What does STR mean?
Bruce Normann
In article <381D55E8...@spineright.com>, dre...@spineright.com
says...
> Hi
>
> I've noticed that a lot of tubes use the prefix STR, what does this
> mean?
>
> Also I came about some Mesa 12AX7s that say STR 7025, these look to be
> Chinese, are the same tube as the Ruby "Silver Special"??
>
> Thanks
>
> Eric
>
>
Eric C. Smith, D.C.
Ned Carlson
>
> Hi
>
> I've noticed that a lot of tubes use the prefix STR, what does this
> mean?
The original STR tubes were made by Sylvania &
Philips ECG in Altoona, PA.
STR meant Special Test Requirement.These tubes got a well
deserved reputation for being long lived & reliable,and they're
fairly well known since they were standard issue in many
70's & 80's Fender,Mesa and Music Man amps.
A lot of folks try to play off the Sylvania reputation
by sticking STR on various non-US made tubes. Some of these
tubes are OK, some are just "badge-engineering".
The nomenclature has been abused to the point that one cannot
apply any special meaning to the STR designation unless
they were actually made in the USA by Sylvania or Philips.
> Also I came about some Mesa 12AX7s that say STR 7025, these look to be
> Chinese, are the same tube as the Ruby "Silver Special"??
I doubt it.
--
Ned Carlson Triode Electronics "where da tubes are!"
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Poor Ditching Boy
years ago and was wondering the same thing. They have dark plates with
flat silver structures in between them (sorry, I don't really know the
names for these things). I also have a couple of Bellari branded tubes
from one of their preamps that look the same - they say "Premium 7025"
and "Made in China". From all that I've heard, these tubes were
proprietary to Ruby Tubes. Did Ruby sell them to other companies to
relabel or is Mesa's "STR" designation bullshit?
In article <381D55E8...@spineright.com>,
dre...@spineright.com wrote:
<< Also I came about some Mesa 12AX7s that say STR 7025, these look to be
Chinese, are the same tube as the Ruby "Silver Special"??>>
Sent via Deja.com http://www.deja.com/
Before you buy.
Ned Carlson
>
> I just found a couple of these Mesa branded tubes that I bought a few
> years ago and was wondering the same thing. They have dark plates with
> flat silver structures in between them (sorry, I don't really know the
> names for these things). I also have a couple of Bellari branded tubes
> from one of their preamps that look the same - they say "Premium 7025"
> and "Made in China". From all that I've heard, these tubes were
> proprietary to Ruby Tubes.
Chinese 12AX7's aren't proprietary to Ruby, but Ruby had a special
version of 12AX7 made for them by the Chinese.
Did Ruby sell them to other companies to
> relabel
Could have.
>or is Mesa's "STR" designation bullshit?
STR was a designation originally used by Sylvania.
How valid it is on a given tube depends on who
made it, who's selling it and what their interpretation
of "Special Test Requirement" is.
Some of the Mesa "STR" tubes I've seen were plain ol' Sovtek
5881's, while one can' test these any way they like, that
doesn't make 'em a Sylvania...
Matt
postm...@triodeel.com wrote:
> STR was a designation originally used by Sylvania.
> How valid it is on a given tube depends on who
> made it, who's selling it and what their interpretation
> of "Special Test Requirement" is.
>
> Some of the Mesa "STR" tubes I've seen were plain ol' Sovtek
> 5881's, while one can' test these any way they like, that
> doesn't make 'em a Sylvania...
What's worse, I've seen many that were Chinese. IMHO, MB use of the
term borders on fraud.
Matt