Tube Choice / Brands etc.

Amp tinkerers and people who aren't afraid of 700 volts or so in here....

Moderators: Slowy, Capt. Black

User avatar
jeremyb
Chorus of Organs
Posts: 40878
meble-kuchenne.warszawa.pl
Joined: Sat Dec 06, 2008 9:03 am
Has liked: 7685 times
Been liked: 4157 times

Re: Tube Choice / Brands etc.

Post by jeremyb »

Conway wrote:
MogwaiBoy wrote:Hey man - we're talking about tube amps here, not Starship Enterprise toasters. :D
I with the Starship Enterprise toasters myself. :moresarc:

You'd think there would be a boutique US tube maker, instead of relying on the Chinese and Russians...
You'd wonder if the old tooling and machines were floating around somewhere, an abandoned factory or something, so the yanks could get back into it :)
Slowy wrote: That's the problem; everything rewarding is just such hard work. Regret takes much less effort.

User avatar
MogwaiBoy
Vintage Post Junkie
Vintage Post Junkie
Posts: 2346
Joined: Fri May 16, 2008 1:35 pm
Has liked: 157 times
Been liked: 242 times

Re: Tube Choice / Brands etc.

Post by MogwaiBoy »

I believe just such a thing did happen.. with RCA I think.

My guess is the upfront costs/size of getting a factory staffed and up and running would far outweigh the gains of selling genuine USA-made tubes to guitarist snobs and high-end audio enthusiasts with their diamond feet turntables and endless "expansive soundstage" quest via Phil Collins records on repeat. Listen to the lower hertz of those Tom-toms, man, LISTEN!

User avatar
jeremyb
Chorus of Organs
Posts: 40878
Joined: Sat Dec 06, 2008 9:03 am
Has liked: 7685 times
Been liked: 4157 times

Re: Tube Choice / Brands etc.

Post by jeremyb »

I've been a big Genesis fan ever since the release of their 1980 album, Duke. Before that, I really didn't understand any of their work. Too artsy, too intellectual. It was on Duke where Phil Collins' presence became more apparent. I think Invisible Touch was the group's undisputed masterpiece. It's an epic meditation on intangibility. At the same time, it deepens and enriches the meaning of the preceding three albums.
Slowy wrote: That's the problem; everything rewarding is just such hard work. Regret takes much less effort.

User avatar
bender
Darth Fader
Posts: 11838
Joined: Fri Feb 02, 2007 12:46 pm
Location: Dorkland
Has liked: 415 times
Been liked: 1010 times

Re: Tube Choice / Brands etc.

Post by bender »

jeremyb wrote:I've been a big Genesis fan ever since the release of their 1980 album, Duke. Before that, I really didn't understand any of their work. Too artsy, too intellectual. It was on Duke where Phil Collins' presence became more apparent. I think Invisible Touch was the group's undisputed masterpiece. It's an epic meditation on intangibility. At the same time, it deepens and enriches the meaning of the preceding three albums.
OK Patrick.

User avatar
MogwaiBoy
Vintage Post Junkie
Vintage Post Junkie
Posts: 2346
Joined: Fri May 16, 2008 1:35 pm
Has liked: 157 times
Been liked: 242 times

Re: Tube Choice / Brands etc.

Post by MogwaiBoy »

Hahahahaha I love your sense of humour, JB : )

I wasn't knocking Mr Collins, just the audiokarma gurus when they use certain songs (Sussudio) to test "the soundstage" of one tube vs another. But I know from an outside perspective many of the things we as guitarists obsess over look equally daft.

Thewilltopowerrock
Vintage Pun Junkie
Posts: 1125
Joined: Thu Jul 02, 2015 12:13 am
Has liked: 101 times
Been liked: 47 times

Re: Tube Choice / Brands etc.

Post by Thewilltopowerrock »

I'm surprised there isn't the USA boutique tube option.

User avatar
dylan
Gibson
Posts: 627
Joined: Sat Sep 02, 2006 8:24 pm
Location: Wanganui
Has liked: 39 times
Been liked: 25 times

Re: Tube Choice / Brands etc.

Post by dylan »

it really is bizzare when magazines like hi-fi world test uber botique valve stereos with current girl band pop hits that have no dynamic range or natural soundstage. listening to over limited "everything right up in your face" music on a posh stereo is kinda pointless imo.

but i think they do it to test if the gear can make even awfull music tolerable to listen to.

**edit** kemper should create an amp model of a high end valve stereo.

**edit again - jeremyb i mostly aggree with you on genesis (but not being sarcastic). the first genesis song i liked was illegal alien. mid 80s genesis wasnt the beatles, but imo way better than peter gabriel era. writing and singing pop hits that make you (temporarily) the worlds biggest band is not a small achievement. nothing against peter gabriel, i like his solo music heaps - way more that his genesis stuff. once genesis moved a genius song writer like phill collins to the frontman position the band stopped sucking.

that "take a look at me now" song is epic. ok its phill solo but he offered it to genesis first, and rutherford rejected it. duh!
:evil: Mids so haunting that demons took over my living room and now my guitar glows! :evil:

Post Reply