which 6v6's

musicegbdf · October 2013

Ok I replaced the JJ 's when one blew with some cheap russian vallves . Not tnat good , not as clean as I like. Before I buy some JJ's any ideaks for a nice valve that has good clean headroom. The amp is a 15w Ashdown Essex blonde

ICBM · October 2013

Just get the JJs - they have the most headroom of any modern 6V6, possibly of any including old-production ones - almost 'halfway to a 6L6'.

The only ones I can think of which might have more would be the ones Groove Tubes sold as 'heavy duty 6V6s' in the 90s, and they were actually just relabeled low-quality 6L6s.

musicegbdf · October 2013

Thanks , so 6L6's would have even more headroom...
Though must admit the JJ's are what came in it and have a nice bright sound . So will check them and the Groove to see which are around
Thks again

Van_Hayden · October 2013

Yep. Go with @ICBM Either JJs for clean, Russian black cheapos for dirt. Dave G likes both. Is it an Ashdown built one or a Matamp built one?

ICBM · October 2013

musicegbdf said:

Thanks , so 6L6's would have even more headroom...

Yes - in theory. You should be able to fit them in a cathode-biased 6V6 amp. But... you first need to check whether the components (transformers and cathode bias network in particular) will handle the increased current draw and higher cathode voltage; and secondly in order to make it worthwhile you need to reset the amp's output impedance relative to the speaker (halving the relative speaker load, so if the speaker is 8 ohm you need to connect it to the 16-ohm tap) or you won't get more power or headroom, and possibly even slightly less since the amp will then effectively be mismatched.

musicegbdf · October 2013

Van_Hayden;49982" said:
Yep. Go with @ICBM Either JJs for clean, Russian black cheapos for dirt. Dave G likes both. Is it an Ashdown built one or a Matamp built one?

It is a Matamp one. Think I will stick to the JJ's

In the handbook it says I can use 6L6 without a problem or rebiasing , but going to stick to 6v6's . What is the difference between GT S. And GT C ? I seem to recall it came with GT S's in it.
My amp is serial number 5 of the first 50 made , and has a plate on the back saying it was made by Matamp.

musicegbdf · October 2013

Ok seems hot rox is the cheapest , but Karltone for a couple of quid more say they have "burned them in" before grading and pairing ... Is this snake oil , or worth paying a small premium for . I know hot rox has a good rep , but don't know Karlton

ICBM · October 2013

Karltone beats Hot Rox hands down in my experience.

Burn in before grading is essential, it's more or less pointless trying to match valves otherwise.

musicegbdf · October 2013

Great tks Karltone it is then

Van_Hayden · October 2013

Doesn't make bugger all difference in that amp. Individual cathode resistors so you don't need matching. They just need to work!

guitargeek62 · October 2013

musicegbdf said:

Great tks Karltone it is then

He's an ex-forumite iirc?

McToot · October 2013

guitargeek62 said:

musicegbdf said:

Great tks Karltone it is then

He's an ex-forumite iirc?

He is - lovely bloke too. He did me some nice EL34s last year. I've been trying to find his email actually as I too need some new 6V6s... I'm guessing he didn't make it across to the new hangout.

musicegbdf · October 2013

Van_Hayden said:

Doesn't make bugger all difference in that amp. Individual cathode resistors so you don't need matching. They just need to work!

You lost me there.

Though interesting to know they don't need matching

Van_Hayden · October 2013

I helped design it...

ICBM · October 2013

Van_Hayden said:

I helped design it...

I hope you didn't have anything to do with the 8W one and how you have to get the chassis out!

I've never seen the 15 so I'm hoping it isn't the same...

Van_Hayden · October 2013

Well - depends, at that time I was play testing for Matamp. Now I get to mend them.... There's quite a lot of compromises. Like the reverb. And the box - bit of a running joke at the factory that. Dave had some strange ideas, like running the reverb drive off the cathode.....

jpfamps · October 2013

Van_Hayden said:

Well - depends, at that time I was play testing for Matamp. Now I get to mend them.... There's quite a lot of compromises. Like the reverb. And the box - bit of a running joke at the factory that. Dave had some strange ideas, like running the reverb drive off the cathode.....

Running the reverb drive from the cathode isn't a totally daft idea as it's a low impedance output.

It does somewhat depend on how it's implemented though.

Van_Hayden · October 2013

No the DC power supply for a 741

musicegbdf · October 2013

Actually really easy to drop the chasis, I can'r recall exactly (at work) I think the plate on the back says "made in the Uk by Radiocraft Matamp.

