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  #16  
Old 04-02-2022, 10:04 AM
TiffanyGuitar TiffanyGuitar is offline
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I am no tube expert, although I love my tube amp. But, based on what I have read, the tubes Western Electric makes currently have high tolerances and are much more specialized which require them to be much more expensive than guitar amp tubes. Apparently, guitar amp tubes are a lot more "rough and ready" and should be way cheaper than the ones they currently make. However, I doubt they will be inexpensive as the Russian or Chinese tubes. But, I welcome it! I am sick of the USA messing itself up in almost all areas of manufacturing by constantly chasing the cheapest products - we do this to our own long-term detriment, which I think we are finally (maybe) learning now.

Last edited by TiffanyGuitar; 04-02-2022 at 07:45 PM.
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  #17  
Old 04-03-2022, 09:50 AM
Steve DeRosa Steve DeRosa is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by TiffanyGuitar View Post
...based on what I have read, the tubes Western Electric makes currently have high tolerances and are much more specialized, which require them to be much more expensive than guitar amp tubes. Apparently, guitar amp tubes are a lot more "rough and ready" and should be way cheaper than the ones they currently make...I am sick of the USA messing itself up in almost all areas of manufacturing by constantly chasing the cheapest products - we do this to our own long-term detriment, which I think we are finally (maybe) learning now.
At one time all tubes were made to the high-tolerance standards you cite - ask yourself why the hardcore Fender guys would sell their 'nads for a full complement of JAN tubes, or why I'm using Soviet-era mil-spec glassware in my Bugera V22 - and while the major manufacturers are largely constrained by price/quantity considerations, I'd be happy to spend the extra bucks in return for the assurance of product longevity/durability...
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  #18  
Old 04-10-2022, 04:56 PM
C-ville Brent C-ville Brent is offline
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I have a few low wattage amps - 20w and lower. I have enough to change power tubes in each twice and a dozen or so preamp tubes. Western Electric making tubes for guitar amps has had me excited. I’ve even paid a bit of a premium for Genelax, but the WE will have to be competitive in that vain for me to be a customer. If they are priced like the quote for the 300B tube listed above, I can’t be in that market.
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  #19  
Old 11-05-2022, 04:01 PM
upsidedown upsidedown is offline
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Western Electric is a non-starter, but I'm reviving this thread to see if there are any updates about the tube supply chain.

Assuming anybody has, from where did you last buy your tubes?
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