I just scored some really really nice NOS Mullard 12AU7’s… I found a matched quad of matching date codes ( same year same month!) made in the Blackburn plant… vintage 1964… all test as new, no noise or microphonics … I think some folks might have over looked them because on the tubes they say For Hewlett Packard by Amperex…but they were made by Mullard… Anyway they sound amazing… quite a bit better than the Nos RCA’s I was using… And I only paid about $130.00 for them!
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Nicely done!
Thanks Elk, it was a very nice upgrade… And it’s kinda’ cool having Vacuum Tubes with the name of a computer company on them!
Wow that is a score! Drool.
Looks like the guy still has (at least) one set left… I’d buy them but I actually bought a spare pair so I’m good to go… FYI I’m never real sure of eBay but this guy was a pleasure to deal with. He shipped them quick and they came packed great…
http://www.ebay.com/itm/MULLARD-BLACKBURN-ECC82-TIGHTLY-MATCH-QUAD-12AU7-NOS-FOR-AMPEREX-VINT-1964-/231200299251?pt=Vintage_Electronics_R2&hash=item35d49c98f3
I have purchased quite a few tubes on eBay with happy results. I’m sure there are slimy sellers but my experiences have been great.
I even had a 300B show up making noise and the seller replaced it - and he is China so it was not a trivial process. He makes his own cardboard shipping boxes - which are absolutely wonderful.
I think the key’s to dealing with ebay are of course seller feedback but also direct communication. I think one can get a pretty good feel for the seller through a couple of emails…
I just grabbed them - thanks for the tip about those tubes!
You’ll like em’ what are they going in?
The front end of my Mastersound at the moment has has some really nice Sylvania 6SN7GTs, but I have felt that the Gold Lion 12AU7 / ECC82 Genalex that I have are letting their side down somewhat. Not as open and airy as they ought to be. Having had proper mullards in the past I think this will probably roll rather nicely… 
Tasty!
@dcastle I think you’ll be happy… Let me know what you think OK?
This sure is making me salivate about breaking my beloved tube amp out of storage… Sadly, no space to utilize it or it would have been out pulling it’s weight years ago.
I miss it. The heat, the looks of those glowing bottles, the blue glow of power tubes, the midrange joy… ah, yes. A fetish, but a fun one.
You described it well.
What amp ? They do not look like they will fit the woo ?
Al
@erikm - I will let you know…but it will be at least six weeks. My amp is in a box, in a container, in Liverpool, and will soon start its trek to the west coast of Canada. I guess I am impulse buying toobs b/c I miss it and want it to know that I still care!