Potential tube (valve) shortage

[AK9R]

If you are into tube guitar amplifiers, tube hi-fi equipment, or tube radios, you may be in trouble.

Tube production in the U.S., U.K., and Germany dried up years ago. There were new tubes, in certain types, on the market that were made in China, Russia, and Slovakia. The Russian tubes are drying up very quickly due to embargos on Russian goods.

I did some shopping yesterday and was able to buy a set of new spare tubes for my Dynaco ST-70 hi-fi amp clone. I was also able to buy a set of spare, new-old-stock tubes for my Kenwood hybrid amateur radio transceiver. In both cases, I ended up having to buy tubes that weren't my first choice.

If you are into tubes, you may want to buy now.

 

[kv5e]

6550s for my Leslie cabinet......on order

 

[kv5e]

There goes skyrocketing tube prices everywhere and particularly at hamfests. Just say they are a matched pair and you can double the price to a guitarist or Hammond organ player even if the g sub m was never measured!

 

[AK9R]

Just say they are a matched pair and you can double the price...

That's why you need an amp with individual bias adjustments for each tube. Pretty much eliminates the need for "matched pairs".

 

[kv5e]

Most decent amps have bias controls, but a lot of players don't adjust them. Even with bias adjustment some tubes sound better than others, as you well know. NOS Tungsol gets the best price.

 

[KC3DHF]

Tube (Valve) shortage has been well publicized. Per the Western Electric website, they want to hear from audiophiles/musicians and the tubes they use. They are considering expanding their manufacturing domestically. Without getting into the subtleties of different tubes and applications... my note to them was not to overlook the cb/amateur/vintage radio markes if they are looking to manufacture tubes domestically. I figure there would be robust demand if someone started making quality replacement 8950's or 6LQ6's at a decent price.

We make electron tubes — Western Electric - Maker of electron tubes and high fidelity

 

[prcguy]

Hmm, I need four reasonably matched EL34s, I should get on this quick. If this is a long term problem maybe a set of KT90s for another amp.

 

[AK9R]

I had no idea that Western Electric was still in business and still making 300B tubes in Georgia (U.S.A.). Only $1499 for a matched pair $1499 or $699 for a single tube. Crazy that the 300B, first manufactured in 1938, still has such a following.

 

[N9JIG]

I had no idea that Western Electric was still in business and still making 300B tubes in Georgia (U.S.A.). Only $1499 for a matched pair $1499 or $699 for a single tube. Crazy that the 300B, first manufactured in 1938, still has such a following.

It is not the same company. The original Bell System Western Electric was closed off and the name/trademark/IP was sold off much like other former entities like Montgomery Ward, Computer City and RadioShack.

 

[prcguy]

Its not the original "real" Western Electric, its someone who bought the rights to the name. In 1984 ATT abandoned the name "Western Electric". In 1995 ATT grants Westrex, another tube mfr the rights to use the name "Western Electric".

That would be like the name Carrol Shelby who is now dead. Someday someone licenses the name Shelby and Cobra and starts cranking out cars or car parts. Its got nothing to do with the original and is just a name.

I had no idea that Western Electric was still in business and still making 300B tubes in Georgia (U.S.A.). Only $1499 for a matched pair $1499 or $699 for a single tube. Crazy that the 300B, first manufactured in 1938, still has such a following.

 

[AK9R]

The current Western Electric website claims that they were founded by a former Westrex employee who bought the Western Electric trademark, intellectual property, and tube manufacturing equipment from AT&T.

 

[KD8CHP]

I hope people will write to them and request they make more tubes.

 

[Omega-TI]

... I figure there would be robust demand if someone started making quality replacement 8950's or 6LQ6's at a decent price.

6LQ6 why does that sound so familiar? That is the only tube number I remember after all these years. I wonder if it was the type used in the old Radio Shack "One Tube Radio" P-Box project kit? I bought and built one in elementary school, but could not afford to feed it a regular diet of Mallory 22.5v batteries.

