> > >Excuse my comments here... but I just want to be fair. Sorry Al, you are obviously more fair that I am. I have seen how LV talks to people here on AGA and found he treated me basically the same way but subdued over the phone. He is the one that set the bar high, not me.Joe L
As a counter to your experience, I had trouble biasing a set of 6L6s I bought from LV. Although I knew what I was doing, repeated the steps several times, and swapped the tubes to opposing sockets, I just couldn't get get them both to the same approximate voltage. After e-mailing LV and explaining my problem, he shipped out a new set & I returned the original pair. No fuss at all. My orders have always been complete, correct, and delivered within 3 days of placing the order. Willie's on-line personna might be a bit course, but he's an excellent businessman, and his products are the best. If he has a true fault, it's that he's a Squid Tweet!
I have bought tubes from LV several times. Each and every time the order arrived promptly, packed well, and all tubes have been teriffic.
To top it off, LV has always been helpful when e-mailed for assistance. The latest order arrived with a disk chock full of useful and helpful tips for working on my amp.
Don't get me wrong, he's full of attitude, but that's just part of the package. He's often entertaining (particularly his artwork) although his poetry needs work.
Just wanted to share a very cool experience I had the other day with Willie at NBS electronics. I ordered some new tubes fully expecting when they came I could pop open my Naylor Dual 60, pop in the tubes, get them biased, and be on my way. Well the tubes came (very quickly, and packed great with extras like a pen, FAQ disc, and a solder sample) opened up the Naylor and now bias adjustment. So, I figure I'll put in the tubes and get a reading and hopefully it will be within the bias range its supposed to be in. Well it wasn't, the bias reading was about 15ma higher then the max recommended. So, I call Willie and tells me all of my options, one of them being that the tubes may be fine with the bias high but I have to take some different readings from the amp, something I have never done before, nor had I ever planned on it. Willie walked me through the whole process, step by step. I probably called him 5 or 6 times and he always made the time to speak to me and to help me through what I was doing. Everything turned out great. The amp sounds amazing and I learned a hell of a lot from a very patient, knowledgeable teacher with a great sense of humor. I have never gotten customer service like that and I recommend very highly. Does anyone have a schematic for the Naylor Duel 60?? It would be greatly appreciated or any info you may have. All the Best, Eric ebo...@erols.com
E Booth wrote: > Just wanted to share a very cool experience I had the other day with Willie > at NBS electronics. I ordered some new tubes fully expecting when they came > I could pop open my Naylor Dual 60, pop in the tubes, get them biased, and > be on my way. Well the tubes came (very quickly, and packed great with > extras like a pen, FAQ disc, and a solder sample) opened up the Naylor and > now bias adjustment. So, I figure I'll put in the tubes and get a reading > and hopefully it will be within the bias range its supposed to be in. Well > it wasn't, the bias reading was about 15ma higher then the max recommended. > So, I call Willie and tells me all of my options, one of them being that the > tubes may be fine with the bias high but I have to take some different > readings from the amp, something I have never done before, nor had I ever > planned on it. Willie walked me through the whole process, step by step. I > probably called him 5 or 6 times and he always made the time to speak to me > and to help me through what I was doing. Everything turned out great. The > amp sounds amazing and I learned a hell of a lot from a very patient, > knowledgeable teacher with a great sense of humor. I have never gotten > customer service like that and I recommend very highly. > Does anyone have a schematic for the Naylor Duel 60?? > It would be greatly appreciated or any info you may have. > All the Best, Eric > ebo...@erols.com
>Enjoyed reading your post. I haven't yet had the pleasure to deal directly with >LV, but just reading his words here is great.
