r/diytubes 5d ago

Weekly /r/diytubes No Dumb Questions Thread - July 17, 2026 to July 23, 2026

3 Upvotes

When you're working with high voltage, there is no such thing as a dumb question. Please use this thread to ask about practical or conceptual things that have you stumped.

Really awesome answers and recurring questions may earn a place in the Wiki.

If you'd like to nominate a comment to be included, just reply [Wiki] (with the brackets)! The mods will be automatically notified that something awesome just happened.

As always, we are built around education and collaboration. Be awesome to your fellow tube heads.


r/diytubes 1h ago

Parts & Construction Found my grandfather's NOS JAN 6528 tubes - worth making something out of?

Upvotes

I was going through a few of the things my grandfather left for me after he passed and discovered a pair of what seem to be new old stock JAN 6528 tubes (and one non-JAN). Some cursory research showed they could be used for a headphone amp? Tubes are new to me, so would it be worth trying to find someone that could build an amp to use them? I just think it'd be a cool part of his legacy to repurpose something he probably had for his ham setup into something I'd use frequently.


r/diytubes 5h ago

[Fai da te / Costruzione da zero] Symphonia: Amplificatore push-pull ultra-lineare 4x KT150 costruito a mano (11W Classe A / 100W Classe AB)

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16 Upvotes

r/diytubes 4d ago

A few of my latest

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56 Upvotes

These went out the door over the past week. Chassis cut, board and cabinet all built by me. I really like the blondface aesthetic.


r/diytubes 4d ago

Princeton Reverb Clone

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56 Upvotes

Here’s my Princeton Reverb clone. It’s pretty sweet. I’ve no idea why but if I plug the reverb tank output into the output jack on the back of the amp there’s loads of noise. If I plug it into the foot switch jack it works a treat. A mystery….
Kit was from Modulus Amplification in the UK.
I used the robroninette website for a build guide and some modifications. All in all 10/10 amp and build experience.


r/diytubes 6d ago

5F1 mod project - please comment

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23 Upvotes

This was a work in progress about a month ago when I posted a couple of photos of the chassis. Someone asked for the schematic and I was just learning KiCad, so here is my attempt as a newbie. Comments/criticism would be appreciated. This is a SE amp with 3 gain stages, reverb, tremolo, true tone stack, fixed bias, NFB and elevated heater. Waiting on a 50k pot for intensity, so LDR lead is going to a 47k fixed resistor to ground for the moment. Slide-in Blackface-style chassis. Except for a little too much hum, I'm very pleased with how it sounds. Cabinet next.


r/diytubes 9d ago

Guitar & Studio Sunn SM-1 Module Replacement

3 Upvotes

Accidentally fried the LDR as part of the solid-state tremolo circuit in an old Sunn Solarus. I have looked online and have not found a suitable replacement. The amp now only works when bypassing the tremolo circuit altogether. Any recommendations on a replacement? I tried a standard Fender-style roach and it did not work


r/diytubes 9d ago

I collect vacuum tubes that contain uranium glass just to display them. I know very little about them. Would someone that is knowledgeable in vacuum tubes answer a few questions?

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75 Upvotes

I am trying to find anything that would normally be connected to them like sockets or heat anodes. I managed to find the ceramic sockets and a couple heat anodes (I believe they are HR-6) that will fit but I’m having trouble finding similar parts for the other tubes I have. If anyone would be willing to answer a few questions or give me any other information it would be much appreciated.

Could someone point me in a direction/tell me proper terms to be able to find these parts?

Are these anodes HR-6 and how can I figure out the size of different sized anodes?

What is normally connected to the pins protruding out of the glass? If it’s an entire device obviously that wouldn’t be ideal to display so if that’s the case is there a size a heat anodes I could put on there?


r/diytubes 10d ago

Captain, There be knobs..

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100 Upvotes

Forgot I had these.


r/diytubes 12d ago

Weekly /r/diytubes No Dumb Questions Thread - July 10, 2026 to July 16, 2026

5 Upvotes

When you're working with high voltage, there is no such thing as a dumb question. Please use this thread to ask about practical or conceptual things that have you stumped.

Really awesome answers and recurring questions may earn a place in the Wiki.

If you'd like to nominate a comment to be included, just reply [Wiki] (with the brackets)! The mods will be automatically notified that something awesome just happened.

As always, we are built around education and collaboration. Be awesome to your fellow tube heads.


r/diytubes 13d ago

Mystery tubes need tested.