 

[prcguy]

You remember the 6LQ6 because it was a very common TV sweep tube used in CB amplifiers. Now we all know, you used to run a tube amplifier on CB.

6LQ6 why does that sound so familiar? That is the only tube number I remember after all these years. I wonder if it was the type used in the old Radio Shack "One Tube Radio" P-Box project kit? I bought and built one in elementary school, but could not afford to feed it a regular diet of Mallory 22.5v batteries.

 

[Omega-TI]

You remember the 6LQ6 because it was a very common TV sweep tube used in CB amplifiers. Now we all know, you used to run a tube amplifier on CB.

No, never had a tube CB and would never have dreamed of running a linear on 11 meters. I hated those guys! I did have a solid state Midland around 74-75, or 75-76 (I forget). Anyway I got rid of it when people started acting like rude idiots. (Even as a kid, I was never able to suffer fools well). Now I did tear apart a bunch old TV's back in the day. The guy at the repair shop paid pocket change to tear apart old TV's and test tubes, this was of course after he discharged the caps and made sure the flyback was safe to be around. What little I made there ended up in Radio Shack's pocket. Sad to think about it now, but there are no radio and TV repair places anymore, kids are missing out these days.

 

[prcguy]

You seem to have a memory of the 6LQ6 and although some might have been used in TV sets, the major market was cheap CB amplifiers. Fess up!

To be honest I had quite a few amps that used the 6LQ6 in the 70s.

No, never had a tube CB and would never have dreamed of running a linear on 11 meters. I hated those guys! I did have a solid state Midland around 74-75, or 75-76 (I forget). Anyway I got rid of it when people started acting like rude idiots. (Even as a kid, I was never able to suffer fools well). Now I did tear apart a bunch old TV's back in the day. The guy at the repair shop paid pocket change to tear apart old TV's and test tubes, this was of course after he discharged the caps and made sure the flyback was safe to be around. What little I made there ended up in Radio Shack's pocket. Sad to think about it now, but there are no radio and TV repair places anymore, kids are missing out these days.

 

[Omega-TI]

You seem to have a memory of the 6LQ6 and although some might have been used in TV sets, the major market was cheap CB amplifiers. Fess up!

To be honest I had quite a few amps that used the 6LQ6 in the 70s.

No, my 23 channel CB was "running barefoot" at a full 5 watts, they came out with the 40 channel models a year or two later that were four watt output. Of course as a kid I could never have afforded an illegal amplifier even if I wanted one.

 

[prcguy]

If my memory is intact Part 95 CB radio was never allowed 5 watt output AM. It was originally spec'd at 5 watts input power or the voltage X current that the PA device used. This resulted in about 3 to 4 watts output power depending on PA efficiency. At some point the FCC changed the rules and specified 4 watts as the maximum carrier output level, unmodulated. BTW, a properly working 4 watt CB in AM mode puts out about 12 watts peak power at 100% modulation.

What does this have to do with a tube shortage? Nothing really.

No, my 23 channel CB was "running barefoot" at a full 5 watts, they came out with the 40 channel models a year or two later that were four watt output. Of course as a kid I could never have afforded an illegal amplifier even if I wanted one.

 

[Omega-TI]

I found a photo on the Internet of the exact CB I used to own. Wow, the memories are flooding back!



... back on topic now, I loved the look of glowing tubes!

 

[prcguy]

Last year I physically broke an EL34 tube in my Manley 50/50 direct input integrated tube amp and at the start of this thread I contacted a friend asking where to get a matched set of four EL34s without having to sell my car to pay for them. My friend came by last weekend with four NOS Groove Tubes labeled EL34s and dropped them off as a gift. He worked for Manley Labs as the chief hi-fi designer and also did some time with Groove Tubes designing tube amplifiers, mic preamps, compressor/limiters, etc. Its nice to know people in the business.