Update Regarding the Supply of Amplifier Tubes from Tube Amp Doctor

It's a known fact that both Ukraine and Russia are important suppliers of raw materials, particularly steel and aluminum, but also many critical parts and components for the electronic industry. The invasion of Ukraine and the resulting sanctions imposed over Russia are obviously having a significant impact over the global supply of tubes. Tube Amp Doctor Musikhandels GmbH, based in Germany, just released a situation update regarding the supply of amplifier tubes.

In this article, Richard Honeycutt provides a brief description of the main tube types used in audio applications, from triodes to tetrodes and pentodes, describing its uses, features and potential benefits. If you are looking for a quick reference reading about tubes that have been used in audio amplification this article is a great start. This article was originally published in audioXpress, May 2013 as part of the Hollow-State Electronics monthly column by Richard Honeycutt.

Here’s an amp project especially for first-time builders featuring the 6BQ5 tube. As Rick Spencer writes in its introduction, "In order for this beloved hobby of ours to thrive and survive well into the future, we must always strive to make it interesting to newcomers." With this in mind, Rick Spencer created this single-ended design using the 6BQ5/EL84 tube in triode mode. This article was originally published in audioXpress, October 2008.

Many articles have appeared regarding projects using one of the most sturdy, versatile, and trustworthy audio tubes ever made — the 6550. Most of them show these audio beauties used in the push-pull configuration in order to obtain the greatest efficiency and the most power output. In this article, the 6550 is used in a clean, sweet-sounding, single-ended design. The amplifier has very few parts, is easy to build and repair, and the cost of the project is nominal when you consider the kind of sound that is produced. This article was originally published in audioXPress, September 2001.