tubes on a Tektronix 576 curve tracer. This runs the tube at full rated plate and screen voltage, and plots the curves at 10 different grid bias levels. The most accurate method to test tubes, the curve plots can actually be compared to the printed examples for each tube type that appear in the manufacturer technical data sheets and books. This matching is provided at no extra charge for any EL34/6CA7 type of power tubes!

Watch a brief video here, on how we now match beam power tubes like the EL34, and other power triodes and pentodes, using the Tektronix 576 curve tracer:

NOTE ON GROOVE TUBES: The E34LS, 6CA7GE, and Mullard Reissue types of pairs and quads made by Groove Tubes may be ordered with factory matching with respect to both Gm/plate current AND "hardness" ratings. The hardness rating is the degree to which the tube breaks up or distorts, when driven to it's limits. The standard "normal" breakup hardness is numbered 4-6. You may request early breakup ratings of 2-3 where the tube will distort nicely in a guitar amp when moderately overdriven. For very clean playing, or for use in hi-fi or stereo tube amps, you may request a late break up number of 7-9. These are very low distortion at high output tubes, and will not break up until heavily overdriven. There is no extra charge for hardness requests. If no request is made, we will send a "normal" rated set of tubes. All Groove Tubes are new and come in boxed pairs or quads, and GT power tubes have a 90 day defect warranty in conjunction with our 30 day satisfaction guarantee.

Here is what is most often found on the EL34 vintage market:

EL34 / 6CA7 Amperex:

The made in Holland version of this tube is most often found with the Bugle Boy logo, but even earlier versions with the treble clef logo are still around. Later versions used the orange world logo, but not all of these were made in Holland (some are British Mullard) but are still great tubes. The rarest are the 1955-1957 "nickel base" versions. These have a solid disc top getter and the word "Amperex" in a circle on the front. The base has a heavy nickel collar stamped with the date code. These are not often available, almost never NOS, but even used are superb and long lived. The more commonly available older Amperex have a brown base, the skinny bottle (not much wider than the base), a flat top, two D shaped getters and welded plates. They may or may not say 6CA7 on the label, but these tube types are identical. The white painted labels and logos on these tubes are often partially wiped off, this is normal for even unused NOS tubes of this vintage.

EL34 / 6CA7 Mullard:

The early versions of this tube had a metal collar around the base, and a mica spacer below the getter. These tubes are RARE and command high prices. Later versions had a brown micanol base, and a production series indicated by "XF" codes which are printed in black ink near the bottom of the glass. All of the Mullard tubes I have seen have a small hole in the very bottom of the octal centering pin. All genuine Mullard UK made tubes, beginning with the XF1 series, will have the Blackburn, England factory code on the glass. This will be down low on the side, on the second line of code below the XF type designation, beginning with a capital letter "B". Another trait is the often very dark top getter flashing, sometimes with a rainbow-hued "oil slick" appearance. This is normal, as the gettering was done at high temperature at the factory. Some use will sometimes make the getter thin, brown, or patchy. This is also nothing to be concerned about, as these tubes will usually still test very good with no gas, and operate normally for years with faded getter patches. These are, overall, just awesome tubes."XF1" tubes have a very dark brown, sometimes streaked with metallic gold (mica flakes) somewhat wider base, with two getter rings. These usually have the old "shield" logo, sometimes with the "BVA" in a circle below that. These are rare, and their scarcity has pushed up the price. They are worth seeking out!"XF2" tubes have a slimmer base, may not be as dark brown, with two smaller getter rings, but I have seen some with a single getter ring. Again, these may be the "shield" logo, with or without the "BVA" logo. RCA, GE, Sylvania, and other USA brands of EL34 from the early to mid 1960s were usually Mullard made XF2 type."XF3 and XF4" tubes have a single center getter ring (some XF4 tubes have two "D" shaped getters), and the plates are stamped together and not welded. These tubes are more often found with other brands on the label (Amperex, RCA, GE, etc.) and sometimes have black bases. Later Mullard tubes may be "IEC Mullard". These are still great tubes. BEWARE: late 1970s production Mullard and RCA (labeled Great Britain) that have crossed seams in the top glass were made in Japan! These are not Mullard UK made tubes, although they were made in a Japanese factory that Mullard helped set up and are decent tubes. To date, the only current-production tube that comes close to the legendary Mullard quality and sound is the new Groove Tubes Mullard XF2 reissue, the EL34M. They are at an attractive price, and you may wish to try these fine tubes as a very cost effective way to get the Mullard sound without having to worry about finding pairs of vintage Mullard tubes that match, and being able to find spare tubes.

