Welcome to Fuzz Audio’s Tube Buyers Guide
Here, you will find practical information for purchasing vacuum tubes.
For beginners, this guide is meant to be starting point for understanding when and why to purchase vacuum tubes, what tubes are best your you, and how to buy tubes on a budget. For valve experts, this guide will serve as a reference for understanding (or remembering) some of the nuances of tube electronics.
At Fuzz Audio, community and learning comes first. Our goal is to pass on knowledge to amateur and advanced tube enthusiasts alike. Fuzz Audio acknowledges that the advice and wisdom we share here is not ours alone. Instead, it belongs to the tube community of devoted audio and amplifier fanatics who appreciate music, tube amplification, and the science of sound. For the Tube Buyers Guide to be successful, we not only encourage and need your support. If you would like to be a contributor to this guide please reach out to us at Support@FuzzAudio.com or leave a comment below!
We want all tube enthusiasts (Fuzz customers or not) to feel informed when making a purchase and empowered when they plug in their tubes. We produced this guide to help you make sure you are educated and spending your money efficiently when it comes to chasing your tone.
Some topics covered in the guide will include:
- When and Why to Replace Your Tubes
- Understanding Test Results: Should I trust eBay?
- Retubing on a Budget
- Tube Characteristics Broken Down (Why Slyania is good for Jazz, Why RCA is king)
- Are Plate Length and Getters Important?
- 12AX7 versus 12AX7A?