Is this the end of the tube amp?

  • Thread starter Thread starter LP Freak
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Isn't TAD out of Germany? I didn't watch the whole video, but the bit I did watch he only mentioned China and Russia as if there were only 2 shops that made tubes.
 
Without new tube amp designs, what will you have to profile?

If everyone switches to profilers, we'll be stuck with the same tones we have now, forever.

Devil’s advocate: The tone is in your hands
 
2020 and 2021 were the best-earning calendar years in many gear company histories. Obviously due to a global pandemic forcing people from going out and instead into new hobbies, but still, there's definitely going to be some retention. Not everyboby who got into guitar then is going to fling everything back onto craigslist and forget about it.

If there's a demand, there will be a supplier. If any tube makers are still around and producing at all (like JJ), and the word is that they're months or even years behind due to demand outweighing supply, that's basically a world-wide advertising campaign for people to get into the business of providing.
 
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I remember this all happened in 08' when the first AxeFx came out.. look where we are ??
 
Usual YouTube suspects pimping the FEAR. ITS A TUBE APOCALYPSE. Nothing like freaking people out.

Been a tube manufacturing issue for decades. From good to mediocre to will do production.

If you have a large tube amp collection and haven’t had extra tubes for it by now you ain’t been paying attention.

Hopefully the Ukraine thing will get resolved soon.
 
So because russian made tubes are not available it means the end of tube amps? Like suddenly slovakian and chinese manufacturers just disappeared overnight.


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I didn't watch the video but a short-term scare / shortage is usually not enough to kill off an entire industry. JJ will boost production or prices (likely both) until the Russians are back on track and the Chinese have regrouped. Panicking and catastrophising is for the short-sighted, or for those with an agenda - like getting views on Youtube.
 
Tubes aint going anywhere until the EU Commission reaches their final form. Then we're fucked. But that is at least 3 months away, we still gots time!!
 
And I just sold my Axe FX III. It was a really good device, but I couldn't make myself jump ship or leave my amps behind. And it was a pretty expensive box to have just sat there not doing anything most of the time.
 
The Chinese Shuguang factory shut down.

The company still exists and they are still selling tubes on Taobao (domestic Aliexpress basically) with a small price hike (much smaller than what you see from overseas resellers). Not entirely sure on the factory situation at the moment.

PSVANE supposedly have their own factory but I guess they don't crank out enough tubes and they are more expensive in the first place. I've bought some but haven't tried them yet.
 
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