Double deluxe tone

[azatplayer]

I built a double deluxe a couple months ago, that has quickly arisen to my amp of favour right now. Recorded it with ES355, G&L George Fullerton, and Asat.
This thing is outrageous, with twice the power its very usable.
Thing is... i just tried it with a pair of KT66's rather than the quad of 6V6. Im using a TS OT of 4300ohms to match the quad of 6V6, but runningsperate cathodes for each pair, allowing me to try bigger pairs of octals.
With 250ohm on each pair and about 370V plate, ive tried a few differing tubes.
What happened today tho was pretty cool. I have been about converting an amp to a liverpool style of thing. In doing so, to get where i needed to be, i made a solid state rec from a broke GZ34 and some diodes and some resin.
Well when i had tried the KT's in the deluxe. it was obvious they were under powered, so i thought to meself, why not put the silicon rec in? It went in, lifted things to about 420V and man, what tone followed!
KT66 deluxe. Wow. Tone. Awesome tone. Bridged channels, even more awesome tone. Bridged with zen drive in front, even more awesome.
Kinda JMPish in its drive, seems odd i know, but theres a directness about the delivery that reminds me of my JMP and its oh so sweet in its delivery, very deluxeish in that.
Anyways, way cool, and im sure some folk have given this a go, for my ears, its THE tone.

[Structo]

Sounds like a great amp.

Got any pictures?

[azatplayer]

Very cool amp Tom!
The layout is a bit odd, i admit, but i like to see glass in front, so have been experimenting with layouts. Was expecting it to be noisy, but is not, low gain i guess is what helps there. Certainly wouldnt attempt it with an express..well maybe..
Taking it to record with tonight, looking forward to it. The engineer at the studio we use, always checks my gear when we come in, cos its always different..maybe i have to many amps and guitars.. nahhh!
The first pic is of when i had just got the top done, had no board in it yet, but i wanted to see what it looked like with KT's, looks huge!
In reality there is either a quad of 6V6's, a pair of 6V6's with an adjustment to the output, or a pair of big glass. The big glass rocks.




[img:640:480]http://img291.imageshack.us/img291/4691/img2090n.jpg[/img]
[img:640:480]http://img35.imageshack.us/img35/1570/img2095x.jpg[/img]
[img:640:480]http://img29.imageshack.us/img29/8432/img2093x.jpg[/img]

[Structo]

Pretty chassis and yes those big bottles look cool as heck!

Custom chassis? I like the anodize on it.

Did you draw up the circuit or find it somewhere?

[azatplayer]

Hey buddy. Its the double deluxe from Ted Webbers site. Chris from Toneslut suggested it to me, and man was he right Great amp.
I used his experimentors trannie, and the KT66's absolutely thrive on it.
I paint for a living, well kinda retired now, so paint my own work. Made the chassis too. Its a tinted clear over the alloy, like a candy. Works well, looks cool, easy as pie for me to do.
The layout was a different monster. I have my amps see-able, that is everything is on display, so the colours and tubes are there for the eye to see. Lay people love them, "wow, does that have valves?? I thought they went out with Elvis". Love it

[mcrracer]

Is "Double Deluxe" what they call it on Ted's site? I took a quick look but did not see it. Thanks

[Structo]

Try this one.

https://taweber.powweb.com/store/5e3x2_layout.jpg

[mcrracer]

Duh!!! Thanks Structo

[azatplayer]

I cant rave enough about this amp. I have half a dozen amps at the moment, all lay in the rocket style camp, more or less, that is cleanish amps with a nice jangly kinda breakup.
When i got the deluxe running, i fell for it in the standard guise. Really cool amps, very simple too. EVen with this backwards layout, its quiet as well.
So i set to, to convert my rocket build to a Liverpool, which i will finish by the weekend, was when i made the solid state rec, that i tried the KT's and discovered this tone. Cathode biased KT66's, what a sweet sound. But when you use the 6V6's in quad mode, with my ES355, wow Larry Carlton from Steely Dan, with a little more beef! Great amp.
As i have a few in this style tho, was my reasoning for the Liverpool, cant wait to hear that one.

[Jammin'John]

KT's are pretty cool.
I use 'em in a Weber Tweed Pro,cathode bias.
I also use 'em in a Victoria Low Power Tweed Twin.
Shuguangs.

JJ

[Zippy]

I cant rave enough about this amp. I have half a dozen amps at the moment, all lay in the rocket style camp, more or less, that is cleanish amps with a nice jangly kinda breakup.
When i got the deluxe running, i fell for it in the standard guise. Really cool amps, very simple too. EVen with this backwards layout, its quiet as well.
So i set to, to convert my rocket build to a Liverpool, which i will finish by the weekend, was when i made the solid state rec, that i tried the KT's and discovered this tone. Cathode biased KT66's, what a sweet sound. But when you use the 6V6's in quad mode, with my ES355, wow Larry Carlton from Steely Dan, with a little more beef! Great amp.
As i have a few in this style tho, was my reasoning for the Liverpool, cant wait to hear that one.

Sounds like you (re)discovered the KT66 Rockster! Don't be so hasty to convert to a Liverpool pre- - try the KT66s in your Rocket. Oh yes...

[jaysg]

I think Victoria came up with the name Double Deluxe, though it's probably something that's been done as one-offs since the 60s.

[M Fowler]

Has it been discussed which KT66's you guys prefer? I only have the one set and want to get some more any suggestions?

Mark

[rfgordon]

You might be interested in this piece: http://www.freewebs.com/valvewizard/cathodyne.html

It talks about putting a large grid stopper on the half triode used for the Cathodyne (Concertina) PI in the Deluxe-type circuit.

[Zippy]

Has it been discussed which KT66's you guys prefer? I only have the one set and want to get some more any suggestions?

Mark

Bruce Collings turned me on to Shuguang KT66s several years ago when I wanted to fatten my tweed Super 5F4. I dig 'em in most everything I've tried.