Don't support Western Electric: shameless warranty runarounds

Discussion in 'Tales from the Bully Pulpit' started by purr1n, Mar 27, 2023.

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Should Marv make his first official SBAF YouTube video on this experience?

  1. Hell ya

    91.5%
  2. Na, let them slide

    8.5%
  1. internethandle

    internethandle Almost "Made"

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    Yeah that's legit of him. The real potential for abuse here is with people reselling these things without mentioning their origin/status. Seems shitty of Rossville to not get more involved with communicating about the release of these B stock lots, if only to help prevent this kind of thing from happening.
     
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  2. joch

    joch Friend

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    While I wouldn't pay the "A" stock price, the B stock as sold by TD are not much more expensive than the lower end offerings. It's probably worth a try to see if these are good enough for the fraction of the cost.

    Does anybody know if the Studio B need any adjustment on the bias, and if so how does one go about it?
     
  3. Souldriver

    Souldriver Almost "Made"

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    I mean, there is no bias knob or pot that i know of on the amp. I just dont know how out of spec it would self bias to.
     
  4. wbass

    wbass Friend

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    I could be tempted, too. Is the big downside of these out-of-spec tubes that, in a self-biasing amp, they'll provide less power than usual? With a headphone amp driving sensitive HP, that's maybe not a huge issue?
     
  5. internethandle

    internethandle Almost "Made"

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    Seems like a good question for @atomicbob
     
  6. Souldriver

    Souldriver Almost "Made"

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    Each to their own, but i would say if youre asking those questions I wouldnt chance it unless you have the amp builder or a tech that knows the circuit wrote off on it being ok. And to be clear, i do not know or pretend to know either.

    I could see these being great for someone in DIY wanting to build a 300b amp for a reasonable price.
     
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  7. wbass

    wbass Friend

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    My AES (Cary) 300B speaker amp can adjust bias, so that might work better in this case. Hmm.
     
  8. penguins

    penguins Friend, formerly known as fp627

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    And to think all of this could have been avoided with some kind of imprint, stamp, or marking on the tube base. Or some kind of ink at the very least. ex a B and down arrow or B and up arrow for low / high, etc. Probably wouldn't have cost much time or effort to do this either...
     
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  9. ogodei

    ogodei Friend

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    Print on glass would be removed.

    The 'B' brand on the base is good as far as it goes and better than I expected. If people know enough to ask. And Im sure the info will get out there quickly.

    At the price they're offering matched sets and quads these are probably a bargain though. I have two pairs of 300B PSET monoblocks to feed, I may buy them and consider them disposables.
     
  10. atomicbob

    atomicbob dScope Yoda

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    I would not trust using the WE out-of-spec tubes in amplifiers designed for in-spec 300B tubes. There is a reason engineers have design specifications. Marketing out-of-spec tubes as B-stock is a bad idea in my mind. Proceed at your own risk.
     
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  11. Thad E Ginathom

    Thad E Ginathom Friend

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    Western Electric: I guess they aren't selling any locomotives these days. Who, in their right mind would buy! o_O
     

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