Groove Tube EL34LS

Groove tubes are sounding great in both of my amps: a Marshall 50W combo and a Fender Vibrolux Reverb!

Find out who makes groove tubes. For some reason, I THINK they are made by JJ. A review I read somewhere that I can barely remember. I don't want to start false rumors, but check it out, in case they are the same thing.

i think that groove tubes uses different suppliers depending on what tube. Their claim to fame is going through the tubes and applying strict quality control and matching. You can order output tubes based on break up characteristics based on this matching...i.e. some 6550s or 6l6s will break up earlier than others so they batch the ones with similiar characteristics.

They also have a 12ax7 preamp tube that is supposed to closely match mullards at only twenty some dollars a wack. A lot cheaper than NOS if they are true to their advertisement/

I'll reignite this thread. How good are Groove Tubes. I', particularly interested in the EL34 XF2, but general observations and comments are also of interest.

Groove are cheap, found a matched quad for USD 80 only, talking about EL34M, copy of XF2 Mullards. I started the same trhread up here about it, but only Groove vs. NOS Tesla, where my conclusions came to buy Tesla instead, even they cost more. I do believe the most new production EL34 been mentioned, not in my thread, but in general, that are good or worth are Svetlana C logo, but some suppliers sells it for almost the same price as NOS Tesla, used of course, but still. I guess the only way to find out, is to try them all. I have been around in this hobby for some time now and never got the feeling that new production line are better, its just the fact that some new production lines are getting closer to NOS, but for fraction of the NOS costs. Lots of folks, and I am not differ, have to compromise with their needs, cos of the NOS price tag. For example, NOS Mullards Xf2 will cost you like USD 600, so, the question is, are you prepare to pay that while your amp is like USD 1500, used or new, doesnt matter, just ridiculous, imo. I never understood the meaning of NEW production line except that they simply KILL the Mullard and other manufactures, where Chinees Shuguang, which is 50 years old by the way, make a huge profit of it. I think they produce more than 50% of the whole NEW run, where only some are decent, but take a look at their price tag as well. Those Universary valves they are made arent cheap at all. Or even better, EAT valves, man, totally madness or simple rip off. I use to own Yoshino EAR HP4 6SL7 based amp and no other valve gave me that magic in it than NOS 6SU7 TUNG SOLS from 1945. Yes, thats right, 1945 production. Of course there are other, much cheaper and still good valves, but the hell with it, if these are better. I paid USD 200 for a quad and never looked back, so, if you want the best, get the best, other than that, compromise. The things arent going to be better at all, NOS tubes are getting more hard to find and the prices are sky high, so, I am siriously thinking to go SS instead, cos I dont want to even think that one from my NOS quad will be dead tomorrow, cos I dont have another USD 700 for it.
At this point, I want to try NOS EL34 Tesla's, just to compare to what I already have/had and then thats it, done with it.

I have found the RAM Labs Siemens EL34s ($140 pair) to be outstanding EL34s - not cheap, but not crazy either.