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Important Information About Tubes and Tube Products:
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A Brief History Of The Tube:
In 1883, Edison discovered that electrons would flow from a suspended filament when enclosed
in an evacuated lamp. Years later, in 1905, Fleming expanded on Edison's discovery and creat-
ed the "Fleming Valve". Then, in 1907, Dr. Lee de Forest added a third component – the grid –
to the "Fleming's Valve" and the vacuum tube was a fact of life. The door to electronic amplifi-
cation was now open.
During World War II, data gleaned from their intensive research on the detectors used in radar
systems led Bell Telephone Laboratories to the invention of the transistor. This reliable little
device gained quick support as the new component for amplification. The death of the vacuum
tube seemed imminent as designers, scientists, and engineers reveled in the idea of replacing
large, fragile glass tubes with these small, solid-state devices.
However, there were (and still are) many serious listeners who realized that the sound produced
by a "transistor" amplifier is significantly different from that produced by a tube amplifier with
identical design specifications. They considered the sound produced by these new solid-state
devices to be hard, brittle, and lifeless. It was determined that solid-state devices produced a
less musical set of harmonics than tubes. When pushed past their limits, they tend to mute the
tone and emphasize the distortion.
Tubes, on the other hand, produce a more musical set of harmonics, the intensity of which can
be controlled by the player. This characteristic adds warmth and definition to the sound which
has become the hallmark of tube amplifiers. When tubes are driven into clipping, the harmonic
overtones can be both sweet and pleasing or intense and penetrating, depending on the musi-
cian’s musical taste and playing technique.
Over the years, application engineers have designed a number of outstanding solid-state ampli-
fiers that sound very, very good. Some use special circuitry which enables them to simulate the
distortion characteristics of a tube amplifier. However, the tube amplifier, still held in the highest
esteem by many musicians, offers a classic "vintage" sound in a contemporary market.