need a new category for vacuum tubes

someone just added a bunch of preamp and power tubes to "guitar amps" so we need a new category for tubes (or valves if you are British)... as there are always questions about what tubes to put in a tube amp here on the forum I think adding them as a category with reviews is a good idea

Are you thinking it should be a subcategory of Amplifier accessories > parts?

http://i.imgur.com/DP3T6IC.png

I totally agree!

Are you thinking it should be a subcategory of Amplifier accessories > parts?

http://i.imgur.com/DP3T6IC.png

sure, that COULD work... problem is tubes aren't just amp parts! what about tube condenser mics that use EF86 and ECC81/2/3 variants? tube mic pres? Let me tell you that the much-lauded old Telefunken 12AX7s and EF806 sound better in recording gear and hifi applications than guitar amps. At least to me! As a guitar part I would give the Tele EF806 a 3 star review, but in a microphone circuit that runs on a small signal pentode like the C12 or ELA-M251 I would give it 5 stars. Whereas my favorite EF86 in a vox-style guitar amp is by far the mesh-plate, british made Mullard EF86, but its got too much internal harmonic distortion for recording applications, plus those Mullard pentodes are prone to microphonic squealing and the EAT Tube Damper tames it in a guitar amp or Hifi amp where there's space for this giant device, but you will never fit that huge shock absorber inside a microphone or 2RU mic pre, will you?

So is the very valuable and rare 50s/60s Telefunken EF806 a mediocre amp part OR an excellent microphone and recording console part?

We can make this happen. Let's decide two things:

1. As michael pointed out, where in the item category hierarchy does it go?
2. What pro artist section would that map to? (Amplifiers? Music Accessories? Here's Slash for reference, he has all the guitarist sections)
   

I totally get that there are corner cases and we can make things infinitely customizable and complicated, but let's start with the simplest solution first, and work our way from there :)

Equipboard is undergoing a bit of a growth spurt and we're inundated with things to do! So simple is better, at least for now!

Personally I think tubes should fall into a category that's not guitar related as they are a part for lots of music equipment from amplifiers to microphones... or maybe they could be added to either amplifier parts OR microphone parts depending on who is posting the review or what artist they are being added to. This is really about reviews though as most artists have not gone so far as to endorse a particular brand of tube. I think Liam has asked for people's oppinions on current production 12AX7es about 3 times now. Since "Nashville Rocker" or whatever his name reviewed a pile of 12ax7, el34 and 6l6 tubes it seems like it needs a category. Every manufacturer's version of a tube behaves and usually sounds different, so its a big deal. Its one of those things like guitar speakers and microphone placement. Subtle but HUGE.

Maybe put tubes in a general "other gear" or "music accessories" category. Vacuum tubes aren't strictly used in guitar amps and not all guitarists play through tube technology (especially in the post-fractal landscape).