Hey there! Thought I’d share some exciting updates to our valve testing capabilities and our cool new test gear we’ve got in-house!
Our business has boomed since kicking off back in 2013, so we’ve decided it’s time to upgrade our valve testing equipment. Think of it as a turbo boost for our valve quality assurance here at VTGA!
The Highest Quality Valves
Our goal at VTGA has always been to deliver the absolute highest quality valves. Of course, valve manufacturers do their own quality assurance, but they’re focus is on valve production and meeting market demands. And a lot can go wrong during the manufacturing process. And nothing spoils a gig or jam session faster than a failed valve.
That’s why we use our own gear and our 40+ years of industry expertise to guarantee the valves we sell.
Until now, we’ve been using our trusty AVO testers which have been around since the 1940s! They’re a tried-and-true industry standard. But hey, as much as we love them, they do have their quirks:
- They’re picky about mains voltage fluctuations. Our new location is right at the end of the power feed, so we see much bigger mains voltage variations when compared to our last location, which was almost smack bang next to the sub-station.
- They’re a bit slow, since they can only test one valve at a time.
But guess what? We’ve got some shiny new toys in town!
Our New Output Valve Tester
This bad boy tests not one, not two, but four output valves at once! Imagine the efficiency! It covers a wide range of valves, from the common octal base output valves to EL84s and 7189s. Basically, it’ll handle everything from a 6V6 up to a KT120. And being brand spanking new, it’s more reliable than our vintage AVO testers. It tests at all the voltages your output valves will encounter in your amp.
Introducing Our Custom-Built VTGA-100 Pre-Amp Valve Tester
Ah, the ECC83/12AX7, the rockstar of valves!
This tester can handle up to 16 of these beauties simultaneously. It’s a whopping three feet long (or just under a meter), weighs 20Kg (44lbs in old money), and tests each valve in a circuit typical of the V1 position in your amp. Plus, it can check most pre-amp valve types and can even select balanced valves for the phase splitter position.
And there is more!
With this new gear, we can also listen to each valve to check for microphonics, noise, and hum. And even hook up an oscilloscope to look at the noise spectrum for detailed analysis.
The picture below shows 8 ECC83/12AX7 preamp valves being tested.
We teamed up with Chris at Vintage Amp Services to craft this beauty. Chris did an incredible job constructing the unit to our specifications, and put a ton of his own expertise into details of the design. And hey, if you’re in Swindon and need an amp repaired, give him a shout! He’s a veritable expert with vintage valve amps.
Element Engineering and Design Limited in Wiltshire, UK, used an NC machine to tool the strong steel chassis of this tube testing monster.
And as for those old AVO testers? Just hold your horses! We’re not bidding farewell to those faithful friends just yet. They’re still on duty, handling ‘oddball’ valves and rectifiers. We’ve just beefed up our testing game for the more common valves.
Treat Yourself to the Best Possible Tone
Quality testing means quality valves and, most importantly, quality tone for your amp. Why waste time and money on dicey equipment when you can rock out with confidence knowing you’ve treated your gear — and your ears — to the best?
So click over to our shop and check out our fantastic valve selection! Expert tested and quality guaranteed. Let us put our cool new test gear to work for you!