My friends in the jukebox world are pulling out old sets of amp tubes
all the time. I replaced a set of originals recently in my '59 stereo
Wurlitzer and replaced them with new matched Sovtek Reflektor Electro-
Harmonix tubes. I was advised to sell the old tubes to the guitar amp
nuts who go crazy after the old originals, which of course must sound
soooo much better than anything around these days. I don't suppose
many of them have much understanding about the electrons in their
amps. It's the Emperor's New Clothes. They care more about story
appeal and coolness than anything else.
As if to scold me for such impertinence, one of the new Electro-
Harmonix tubes started to cook my jukebox. So I swapped the old
bottles back in while I obtained a new matched set. I now have the
new matched set but I cannot honestly tell any difference myself
between the old tubes and the new tubes but the meticulous matching
and changing of all the other component, caps and resistors and
impedance matching the cartridge has made a huge difference.
John S