CollectingBanter - View Single Post - Akai CR-80T Arrived!

**DeserTBoB** · November 27th 07, 03:09 PM posted to alt.collecting.8-track-tapes

On Tue, 27 Nov 2007 07:48:42 GMT, wrote:

DB might be able to say whether your set is way too early or way too
late for this, but I seem to recall that in a certain era, tube markings
switched from a glass etch and/or tough paint to some kind of water-
based ink or dye. The result is that if you're cleaning the dust out
of an old set (unplugged, right?) with a damp rag, it's easy to wipe
the markings right off of the tubes. snip

The worst for this were Amperex, which used silk screened paint for
their designations. RCAs, GEs and Westinghouses, all had
heat-resistant etched markings up until the end. I believe some
Mullards also used painted markings, as well, but after awhile, one
can tell a 12AX7 from a 6AU6 with no trouble at all. The trouble
starts when you get into less common types. And yes, most tube gear
had a tube layout silk screen or printing somewhere inside, or a
crispy piece of paper.

I'll only replace them if I need to. Want to keep the NOS tubes if
possible.

Nit: The tubes that are in the set are only NOS if you're selling them
on Ebay. "Original" would be a better description. New Old Stock
tubes would be ones that have sat around unused for lo these many years.

Matt Roberds snip

Correct.