Vacuum Tubes
Vacuum tubes are small glass tubes that contain no gases, only a vacuum of air. What makes vacuum tubes work is an electrical charge that flows through a filament. This was discovered by Thomas Edison while he was working on a light bulb. He discovered that electricity does not need wire to travel, but can travel through some gases and even a vacuum. This was dubbed the Edison effect, and was the only scientific work that Edison ever did. Being an inventor, he was not a scientist.
Then, in 1904, Edison’s work was put to great use by a British scientist named John A. Fleming. Fleming created a vacuum tube known as a diode. The diode was known as a valve back then, because it forced current in the tube to go only one direction.
Since then, vacuum tubes have found their way into almost all different sorts of electrical devices. You can acquire vacuum tubes of all kinds from various dealers and companies for whatever your need. Luckily all vacuum tubes can still be purchased new, so vacuum tubes are never really any trouble to replace, even on vintage gear.
Buy Vacuum Tubes Here
 (2) Matched "Winged C" (Svetlana) SED Russian 6L6 GC  US $76.00
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 PAIR of TESTED ECC83 TUBES by RFT STRONG MATCHED US $66.66
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 Russian NIXIE TUBES IN-8-2 Lot of 6 pcs. US $49.99
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 NIB 12X4 + matched quad 6BQ5 / EL84 vacuum tubes US $18.99
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 2x MATCHED 6P3S SARATOV 60's SELECTED TUBES 6L6GT 5881 US $18.99
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 PAIR of 6P3S SARATOV 60s SELECTED TUBES / 6L6GT 5881 US $19.85
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 2x 6P15P Russian Tube GOLD GRID MATCHED PAIR + SOCKETS EL83 EV83 US $12.99
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 6B8 METAL SYLVANIA RADIO VACUUM TUBE USED FULLY TESTED US $4.49
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 1 matched Pair Tesla E83CC 12AX7 ECC83 TUBES US $59.00
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 Type 6AX4 NOS vacuum tubes available, tested. US $3.50
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 NEW GE 5EA8 RADIO TUBE TESTED GOOD GUARANTEED US $9.00
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 V7 MATCHED 1 PAIR NOS GE 5V4GA GZ32 TUBES FOR 300B US $60.00
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 V8 MATCHED 1 PAIR NOS GE 5V4GA GZ32 TUBES FOR 300B US $60.00
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Vacuum Tube Auction Search
Here are some common vacuum tube search terms:
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Since vacuum tubes are sort of mechanical in nature, they do tend to wear out. For instance, if you purchase a vintage amplifier, you can expect to have to change the original vacuum tubes, because these wear out and break over time. The best way to get vacuum tubes is to simply order them online. Vintage-Audio-Gear.com Provides new and used listings for vacuum tubes.
Obviously vacuum tubes have been replaced by more advanced technology. But for a long time, vacuum tubes made possible things that were never before possible. Things like radios, telephones, amplifiers, and all kinds of other equipment. In fact, many people still believe today that vintage tube amplifiers are much better than regular modern amplifiers. Many believe they sound better, hold up better, and are easier to maintain. And the fact that you can acquire new vacuum tubes when you need them really helps keep these vintage amps up and running!