RCA tubes back in USA production?

[Lewguitar]

Re: RCA tubes back in USA production?

I will believe it when I see it but seems someone is trying to make it happen!
http://www.rchlabs.com/
BIG NEWS FOR TUBE LOVERS
Liz Hare and her son have formed RCH labs with the purchase of the old RCA tube factory in Mound House Nevada

(along with the original designs) and is now making new tubes from the old designs but with modern improvements

like laser cutters to make them even better and more reliable.

New Blackplates!
Looks interesting but will they be outlandishly expensive is the question?
Right now looks like they are going after the high end audiophile market so--.

Hope it's true. I'm going to run out of NOS RCA long blackplates in another 20 years or so. :lmao:

(I really do hope it's true and that the quality is as good as the new old stock I've been hoarding.)

 

[misterwhizzy]

Re: RCA tubes back in USA production?

Speculate... Speculate... Speculate. It's been fifty years. A couple more won't kill us.

 

[Ascension]

Re: RCA tubes back in USA production?

Speculate... Speculate... Speculate. It's been fifty years. A couple more won't kill us.

Not speculation that they are up and running + have product out that is being built in the USA. Quality and price is what has yet to be seen but it's fact that it's happening.

 

[Edgecrusher]

Re: RCA tubes back in USA production?

Not speculation that they are up and running + have product out that is being built in the USA. Quality and price is what has yet to be seen but it's fact that it's happening.

A few prototypes is far from "Up and running" When they have a steady supply on the shelves it wont be speculation.

 

[VanR]

Re: RCA tubes back in USA production?

I assume that shot was fired at me...:nono:

You know what they say about assuming. I don't even know you. My post was just in general.

 

[Myaccount876]

Re: RCA tubes back in USA production?

Your right and the market is getting smaller. Tubes are a old fashioned tech and tech has moved on and advanced since the 50's. Is their really a NEED for tubes in this day and age besides the audio market?

HAM radios are one. Not exactly our idea of the typical "audio market".

 

[BloodRose]

Re: RCA tubes back in USA production?

GT tried this years ago, when they brought back the GE 6L6GC's and 6CA7's, they at first were making them in their factory here in the San Fernando Valley, but soon moved production to China (Shuguang as I recall), because of all the modern regulations they were hit with making them here in the US. If the RCA story is true, I bet the same thing will happen with them.

Al

Shame how the govt red tape chokes out so many things here. Its like they are purposely driving things overseas. Id think they would open up some to allow US industries to thrive

 

[BloodRose]

Re: RCA tubes back in USA production?

Hope it's true. I'm going to run out of NOS RCA long blackplates in another 20 years or so. :lmao:

(I really do hope it's true and that the quality is as good as the new old stock I've been hoarding.)

Hidden in a vault, DEEP inside the mountains of Colorado???

 

[zzmoore]

Re: RCA tubes back in USA production?

GT tried this years ago, when they brought back the GE 6L6GC's and 6CA7's, they at first were making them in their factory here in the San Fernando Valley, but soon moved production to China (Shuguang as I recall), because of all the modern regulations they were hit with making them here in the US. If the RCA story is true, I bet the same thing will happen with them.

Al

They never made any tubes here. It was all marketing...a scam, Even Myles and Aspen finally let the truth out.

 

[Zombiwoof]

Re: RCA tubes back in USA production?

They never made any tubes here. It was all marketing...a scam, Even Myles and Aspen finally let the truth out.

I read an account of someone who had gone to the GT factory when they were first started making the GE6L6 reissue tubes, and they had an assembly line set up there to make the tubes. It was only for a short time, then they contracted with Shuguang to make them. The guy was there to buy some tubes (they used to let people buy straight from the factory back then), and got to tour the facility. He actually saw them making the tubes there. I live here in the San Fernando Valley, where GT was located (before the Fender buy-out), and have had a couple of friends who worked there, one of which was close friends with Aspen (the owner). It would have been too difficult and expensive to continue making them in the US, which was their original intention, because of modern EPA regulations. They basically would have had to do extensive renovation of the factory to meet the regulations, moving production to China was a more viable option. GT had acquired GE machinery and some original tube parts from the old GE company, other parts they had to have made to the old specs to make the tubes. They also started making a short-lived reissue of the GE version of the 6CA7 tube, I don't know if it even made it to the market before GT sold out to Fender. It was Aspen's dream to revive the American-made tubes, that was killed by the modern regulations that made it too expensive to accomplish.
Western Electric actually was making some new audio tubes for a while (don't know if they still are making them) in the U.S., they made a 300B (for the audiophile market), and the GEC KT88. The KT88's cost something like $400 a pair, that's some indication of the cost of making tubes in the U.S. in modern times. They already had the facility set up to make the tubes, as they had continued to make broadcast tubes, and still the cost was extremely high. I recall that they had plans to make new 6L6GC's, but that apparently never happened.

Al

 

[GuitarStv]

Re: RCA tubes back in USA production?

Shame how the govt red tape chokes out so many things here. Its like they are purposely driving things overseas. Id think they would open up some to allow US industries to thrive

Some of the red tape exists for a reason.

Air quality caused by industrial pollution in Beijing between this and last year brought about conditions similar to living in a nuclear winter:

 

[zzmoore]

Re: RCA tubes back in USA production?

I would say you are probably 100% correct.
My point was, or should have been, that when people were buying GT tubes with the GE nomenclature (I bought some 6L6...I thought they were pretty good) ...they were under the impression that GT was cranking out these tubes in the USA...and that was never the case.
Also of note is the fact that "The EPA" has standards for a reason....none of those regulations come down on Tubes any harder than any other toxic industry.
You ever read the MSDS for a gallon of Latex House Paint.? You would never put the stuff in your home if you saw what was in there.
best