>E Booth wrote:
>> Just wanted to share a very cool experience I had the other day with Willie >> at NBS electronics. I ordered some new tubes fully expecting when they came >> I could pop open my Naylor Dual 60, pop in the tubes, get them biased, and >> be on my way. Well the tubes came (very quickly, and packed great with >> extras like a pen, FAQ disc, and a solder sample) opened up the Naylor and >> now bias adjustment. So, I figure I'll put in the tubes and get a reading >> and hopefully it will be within the bias range its supposed to be in. Well >> it wasn't, the bias reading was about 15ma higher then the max recommended. >> So, I call Willie and tells me all of my options, one of them being that the >> tubes may be fine with the bias high but I have to take some different >> readings from the amp, something I have never done before, nor had I ever >> planned on it. Willie walked me through the whole process, step by step. I >> probably called him 5 or 6 times and he always made the time to speak to me >> and to help me through what I was doing. Everything turned out great. The >> amp sounds amazing and I learned a hell of a lot from a very patient, >> knowledgeable teacher with a great sense of humor. I have never gotten >> customer service like that and I recommend very highly. >> Does anyone have a schematic for the Naylor Duel 60?? >> It would be greatly appreciated or any info you may have. >> All the Best, Eric >> ebo...@erols.com
NIce story. Apparently the 'net's self-proclaimed a-hole takes care of business. If only more business men could see the value of good customer service.
"E Booth" <ebo...@erols.com> wrote: >Just wanted to share a very cool experience I had the other day with Willie >at NBS electronics.
In that case, so will I. I had cloned an SLO and needed some good output tubes that would complement that design. I called LV and explained that I was looking for a tight power section for the SLO with hopefully increased bass and good longevity in a combo. I also explained that I haven't been following current tube offerings and would appreciate a suggestion. He replied with a short "so you want me to tell you what to get?" From that moment on he talked down to me and I and couldn't wait for the call to be over with. I really was sorry I ordered from him and almost called back and cancelled the order. But I figured with his reputation that I would at least get good tubes.
A couple of days later I got the tubes in - 2 NOS Sylvania 7581As and 3 Sovtek 12AX7LPSs. The 7581As biased up real nice and were matched within 1ma of each other. I stuck the 12AX7LPSs to the side while I was bringing up the amp with some old pullout tubes to not risk frying them. After the SLO was checked out, I plugged in the Sovteks to be greeted with tons of hum. After 2 hours of troubleshooting ground loops and filiment lead dress, I swapped out the preamp tubes. No hum.... hmmmm... To make a long story short, 2 of the Sovteks hum... loudly! There is no chance that anyone had ever checked them because it was not sutle and could even be heard in the PI position. Swapping them into another amp confirmed that it was the tubes.
Now the worst part of this is after being treated the way I was on the phone when ordering the tubes, damn if I am going to try getting them replaced. If he treated me that way when trying to buy tubes, I can only imagine how he'll treat me when I try to get them replaced.
Joe, Excuse my comments here... but I just want to be fair.
I personally have had no experience with LV as of yet other that chatting on the ng. However, from reading other posts... it is apparent that others have had good (as well as bad) dealings with him. You feel you were talked down to? Maybe you were. I don't know... but LV has never talked down to me. The part of your situation in dealing with him that I see as unfair... is on the one hand you praise the pair of 7851As as being matched... and working real well. On the other hand you say the 3 12AX7LPSs were not what you expected. And here you say "damn if I am going to try and get them replaced.".... "I can only imagine how he'll treat me...." I suggest you return the bad tubes (12AX7LPSs) to LV and get them replaced.... and then post on the newsgroup the way you're treated. Lot's of guys here are potential customers of LV (including myself) and we want to know how he responds when he's given the opportunity to do so. Accompany the request for replacement tubes with a letter explaining things... including your feelings about how you were talked to... and give LV the chance to make amends. I'm sure he (as a businessman) would like you to be a satisfied customer. But he cannot fix what he don't know is broken.
> >Just wanted to share a very cool experience I had the other day with Willie > >at NBS electronics.
> In that case, so will I. I had cloned an SLO and needed some good output tubes that would > complement that design. I called LV and explained that I was looking for a tight power > section for the SLO with hopefully increased bass and good longevity in a combo. I also > explained that I haven't been following current tube offerings and would appreciate a > suggestion. He replied with a short "so you want me to tell you what to get?" From that > moment on he talked down to me and I and couldn't wait for the call to be over with. I > really was sorry I ordered from him and almost called back and cancelled the order. But I > figured with his reputation that I would at least get good tubes.
