There are certainly some tubes that have become very rare. For example, a Mullard 12AT7. I feel fortunate to have scored a dozen from a hoarder. No normal tine sellers have these. Their performance blew me away in my preamp that takes 8.
There us a Worldwide Panic on Availability of Vacuum Tubes
“THERE IS A WORLDWIDE PANIC ON AVAILABILITY OF VACUUM TUBES”: EHX’S MIKE MATTHEWS ON THE MURKY FUTURE OF VALVE AMPS
The EHX founder and vacuum tube producer sounds a dire warning over the “digital IC crisis” and the future of valves following a spate of plant closures.
Last week, Electro-Harmonix founder Mike Matthews surprised the world with the company’s plans to harvest energy from the Earth’s magnetosphere. But in the course of explaining his plans to Guitar.com, the pedal pioneer has also sounded an ominous warning about the present and future of amp valve production.
Speaking about what he described as the “digital IC crisis”, Matthews cited the closure of a factory in China putting huge pressure on the New Sensor facility in Russia, which was founded and is owned by Matthews, to supply the global demand for amp valves.
“Currently, there is a worldwide panic on the availability of vacuum tubes,” Matthews wrote. “The big Shuguang factory in China was forced to move… and the Jamona (JJ Electronic) factory in Slovakia that used to have lead times of one month, now has lead times of six months.
“We’re getting bombarded with orders from desperate customers from all over the world. Our tube factory is operating now at 100 percent of capacity, so we cannot produce all the quantities that are demanded. However, we are allocating quantities to many customers so that they can continue to survive.”
Since the development of semiconductor devices in the 1940s and 50s, and their evolution into the transistors and integrated circuit (IC) chips that form the bedrock of almost every electronic device we use today, valves have gradually become a specialist, niche product.
While the vacuum tube was once the beating heart of consumer electronics – from radios and TVs to computers and telephones – the technology was rendered archaic half a century ago. Transistors are more reliable, affordable, compact and energy-efficient.
As a result, the guitar amplifier industry is one of the few that still requires vacuum tubes – so it’s perhaps no wonder that the number of factories actually producing them has been reduced greatly over the last few decades.
The situation is complicated by the fact that many vacuum tube brands are not vacuum tube manufacturers. They source their tubes from a handful of factories from around the world that Matthews referenced above.
For example, Groove Tubes, which you’ll find in Fender amplifiers, sources its tubes from a number of other companies, including Matthews’ New Sensor.
But if the valve has been on the wind-down for over 60 years, why the sudden concern for the availability of tubes going forward?
As Matthews alludes, the big concern is the closure of a major valve-producing factory in Shuguang, China. Matthews claims the factory has been repurposed for more modern technologies and as such, they have had to move.
This is hard to fully verify, but it does seem to have scaled back production enough to spark online rumours about its factory being closed. It would also be no surprise if – with the Shuguang factory seemingly out of the picture – New Sensor and JJ Electronic were struggling to meet demand, especially given the boom in guitar gear sales over the pandemic.
So what does this mean for the future of valve amps? Well, supply and demand means that as long as guitar players want them, someone will keep making them. But like the vinyl revival leaving manufacturers struggling to fulfil demand with so few factories still producing records in a once-thought obsolete format, the industry’s reliance on a few makers to supply everyone with valves is fraught with this sort of danger.
Ultimately, this is likely a perfect storm of increased demand met with a sudden shortage, meaning that while current shortages are problematic for manufacturers, it’s unlikely to impact us long term.
However, it does reflect the precarious position that the guitar industry is in: relying on a few factories to prop up a multi-billion-dollar global industry is less than ideal, and a long-term shortage of tubes could cause prices to rise dramatically, maybe making some makers turn away from valves altogether.
But for the short term, there’s no need to panic. After all, Matthews might be sounding the alarm about the scarcity of valve tubes, but his company has recently brought out the revived Sovtek MIG-50 50-watt all-tube head for less than $700. Valve amps are not going anywhere just yet.
