Guitar Tube Amp that uses KT88, 300B, 2A3, else

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I have never heard about it. (@Some bass amp uses KT88)
6V6, 6L6, EL84, EL34 and what else? In addition, they are
all PP type. (@some lunch box type tube amp used SE.)

Can you explain why? I think SE typed 300B will
sound better and more beautiful lead tone.

If you are using such amp, can you share your experience?

Thanks
 
I can think of a few reasons why DHT's aren't used in geetar amps; expensive (and tube amp maunifacturers are incredile cheapskates), fragile, low power, unknown in MI circles, more complicated to use, tradition and inertia. Lots of bass amps use the 6550, but I don't think the tone is correct for a lot of guitar applications.

I'm just finishing up a 300B SE geetar amp for a friend. It has a luvverly tone, like butter.
 
Guitar amps are designed and used for there specific distortion, depending indeed on the output tubes used.
The players are mostly not interested in the clean sound of 300B or other SE output tubes, but in the way they distort when overdriven.
This plus the output power needed is why PP outputs are used.

Hope this answers your question.
Dick.
 
diyAudio Senior Member
Joined 2002
Hi,

The players are mostly not interested in the clean sound of 300B or other SE output tubes,

While I understand the underlaying message, I don't really consider the 300B clean or neutral.

One could construct a bass amp with a 300B that, given the right speaker would appeal to this kind of user.

A good 300B doesn't cost an arm and legg.
I know guitar players who pay a similar amount for a set of 6550s...pretty soon there may be some guitar amps out there using SE 845s or 211s.
Who knows?

Anyway you look at it, this is all about tone, bite, whatever harmonic balance one's after.

Viewed that way any amp is bound to bring a particular palette of tonal colours.

Cheers,;)
 
Filaments

fdegrove said:

One could construct a bass amp with a 300B that, given the right speaker would appeal to this kind of user.

A good 300B doesn't cost an arm and legg.
I know guitar players who pay a similar amount for a set of 6550s...pretty soon there may be some guitar amps out there using SE 845s or 211s.
Who knows?


...one point to note : would the filaments of the DHTs survive gigging and constant transportation ?

316a
 
300B Guitar amplifier

I believe that a 300B guitar amp will have what I need: warm tone at very low volume, to play at home and mike the amp to record. I have a spare 300B and a old small valve amplifier crying to be reborn, so I will completely rebuild it with a new 300B design.

About the schematic, all i've seen so far is for hi-fi. Maybe I will start with the WALTON and then use a real guitar pre-amp schematic with tone control. Any sugestion? :eguitar:


Cheers,

Manuel:
 
hmm not bad idea i think

since the day i wrote this post, i have built a lot of single ended guitar amps such as fender champ. my conclusion is that 6v6 is not enough to make modern distortion, but good for blues and jazz. 6l6 or el34 is not bad. they sound great distortion in low volume, but not much bass and damping)

definitely, all of them are for practicing at home. i think 300b is not bad. i expect a lot of harmonic distortion will give thicker tone.
however, well, i can build up two more champ with the mony cost for 300b single ended guitar amp. :)
 
I have reached my Guitar Amp Nirvana

I've finally made it! The Je-labs 300B schematic, with a Hammond 1627SE transformer... The sound is superb! I've been playing with a Stratocaster directly connected to the input, and it has all that I want: hot tone plenty of warm harmonics at low volume.

I have owned few expensive amps, pre-amps, speakers and simulators, but this is the first time I am satisfied with a "clean" tone that does not sound sterile. :cool:

... I don't really consider the 300B clean or neutral.

I agree with you Frank, maybe that's why it sounds so cool with the guitar. As the Chinese proverb says: "There is no fish in pure water"

Cheers,

Manuel
 

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