Reliable source of tested 6P14P valves?

[Loomer]

Hi all, just curious to put the feelers out on this...

Ordered a "matched" quad of 6P14P-EB for my Vox AC30, but upon dropping them off at my tech's who has a couple of rigs to test these, they proved to be both unmatched and low in transconductance/output... Very disappointing, though having bought on eBay, it wasn't the most expensive of mistakes at 20-odd pounds...

So figured I'd check, does anyone know a reputable/tried and tested source for these that should not let me down? I see here in UK Watford Valves do sell these matched and tested, but at £28 each they're in line with most other offerings. Not that it's a bad thing, since these have a great reputation for both tone and durability, so if push comes to shove, I'd happily buy from them of course, but wondering if there is a golden source of cheap, straight out of Eastern Europe 6P14P goodness out there...

Thanks!

[tubeswell]

Before the Ukraine war, I used to buy soviet era tubes direct from Siberian Shop in Russia who have a big warehouse of tubes near Lake Baikal - but these days my bookmark for their website says 'We're down for maintenance', and has done for the last 2 or 3 years. I haven't been able to buy stuff from them in quite a while. But they used to be reliable packers and shippers, and had a lot of knowledge about soviet era tubes and which plants these were manufactured in and what tube was a substitute for western equivalents. Maybe they'll start up again one day

[kagliostro]

Try to ask here

https://tubes-store.com/advanced_search_result.php?keywords=6p14p

At the moment I don't know but some time ago my friends got tubes and special sockets for GU-50 tubes there

Remember that K - EV - ER are better versions of the 6p14p tube (each designation has a specific character)

Franco

[HotBluePlates]

... does anyone know a reputable/tried and tested source for these that should not let me down? ...

You're not buying a "tube" or even "from a reputable source."

You're buying a Return Policy that allows you to get the tube replaced free if anything happens within a certain window of time.

If you look for "lowest price" then you roll the dice.  Vendors with a Good Return Policy spend a lot of extra time testing up front (and eat the cost of failing tubes), or accept returns without hassle (and eat the cost later upon replacement).  The Retail Price will be higher for any vendor that absorbs the cost of failed tubes on your behalf.

[Loomer]

You're not buying a "tube" or even "from a reputable source."

You're buying a Return Policy that allows you to get the tube replaced free if anything happens within a certain window of time.

If you look for "lowest price" then you roll the dice.  Vendors with a Good Return Policy spend a lot of extra time testing up front (and eat the cost of failing tubes), or accept returns without hassle (and eat the cost later upon replacement).  The Retail Price will be higher for any vendor that absorbs the cost of failed tubes on your behalf.

Well, yes and no... Without getting bogged down in semantics, I'm looking to buy valves that have been tested and will arrive exhibiting the advertised characteristics.

Not looking for the cheapest of cheap, but interested in seeing if there are any options posting here in UK aside from Watford Valves (who are the front runners at the moment). There are many Ukrainian sources on eBay and Etsy and would love to hear any experience others might have had if they ever used those or any other vendors. :)

Sadly the one I used didn't quite deliver, though they do take returns so I will be looking into getting those back to base for a full refund 👍

[mresistor]

try Viva tubes

[HotBluePlates]

... interested in seeing if there are any options posting here in UK ...

This thread is a giant list of tube vendors who may meet your needs.  You might need to read it back-to-front to spend time on the most-current recommendations.