oldest tube(s) in your system


Please let us know what they are running in too.  Thank you for your attention to this matter...ha!

2 x 1949 Sylvania ladder plate 6BL7GT (in monoblock amps, custom built 2 x 6BL7GT + 4 x KT77) 

xenolith

I have no idea how old are the tubes in my system.  The amp and line stage run Western Electric 348, 349 and 310a, 310b tubes which were around from the 1940's through the early 1960's.  The 348's and 349's are extremely rare.  

Most of my 6sn7's and VT231's are from the 40's and 50's. National Union, Ken Rad, Sylvania, RCA, Raytheon, Tung Sol and no doubt others. Lots of nice vintage tubes, a few newer ones from Amperex and Electro Harmonix but mostly favor the ones from the 40's and 50's. 

I also have a group of 7n7's which I haven't even tried yet. I think they are 40's and 50's, all are metal base tubes. 

For 12AX and !2AU7, I mostly prefer tubes from the 50's, Sylvania GB Gold Pin 5751's and also Amperex Bugle Boys. 50's and 60's I guess?

I used to run RCA mono-plate 2a3s made before 1936.  Those are good sounding tubes.  A friend runs extremely rare and old 252 meshplate anode tubes made in the 1920’s that pre-date the 300A.  He rarely plays the amp because those tubes cost well north of $30,000 a pair.

I run some globe 866 mercury rectifier tubes, probably made in the 1930's.