by J. Man

This week, we honor the beginnings of the great Westinghouse Electric and Manufacturing Company, which officially took its name on June 13, 1886. Founded nearly one hundred and forty years ago, it’s considered - along with General Electric and RCA - to be one of the most significant US electric technology firms ever established. The distinctive Westinghouse “W” logo finds its way into many of our units to this day, as it remains one of the most reliable brands for high quality NOS tubes!

George Westinghouse’s support for and development of alternating-current (AC) technology for light and power drove him to found Westinghouse Electric and scores of other companies, eventually receiving more than 360 patents for his work. In addition to creating the world’s greatest electric manufacturing company, George Westinghouse, acclaimed in his time as the "greatest living engineer,” transformed rail travel in the US, perfected the design of the electrical transformer, and created the natural gas industry. He was a prolific and inventive man who saw engineered solutions as a way forward for the betterment of humankind

The “Current” Wars: AC vs. DC

At the end of the 19th century, Westinghouse went head to head with Thomas Edison in the battle over which tech was the best solution for distributed electric power, alternating current (AC) or direct current (DC), preferring AC for its advantages in sending power over long distances. Significantly, in 1885 he was introduced to the electrical transformer, a new concept at the time. He realized the use of transformers is what would make AC eminently possible, stepping up power on the long-distance transmission, and stepping it down locally for consumer use. This was key in Westinghouse’s support of AC. In 1892 he was awarded the bid to light the World’s Fair in Chicago, beating out Edison’s DC-touting General Electric Company and proving that AC was the future of distributed power in the US.

People Power: The Westinghouse Way

Believing that his people were his greatest resource, Westinghouse also had a reputation for treating his workers fairly. He paid more than other companies, developed safety programs and gave the workers weekend time off (unheard of at that time, the dawn of the industrial age). He also provided his workers benefits, but most importantly, he worked shoulder to shoulder with them, and considered them family. (We can relate!)

Westinghouse Tubes: Legendary Quality

Through the first half of the 20th century, Westinghouse’s manufacturing arm focused primarily on finished consumer goods like radios, even becoming one of RCA’s major OEM suppliers. However, in 1952, with the advent of television, they established a cathode ray tube factory in New York where they manufactured CRTs, consumer tubes and tubes for industrial/military applications, like communications, requiring long duty cycles and quiet reliability.

Original Westinghouse tubes have now become some of the most sought after for audio enthusiasts, and pro audio professionals alike.

At AudioScape, we appreciate George Westinghouse’s dedication to innovation. His engineering sensibilities and ability to see a problem and create a solution, even where no path existed, inspires us. We’re proud to use NOS Westinghouse tubes in many of the legacy products we craft. Their tone and reliability make them an excellent choice for us in bringing you our legacy recreations.

Thanks George, and Happy 139th Anniversary!