> A couple of days later I got the tubes in - 2 NOS Sylvania 7581As and 3 Sovtek 12AX7LPSs. > The 7581As biased up real nice and were matched within 1ma of each other. I stuck the > 12AX7LPSs to the side while I was bringing up the amp with some old pullout tubes to not > risk frying them. After the SLO was checked out, I plugged in the Sovteks to be greeted > with tons of hum. After 2 hours of troubleshooting ground loops and filiment lead dress, > I swapped out the preamp tubes. No hum.... hmmmm... To make a long story short, 2 of the > Sovteks hum... loudly! There is no chance that anyone had ever checked them because it > was not sutle and could even be heard in the PI position. Swapping them into another amp > confirmed that it was the tubes.
> Now the worst part of this is after being treated the way I was on the phone when ordering > the tubes, damn if I am going to try getting them replaced. If he treated me that way > when trying to buy tubes, I can only imagine how he'll treat me when I try to get them > replaced.
Albert Boggs <albo...@home.com> wrote: >Excuse my comments here... but I just want to be fair.
Sorry Al, you are obviously more fair that I am. I have seen how LV talks to people here on AGA and found he treated me basically the same way but subdued over the phone. He is the one that set the bar high, not me.
>Subject: Re: Short Lord Valve ( Willie ) Story >From: jlemo...@communique.net (Joe L) >Date: Sun, 09 January 2000 10:34 AM EST >Message-id: <3878a555.332105...@va.news.verio.net>
>>Just wanted to share a very cool experience I had the other day with Willie >>at NBS electronics.
>In that case, so will I. I had cloned an SLO and needed some good output >tubes that would >complement that design. I called LV and explained that I was looking for a >tight power >section for the SLO with hopefully increased bass and good longevity in a >combo. I also >explained that I haven't been following current tube offerings and would >appreciate a >suggestion. He replied with a short "so you want me to tell you what to >get?" From that >moment on he talked down to me and I and couldn't wait for the call to be >over with. I >really was sorry I ordered from him and almost called back and cancelled the >order. But I >figured with his reputation that I would at least get good tubes.
>A couple of days later I got the tubes in - 2 NOS Sylvania 7581As and 3 >Sovtek 12AX7LPSs. >The 7581As biased up real nice and were matched within 1ma of each other. I >stuck the >12AX7LPSs to the side while I was bringing up the amp with some old pullout >tubes to not >risk frying them. After the SLO was checked out, I plugged in the Sovteks to >be greeted >with tons of hum. After 2 hours of troubleshooting ground loops and filiment >lead dress, >I swapped out the preamp tubes. No hum.... hmmmm... To make a long story >short, 2 of the >Sovteks hum... loudly! There is no chance that anyone had ever checked them >because it >was not sutle and could even be heard in the PI position. Swapping them >into another amp >confirmed that it was the tubes.
>Now the worst part of this is after being treated the way I was on the phone >when ordering >the tubes, damn if I am going to try getting them replaced. If he treated me >that way >when trying to buy tubes, I can only imagine how he'll treat me when I try to >get them >replaced.
>>Just wanted to share a very cool experience I had the other day with Willie >>at NBS electronics.
>In that case, so will I. I had cloned an SLO and needed some good output tubes that would >complement that design. I called LV and explained that I was looking for a tight power >section for the SLO with hopefully increased bass and good longevity in a combo. I also >explained that I haven't been following current tube offerings and would appreciate a >suggestion. He replied with a short "so you want me to tell you what to get?"
Why - yes - you DID want him to tell you what he thought you should get - didn't you? Wasn't that the reason you called - to find out his opinion and place an order? LV can be rather direct at times, but that usually is a good thing.
From that
>moment on he talked down to me and I and couldn't wait for the call to be over with. I >really was sorry I ordered from him and almost called back and cancelled the order.
It may have been possible that he may not have the capability of the person he is talking to on the other end. I deal with TONS of people in my job and routinely have to walk through procedures with them - some of which they already might know (but there is no way I would know this, so I give them all the details). I expect them to give me some sort of indication if they perceive that I am talking down to them. Life is too short and I can't read minds. I don't think LV can either. You have to remember, I am sure he deals with tons of "newbies" all day long - some of that is bound to carry over.
But I
>figured with his reputation that I would at least get good tubes.
I always have.
