The first runs were USA made. The picture is not a relabeled tube. They also produced a 6CA7 GE. I have some if those, but not here at the office
Win W5JAG
Win W5JAG
Know anything about the factory? Where I’m going with that question is if they were coming out of one of the last US legacy factories (something built when tubes were still mass market).
Isn't the elephant in the room the danger that at some point inefficient tubes will pop up on some environmental radar and be outlawed in one fell swoop, à la ROHS? Chrome bumpers/catalysts/... on cars? Filament lightbulbs?
There was an April Fool's to that effect i saw some years ago, but it was quite credible unfortunately.
My son has just bought himself a box he plugs between his guitar and a solid state amp, and supposedly it will emulate all sorts of tube amplifiers. Are tubes an anachronism?
There was an April Fool's to that effect i saw some years ago, but it was quite credible unfortunately.
My son has just bought himself a box he plugs between his guitar and a solid state amp, and supposedly it will emulate all sorts of tube amplifiers. Are tubes an anachronism?
Might be part of a broader proposal that may ban non-switching amplifiers, or amplifiers over 10 watts in general. There may be different rules for commercial vs. home use. Commercial sector may be forced to go class D first, followed by everybody else. Perhaps power limits so they can “target” people making too much noise. Where there is loud obnoxious music, there is often other contraband.
I can lock my tubes in a gun safe, and have a rack or two full of illegal amplifiers behind a false wall.
I can lock my tubes in a gun safe, and have a rack or two full of illegal amplifiers behind a false wall.
Still plenty of old "classic" cars putting around on the weekends, spewing out clouds of smoke. Any efficiency ban would take the form of regulations on new production tubes. Since it has been possible to make heater-less tubes since 1991, using thin film tunneling cathodes (not the unreliable sharp point emitter cathodes you usually hear about), I don't see any issue with tube efficiency restrictions at all. Tube manufacturers would simply be forced to upgrade to superior known tube construction technique. The likely problem would be sales quantity dropping off with tubes that last way longer. But then, whoever does it first would probably corner the whole market for guitar Amps.
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The thin film monolithic cathodes have good current density, good enough to make an OTL type tube. Tubes like Mosfets.
The 1st thin film cathode versions could be made with just electroplating of titanium over nickel (in solution). The later ones were multi-layer made by deposition in vacuum (reaching full room temperature emission). That was back in the late nineties. Been 20 years since then, could be amazing stuff available now. Physics World, October 2000, page 25 to 26 or Physical Review Letters 2000 Vol. 85 page 864.
"Two scientists, Vu Thien Binh and Christophe Adessi, have solved the problem of a room temperature thermionic emitter 50 years too late"
The 1st thin film cathode versions could be made with just electroplating of titanium over nickel (in solution). The later ones were multi-layer made by deposition in vacuum (reaching full room temperature emission). That was back in the late nineties. Been 20 years since then, could be amazing stuff available now. Physics World, October 2000, page 25 to 26 or Physical Review Letters 2000 Vol. 85 page 864.
"Two scientists, Vu Thien Binh and Christophe Adessi, have solved the problem of a room temperature thermionic emitter 50 years too late"
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Even if you got rid of the wasted heater power it wouldn’t make an “Energy Star” rating. Some of the class D commercial stuff does - it’s only a matter of time before it becomes mandatory.
It would be cool if they made a self heated tube... Think RTG but so small as to just heat the cathode without the device giving off ionizing radiation..
Well, the "Volkswagon technique" may be required. When sent for certification, the Amp has switch-mode design, using thin film tubes. When sold to the customer, it has linear circuitry. Maybe a black market plug-in control card option.
You're right. The EL509's in the new MC-3500 Mk. 2 amplifier obviously are J/J's.
Best regards!
Edit: Sorry, this is an answer to #40.
Best regards!
Edit: Sorry, this is an answer to #40.
Tubes/Valves are a very regional thing.
Smoking Amp says "who cares about Russian/Soviet tubes?" Is it sarcasm? I don't know
Well for me, yes I do care, and no I don't care for US tubes either....
I'd much rather find some nice Phillips, TFK, Mazda, Marconi....
But it would be nice for WE to make more, but I would likely not see them anyway, and certainly not pay the premium PSVane type price tags
Smoking Amp says "who cares about Russian/Soviet tubes?" Is it sarcasm? I don't know
Well for me, yes I do care, and no I don't care for US tubes either....
I'd much rather find some nice Phillips, TFK, Mazda, Marconi....
But it would be nice for WE to make more, but I would likely not see them anyway, and certainly not pay the premium PSVane type price tags
Except Brimar
They Don't actually make anything, they plan to, and nothing more
Ok. Sorry for repeating what you have said. What a tawdry episode.
Time to return to Discord, where at least I can attribute the purile responses to the immaturity of the client base.
No problems, I only mentioned Brimar because they're proof you don't have to charge snake oil prices.
And of course flying the flag a bit, I feel they deserve a mention.