Thanks for the heads up on this. I filled out the form also. I’d like to see some domestic KT120’s.
Western Electric looking for consumer feedback to make new tubes!
This was brought to my attention a few days ago, and I’ve filled out the form stating that I would love to see mid-priced 6SN7s, 5U4Gs, EL34s, and KT88s from them. I’m not sure how long of a time-frame we’re looking at here, but it appears at the very least that Western Electric is interested in hearing from us! Please fill out the form and don’t forget to put down what tubes you would like to see from them, this could be a good thing! Best regards, Aric
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The 6SN7 would be a good choice, assuming they can bring something worthy to the market. It would appear then, that they are not necessarily looking to make tubes that are a reissue of what Western Electric made in the past. If they were going to reissue what they have made, the 350B would be a nice choice (a replacement for 6L6 or KT66). The 274B rectifier would be a nice reissue item too. What I would hope for most in anything that they put out that they at least try to emulate past Western Electric practice of making very durable and reliable tubes.
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@facten Ah. Did not realize there was another thread. |
@rocray Very cool- thanks for the link! |
@tooblue WE never made a 6SN7 tube. The Chinese companies coined the name "Western Electric" for a series of tubes they started making a few years back- PsVane has them as well as Linlai. It's just a name that they picked up after the branding had worn out and the company had all but vanished (just like the British "Cossor" name that PsVane had on one of their lines). It's simply cheap marketing, and more so likely the fact that nobody has filed a cease and desist order on them (yer) ;-)
Best, Aric |
@aricaudio your point is valid, I do believe that they are building these tubes borrowing from WEs past technology though and there for feel just in borrowing the WE implication, however loosely it might apply. I might also add that the two sets of Shuguang WEs I have are very good sounding tubes and sound awesome in the pieces of gear they were bought for, so there is that. Enjoy the music |
@aricaudio - Ignore my comment about there being a prior thread, the only important thing is for folks to know that WE has some tube production capacity and are looking for input as to how to potentially put it to best use based upon user input. Thanks for helping with getting the message out I went ahead and started a thread on WhatBestForum the other day with the link |
@facten No worries, I get it. Absolutely, I'm also stoked to help get the word out! I for one would love to see WE producing various Hi-Fi tubes again and becoming a more prominent name as they once were (aside from their 300B claim to fame). At this stage, I think the only thing that they would have to worry about is keeping up, and that's not a bad problem to have! My 2 cents.
Best, Aric |
Thanks for the heads up on the Western Electric needing feedback. I just purchased 7 tubes, 5-6SN7's and 2-6SL7's due to prices and shortages caused by other dealers buying up stock and overpricing them. EL34's are up to $200.00 on the low end which is ridiculous. I am now "not looking" at other tube pre- or power tube amps {I have the Schiit Freya+, and Willsenton R8} |
@aricaudio Thanks for the link. I submitted the form. |
modern WE is unlikely to do something worthwhile from the point of view of an ordinary audiophile - there will certainly be a very expensive line of tubes (an attempt to mimic the famous tubes of the past) ... all equipment has long been sold, specialists have died, completely different materials ... (just like with wires - now they do not have native Chilean copper) ... |
@serjio - The survey form includes a comment area, you should consider offering them your concern about pricing. Nothing to lose by doing so, they may likely not read your concern stated here on Audiogon |
It seems there's going to be a massive array of various tubes being requested, and of course I believe it will take considerable time to get the machines, staff, space and resources to probably make 1/4 of the different types, so WE will go with what is most requested. Alternatively, regarding the current state of tube availability, I will still be stocking tubes with all of my products and have no intention of raising prices for a good "stock" set of tubes. Tube life varies of course, but typically a year can be expected out of a good 6SN7 or a good EL34, and a lot can happen in a year, so I personally wouldn't sway from buying tube gear based on New Sensor's ban until the end of 2022. PsVane makes both the TII and Hi-Fi (standard) versions of all of the popular KT series tubes (EL34 included), 12AU7, 6SN7, etc. so purchasing a set of backup tubes shouldn't necessarily break the bank and should give the user another year. Perhaps I'm being optimistic, but that's just how I roll. |
@aricaudio this is great! I filled out my form. Have seen that they are back in the hi fi game. I hope they will make these here in the US. Thank you. |
I just hope they do their research and make very robust versions of whatever they decide tp make. I don't know about the current reissues, but, the 300bs made in the 1990's are terrific. I know people who still run their tubes daily that were purchased more than twenty years ago. I run old Western Electric 310As, 348 and 349 tubes that were old pulls when I got them (who knows how much use they had), and I am still running the same tubes 15 years later.