It has a full spring reverb tank in the bottom, I think I paid £450 new from Coda. I understand the first 50 were made by Matamp and the ones the magazines got and reveiwed . They stopped making them under the Ashdown name very quickly and changed it to Hayden and doubled the price. I was told they lost money on the "Ashdown" ones.
Here are some photo's
http://www.flickr.com/photos/musicegbdf/8061877832/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/musicegbdf/8061873233/

Van_Hayden · October 2013

Well they sold them to retailers for less than Matamp charged to build them. Killed off the C7 in the process.

ICBM · October 2013

Ah, that's totally different from the 8W one I tried - with that, the cabinet is closed-back with a panel over the speaker and the back of the amp section is a non-removable part of the chassis (I wish I was kidding!). To even change a valve, you have to remove the back panel from the speaker section, then either reach up really awkwardly around the speaker magnet - or if you want to get the chassis out to make it easier, you have to prise off the handle ends, remove the handle and a daft cover plate on the top, then undo the chassis bolts which are under it... if you can manage to do it without chewing up the cover plate, you get bonus points.

musicegbdf · October 2013

ICBM said:

Ah, that's totally different from the 8W one I tried - with that, the cabinet is closed-back with a panel over the speaker and the back of the amp section is a non-removable part of the chassis (I wish I was kidding!). To even change a valve, you have to remove the back panel from the speaker section, then either reach up really awkwardly around the speaker magnet - or if you want to get the chassis out to make it easier, you have to prise off the handle ends, remove the handle and a daft cover plate on the top, then undo the chassis bolts which are under it... if you can manage to do it without chewing up the cover plate, you get bonus points.

OMG , that sounds a nightmare. Mine is open back , with the back cover with 6 screws which when removed as you can see gives you good access to the valves. Though actually you can change the valves by reaching up via the open back if you want. You just unplug the speaker cable and two bolts in the top of the cab will drop the whole chassis out.

McToot · October 2013

Back to the OP - are TAD valves any good - specifically the TAD 6V6s?

musicegbdf · October 2013

Ok , got the JJ's from Karltone . What a difference. To be honest I was sceptical that I would hear a difference. I thought they would be made in the same factory and rebranded. They are very different . The JJ's are much bigger and I have got the sound I like back. The russions I got from Langrx were half the the price , but the difference is 15 quid .. I won't cheap out again. The russians were ok, but a bit too dirty and microphonic for me.
The JJ's are just right.
Note sure of the russian make as the the only marking on the box is "electrontube"

ICBM · October 2013

Are they old stock ones with black paint on the inside of the glass? As Van_Hayden said, those are quite dirty-sounding and they do often tend to be microphonic.

musicegbdf · October 2013

That's the ones and they are dirty and microphonic , not for me . The JJ 's are much more me..

Van_Hayden · October 2013

You used to be able to buy em for about £1.50 10 years ago if you got enough if them...they're great for that kind of price. Now they can be as much as £5 each. We don't buy them now!

Yeah the Essex blond is a bit of a bitch to get out. It was the cheapest and smallest way to shove the head in a combo...

ICBM · October 2013

Van_Hayden said:

Yeah the Essex blond is a bit of a bitch to get out. It was the cheapest and smallest way to shove the head in a combo...

It wouldn't have been anywhere near as bad without that damn stupid panel under the handle. I admit I didn't get off on a good footing with it... I broke two or three fingernails on the edge of it the first time I tried to pick the amp up... which given that I play fingers-only was more than a little annoying. As far as I could see the only purpose of it was to hide the two chassis bolts and make it necessary to take the handle off to get it out.

It did sound good though.

I actually like those black Russian 6V6s too, if you're trying to get a dirty vintage lo-fi overdriven sound out of something which is normally a bit too clean, like a Fender Deluxe Reverb reissue.

musicegbdf · October 2013

Thankfully mine is the 15w that doesn't have those problems. I like clean that only breaks up a bit when I hit the strings hard. I do not even use distortion pedals often..

Van_Hayden · October 2013

[quote="ICBM;51886". As far as I could see the only purpose of it was to hide the two chassis bolts[/quote]

Yep - something to do with "we don't want to look at bolts on the top"

The 15 is more like a King Street but with reverb not gain boost. The Chino/Model T if i remember right.

musicegbdf · October 2013

My Ashdown has no Master volume (only single channel) or standby switch. It does have a gain pot , a reverb pot (Reverb is a Belton spring tank) , the usual Vol/Bass/Treble. It also has a switch that changes the tone , at the furthest points one sounds like a single coil , and the other like a full humbucker.If I recall it has 5 positions.
It also has a Pentode/Triode switch...though the difference in volume between the two is not that perceptable .
It also has effects loop , and a DI/Record output .

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