EL34 / 6CA7 Telefunken:

These are highly sought after, and unfortunately, very rare tubes in the USA. The earliest versions of this tube have a metal collar around the base, sometimes with a number stamped in it. The later versions have black bases, usually with a code number painted on the base. They usually have two small getter rings, the skinny bottle, and crimped together plates. They all have the Telefunken diamond shaped logo, "Made in Western Germany" or "Made in Germany", and a code number all printed on the label in chalky ink that is often nearly wiped off. BEWARE: The Telefunken name lived on, although the factory at Ulm, Germany stopped making tubes in the early 1970s. A Telefunken EL34 with a "dimple" mark in the top glass (the glass top may be smooth but the dimple still appears) indicates East Germany or Russian manufacture. These tubes are not genuine Telefunken tubes!

KT77:

This is a very rare tube that is a direct replacement for the EL34 or 6CA7. I have only seen versions made by Genalex (Marconi-Osram Valve Co.) in their "Gold Lion" series of tubes, which, by the way, spawned a whole family of excellent hi-fi tubes that are rare and highly prized today. The early Genalex KT77 had a skinny bottle with a flat top similar to the Mullards, but the brown base is also thin, being no more than 1/4 inch thick, with the red Genalex decal on it, and two halo getters on top in a "stacked" configuration. The Gold Lion logo holding the KT77 sign, and the words "Gold Lion" in script on the glass, all done in gold paint, make this tube easy to spot. Later versions went to a black octal base similar to the XF4 Mullards. These are probably the rarest, and most expensive, of all EL34 types today. Usually, the early thin brownbase versions will cost the most due to their rarity, and the blackbase types will be a little less. These are all excellent tubes, even used are on par with the best Mullard XF1 tubes, but are so rare worldwide they are not often found. BEWARE: This tube was made into the 1980s and still sold as "Gold Lion". The late 1970s and early 1980s versions have blackbases, with the lion label in bright yellow ink on the glass of the tube, and it was much smaller than the earlier lion label in gold. These "yellow lion" label tubes are RUSSIAN manufacture and not worth more than $15 or $20 each. I have seen eBay dealers selling these tubes as genuine Genalex UK made Gold Lion tubes at MUCH higher prices. Be careful if buying these on auction sites!

EL34 / 6CA7 RCA, GE, Sylvania, etc. "Fat Boy" or European made:

These American versions of this tube come in two basic flavors: The European made skinny bottle (usually Mullard made XF2, XF3 or XF4 codes) or the USA made wider glass bottle, known as the "Fat Boy" types. Mullard made these for many other manufacturers, and you almost need a handbook to spot the different types out there. The Mullard made tubes will look like the Mullards described above, and even have the series codes near the bottom of the glass. The RCA versions with dark brown bases and XF2 date codes are as valuable as the original Mullards. The XF3 and XF4 versions can be found in many different USA brands, and will often have black shiny bases, with the hole in the middle of the centering pin. Beware! Later versions were made in Japan and labelled "Gt. Britain". These tubes may be spotted by seams on the top glass forming a cross. They are still good tubes, but not worth nearly as much as real British Mullard made tubes. I have also seen later RCA versions of this tube labelled "Made in East Germany", and these are also not worth as much. These Eastern Europe tubes often have what looks like a dimple in the top glass. The "Fat Boy" USA made tubes were produced primarily by Sylvania and GE. These have a much wider glass bottle, a black base, several round holes in the plates, and two large top getter rings set at an inverted "V" angle. The GE has the numbers etched into the glass, while the Sylvania used a dark grey paint with the words "USA" below. These "Fat Boy" tubes are very nice, and are still attractively priced. You will find them in RCA, Zenith, GE, Sylvania, Philips, Philco, and others, but they are all made by either Sylvania or GE.

