From Broadcast to Burn: A Brief History of Vacuum Tubes (and Why the Wretched Beast Runs on Them)

Before digital processors and solid-state everything, the world ran on vacuum tubes. From early radios to WWII radar to the birth of electric guitar tone, tubes shaped the sound of the modern world — literally.

And while most industries moved on, guitar players never let go.

Let’s take a look at how vacuum tubes came to define guitar tone — and why the Wretched Beast tube amp proudly carries that legacy forward with 12AX7 preamp tubes and 6L6GC power tubes.