Guild tubes

West R Lee

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DK,

I think I must have scared him with all the talk about blowing up the world and all :) . You'll have to forgive us....Jeff and I are not the most technologically advanced minds on your forum here.

By the way, I haven't forgotten about the saddle and pins for the D25...just procrastinating. Even have the mics and calipers here. It's just that I have this great, relatively new set of Elixers on it and I hate to snatch them off to measure the saddle...I will though.

West
 

Jeff

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Oh I believe it allright!!,

Just haven't felt the need to try it, just yet. Too busy trying to learn how to play & make one guitar plugged into one amp sound pretty. .

I'm guessin when I do it will likely sound somewhat different from simply splitting the input with the AB switch. Come to think of it maybe it's exactly the same thing.

I just may do it tonight, right after dinner. Just so happens I have a 2nd acoustic amp & a nice DC5 with Fishman electronics.
 

john_kidder

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Well, I finally got it. Just one more thing to make me realize that all that talk about getting dumber as one gets older is not just talk.

I had been thinking that all this chat was about plugging a guitar into one CHANNEL of a dual amp, and then picking up the signal from the input jack on the second CHANNEL. That didn't make any sense to me at all, and still doesn't. But know I see the light - man, am I dumb.

This is all just about plugging onto one INPUT jack (the HI-impendance for a guitar) and picking up the signal off the second INPUT (the LO-impedance), all on the same channel. Of course they're connected, just with (I think) a regular op-amp circuit to make the impedance match before it gets to the pre-amp stage. Am I right now?

So of course it works. But when I do this from my Thunderbass to my JC-55 I seem to get a lot of AC hum (probably just a ground loop), and diminished volume on the digital amp. I guess that splitting the signal this way is going to increase the impedance at both amps? Or what?

All it tells me is that my best technical work was in optics for a reason, that electronics is perhaps, as my ancient mother used to say, just magic and not understandable by mortals, and that maybe I let the smoke out of my amp by accident. Damn.
 

capnjuan

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Hi Darryl:

Some time ago, you asked a question about the value / collectibility of Guild-branded tubes.

I'm sure it seemed like a sensible question at the time and the Board responded with 3-odd pages of OT discussion. Speaking for myself, if I ever had any ideas about daisy-chaining inputs, those posts were enough to pretty much put an end to them. I don't think anyone mentioned the word tube.

Do you have one or more Guild-branded tubes? What type are they?

I browse eBay for the off-beat 6GW8 which Guild engineers insisted on for the T1 RVT outputs and 6BM8s, the reverb output tube on T1 RVT. The Gibson GA1 I have uses the same 6BM8. At some point, I'm going to re-wire the T1 outputs for EL84s; a much better sounding tube and in good supply.

Because I mess with Gibson amps, I also look for NOS 6EU7s which sell at a premium to the new Sovteks where the choice is between a more expensive, older, noisy tube and a cheaper, newer, noisy, unreliable tube. With Sovtek 6EU7s, the 'zzzzzzzzzz' is free....

Tubistas who are technically inclined would want to know:

(1) Whether it's a common type; 12AX7, 12AU7, 6L6 and so on, and
(2) Who made it.

Telefunken, Siemens, and Mullard sell at a premium. 'Market' rates are GE, RCA, Sylvania, JAN. Then there are the odd-balls: Stromberg Carlson, Lafayette, Ford (as in FMC: I have a 'Ford'-branded 6V6), and the ever popular 'No Name': "...tests great...blah blah blah..."

The enthusiasts can generally ID the mfr by looking and, though carrying a logo other than the mfr's, they sometimes still have the mfr's ID etched on them. It's my understanding of the business that 'private-labelled' tubes were not necessarily the highest grade available from prime-time manufacturers or they came from 2nd-tier manufacturers looking to fill orders.

Since Guild amps don't make many vintage waves, it would follow that only Guild ampistas might be interested. I don't look every day but I can't say I've ever seen a Guild-branded tube or set of tubes on eBay.

I'd guess that Guild ampistas probably come it two types: preservers like Mattsickma and tinkerers like me. Preservers would have a higher degree of interest; to me, they are Guildiana.

FWIW: I have a set of Gibson-logoed pre-amp tubes; 3X6EU7 + 1X7199 from the GA19 in my sig. Because interest in Gibson amps is more widespread, I'd have a better chance peddling them than you might peddling yours. Mine are working takeouts and for Mojo reasons, I'll hang on to them to sell with the amp if/when I decide to part with it.

If you own the amp they came out of and if were to sell it, I think buyers might appreciate a little 'case candy'. Otherwise you might consider LTG-Bay if you haven't already.

Best regards,

capnjuan
 

matsickma

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Hi capnjuan,

Fundamentally, I am less interested in retaining the "origional" configuration of Guild amp for myself as I am for future plans to re-sell an amp. Most of the Guild amps I play daily have been modified a bit. Most often I change the speaker to get the sound I want. Often the origional speaker in Guild amps doesn't do them justice. In some cases I'll change the tubes. The best example is the Guild Superstar amp. It normally uses a pair of 6L6's. I installed a pair of EL-84 YellowJackets to get a chimy Class A sound. However when I sell an amp I try to sell it in as origional condition as I can.

