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I saw some discussion on a guitar forum about a company claiming to male 6L6's.
Anyone know if this is legit?
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(nt)
I mean, the best tubes were made in highly automated factories with skilled labor, and research labs for various metallurgy and cathode coatings, I simple don't believe one can "hand make" tubes even close to that kind of quality or sound. Just the metallurgy alone is very hard to make for the best 6L6GC and variants, as I recall they were made with explosively-welded plate materials, I seriously doubt these guys are doing anything close to that! This looks like more of the "hand made" tubes we see on youtube from individuals cooking up something in their chinese homes. Good luck to them, but the prices they charge, forget it unless you can show me that their expensive tubes are as good as vintage US and European audio tubes. And let's start with something we are all looking for, like a quality 5AR4, then show me what you got...
A few years ago a friend of mine asked me what I though the market would be for new, made in the USA, manufactured 6L6.
He was looking at buying the equipment that was once Aspen Pittman's.
Pittman had sold that gear (along with the company "Groove Tube") to Fender and then Fender was looking to sell.
It is my understanding that the 6L6 was the only tube that Groove Tube actually manufactured.
I told my friend that I didn't see a way to compete financially with the foreign tube makers.
Was that good advice? I don't know but it was my honest opinion.
Tre'
Have Fun and Enjoy the Music
"Still Working the Problem"
"I told my friend that I didn't see a way to compete financially with the foreign tube makers."
Foreign competition and the character of the market are of course the two main factors. I suspect the majority of 6L6 purchasers are cash-strapped guitarists. The question is whether the remainder of the market can afford to pay substantially more than foreign prices and can be convinced that it's worthwhile to do so. In the end, I'm not optimistic that sufficient market share could be captured to make this work even as a part time enterprise. Your advice seems right on the money to me.
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Buy Chinese. Bury freedom.
I was told that there was a little company: father and daughter, making mostly transmitting tubes in LA. Mike Elliot of Counterpoint told me this as he was considering having them make some audio tubes for him. At the time he thought a $100 per 6922 might be a little too much, though.
Richardson electronics also has the capability of manufacturing. They own Hytrom, Eimac and some other companies with their tooling, IIRC. When Mac first reintroduced their tubes gear, their American made kt-88's were made by Richardson, IIRC. Never tried them so i can't comment. I believe they concentrate more on the transmitting stuff, though.
I do know large Eimacs are returned for rebuild so obviously someone has the ability to build tubes here. They cut the glass and replace the cathodes and getters
They have become rather pricey, too.
was a tube slaughterhouse, buying surplus tubes and stock from all over the world. I have seen some nice NOS types and many Russian types.
This one looks to be a GE manufacture who supposedly also built the RCA redbase.
I have 2 quads of them and they are absolutely first rate tubes. I use them in my single ended amp which can be configured to use any tube in the 6L6 family type. Anyway next to the Mullard EL37 the Richardson KT88 was the best sounding tube. cheers, Dak
Did they actually sell some of them?
You may well be onto something as that would certainly explain the 6L6 as the first tube out of the box.
Evidently this RCH Labs will be manufacturing the 6L6 at $200 a pop.
$125 ea. for an ST bottle shape, $85 for a G/GT bottle. Says so right on the web site. Besides an American manufacturer should be welcomed.
Edits: 05/04/15
I was looking on the Audio Beat website. They referenced the 6L6 as going to be $200.
.
Who do you think their target audience is? Mac owners? I don't see how it's possible to compete against imports like the 6P3S-E and the reissues for most other applications. The price difference is huge.
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Buy Chinese. Bury freedom.
...evident in the first type released...6L6. Few current mfg HiFi amps use 6L6 but plenty of guitar amps do. That plus guitar amps tend to run the finals hard assuring a continuing market.
Doesn't seem to be trying to get the guitar amp market.
at least for audio.
