Brimar Valves

shuikit

Just stumbled over this on a semi random Google, anyone know if they're any good?

http://brimaruk.com/

ourmaninthenorth

Interesting find. Thanks for posting.

I wonder if they are the same people behind trying to make the Blackburn Mullard's available again from maybe 7-8 years ago? That venture didn't seem to get off the ground if memory serves. I say that because some of the blurb mentions buying some of the Blackburn machinery, as did the other people on the Mullard venture. 

From the website, it's difficult to get a clear picture of what's what. 

I too would be really interested to know if anyone's used them....even if they're only getting close to the old BVA stuff, they'd be really something...

jacksparrow

Probably just bought the name, for marketing DOH.

DJH83004

Interesting, they have clearly bought the sales and marketing rights to the Brimar name, and even the boxes look period items. They will be badged from one of the main valve manufacturers, looking at the element layout I would say Chinese, but could be wrong. The giveaway is their statement 'each tube is scrupulously tested and only the best get badged with the Brimar Thermionics logo '. At the end of the day if they do test them more thoroughly, that can only be a good thing, so suggest they will be along similar lines TAD, Groove Tubes, Mesa etc.     

exocet

They claim that this one is British Made?

http://brimaruk.com/product/brimar-tp-ecc804/

ourmaninthenorth

DJH83004 said:

Interesting, they have clearly bought the sales and marketing rights to the Brimar name, and even the boxes look period items. They will be badged from one of the main valve manufacturers, looking at the element layout I would say Chinese, but could be wrong. The giveaway is their statement 'each tube is scrupulously tested and only the best get badged with the Brimar Thermionics logo '. At the end of the day if they do test them more thoroughly, that can only be a good thing, so suggest they will be along similar lines TAD, Groove Tubes, Mesa etc.     

Agreed. Along with the giveaway proposition that the more they sell ..." It'll bring Brimar closer to manufacturing right here in the UK "

shuikit

I messaged asking where they were made..

"All our tubes are designed in the Uk , ECC804 is made here and parts are made here too!
no other complete valve is yet made in the u.k. but we are working towards that goal"

Modulus_Amps

In terms of valves, they have a hard task to make ones that are reliable, cost effective and sound good. some of the chinese  valves sound good, but you have to buy 10 to get a really good one, so that puts the price right up to where TAD charge for them in a tested state or you can just buy a £10 JJ that sounds ok and generally perform ok too

Whatever they do they need a respected brand to take them on and promote them as been the best thing since sliced bread

Cols

I used Brimar NOS ECC83s until they became stupidly expensive; great valves for classic rock.  Sadly this looks like retro marketing fluff; I'd bet my bottom dollar that these are off-the-shelf valves made in China and branded Brimar.

shuikit

Just had another message from them saying that they don't reveal their sources.

Do you think it's worth a punt?

RiftAmps

I've just ordered a pair of their 6L6s, will report back when they arrive. Data sheet says the Pa max is 19w, like a 6L6G - http://brimaruk.com/valves/tetrode/brimar-6l6/

If they're genuinely trying to mnfr valves here in the UK, I'm all for it.

ourmaninthenorth

RiftAmps said:

I've just ordered a pair of their 6L6s, will report back when they arrive. Data sheet says the Pa max is 19w, like a 6L6G - http://brimaruk.com/valves/tetrode/brimar-6l6/

If they're genuinely trying to mnfr valves here in the UK, I'm all for it.

I read the data sheet as being for a 6L6G. 

jacksparrow

Good luck to them i say, any newly manufactured valve in the uk would be welcomed, a step in the right direction for sure.

Maynehead

They could have named the valve anything... It certainly won't sound like a real Brimar valve.

Having said that, I hope they sound decent and are reliable. We need more support in the valve manufacturing business.

RiftAmps

I had a good look at the website today and realised who BrimarBob is. I see him regularly at the BVWS meets and he's definitely a proper valve enthusiast with the right intentions.

MartinB

Even if they're just well sourced and tested Chinese valves, the prices don't look crazy.  I wonder how well the 12ax7 and ECC83 fare in a DC-coupled cathode follower, where some of the Russian valves can be flakey.  

Teacherphil

"each time you purchase one of our electron tubes it brings us closer to manufacturing right here in the U.K."
From their site. Looks like they've bought the name and are manufacturing abroad. I have some NOS brimars in my AC30 and they sound amazing. Until I hear differently I will assume they are the same as the mullard reissues (ie. Nothing like the originals)

Maynehead

Here's a side by side with my original Brimar 12ax7.

http://i.imgur.com/ZkWy3NW.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/FI0d2xl.jpg

As as you can see they've kept the original ladder plate design, but looking closer you can see that there are subtle differences. For example the getter is thicker than the original and there is a lack of protruding tabs above the top spacer. The connecting strips across the pins are also wider.

So by the looks of things they've probably bought the rights to the original designs and branding, and contracted production out to a foreign manufacturer. I'd be interested to know how they sound compared to other modern production valves, but I'd be surprised if they lived up to the original...

ecc83

Waaaay back in the day 'we' did note like Brimar valves in the R&TV trade and always fitted the Mullard version whenever possible.

From the murky depth of my brain comes the '6/30L6' a triode pentode (line sync 'osc and reactance) which was a Brimar brand only. They were unreliable!

But, they put anything on anything these days. Got two Russian' Mullard' EL84s if anybody wants them!

Dave.

ICBM

Maynehead said:

Here's a side by side with my original Brimar 12ax7.

http://i.imgur.com/ZkWy3NW.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/FI0d2xl.jpg

As as you can see they've kept the original ladder plate design, but looking closer you can see that there are subtle differences. For example the getter is thicker than the original and there is a lack of protruding tabs above the top spacer. The connecting strips across the pins are also wider.

So by the looks of things they've probably bought the rights to the original designs and branding, and contracted production out to a foreign manufacturer. I'd be interested to know how they sound compared to other modern production valves, but I'd be surprised if they lived up to the original...

The important possible differences are the exact dimensions and spacing of the cathode, grid and plate - and the cathode coating material, which seems to be possibly the most critical one and may be the hardest to reproduce accurately. The amount of residual gas in the vacuum - there is always some, probably mostly Argon since the others will react with the getter - might make a difference too. Of course the last two will be very difficult to tell by looking at the valve...

kreggs

Should we not just be channeling our efforts into some sort of silver delorean so we can just travel back and get them fresh off the shelf!