[sfox7076]

So I have grown an inadvertent collection of 101Ds.  I didn't cart out the tennis ball tubes I have, but I thought it would be interesting to some to see some of the construction differences over the years.  I have 2-3 matched date codes and a few singles.  They all sound pretty much the same and I have been hard pressed to tell any pair apart, even when inserting the earliest tube and the latest tube in the DAC.  Even the tennis ball tubes and the st shaped are very similar.  They all sound very clear and clean.  People call them clinical, but I have never noticed that.  They were my favorite tube in the Big 7.  That has changed with the Golden Gate.  I am not sure why that is.  Don't get me wrong.  It's like selecting between a 1989 Bordeaux and a 1990 Bordeaux.  Both are amazing.  We all have preferences.


So here goes.  Starting with the oldest on the left to the newest on the right (March 1939 through the third quarter of 1963).  Tennis ball tubes are pre-1939 as the ST shape was made starting in 1938.  The tennis ball has a different scheme for numbering.  The patent dates on the glass of the tennis ball tubes are not the manufacture dates...

A note on the different bases vs. the tops of the ST shaped tubes.  The first three from the left all have WE and 101D etched into the glass with the dot and dash date code. Sometime around 1947 they switched to writing on the bases and adding the date codes.  Note that the big power tubes in this era had engraved bases with date codes.  101Ds never had those engraved bases (as far as I know).




They are all made extremely well and have very similar internals (mica, arbor, wiring, etc.).  However, as you can see, there are some differences.



The March 1939 tube has the old Western Electric getter with a sort of metal/foil covering. 



They then moved on to a small square getter.  The only pair in the picture (1942) has the square getter.  As does the 1949 tube (second from the left (it's mate is not in the picture)).   



Finally, the tube from 1963 has the broader D getter you find in the 300B and 275A of the same vintage. 

All of these sound great.  I write this to point out that, to me, they all sound very similar (if not identical) despite the getter shape.  IMHO, getter shape is great help in identifying a tube and determining construction matching, but I would look elsewhere to determine what sounds best--I tend to look to my ears.  Anyway, take this what what it is worth.  I found it interesting.  I hope to one day find a mate for the 1939 tube.  One day...  If someone thinks it would be worthwhile to post the tennis ball tubes, I can.  I have to figure out the year on those though.  The letter code on those tubes is harder to devine than on these.

[wisnon]

Please, lets have the same for the Tennis ball globes.

My 101ds here:

[sfox7076]

I will do so tonight.  Could also post on 300Bs, but that is less interesting.  I have a 1947 pair and 70s pair. 

[sfox7076]

So here is my pair of tennis ball 101Ds.  I cannot tell you the date as these are pre-1936, but post metal base.  So they date from sometime between 1930 and July 1936.  Regardless, the tubes are, internally pristine.  There is some etching on the base of one of these tubes (the name of the school the tube was sold to).  Otherwise, all the writing on this tube is on the glass.  Tons of patent dates and the 101-D etching. 



OK, so look how open the structure of these tubes is.



Here we have the typical sandwich arrangement of a tube, but because it is early and there is no mica support, there had to be a different way to support the yube structure.  The glass arbor support starts at the bottom of the tube and comes all the way to support it all.  The flashing on these two tubes blocks the view of the arbor and the getter, but we will discuss that more below.  So the plate/anode sits on the outside. The filament hanger wraps over the top to clear the anode and the grid to hang the filament/cathode down the center.  The grid wires are then situated between the filament and the and the plates.  They are wound in a semi ladder like pattern.  On the left side is the foil disc getter.  It is almost impossible to see.







One of the hardest things about these tubes is that they are glass supported.  If the internal glass arbor breaks, the tube is trash.  That said, they are still pretty hearty.  These tubes are highly collectible, but not really worth the extra cash if you just want the 101-D sound in my eyes.  It is also, IMHO, not worth it to by the replicas when you can by the WE 101-D ST shaped tubes for about the same as a replica pair.  The originals are built like tanks.  Some of these were used in transoceanic cables as telephone repeaters.  I am pretty sure they will last a long, long time.

[Hugh]

Love these.

Thanks for sharing.

[Gopher]

Shawn,

your pictures border on pornographic   

[sfox7076]

Nope.  that is reserved for these unused beauties:






 
From the end of 1947.  Getter is thicker than any other wire getter I have ever seen.

These too:



I have an unused (less than 10 hours) pair of 274Bs as well, but they are Electronic Enterprises labeled.  Clearly WE made though (only difference is a slight change in plate structure.

[ACHiPo]

Prefer an '82 Margaux myself 

Oh, and while all the other guys were drooling on your tubes, I was trying to figure out which Curious George book that is 

[sfox7076]

A 1982 Margaux is quite nice.  But one night of wine isn't worth it to me!