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In Reply to: RE: New U.S. Tube manufacturer? RCH Labs. Is this real? posted by notben on May 03, 2015 at 19:45:34
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"
Follow Ups:
"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.
--------------------------
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.
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