Western Electric

Bob Boyer

Bob Boyer

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Apr 24, 2013
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For years now, I've driven past a non-descript, yellow brick four-story office building with a bank on the first floor in Rossville, Ga, just over the state line from Chattanooga, going back and forth from the kids' houses in Chickamauga and Flintstone. Kept wondering why Western Electric's logo would be on the side of the building. Thought they had gone out of business long ago and their tubes were all NOS and very pricey. Turns out, they've been making their 300b tubes and their award-winning single-ended 91 E tube amp in my back yard for years. Coulda knocked me over with a feather. May have to go see about a tour. Not sure I can afford the amp but I'd sure like to hear it; never listened to an SET before.

Not only made in 'Murica, but in my hometown. Kinda cool.

https://www.westernelectric.com/
 
Vintage 700b

Vintage 700b

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Wisconsin
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Fabricator
#3
Bob Boyer said:
For years now, I've driven past a non-descript, yellow brick four-story office building with a bank on the first floor in Rossville, Ga, just over the state line from Chattanooga, going back and forth from the kids' houses in Chickamauga and Flintstone. Kept wondering why Western Electric's logo would be on the side of the building. Thought they had gone out of business long ago and their tubes were all NOS and very pricey. Turns out, they've been making their 300b tubes and their award-winning single-ended 91 E tube amp in my back yard for years. Coulda knocked me over with a feather. May have to go see about a tour. Not sure I can afford the amp but I'd sure like to hear it; never listened to an SET before.

Not only made in 'Murica, but in my hometown. Kinda cool.

https://www.westernelectric.com/
Click to expand...
There is a lot of history there. A tour would be really interesting.
In your hometown as well, I understand the "Coulda knocked me over with a feather. " comment !
The pictures of the gals inspecting the 300-B internals says it all. 1942 and 2020
Thanks for posting this Bob.
Western-Electric-Hawthorne-Works.jpg Western-Electric-Factory.jpg
 
e30m3mon

e30m3mon

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Hudson Valley NY
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FredR said:
$13,500 and up.
Click to expand...
It would be a very cool full-circle story for WE if they're successful with this offering. Probably one of the oldest names in US-based consumer electronics. When you think about so many brands that have faded into dust...Zenith, RCA, others ... WE is still out there - and making tubes. Who would have thought those dinosaurs would spike all these years later.

Hard to say how much demand there is in a high-end price point integrated amp, given how the word "monoblock" has become sexy. But hey, I'm just a pauper with a soldering iron.

Way out of my price range!
 
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George S.

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Check out some of that old vintage Western Electric wire on eBay that's being repurposed for speaker wire. Crazy prices! Lots of esoteric claims in the descriptions.
 
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