[Ron Ramirez]

Ditto the Russian/Soviet 12AX7 tubes, I haven't tried any yet but I'm quite satisfied with the 6P14P-EV output tubes in my TA-600 which replaced the original, worn out 7189s.

Regarding Fisher knobs. As with vintage/antique radio, every hi-fi/stereo manufacturer used their own knobs. Vintage Fisher units are popular, and in high demand, so the parts such as knobs sell for crazy money. The brass knob caps are being reproduced by at least two outfits who sell on the auction site, but no one is reproducing the actual knobs. Hmmm...our friend Ed at Renovated Radios could probably make some $$$$ reproducing these?

Why are the knobs so expensive? Supply and demand. Fisher didn't make as many units as Philco. Fisher was expensive when new, thus sales were limited. Until Fisher began the conversion to solid state, they were a competitor with McIntosh. Can you smell the money yet? From perusing old Allied catalogs, it appears that Fisher was always priced a bit under McIntosh. And then there were other players such as Harman Kardon, H.H. Scott, Marantz, Bell, Bogen, and even our old friend from antique radio days, Pilot. Eventually, Bell and Pilot went out of business; Bogen quit the hi-fi/stereo game to concentrate on professional audio, Fisher products became cheaper (and cheapened) after the sale to Emerson and really went downhill after they were sold to Sanyo. By then Japanese manufacturers such as Pioneer and Sansui had filled the void left by Fisher and Scott. Through it all, McIntosh remained (and has remained) the product for the well-heeled. But I digress.