Antique Electronic Supply drifting to electric guitars?

[W1DAN]

Hi:

Looking at Antique Electronic Supply's web site after a long absence. Seems they are mostly electric guitar and amp parts instead of traditional radio stuff.

A while back I did not think they had moved over to the dark side that far.

Thoughts?

Dan

[k4kyv]

I have noticed the  same thing.  Also, their tubes used to be practically all n.o.s. US-made, sometimes military surplus.  Recently, I ordered a few small receiving tubes (6BA6 and 6AU6), and the ones I got were made in Korea.

[KA0HCP]

"Follow the money!"  Deep Throat, 1972

I got my AES Mini Catalog yesterday.  I noted the following tube description on page 1:

"Voshkod Sunrise Tubes
...The larger bottle gives this tube (12AX7VKA) a full rich tone.  Made in Russia."

Bill

[KX5JT]

I love tube guitar amps!  Dark side? 

[N0WEK]

I love tube guitar amps!  Dark side? 

\
Half way to audiophool!

When they start using wine snob language to describe tubes, it's time to beware!

[N6YW]

The parent company, CE distribution (wholesale) is who I order some of my parts from. Us builders and repair techs for guitar amplifiers are grateful for their existence. At least AES still carries some cool stuff but most of it is made in China and the NOS tubes are disappearing fast.
Ugh. Oh well, that why we hoard when we can.

[W7TFO]

Being local, I remember when it was Tempe Antique Radio & Tube Supply, run by old George Fathauer.  He sold it off, they moved, changed the name, and now are more musical amp guys than radio parts.

You used to be able to go thru the shelves, then only in a little corral and just look, now there is no more counter service.

73DG

[KX5JT]

I think we should be grateful that the tube amp market is keeping the supply going.  If it weren't for them in this day and age, the place might not even still be in business.  Supply and demand economics and let's face it, the demand for our boat anchor parts is not as high as it once was.

[W7TFO]

I agree with the support angle for NOS vendors, but I don't think it is due to less demand. 

Think less stock....we've bought it all already.

73DG

[WA3VJB]

Being local, I remember when it was Tempe Antique Radio & Tube Supply, run by old George Fathauer. 

You used to be able to go thru the shelves, then only in a little corral and just look, now there is no more counter service.

Yeah, Fathauer used to answer the phone; he had a good thing running. It seemed odd when the new people came in, very depersonalized.

Same sort of shift with Fair Radio Sales in Lima, O., both regarding NOS vacuum tube stock and "counter service," both of which have been downsized.

George and Phil Sellati (George has since passed away) would gladly host the lemmings who came to Dayton and made the 90-minute road trip north to see them.  You could walk the cluttered aisles in the old location, say what you found/want, and they'd have someone retrieve it, tag it, and sell it.  They had SO much stuff that never made it to the catalog. George, my guide one time, told me if they had less than a dozen of a given item, it was counter sales or phone queries only.

When they re-located, I heard stories of all kinds of treasure being unearthed that even the company workers didn't remember having, like an ART-13 still in the wooden crate. Just one. Brand new. Would love to have been there for that, but I also felt like the writing was on the wall.

[kg8lb]

"Radio Daze" has made some huge changes as well . Radio Daze , when last looked still covered vintage radios pretty well but they have sold off their tube stock .

[N6YW]

Many are jumping ship at the sign of the money from Asia. Ebay has changed the entire game too. Why have employees, benefits and employment insurance when you can downsize, wharehouse your stocks in a garage and post "Buy it now" in lots so the rich Koreans can hoard all of that stuff?
EVERYONE is selling out and rightfully so. We here a representative of a micro group that doesn't serve the interests of the world at large. Get used to it and enjoy what we have as long as we can because the future will slowly evaporate everything we hold dear in this hobby. As long as we can preserve our past the best we can, what we have will end up in museums so people who have no clue what radio is (was) can be entertained with a passing fancy. Sorry to be a buzz kill.
In the end, we have no one else but each other.

[W7TFO]

Welcome to the parts hoarders' club...

73DG

[N6YW]

Welcome to the parts hoarders' club...

73DG

No kidding. I have a bunch of parts and 100's of tubes for that very reason. I recycle EVERYTHING!

[The Slab Bacon]

Welcome to the parts hoarders' club...

73DG

Dennis,
          Been a charter member in good standing for many years! !    If I own it, especially if it's an older piece, you can bet the bank that I have spare parts for it! ! ! !

[KE6DF]

Also don't forget Amazon.com. They have a surprisingly large selection of vacuum tubes for sale. Also mostly targeting the audio world. Pretty good prices, also.

[Pete, WA2CWA]

Also don't forget Amazon.com. They have a surprisingly large selection of vacuum tubes for sale. Also mostly targeting the audio world. Pretty good prices, also.

I didn't see many at all when I searched Amazon using "vacuum tubes". There is a "Sponsored Link" list on the bottom but you don't need Amazon to go to any of them. I went over to TubeDepot http://www.tubedepot.com/12ax7.html?gclid=CPr0s8KnhKoCFct95QodzRHo0Q and found a 12AX7 for $1295. I'm in the wrong business. 

[KE6DF]

I didn't see many at all when I searched Amazon using "vacuum tubes".

Search on the specific tube number: 6L6, 5881, 6550, 7027a etc.

Most of them are listed in the "Musical Instruments" category.

[K5UJ]

at the hamfests here there are still lots of guys with pretty big assortments of tubes selling them.   You make up your shopping list and go.

[KX5JT]

Rob, you are right!  I still see a lot of tubes being sold at the hamfests but they are seasonal here in late winter and spring.  I've only been into the boat anchors and AM for a few years but stocking up on common tubes is a good idea and I see most AMers have quite an inventory for themselves.  Hamfests are probably still the cheapest way to go.  Ebay and QTH.com swap is handy when you need a certain tube you don't have and there's no hamfests around.

[Pete, WA2CWA]

Don't discount our own Classifieds section when you need something.

[N6YW]

Don't discount our own Classifieds section when you need something.

+++1!

[kg8lb]

 I am helping the hoarders increase the value of all the parts they are stock piling. Over the past year I have trashed hundreds of pounds of old transformers, NOS tubes , coils , variable caps , etc. Just got tired of paying for storage for the stuff .   More likely as all the hoarders die off the stuff will die with them. The gen X kiddies coming up have little interest in the old boat anchor junk. Uncle Sam will make all radio digital and the old analog stuff will be about as useful as an 8mm film movie camera.

[Detroit47]

I am helping the hoarders increase the value of all the parts they are stock piling. Over the past year I have trashed hundreds of pounds of old transformers, NOS tubes , coils , variable caps , etc. Just got tired of paying for storage for the stuff .   More likely as all the hoarders die off the stuff will die with them. The gen X kiddies coming up have little interest in the old boat anchor junk. Uncle Sam will make all radio digital and the old analog stuff will be about as useful as an 8mm film movie camera.

As a public service I'll be happy to let any of that stuff clutter up my garage.

73 N8QPC

[kg8lb]

 In the past I have given away  a lot of good, working gear,  parts, tubes even a few broadcast transmitters.  Thanks to the bottom feeding profiteers out there, we just don't do that any more . Sorry, it is far easier to fill a dumpster and a lot more satisfying  

  Pretty selective about the scrapping. Old , obscure TV tubes etc . Just stuff that no one really wants.