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21
Tube Amp Building - Tweaks - Repairs / Re: Hum and Buzz in Cordovox Build
« Last post by scstill on October 23, 2025, 11:23:10 am »
You may have already done this, but have you checked for any DCV on the pots?

Yes I measured for DC some time ago.
Doubled check again just now same, no DC.
BUT, my ground side meter lead was sitting close to the preamp tube.
I discovered that when a ground wire is close to the preamp glass the hum/buzz was noticeably reduced.
Thoughts?

Have to further troubleshoot this. But possibly a good pathway...
22
Tube Amp Building - Tweaks - Repairs / Re: Hum and Buzz in Cordovox Build
« Last post by scstill on October 23, 2025, 11:18:19 am »
I had a recent project where I got a similar buzz, and it turned out to be a loose wire on the input jack. Have you tried re-wiring the inputs or replacing the jacks altogether?
Early on I bypassed the jack it made no difference.
BTW - these original cordovox jacks have double switches, the first to ground when no plug, the second is not connected. Odd since this was the time when manufacturers were trying to save bucks. Maybe they had these lying around.
23
Tube Amp Building - Tweaks - Repairs / Re: Hum and Buzz in Cordovox Build
« Last post by scstill on October 23, 2025, 10:44:54 am »
What purpose does the 100k/22uf circuit from heater CT to ground do?

This was original to the Cordovox circuit.
I believe the 100k is to elevate the heaters to reduce hum.
The 22uf is to filter any remaining ripple.
Maybe a dated approach...
Does anyone think this could be an issue? Rarely see it in guitar amps right?

below is a more detail explanation from Gemini
"In a guitar amp, a 100kΩ resistor and a 22μF bypass capacitor on the 6.3V heater center tap serve to "elevate" the heater voltage, which is a key technique for reducing noise and hum. This is most beneficial for sensitive high-gain preamp tubes, as it helps create a cleaner, less noisy signal.

The purpose of heater elevation
While a simple grounded center tap helps cancel some AC hum, it does not prevent capacitive coupling between the tube's heater and cathode, which can introduce a 60Hz hum into the audio signal. By elevating the heater to a positive DC potential (usually sourced from the high-voltage B+ supply), this coupling is significantly reduced.

In a guitar amp, this technique is particularly important in the following ways:
Silence high-gain stages: The first gain stages of a guitar amp are the most sensitive to noise, and any heater hum introduced here is amplified by every subsequent stage. Elevating the heater voltage is one of the most effective ways to eliminate this type of hum.

Manage cathode-biased tubes: In cathode-biased stages, the cathode is already at a positive DC voltage. Elevating the heater voltage ensures that the heater-to-cathode voltage stays within the tube's maximum rated limits, preventing damage and further reducing noise.

Reduce parasitic noise: The high resistance of the 100kΩ resistor, combined with the bypass capacitor, helps isolate the heater circuit from the potentially noisy main signal ground. This prevents ground loops and ensures a quieter operation.

The role of the 22μF bypass capacitor...
The capacitor is placed in parallel with the 100kΩ resistor to form a low-pass filter, which is critical for making the elevation effective.

Filters out residual noise: The 22μF capacitor filters any remaining AC ripple from the high-voltage B+ power supply. This ensures that the elevated potential applied to the heaters is a pure DC voltage.

Creates a stable reference: By providing a low-impedance path to ground for AC frequencies, the capacitor ensures that the DC elevation voltage remains stable, even when there are small fluctuations on the B+ rail. This prevents noise from the power supply from modulating the heaters and causing additional noise in the preamp."
24
Tube Amp Building - Tweaks - Repairs / Re: Hum and Buzz in Cordovox Build
« Last post by dogburn on October 23, 2025, 08:15:11 am »
That sounds like bad connection, like an open ground, open switch to ground, etc.   Sounds like you have your thumb on the tip of the cable.

I had a recent project where I got a similar buzz, and it turned out to be a loose wire on the input jack. Have you tried re-wiring the inputs or replacing the jacks altogether?
25
Tube Amp Building - Tweaks - Repairs / Re: Hum and Buzz in Cordovox Build
« Last post by Wonder2121 on October 23, 2025, 02:55:46 am »
What purpose does the 100k/22uf circuit from heater CT to ground do?
26
Tube Amp Building - Tweaks - Repairs / Re: Hum and Buzz in Cordovox Build
« Last post by Platefire on October 23, 2025, 12:42:15 am »
You may have already done this, but have you checked for any DCV on the pots?
27
Tube Amp Building - Tweaks - Repairs / Re: Hum and Buzz in Cordovox Build
« Last post by AlNewman on October 22, 2025, 09:18:12 pm »
I remember I rebuilt a radio a few years ago, and had a similar buzz.  I can't remember if I maybe shorted a cathode direct to ground, or maybe left one of the tubes disconnected to ground.  It definitely let me know in a hurry.  I was only rebuilding in sections, so I was able to find it fairly quickly.
28
Tube Amp Building - Tweaks - Repairs / Re: Hum and Buzz in Cordovox Build
« Last post by AlNewman on October 22, 2025, 08:51:32 pm »
That sounds like bad connection, like an open ground, open switch to ground, etc.   Sounds like you have your thumb on the tip of the cable.
29
Tube Amp Building - Tweaks - Repairs / Re: add mid pot to tonestack
« Last post by joesatch on October 22, 2025, 07:20:43 pm »
I agree that the tone circuit looks like that of a Bassman 5e6. This is not a tonestack.  It's a treble bleed circuit plus a bass bleed circuit, which are interactive.


There is no filtering for a mid control.  The 5e6 is reputed to have great mids.  Do you want more mids, or less???


Theoretically, you get more mids by decreasing treble & bass; then turn up the volume to make up for signal loss.  Reverse this for less mids.


For more info google Bassman 5e6 mid control.

thanks i havent tested the circuit but will tonight before i mess with it.
30
Tube Amp Building - Tweaks - Repairs / Re: AB763/6V6Plexi amp kit questions/advice
« Last post by scstill on October 22, 2025, 07:00:35 pm »
I suspect that'll be unrelated to the heater voltage being near its upper limit.
Is it hum or buzz, mains frequency or twice that?

I posted back to the original thread, reply #36; rather than hijack here
https://el34world.com/Forum/index.php?topic=32980.msg367796#msg367796
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