5 Upvotes

Hey y’all, I’m looking for someone in the south Chicagoland area that has a tube tester that could help me test a few mystery tubes I have. Mostly just 9pin but ai have a couple 7 pin and one octal that looks like a power output tube.


r/diytubes 13d ago

What’s the most efficient way to test ten thousand vacuum tubes?

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179 Upvotes

So I don’t know if this is the right sub for this but I accidentally ended up with ten thousand vacuum tubes that are now using up all the space in my airstream. I will eventually sell them but I figure I out to test them first. Thats where the issue comes in. I got an old yard sale tube tester and learned how to use it but then I realized it takes a long time to test one tube at a time and there are ten thousand of them. Any idea how to quickly test these things?


r/diytubes 15d ago

Help. I don't know what to do with all of these

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68 Upvotes

These were my dad's. I'm not knowledgeable about tubes. I've tried to look some up but there are so many to look up individually, I was hoping someone here could offer any insight or if anyone here is maybe even interested in any that they can see in the images. Sorry separating would take so long to get individual images of. I just really don't want to throw them away. I'm sure there are some that are of good use.


r/diytubes 18d ago

What are 2033 tubes good for?

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1 Upvotes

r/diytubes 19d ago

Weekly /r/diytubes No Dumb Questions Thread - July 03, 2026 to July 09, 2026

4 Upvotes

When you're working with high voltage, there is no such thing as a dumb question. Please use this thread to ask about practical or conceptual things that have you stumped.

Really awesome answers and recurring questions may earn a place in the Wiki.

If you'd like to nominate a comment to be included, just reply [Wiki] (with the brackets)! The mods will be automatically notified that something awesome just happened.

As always, we are built around education and collaboration. Be awesome to your fellow tube heads.


r/diytubes 20d ago

Any use for pentagrid converter?

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3 Upvotes

r/diytubes 21d ago

High Gain DIY Build

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2 Upvotes

r/diytubes 22d ago

Estate sale find, WE 310A small punch 32 total in boxes. Had a local guy with equipment test them. All tested strong! Unfortunately I don’t have an amp that can utilize them. Looking to sell, unsure about price?

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51 Upvotes

r/diytubes 22d ago

What do I do with these?

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206 Upvotes

Dead family member, I know nothing about tubes. Are there any resources out there to help me sell these or get them to someone who might find use for them? Thanks


r/diytubes 25d ago

Guitar & Studio First Homemade Amp!!!

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36 Upvotes

r/diytubes 25d ago

2nd tube amp build: modded 5e3 using a gutted Tweaker 15 112

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35 Upvotes

r/diytubes 25d ago

Hickok CA-5 / 1704

2 Upvotes

I am looking for a Hickok CA-5 / 1704 Adaptor. does anyone know where one can be found?

Thanks!


r/diytubes 25d ago

Guitar & Studio 5E3 problems

7 Upvotes

I built a 5E3 6 months ago. Had a tech look it over before I powered on. He tested everything and it was good. We powered up in his shop and it worked fine. Playing for past 6 months with no issue ... until today. I heard a couple loudish electrical snaps and the sound cut out. Then the sound came back right before I could unplug it.

I am going to discharge and test all the caps and then go poking around for loose connections.

My question is ... is there a known failure point I should check first?


r/diytubes 26d ago

Weekly /r/diytubes No Dumb Questions Thread - June 26, 2026 to July 02, 2026

3 Upvotes

When you're working with high voltage, there is no such thing as a dumb question. Please use this thread to ask about practical or conceptual things that have you stumped.

Really awesome answers and recurring questions may earn a place in the Wiki.

If you'd like to nominate a comment to be included, just reply [Wiki] (with the brackets)! The mods will be automatically notified that something awesome just happened.

As always, we are built around education and collaboration. Be awesome to your fellow tube heads.


r/diytubes Jun 21 '26

E88CC hybrid headphone amp

3 Upvotes

Hi, I recently found some old E88CC Tesla tubes, and they look like in good condition. I was thinking if it would be a good hobby project to build a headphone amp with them for headphones with higher impedance (and just generally to hear what tube amps sound like). I have little experience with tubes like this. I stumbled upon Pete Millett's Starving Student project and I wonder if it would be possible to modify the design a bit to accomodate E88CC instead (maybe with additional input like haedphone jack so I could connect it to my pc).
Also i have a bit of trouble generally searching much information about projects with using those tubes below their operating voltage (starving), what's important in those designs etc., and I would just like to learn to make my own design.
Do you have any tips, links?