Brent Jesse rebirth?

I heard someone say that tube’s days are numbered because the guitar and bass players are moving to class D amplification. I think it may have been Ralph Karsten of Atmaspere at this year’s Axpona. I have a tube amp in service and several more that I would like to bring on line. 

I hear @atmasphere say that a couple of times. That would seem to free up the tube supply for two channel audio, at first glance. I suppose his point was that the professional downturn in demand will cause tube companies to go out of business? Have I got that logic right, Ralph? So all that will be left will be the remaining supply that guitar and other pro applications don't need? And that the tube makers will now be only boutique and/or very expensive?

I can't quite figure out why tubes will be going away or getting scarce on Ralph's reasoning but am interested to learn.

@inagroove, in a sense...yes. The new owner, Jon Oas, has posted on Jesse’s old site his intentions, and he is in the process of transferring everything to his new site...which he is still working on.
I hope he is able to get it up and running soon, and I’m certain that it will be a secure site, just like Jesse’s. 

Sorry for the confusion. 

I suppose his point was that the professional downturn in demand will cause tube companies to go out of business? Have I got that logic right, Ralph? So all that will be left will be the remaining supply that guitar and other pro applications don't need? And that the tube makers will now be only boutique and/or very expensive?

I can't quite figure out why tubes will be going away or getting scarce on Ralph's reasoning but am interested to learn.

@hilde45 you have the reasoning right. Guitar amps are 90% of the global tube market and have been for decades.  The war in Ukraine has not helped as it has caused tube prices to increase quite a lot recently. Right now its not too much of an issue, but even in high end remains the simple question of what if a solid state amp comes along and sounds better than the tube competition?

I enjoy tubes quite a lot. I like to devise circuits for them and build projects, just for the fun of it. Its made me keenly aware that some of the appeal of tubes has an artisan quality about it. 

@atmasphere 

Right now its not too much of an issue, but even in high end remains the simple question of what if a solid state amp comes along and sounds better than the tube competition?

Thank you. This helps me see there are two distinct rationales for developing new types of amplifier -- one is the possible tube shortages and the other is the potential for amplifiers that are more energy efficient, easier to maintain, and perhaps more amenable to a wider set of speakers while sounding as good. I suppose the "as good" part will have to include "as good and tube-like" for those of us that like tubes, but I suppose there can be a lot of ways to accomplish that. My Pass XA-25 already proves it's possible.

@hilde45 Yes. If there was a robust manufacturing of the SIT transistors, not just power transistors but also signal transistors, we'd have seen tubes vanish long ago as SITs have triode linearity and even soft clipping. 

Fortunately class D has come far enough that it can do quite well when compared to a good class A tube amp. Or class A solid state for that matter.