NOTE ON GROOVE TUBES: The EL34/6CA7 types of pairs and quads made by Groove Tubes may be ordered with factory matching with respect to both Gm/plate current AND "hardness" ratings. The hardness rating is the degree to which the tube breaks up or distorts, when driven to it's limits. The standard "normal" breakup hardness is numbered 4-6. You may request early breakup ratings of 2-3 where the tube will distort nicely in a guitar amp when moderately overdriven. For very clean playing, or for use in hi-fi or stereo tube amps, you may request a late break up number of 7-9. These are very low distortion at high output tubes, and will not break up until heavily overdriven. There is no extra charge for hardness requests. All Groove Tubes are new and come in boxed pairs or quads, and GT power tubes have a 90 day defect warranty.

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Tube

Description

Price Each

Quantity In Stock

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Quantity in Stock new listing categories: "In Stock" = we got 'em, come and get 'em! "Temporarily Out of Stock" = Dang it, we just ran out, but check back real soon! "Call/e-mail" = these are rare tubes and stock changes quickly. Please call us for the latest inventory, and we can often outsource these tubes for you.

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See new stock listing key at left

KT77 (EL34 type) Genalex clearglass made for Mullard, thin brownbase, dual stacked halo getters, RARE

NOS in original box. This was the Genalex (Marconi-Osram Valve Co. of England) answer to the popular Mullard EL34 series. It is a drop-in replacement for the EL34. This is the rare early version with the thin brownbase, skinny bottle w/ flat top, and serrated edge top and bottom mica spacers. These have the legendary sweet Genalex sound. These are extremely rare tubes worldwide, but especially in the USA.

$275.00

In Stock

EL34/6CA7 Amperex Holland nickel base, early production 1954 and 1955 date codes. MATCHED PAIR

Tests like New old stock, white boxes. These are the very rare first generation of the EL34, and some say sound the best. Both are first generation nickel base Amperex, with 1950s date codes. These test at NOS levels, Gm and plate current draw match to within 5 percent. Getter flashing is excellent. These tubes are VERY scarce, and matched pairs of these have nearly vanished.

$450.00 per pair

call/e-mail

EL34/6CA7 Mullard nickel base, early production 1950s date code. MATCHED PAIR

Tests very good, good getter flash, 1950s date code. These are the very rare first generation of the EL34, and some say sound the best. A very early production of this incredible tube! The chalky label has somewhat smudged off, but the tube tests NOS and ready to amaze you with it's beautiful sonics. Not many of these left in the world!

$450.00 per pair

call/e-mail

EL34/6CA7 used tested good Mullard nickel base, early production 1955 date code.

Tests very good, 1955 date code. These are the very rare first generation of the EL34, and some say sound the best. A very early production of this incredible tube! Faded getter but tests near NOS. The chalky label has smudged off and the box has fallen apart with age, but the tube is ready to amaze you with it's beautiful sonics. Not many of these left in the world!

$149.00

call/e-mail

Watch the first video in a series about vintage EL34 tubes! Then, scroll down lower on this page to watch part II for even more rare EL34 tubes!

Click the screen at left.

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EL34/6CA7 Mullard shield logo XF1 date code, hole in centering pin, large dark brown Micanol base, RARE. MATCHED PAIR

NOS in original boxes and white boxes. Early XF1 date code from the late 1950s, large ring getters, excellent getter flash, labels fair to excellent, tested as NOS. This pair matches to within 5 percent Gm and plate current. Both are Mullard, Daystrom by Mullard, and OEM Mullard made label, all are Blackburn Mullard factory made and date coded. Labels and color of brown bases may vary. Steelbase quality at a lower price, these are a rare chance to invest in a legendary tube!

425.00 per pair

out of stock

EL34/6CA7 Mullard made XF1 date code, hole in centering pin, large dark brown Micanol base, RARE.

NOS in original box. Early XF1 date code (1950s) "fat base" type, dual ring getters, good getter flash. Blackburn Mullard factory made. These are a rare chance to invest in a legendary tube!