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Western Electric said they put in equipment that allows them to make various types of tubes on the same factory equipment. Th should cut introduction time. I would think we could make good or better than old if we really put our mind to it. I have no idea how big the tube market is but that could hinder innovation or production. |
@facten Thanks for the link! I love this, it reminds me of the fiber-optics plant I used to work in 20 years ago, very clean, lots of Hydrogen and lots of glass :-) Seriously though, the plant looks top notch and it appears they have lots of space. As far as growth is concerned, this could really be an opportunity for WE to step up and expand their current facility and employees- all while getting us some new tubes. Could be a win-win! Aric |
Sometimes,not all times,but sometimes you have to belly up to the bar to get the better things in life. I’ve also learned that sometimes,”value” costs more,because value doesn’t always mean low price. It will surely be interesting to see what comes out of WE. I hope that these will be in my “value” wheelhouse. Time will tell. |
The link below to Guitar.com includes an interview with a spokesperson from WE. It includes a DeFacto statement that they will only manufacturer tubes in the US, and it also speaks in general about pricing. It's worth a quick read to get some additional high level direct information from WE (PS I have no musical talent, just came across this googling for any info on their plans)
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Guitar.com: Much more harmonic distortion is acceptable in guitar amp tubes than in hifi tubes – is this lower-fidelity sound reflected in the ease of the manufacturing process? Western Electric: “There is a need for better quality. This is yet another major reason we would even consider breaking into the guitar amp tube market. People have grown accustomed to cherry-picking from any given batch of tubes to get the best sound. Along with better reliability, we hope to offer a super low-noise, low-distortion, and consistent product people can trust. Our goal has always been to make the best electron tubes in the world. “That being said, yes, manufacturing a miniature dual triode like the 12AX7 is significantly easier and less labour-intensive than a 300B, for example.”
I guess we’ll just have to wait and see how they sound and what they cost. |
Agree, we’ll have to wait and see about how they sound, but I don’t know if or how the Russian and Chinese approach the differences between guitar amp and audio amp requirements when devising their tubes. Both markets seem to be buying the same tubes as there isn’t a selection choice for one or the other that I have seen when buying those tubes. |
It would be awesome to see another US manufacturer succeed Question from a newbie regarding tubes: what are the most “valuable” tubes that WE could produce? As a small manufacturer, WE needs to produce tubes for which they can charge a lot - if they want to fill spare manufacturing capacity, they need to do it with relatively specialized tubes catering to customers who would pay anything. Question for the group: is that something like 211s? 2a3s? 45s? @aricaudio your insight greatly appreciated by the group If they want to get bigger in a healthy way, then they’d drop down a notch in price level and address a bigger market with an ultra-premium product ($600 845s whatever) I think WE would need to become much bigger before producing a more common tube like an EL34, and even then will always need to position as an ultra-premium product. WE can take a big share of market profits without taking a big share of market unit sales An analogy would be the way in which Porsche expanded its product line from the 911, to the Boxsters, to SUVs, to sedans. They sell a lot more cars, all of which enjoy high levels of customer loyalty, and all which are expensive BTW, I’ve surely missed a bunch of ways one could think about this idea, so alternative views requested! Have a great day |
@jonwatches1 The best commodity tube would be anyone’s guess. I personally sell more 300B amplifiers than any other, and more 6SN7 pres than 2A3, 845 or 211 amps. I also read an interview with WE posted two days ago that states their new facility was built intentionally larger than they required and that tooling and machinery for other types of tubes is already in place and has been for some time. Also stated was that 300Bs are much more involved and costly than making say, a 12AX7 or other Noval or Octal based tubes. Apparently they also do not want to make all of their tubes at a premium price, but understandably they will be priced higher than Chinese or Russian tubes as they want to maintain a higher level of quality. It I can find the link I’ll share it. All the best, Aric |
@aricaudio - thank you so much for the response - I believe the thread to which you refer is posted above. Perhaps then WE’s next best tube is the 6SN7, for which there is a lot of demand (and hence the ability to create a premium segment) And thanks again for your ongoing personal support of these forums - it’s a pleasure to hear from people like yourself and @atmasphere who bring so much professional expertise to these discussions |
@jonwatches1 Oops. Yes that's the one. |
