Western Electric surveying market for (domestic?) mfg. of other tube types?

Great news. Let's hope it happens. GE could also export them and provide stability.

The broader question here is as a country should we only be dealing with other like minded democracies? It might not stop supply issues altogether, but it certainly would mitigate the risk.

@Dweller said: "I put this bug in their ear a few years ago. Asked why they wouldn’t produce other kinds of tubes. Hope they listened. I’d like to see them make a Russian military-grade 6H30-DR tube."

I made the same request. I use old stock DR variants, currently a quad made in the late ’70s. Given the fairly common use of this tube in ARC, BAT, I would think there should be more options. True old DR 6H30s are not only expensive but hard to find. I have the Veloce 2.0 line stage with all the current upgrades- I hear a considerable difference between these old tubes and current Russian production.

This is not something that is going to happen overnight, but long run, would be nice.

I gather some folks that use the tube do not hear as pronounced a difference, but it may be how it is deployed in the circuit.

WE is beta testing in Canada. It's not for public release but has been shared on SH Forum.

Domestic production with high level QC?

Yes please. Make mine 12AU7s, 6922s, EL34s, and KT88s.

When I lived in Indianapolis I drove past the site where the old WE plant was located.   There is still open land there.  It would be cool to see them return to that site.