Telecaster Guitar Forum - View Single Post - Wonder when vacuum tubes will go the way of film

scooteraz · July 3rd, 2009, 03:56 AM

Well, film is not dead. Only Kodachrome. C-41 and E-6 process films (color negative and color reversal processes, respectively) are still being made in abundance. And the processes are well understood, and can be accomplished by the serious amateur (that was not true of Kodachrome, and the K-14 process). Both Kodak and Fuji make these films in a variety of formats. The reason for that is, as Ken Rockwell says, film is still loved. For certain applications, nothing beats film (landscape, the kind of photography that used to be in the Arizona Highways magazines, etc).

Tube applications are pretty rare these days. The Soviets did use tubes in some of their military hardware long after the US had converted to solid state for comm, sensor (think radar) and fire control systems. This was indeed because tubes were more resistant to EMP. We have supposedly learned how to harden our SS electronics against EMP, and certainly there are very few to no tubes in the digital systems that are coming off the military lines today. Way too much digital data for tubes to be of much use. In fact, the fact that there are so very many NOS tubes around is due to left over military stock being liquidated in the 1980s.

Tubes are still loved because the amps are simple (really, look at a tube amp circuit vs. a transistor amp), they are well understood and of course, the way they clip vs. a bipolar transistor. However, there are other transistors out there, and they clip more like tubes. And some folks are trying to make simpler triode amps using FETs in the stereo world (Pass Labs has several circuits on their website) that may could be the basis for a very nice analog semiconductor amp. But even so, most guitarists, harmonica players and some stereophiles swear buy tubes.

As far as tone, B.B. King played a solid state amp for years. Including a lot of time after the amps in question were no longer in production. Nobody seemed to think his tone was awful. Roland has made several relatively high power solid state amps that have a following. And of course, any number of metal bands have used solid state amps for the fact that they clip hard. Currently, there is even at least one boutique SS amp maker that I know of, Pritchard Amps A friend of mine has one, and he loves it (and it does sound good). But, as long a there is a demand for thermionic valves, even if in a niche market, there will be some tubes being made.

Of course, if Fractal is right, then about the time they double the horsepower of their current modeling device, and halve the price, tubes may be a thing only for hobbyists and museums.

July 3rd, 2009, 03:56 AM	#44 (permalink)
scooteraz Tele-Afflicted Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Peoria, AZ Posts: 1,425	Well, film is not dead. Only Kodachrome. C-41 and E-6 process films (color negative and color reversal processes, respectively) are still being made in abundance. And the processes are well understood, and can be accomplished by the serious amateur (that was not true of Kodachrome, and the K-14 process). Both Kodak and Fuji make these films in a variety of formats. The reason for that is, as Ken Rockwell says, film is still loved. For certain applications, nothing beats film (landscape, the kind of photography that used to be in the Arizona Highways magazines, etc). Tube applications are pretty rare these days. The Soviets did use tubes in some of their military hardware long after the US had converted to solid state for comm, sensor (think radar) and fire control systems. This was indeed because tubes were more resistant to EMP. We have supposedly learned how to harden our SS electronics against EMP, and certainly there are very few to no tubes in the digital systems that are coming off the military lines today. Way too much digital data for tubes to be of much use. In fact, the fact that there are so very many NOS tubes around is due to left over military stock being liquidated in the 1980s. Tubes are still loved because the amps are simple (really, look at a tube amp circuit vs. a transistor amp), they are well understood and of course, the way they clip vs. a bipolar transistor. However, there are other transistors out there, and they clip more like tubes. And some folks are trying to make simpler triode amps using FETs in the stereo world (Pass Labs has several circuits on their website) that may could be the basis for a very nice analog semiconductor amp. But even so, most guitarists, harmonica players and some stereophiles swear buy tubes. As far as tone, B.B. King played a solid state amp for years. Including a lot of time after the amps in question were no longer in production. Nobody seemed to think his tone was awful. Roland has made several relatively high power solid state amps that have a following. And of course, any number of metal bands have used solid state amps for the fact that they clip hard. Currently, there is even at least one boutique SS amp maker that I know of, Pritchard Amps A friend of mine has one, and he loves it (and it does sound good). But, as long a there is a demand for thermionic valves, even if in a niche market, there will be some tubes being made. Of course, if Fractal is right, then about the time they double the horsepower of their current modeling device, and halve the price, tubes may be a thing only for hobbyists and museums.