Anyone built an ac30 using 6V6s?

[bruno]

The 6V6s take a bigger voltage swing before distortion, so probably the phase inverter would have to be designed taking that into consideration, but would the ending result be too similar to the original amp with el84s? Or would it be a different beast?

Thanks

[spacelabstudio]

The 6V6s take a bigger voltage swing before distortion, so probably the phase inverter would have to be designed taking that into consideration,

My EL84 based Hoffman AC30 starts breaking up at around 3, so I don't know that I'd worry about that.

but would the ending result be too similar to the original amp with el84s? Or would it be a different beast?

No idea, but I know one way to find out.  ;)

Chris

[bruno]

I have a 1965 vox ac30, no top boost. I've had JMI reproductions with top boost, and worked on several old ones with top boost also.

I'd never claim an ac30 to break up around 3, it really depends, on what sort of guitar/pickups you're using, where you have the tone and volume on the guitar set. And whether you're using the top boost or the normal channel.

[Ed_Chambley]

I converted an AC15 to 6V6's.  Changed it back.  The reason I did it as I have a great stock of 6V6's, not so much in the El84's.  It did not have that jangle anymore.  It did have a very nice harmonic response when cranked.

[darkbluemurder]

I built something similar - the amp was based on the TopHat Club Deluxe, which is basically a 2 x 6V6 cathode biased amp with a Top Boost preamp. Sounded nice from the beginning. I later changed to EL 34s (the power transformer is a JTM-45 type and the output transformer is a Hammond designed for a pair of KT66s) which I liked even better. I am yet to try the JJ KT66s I have at home.

I also built an amp based on the Dr. Z Stangray with 6V6s, then later took out the tone control, effectively turning it into an AC-15 type preamp. I liked it while it had that tone control for its Brad Paisley like tone. Without the tone control it was louder but I did not like the tone and rebuilt it into something different.

Cheers Stephan