5x3 6L6 deluxe

[ampmike]

Thanks Billy,Ill make a different cab.It did not seem right to me.Thanks very much for pointing me in the right direction.Transformers should arrive today.
I think I might splurge on the jupitar caps.Mercury trannies.sprague filters.And Im going to beef up some of the resisters,Thanks again,Mikey

[wyatt]

There are tubes that cannot be horizontally mounted and their tube data sheets reflect this. The 5Y3 and 5U4 are two common guitar amp tubes that should only be mounted vertically. Head cabs for tweed chassis are becoming quite common, they all horizontally mount the chassis, but most fail to warn about not using with 5Y3 and 5U4 tubes.

But, the common preamp tubes, power tubes and the GZ34 can be safely used mounted horizontally. So, you could mount a 5X3 horizontally. Myself, I would just punch a new chassis or buy the Ceriatone one designed with a true head orientation; the upside is you also get less cramped working space in the chassis

[vibratoking]

I have mine mounted in a head cab. Using a 5Y3, 12AY, 6V6. Tubes are horizontal. Never had a problem.

[ampmike]

You know my Diaz P XX has them that way.But honestly being from Pa and kinda knowing him Ceasare was not all he claimed to be.He did some weird stuff.The Pxx can only fit the old jenson 10 in, any other speaker the magnet hits.Also come to think of it the power tubes didnt last 3 months and the speaker blew too.I think Im going to build the cab with the chassis placement like the 5e3 combo.I just dont like grill cloth on a head so Ill just make it solid wood and vent the thing.Getting some good feedback here before I start building,Thanx Guys,Transformers coming today Got the heaters done and some swiches.
Would you guys spend extra on some better pots?Also being this is 6l6 could I work a bias pot in this amp or is that not needed,Mikey

[vibratoking]

I had Diaz do some 'work' like 35 years ago. His work wasn't bad, but it wasn't good either. Maybe he learned some things after that, I know I sure did.

[Zippy]

Also being this is 6l6 could I work a bias pot in this amp or is that not needed,Mikey

You can keep the cathode bias if you want to retain the character of the amp's response.

[vibratoking]

I would most definitely keep cathode bias!

[rdjones]

Thanks Guy ,Got some good stuff to go on.Would it be wrong to mount this amp in the head with the tubes laying parallel to the bottom of the chassis.They wont be hanging from the top of the amp.Any thoughts?I have a real nice head cab here and it got the traditional opening in the bottom of the head cab.

5U4: "Vertical tube mounting is preferred but horizontal mounting is permisible if pins 1 and 4 are in vertical plane."
5Y3: "Vertical tube mounting is preferred, but horizontal opration is permissible if pins 2 and 8 are in horizontal plane."
<from the NJ7P database>

'1-4 vertical' and '2-8 horizontal' are at slightly different angles to each other.
If you wanted to do this you could orient for the 5Y3 and possibly substitute the 5AR4 and avoid the 5U4.

I generally agree with the others that its probably better to just avoid the horizontal mounting of tubes.

rd

[Randall]

Head cabs for tweed chassis are becoming quite common, they all horizontally mount the chassis,.

Actually not so. American Tweeds make a nice vertical mount tweed head cab for about $200 on eBay.

[ampmike]

Heres the Transformers info and the cieritone layout.The transformers are Mercury FTDP andFTDO-59M.Trying to post these,Cant seem to post the tranformer wiring.It as follows The mercury"s are a bit high V.Will these work with the layout here and the GZ 34.I was also wandering if anyone has another layout to check with.I like the 5E3 alot so Im hoping this will be a louder bigger sound going through a 2x12.I could be wrong.Mikey
Sec
Red 380V
Red?yel OV B+
Red 380V

Green
Green/yellow 6.3 @4a Filiment
Green

Yellow
5V @ 2a
Yellow

Pri Ov Black
120V Black

[ampmike]

I found the Weber one,Seems to have a bit more and a Bias pot.What do you guys thinK,Mikey

[ampmike]

Hope to narrow this layout thing today,Weber or Cieritone.Bias pot or not.

[wyatt]

You need to go back to the drawing board and rethink things.

1.) That FTDO-59M is a 15-watt transformer and it's going to choke off most of the extra output you would have gained from the 6L6GC's. Both the Ceriatone and the Weber spec a 30-35 watt OT for a reason.

2.) The Weber layout has more than a "bias pot", it is fixed bias. It uses a PT that has a 45V tap for bias voltage. The FTDP doesn't have a bias tap. You can take bias voltage off the HT secondary, but not without altering the current layout.

3.) Because of the increased HT voltage of the FTDP, you might find voltages high with a GZ34 (your B+ with be about 495VDC off the rectifier instead of 445VDC). The 6L6GC's should handle it fine, but you'll probably find you'll have to alter the bias circuit of either layout because pl;ate voltages will be much higher than designed.

4.) I also a little worried that the FTDP can cupply enough HT current for a 6L6GC design, but MM refuses to release HT current loading specs. This doesn't big me so much because the rest of the specs of the FTDP are far more modern and robust (they are never the clones they claim them to be).

Ultimately, you said you want a louder, bigger sound. Well, your iron is your compromise. The Weber is a 30-35 watt amp. The Ceriatone is a 25-30 watt amp. You probably building something more in the range of 18-20 watts despite all that extra voltage.

[billyz]

I vote no bias pot. use a 250 ohm 20 w bias resistor. Use the 5K primary on your OT . The Tweed Pro was 6K into one 8 ohm speaker. 8k would be great for a pr of 6v6's but 5K works too If hotter.

Someone will say use a switch to go from cathode to fixed bias .

[ampmike]

I spoke with Patrick at Mercury and He put these 2 together for the 6L6 5E3.
So at this point what can I do with these trannies?I thought at least they could work for the Cieritone layout.?You feel that they wont, Well Im thinking they wont work for a 6V6 5e3 either Thanks Guys,Mikey