Gf1-B2B3

TB Gf1-B2B3 is an electron valve of type ECC82, produced at the Mullard factory in Blackburn, England in 1962. His journey starts at the one-time factory of the Norwegian electronics company Radionette A/S. He would like to return to the place of his "birth", taking in as many sites as possible with relevance to the world of electronics, radio and television communications on his way back to Blackburn.

The Mullard Radio Valve Co. Ltd. was founded by Stanley Mullard in 1920. In 1923 Mullard needed an injection of funds to be able to meet the technical demands of the fledglig BBC, and went into partnership with the Dutch Philips company. Philips became the majority shareholder and in 1928 Mullard became a fully owned subsidiary of Philips. With access to Philips expertise in the Netherlands, a brand new purpose built factory in Blackburn, Lancashire and a dominant role in the British Valve Association, Mullard became the most important manufacturer of receiving valves in the UK. They also obtained a reputation for producing some of the best sounding and highest quality valves in the world. To this day, the Mullard ECC83 is the holy grail of high-gain dual input triodes amongst guitar players and hi-fi enthusiasts alike.

TB Gf1-B2B3 is an ECC82 valve, a close cousin of the famous ECC83. It is branded Philips Miniwatt, indicating that it was sold by the Mullard parent company. However the production code on the glass envelope reveals that this is without doubt a Mullard valve from the famous Blackburn factory. This travel bug is named according to its production code, and that name reveals a wealth of information. The production code follows a pattern introduced in 1956:

Thanks everyone for helping TB Gf1-B2B3 make it home to Blackburn. He'd love to continue his travels to places related to communications and electronics.