Western Electric considering adding more tubes to their current USA production

[middy]

They get that price for 300B tubes because that's what the market expects them to cost, and they're not a very common tube anyway. Not outside the 300B audiophile world. Really there's no other reason for that tube to exist.

But if they were to make something common like EL34s or 6L6s, they'd have to make a competitive product in terms of both price and performance.

And if they did, then they would soon find that 6L6 and EL34 production is most likely more profitable than 300B production. The sales volume would ensure it.

Once you have an established tube production line, adding another tube type to the production list is certainly less difficult than it was to start up the first line.
They'll know what they need. Building new tube type specific tooling is the complicated/expensive part.

They have all that old AT&T gear and I imagine it’s been quite a journey trying to get it all set up and refurbished and calibrated when almost all the experts are long dead. I hope they can make a go of it. It would be great to have quality domestic tubes again.

 

[ricksdisconnected]

Pete on new tubes from the shitshlong company out of China

 

[ibmorjamn]

I went there , I would like to see a variety of dual triodes.

 

[Ken Ops]

Just wondering.. what are JJ tubes like? Also, any others that aren’t made in Russia ...

 

[Maggot Brain]

This has been some fantastic news as a tube amp enthusiast. I'd be willing to pay a realistic premium for quality domestic made tubes, especially if they were to have some form of warranty or garuntee.

Let's keep sharing this and cross our fingers. I truly believe this maybe the beginning of a new chapter in US made tubes.

 

[FleshOnGear]

I'm cautiously optimistic

 

[Metroman]

I signed it, but if their 300B tubes are anything to go by… Let’s just say I’m not spending three-thousand bucks to re-tube a DSL40.

Those 300B have always been expensive. They also rate those 300B for 40,000 hours, or 5 years warranty. Whichever comes first.
I use NOS Mullard 10M Master Series Gold Pins in my 2013 LTD ED Metropoulos JTM45 clone/Head, and when they were new they had a 2 years, or 10,000 hour Warranty from the factory. I dont see the 300B as an indicator of what these tubes may cost, though I do believe they will cost more than the modern production tubes that are produced right now.

 

[Barfly]

Done. I added that if they plan on doing it but manufacturing in China, what's the point? I want jobs for my fellow Americans.
And tubes.. I want tubes. And alcohol. in reverse order.

 

[EADGBE]

Just wondering.. what are JJ tubes like? Also, any others that aren’t made in Russia ...

I like JJs a lot. Their regular EL34 sounds great. And their ECC83S is one of the highest output preamp tubes made today. Just buy from a reputable dealer. I like www.tubedepot.com

 

[Georgiatec]

Pete on new tubes from the shitshlong company out of China

Not new to me...I've had a matched quad of Psvane EL34's in my stash for a few years.

 

[Georgiatec]

I thought they stopped making tubes in the US due to environmental regulations?

There are work arounds these days. A lot of the hazardous materials can be subbed, specialised work area (Clean rooms with Laminar air flow units) or PPE introduced to protect workers. Most of the time it would be all robot manufacturing in a controlled environment.

 

[Metroman]

Western Electric announced today they will manufacture tubes in the USA.

Ill be first in line. If theyre as good as NOS, they may very well replace NOS, and at a cheaper price.

Theyve also said they dont plan on jacking up the price, but did state they will be more expensive than current production tubes due to manufacturing, and labor costs.
They also said they had way more response, and faster response than they expected. Amplifier manufacturers have also expressed interest in their tubes. I think this will go over big time.

What does it take to bring century-old technology back to US soil? Georgia-based Western Electric certainly plans to give it a good go. The company currently makes just one type of tube, used in audiophile-grade hifi amplifiers. However, given recent world events, it’s planning on expanding out into others, including – most excitingly for us – those used in guitar amplifiers.

• READ MORE: Russian vacuum tube crisis: US hifi brand Western Electric considers branching out into guitar tubes

If you’ve been keeping an eye on any guitar news sources recently, it’s likely you’ll have seen some worrying headlines about tube amps. For a short while, export bans from Russia looked to completely block the majority of the world’s supply of the tubes used in guitar amps. Aside from the Slovakia-based JJ Electronic, most come from Electro-Harmonix’s Russian factory, branded under the EHX name, or its various sub-brands: Tung-Sol, EH Gold, Genalex Gold Lion, Mullard, Svetlana and Sovtek. EHX has, for now, opened up tube orders again, however, tariffs will impact prices.


It’s a strangely bottle-necked supply chain that even before the war in Ukraine was showing signs of stress: Electro-Harmonix’s Mike Matthews claimed last summer that the closure of a factory in Shuguang, China was putting massive strain on both the EHX and JJ Electronic factories.

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Image: Leonid Andronov / Alamy
Enter Western Electric. Earlier this month, the Rossville, Georgia-based company outlined its plan to leverage its current tube-manufacturing plant – and its well-established expertise – to expand into manufacturing a massive range of tubes, rather than just the 300B. It also asked musicians and designers to share their thoughts on what they would want from a US-based tube factory. Safe to say, it piqued the interest of the guitar community, spreading like wildfire amongst tube-evangelists.

The planned expansion isn’t without its challenges. 80 years ago, tubes were a necessary part of the vast majority of electronics. In 2022, outside of the world of enthusiast tech like hifi and guitar amplifiers, they’re now obsolete, far surpassed in practicality by solid-state transistors. In short, the tools and parts for their manufacture just aren’t as ubiquitous as they once were.





