Media > Reviews & Articles
A selection of reviews that appeared in various publications.
May 2006 p123
Article by Nick Guppy
Harma Cryogenically
Treated Valves "Compared to NOS Telefunkens, the Harma Cryo ECC83 offered an improvement in gain and high frequency response that noticeably enhanced this amps sining lead voice and lust clean sound"
To read this article in full, click here [104K]
April 2006 p77
Article by Tim Slater
Harma Vacuum Tubes "... TUBE TECHNOLOGY GETS A SPACE-AGE LEG UP, COURTESY OF WATFORD VALVES’ NEW RANGE OF CRYO-TREATED BOTTLES."
To read this article in full, click here [3.6Mb]- February 2001 p141
Article by Ben Bartlett
Inside Watford Valves "... the majority of valve testers put their output valves through a day’s gentle march in the army cadets. Watford Valves, however, with the aid of its custom-built test rigs, puts the valves under ’real working’ conditions which is the equivalent of a hellish week with the US Navy Seals."
To read this article in full, click here [187Kb] - February 2001 p139
Article by Derek Rocco
Biased Information "Valves that are made today are not as consistent as those produced in the early days of valve production. We quite commonly see great variance between valves from the same batch. So to simply buy a matched pair of EL34s, for example, even by the same maker, is no guarantee that they will work correctly as they may draw more or less current and differ from the way in which the amp has been set-up."
To read this article in full, click here [103Kb] 
November 1999 vol 10 no3
Article by Editor, Dave Hunter
Valves U-like "As one of the most thorough valve testers in Europe,... he was keen to help us.. unveil the complexity and variety of the valve market"
"Watford Valves... also test their valves along further parameters which help to quantify their tonal characteristics."
"The resultant rig holds 50 preamp valves ... and runs them through more checks than any other facility in the world, even that used by famous California retailer GrooveTubes"
To read this article in full, click here [241Kb]- October 2000 vol 11 no3
Article by Editor, Dave Hunter
Tube Tasting Part 1 "JUST AS DIFFERENT STRINGS OR PICKUPS WILL DRASTICALLY alter the sound of your guitar, different makes of even the same type of valve can radically change your amp’s tone and affect its reliability. British dealer and premier tube tester Derek Rocco of Watford Valves shares his taste tests with us…"
To read this article in full, click here [104K] - November 2000 vol 11 no4
Article by Editor, Dave Hunter
Tube Tasting Part 2 "WITHOUT FUNCTIONING, GOOD QUALITY OUTPUT VALVES your £5000 hand-built, point-to-point Scream-O-Tone combo is just so much crackling plywood. This issue, Derek Rocco of Watford Valves shares with us his taste tests of the larger variety EL34 and 6L6GC power tube varieties…"
To read this article in full, click here [259Kb] - December 2000 vol 11 no5
Article by Editor, Dave Hunter
Tube Tasting Part 3 "TAKE A LOOK BEHIND THE WORLD’S FAVOURITE recording amps like Fender Champs and Deluxes, Vox AC15s and AC30s and the more diminutive Matchless models and you’ll find these sweet but hot sounding small bottle tubes. This issue, Derek Rocco of Watford Valves shares his tests of EL84 and 6V6GT varieties – with a little help from some Brit-rock royalty…"
To read this article in full, click here [223Kb]