>A couple of days later I got the tubes in - 2 NOS Sylvania 7581As and 3 Sovtek 12AX7LPSs. >The 7581As biased up real nice and were matched within 1ma of each other. I stuck the >12AX7LPSs to the side while I was bringing up the amp with some old pullout tubes to not >risk frying them. After the SLO was checked out, I plugged in the Sovteks to be greeted >with tons of hum. After 2 hours of troubleshooting ground loops and filiment lead dress, >I swapped out the preamp tubes. No hum.... hmmmm... To make a long story short, 2 of the >Sovteks hum... loudly! There is no chance that anyone had ever checked them because it >was not sutle and could even be heard in the PI position. Swapping them into another amp >confirmed that it was the tubes.
Stuff happens - and no matter what we try to do - it can and will happen. What is really important is 1) trying to keep it from happening, and 2) how do you handle it when it does happen. So you got some tubes that humm... I don't doubt that could happen. Maybe someone grabbed something from the wrong stack???? Who knows. It is not a good thing, but I don't think it is the norm from my buying experience and from what others have reported.
>Now the worst part of this is after being treated the way I was on the phone when ordering >the tubes, damn if I am going to try getting them replaced.
No - you are going to trash his reputation on customer service because you thought he was talking down to you (something he may not have even been aware of). You admittedly haven't even giving him a chance to make it good. You should talk to him and give him a chance before you trash him.
>If he treated me that way >when trying to buy tubes, I can only imagine how he'll treat me when I try to get them >replaced.
You are sensitive aren't you? Then maybe have your wife, girlfriend, or a friend call him for you. I'll even call for you.
From my experience, I would bet that LV is proud of his reputation and would gladly replace your tubes with something to your satisfaction. Then you can report back to us how he replaced your tubes once he was informed that there was a problem.
>And that's "no bullshit".
>..Joe L
I have bought a metric shitload (LV terminology) of stuff from LV over that past year and a half (at least a lot for me). He has always delivered exactly what was promised. He obviously has a lot of pride in his customer service from my experiences. I have talked to LV many times on the phone - probably for painfully (for him) long times. I am definately not an expert, and he has not talked down to me and has had to have been extremely patient. I have found that his prices are reasonable and service is the best. I usually get my orders 3 days after I order them, along with the disk, pen, and solder freebies. One time I ordered some stuff from a place about only a few hours away from here a few days before ording from LV, and LVs order arrived before the earlier and much closer order.
Under your current scenario the only way LV could have made things right is to undo sending the noisy tubes (can't do that, that already has been done), or send you different tubes or a refund (can't do that if he does not know about it). You put him in a difficult situation - you may be taking the "Lord" thing a little too literally. Or maybe your motive is NOT to try to work things out? Most of us will continue to order from LV and get great tubes at good prices and great customer service.
Cybernalt wrote in message <20000109144812.10900.00001...@ng-fm1.aol.com>... >What do you say to THAT story LV?
LV doesn't need to say anything, he doesn't have a problem and would be a fool to accept it as such.
If I had one wish... it would not be to cure the pangs of world hunger or of all forms of cancer and other diseases... not even for the slightest improvement in world peace.
It would be for all people to develop enough SELF-esteem to accept full responsibility for their "hurt feelings" and stop assigning that responsibility to others.
"Joe L" <jlemo...@communique.net> wrote: > Albert Boggs <albo...@home.com> wrote:
> >Excuse my comments here... but I just want to be fair.
> Sorry Al, you are obviously more fair that I am. I have seen how LV
talks to people here
> on AGA and found he treated me basically the same way but subdued over the phone. He is > the one that set the bar high, not me.
> ..Joe L
As a counter to your experience, I had trouble biasing a set of 6L6s I bought from LV. Although I knew what I was doing, repeated the steps several times, and swapped the tubes to opposing sockets, I just couldn't get get them both to the same approximate voltage. After e-mailing LV and explaining my problem, he shipped out a new set & I returned the original pair. No fuss at all. My orders have always been complete, correct, and delivered within 3 days of placing the order. Willie's on-line personna might be a bit course, but he's an excellent businessman, and his products are the best. If he has a true fault, it's that he's a Squid Tweet!
