What are these old GEC valves worth?

kelpbeds

Got these old GEC valves, KT66. Any idea what they are worth realistically. And how do I know if they are a matched pair?
Seen these ones on Ebay for what is surely a daft price no? Thanks

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/404845354195?itmmeta=01HT2PEMKS260TR8RBK6KQVV24&hash=item5e42a9dcd3:g:oTcAAOSwYsll6bEG

randella

Hell's teeth, that's a price!

I imagine you'd need a valve tester (or an amp to put them in) to check how they match.

There are far more knowledgeable than me here though, so hang tight

RiftAmps

Used, fully tested (both emissions and microphony) these usually sell for £50-£70 for a single and £140-£180 for a matched pair. Matched Quads would be around £350ish.

If they're genuinely NOS (never been used, except in test equipment) then I know who a few Audophiles who'd pay that money for them. Of course, how does the seller prove that they're actually NOS?

ecc83

Hardly ever found in guitar amps^, the KT66 was a 'hi fi' valve and the amps that used them usually had means to DC balance them (or used with two cathode resistors so no need) The exception was the Quad ll power amp which was 'self balancing'.

That said, there is no reason NOT to put them in a gitamp where they will deliver EL34 sort of power.

Their big brother, the KT88 is a heck of a lot of dosh now.

* But I used to get 12 month old ones from the general hospital so I built my bass amp with a pair!

Dave.

kelpbeds

Great thanks chaps. I'll stick them on Ebay at a starting price of £100 or so and see what happens. 

Dave_Mc

kelpbeds said:

Great thanks chaps. I'll stick them on Ebay at a starting price of £100 or so and see what happens. 

You're doing it wrong. You're supposed to use this as an excuse to buy an amp that uses KT66s!

ICBM

ecc83 said:

Hardly ever found in guitar amps

Apart from some of the most desirable of all amps, some of the earliest Marshall JTM45s. That's why they're so sought-after by guitarists.

Of course Marshall used them because they were easily available and cheap, at the time. Pretty much everything in those amps was military surplus or out of the Radiospares catalogue.

FelineGuitars

The price clearly says that they are 17 shillings and sixpence each ....lol

kelpbeds

Dave_Mc said:

kelpbeds said:

Great thanks chaps. I'll stick them on Ebay at a starting price of £100 or so and see what happens. 

You're doing it wrong. You're supposed to use this as an excuse to buy an amp that uses KT66s!

Haha! I just sold one!

FelineGuitars said:

The price clearly says that they are 17 shillings and sixpence each ....lol

Damn it, busted!

ICBM said:

ecc83 said:

Hardly ever found in guitar amps

Apart from some of the most desirable of all amps, some of the earliest Marshall JTM45s. That's why they're so sought-after by guitarists.

Of course Marshall used them because they were easily available and cheap, at the time. Pretty much everything in those amps was military surplus or out of the Radiospares catalogue.

I had them in a JTM 45. (not original)

randella

FelineGuitars said:

The price clearly says that they are 17 shillings and sixpence each ....lol

that'd be alright, wouldn't it? 85p plus whatever sixpence works out to.

Bit better than the 60-odd quid I just forked out for a pair of 6L6s, JJs at that. 

ElectricXII

I'm running TAD KT66 valves in my Bluesbreaker. They're about £40 each.

ryanverbena

I had a pair of KT66s in my SV20 and it sounded bloody lovely! 

Good luck with the sale, hope you get a good packet for them. Nice find 

kelpbeds

ryanverbena said:

I had a pair of KT66s in my SV20 and it sounded bloody lovely! 

Good luck with the sale, hope you get a good packet for them. Nice find 

Thanks!

digitalscream

Never look at the asking prices for stuff like this. Instead, look at the sold listings:

https://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_nkw=gec+kt66&_sacat=0&rt=nc&LH_Sold=1&LH_Complete=1

Generally, they seem to go for £60-75. That's still pretty extortionate in my eyes, but far more reasonable.

For what it's worth, I put a pair of Golden Lion KT66s in my Jet City JCA50H and they sounded heavenly...for a while. Then one of them developed a short, which was enough to persuade a resistor on the board to give up its magic smoke.

ecc83

ICBM said:

ecc83 said:

Hardly ever found in guitar amps

Apart from some of the most desirable of all amps, some of the earliest Marshall JTM45s. That's why they're so sought-after by guitarists.

Of course Marshall used them because they were easily available and cheap, at the time. Pretty much everything in those amps was military surplus or out of the Radiospares catalogue.

Bound to one ! Regarding 'surplus' kit? My mate was a TV tech (and our drummer) and the firm he worked for had the contract for servicing the county's hospital headphone amplifiers. Pamphonics IIRC and each had 4 KT66s in them plus pre amp valves. Back then the NHS was dripping with money so they insisted on a complete valve change every 12 months or so (the amps DID run 24/7) Naturally that meant sheds of perfectly good bottles for yours truly to play with!

In contrast the WMClubs in the area often had a 50W "Wimbledon" in a cupboard, used many times a week for Bingo and other 'turns'. They would run two decades without even being looked at!

Dave.

Dave_Mc

kelpbeds said:

Dave_Mc said:

kelpbeds said:

Great thanks chaps. I'll stick them on Ebay at a starting price of £100 or so and see what happens. 

You're doing it wrong. You're supposed to use this as an excuse to buy an amp that uses KT66s!

Haha! I just sold one!

LOL