Luckily, Western Electric is well-placed to execute such an expansion – it’s spent years modernising and refining the process of tube manufacturing for its 300B. We got in touch to know more about the company’s plans, and what hurdles it might face. Here’s what a spokesperson had to say.

What has the initial response been like to the prospect of Western Electric expanding beyond the 300B?​

“We announced our intentions to expand tube operations on 16 March. Since then we’ve heard from thousands of guitarists, amp builders, hifi enthusiasts, and concerned tube fans around the world. The reactions have been incredibly supportive.

“But what really surprised us was the speed of the responses. We simply published the page and sent it to a few industry contacts and it blew up over one weekend. The requests are still pouring in.”

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A Western Electric 300B vacuum tube. Image: Western Electric

The Western Electric 300B sits at a much higher price point than its equivalents made in Russia or China. With a potential move into guitar amplifier tubes, would you aim to cater to the premium end of the market, or compete with the more affordable offerings that are (for now) available?​

“Labour rates in the United States are much higher than in Russia or China. Additionally, the materials we use are of a higher quality. So, the price will be higher.

“For those wondering, however, our plan is not to take advantage and charge an absurd premium for new tubes.

“Regarding the WE 300B, it has no real equivalent(s). The Russian, Chinese, and other 300B replicas are different creatures all together with price points that often reflect their level of quality. We guarantee the quality of our 300B with a 5-year warranty. The last time we checked, the so-called competitor manufacturers only offered 90-day to 1-year warranties.”

Is it fair to say that the guitar amplifier market is less ‘niche’ than the premium hifi market? Would an expansion into even the high end of guitar amplifier tubes require a significant increase in production numbers?​

“After the overwhelming response from our little announcement, we know for a fact that the guitar amp crowd is massive. People are ready for higher quality, American-made tubes. We’re ready to meet that demand and increase production capacity accordingly. We have the infrastructure in place to do so.”

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?​

“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.”

Looking beyond the current uncertainty, do you think that musicians and amp makers would be better off having access to a wider range of American-made tubes?​

“Yes. American-made tubes would bring life and diversity to what’s been available for so long.”

Would you hope to lead the way for others in the hifi industry to make a similar move?​

“In the long run, we hope others do step up. Look at what’s happening with the record pressing business, with Jack White’s plea to the major music labels. It’s a big reminder that there will always be demand for analogue technology like vacuum tubes.

Image: JB / Alamy
“Because the financial and technological barriers are so high for the size of the market, we doubt major competition will arise anytime soon. At least by a manufacturer that is willing to take time and get it right.”

If Western Electric’s initial expansion is successful, would you consider opening plants outside of the US in order to remain competitive?​

“Western Electric products have been and always will be made in the USA.”

​

 

[Metroman]

With a process that’s over a century old, have there been any significant advances that have made tube manufacturing easier?​

“Our line operators are working safer and smarter than ever before. There’s a long list of things we’ve been able to modernise across our current 300B operation. Robotics, automation, and laser-welding, to name a few. We also take advantage of higher purity materials previously unavailable in the heyday of tube manufacturing.

“We’re equipped to do the same with other tubes, all while honouring the old, practised art of Western Electric manufacturing. Our customers will enjoy longer life and higher performance as a result.”

Would you need to source or create new parts for the production of guitar amplifier tubes?​

“At the same time we resumed 300B production at our new facility, the Rossville Works, we planned for expansion. The equipment is here today and ready to go online. As for sourcing materials and parts, problems will naturally arise – even with our existing reliable suppliers. We’re prepared to meet the challenge.”

Similarly, how transferable is the process of making different fittings? Each guitar amplifier tube type has a different pin formation – would this be a hurdle for the expansion?​

“We are in the throes of tooling up for various tubes, starting with the most urgently-needed, popular types.

“Guitar tube amps use two primary pin configurations, the octal (8-pin) socket and the noval (9-pin) socket. On rare occasions, the 7-pin configuration is utilised. We already stock these components. Setting up for the most popular tube types does not present as big a hurdle as one might think.”

Does the process present any environmental challenges that weren’t a concern in the 1930s? You mention that you’ve made “key updates to machinery to ensure clean, green, and safe assembly” – would these updates present challenges when tooling up for a wider range of tubes?​

“No. Every material we use is considered safe and green. Western Electric strives to meet all OSHA and EPA standards and does not use any banned substances. We sell and ship vacuum tubes every day. We hope this is enough to demystify any old wives’ tales about tube manufacturing hazards.”

 

[lespaul339]

Hell yeah! I'm glad to see that we will have some tubes made in the USA again. This is a good thing. The more tube manufacturers there are the better it is for the longevity of tube amps!

 

[Biff Maloy]

Sounds good to me and I live in Georgia.

 

[Kutt]

Assuming they actually get this off the ground successfully, I hope they take into consideration how punishing guitar amps can be compared to hi-fi home audio systems. Cranked Marshalls and tube torture chamber Fender combos are a different animal. I'll be a late adopter but God damn am I hoping they can indeed pull it off.

 

[MarshallDog]

Has anyone actually used any of these tubes in their amps and if so, how did they sound?

 

[jcm800gridlock]

A set of KT66’s and a set 6L6’s for me please.

 

[ibmorjamn]

So maybe in a couple of years this will be over , I hope so.

 

[Matthews Guitars]

If they need to obtain samples of tube types to base their designs on, I'd cheerfully send them a pair of mint STR-387s. That should be the basis for the modern 6L6 design. I'd hope someone would donate a fresh GEC KT66 to them as well, for KT66 design. For EL34s, Blackburn Mullards should be the type. Just my opinion.