Larryrup Perhaps you can try the Chinese tubes from Shugaung (spelling?). My tube guy says they sound glorious --- but are also thought to be unreliable (like the GL tubes... maybe worse).
It is frustrating, this tube thing ... like a high maintenance wife who is awesome --- and who you cannot live w/o who is, at the same time, really, really tough to live with. So it is with tubes... can't go back to SS after living with these babies... but the lack of reliability is horrible --- so... about all you can do is enjoy the tubes when they work and prepare for trouble when they fail.
It is frustrating, this tube thing ... like a high maintenance wife who is awesome --- and who you cannot live w/o who is, at the same time, really, really tough to live with. So it is with tubes... can't go back to SS after living with these babies... but the lack of reliability is horrible --- so... about all you can do is enjoy the tubes when they work and prepare for trouble when they fail.