MULLARD ECC35 BROWN BASE v BLACK BASE

[Wakefield Turntables]

Is there any difference in these two valves? Some say go for the brown base but black base versions crop up as well, I'm confused?

[Marco]

Hi Andy,

IME, best are the short-brown base 'tall boys', such as shown below [always look at the anode structure featured on those, compared with that used on inferior items], which with the finest (genuine) examples of such I doubt you'll find for less than £100 a piece.

https://imagizer.imageshack.com/v2/1024x768q90/924/R3GX3P.jpg

If the anode structure inside the glass tube doesn't look like that (whether the valve itself has a brown or black base), it's NOT a genuine ECC35.

Marco.

[Wakefield Turntables]

Thanks, I just wondered if there some specific attribute which seperated them or made one of them more desirabale than other.

[Marco]

They all have their own unique sonic attributes, such is the nature of valves, even when they appear to be identical! ;)

However, if it's a genuine Mullard ECC35, with the anode plate structure shown above (commonly known as 'horseshoe'), the colour of the base should be irrelevant, although to my ears the 'tall boys' had the edge, sonically, over their shorter-glass counterparts, but that could've simply been that the ones I had measured to closer electrical tolerances.

The only meaningful relevance the colour of base could have is in depicting the year of manufacture. In that respect, I think the brown base ones are older (1950s vintage), and the black ones came later, so that *could* indicate a difference in overall build quality, as it's generally the case that the older versions of any valve (when production standards were higher) are the best.

Marco.

[Marco]

Look at the prices good ones fetch:

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/ECC-35-MULLARD-NOS-NIB-ECC35-VALVE-TUBE-PRE-AMPLIFIER-STAGE-6SL7/253392465274?hash=item3aff5e2d7a:g:-BIAAOSwaUNZzm2X

:eek::eek:

I can tell you though, that the sound is rather special.

Marco.