Tube tester

[indy mike]

Any diehard tube fanatics out there know of a good, dependable tube tester that wouldn't knock the purchaser on their butt pricewise? A pal o' mine is looking into tubes as a means of staying out of trouble when he retires soon, and has caught the bug. I'd like to steer him to a seller that sells calibrated testers with all the essential goodies that go with it...

[Sckott]

eBay is one of the best places to get a decent tube tester. Make sure it does all the tubes you might use, 8 pin. 9pin, etc. Make sure it's in "working" condition. Most tube testers fly for less than $50 WITH manual, looking brand new. Even good tube testers go for almost nothing. Tons, TONS of them out there.

[Highway Star]

I've been looking into getting one of these myself. I have an old tweed covered Supreme tester from the 1940s, but it's more of an antique. This guy doesn't think ebay is the best place to get one, but he does give some good tips on what to look for. I think eBay would be ok if you know which models to be on the lookout for. You can get a good glimpse of the various models and brands there.

http://www.tone-lizard.com/Tube_Testers.html#B&K