GlideOn
Member
So I'm working on my lil' 5w class A El84 for and amp about to order some caps and whatnot to get the thing going and I couldn't help but feel (as I looked over to the other side of the room) that my poor 67" Yba-1 wants to have some updated components too.
Now just for the record - The amp is a 1967 model with the greatly oversized trannies and choke, has the solid state rectifier, 6L6/5881/7027 power tube family configuration, twin mallory filter caps out in front near the input jacks and last but not least a small capped-off slot where a tube rectifier would fit perfectly next to the power tubes. It's fine with the stock x2 Mallory 40uf and the 80uf mains filter but could stand for improvement. I do get weird gargling sounds every now and then and the noise issue is up there when the volume is up. It is going to need this eventually so I might as well do it now while I am ordering and save on shipping a bit mind you.
But now I get to thinking that maybe I would like the sound of a tube rectifier somewhere in the mix. I have no experience in changing out rectification stages but I figure it shouldn't be too big of a deal as I am building an amp at the moment - come to think of it BUILDING a rectifier certainly counts towards experience. But I understand that the filtering can't bee too stiff (high MFD's) for a 5AR4/GZ34 tube recto to work reliably and desirably. I do like a big of sag in a Marshall-voiced sort of way - but then again I do get a bit of "sag' now in its' current configuration and I think that the stock 4 Meg volume pots have something big to do with that. The problem with that (and what could also stand for improvement) is that the 4 MEGs do give it a less guitar-like presence than I'd like. The CTS 1 MEGs that I currently have now are going in for sure but now that the puzzle is starting to come together I will need to compensate for this somewhere down the line - the tube recto might do it for me. I am perfectly happy with the amp's voicing but these mods just seem like common sense mods for the time being.
And now after the rambling, the real questions begin!!!! How are 5AR4/GZ34's these days; do they make a decent tube that won't crap out on me in a slightly-less-than upkept 40+ year old amp? (please don't tell me NOS is the way to go because those are another stratosphere of pricing to get into at the moment - want to keep this reasonable on the wallet for now and into the future)? If they aren't worth getting into, then what would be another good way to get some "sag" outta the amp after the 1 MEGs volume(s) pot change? Lower/stagger the MDF on the caps? Change the bypass caps/feed caps somewhere down the line? Open up a new can of worms?
And again, looking to keep the budget classy here, don't wanna pour every hot-rodded component under the sun into this thing at the moment because it already sounds like a winner. I'm willing to spend about maybe a tank of gas' worth ([yes, today's prices worth
) (and I drive a Ranger for the record)].
As for future use and modifying for gain/etc. - I just use my Kingley Jester pedal and it gets all the classic rock gain I need right now and then some. I just simply dial the mids back and the bass up on the amp itself and combined with the pedal I can get as heavy as Diezel-sporting Adam Jones (yes I know I made the Mrashall analogy earlier on and I know he uses Superbasses - I mean Diezel when I say Diezel)...(I am running JAN 6L6's after all).
In a nutshell (I'll save you the hardwork) - I've got all the gain I need so no need to worry about where the components will go, just as ling as they get there and I eventually shaddup and let you guys get a comment in here...
Now just for the record - The amp is a 1967 model with the greatly oversized trannies and choke, has the solid state rectifier, 6L6/5881/7027 power tube family configuration, twin mallory filter caps out in front near the input jacks and last but not least a small capped-off slot where a tube rectifier would fit perfectly next to the power tubes. It's fine with the stock x2 Mallory 40uf and the 80uf mains filter but could stand for improvement. I do get weird gargling sounds every now and then and the noise issue is up there when the volume is up. It is going to need this eventually so I might as well do it now while I am ordering and save on shipping a bit mind you.
But now I get to thinking that maybe I would like the sound of a tube rectifier somewhere in the mix. I have no experience in changing out rectification stages but I figure it shouldn't be too big of a deal as I am building an amp at the moment - come to think of it BUILDING a rectifier certainly counts towards experience. But I understand that the filtering can't bee too stiff (high MFD's) for a 5AR4/GZ34 tube recto to work reliably and desirably. I do like a big of sag in a Marshall-voiced sort of way - but then again I do get a bit of "sag' now in its' current configuration and I think that the stock 4 Meg volume pots have something big to do with that. The problem with that (and what could also stand for improvement) is that the 4 MEGs do give it a less guitar-like presence than I'd like. The CTS 1 MEGs that I currently have now are going in for sure but now that the puzzle is starting to come together I will need to compensate for this somewhere down the line - the tube recto might do it for me. I am perfectly happy with the amp's voicing but these mods just seem like common sense mods for the time being.
And now after the rambling, the real questions begin!!!! How are 5AR4/GZ34's these days; do they make a decent tube that won't crap out on me in a slightly-less-than upkept 40+ year old amp? (please don't tell me NOS is the way to go because those are another stratosphere of pricing to get into at the moment - want to keep this reasonable on the wallet for now and into the future)? If they aren't worth getting into, then what would be another good way to get some "sag" outta the amp after the 1 MEGs volume(s) pot change? Lower/stagger the MDF on the caps? Change the bypass caps/feed caps somewhere down the line? Open up a new can of worms?
And again, looking to keep the budget classy here, don't wanna pour every hot-rodded component under the sun into this thing at the moment because it already sounds like a winner. I'm willing to spend about maybe a tank of gas' worth ([yes, today's prices worth
) (and I drive a Ranger for the record)].As for future use and modifying for gain/etc. - I just use my Kingley Jester pedal and it gets all the classic rock gain I need right now and then some. I just simply dial the mids back and the bass up on the amp itself and combined with the pedal I can get as heavy as Diezel-sporting Adam Jones (yes I know I made the Mrashall analogy earlier on and I know he uses Superbasses - I mean Diezel when I say Diezel)...(I am running JAN 6L6's after all).
In a nutshell (I'll save you the hardwork) - I've got all the gain I need so no need to worry about where the components will go, just as ling as they get there and I eventually shaddup and let you guys get a comment in here...