In Reply to: Ralph is discontinuing the kits posted by George M on December 4, 2000 at 07:24:24:
I understand all the reasons why Ralph is discontinuing the kits - having half-assed constructions with your label on the outside can't be good for your reputation, and the point about dealers demo-ing your products then losing out to a kit sale is valid (although in my case - a fellow kit-builder persuaded me to buy the kit - no dealer was involved, and I wouldn't have spent anything on A-S if the kit were not available)The only thing I hope Ralph has thought about is the loss of the free R&D centre this group used to provide. It seems to me (looking through the archives) that quite a few of the modifications that are now standard, originated in this group. The only reason this was possible is because of the kit-builders. I can't imagine many people, having just dropped $5k on a new amp, will want to open up the box and start making changes. Building the kit forces you to learn quite a bit about tube amplifiers and leads you down a path of discovery.
So - the gene pool of this group has just been closed to new members - and with that a source of new ideas. Pity. I only hope Mark and the gang continue to do their magic.
R.I.P. - the Kit Builders.
This post is made possible by the generous support of people like you and our sponsors:
Follow Ups
- No More R&D - Nikos 08:25:39 12/18/00 (0)