6V6 project ideas needed

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jestaudio
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6V6 project ideas needed

Post by jestaudio »

got some parts left over from various projects including a blues junior ot, i need some ideas for a twin channel project limeted to 2 6v6 and a 3 12ax7,
Cheers Gary D :D
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Phil_S
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Re: 6V6 project ideas needed

Post by Phil_S »

Live large. Go with the Roy Bean tone stack or it's variant the BoneRay.
http://www.freewebs.com/balijukka/roybeanstack.htm
http://i81.photobucket.com/albums/j207/ ... yStack.jpg
Layout is challenging. I built one and decided to hand as much of it as I could on the pots. I didn't keep the amp, so I don't remember much. It's all "in there." I'd go for a fixed bias PA.
TooL46_2
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Re: 6V6 project ideas needed

Post by TooL46_2 »

With only 3 ECC83s you'll need a very serious channel cloning if you require 2 channels. Effectively you can use only 2 (2.5 at most of them) since you want PP power stage.

I'd suggest a single channel -- the amount of gain you can then control with your guitar's volume knob. Something a'la Atomic works fine -- with low guitar volume settings you get clean tones -- turn it up and the devil shows up ;)

Hope this helps!
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renshen1957
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Re: 6V6 project ideas needed

Post by renshen1957 »

jestaudio wrote:got some parts left over from various projects including a blues junior ot, i need some ideas for a twin channel project limeted to 2 6v6 and a 3 12ax7,
Cheers Gary D :D
Hi Gary,

How about a two channel (with switching) with a Fenderish clean and a 80's distortion channel? The London Power standard preamp folds a clean and distortion into two 12ax7 tubes with one tube left over for the PI.

Don't like distortion? Check out TAG's Dumble Forum. Clean and Overdrive with two 12AX7 tubes and a 12AX7 PI has been done.

Many great amps from the 1950's had the same tube set. The Super 5E4-A is a great sounding amp. Maybe not as versatile as a channel switcher but you can blend the bright and normal channel together.

A tweed, blonde, or black face bassman with 6V6 tubes in place of 6L6 is another possibility.

Just some thoughts.

How about a Black Face Fender Deluxe Reverb, but with a Belton digital reverb and a solid state tremolo?

Best Regards,

Steve
tubeswell
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Re: 6V6 project ideas needed

Post by tubeswell »

jestaudio wrote:got some parts left over from various projects including a blues junior ot, i need some ideas for a twin channel project limeted to 2 6v6 and a 3 12ax7,
Cheers Gary D :D
Sounds perfect for a 5G9! FWIW here's soundbytes of one I did about 4 years ago (with a stand alone reverb in front). Sweet-as trippy trem

http://music-electronics-forum.com/atta ... -clone.mp3
He who dies with the most tubes... wins
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crbowman
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Re: 6V6 project ideas needed

Post by crbowman »

oooh, oooh, ooh!! (doing best Horshack)
There's always the Huss plexi 6V6...

http://mhuss.com/Plexi6V6/index.html

EDIT: Sorry, not twin channel.
<i> "I've suffered for my music. Now it's your turn."</i>
printer2
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Re: 6V6 project ideas needed

Post by printer2 »

Blackface channel with tone stack after the first stage and Marshall inspired two triodes before the tone stack for the other.
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Structo
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Re: 6V6 project ideas needed

Post by Structo »

I can't remember but have you built a D amp?

The 3x 12ax7, 2x 6V6 is a great platform for the D'lite.

Good clean tones and good adjustable overdrive.
Tom

Don't let that smoke out!
jestaudio
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Re: 6V6 project ideas needed

Post by jestaudio »

Structo wrote:I can't remember but have you built a D amp?

The 3x 12ax7, 2x 6V6 is a great platform for the D'lite.

Good clean tones and good adjustable overdrive.
yeah mate already got one, it was my first build, started out as a HRM but i ended up modding it and getting rid os the HRM, much more playable amp now in my humble opinion.
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Colossal
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Re: 6V6 project ideas needed

Post by Colossal »

crbowman wrote:oooh, oooh, ooh!! (doing best Horshack)
There's always the Huss plexi 6V6...

http://mhuss.com/Plexi6V6/index.html

EDIT: Sorry, not twin channel.
+1 for this amp. Killer sounding and versatile amp.

The amp can be made quasi two channel by doing the "one wire mod" across a relay which cascades the normally Plexi Bright/Normal paralleled input stage into series for JCM800 flavoring and a gain boost.

You could enhance this by setting up two separate gain controls for each side of the mod (normal Plexi mode vs. JCM cascade mode) and/or two separate master volumes or tone stacks; plenty of options with a few well placed relays. You can get very brown, Rush, and Zeppliny tones from the Plexi side and very bitey 80s Def Leppard, Judas Priest from the cascade side. Lead dress is pretty critical for cascading gain stages.

PT: Mark's original amp was a parts-on-hand build so he used a Vibrolux PT at 345-0-345. This delivers pretty hot plate voltage. JJs hold up to this quite well and sound very good doing it. However, you don't have to feel compelled to go 345VAC, 300VAC is much more sensible if you want to run NOS. High plate voltage gives the more nasal sounding bark, similar in some respects to the EL34 sound. Lower plate voltage is going to bring the creme de la creme back into the sound. I found the high voltage sound to be absolutely stunning. The amp is horrendously loud, bold and clear, but still had that woody brown "knock" on the cabinet that a good Marshall makes with a very warm distortion (hint: use a 5k 5W resistor in series with a choke).

PT
High quality Deluxe Reverb or Vibrolux clone iron
325-0-325 or 345-0-345
51VAC bias tap
6.3VAC heaters
5VAC (if you want a switchable SS or tube rectifier) or handy to feed relay switching power supply

JJ 6V6S
Plate voltage 440-460VDC
6V6 Bias 17-22mA

OT options
Marshall 2061 20W clone OT 7.8k primary (I used this OT)
Marshall 1974 18W clone OT 8k primary (lots of guys use variants of this one too)

Here is a photo of my exercise in self indulgence (lots of voicing switches)
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Structo
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Re: 6V6 project ideas needed

Post by Structo »

Very Nice! :D
Tom

Don't let that smoke out!
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Colossal
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Re: 6V6 project ideas needed

Post by Colossal »

Structo wrote:Very Nice! :D
Thanks man.
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LeftyStrat
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Re: 6V6 project ideas needed

Post by LeftyStrat »

Colossal, can you tell us what the switches do?

Parallel/Cascade is obvious, and I assume v1a and v1b fat change out cathode caps?

v1b boost?
It's never too late to have a happy childhood.
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Colossal
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Re: 6V6 project ideas needed

Post by Colossal »

LeftyStrat wrote:Colossal, can you tell us what the switches do?

Parallel/Cascade is obvious, and I assume v1a and v1b fat change out cathode caps?

v1b boost?
Yes and yes. V1b boost changes a coupling cap and a cathode resistor value when in cascade mode. The mods really just let you play around with different years of Plexi and JCM values. Direct/Normal changes the input grid and impedance. Mostly set and forget though for all of it.
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