Hoffman Amplifiers Tube Amplifier Forum
Other Stuff => Effects => Topic started by: Jennings on December 20, 2025, 02:54:07 am
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I wasn’t too sure where to post this; amplifiers or effects…but plumped for here as most appropriate.
I’ve got a little handful of EA50 diode valves kicking about (they were used in my AVO valve tester before I went solid state) and wondered what I could use them for…it is worth the time/effort/interest in perhaps trying to make some kind of pedal, or are these really not suitable for much in that regard? Could you use them as clipping diodes maybe in a tube overdrive design?
https://www.r-type.org/exhib/aaa0414.htm (https://www.r-type.org/exhib/aaa0414.htm)
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I'm interested in this too, looked into this a while back when those little Valvecasters were getting popular and some people were using 12**7 types wired up as a dual diode at the end for a clipping stage
I was thinking recently how well worn out tubes would work in this purpose, heres a link to diystompbox discussion
https://www.diystompboxes.com/smfforum/index.php?topic=41416.0 (https://www.diystompboxes.com/smfforum/index.php?topic=41416.0)
I'm not sure what the specs are on tubes as diodes though, in order to get that clipping theshold near a germanium or silicon type diode...
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Thanks Rontone...you've lit the blue touch paper then! :laugh: OK, so it's not impossible, or necessarily a waste of time having a play about (everything's relative, right?!). These EA50 valves are physically small-ish, and have a max plate voltage of 50V, so I'll have a little think about maybe some kind of basic circuit to try them out with. I guess a sort of basic one or two dual triode preamp-ish boost pedal design to begin and work them in as the clippers.