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Location: NJ | FENDER MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS CORP. ACQUIRES GROOVE TUBES
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. (June 2, 2008) -- Fender Musical Instruments Corporation (FMIC) announced today that it has acquired certain assets of Groove Tubes LLC. Among other assets, FMIC purchased the Groove Tubes brand. Groove Tubes company founder Aspen Pittman will continue in a consulting role.
Groove Tubes was founded in 1979 and is a long-time leader in the development of high quality amplifier tubes. The business has also grown to include development and production of microphones, accessories and other electronics.
"We are pleased to announce that Groove Tubes has joined the FMIC family of brands," said Bill Mendello, Chairman and CEO of FMIC. "Under Aspen Pittman's leadership, Groove Tubes has grown from a small business to an important, internationally respected company and we look forward to fostering even more success together."
Matt Janopaul, President and COO of FMIC added, "An important part of Fender's history revolves around tube amplifiers. The '59 Bassman and the '65 Twin Reverb are great examples of our long history of amplifier innovation that dates back to 1946. More importantly, these amps have been instrumental in shaping modern music today. FMIC will be a great steward of Groove Tubes going forward as we combine our deep experience in amp design with the service and testing capabilities that Groove Tubes and Aspen Pittman are known for."
"After 30 years building Groove Tube products for the best players in the world, I am thrilled to join Fender, the most respected player in our industry. I knew Leo personally and he inspired me as a great inventor and changed my life. I also knew and deeply respected Bill Schultz as the great leader who revitalized Fender. Now, I am both blessed and humbled by the invitation to join this incredible team where my life's work has been secured under the most favorable circumstances I could have ever imagined, like a dream come true," commented Aspen Pittman.
For more information on FMIC brands and products, visit www.fender.com and www.kamanmusic.com. |
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Location: Florida Central Gulf Coast | I misread the title and got quite excited...
I though it said 'String Tubes'... 
At least it looks like a good 'team'. |
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Location: Nashville TN. | I do not like this many eggs in one basket |
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Location: Latitude 39.56819, Longitude -105.080066 | a bit PEZamistic....eh ;) |
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Location: Scotland | Ok, now you call all start posting about Groove Tubes closing down, moving overseas, quality going down the pan...blah, blah,blah......... |
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Location: Florida Central Gulf Coast | Originally posted by Paul Templeman:
...blah, blah,blah......... cliff,
Is that you using Paul's account?  |
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Location: Boise, Idaho | Could you just post a few of those predictions, Paul, with your corresponding rant after each, and save the rest of us some time? Thanks. |
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Location: NJ | paul
goove tubes quality went down when they no longer used swr to buid their amps and swr went overseas to have boards built.
that happened at least 10 years ago.
no real experience with the newer stuff although some of the high end studio stuff peaks my interst |
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Location: NJ | So, . . . StringTubes are still independedntly-owned?? . . .
whew! . . THAT's a relief! . . . |
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Location: Michigan | Somebody has something irritating under their kilts :D GWB |
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Location: Copenhagen Denmark | Why would Fender move production of valves overseas ?...owning Groove and keeping it in USA , will enable them to obtain a steady supply , at cost effectiveness , it`s a great move on Fender`s behalf...
Vic |
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Location: NW Washington State | Originally posted by HumblePie aka Solid Top:
Why would Fender move production of valves overseas ?...owning Groove and keeping it in USA , will enable them to obtain a steady supply , at cost effectiveness , it`s a great move on Fender`s behalf...Vic Yeah, except that only a few of their tubes are actually US made. Most come from Russia or China.
I'm hoping that Fender will start new production of Compactrons and Nuvistors.
-Steve W. |
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Location: Scotland | Originally posted by numbfingers:
I'm hoping that Fender will start new production of Compactrons and Nuvistors.
