Quote Originally Posted by Richard View Post
I did none of those things it is your paranoia.

Rants have a nature and an energy of their own, in a way they is a bit like a non musical Rap. I didn't asked to be shown things and I never said you only produce things by modding. You are obviously a very sensitive young man, just have losts of rest and stop taking things so personally. I am only interested in personally attacking the slurp triumverate of retailers / magazines and reviewers / marketing men.

Back to your points, you may well be right, my guess was just that. Anway AFAIK Russia and China are the only new source of these components. In my estimate of imported Chinese valve amps all I have to go on are comments in the forums, and the major complaints are about transformers and bottles and a milder one about PCBs.

All I am saying is that if someone is interested in a valve amp the no brainer is to buy it direct from China via ebay and if not happy pass it on at ebay or get the likes of you (and many many others) to mod, or learn to use a soldering iron and join one of the DIY forums, valve amps are just so simple and perfectly suited to DIY buggering around with, as long as there is some common sense about the voltages involved. Anyone who pays the daft prices these things end up at if not sold direct are just that - daft!
there you go then!
richard has spoken yet again, and of course he is talking perfect sense as usual, marco, steve,etc, i will teach you how to solder, then acording to him who must be obeyed, you can mod your own amps!