Looking For a Cheep EL84 Amp 20-50watts

[SirJackdeFuzz]

Re: Looking For a Cheep EL84 Amp 20-50watts

AC30 is the only EL84 amp I've ever really dug. I wish there was someone making a hot preamp 6V6 amp.

Ermmmmmm . . .


http://www.voxamps.com/us/tb35c/


wink-wink


:wave:

 

[SirJackdeFuzz]

Re: Looking For a Cheep EL84 Amp 20-50watts

AC30 is the only EL84 amp I've ever really dug. I wish there was someone making a hot preamp 6V6 amp.

I actually prefer the AC15 tone over it's bigger brothers tone.


....................................O0O...................................


I also see everyone mentionning the Laney VC30, but no one mentions it's cousin, the EL84 driven LC30.

Why's that ?
No love for the LC30s ?

 

[SirJackdeFuzz]

Re: Looking For a Cheep EL84 Amp 20-50watts

Here's an example of a great Vox AC-30 tone that's anything but blues:

My ears are telling me that is not just an AC30 i am hearing.
Is it a 2 guitar band, or is he mixing in, another amp with the AC30 ?

 

[DTrane]

Re: Looking For a Cheep EL84 Amp 20-50watts

I have a personal distaste for Crate amps, but that's beside the point. I've never played one of those. But my point was going to be that quoting the number of preamp tubes is not all that helpful. I don't know this amp, but it could be that two tubes are used as gain stages, one for a PI, and one for an effects loop driver. Or it could be one as gain stages, one for PI, one for effects loop, and one for reverb. Or it could have no reverb and no effects loop. I don't think the number of preamp tubes is that helpful without describing their uses.

http://www.crateamps.com/pdf/manuals/VC50H.pdf

can you decipher the block diagrams in the manual? I am not a electrician or electrical engineer. I always wondered what the different preamp tubes are used for. I have seen some with only 3 and other highend amps with 5

 

[Chris of Arabia]

Re: Looking For a Cheep EL84 Amp 20-50watts

I also see everyone mentionning the Laney VC30, but no one mentions it's cousin, the EL84 driven LC30.

Why's that ?
No love for the LC30s ?

I couldn't remember whether it had valves or not....

 

[SirJackdeFuzz]

Re: Looking For a Cheep EL84 Amp 20-50watts

I couldn't remember whether it had valves or not....

YUP, EL84s

 

[misterwhizzy]

Re: Looking For a Cheep EL84 Amp 20-50watts

http://www.crateamps.com/pdf/manuals/VC50H.pdf

can you decipher the block diagrams in the manual? I am not a electrician or electrical engineer. I always wondered what the different preamp tubes are used for. I have seen some with only 3 and other highend amps with 5

Unfortunately, no, I can't. At first I thought each triangle was a tube gain stage, but then I realized there were too many to be accounted for once you realize that the phase inverter needs two sides of a tube.

1. First gain applies to channel A and B.
2. Second gain on channel A.
3. Second gain on channel B.
4. Third gain on channel B.
5. Fourth gain on channel B.
6. Fifth gain on channel B.
7. Reverb send.
8. Reverb return.
9. PI in-phase.
10. PI out-of-phase.

If the reverb driver is solid-state, then it drops to 8, and with four tubes, that's what you have. I'm guessing that's what they're doing, but I've never looked at it, so I'm not sure. I also thought maybe the switching network used the same half of a tube for the second gain on both channels, but I would guess the reverb driver doesn't use a tube, and that accounts for all of them.

 

[RealtyViking]

Re: Looking For a Cheep EL84 Amp 20-50watts

Unfortunately, no, I can't. At first I thought each triangle was a tube gain stage, but then I realized there were too many to be accounted for once you realize that the phase inverter needs two sides of a tube.

1. First gain applies to channel A and B.
2. Second gain on channel A.
3. Second gain on channel B.
4. Third gain on channel B.
5. Fourth gain on channel B.
6. Fifth gain on channel B.
7. Reverb send.
8. Reverb return.
9. PI in-phase.
10. PI out-of-phase.

If the reverb driver is solid-state, then it drops to 8, and with four tubes, that's what you have. I'm guessing that's what they're doing, but I've never looked at it, so I'm not sure. I also thought maybe the switching network used the same half of a tube for the second gain on both channels, but I would guess the reverb driver doesn't use a tube, and that accounts for all of them.

This may help...

Crate Vintage Club 50 schematics (pdf)

 

[GuitarGuy503]

Re: Looking For a Cheep EL84 Amp 20-50watts

Another vote for the Peavey Classic 30. Although, I haven't played one myself I have heard one in person and have seen numerous youtube videos of them online. Having said that, the Classic 30 is definately worth looking into from what I can tell...

 

[GuitarDoc]

Re: Looking For a Cheep EL84 Amp 20-50watts

Really? Does it require YellowJackets or anything? I thought they had a different number of pins...

Yeh, Yellowjackets.

 

[misterwhizzy]

Re: Looking For a Cheep EL84 Amp 20-50watts

This may help...

Crate Vintage Club 50 schematics (pdf)

Looking at the schematic, I do see IC op-amps driving the reverb. I think I may have been right above.