175.00

1 single tube

EL34/6CA7 Mullard made XF1 date code, hole in centering pin, large dark brown Micanol base, RARE.

Used tested good, white box. Early XF1 date code (1957) "fat base" type, dual ring getters, good getter flash. Blackburn Mullard factory made. These used but tested good tubes have repaired centering pins on the base, and the tubes are good as new! Try this Mullard legend at a fraction of the cost of NOS! MATCHED PAIRS ARE $250.00!

125.00

1 single tube

EL34/6CA7 Telefunken early METAL base

NOS or very near NOS. These are getting quite scarce in the USA, and some say sound the best of all EL34 tubes. The metal base are considered the best of all NOS EL34 tubes. These are ORIGINAL German Telefunken tubes from the 1950s and 1960s, NOT the "dimple top" East German tubes from the 1980s.

$199.00

1

EL34/6CA7 Mullard made, dark brownbase, XF2, dual halo getter. IN RARE GOLD AND PURPLE BALANCED MATCHED PAIR BOXES! Blackburn UK factory codes.MATCHED PAIR

New old stock, original MATCHED PAIR box. Rarely seen, the high demand XF2 type with dual halo getters, in factory MATCHED PAIR purple and gold boxes, the best of the best! Dark brown bases, excellent getter flashing. These rare NOS 1960s vintage Mullard tubes are a great example of how fine these tubes were, and one listen will tell you no one on earth makes tubes like this today. Identical IEC Mullard labels, all have the Blackburn, UK Mullard date codes on the glass. Carefully hand picked and hand matched.

$400.00 per pair

out of stock

EL34/6CA7 Mullard made, dark brownbase, XF2, dual halo getter. Blackburn UK factory codes.MATCHED PAIR

New old stock, original and white box. Dark brown bases, excellent getter flashing. These rare NOS 1960s vintage Mullard tubes are a great example of how fine these tubes were, and one listen will tell you no one on earth makes tubes like this today. Various labels, all have the Blackburn, UK Mullard date codes on the glass. Carefully hand picked and hand matched. Single tubes are $140.00.

$300.00 per pair

1 pair, 1 single tube

EL34/6CA7 Mullard made in Blackburn, UK, brownbase, XF2, single halo getter.

Excellent getter flash, hole in centering pin, label excellent, various labels, tested like NOS. The single halo tube was sometimes made for Westinghouse, Dynaco or RCA. MATCHED PAIRS ARE $300.00 PER PAIR. CLIENT COMMENTS ABOUT THE XF2 TYPE MULLARD EL34 TUBES: "Hi Brent, I received the Mullard XF2's more than a week ago, but only yesterday I had the time to finally try them out. I feel like I'm again at loss for words: this tubes put to shame everything I had considered "good tone" all my life.  Suddenly the distortion becomes like 2 or 3 times more musical and you start hearing things seemingly contradictory: you can dime the thing full blast and still get complex chords unnafected with 6-string resonance. The overtones are thick, tridimensional and complex, but feel like a pillow to the ears. I always imagined that the best possible guitar distortion would be one that could pull off the paradox of agression/sweetness at the same time, and after a decade of playing stupid, harsh and similar sounding pedals I was beginning to think it could't be. Imagine my surprise when I discovered that my amp alone with the right tubes could outperform basically anything. It had been there all the time, unused! Thanks again! S.A."

$140.00

In Stock

EL34/6CA7 Mullard made in Blackburn, UK, brownbase, XF2, single ordual halo getter. MATCHED PAIR

Used tested good, fair getter flash, a good chance to try a pair of these rare tubes at a savings. The original Mullard UK made tubes with Blackburn factory codes are vanishing. This pair should give you long service.

$150.00 per pair

out of stock

EL34M/6CA7 Groove Tubes NEW Mullard Reissue, new current production.MATCHED PAIR

New production tubes, original boxes! A very detailed, painstaking copy of the 1960s Mullard XF2 twin halo getter tubes made exclusively for Groove Tubes and unavailable from any other brand! Available in factory matched pairs or quads. Groove Tubes are having these great tubes made for them, and then the GT techs screen each tube at their California labs. Carefully matched into pairs with respect to Gm and plate current. Forget the Russian and Chinese stuff, these are among the best being made today!

