All About Groove Tubes
Just a tube relabeler? Why are Groove Tubes priced higher? Read on to learn more…
This audio company in the San Fernando area of California has been in business 30 some years and utilizes more scrutiny than any other tube manufacturer in the business.
Groove Tubes hand picks their stock from the assembly line, performs a physical inspection AND inserts the tube into a live circuit to check for microphonics at the source. Their reject rate is higher than other companies; their products cost more - for the reasons we just mentioned. They invest more labor on the front end so that the chances of the end customer getting a microphonic or defective tube are minimized.
After passing the initial tests, power tubes are then matched throughout the performance curve and assigned a hardness rating, 1 - 10. These numbers correspond to a tube’s tendency to breakup, or distort, at a particular point in the curve.
How does one select an appropriate hardness rating?
Generally speaking, early breakup is better for guitar players and late breakup suits audiophiles best:
A few notes:
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Groove Tubes does not recommend using anything higher than a #7 for a guitar amp or premature tube failure may result*
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According to Groove Tubes, you can use a rating on either side of the desired rating and still achieve the desired sound. Example - # 5 hardness rating not available, substitute a #6 or #4.
Still not convinced? Try ‘em. If you don’t like the sound of a Groove Tubes product vs. a similar one from another manufacturer Groove Teubs Will give you your money back. That’s call the Groove Tubes Challenge.
We are listed on the Groove Tubes website as an authorized dealer in Virginia.
