Whither Westrex ?.

[mobyd]

Around Y2K, Western Electric was dribbling NOS 300Bs out of their Alabama factory, with promises of more to come (KT88s etc). They seem to have gone awfully quiet and their website looks like a dead letter box. What happened to them ?.
M

[kmaier]

They are (still) in the process of moving the factory according to Tubedepot:

Western Electric 300B

I think the alleged date was 2010, then 2011 and now 2012. However, most of the people that were making them were retirees that were brought back and put to work... as a result, I don't have high hopes of them ever being produced again. If they do, I doubt they will be of the quality level from the real old days. I certainly hope they prove me wrong ;-)

Regards, KM

[kevinkr]

They have had production hiatus' about 3 times over the last decade that I can recall. (IIRC of course) This time they are relocating plant and equipment from Huntsville, to somewhere in Tenn.. (I forget where.)

This seems largely to be a hobby activity for its apparently well healed owner Charles Whitener, so I suspect when the ducks are all lined up they will be back.. Claims are he also acquired the remnants of EI a few years ago, not sure what is up with that, or the potential outcome.

Early 2000s production were pretty good quality, delivery from the factory was very slow.. (They sounded great)

[tubelab.com]

to somewhere in Tenn.. (I forget where.)

Just outside Chattanooga. It was reported in the local Chattanooga newspapers about 3 years ago.

I heard from a major amp manufacturer that "new US production RCA'' branded tubes would come out of that plant beginning with the 6L6GC. That was a while ago and we haven't seen any yet.

[kevinkr]

Originally Posted by tubelab.com

Just outside Chattanooga. It was reported in the local Chattanooga newspapers about 3 years ago.

I heard from a major amp manufacturer that "new US production RCA'' branded tubes would come out of that plant beginning with the 6L6GC. That was a while ago and we haven't seen any yet.

Hi George,
Now I remember.. Yeah, this has pretty much been the story with Westrex.. I had not heard they were behind the RCA reissues, but at this point it would not surprise me. I would imagine that those would probably have been made in the old EI plant in Nis that they bought some time ago as similar tooling already exists there, but I am just speculating - I haven't a clue.. This probably just isn't a propitious time to spring new tubes on the tube buying public remembering the Tech Tube debacle - or perhaps they've just hit some other snag along the way. Since they are not publicly held we're not liable to hear much about it.. I do wish them luck though..

[DF96]

In addition to being expensive, the Tech Tube valves were not ECC83/12AX7 equivalents, but merely likely substitutes. This is because the interelectrode capacitance was much lower and the heater current was significantly different. In a typical guitar amp wuth large grid stoppers they would have sounded toppy, and in a hi-fi amp with lots of feedback they might have oscillated. Just to add to sales, the data sheet was obviously written by someone who knew nothing about valves!

[bear]

Think how great that will be - a visit to the Chattanooga could get you cartons of 300Bs and cartons of Moon Pies!

_-_-bear

[kevinkr]

What is a moon pie?

[HollowState]

Originally Posted by kevinkr

What is a moon pie?

A marshmallow filled pastry that's popular down south.

[CharleyW]

Kevin -

Sold in the ballparks where the American League Division Series is being played.

Sorry - couldn't resist.