https://guitar.com/news/gear-news/panic-on-availability-of-vacuum-tubes-mike-matthews-future-valve-a...67 responses Add your response
Sorry Doug, while I do agree with many of your posts, and have enjoyed your reviews, I have to disagree with your opinion here.... I just bought a Zesto Leto preamp.... it is neither syrupy or bloated , in fact I'm sure anyone who listened to it would be hard pressed to say what technology drives it... Its sounds neither tube nor solid state, it just sounds like music. Best component I've ever owned, its awesome . It uses 12ax7 and 12au7, so tubes are plentiful..... The reason I have to disagree is that when posting my thoughts on the Zesto I had numerous emails asking to sell my CJ it replaced. Same thing happened regarding my SFL-1, a bunch of enthusiasts wanting to buy it also. Several of these guys were younger , so maybe there's hope for this hobby |
*LOL* @twoleft... I guess I'm just behind the curve....and so much for the 1%...*snaps fingers* ;) But thanks for the link....guess I'll have to find another means of easy $....*L* It does portend an interesting path for the existing gear to 'meld' into. As a quick scan only mentions 12AX7s', the 'variable option' still exists perhaps, along with the potential for 'bending' the response of the NuTube (NT for short?) via some digital means could open up a whole new avenue for the determined but 'flexible' VT fans.... Since the 'tube sound' has been available for pro performance and studio gear for awhile, it seemed inevitable that 'synth tubes' would appear. Now, it's up to the fans to 👍 or down on whether or not the gadget(s) 'fly'....or flop... Nothing to lose but heat and green vs. orange 'mood lighting'. ;) "Forward!....Into the Past." Tally Ho!.... |
....I'm vaguely surprised that some 'driven sort' hasn't devolved a plug-in SS variant or three that duplicates and replaces tubes.... ....software (Bluetoothed?) to replicate the needed tubetype... I know.....Tremendous Heresy to state here, but.....*shrug* (If heresy becomes Reality....I only want 1% on the development & launch on Kickstarter or the like...;) One shouldn't be greedy, and the mkt. is small.....😏...) |
It may turn out to be true both that more and more move to Class D *and* that tube demand creates new supplies for demands from Asia and from others (e.g. guitar amp makers). But there's bound to be some novelty to the new situation -- perhaps tubes are more of a niche market but a well-supplied one. I never thought that vinyl would come back, that people would be creating new and better materials and technologies to create media older than most of the others. Not saying tubes will get that big, but, who knows what will happen? |
When I changed tubes in my Custom Mono-Block RM-9 Mk. II’’s that Roger built for me from his "matched" tubes to Svetlana " Winged C " EL-34’s made at the St. Petersburg plant, the transformation was astonishing. Then I dropped 4 Amperex 1957 Pinched-waist 6922’s in my AA pre-amp, Amperex gold-pin D-Getters in the driver stages of the RM-9’s and it blew my mind. Luckily that was about 7 years ago, I stocked up, but prices have never gone down and are about double what they were just a short time ago. Tubes are EVERYTHING to the sound of your component, and system. !! |
people who live their lives in north america or europe see one ’hifi world’... there is whole other world in asia... very dedicated knowledgeable discriminating consumer base in japan korea china, throughout south east asia... tube amplification is revered there, and spending power is STRONG... high quality tube gear ain’t goin’ nowhere boys n girls... you think audio research, conrad johnson, vaic, vac (not to mention accuphase, audio note, shindo, air tight et al) are living off of american and euro buyers? think again... separate point, the shuguang factory in changsha (hunan province) had a fire, the tooling is being repaired and moved, it will produce again... |
rodman99999, It is not an indictment but a conclusion based on 14 years of reviewing a variety of tube amps in comparison in my room to other genres, and with a variety of speaker systems. It is a summary of their performance characteristic when it comes to tonality and precision. It is an assessment based on building hundreds of systems and hearing the range of tonality of tube amps in comparison to SS amps. Obviously, there is a segment of the performance spectrum where they can overlap, given any particular tube vs. SS amp. If there are not general differences in performance, including the preferred tonality of tube pre/amp products sonically as a category of component, then there is no point in owning them, given their worse specs. There, that is as dandy a blanket statement as yours. :) There is, actually, a very big spectrum of sound with tube pre/amps tonally. However, I will correct you in this; it is not typical to achieve as much of the characteristics I mentioned with solid state products. That is why typically hobbyists turn to tubes. It is a matter of how far along the spectrum toward the warm/syrupy end one wishes to go, and if you do not think tube amps linger in that part of the spectrum more so than SS, then - shall I use your put-down - it reflects a total ignorance of, and lack of familiarity with, the same. :) |
"Those who prefer what is imo unnaturally syrupy, boomy, bloated sound (or, as they might describe as "full") will have a problem. :(" If the above opinion is meant to be a blanket indictment, of all that vacuum tube circuitry is capable; it reflects a total ignorance of (lack of experience with) the same. So sad! |
I wish our tube amp users well. My take on the amplification sector, the fly over, is in my review of the Legacy Audio i.V4 Ultra Amplifier at Dagogo.com Imo, it's not going to be much fun in the future for our tube fans. I see this factory announcement as writing on the wall. You did notice the reference to tech shift several times in the article? There are consequences to such shifts that will impinge upon amp makers and owners. Frankly, as a system builder, the article is a moot point to me. My assessment is that holistically some brands/models of class D have already surpassed tube amps as a genre. I do not think it will be long before enough of the audiophile community concurs with their wallets. That's when the real crisis for tube amp makers in HiFi begins. I do not think it will be too long before it will be difficult to sell an obscure (to the public) tube amp. Eventually, you will have trouble giving it away. With the dying off of Baby Boomers, this could be within 3-5 years. From where I sit, it's going class D whether you like it or not. Thankfully, imo, the sound has already been demonstrated to be worth the switch, at least for me and in regard to the i.V4 Ultra. I plan further investigation into other notable class D). Those who prefer what is imo unnaturally syrupy, boomy, bloated sound (or, as they might describe as "full") will have a problem. :( As they used to say, before the era where everyone thinks they are an incontrovertible authority, YMMV. :) |