LV set me up with some good speaker cable. I had no problems. He was very helpful. Those LPS's have been a splinter in my ass for a long time. I've come to the conclusion that they work in most amps but NOT mine (67 Plexi SL). I've sent several back only to be told they're fine. I tracked down some Ruby STR's (which were purchased from LV a while back) and it was the best thing I ever did. My amp actually said "thank you"
Can't argue with your experience, I can only note that my business with LV to date has been one of the best business relationships I've had with anyone, ever. Haven't done *that* much with him yet, but it's been a real pleasure.
On the Sovteks, I would try them in another amp, just as a data point. The two I've bought have been truly sweet. (LV - any possibility any of these are really LPs mislabeled at the factory?)
FWIW, I wouldn't expect him to listen to each tube. The tester and hammer are what I expect. (If he does ear test each tube, I certainly won't complain!)
> Now the worst part of this is after being treated the way I was on the phone when ordering > the tubes, damn if I am going to try getting them replaced. If he treated me that way > when trying to buy tubes, I can only imagine how he'll treat me when I try to get them > replaced.
> And that's "no bullshit".
Well, maybe part of it. But the other part isn't reality - it's your fear *I can only imagine...) Remember what Yoda says about fear? 8^) Seriously - either try it or don't, but this isn't the place to let your fears decide.
-Miles
No, I don't like being talked down to or ridiculed, but I'd rather *know* how someone will react. 98% of the time if I let my imagination loose on it, the person ends up being *much* easier to deal with than I imagined!
LV has been very nice to talk with on the phone. I can't comment on your opinions but I will pass this along. Knowing several techs. and doing work myself, the Sovtek LPS can sometimes bite your ass. You use a few and they're real sweet so you recommend them. Next batch in has some duds that are microphonic or hum. You get what you pay for and the LPS is not a premium priced tube. Sometimes you have to send them back, simple as that. Call Willie and explain the problem, I'm willing to bet he will tell you to ship them back.
> >Just wanted to share a very cool experience I had the other day with Willie > >at NBS electronics.
> In that case, so will I. I had cloned an SLO and needed some good output tubes that would > complement that design. I called LV and explained that I was looking for a tight power > section for the SLO with hopefully increased bass and good longevity in a combo. I also > explained that I haven't been following current tube offerings and would appreciate a > suggestion. He replied with a short "so you want me to tell you what to get?" From that > moment on he talked down to me and I and couldn't wait for the call to be over with. I > really was sorry I ordered from him and almost called back and cancelled the order. But I > figured with his reputation that I would at least get good tubes.
> A couple of days later I got the tubes in - 2 NOS Sylvania 7581As and 3 Sovtek 12AX7LPSs. > The 7581As biased up real nice and were matched within 1ma of each other. I stuck the > 12AX7LPSs to the side while I was bringing up the amp with some old
pullout tubes to not
> risk frying them. After the SLO was checked out, I plugged in the Sovteks to be greeted > with tons of hum. After 2 hours of troubleshooting ground loops and
> I swapped out the preamp tubes. No hum.... hmmmm... To make a long story short, 2 of the > Sovteks hum... loudly! There is no chance that anyone had ever checked them because it > was not sutle and could even be heard in the PI position. Swapping them into another amp > confirmed that it was the tubes.
> Now the worst part of this is after being treated the way I was on the phone when ordering > the tubes, damn if I am going to try getting them replaced. If he treated me that way > when trying to buy tubes, I can only imagine how he'll treat me when I try to get them > replaced.
>>Just wanted to share a very cool experience I had the other >day with Willie at NBS electronics.
>In that case, so will I. I had cloned an SLO and needed >some good output tubes that would complement that design. >I called LV and explained that I was looking for a tight >power section for the SLO with hopefully increased bass >and good longevity in a combo. I also explained that I >haven't been following current tube offerings and would >appreciate a suggestion. He replied with a short "so you >want me to tell you what to get?" From that moment on he >talked down to me and I and couldn't wait for the call to >be over with. I really was sorry I ordered from him and >almost called back and cancelled the order. But I figured >with his reputation that I would at least get good tubes.
>A couple of days later I got the tubes in - 2 NOS Sylvania >7581As and 3 Sovtek 12AX7LPSs. The 7581As biased up real >nice and were matched within 1ma of each other. I stuck the >12AX7LPSs to the side while I was bringing up the amp with >some old pullout tubes to not risk frying them. After the >SLO was checked out, I plugged in the Sovteks to be greeted >with tons of hum. After 2 hours of troubleshooting ground >loops and filiment lead dress, I swapped out the preamp tubes. >No hum.... hmmmm... To make a long story short, 2 of the >Sovteks hum... loudly! There is no chance that anyone had >ever checked them because it was not sutle and could even be >heard in the PI position. Swapping them into another amp >confirmed that it was the tubes.
