RL> Biasing it *properly* will toast the tubes quickly, let alone a little
 RL> hot. The only way to get them to distort is to cut the B+ level.  When
 RL> you do that, you eliminate the entire problem.  385v is the rated max 
or
 RL> a current 6V6 (they can live at 400 when biased "cold")... they sound
 RL> WONDERFUL at around 325v. The 6L6 can handle a higher plate voltage, but
 RL> as with the 6V6 circuits, the old Fender designs need a serious B+ diet.
       First, I'd like to tell you guys that the project's canceled. That's 
because I'm getting a REAL Blackface Dual Showman! The exact one that I 
played through and fell in love with!!! My dad said that he's going to get it 
for me. :)        Besides, I have the schematic. Just looked at it, and it 
has 6L6s, not 6V6s. I'd be safe, either way. The 6L6s are being run at 460V 
on the plate and 458V on the grid. Am I to assume that this is within the 
safe range for 6L6GCs? And I shouldn't have any problem popping Ruby Tubes, 
Svetlana, Sovtek 6L6s or maybe this mystical Golden Dragon KT66 (if it is 
indeed for real).        Besides, what I meant about running it a bit hot is 
very slightly above the norm for a pristinely clean specific amp. But I 
thought that it was mainly Silverfaces that were insane on the plate voltage. 
If so, I was safer (if not safe) being that I was going to build to the 
Blackface spec. 
 RL> In the 60s, tubes were rated at a particular voltage, but most types,
 RL> especially the old Sylvanias, could handle voltages far above their 
ated
 RL> voltage.  Current tubes are built TO the original rating and not beyond.
 RL> If you do build an exact clone of an old Fender design, I strongly urge
 RL> you to use only good quality, tested, NO$ $ylvania$.
       Why didn't the Russians and Chinese realize this? Aren't amplifiers at 
least half, if not most, of the market for these specific tubes?
       How does $17.50 each for JAN GE 6V6s and $18.75 each for JAN Phillips 
sound? I know I'm going to have 6L6s, but just wondering. That's what Torres 
has them listed for.
       BTW, I'm not sure what the amp has in it already, but what do you 
think would give me the warmest tone for preamp tubes, the 7025, 12AX7, or 
12AT7? The original schematic has all three in the circuit, but two 7025s in 
the inputs, one to drive the reverb, a 12AT7 recovering the reverb, a 12AT7 
as the phase inverter, and a 12AX7 in the vibrato. Also, I would assume that 
the 7 diodes connected to the 340VAC tap on the power transformer is the 
rectifier. And the 6.3VAC is a common source to the heaters on all the power 
tubes?
...This copy of ProBoard has been unregistered for 899 days!
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