I have taken a greater interest in Guild amps over the years because of the variety and subtle differences in the models. I often will buy the amp just to learn first hand what the subtle differences are. On the long haul I don't plan to have a Guild Amp museum. But who knows it may work out that way.

M
 

capnjuan

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Hey Mattsickma:

My point was/is that you, or others like you, who are interested in vintage Guild amps might be more interested in Guild-branded tubes than I, or others like me, who are less interested in Guild amps regardless of condition; nothing more.

I have clean, vintage Gibbies so I think it's neat to have Gibson-logoed tubes. If I had a clean, vintage Guild amp, I'd think it was neat to have logoed tubes too.

That's a 10-4 on Guild original equipment CTS speakers...


Good luck managing herd-growth; that's what leads to 'amp museums'...

LoL

Capnjuan
 

matsickma

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Hi capnjuan,

To my best recollection the only Guild amps that I ever saw with Guild marked on the tubes is the Thunder series amps.

I'll start to check on the other amps but I don't remember seeing them any where else.

M
 

capnjuan

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This started 8 months ago with the Hat posting an inquiry about the 'value' of Guild-branded tubes.

From his post, it wasn't clear whether he was thinking about buying, selling, or just day-dreaming...maybe he'll chime in and let us know what was on his mind.

If you have them in any of your amps, I'd say you're fortunate. I'd also suggest getting them out for safe-keeping...unless of course you're going to host a regional meeting of LTG members, get liquored up on a keg of Rolling Rock, and let it all hang out like the kids in Sunnyside - in that case, the LTG Amp Police would arrest you if you didn't have them in....




Best regards,

JH
 

matsickma

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That does sound like a good idea.

We need to really start talking about a LTG convention.

We could plan it to be at various sites around the country in different years.

However we should have one of the first conventions in around Hoboken or Westerly.

It might be cool to schedule it around Guitar shows dates where we pick a common hotel to meet or stay at. That would allow at least a regional meeting of LTGers.

What say all?
 

capnjuan

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Aye Aye

Count me in!

J
 

Guildmark

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matsickma said:
We need to really start talking about a LTG convention.

What say all?
I say West R Lee and I have been working on such plans for several weeks now. The first "convention" is scheduled for the weekend of October 20,21, coinciding with the annnual guitar show in Arlington, TX. This one was chosen because it's a reasonably central location, and because Hans Moust attends this convention every year.

I will be in the Dallas area in two weeks on business and will be scouting hotels in the area of Arlington or the west side of Dallas that can accomodate our members for socializing, jamming, and such and offer us discounts.

Many other sites have been suggested and all make sense and will be fun, but we gotta start somewhere. We are not a formal organization, so West and I are just hoping everyone will be satsified by our volunteer efforts and show up for fun, shared knowledge, great guitars, and maybe even some great music!

Much more info will be rolled out as it becomes available. Stay tuned! See you there!
 

matsickma

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Hi Guildmark,

The plan sound great. I already recognize that date as a conflict for me but with this much notice I may be able make some changes.

Your and West R. Lees efforts will certaintly be appreciated by us all.

M
 

coastie99

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Anyway !

Back to the subject of valves.

OK, tubes.

I recently retrieved from my nephew a NOS Mullard EL37 that he wasn't using.
Out of curiosity, I looked at Tubeworld to get an idea of value. (I've sold tubes to them in the past).
There it is, left of first photo...................

https://www.tubeworld.com/index_high.htm

$300 !!

So, I looked for another little treasure that I have............

EL34 Holland Metal Base 1955-1958

https://www.tubeworld.com/index_high.htm

Faark !!

OK, one more...........

KT88 GEC NOS 1960-1979

https://www.tubeworld.com/index_high.htm

!!!!!!!!!

Maybe I'll flog off the contents of my valve case, and buy some snazzy new Guilds !
 

doc

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Interestingly I am feeling poorer for the knowledge that I tossed out a box of tubes left over from my earlier ham radio days. Are people collecting intact tubes of any kind? 8)
 

capnjuan

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Snazzy new Guild guitars or snazzy new Guild Valves? If the latter, you may need to use your valve-powered 'Way Back' machine.

What all you got in that 'Valve Case' anyway?

Ya know, a better man might consider offering such goodies to his BB Broz first...

cj
 

coastie99

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doc said:
Interestingly I am feeling poorer for the knowledge that I tossed out a box of tubes left over from my earlier ham radio days. Are people collecting intact tubes of any kind? 8)

Doc.

Go to tubeworld.com and check out the asking prices for NOS ECC83's, EL34's, EL84's, 6550's, KT66's, KT88's etc.

WARNING ! It ain't gonna make you feel good !
 

capnjuan

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Tubeworld.com is back up and running; had been down for a while - probably a bad tube...

They have NOS Sprague / Mallory multi-section can caps and are building up their inventory of other radio and amp-related pieces and parts; pots, resistors, sockets.

Lots of choices in 6V6s, killer Amperex Bugle Boy EL84s and 6DJ8s, and a very fine 'sonic' selector for 12AX7s.


cj
 
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