[neep]

My Amperex Bugle Boy 12AU7's just made it in and just by seeing them in person, I'm thinking they are fakes. I paid a pretty penny for these tubes from an eBay seller named old_guy_radiola. He has a 99.7% rating so I wasn't alarmed and I figured I was good to go. I didn't think to check what the negative feedback was about (huge mistake on my end) and it looks like someone else got a refund for phony tubes. I should have taken my tube expert friend up on his offer to look help identify tubes before a purchase but I didn't want to miss out on someone else snagging these.

Anyway, here are some shots of them:







Genuine or fakes?

[Tomy2Tone]

Here's a pic of mine...label is all one side but plates appear to be the same. Don't know if the green top means anything.

[neep]

Wow, our labels are completely different. I don't know what it means though.

[Tomy2Tone]

Have you tried them yet?

Mine took about 3 or 4 days of continuos play to open up and have that detailed midrange and superb vocals.

[DSkip]

AFAIK, there was some variety to the bugle boy image.

[neep]

AFAIK, there was some variety to the bugle boy image.

Whew. That's great to hear.

I almost don't want to put them in until they are confirmed. I wouldn't want the return policy to be void if I did.

[sfox7076]

Look for the etched factory codes.  Those are really hard to fake.  You can match codes to here: http://www.audiotubes.com/mullcode.htm

[neep]

Look for the etched factory codes.  Those are really hard to fake.  You can match codes to here: http://www.audiotubes.com/mullcode.htm

These don't have any factory codes. What you see in the pics is all of the labels on the tubes. What does this mean?

[neep]

Wasn't looking hard enough. I see 48G. The 4 could be a slanted triangle too.

[sfox7076]

That "4" is likely a slanted delta.  And that slanted delta means Herleen, so likely genuine Bugle Boys.

[Ericus Rex]

The 4 lines on the top of the dome are tough to fake too.

[Tomy2Tone]

I just noticed neep's bugle "boy" looks a little more sinister than mine... 

[RPM123]

Looks genuine!

From Brent Jesse website: "12AU7 LONGPLATE Amperex Bugle Boy Logo or white label early Amperex/Philips, D-getter with foil strip, original Holland made. Very well made, low noise tubes. These are the D shape getter with the foil strip across the back, originals from Holland, and are the early longplate versions. Most have the Bugle Boy logo, and 1956 to 1959 date codes, all with the Heerlen, Holland factory code."

[bunky]

These are genuine. I have a beautiful sounding pair of very rare 1958 Script logo Amperex Holland long plate D-Getter foil strip 12AU7's and the internal structure is the same .i also have a pair of sublime holy grail Long plate foil strip Amperex Holland 7316's that are almost unobtainable.