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[Groove Tubes] |
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For 25 years Groove Tubes have been the
leading name in replacement valves for guitar and hi-fi amps.
Buy the valves chosen as original equipment by Fender, Soldano
and other leading amp makers. |
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Californian
valve guru Aspen Pittman has been selecting and matching premium valves for
guitar amps and high-end hi-fi for 25 years. We have been part of Aspen's
"Friends and Family" for almost as long and we were the natural choice when
he was looking for a European partner to set up a duplicate of the elaborate
testing and grading system used in the US factory, with the aim of lowering
the price and speeding up supply of Groove Tubes to the European market.
So, "Why buy Groove Tubes"? It's really simple. Electron valves have always
been made in large quantities, like light bulbs. In fact, many valve
manufacturers like General Electric also made light bulbs, some of the
processes are very similar. Like light bulbs a percentage of product shipped
either doesn't work or is sub-standard, and because the military doesn't use
valves the way it used to quality controls are missing.
Groove Tubes buys "raw" valve stock from the surviving manufacturers, mainly
in the former Soviet Eastern block countries and China, and tests it,
rejecting faulty and sub-standard ones. There is no myth about where the
valves come from, in fact the last letter of every GT valve tells you the
country of origin, e.g. "R" for Russia, "S" for Slovakia etc. What makes
Groove Tubes different is the rigorous testing each and every valve is
subjected to.
Power valves are computer tested for five fundamental performance criteria.
Only after they have passed these are they "Performance Matched" into Duets
and Quartets, and "Distortion Rated" in relation to at what volume they will
produce power amp distortion. Click here to see our Distortion Rating chart.
Preamp valves are individually tested for gain, microphonics and signal to
noise ratio on a unique combination of sophisticated electronic test
equipment and classic guitar amp environments. Our preamp valve testing is
so strict we reject over 30% of some valve types.
Many amp manufacturers like Fender and Soldano fit Groove Tubes as standard
because they can depend on consistent performance, and have recorded very
substantial drop in warranty claims on their amps from customers. Click here
to see "Signs your valves need changing".
As if that's not enough to set Groove Tubes apart from the crowd we have
many "GT exclusive" designs, like the fabulous new GT-12AX7M Mullard
replica, the high performance GT-E34LS, and are the only company currently
manufacturing valves in the USA, the GT-6L6GE and the new GT-6CA7GE, made
with the original General Electric tooling and machinery.
Finally, remember to get your amp re-biased whenever you fit Groove Tubes
power valves for the first time. Click here to see our "Power Tube
Comparison Chart" which includes a list of correct bias voltages for Groove
Tubes power valves. The good news is, once your amp is biased for a
particular Distortion Rating you won't need to get it re-biased if you
re-fit the same number valves next time round. |
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Miscellaneous