-Steve W. [/QB] Highly unlikely, unless consumers are prepared to pay fortunes for tubes. The problem for tube manufacture in the West is two-fold. Firstly the market is now relatively tiny, with only guitar amps, esoteric mic preamps, boutique Hi-Fi and little else still using tubes, so the expense of tooling up would take forever to recoup. Secondly the by-products of tube manufacture are particularly toxic and disposing of them in an environmentally-friendly way is neither easy nor cheap. It's just not worth the effort when they ae readily available from Russia and China, even though quality and consistency is suspect. Are there any tube manufacturers still operating in the US? There hasn't been any in the UK for decades. |
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Location: Copenhagen Denmark | GROOVE TUBES state :
- Many feel this is the finest 6L6 tube currently made. This tube with it's majority of USA components is made on the original General Electric machines, the original tools, dies, materials and processing formulas as acquired from the liquidation for the last American tube factory in Owensboro Kentucky. Stunning clarity, and tone that is reminiscent of Carl Perkins through Jimi Hendrix... both of which mostly recorded through Fender amps in a period when they only used this tube. The most expensive (because of the the high US content) -
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Only Power -Vaves are " costly " , pre -amp valves are easily affordable .
Valves operate in a Vacuum contained in a Glass -made Envelope , the materials consists mainly of carbonized metal .( carbon/coal is a natural resource )
Valves are highly EMP resistant ,and are Voltage amplifiers , which can/is an advantage for many purposes.
In the UK , research is being done , concerning MVT " Micro Vacuum Tube " technology , imagine , something looking like a large chip , containing several small valves ( a hundred or more ).
UK valve manufacturers , ceased production due to strong competition .
PHILIPS , the Biggest of them all , has never ceased Valve production.
Vic |
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Location: Scotland | Originally posted by HumblePie aka Solid Top:
PHILIPS , the Biggest of them all , has never ceased Valve production.
Vic Phillips has never ceased importation and distribution of valves but they haven't manufactured a tube for audio use in the UK since the 70's. Phillips Cathode ray tube production went overseas maybe 20 years ago.
Production ceased not because of strong competetion, but because tube technology was all but wiped out by the transitor, which for most purposes was cheaper and more efficient. |
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Location: Capital District, NY, USA Minor Outlying Islands | EMP resistant!
If only I had known during the cold war ... I could play my guitar during a nuclear attack and not worry.
Now the cold war's been over a while, I want to get back into tube amps. Go figure. |
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Location: NW Washington State | Paul, I was kidding about the Compactrons and Nuvistors. I know it's hard to tell the silly drivel from the serious drivel.
Vic, I know about the 6L6s. My impression is that Groove Tubes is building a relatively small number of tubes in the US, using old tooling. Since US production was stopped for many years, I doubt that the Groove Tubes operation is superior to the Russian and Chinese factories that build most of their tubes. More marketing hype.
I think that UK and US manufacturers stopped tube production because they couldn't sell enough. There wasn't much competition, just no market.
EMP resistance is great if you're building a nuclear missile. I wonder if our dealer in New Jersey has a stash of Red Bank tubes?
-Steve W. |
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Location: Copenhagen Denmark | P T :
Production ceased not because of strong competetion, but because tube technology was all but wiped out by the transitor, which for most porposes was cheaper and more efficient.
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If that was so , then Valve -production would have ceased to exist , instead , Valve -production has INCREASED !!
The transistor came into being , in order to fullfill a need to amplify small currents , usefull in low Voltage/Low current appliances , Radio , TV ,Computer and the like , it has replaced , for a large part , the valve in those area`s .
Philips never manufactured valves in UK , that was the MULLARD valve Company .
The very one that invented the KT-66 on which D T Williamson ( Engineer employed at Mullard`s ) based the Very First " High Fidelity " Amplifier , that would have been in 1949
Phlips has never imported any valves , they do , however stamp different names onto them ..SIEMENS ( Germany ) = PHILIPS...Philips/POPE/b&o is stamped onto valves made in Eindhoven .
