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Good point. The key issue is vacuum, or leakage, but also there might be some decomposition of materials within the envelope. No vacuum is perfect, and nothing is 100% leak tight, so it might be that the normal deterioration of materials is slowed down, but not halted.
I've got 50 year old valves that still work fine, but I don't know how they compare to how they were new. There's no way to measure how much vacuum they've lost, so the rate is unknown.
They might last another 50 years, who knows? Maybe the rate of deterioration is so slow, they'll last for several hundred years? Vacuum is an amazing thing when it comes to preservation. (That's backwards, I know!)
Wouldn't it be funny if valves turn out to outlast semiconductor devices?
Seriously: If you value it, take/fetch it yourself
"Take these three items, some WD-40, a vise grip, and a roll of duct tape. Any man worth his salt can fix almost any problem with this stuff alone." - Walt Kowalski
"Only two things are infinite - the universe, and human stupidity. And I'm not sure about the universe." - Albert Einstein
http://www.retro-channel.com/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=PA1
Toroidal transformers aren't that much lighter than decent EI trannys with M-6 lams when you factor in how many solid state watts you need to compete with the perceived power of 100w of valve power into a 16ohm cab.
No, there's quite a lot more to it than that. The transformer is a factor in the sound and possibly a little in the perceived volume, but you can't make a solid-state amp as loud as a valve one just by using an output transformer.
"Take these three items, some WD-40, a vise grip, and a roll of duct tape. Any man worth his salt can fix almost any problem with this stuff alone." - Walt Kowalski
"Only two things are infinite - the universe, and human stupidity. And I'm not sure about the universe." - Albert Einstein
I can't say I have, although I read an article years ago about decomposition of SS devices at the junctions, so it's possible there might be a lifespan on these things.
"Take these three items, some WD-40, a vise grip, and a roll of duct tape. Any man worth his salt can fix almost any problem with this stuff alone." - Walt Kowalski
"Only two things are infinite - the universe, and human stupidity. And I'm not sure about the universe." - Albert Einstein
http://eshop.amtelectronics.com/accessories/12ax7ws-warmstone-12ax7-tubes-solid-state-equivalents.html
Thomann have them too
http://www.thomann.de/gb/amt_warm_stone_12ax7_ws.htm
"Take these three items, some WD-40, a vise grip, and a roll of duct tape. Any man worth his salt can fix almost any problem with this stuff alone." - Walt Kowalski
"Only two things are infinite - the universe, and human stupidity. And I'm not sure about the universe." - Albert Einstein
Bandcamp
Spotify, Apple et al