• The move to the new server is done. There are some software and database maintenance updates in process. This has us passing the hat around to help out. We appreciate any donations. Seriously, even a dollar helps. The payment page may be found here - https://www.audiokarma.org/support.html

What ever happened to Yugoslavian-made Ei tubes?

gearhound

gearhound

Lunatic Member
Last I heard, the factory closed up around 2006? :scratch2:

Just asking, 'cause I found a pair of NOS/NIB National-branded 12at7/ECC81 tubes.
They have....Made In Yugoslavia....on the glass.
I'm assuming that they were made in the old Ei tube facility?

Steve
 
Register to hide this ad
The website says they're "restructuring", which is probably code for selling the company. About two years ago the website had contact info if you wanted to buy tubes, not sure if they were just cleaning their closets or still in business.
 
I liked the EI stuff. It was new production stuff that I was happy to buy.
Yes, it would be nice to see the old telefunkenworks machines humming once again and churning out tubes.
I have no additional information but plenty of opinions.
 
Western Electric wants to resurrect Ei or at least start producing tubes again with the machinery but they're running into difficulty actually getting the the tooling out of the country.
 
Would be lovely if someone started putting out EI KT-90s again. There would definitely be a market if they were as good as the first 2 versions. :yes:
 
Last edited:
Well, as the factory is actually in Serbia, I'm skeptical as to it's future.
But then I've always had pro-Bosniac sentiments.:smoke:
 
Yeah, like Bob said, I remember reading about the factory being damaged, too. Bombed in the early 1990's during the Bosnian-Serbian conflicts.

I own an early nos quad of Ei-Yugo 12AX7's. They came from an electronics shop outside of Philly and are marked and boxed for RCA, late in RCA's tube career, with "RCA", "Yugoslavia", and "12AX7" printed in red baked enamel on top of "ECC83" stamped in white on the tube. And of course the Ei dot-and-semi-circle production code.

I remember reading that Ei bought Telefunken equipment. Do I correctly recall that they also purchased some Amperex equipment?

When I hold an Ei 12AX7 next to a Telefunken and a Bugle Boy, the Ei looks like the offspring of the two.

It has the smooth plates and mica cut of the Telefunken, but 4-seam glass and a getter identical to the Amperex.
 
Last edited:
The quality of 'Ei' tubes can vary drastically.

The 12ax7 can go microphonic easily but the good ones sound very good....just don't expect long reliable life.

I think the ones that pass screening/testing seem to do fine overall from what i've gathered over the years.
 
I purchased a bunch of EI-12AX7 several years ago when I heard a rumor that they might be closing, or have closed. That was my very favorite new production 12AX7. They sound very-much like the old Amperexes that I love so much. I'm really gald that I did it now too.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom