I got so tired of looking for a decent and reasonably priced AC30 chassis....

[Ed_Chambley]

Very nice, and I know you are loving the EF86.  Playing 12Ax7 get old at times and those pentode preamp tubes are a nice change.


Great Job.

[G._Hoffman]

Very nice, and I know you are loving the EF86.  Playing 12Ax7 get old at times and those pentode preamp tubes are a nice change.


Great Job.

It's got a very punk rock attack to it.  It makes me think of that really aggressive, not too dirty sound Elvis Costello used to get.  I've got to try to get that electric 12-string sound he has on Veronica - I think it should work out great!


Gabriel

[Ed_Chambley]

Very nice, and I know you are loving the EF86.  Playing 12Ax7 get old at times and those pentode preamp tubes are a nice change.


Great Job.

It's got a very punk rock attack to it.  It makes me think of that really aggressive, not too dirty sound Elvis Costello used to get.  I've got to try to get that electric 12-string sound he has on Veronica - I think it should work out great!


Gabriel

Yea Buddy.  I have actually taken to making the values switchable between Vox and Matchless.  The Matchless setup sounds very similar but has a more open feel.  I would thing with a 12 stringer it would be very nice.


A lot of folks have complained about microphonics and a very experienced builder, Jeff Bakos here in Atlanta told me to keep my voltage under 100 on the plates and I would not have that problem.  I do and have never had one go microphonic.


One of the guys at Triode Electronics told me to try a NOS tesla as I have normally used the ones with the screen in them like a mullard.  I have to tell you is is a fantastic tone.  I even converted my main Super Reverb channel 1 to a ef86.  Some say they are not great driving a tonestack, but I disagree.  Great tone and with a AB switcher on the Super Reverb I can get the great blues sound and then get that raspy tone.  Elvis Costello's tone is a great example.

[Greenmachine]

Amazing!  Good for you!

[kagliostro]

Ed_Chambley have I understand wrongly

or are you saying that you use the resistor (and capacitors) values of the Vox (and Matchless) on the ef86



keeping the voltage that supplies the tube under 100V and also you follow the tube with a ToneStack having good results ?

Franco

[G._Hoffman]

Got the baffle finished!  I'm planning to get the main part of the case covered tomorrow, but right now I'm really happy with how both the logo came out (click to look at the close up of the logo - I tried to find a font which was close to the Vox font, and put in all the lines similar to the Vox logo), and how the grill cloth came out.  I was really worried about the grill cloth because of the pattern, but other than the corners on the right (which are just a bit wonky), I think it turned out really freaking well.








Oh, and the purple logo is not intended as a Prince tribute - I just have a boat load of these T1 sized "Super Bright Pink" LED's, and wanted to use them up!


Gabriel

[kagliostro]

Very Accurate Job


Franco

[HotBluePlates]

... I'm really happy with how both the logo came out ... have a boat load of these T1 sized "Super Bright Pink" LED's ...

Is that a side-lit engraved Acrylic/Plexi panel?

Looks pretty awesome! And like my Standel-type amp, while the lettering lights brightly, the whole panel will faintly glow.

[p2pAmps]

 

Excellent

[G._Hoffman]

Is that a side-lit engraved Acrylic/Plexi panel?

Yeah, it is.  The glow is actually just reflecting off the Tolex behind it.  Last time I did this, (on a Dumble-esque amp fit for a Super Hero!), I left a window behind the panel as well, so you could see the tubes glow a bit (just a bit - no extra lighting in there!). 

If your acrylic glows, you need to buy better acrylic.  I get it from McMaster-Carr, and it is SOOOOOOOO much better than hardware store acrylic.  It is completely clear, and there is no glow - just the engraving lights up.  (Well, any accidental scratches also light up, sadly.)  It also machines about 1000% better - no melting, no running over the design 5 times to clear out the dross - once, and done.  I usually have to go through and scratch out a few little burrs, but it is a night and day difference.


Gabriel

[G._Hoffman]

I always hated the way the grooves where you run the skinny piping turn out at the edges, so I decided to come up with a better way to do it.  While I'll admit this cutter looks a bit scary, it is taking such a light cut that it is pretty comfortable to use.  (This is also one of the reasons I love having a really great woodworking shop available - I had to buy the slot cutter; but the big bearing, the various bushings to make it work, the collar to hold it all on, and the bit extender were all on hand (mostly in the shaper room).  It does have a lot of mass, which helps with the cut, but also means that it took almost a minute to spin down!!!!  Definitely one only to use in a router table!!!!!





It sure does leave a nice corner, though!!!!!  It's a bit hard to see, but the corner has a perfect radius - no square corner!  I just tested the fit, and it is PERFECT!!!!






Gabriel

[G._Hoffman]

The box is done.  Just some electronic odds and ends to tie up now (like power for the LEDs). 


Please don't ask for close ups of the box.  They will not be forth coming.  I REALLY hate inside corners.



Gabriel

[Ed_Chambley]

Ed_Chambley have I understand wrongly

or are you saying that you use the resistor (and capacitors) values of the Vox (and Matchless) on the ef86



keeping the voltage that supplies the tube under 100V and also you follow the tube with a ToneStack having good results ?

Franco

I cannot say about the tube following the tonestack as I have not built that amp yet.  I plan to.


I have only used them in circuits similar to the Vox AC15, Like the Route 66 by Dr Z and of course a Matchless DC30.  And yes, I have made it switchable between the 2.  It began with playing the Matchless which seemed to have a better clean tone and I wondered why.


The voltage thing is something that Jeff Bakos told me to try on small signal pentodes to keep them from being Microphonic.  Actually it was a 6sj7 I was having microphonic issues with when I changed the 5c1 Champ from grid bias to cathode bias.  He told me to lower the voltage and it worked.  He also said he tries to keep all small signal pentodes at low voltages.


I can say on the EF86 and the 6sj7 lowering the voltage did help with microphonics, but I have been working with a 5879 a lot lately and this tube doesn't seem to have microphonic issues.

[mresistor]

That cabinet is beautiful !   You do nice work sir.

[G._Hoffman]

That cabinet is beautiful !   You do nice work sir.

Just don't look at the vents, please!


Gabriel