Mapleshade brass tubedampers

Dopogue,

you can make your own brass tube anchors, if you want, for more than it'll cost you to buy them, but they're still better that O rings. I've compared them. I'm as interested in cheap elegant answers as much as the next guy but it doesn't always work that way.

I don't need to make them. I already own them. I just don't use them any more. Lord knows I gave them a good shot.

Mapleshade is famous for pursuing sonics to the exclusion of logistics and, understandably, many users. I've never had a problem with them but it takes a certain kind of person to be willing to deal with them.

Well, I'm surprised to say this, but (1) I have been using the Mapleshade tube dampers for over 6 months now, (2) I still haven't broken any of my tubes and (3) on balance I actually like the effect they have, though I find the effect to be similar to Andy Bouwman's (Vintage Tube Services) octal tube dampers, more so than Mapleshade might believe. I think that they do tend towards making the sound a little on the bright side (compared to undamped tubes), though I have found this to be the case with all tube dampers I have used; that is my main reservation about them outside of their logistics. I think that being made of brass they should in theory ring more than a lead or O-ring damper, but the sheer mass of these things offsets that, and I don't really like an over-damped sound that much anyway. I will point out that these things do get really hot to the touch, bear that in mind if you try them.

Has anyone tried MapleShade dampers -- or any other dampers -- on 6H30 tubes? I have an ARC Ref 3 and I'd like some indication of what to expect from anyone who has done the experiment of replacing the stock dampers with MapleShade, or other dampers. . . or removed dampers all together.