I dont even have my finally yet but im shopping for a NOS tube lol...I got offered a grey plate 62' 5751 GE five star for $50 ..Is that gonna be a good choice for the finally HW?
In my own anecdotal testing with my Finally, a 5751 gave a pretty optimal balance of headroom vs compression for use with bass and distorted
guitar. Your mileage may vary depending on your equipment and sonic preferences. (For example, if I was going to use my Finally
only with bass, my preferences and ear would probably have me using the slightly smoother and lower-gain 12AY7)
As for that specific GE tube, as long it tests strong and doesn't have any microphonics it would probably be a good example of a good 5751.
EDIT: As for a value assessment, a new production 5751 runs $20-30. Sound is way too nuanced to be reduced to a one dimensional Better<--->Worse comparison. From an accounting perspective it is mathematically impossible for a vintage GE to sound "twice as good" as a modern one to "justify" a $50 price tag... at most it may sound slightly
different.
In critical listening tests compared to another 5751, maybe the bass will be slightly more controlled, or maybe it'll be a little looser. Maybe the top end will be a bit more focused, maybe it'll have a slight open airiness. One might distort at 2:00 on the Gain dial, another at 3:00. All of those things are just different enough to create a rabbit hole that becomes its own weird little hobby for "audiophiles".
There's nothing wrong with spending an extra $20-30 on a vintage tube; just be conscious that its sound reproduction won't be
better, just slightly
different... and in real-world music performance situations, not even audible.
