Western Electric USA considering expanding their tube operations due to the current global pandemic

  • Thread starter Thread starter 311splawndude
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The only tube they make right now is the 300B. It is 3 to 5 times as expensive as the other 300B being made currently.

Do they have the ability to build large quantities of tubes ?
 
I dont know wtf this is about but the company dissolved 83-84 and there aint no way in hell the epa will let them make tubes in the US. Hell they want to get rid of gasoline powered everything. :loco:
 
mhenson42 said:
Everyone check the KT88 box! Would love for them to make those. I mostly want high quality tubes that can withstand 500+ plate voltage.
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Pretty much every current tube is rated at 800 plate volts...its the screen voltage that is the problem. Usually 400-450 at best.
 
9985 said:
Making tubes that cross over between guitar amps audiophile hi fi /headphone amps are more likely to appeal to W. E. since they are laser focused on that market, which already bears the nosebleed prices.

Here's an example - owners of one of these $6k toys or similar would likely pay big bucks for a USA-made 6L6 if durability, warranty & quality is there.

https://ampsandsound.com/products/bigger-ben
"Mere mortal" guitar amp owners without Dumbles or Two Rocks are going to be pissed about the prices if it happens, at least initially.

Hope somebody with engineering knowledge would weigh in about any quality control/tolerance differences between audiophile (20-20KHz) and guitar amp tubes reproducing about a third of that range. Is that a thing, like 1950s aviation/military equipment needed tighter spec tubes than a guitar amp? Could lower grade tubes that didn't pass QC for hi-fi specs be perfectly fine for guitar amps?
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Really good points here. I'm not an audiophile and know just about zero 0 regarding that market but I'm going to guess yes to your question.

You are asking if lower grade tubes are more tolerant in guitar amps vs high end audio amps?

I can't speak to the screen voltages and such between the two but I'm going to guess that guitar amps are more tolerant in that guitarist are using tube amps because of the distortion (if you think about it). Conversely, audiophiles are using audio amps for the absolute best reproduction if the original (signal). Where we are distorting it.

So the next question is, are the costs of those audio amp tubes overly inflated because they are going into overly inflated audio gear? Or are they worth every penny
 
311splawndude said:
Really good points here. I'm not an audiophile and know just about zero 0 regarding that market but I'm going to guess yes to your question.

You are asking if lower grade tubes are more tolerant in guitar amps vs high end audio amps?

I can't speak to the screen voltages and such between the two but I'm going to guess that guitar amps are more tolerant in that guitarist are using tube amps because of the distortion (if you think about it). Conversely, audiophiles are using audio amps for the absolute best reproduction if the original (signal). Where we are distorting it.

So the next question is, are the costs of those audio amp tubes overly inflated because they are going into overly inflated audio gear? Or are they worth every penny
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No Audiophile people are retarded
 
311splawndude said:
Really good points here. I'm not an audiophile and know just about zero 0 regarding that market but I'm going to guess yes to your question.

You are asking if lower grade tubes are more tolerant in guitar amps vs high end audio amps?

I can't speak to the screen voltages and such between the two but I'm going to guess that guitar amps are more tolerant in that guitarist are using tube amps because of the distortion (if you think about it). Conversely, audiophiles are using audio amps for the absolute best reproduction if the original (signal). Where we are distorting it.

So the next question is, are the costs of those audio amp tubes overly inflated because they are going into overly inflated audio gear? Or are they worth every penny
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I meant if W.E. began manufacturing "dual use" tubes such as 12AX7 & 6L6 marketed to both audiophile and guitar amp owners, would different QC standards or tolerances apply for each application? If so, the price could be lower for guitar amp specs. Same idea as NOS tube dealers selling "grade 2" preamp tubes that test to lower specs cheaper that can still be used for phase inverter positions. I just have no idea about audiophile tube tolerances.
 
If W.E gets into the business of producing guitar amp tubes, they'll have to be competitive price wise. Yes we have a current shortage because of Russia (which will not change IMO unless Putin is overthrown) and Shuguang being closed. However JJ will catch up eventually and PSVane is already beginning to step into the guitar market, Pete Thorn just reviewed the TAD red base version of their EL34. And reportedly the Shuguang factory could potentially reopen in 2023. Once that happens prices will come down.

W.E. will have to be competitive price wise or would not be worth the tooling to get up and running. Sure if they offer a superior product they can charge more but it cannot be night and day. The average player is not going to pay for that. Further they need to sell alot of product so people can tube roll, that and selling in mass to manufacturers is where the money is. So maybe a bit more expensive sure, but IMO $20/30 bucks a tube more, that won't fly.
 
jabps said:
If W.E gets into the business of producing guitar amp tubes, they'll have to be competitive price wise. Yes we have a current shortage because of Russia (which will not change IMO unless Putin is overthrown) and Shuguang being closed. However JJ will catch up eventually and PSVane is already beginning to step into the guitar market, Pete Thorn just reviewed the TAD red base version of their EL34. And reportedly the Shuguang factory could potentially reopen in 2023. Once that happens prices will come down.

W.E. will have to be competitive price wise or would not be worth the tooling to get up and running. Sure if they offer a superior product they can charge more but it cannot be night and day. The average player is not going to pay for that. Further they need to sell alot of product so people can tube roll, that and selling in mass to manufacturers is where the money is. So maybe a bit more expensive sure, but IMO $20/30 bucks a tube more, that won't fly.
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Better than nothing :dunno:
 
9985 said:
I meant if W.E. began manufacturing "dual use" tubes such as 12AX7 & 6L6 marketed to both audiophile and guitar amp owners, would different QC standards or tolerances apply for each application? If so, the price could be lower for guitar amp specs. Same idea as NOS tube dealers selling "grade 2" preamp tubes that test to lower specs cheaper that can still be used for phase inverter positions. I just have no idea about audiophile tube tolerances.
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Again, I'm no tube expert here, but I don't see how 'dual use' tubes are going to work. If they did, it would have been done already.

The tubes we use add gain, clipping and distortion.

The tubes they use don't.

Am I wrong?
 
311splawndude said:
Better than nothing :dunno:
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I think the market will adjust eventually. If JJ can get caught up and PSVANE can ramp up production, then hopefully the Shuguang factory gets back up and running that'll pretty much end the shortage and high prices IMO. And why I said W.E. would have to be competitive price wise. Again, they can offer an American made product which I would love and would pay extra for but at double the price?

Personally I hope EXH can partner with someone, the product Mike was getting out of the Reflektor plant was getting better and better. And unless Putin is gone, that avenue is not going to open back up.
 
They're obviously monitoring the results, because when I filled out the form days ago EL34 wasn't even a listed option
 
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