>Now the worst part of this is after being treated the way I >was on the phone when ordering the tubes, damn if I am going >to try getting them replaced. If he treated me that way >when trying to buy tubes, I can only imagine how he'll treat >me when I try to get them replaced. >And that's "no bullshit". >..Joe L
Lord Valve Speaketh: I had to go to RadioShack.com today to pick up some sand (my shop is doing a lot of repairs for Guitar Center, and they sell a whole mess of SS amps) so I decided to drop by my own shop and leave the parts off; while I was there, I looked for Mr. Lemoine's sales ticket. I looked through all the tube orders back to October 1, 1999, but I couldn't find his. This means that either I overlooked it, or it was more than two months ago. I was looking for the ticket because I sometimes write notes on the back with info that's germaine to the deal, such as what kind of amp the tubes are going into, or what kind of music the customer plays..stuff like that. Sometimes just seeing the ticket (and what was ordered, and when) can jog my memory a bit. No luck. At any rate, I am not normally rude or condescending to people on the phone. My conversational style is robust bordering on downright bawdy; sometimes folks who haven't dealt with me in the past are a bit taken aback. I've been known to pull a leg or two from time to time, too. It seems to me, however, that if I really had a bad case of the Ass and was acting like a schmuck, Mr. Lemoine would have just told me to stick my tubes where the sun don't shine and hung up. Sometimes, if my old lady isn't around to make sure I eat my 3:00 piece of fruit, I can get pretty cranky; the stuff I take for diabetes knocks the crap outa my blood sugar levels and if I'm too busy to have a snack I get testy. So... if I was a shithead, I apologize. As for the tubes...I CAN'T FIX ANYTHING IF NO-ONE TELLS ME IT'S BROKEN!! The 12AX7LPSs have been doing a good job for me so far; I get a few back now and then, but I get a few of *everything* back now and then. Sometimes there is nothing wrong with tubes people send back, and I hear from them later that they found thus- and-such was wrong inside the gear. Sometimes there *is* a problem or defect. Sometimes, I replace tubes that were obviously mistreated; for instance, a dude sent me back a couple of Svetlana EL34s with a note in the box that said "These tubes blew a fuse in my amp. Please replace." I took a look at the bottom of the pair, and both of 'em had arc-trails between pins two and three...an *obvious* indication of the amp having been operated into an open load. I sent a replacement pair with a small note in the box that said "Be sure your speaker cabinet is connected before you turn you amp on." Sometimes it's just easier to eat the damaged stuff and keep the customer, rather than point fingers and lay blame. Sovtek 12AX7LPSs haven't been around for long; everyone (including me) is still learning what they can and can't do. I saw a post recently on the LPSs not being good for cathode follower use because they evidently don't like excessive heater-cathode voltage spread. I don't usually recommend them for that application, but that's good info to be aware of. As far as hum goes, the LPSs aren't known for it. Some tubes hum more in one type of amp than they do in another; for instance, 5751s can hum in SF Fender front ends, but they are usually fine in Marshalls. *Every* preamp tube I ship gets listened to and checked for excessive microphonics; if it has a green dot on the top or bottom of the bottle, and a green dot on the top of the box, I personally tested it in my bench rig for noise, hum, and microphonics. I have no idea how Mr. Lemoine got *two* that hum...but I would have been more than glad to ship him two replacements, no questions asked. For my regular customers, if there is a problem, I ship the replacements *before* I get the bad ones back. If it were otherwise, this NG would be *full* of posts like Mr. Lemoine's, and I'd be eating crow every day. As I said above, I can't deal with a problem unless I know about it. I've stayed in business for nearly three decades through the simple expedient of *never* fucking with anyone's money. (To put it bluntly.) You got a beef with me, don't hesitate to call. If you feel the need to put your shit in the street by posting it on AGA, I can deal with it that way, too. So Sayeth the Lord.