That said, seem to recall that the original Emotive Audio Vita was a 6L6 amp. Recall hearing it in the Symposium room at CES at least a decade ago. VERY good sound from the 6L6.
There are tons of vintage amps built around the 6L6. I probably have more 6L6 based amps in my collection than any other output tube.
But most are sitting on a shelf, 'cause like you the people who own them own a large number of them. ;-)
But seriously, are you ready for a $200 6L6?
And yes, by the time they figure out how to actually get them made in quantity and into the market the price will certainly be that or more.
OTOH, if they are indeed a round plated tube like the WE 350B (but with higher dissipation) they might well be worth it.
NOS 6L6s I will be unlikely to be buying any new manufacture from anyone. Of course, many new to the hobby are buying old amps off eBay and will need to put tubes in them and are very likely to be interested in new manufacture US made tubes.
The 6L6 is probably the most popular audio output tube, from the Mac 240, to the many Williamson based amps, so if it is a good tube they'll find a market. And I would expect that as they gear up manufacturing the price may actually drop, unless they develop a decent following.
Perhaps they should send Dudley a matched quad of them?
you should go for a quad.
At least call and ask for better pictures a specifications of the two tubes.
IF I were to go into the tube manufacturing business AND decided on the 6L6 as my starting point, I'd make the best version of the WE/NU 350B, with perhaps a bit more plate dissipation built in, but that's just me.
Sure would like a better picture of the plate structure.
Plates were those purchased from aspen Pittman from the ge assembly
n
Their most expensive 6L6 is $125 not $200. They sell another for $85.
At any price?
No dealers listed on their web site and no ordering information either.
Rather not bother them with a call as I have no need for a 6L6 at any price.
If they start making 300B's, I'm all in.
in the form of "Ad to Cart". You must be looking somewhere else.
All I saw initially was the "Contact to Order- 775-410-0186" at I would rather not bother them with questions as I have no interest in 6L6's at any price.
Would be quite interested in what others might have to say should they audition a pair.
That said, if they start making 300B's it might be worth a drive up there to check them out, with cash in hand, of course. ;-)
Not trying to be difficult, but I just wondered what you might consider a better option for them to make?
A US made 300B would be a start.
I find very little info on their site and the term '6L6' cover a multitude of sins, as the particular tube went through many iterations from 6L6 through to 6L6WGB with G, GB, GC, and WGA thrown in for good measure.
Even the WE 350B (made by NU?) was considered my many the best of the breed and a 6L6 type. If either of these new 6L6's is made with a true round plate like the 350B, then anyone with an amp that can use them should be on the phone with them right now!
The idea of a US made 300B is fine, but the market for the more in demand 6L6 makes a lot more sense for their first tube as long as it is actually a better mouse trap. The 300B has already been tried several times, including resurrecting the old Westrex staff and I don't think that even worked very well.
They're trying to build a business, and it certainly makes more sense to target the larger market first. It's not like they would be selling thousands of 300Bs a month, while they might be able to do that with 6L6 variants even with the off shore competition, which you also have with a 300B.
I'm still using them after 10+ years.
Charlie tried to move the factory and seems to have lost the people who knew how to build it.
Never got it going again.
But still, folks are used to paying Big Bucks for the 300B. 6L6's? Not so much I would guess.
Now a re-issued or otherwise cloned WE 350B just might be a different story.
I sure hope they make a few different tubes, it would be really great to see a US player in the market. They will have to keep up their end of the bargain and make high quality products if we are going to pay a premium for them. I wish them the best of luck. And BTW I have spent more than $85 many times and not been thrilled with what I got. If they make widely used triode like a 300B or 845 they could charge what the current boutique manufacturers do, but I hope they make some other tubes as well. How about a 6CA7 for instance. They might consider making ultra high quality e.g. 10M type small signal tubes.
I hope they succeed, I will support them when the time comes, but I have no use for the current 6L6, make me a domino plate 421a replica, that I'll buy pairs of.
Steve
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