Tube Testing Service Recommendation


For those of you who use tube based equipment, or contemplate buying a piece of tube based equipment, and wish to assess the condition of the tubes but do not have access to a tube tester I can wholeheartedly recommend Western Glow Tube Service (western-glow.com) as an excellent resource for tube testing. I recently sent several tubes to them for evaluation and was very pleased with their level of expertise, communication and promptness during the entire process. David was extremely helpful, answering my questions and giving easy to digest technical explainations and advice. In my case, I was certain that my quad of power tubes were worn out and needed replacing and that my small signal tubes were perfectly fine.. After testing I discovered that the power tubes were in fact strong however two of the small signal tubes were weak. This now allows me to purchase only those tubes genuinely needed.

Again, for those of us with tube based equipment who do not own personal tube testers Western Glow Tube Service provides a helpful and essential service, and I can recommend them highly.

128x128weebeesdad

+2 for Western  Glow, I have used him several times, he tested some tubes for me to verify before selling and then he tested/matched 18 Telefunken 12AX7's for me.

+ 1 for Western Glow.  I used their testing service prior to buying a Hickok 605a tube tester.  David was very responsive and an excellent communicator.  

OP,

nice to know about,

My take: get your own tester, have it for life. don’t let rusty hardware worry you, almost all from that era rusted, thin vinyl peeled, just cosmetics.

this one, 30 day return

https://www.ebay.com/itm/145292833859?mkevt=1&mkcid=1&mkrid=711-53200-19255-0&campid=5338381866&toolid=10001&customid=cd1038f6-5503-11ee-9112-653134646537

I spent hours standing in front of this, testing every tube in my Fisher President II before Thanksgiving every year, people lined up behind me, separate bags for each component (9) till my feet hurt. Told my wife: "I want my own tester!!!" She got me my little Accurate 157 for my birthday.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/225743239564?mkevt=1&mkcid=1&mkrid=711-53200-19255-0&campid=5338381866&toolid=10001&customid=c25eaab8-5504-11ee-9a11-653134646537

I would buy this Accurate 257 in a minute if I didn’t have mine. I got one for a friend.

7 day return, Reverb supports the buyer, they helped me without hesitation.

https://reverb.com/item/71863260-accurate-instrument-tube-tester-with-manual?gspk=SGlmaXNoYXJrLVJldmVyYg%3D%3D&utm_campaign=Hifishark-Reverb&utm_medium=affiliate&utm_source=partnerstack-legacy