Lord Valve
VISIT MY WEBSITE: http://www.freeyellow.com/members2/lord-valve/ Good tube FAQ for newbies. Click the e-mail link and join my SPAM LIST; just put "SPAM ME" in the header and I'll sign you up. (If you only want a set of e-mail catalogs, put "CATS ONLY" in the header.) I specialize in top quality HAND-SELECTED NOS and current-production vacuum tubes for guitar and bass amps. Good prices, fast service. TONS of gear and parts in stock...let's DEAL!
NBS Electronics, 230 South Broadway, Denver, CO 80209-1510 Phone orders/tech support after 1:00 PM Denver time at 303-778-1156
NOW ACCEPTING VISA AND MASTERCARD
CHAT WITH LORD VALVE: Log onto any DALnet server and join channel #CONELRAD. Look for me there most any night after 11:00 PM Denver (Mountain) time. Guitar-amp questions and what-have-you are welcome.
Philo T. Farnsworth sez, "Vacuum tubes kick major ass. Be a MAN...and buy some TODAY!"
> I have seen how LV >talks to people here >> on AGA
LV only blasts bullshitters, idiots and morons. Typically, they deserve what they get. If such political incorrectness bothers you, there's a couple web pages where PC behavior is enforced, you might be more comfortable there.
To throw in the towel without even so much as a phone call or email to fix your defective tube problem is a cop-out.
*You can guess what to remove from my email address to get rid of the spam block.*
I hope that at some point all of you get the clue that the one who calls himself Lord Valve is one of the most knowledgable people on this group, and if you could back-seat your little damaged egos for a nano-second, you could gain a lot of knowledge from his years of experience. Thank you.
> >Just wanted to share a very cool experience I had the other day with > >Willie > >at NBS electronics.
> In that case, so will I. I had cloned an SLO and needed some good output > tubes that would > complement that design. I called LV and explained that I was looking for > a tight power > section for the SLO with hopefully increased bass and good longevity in a > combo. I also > explained that I haven't been following current tube offerings and would > appreciate a > suggestion. He replied with a short "so you want me to tell you what to > get?" From that > moment on he talked down to me and I and couldn't wait for the call to be > over with. I > really was sorry I ordered from him and almost called back and cancelled > the order. But I > figured with his reputation that I would at least get good tubes.
> A couple of days later I got the tubes in - 2 NOS Sylvania 7581As and 3 > Sovtek 12AX7LPSs. > The 7581As biased up real nice and were matched within 1ma of each other. > I stuck the > 12AX7LPSs to the side while I was bringing up the amp with some old > pullout tubes to not > risk frying them. After the SLO was checked out, I plugged in the > Sovteks to be greeted > with tons of hum. After 2 hours of troubleshooting ground loops and > filiment lead dress, > I swapped out the preamp tubes. No hum.... hmmmm... To make a long > story short, 2 of the > Sovteks hum... loudly! There is no chance that anyone had ever checked > them because it > was not sutle and could even be heard in the PI position. Swapping them > into another amp > confirmed that it was the tubes.
> Now the worst part of this is after being treated the way I was on the > phone when ordering > the tubes, damn if I am going to try getting them replaced. If he > treated me that way > when trying to buy tubes, I can only imagine how he'll treat me when I > try to get them > replaced.
> And that's "no bullshit".
> ..Joe L
Well, all I know is that at least on one occasion he has replaced tubes that I thought were faulty but were actually a misdiagnosis on my part. He asked no questions at all but pulled out a brand new tube and sent me on my way with a look that seemed to say that I had fucked up but he was going to play along. We may not always agree on matters politcal but he has my business for life.
As a counter to your experience, I had trouble biasing a set of 6L6s I bought from LV. Although I knew what I was doing, repeated the steps several times, and swapped the tubes to opposing sockets, I just couldn't get get them both to the same approximate voltage. After e-mailing LV and explaining my problem, he shipped out a new set & I returned the original pair. No fuss at all. >>
So what you're saying is, he will try to pull a fast one by shipping unmatched tubes the first time around, hoping you won't notice or go through the hassle of returning them?? Order from Ned at Triodeel.com, his tubes arrive matched the first time around... no hassles at all.
