Hi All, even though I've been rocking Decware amps for more than a few years now I really haven't been tube rolling all that much.  Recently I came into a $hit load of tubes from the awesome dude on these forums known as Pale Rider.  I'd like to try and sort out these tubes by the Decware amps that they will work with, but there seems to be some confusion (mostly on my part more than anything) because I just don't get all the naming conventions and it seems like one tube may go by more than a couple different names (heck, even some of the boxes that the tubes came in say something different than what's printed on the tubes), so any help would be much appreciated!

I was wondering if I posted them here (with pictures) maybe some of you tube gurus can tell me what they are and which amps they will work with?  Also, if anybody else has tubes and they don't know what they are or amps/preamps they'll work with they are welcome to post them in this thread as well.  I thought it could be really helpful to create a bible of some sort.

I will try to make a couple posts each day with as much info that I have on each tube and until I've gone through my entire inventory of about 92 tubes.  There's mainly 7 things that I'm looking for, (but if anybody else can think of important things to add please do so):

1. What Decware amps and/or preamps they will work with.
2. Other known alias/designations.
3. Years they were produced.
4. Country of origin.
5. Tube's position within an amp/preamp (i.e. rectifier, etc.).
6. What your impressions are of the tube's performance (if you have used it in one of your amps).
7. What they may be worth $$.

What say you ... can you help a fellow Decware brother out?

Here is what I know:

Tube = 274B
Brand = O&J/Valve Art (Cryoset)



Does anybody else know:

1. What Decware amps and/or preamps they will work with?

2. Other known alias/designations?

3. Years they were produced?

4. Country of origin?

5. Tube's position within an amp/preamp (i.e. rectifier, etc.)?

6. What your impressions are of the tube's performance (if you have used it in one of your amps)?

7. What they may be worth $$?

beowulf wrote on 09/23/15 at 01:01:12:

My guess is that these are the same or similar Chinese/Shuaugang tubes to those Vale Audio "selects."

Ok, guys this helped me a lot, I have my 274B and 5U4G tubes squared away.

Here is an oddball that I only have one of and here's what I know:

Tube = GZ33
Brand = Mullard
Country of origin = British Made
Year = 1959


Does anybody else know:

1. What Decware amps and/or preamps they will work with?

2. Other known alias/designations?

3. Years they were produced?

4. Country of origin?

5. Tube's position within an amp/preamp (i.e. rectifier, etc.)?

6. What your impressions are of the tube's performance (if you have used it in one of your amps)?

7. What they may be worth $$?

Thank you Will for both your impressions on the GZ33 and that link is really helpful as well so I bookmarked it to use as a reference!

Ok, up next is a set of tubes I know little about as they did not have an original box or many markings.

Here's what I know:

Tube = CF2C (possibly OA3)
Country of origin = (possibly Russia)


Does anybody else know:

1. What Decware amps and/or preamps they will work with?

2. Other known alias/designations?

3. Years they were produced?

4. Country of origin?

5. Tube's position within an amp/preamp (i.e. rectifier, etc.)?

6. What your impressions are of the tube's performance (if you have used it in one of your amps)?

7. What they may be worth $$?



Thanks in advance for any feedback guys!

I am not sure about those VR's beowulf. I have seen Russian OA3 and OC3 looking basically like this. They vary in terms of getter flash (the silver in the glass) depending on construction. Some net searching might help. OA3 are VR75 I believe. The stock tubes with Toriis are OA3s, and though Pale Ryder may have been experimenting with other VRs since his MKIIIs worked with OB3, OC3, and OD3, my guess is that his guess of OA3 is correct.

These are not costly tubes, and many find them super clean and a little characterless compared to some other VRs. But as with all tubes, vintage and construction matters, and finally it is synergy. I think Steve ships the MKIV with Russian OA3, and he works hard on voicing, presumably combining some level of reliable availability and cost considerations as aspects of his choices.

Yes. And beside the Toriis, I think Pale Ryder has/had a Decware Ultra Preamp which uses four OA3.