Tube Rip Baldwin Organ

Scott_F

Flushologist
Staff member
I was given access to strip an old Baldwin organ a while back. Scored about 30 Sylvania 12AX7's, 8 EL84, 2 5U4 rectifiers and 3 12AU7's (2 of them Japanese and one Amperex but says made in Gr Britain.)

I popped a couple into an amp and they are nice and quiet.

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Re: Tube Rip Baldwin Organ

I've owned 2 or 3 japanese tubes labled baldwin, they're great! Nice score!
 
Re: Tube Rip Baldwin Organ

Nice score. You may be set for life on 12AX7's. Funny thing is that those Sylvania 12AX7's were not very desirable not all that long ago. You could get great testing UOS for 10 bucks or less and NOS easily for under $20 ... basically, the price range of current production tubes. The "audiophiles" wanted nothing to do with them. Now, they are magically much more highly regarded and probably the only folks who don't want anything to do with them are the ones who have a stash of Mullards, Telefunkens, etc. That's not to bag on the tubes, just making the point of how perceptions change given diminishing lack of choices. ;)
 
Re: Tube Rip Baldwin Organ

I've owned 2 or 3 japanese tubes labled baldwin, they're great! Nice score!


Most Japanese production came out of a.factory that was set up by Mullard to the same same..as the UK.plant. They are excellent tubes by all.accounts.
 
Re: Tube Rip Baldwin Organ

Only two Jap tubes. The rest are USA made Sylvanias. and the one 12AU7 made in England.
 
Re: Tube Rip Baldwin Organ

Nice score. You may be set for life on 12AX7's. Funny thing is that those Sylvania 12AX7's were not very desirable not all that long ago. You could get great testing UOS for 10 bucks or less and NOS easily for under $20 ... basically, the price range of current production tubes. The "audiophiles" wanted nothing to do with them. Now, they are magically much more highly regarded and probably the only folks who don't want anything to do with them are the ones who have a stash of Mullards, Telefunkens, etc. That's not to bag on the tubes, just making the point of how perceptions change given diminishing lack of choices. ;)

It's not possible to bag on free old tubes. :) No worries. I get on KCA NOS Tubes site and see the price ranges on all these manufacturers. I am guessing and it's my reality, any old tube made in the US is going to be superior to current production stuff. Again, just a guess. But I do know that the old organs would put a lot of stress on tubes back in the day. Noisy tubes weren't going to cut it for Hammond. My research has led me to realize they bought from three different manufacturers back in the day, the biggest supplier being Sylvania.

Happy to have the supply. I"m sure some of them are noisy as hell and will be phase inverters and such. When I get a chance, I"ll be separating them out by noise. Wish I had a tube tester, but not really something I plan on owning any time soon.
 
Re: Tube Rip Baldwin Organ

Most Japanese production came out of a.factory that was set up by Mullard to the same same..as the UK.plant. They are excellent tubes by all.accounts.
yeah I learned of that a while ago, it's what made me seek out the Japanese tubes in the first place, but shhh~ we can't let the greater populace know how awesome they are ;)
 
Re: Tube Rip Baldwin Organ

WOW! And I complain about the cost of retubing my amp.... Id hate to have to retube that organ.... Great score on your part tho bro!
 
Re: Tube Rip Baldwin Organ

Imagine a tube-rolling thread at an organ forum.
"Tube rolling journal, Round 255: I tried the amperex in v19 with mullard in v12 andthe GE in v1 and v3, Sylvania in the V7b5, and this time and I really liked the dynamics, much more than when I had it in v5. and on that note, crap, I could've had a V8!"
 
Re: Tube Rip Baldwin Organ

10 years ago, I was buying worn out old vintage movie cameras, having them chromed, and then selling them to media companies for their lobbies.

The first thing I'd do is pull all the tubes out. I got a whole bag of 12AX7's, EF86, and EL-84's from Mullard, Sylvania, and Belvu (French labeled Telefunken?)

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