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I came across this Mullard 5AR4 in an RCA box. The box is stamped "Made in Great Britain". The tube looks new. Would this tube have been sold in this box, or has it been swapped? I expected the tube to be labeled RCA.
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IIRC, by the time that IEC labeling came around, I think RCA had already moved on to their newer late 60's logo and box design.
I don't know if this is the answer but I found this,
"IEC Servicemaster bought the rights to market Mullard tubes during the 1960's and 70's, so many Mullard tubes are dual marked "IEC Mullard". These are still genuine Mullard tubes."
And this, speaking of the RCA boxes "The "new" RCA logo appeared in the late 1960's"
So it seems that there could have been an overlap assuming IEC used their label from the start on the Mullard tubes.
I also found the above pic, 1966? 12ax7.
Tre'
Have Fun and Enjoy the Music
"Still Working the Problem"
doŽnt wonder if you find faulty tubes in boxes! in former times often technicians came along for service, pulled a defect tube from gear, swapped it back in the new box and just left it the case of that amp or radio. (an old technician once confessed such popular quirk to me...).
N.
The times, they are changing...
Yes, that happened all the time but in this case the 5ar4 looks brand new and the RCA box is labeled Made in Great Britain just as RCA did back in the day.
I think he has a real, probably NOS, Mullard tube.
I have 6 of them, 4 in RCA boxes and 2 in GE boxes all in various states of "washed and relabeled" to "partially washed and partially relabeled" to "original label" and GE/RCA just bought them from Philips and stuffed them in the "RCA/GE" boxes.
I also have 2 F31 (fat base) 5ar4s labeled Mullard that are used but test as new that I should sell. They seem to bring good money on ebay.
Tre'
Have Fun and Enjoy the Music
"Still Working the Problem"
Tube companies swapped tube back and forth all the time in the old days.
While they usually washed the tube and placed there own marks before boxing, they didn't always.
I have NOS NIB RCA boxes 6dj8 where only part of the tubes was washed. They have the "RCA" logo but still have the Made in Holland.
I have other made in Holland 6dj8s in RCA boxes that still have the Bugle Boy on them.
Like all tube made in any of the many Philips tube factories they have the etched date code.
If you find the date codes on your tubes you will know which Philips factory they were made in and when.
They are NOT in the wrong box. RCA bought those tubes from Philips and choose not to wash or remark them before boxing them up and selling them.
I have NOS "Mullard" 5AR4s in RCA boxes that have been washed and labeled RCA but they are still 100% "Mullard" (Philips) tubes.
Tre'
Have Fun and Enjoy the Music
"Still Working the Problem"
Correction, I was confusing IEC with ICC Servicemaster. ICC are the re-packagers in the light blue boxes. Anyhow, still the wrong box for that tube.
VERY nice tube, not the correct box. It's IEC labeled, which means it most likely came in a light blue IEC box. IEC was a re-packager of tubes from all sorts of manufacturers. You're lucky to get a Mullard, I usually find Japanese tubes in IEC boxes, though I have seen some Tung-Sol and other US makers too.
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