I bought a SE-40 second hand about 3-4 years ago and have not had any reliability problems with it, but I have heard that some people did have problems with GTA products. For a long time it was difficult to get a schematic for the SE-40, but I've seen schematics being sold on Ebay. The only time I've had a problem with the SE-40 is when I biased it. The first time I tried a blew a tube, but that was my fault not the amps. Biasing these amps can be a little tricky. With all that said, they really are great sounding amps. I was using mine with a passive pre and a pair of Triangle Titus speakers. Within it's limitations it was an excellent sounding, fairly inexpensive system.
Reliability of Golden Tube amps....
Are golden tube still in business? My local dealer mentioned reliability problems when they carried the line...any thoughts? I have seen a number of their low-watt intergrated amps going for cheap on this site...