Vic |
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Location: NW Washington State | Originally posted by HumblePie aka Solid Top:
If that was so , then Valve -production would have ceased to exist , instead , Valve -production has INCREASED !! Audio tube production in the U.S. and Europe did cease. We're lucky that the Russians and Chinese were still making tubes, and that companies like Groove Tubes and New Sensor were around to encourage them.
Audio tube production is up recently, but the industry is nowhere near what it was when every radio and TV was full of tubes.
Tubes are fun, they can sound good, they're dinosaurs.
-Steve W. |
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Location: Copenhagen Denmark | numbfingers :
PHILIPS HQ is based in Eindhoven - Netherlands - Europe , ..SIEMENS / PHILIPS is in Germany - Europe , Svetlana and Sovtek are based in RUSSIA - Europe , NEVER ceased production of valves ( audio / Transmitter ) who do you think taught the Chinese ( Shu-Guang ) to build valves.. :)
an4340 :
Electro Magnetic Pulse can be generated by sources , other than nuclear , once ( I can n`t remember when ..60`ies ? ) a Russian pilot defected , flew his fighter -plane to Japan , where western officials examined his bird , only to discover that it`s electronics were valve -driven , initially they were baffled by the " low -grade " technology , they soon understood , that it`s electronics were capable to withstand a bolt of lightning , something semi -conductors ( nuvistor , transistor , thyristor, J -fet , mos -fet etc. ) could NOT cope with... unless heavily shielded , yet , even so.. :)
Vic |
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Location: NW Washington State | Vic-
OK, Western Europe.
A nuvistor is a tube, not solid state :)
-Steve W. |
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Location: Copenhagen Denmark | Originally posted by numbfingers:
Vic-
OK, Western Europe.
A nuvistor is a tube, not solid state :)
-Steve W. ..standing in the corner with the " donkey-ear paper hat " with lobster sheen on my face ...bububut i meant to say , I was ,I was ...Aus Aus..ahbaba... :D
Vic |
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Location: Florida Central Gulf Coast | As the western world was going to solid state, the USSR was putting their rubles into miniaturizing vacuum tubes due to the lack of our technology/resource and the old regime's desire to keep their positions within the system (make no waves).
I was briefed on Victor Belenko's defection and the prize of a MiG-25 shortly after the subsequent analysis.
BTW, those Red Star special purpose radar 'valves' could fry a rabbit at 200 meters. Granted they were more in the line of magnetrons, etc. Nonetheless, our investigators were astounded.
So the tube technology has advanced but not with the necessary market to push new developments. Besides there are limits as to what electrons can do in the 'vast' distance twix the cathode and anode in a 'valve'. |
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Location: Copenhagen Denmark | Ah , IFFY , you`re talking TETRODES now , you never cease to AMAZE me , ...not bad for a punk -kid of 17 plus 44...
..and You were briefed..Hot Damn !!
..More grids , higher precision..
Every day , I realize how little we know..
So many Hills to climb..still far away from that rainbow..
Vic |
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Location: Florida Central Gulf Coast | Vic,
It's that 44 that's hard to recollect in any detail. 
Phantastrons, cyclotrons (not the newer nuclear ones), TWTs of all exotic origins... A bit to radical for amps, eh? Damn, I miss the Electronic Countermeasures arena!
Now phased array speakers would be interesting... 
How ya doing on those amp projects? |
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Location: Copenhagen Denmark | Still Plodding...still plodding...Slow..but sure..
Vic |
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Location: Colorado Rocky Mountains | Interesting discussion. I have four tube amps, three of which are Fender, and because they all have Groove tubes, I always presumed that the the two companies were already connected. I had a '66 Bandmaster amp head completely cleaned and all the components reset to the original factory specs by a leading tech here in Denver. When I picked it up, he handed me a bag of tubes and caps he had removed and said not to lose these as they are all original from 1966 and still working (just not to factory spec). I've also observed that a good old tube amp just seems to have less feedback issues than the modern solid state models. Could just be the positioning within the bandroom, though. |
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fender buys groove tubes