OK, tonefactor...you're looking to get sued. I don't do anything of the sort, ever. I don't "try to pull a fast one" on anybody. *Every* pair or quad I ship is matched to within 1 mA. Sometimes a tube takes a hard knock in shipping and the elements shift; it is then not matched any longer. I *always* replace them (free) if that is the case. I replace *very* few. Ned will verify that this condition will sometimes occur during shipping. I have sent *thousands* of tubes all over the world since I started selling them online, with *very* few problems. Unless you can offer concrete proof that I am a dishonest businessman, I think you'd better shut your face...or face legal action. See if I'm kidding, son. LV
Tonefactor wrote: > As a counter to your experience, I had trouble biasing a set of 6L6s I > bought from LV. Although I knew what I was doing, repeated the steps > several times, and swapped the tubes to opposing sockets, I just > couldn't get get them both to the same approximate voltage. After > e-mailing LV and explaining my problem, he shipped out a new set & I > returned the original pair. No fuss at all. >>
> So what you're saying is, he will try to pull a fast one by shipping > unmatched tubes the first time around, hoping you won't notice or go > through the hassle of returning them?? Order from Ned at Triodeel.com, his > tubes arrive matched the first time around... no hassles at all.
>> So what you're saying is, he will try to pull a fast one by shipping >> unmatched tubes the first time around, hoping you won't notice or go >> through the hassle of returning them??
Oh come on, what a crock. Nobody in his right mind, if he wanted to *stay* in business, would pull such a stunt. I've bought tubes from LV and they arrived at my place well matched. The elements in a tube can come out of alignment due to shock and vibration encountered in shipping. Shit happens that LV has no control over, once he puts the stuff in the hands of UPS or FedEx. That can happen to tubes bought from ANY tube dealer, including the hyper-priced GT.
If you have a legitimate bitch with LV, deal with it in a more up front manner.
*You can guess what to remove from my email address to get rid of the spam block.*
> >> So what you're saying is, he will try to pull a fast one by shipping > >> unmatched tubes the first time around, hoping you won't notice or go > >> through the hassle of returning them??
> Oh come on, what a crock. Nobody in his right mind, if he wanted to *stay* in > business, would pull such a stunt. I've bought tubes from LV and they arrived > at my place well matched. The elements in a tube can come out of alignment due > to shock and vibration encountered in shipping. Shit happens that LV has no > control over, once he puts the stuff in the hands of UPS or FedEx. That can > happen to tubes bought from ANY tube dealer, including the hyper-priced GT.
> If you have a legitimate bitch with LV, deal with it in a more up front manner.
Maybe what everyone here fails to consider is the fact that tubes matched to 1 mA by Lord Valve, may not be matched to within 1 mA in a different amp with different plate voltages and different screen grid voltages.
Lord Valve wrote: > OK, tonefactor...you're looking to get sued. I don't do anything of the sort, > ever. I don't "try to pull a fast one" on anybody. *Every* pair or quad I > ship is matched to within 1 mA. Sometimes a tube takes a hard knock > in shipping and the elements shift; it is then not matched any longer. > I *always* replace them (free) if that is the case. I replace *very* few. > Ned will verify that this condition will sometimes occur during shipping. > I have sent *thousands* of tubes all over the world since I started > selling them online, with *very* few problems. Unless you can offer > concrete proof that I am a dishonest businessman, I think you'd > better shut your face...or face legal action. See if I'm kidding, son. > LV
> Tonefactor wrote:
> > As a counter to your experience, I had trouble biasing a set of 6L6s I > > bought from LV. Although I knew what I was doing, repeated the steps > > several times, and swapped the tubes to opposing sockets, I just > > couldn't get get them both to the same approximate voltage. After > > e-mailing LV and explaining my problem, he shipped out a new set & I > > returned the original pair. No fuss at all. >>
> > So what you're saying is, he will try to pull a fast one by shipping > > unmatched tubes the first time around, hoping you won't notice or go > > through the hassle of returning them??
This is NOT what he said. He said the tubes were replaced without a problem.
LV has a very good reputation, and counter to some of his messages on the group, is VERY personable and helpful on the phone.
You may be doing yourself a big favor if you retract what you said and post an apology. There is a possible cause of action if LV wants to sue you. BTW, I am an attorney, but this message is not intended to be legal advice to anyone.
