jeony, On the cool to warm spectrum, how would you rate the Melz?
For anyone interested, there’s a thread on Steve Hoffman Music Forums, "6SN7 tubes. Could you please put in order from best to worse these NOS tubes?" (links are not allowed on Agon) In particular, there’s a couple of photos of the Melz on page 2. I PM’d the writer and have learned a few more things to especially look out for: 1) a label or appropriate numbers showing legitimacy on the glass, and down below on the metal base an OTH; and most telling, 2) a pair of 5-hole vertical "plates" in front (not the solid ones), and inside them ridged posts (the hole and ridged post seem to go together). That eliminates the 1950’s ones and most or all of the 1960’s. And watching for those characteristics eliminates the counterfeits. Unless one gets lucky, it seems that virtually all the sellers these days are in Russia or thereabouts.
For anyone interested, there’s a thread on Steve Hoffman Music Forums, "6SN7 tubes. Could you please put in order from best to worse these NOS tubes?" (links are not allowed on Agon) In particular, there’s a couple of photos of the Melz on page 2. I PM’d the writer and have learned a few more things to especially look out for: 1) a label or appropriate numbers showing legitimacy on the glass, and down below on the metal base an OTH; and most telling, 2) a pair of 5-hole vertical "plates" in front (not the solid ones), and inside them ridged posts (the hole and ridged post seem to go together). That eliminates the 1950’s ones and most or all of the 1960’s. And watching for those characteristics eliminates the counterfeits. Unless one gets lucky, it seems that virtually all the sellers these days are in Russia or thereabouts.