KT88 Northern Electric with graphite plate

[Ritchie200]

Well, this is interesting!  Did not know these were out there as it is about 6 years old.  Ad "Made in Canada" is misleading as the tubes are made in China, checked and maybe boxed in Canada.  Can not find a data sheet for them. Graphite plate sounds a little hokey gimmicky too.  These aren't transmitter tubes.  My amp beats up the screens but heck any quality improvement would be good.  HOWEVER....  at $170 a pop, that is in Ed's rarified territory!  I'm way too cheap for that....  All my fav manufacturers are gone.  Although psvane premium tubes have great reviews in abusive amps and for superb sound.  It's time for some new toobs so I am hunting...  Thoughts?

Jim





https://www.thetubestore.com/northern-electric-kt88

[PRR]

Zhe Shen Liu oversees the building of those tubes. He is one of the last of the Old Men, working with tubes since he graduated in 1955. He is perhaps better known in SET circles for his WE 300B copies sold under many brands.

That may not be an old-school solid graphite plate; looks to me like it may be graphite coated. Which makes some kind of sense. Lovely lines on the glass.

"Data" should be the old-old Philips sheet-- it's supposed to work in the same holes.

Is it better for rocking-out than a $44 E-H KT88? Who knows? I suspect the "Northern Electric" (hah) is made for gentle hi-fi work, while E-H invented popular fuzz and knows what their customers will do to a tube.

[shooter]

Thoughts?

is that a loaded question 

[Ritchie200]

PRR  "Lovely lines on the glass."


When I first found the tube I was looking at the picture on Northern Electric's site.  My wife walked up and asked what I was wasting money on.  I told her I needed to re-tube my baby and aren't these tubes just beautiful?  Just look at the glass!  She looked at me like she does after asking if those pants, shorts, skirt, etc., etc.. make her look fat.....  Then she just shook her head and walked away.  I later showed her PRR's post and she said, "Oh my gosh, there's more of you out there?!?!?!"  Hehe!   


Northern Electric was tied to Western Electric years and years ago with rights to WE's patents.  I believe that's where the similar script on the name came from.  WE severed ties and NE was gobbled up long ago by Canadian telephone companies.  However, similar to all the old names being bought by EH/New Sensor, it looks like someone bought NE for some name recognition.  Man, I am having a hard time getting past the price.  There are not very many reviews.  I need Ed to buy some and review them for me!  Ed?  Ed?  Ed?


Jim

[shooter]

"Oh my gosh, there's more of you out there

Pam said once she never worried I'd leave since my mistress already lives with us 

[PRR]

> Northern Electric was tied to Western Electric years and years ago

Long ago it was a branch of US Bell, and very good at making things. Around 1950 Bell was forced to spin it off, with Bell Canada taking a piece. They got to be a huge operation, selling stuff to the US. Bell Canada got full control in the 1960s. Changed name to Northern Telecom, delivered a complete line of fully digital telecommunications products. Somewhen, name changed to Nortel. A fad for optic fiber investment pushed the valuation way up, then the bubble burst, fiscal scandal, bankrupt. Lawyers got paid, many ordinary people lost savings. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nortel

Obviously in the down-size somebody bought the right to the old name for $20(?) and now somebody is exploiting it. (Because the name is not naturally unique, there is an electric contractor also using it.)