$60.00 per pair

In Stock

Click on the screen to watch video part II for even more rare EL34 tubes!

Click the screen at left.

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EL34/6CA7 Winged C SED, new current production, Pre-burned in.MATCHED PAIR

New production tubes! Very cool, very sweet sounding SED tubes from St. Petersburg, Russia that have been burned in for maximum stability and best tone! These tubes are smoother than most current production tubes, at a cost sure to please. You would pay much more for hand selected, custom pre-aged tubes like these if you could even find them! Carefully matched into pairs or quads.

$89.99 per pair

In Stock

EL34/6CA7 JJ Tesla BLUE GLASS, new current production.MATCHED PAIR

New production tubes! Very cool, very sweet sounding JJ tubes from the Slovak Republic! In a deep seductive blue glass, these tubes are smoother than most current production tubes, at a cost sure to please. Carefully matched into pairs or quads.

$60.00 per pair

In Stock

EL34/6CA7 Matched Pair Mullard made for Valvo, or Philips, XF3, single halo getter.MATCHED PAIR

New old stock, original box. Excellent silvery getter flash, excellent labels. Closely matched with identical plate current draw and close Gm. NOS Mullard made pairs like this are getting very scarce.

$200.00 per pair

call/e-mail

EL34/6CA7 Matched Pair Amperex Holland made, brownbase, XF3,XF5, or XF4, dual "D" getter.MATCHED PAIR

NOS original box and whitebox, hole in centering pin. Holland made, excellent sonics, some are CBS "Germany" labeled, some Sonotone and some Philips Miniwatt. One of the best prices around for pairs of real, NOS Amperex EL34 tubes from the 1960s! SINGLE TUBES, WHEN AVAILABLE, ARE $70.00 EACH.

$200.00 per pair

out of stock

EL34/6CA7 Matched Pair Amperex Holland made, brownbase, XF3, XF4, XF5, dual "D" getter.MATCHED PAIR

Light use tested good, hole in centering pin. Holland made, excellent sonics, some are Bugleboy labeled. SINGLE TUBES, WHEN AVAILABLE, ARE $50.00 EACH.

$130.00 per pair

various singles in stock

EL34/6CA7 Siemens, mid to late 1970s production, blackbase MATCHED PAIR

New old stock in original boxes. Nice later versions of the excellent-sounding German answer to the Mullard EL34 tubes. These 1970s Siemens tubes are becoming a cult classic as the Mullard and Amperex tubes become increasingly scarce. Some made for National and Ultron, some industrial OEM without labels. These pairs sound great and are easy on the budget. Single tubes are $100.00 each.

$200.00 per pair

3 pairs, 1 single

EL34/6CA7 Sylvania, RCA or GE "Fat Boy" type.

NOS in white box , made in USA. Dual top mounted ring getters, large envelope style. These are getting SCARCE!! All are identical manufacture, despite different brand names, and some have amp brands on the labels. MATCHED PAIRS ARE $199.00!

$95.00

In Stock

EL34/6CA7 Japanese Mullard factory (Matshushita) made for RCA or Raytheon, skinny bottle type.

New old stock, original box when available. Blackbase, single halo getter, crimped plates, NOS in original box. Very nice tubes, made in the Matshushita factory set up by Mullard, and these tubes resemble classic Mullards. SINGLE TUBES ARE $50.00 EACH.

$100.00 per pair

1 single tube

EL34/6CA7 JJ, new production from the Slovak Republic.

NOS in original box. A decent new production tube, looks similar to the old Mullard tubes. Priced right for a spare pair, experimentation, or decent sound for your guitar amp.

$45.00 per pair

In Stock

EL34/6CA7 Svetlana, Sovtek, Ruby, and other Chinese or Russian types.

NOS in white box. Most are 1998-2001 vintage. Some are aged and matched into pairs, PAIRS ARE $25.00 PER PAIR. No picking of brands at this price. Blowout price, great for spares. Fully tested and guaranteed.

$10.00

out of stock

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