"No More Russian Vacuum Tubes in 2022"

[Phil_S]

What are they thinking? No way to know for sure. I'll venture a guess. Remember Peavey's "transtube" solid state amps. It was a marketing feat of colossal importance <not>. I think the answer lies in marketing fibs. Without choices, people we declare the latest SS amp sounds <positive adjective of your choice> or, for the truly discriminating <not-so-nice word of your choice>.

[Draal]

Welp, I guess that tube reverb build will be on hold for me. I'll play surf in the tub for now.

[xtian]

Man, I loaded my cart full of JJ tubes at cedist.com on Saturday, then sent an email asking for a quantity discount...didn't hear back until this morning, "no." Ok, no problem, I'll order anyway... ... ... totally out of stock on JJ tubes now.

#feelingstupid

[professormudd]

"Great Price" my ass...

[Thermionic/EL-34]

"Great Price" my ass...

A quad of the same JJ's was $80 bucks a week ago.

[martin manning]

See "toilet paper," above.

[bcmatt]

I'm just not sure how fatalistic to be about all this. Is there much hope that tube supplies will bounce back? I watched Rhett Shull's youtube video about it and gotta say it was very depressing. He mentions that major manufacturers like Fender have cut amp production in half. With the popularity of digital modellers and many young guitar players having never even experienced playing through a real tube amp, is it really all over?

There seems to be less and less demand for actual tubes, and I don't know if us guitarists will constitute enough of a market to justify the factories. I was really hoping it would die out in more of a way that would decrease the demand before the tubes ran out, leaving me with lots of cheap tubes that no one else wanted. Now I am trying to figure out how to keep my own personal amps tubed... in a sort of post-apocalyptic rationing sort of way.

4 of my personal amps run with VVR installed, which really preserves tube-life quite impressively. 2 of them run quads of EL84s (DC30 and Liverpool) and I have one extra quad. I should be good there for a number of years. I don't think I have a spare pair of 6V6s for my 5e3... so I hope the low plate voltages make the current pair last forever.

I should maybe pull out a couple of 6L6s from my SSS and keep it as a half-power amp. I'm thinking of doing the same with my Modded Traynor with a quad of Vintage Mullard 6Ca7s. 2 of them would make a good backup for my Express. I also have a spare quad of used Kt88s that maybe I should put in there and save all the Mullards to keep my Express going longer.

My YBA-3 runs an old quad of Phillips EL-34s.... but for bass, I am more inclined to keep them all in to maintain the power. I am inclined to be really stingy with its use though.

For those of you with tubes to spare, I'm inclined to believe there may be some great deals on tube-less tube amps coming on the market in the coming days.

God, I sure hope these factories get going again.

I mean most of all I'm hoping the Russian people are able to somehow overthrow Putin and stop all his killing and destruction. I'd honestly give up all my tube amps to see that happen and peace restored ...if it would help at all.

[Matthews Guitars]

JJ will crank out tubes at their full production rate. If they aren't running 3 shifts, or even 2, they will probably add those shifts as soon as they can train up enough skilled workers to make that a practical reality.

I don't think the Russian-Ukrainian war will last very long no matter what happens. (I'm rooting for the Ukrainians without a doubt.) After it's over, the restrictions will start easing fairly soon because Russia will need the money they can make off their tax share of EH's tube business. And everywhere else they can bring in some income. Russia will be plowing many billions of dollars into Ukraine to rebuild it whether it's reparations to be paid if they lose or to rebuild a working country for their own use if they win. Either way they're going to be spending huge amounts of money to rebuild Ukraine.

Plus there's also the Great British Valve Project, which as of now I suspect is probably working to start up some meaningful tube production in England with an increased sense of urgency. This situation is likely to increase the number of people who are willing to volunteer to help get their production moving. (And when it becomes a viable concern, hire them.)

