ClassicTone Shutting Down... Nooooo!!!

[DummyLoad]

Going Out Of Business 
 
 
After  10 years of producing ClassicTone transformers and 78 years of  manufacturing, Magnetic Components is announcing the permanent closure of our factory in  early November. 
 
This  notice is much shorter than we had anticipated. This is a result of  COVID and a recent and serious supply chain issue that has developed.  Overall, in  the last 4 years we have seen a large decline in the tube amp transformer market. At the same time, we experienced unprecedented increases in all costs necessitating us to make this tough, final decision to close. 
 
We have decided to shut down voluntarily and  before the business situation potentially gets worse. We want to close our third-generation USA-based company with dignity and honor.   
 
We  are no longer accepting new orders directly. ClassicTone tranformers  are available now only from our resellers while supplies last.   
 
RESELLERS
 
We appreciate all of your support throughout the years and wish you the best of luck. 
   
Thank you so much!
 
 
Magnetic Components, Inc.
(ClassicTone line of Vintage Constructed Amp Transformers)

Just received this email... This totally sucks!

--Pete

[mresistor]

Permantly.. shuttering the plant.    sad.

[SILVERGUN]

Thanks for the heads up.
I just ordered my favorite OTs.


What next? 

[shooter]

Agree!
Mom N Pop's, boutique, even mid-sized, In person, businesses are becoming extinct.  I don't see anything coming along either, except the giant junk stores of the modern era.

[PRR]

from email: "Having trouble viewing this email? Click here : "
http://campaign.r20.constantcontact.com/render?m=1110874109814&ca=d72e0320-3a2a-4e53-8596-8169a634040a

While hosted by a bulk-email operator, this appears to be the ClassicTone newsletter announcing shut-down.

[dude]

With small businesses going under, no mom and pop hardware stores, etc. it's tough to buy the parts we need except on line. I'm from the Philadelphia area, I can't even but a resistor, yet any iron without waiting days for an internet order. Things have really changed, Home Depot and Lowes are big box stores, don't sell half of what I need, Ace Hardware, another big box outlet is slightly better, at least the one near me. Sad.

[bmccowan]

This is a real shame - both on the transformer and the U.S. small manufacturer sides of the issue. I hope they are looking for and find a buyer for tooling/parts/design docs etc. Shame to have such things gather dust in a closed facility. I'm another that feels forced at times to buy from two businesses I loathe: HD and Lowes. My neighbors and friends are all too familiar with my arguments with them regarding buying their chainsaws, snowblowers, etc. at those stores. Good luck getting your saw fixed at their service desk. Don't get me started! 

[shooter]

since YOU started


I chose lowe's as my "Mom n Pop", AFTER all the real one's were gone.  I made the effort, tried them all, 80% of my neighbors, left over M&P workers, wound up there, I asked, they're answers were good enough, AND I've never been chased down an isle because I couldn't keep it up:)  the grocery, they love a good chase 

[bmccowan]

Typical Lowes or HD conversation:
Can I help you find something?
Please - I'm looking for a left handed sewer flute.
Did you see one in this aisle?
Thought balloon - If I did I would not be asking you. Spoken - no, only the right handed ones.
Did you look in aisle 14?
No
If we had one, that'd be the only other place it might be. It's time for my break

[shooter]

oh, I agree, I know what i need, when I can't find "it", I only hunt down ppl behind a computer 
we lost our last "lumber-yard" in the 90's, so I've had lots of time to "spot" the smart one's at the bigbox
we're fortunate to have "commercial" electrical, HVAC, and plumbing, pricier but they're educated 

[bmccowan]

Fortunately, New England has many good lumber yards and hardware stores that survive, especially in more rural areas. But as people search for pennies in the parking lot, its a struggle.

[shooter]

as people search for pennies in the parking lot, its a struggle.

if things keep going, that'll be called the "Glory days" 
but I can run a trot-line and skin a cat 

[SoundmasterG]

Typical Lowes or HD conversation:
Can I help you find something?
Please - I'm looking for a left handed sewer flute.
Did you see one in this aisle?
Thought balloon - If I did I would not be asking you. Spoken - no, only the right handed ones.
Did you look in aisle 14?
No
If we had one, that'd be the only other place it might be. It's time for my break

That's pretty accurate. I've got one better though.
Went to Home Depot, and asked the guy "Where are your sawhorses?"
Guy answers "What's a sawhorse?"


Couldn't believe someone working at a store like that has no idea what a sawhorse is!


Greg

[Willabe]

That's pretty accurate. I've got one better though.
Went to Home Depot, and asked the guy "Where are your sawhorses?"
Guy answers "What's a sawhorse?"

       
 

[tubeswell]

They still supply these locally as DIY packs https://www.mitre10.co.nz/shop/alpine-products-saw-horse-large-natural/p/107011

[Mike_J]

We were told by our President in the late 70s America was going from a manufacturing to a service economy. I said service what? In a throw away economy what is there to service. Not everyone can work at a fast food restaurant and live a nice lifestyle.


Had a friend in high school that couldn’t read a word. We were out of high school at the time and he made $78K the year before working at the Oldsmobile plant putting the little knobs that you can lock and unlock the doors with. Haven’t kept up with him in a lot of years but I doubt he is doing as well now.

[Mike_J]

Daughter five and I drove to the airport in Charlotte, NC to retrieve daughter four who was returning from a mission trip to India. Allowed daughter five and I to see important things like the second smallest church in the world as well as an oak tree on the list of the 100 best oak trees in the USA and other important places.


I have always been one to travel off the beaten path to try to find something that is interesting. Well what do I see on the way back but a sign for a place called Great Falls. It is in South Carolina. Well if we are willing to go hundreds of miles out of the way to see the second smallest church in the world of course we want to see these great falls.


So we head into Great Falls looking for spectacular water falls and what do we find but one old man and two small children in a town that looked like it probably held 5,000 at one time. Not a soul downtown or anyone on the streets. Drove by what I am pretty sure was a closed textile plant and then a hydroelectric damn which looked like it might be producing some energy. Couldn’t find great falls anywhere.


Heading back to the highway I saw a little gasoline/convenience store so I pulled in to investigate as to where these great falls were they named the town after.


Two women were in the store. One said the falls were near downtown but a little out of the way but they were pretty. The other said she didn’t know there were any falls in great falls and she was pretty attractive and had lived there her whole life.


Let me tell you it was obvious to me what the problem was. Men with a lack of vision. If I had a nice waterfall that was near downtown but hidden and seldom visited and a town with pretty women in it well you can bet old Mike_J would have slipped a mattress down there and would have done some um picnicking at the great falls.


I promise her mother or considerably older sister would have known where the great falls were.