30W amps with 2 6V6s?

[Pierre]

My AOR just doens't cut it. And it looks like I won't ever sell it, so I was thinking of using the chassis, OT, speaker and mains transformer to make a similar amp. Taking off the PCB and putting a turretboard of a new design. My dream would be a Deluxe Reverb of course but they ran them 6V6s at 450V which I can't achieve here really. Any suggestions? Could be anything. And yes, it's a bit over my head, I don't mind

Oops forgot to say that I don't know the ratings of my mains transformer sorry. I'm on dial up so I can't upload the schems to find out

 

[ES350]

Re: 30W amps with 2 6V6s?

By the time you get the parts you need that will fit or work with what you are keeping, you'd be better off just buying the amp you need. If you want 30 watts+ (6V6 won't get that kind of output in AB), there are plenty of 6L6/EL34 amps out there...

 

[Pierre]

Re: 30W amps with 2 6V6s?

Nah. Thing is, it's cheaper for me to buy a turret board and build it progressively. Then once all is assembled, take the current one apart (drain caps, unscrew PCB, desolder pots etc...) and place everything back together.

 

[drew_half_empty]

Re: 30W amps with 2 6V6s?

i think jj 6v6's are good up to like 500 volts or some ridiculous crap

may look into em

 

[Pierre]

Re: 30W amps with 2 6V6s?

If my mains transformer doesn't have an appropriate secondary, I won't be able to get the voltage there. I'm basically stuck with the values I have in there already, which I unfortunately don't have here.

 

[Lake Placid Blues]

Re: 30W amps with 2 6V6s?

You may want to take some readings of the AC before the rectifier. Usually, the DC voltage output from the rectifier and the filter caps is much more than before the rectifier. If you added on a small 5 volt tranny to run 5 volt heaters, you could probably run a smaller tube rectifier.

 

[wixedmords]

Re: 30W amps with 2 6V6s?

It is funny you speak of this Pierre. About a week ago, someone mentioned the 30 watt head version on TGP, which you don't see alot of, and the next day there were 3 on Egay. I was thinking of your situation at that time.

I say build away. You gotta make yourself happy. You got the talent Pierre.

"You can do it !!! "

 

[Pierre]

Re: 30W amps with 2 6V6s?

2 6V6s can perfectly pull out 30W with the right circuit. That's what my AOR is like basically. And it's class AB indeed.
Anyhoo... I shall think of something. Thanks guys. This thing has so many push pulls and the likes that I'll probably have a boost/cap change on every possible preamp tube if I end up doing something. Should be fun. I just need a vision.


:smokin:

 

[the guy who invented fire]

Re: 30W amps with 2 6V6s?

Brother, I don't care what kind of 6V6's you get....you can not push a pair of 6V6's into 30 watts...even when Leo Fender pushed those tubes far beyond design max he only got 22 watts out of them and belive me when I tell you they were ready to pop...

 

[Pierre]

Re: 30W amps with 2 6V6s?

Well for all I know, it could be 28 or 27. But the amp does say 30W, as do everyone else who had one that I heard... I always thought it'd be possible with a well designed rectifier and circuit though...
Something very weird about the amp though... One 12AX7 is said to be the driver, and the other the phase inverter. I figured that by driver the manufacturer meant 'boost driver' for the EQ boosts, but that's just weird.

 

[Gearjoneser]

Re: 30W amps with 2 6V6s?

I just need a vision.
:smokin:

Since you're not an experienced electronic technician/amp builder, I'd stay away from the idea of tearing your Laney down to parts.

Simply list it for sale RIGHT NOW in local classifieds, hold onto your holiday money, and the day it sells, go amp shopping on the used market. Use Murphy's Oil soap/water/towel on the tolex, and get the thing all cleaned up and new looking.

And make sure you know what YOU need for an amp....not the ideas of guys on the forum who likely don't play the same kind of music as you. 6V6's are typical for amps with a blues tone, but based on your gear, I'm inclined to think you need a channel switching amp made for rock/metal....6L6 or EL-34....or a modeler like Vox or L6.

 

[Gr8Scott]

Re: 30W amps with 2 6V6s?

I'm with TGWIF on this. NO WAY can 6V6's put out that kind of juice. 22 watts is probably the max you'll ever see out of those tubes and their life will be dramatically shortened by doing so. Of course, 22 watts should be enough for most purposes anyway, so as long as you aren't in love with the number "30" and just have to say "it's 30 watts.".