The owners of the Chinese Shuguang tube factory are now probably looking at bumping up their timeline to get the factory back into operation as well. The future for any operating tube factory will look very bright for some time to come. It's raining money, they just need to drag out their buckets.

Personally my own tube stash is broad and deep. I've got enough that I could afford to sell some. That, despite the fact that I own about ten tube amps right now.

[martin manning]

He mentions that major manufacturers like Fender have cut amp production in half. With the popularity of digital modellers and many young guitar players having never even experienced playing through a real tube amp, is it really all over?

There seems to be less and less demand for actual tubes, and I don't know if us guitarists will constitute enough of a market to justify the factories.

That remains to be seen, I guess. There has been a clear trend away from the higher wattage amps over the past few years, and similarly towards preamp-ony amps, in rack or pedal format, to be used with DAW's for home recording. Tubes play a prominent role in the later, so the unique sound they bring is still desirable. The number of new-made types had been increasing, but perhaps that trend will level off. Production of niche market Hi-Fi triodes has managed to survive, as noted above.

[Thermionic/EL-34]

JJ will crank out tubes at their full production rate. If they aren't running 3 shifts, or even 2, they will probably add those shifts as soon as they can train up enough skilled workers to make that a practical reality.

I don't think the Russian-Ukrainian war will last very long no matter what happens. (I'm rooting for the Ukrainians without a doubt.) After it's over, the restrictions will start easing fairly soon because Russia will need the money they can make off their tax share of EH's tube business. And everywhere else they can bring in some income. Russia will be plowing many billions of dollars into Ukraine to rebuild it whether it's reparations to be paid if they lose or to rebuild a working country for their own use if they win. Either way they're going to be spending huge amounts of money to rebuild Ukraine.

Plus there's also the Great British Valve Project, which as of now I suspect is probably working to start up some meaningful tube production in England with an increased sense of urgency. This situation is likely to increase the number of people who are willing to volunteer to help get their production moving. (And when it becomes a viable concern, hire them.)

The owners of the Chinese Shuguang tube factory are now probably looking at bumping up their timeline to get the factory back into operation as well. The future for any operating tube factory will look very bright for some time to come. It's raining money, they just need to drag out their buckets.

Personally my own tube stash is broad and deep. I've got enough that I could afford to sell some. That, despite the fact that I own about ten tube amps right now.

Pipe dream. none of that is ever going to happen sorry.

[Basslice]

Supply and demand. This is not exactly a new subject (death of tubes). People make them and will continue as long as there is a market. If demand is low, prices will go up. Right now, you have a bunch of nervous Nellies and speculators that went out and bought up all stock like toilet paper hoarders. I am sure most of these tubes are already appearing on ebay for ridiculous prices. Once people realize that not much had really changed other than panic buying things will get back to last month's normal (which wasn't great, but people are making these things). Russians (being Russian) will figure out how to smuggle their tubes out through China or other "friends". It might take a while but things will rebalance.

I am rebuilding a Fender Twin and had bought 4 JJ 6L6GCs last week from TubeDepot for no other reason that I needed them. I got them, but didn't realize that I beat the hoarders by only a day or so...

[Synchu]

This was more short-lived than usual...
The below was posted a few moments ago in one of the tube related Facebook groups...

Attention All EHX Tube Customers

The export restriction on Russian tubes has been resolved for now. We are accepting new orders, processing backorders, and hoping to resume shipping in April. Priority will be given to the oldest orders.

Considering various economic pressures, we must raise our wholesale prices. This price increase, to be announced separately, will apply to all back- and new orders. Also, there will likely be a further price increase once the U.S. implements heightened tariffs against Russian goods.

You can cancel any backorder, but we do not recommend this; there is a tremendous shortage of tubes.

Mike Matthews"

Niki

[martin manning]

Cha-Ching!

[Reeltarded]

Resolved? Uhh.. I just saw a rocket attack kill two cars full of women and children. Seriously?

Resolved. No. I'd rather not play.

[Thermionic/EL-34]