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I worked at that plant in the 90’s, but valve production had long since stopped. One of the old guys found out I was into valve amps and he brought his stash in for me to look through. He let me have about a dozen from it, some of them I still have.
I have a yellow label Mullard ECC83 in a display shelf in my lounge. Put it on show!
Rob
” Let’s hope that EF86 was too noisy to use. Trivia: the yellow print ones were “seconds”! This one is a seventies one (the “Optimus Prime” logo, as I think of it), and EF86s (and the other 9-pin B9A type valves) were introduced around 1954, but yes 1940 would probably be when Mullard began: WW2 and all that. During that war, most military (and BBC) stuff used KT66’s for everything! When Philips took over Mullard in 1981, they allegedly crushed all the valves! Not sure that’s true of all, perhaps just the TV ones?”
Rift Amplification
Brackley, Northamptonshire
www.riftamps.co.uk
I do think the resin encapsulated EF86 is super, that would def take pride of place in my workshop!
What a pity that, in order to 'commemorate over forty years of receiving valve production at Mullard Blackburn', they couldn't have found a valve made there, rather than using one stamped 'Foreign made'. or am I missing something?
Cool thing.
The real irony is that the principal non-audio use for valves then was in military equipment, since valves are much less prone to damage from the electromagnetic pulse of a nuclear explosion, compared to solid-state - ie NATO were planning to fight a potential WWIII using valves made by the other side...
Yes, it's a bit sad that no-one thought to use a Blackburn-made valve.
"Take these three items, some WD-40, a vise grip, and a roll of duct tape. Any man worth his salt can fix almost any problem with this stuff alone." - Walt Kowalski
"Only two things are infinite - the universe, and human stupidity. And I'm not sure about the universe." - Albert Einstein
And nobody in the whole process of creating that ornament thought “hang on a minute...”?
I have one in my old Centurion amp, and it’s just ‘OK’ - it doesn’t actually do anything other than very cleanly amplify the signal until the EL84 distorts. The amp sounds a bit dull without a pedal in front.
"Take these three items, some WD-40, a vise grip, and a roll of duct tape. Any man worth his salt can fix almost any problem with this stuff alone." - Walt Kowalski
"Only two things are infinite - the universe, and human stupidity. And I'm not sure about the universe." - Albert Einstein
Rift Amplification
Brackley, Northamptonshire
www.riftamps.co.uk
Having said that, the best I found were Mullard and Brimar.
Exactly as I run mine - 12ax7 boost built into the amp and the gain moderate, then the power section loud. Beautiful and super responsive.
Not sure how much it gives versus just 12ax7 valves but it does sound lovely. Very clear but with a really nice break up.
Seriously: If you value it, take/fetch it yourself