You need to recognize that Leo Fender designed several killer 6V6 amps in his day and none of them came anywhere close to 30 watts. Must be a reason for it...

If you want 30 watts out of a 6V6 amp, use 4 tubes instead of 2 and you'll be doing a lot better I promise.

 

[jerryjg]

Re: 30W amps with 2 6V6s?

If it was me, you know what Id do? I would go el84X4. Yea, sell the amp and build a old Pa amp, or get a brit class 4XEL84 amp. Thats 30 watts .

 

[drew_half_empty]

Re: 30W amps with 2 6V6s?

couldn't he just take out some of the negative feedback to get a volume boost?

as far as i know that doesn't work the tubes any harder

does compress the **** outta the tone though, may need to redo the rectifier to compensate

 

[Kivitel]

Re: 30W amps with 2 6V6s?

Often neglected idea: more volume via more efficient speakers. Remember, 3 mor dB at 1m is twice as loud.

 

[Pierre]

Re: 30W amps with 2 6V6s?

Ehhhh I said 30W simply because that's what on the amp :| I'll check out what's written on the OT when I get back to it. As for being for sale, it's been advertised everywhere I can in Edinburgh for over a year and still nothing. So I do with what I'm given, and I don't really like the sound of it simply enough.
I shall investigate in its true power output though. And I don't need it to go louder :laugh2:
As for not being experienced, well it's true I guess to a certain extent, but I've built a tube amp already though, rebiased this one, modded every analogue pedal I got my hands under. I know I can do it. And if I make a mistake, well I'll try and learn from it. The amp was dirt cheap (less than 100 pounds, i.e the cost of the cheapest practice amp around), too cheap to replace it with what I could get for it, and so I figured I may as well use it for something instead of locking it somewhere.
GJ, I'm too young and inexperienced to know what I NEED without changing it in 2 years :laugh2: Hence why I'm aiming for a clean to crunch sound from the amp, but a great one, and then use pedals. More versatile than if I end up with a dual rectifier to me, and it'd allow me to tailor my sound more. Here I'm just asking for amps that'd use a similar output transformorer and tube sockets then mine so I can simply recycle it. Right now I have a POD 2.0 and floorboard through its effects return but I'd like to sell it and just get down to a much simpler rig.

Could I turn 2 EL34s into a 30W amp? Or is that too low? It'd be pretty inefficient...

 

[Benjy_26]

Re: 30W amps with 2 6V6s?

Could I turn 2 EL34s into a 30W amp? Or is that too low? It'd be pretty inefficient...

I do believe that Matchless makes a 30 watt amp that runs dual EL-34's in Class A.

I don't know how amps work, but if you can get your exizting components to run class A, it would make for an interesting design.

 

[drew_half_empty]

Re: 30W amps with 2 6V6s?

orange rocker 30 is, too

but 30 class A watts is.... different

 

[Pierre]

Re: 30W amps with 2 6V6s?

Well my OT and the whole circuit right now works to push pull the power tubes. I doubt I could just design a class A power supply either :laugh2: Though it could be fun admitedly. Probably wouldn't be class A though.

 

[Sludgenutz]

Re: 30W amps with 2 6V6s?

I'm with TGWIF on this. NO WAY can 6V6's put out that kind of juice. 22 watts is probably the max you'll ever see out of those tubes and their life will be dramatically shortened by doing so. Of course, 22 watts should be enough for most purposes anyway, so as long as you aren't in love with the number "30" and just have to say "it's 30 watts.".

You need to recognize that Leo Fender designed several killer 6V6 amps in his day and none of them came anywhere close to 30 watts. Must be a reason for it...

If you want 30 watts out of a 6V6 amp, use 4 tubes instead of 2 and you'll be doing a lot better I promise.

Yup! "30" must be a magic number! The current Mesa F-30 is powered by only two EL-84's for a max of about 22 watts!

Also, there are many older 1980's (44 watts, give or take) Mesa .50 Caliber amps out there, available on Fleabay from $350 to $525. This will give you a quartet of EL-84's, in either "head", or "1x12 combo" form.

This should not be confused with the later .50 Caliber + model, powered by two 6L6's.

If one knew exactly what type of speaker they required beforehand, the speaker's tone/volume charactersitics could point the user toward which end of the wattage spectrum would be required.