On the subject of VTS.
I’ve had so many pleasurable dealings with this man over the years, and he has found me, and so many other people, some of the BEST vacuum tubes ever.
He will share ideas, passionate love of the hobby, the music and valuable knowledge, but he simply doesn’t talk crap with you. And his wisdom and no nonsense approach often leads folks to believe he must be much much older then he is.
Just one of so many examples. One time, some two years after Andy and I had another conversation at length about tube rolls, this time, for my Aesthetix Rhea phono pre and about the importance of that first gain stage character. I wind up with a box in the mail from up state, Rockford Michigan.
Our conversation had gone something like this; if I had anything on my wish list it was that I was curious if a quad of NOS Harleen Amperex Bugle Boys, hand picked by Mr. Bouwman would add their little sparkle to the mix. We had tried the “go to” Telefunken smooth plates in the first gain stage and they were marvelous. Linear as heck, top to bottom, and not at all dry in this circuit. But I was curious.
Well, I open the box and find a handwritten receipt that says “upon your approval” and four perfectly matched 12AX7s individually wrapped. Popped them in and of course they were dead silent, except for the beautiful music that they made! Who does that? So I wrote a check and added a somewhat astonished, thank you letter.
You just don’t find people like this much anymore.