"Harvest energy from the magnetosphere" so guess where the funds from the upcoming "price gouge" will go? Some old films show the very specialized machines and the amount of labor involved making vacuum tubes https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GDvF89Bh27Y Additionally, the chemicals and metals involved can be toxic, so forget meeting EU or US standards. It's no wonder that this production is supported in places with lax safety standards, a higher skilled labor force and low labor costs like China or Russia. Good QC is also critical. It's very unlikely that this form of production would ever return to the U.S. |
"Sleepy Joe" is a sophomoric put down invented by a narcissistic sociopath... A little touchy, are we? It’s really better to let a minor slight like that slide. The thread is more likely to stay about audio and not politics if you do. Fuzztone shouldn't have posted what he did either. To paraphrase Rodney King, can't we all just discuss audio? |
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Run For Your Lives! The Russians Are Coming! The Russians Are Coming! "I’m glad those in our cybersecurity community are (now) taking it more seriously than you are." https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k3TpBfnaEmI |
As a venture capitalist, if I had to launch a government subsidized glass, metallurgy and chemical doping facility with skilled workers and access to engineering talent, including the lax safety and environmental controls needed to compete globally with China and Russia… it would be in a red stare, Texas… |
I don’t think there was ever a question whether a better, quieter, or one with greater longevity couldn’t be made. The question was, did there need to be? The industry settled on the small 12A( )7 valve and it was the Western European and The Americas standard. Guys like Had used 6SN7 valves with great success, BUT it sure wasn’t the standard.. I still don’t like that valve. The 12BH7 and 6922 both are good valves, but WHY? 12AT, U, X, Z or go BIG valve like STL and use KT66,77,88,90, 6550, EL34, or 6L6. I’m no designer, BUT I agree with STL, FET, big valve tech, point to point, copper (non magnetic) resistors. There wasn’t anything close to the quality components we have now.. That near perfect valve doesn’t need to be near perfect AT ALL.. New gear isn’t designed around expensive valves, they usually are designed around failure rate and long term availability to figure cost. At least the valve amps I use are. |
Run For Your Lives! The Russians Are Coming! The Russians Are Coming! I'm glad those in our cybersecurity community are (now) taking it more seriously than you are. https://www.nytimes.com/2021/07/06/technology/rnc-hacked-cyberattack-russia.html |
Was talking to my dad this past weekend. He's 97. He used to repair radios and tvs as a hobby. Worked for NASA as an engineer for guidance systems. He gave me some interesting info and history. I have his tube tester and his whole library of vacuum tube books, cross references, notebooks. I have several boxes of 100's of tubes, all kinds. He told me to look in his notebook on how to use many of the "unloved" tube types for use in audio circuits. Looking at his notes, there are many test gear tubes that are far better for preamp stages than what are commonly used today. Quieter, faster, more linear, etc. Really nice gain properties. And, he said there is more to making "GOOD, really good" vacuum tubes than shaping wire and mounting in a glass envelope. He said there were extremely good tubes made in USA in the 1940s and 1950s that the Russians didn't know how to make. They were made in advance of being able to make germanium or silicon transistors to do the job. G-forces were the problem, not quality or even efficiency. Goodness.......He has a list of 67 tubes very useable for audio circuits, and at least 38 tubes that can be paralleled for quiet amp stages. I wonder how many great tube engineers never wrote down their knowledge? |
YUP! I agree. Pure Hooey. When the going gets tough the tough get going.. Pretty simple.. Time to make money or what? jasonburne52 you’re a party pooper.. I’m not trying to put someone on the moon. Just make a silly vacuum tube.. The purity of glass bla bla bla.. A whole town of people that worked in glass for 75 years.. I don’t think ONE had a HS education. And a 300b wasn’t even developed for music, it was for telephone lines If I remember. 100,000 hour valve.. We don’t need anything even close to that valve life.. Or that valve for that matter. I was impressed with a few 300b set up. "BUT the best" far from it, to my old fashion ears. Kt66, 77, 88, 6550, EL34, 6L6. Again it’s not even wheel chair science. Regards |
The guy might be sounding an alarm, just to test the waters about gouging the heck out of everybody and wondering if his company can get away with it.. Of course there will be a price increase. He owns New Sensor. Part of the Oligarchy which is now responsible for the worldwide panic. Don't worry about the tubes. Hyperinflation will make tube prices the least of your problems |
When tensions were higher with Russia, this was more of an issue. Things have settled a bit. I am sure that interview was conducted weeks ago. Supply is tight, but it is not even to a point where prices are rising yet. It would not shock me if prices rise though as some products have been out-of-stock. It would be nice to see a plant open somewhere in west but would people be willing to pay 2x to 3x what they are paying From Russia and China? Tough to see that hapening. |
Case study, Western Electric Rossville Works. This took over 3 years to finally get to the point of making working products that met the original Western Electric standards. And this is only 1 tube type, 300B. It's certainly not just blowing glass bottles. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PA8G5zRjriI |
