Western Electric Tubes-What's the story here?Anyone have exp

[powerstrip]

Hi

I have recently come across a few NOS electron tubes made by western electric. I'm wondering who is familiar with these and are auctions such as these real?

http://www.ebay.com/itm/181011757130?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1423.l2649

This tube is going for 3 grand. Is it another fake auction?

Anyway, I really like the lok of the tubes, with the large metal inserts, not being so familiar, does anyone know why these have the metal inserts and oters do not?

[mossboss]

Its called the unobtainium factor man They where made in the late 30s used in the final output stage for PA's power amps mainly for picture theaters large halls etc etc
Than they got forgotten until the Japs got on to them in the 90s and up went the price to those levels for the "real McCoy" There where quite a few direct replacements made by all sorts of other makers but this are originals
Here is a link to the tube depot for you Plenty of choice there
http://www.tubedepot.com/300b2a36a3.html?gclid=CMK8nL7gw7MCFSFgpgodeDQALQ
Ha Money for jam They could not have been any more than $10-15 each at the time
Cheers

[powerstrip]

Well, I was asking cause I found a few of them in a lonely old place and at first I was just excited to have something made by western electric, but now I found out these are worth something! Not just for looking/sounding pretty!

I have 310 A Tubes and 421 A Tubes if anyone needs one!

I tried to get the repairman to put these in my presto 93a amp but he said they were incompatible, I wonder why? I would have loved to see these glowing in my amp!!!

[mossboss]

Hey Dude
If they are the real thing and in good order "a few of them" as you said sold at $3k Each would get you a good Neumann VMS
Why would you want them glowing on your 93a???
Cheers

[powerstrip]

Hey Dude
If they are the real thing and in good order "a few of them" as you said sold at $3k Each would get you a good Neumann VMS
Why would you want them glowing on your 93a???
Cheers

WEELLLL>>.... funny you should ask.

You see, I'm a hunter of these types of things, and stumbled upon them at total random, not knowing how important they actually were at the time. I was pretty excited to get this treasure, especially since they were in the original box, really neat-looking, and in this old, decrepid, and kind of disgusting-feeling foam wrapping. I knew then they were absolutely unused.

I am a novice cutter, and have little knowledge of westrex, scully, lyrec, ETC, a bit out of my leauge. Working from the ground up, a non-functional presto was my first cutter.

So I thought it was a classy vintage addition to the 93a amp, like a kind of upgraded feel from the sylvanias.

I was trying to 'save a bit of money' <- (note ) by using the WE tubes on the recent repair of my presto amp.

Here is the cringe-worthy part. On my way out to work, I dropped the WE tubes on the doorstep of the repairman, unguarded on a plaza strip, at 6am, since I would not catch him otherwise. They luckily were not picked up!

So, he examines them and says they don't fit. I get them back and they sat as a classy decoration on top of my bookshelf. Now, thanks to a recent conversation with a brooklyn-based cutter who posts here occasionally, I understand they are worth a lot more than I thought.

Put into perspective, a couple years ago, I found one of these lying around



and wore it around like final fantasy meets flava flav before i knew it was worth $500.

And the tubes are very real. Very beautiful with the whole yellow print on the mount/base. Not the engraved type but seems newer than those