I would like to put together a tube amp. I have, in the past, rebuilt some Dynaco ST-70’s and really enjoyed the process. They are neat since there are so many driver boards to experiment with.
My needs make SET amps not ideal so some sort of Push-Pull is preferred.
Aside from the plethora of Dynaco clones etc what else should I look at in kit form or just instructions. I can wield a soldering iron but designing the amp is above my pay grade.
My needs make SET amps not ideal so some sort of Push-Pull is preferred.
Aside from the plethora of Dynaco clones etc what else should I look at in kit form or just instructions. I can wield a soldering iron but designing the amp is above my pay grade.
KT88 push pull amps seems to be very popular now in general. Some also build EL-34 or EL-84 push pull amps, and some are exploring rare russian and chinese tubes to build amps...
For kits look at Bottlehead and Oddwatt, both are popular kits to build.
Cool. Thank you. At one time I had some really cool VTL (brand) tiny triodes. They were quad El-84 Push-pull with a triode switch. Really cool amps and I would love to build and EL-84 amp.
Also, Bottlehead was popular 10 years ago when I was messing around with amps. They certainly have some staying power.
I really wish there were more kits around that were based on simple designs for a complete push-pull amp, something along the lines of a 12AT7 or 6SL7 input/concertina, followed by either EL84 or 6V6GT outputs in AB1 without all the super gee-whiz sort of addons. I feel such a nice simple kit would be pretty simple and popular. I would love to see something similar from Bottlehead. Easy little rig to make add-on modules (CCS, regulators, tone control, etc) for tinkering.
AFAIK, Bottlehead deals exclusively in SE designs.
What sort of speakers are going to be used? A reasonable recommendation as to an amp can't be made, without speaker info. View the amp/speaker combo as an "organic" whole.
Yes I checked them out. I did mention in my original thread that I need P-P not SET.
I really wish there were more kits around that were based on simple designs for a complete push-pull amp, something along the lines of a 12AT7 or 6SL7 input/concertina, followed by either EL84 or 6V6GT outputs in AB1 without all the super gee-whiz sort of addons. I feel such a nice simple kit would be pretty simple and popular. I would love to see something similar from Bottlehead. Easy little rig to make add-on modules (CCS, regulators, tone control, etc) for tinkering.
Agreed
There is a groupbuy for the Baby Huey... PCB makes easy build, and its well documented with a BOM, suggested parts etc.
There is even a kt88 version, I'm considering making that one in the future
Something really different:
Engineer's amp 50W monoblock
http://www.pmillett.com/file_downloads/dcpp_mb_sch.pdf
Engineer's amp 50W monoblock
http://www.pmillett.com/file_downloads/dcpp_mb_sch.pdf
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I did mention in my original thread that I need P-P not SET.
When you say ...SET... are you referring specifically to SE triode? Because you can have a nice SE amp with some power using 6L6 in normal pentode.
Yes I checked them out. I did mention in my original thread that I need P-P not SET.
Still actually very helpful to know what speakers are typically what will be used with the amp. Efficient speakers may be quite happy with a PP EL84 amp, while inefficient ones might want 3x the power and here KT88 is a better choice.
Also worth mentioning, if you don't mind laying it all out yourself, this design will make you the coolest kid in town-
6L6GC AB2 Amp
6L6GC AB2 Amp
That looks pretty awesome
I really wish there were more kits around that were based on simple designs for a complete push-pull amp, something along the lines of a 12AT7 or 6SL7 input/concertina, followed by either EL84 or 6V6GT outputs in AB1 without all the super gee-whiz sort of addons. I feel such a nice simple kit would be pretty simple and popular. I would love to see something similar from Bottlehead. Easy little rig to make add-on modules (CCS, regulators, tone control, etc) for tinkering.
Not quite that simple, but Jim McShane stocks kits of parts for "El Cheapo" builders. Add a sturdy cake pan as the chassis, along with magnetics, and you are good to go. Any 6V6 family tube will work with the values shown. Ask Jim McShane for the RC bias network values EL84s need.
A complete set of power "iron" can be purchased from Allied. Stock # 70218190 is a Triad N-77U main B+ trafo. Stock # 70218344 is a Triad VPS24-1800 B+ boost and "12" V. heater power. Stock # 70218145 is a Triad C-24X B+ filter choke. Stock # 70009000 is an Allied/Hammond 6K27VF B- and 12AT7 heater trafo.
Edcor's GXPP15-8K is the currently recommended O/P trafo, for a limited budget, triode mode, build. Edcor's more costly CXPP25-8K supports UL mode "finals" or UL/triode mode switching. The "Gold Standard" in O/P "iron" for an "El Cheapo" build is the Dyna Z565, original or "cloned".
BTW, no control center/preamp is needed, when a CDP is the signal source.
Attachments
Funny enough you mention the El Cheapo, as I just ordered up a cheap PCB on ebay for 2x 6SL7 and 4x 6V6 (with the speaker winding sitting under the LTP nonsense, easily changed) that I was planning to modify into something pretty close.
Are there any PCBs available to build up the El Cheapo? I've actually been looking for something and settled on the $9 chinese PCB since it was to cheap to pass up for the tinkering I can do to it. It's such a simple circuit that it's pretty good for beginners, but P2P or turret boards/tag strips can be daunting to some of the folks I recommend it to.
Are there any PCBs available to build up the El Cheapo? I've actually been looking for something and settled on the $9 chinese PCB since it was to cheap to pass up for the tinkering I can do to it. It's such a simple circuit that it's pretty good for beginners, but P2P or turret boards/tag strips can be daunting to some of the folks I recommend it to.
Are there any PCBs available to build up the El Cheapo?
No. Can you post both the schematic and a photo of that Chinese PCB? Maybe we can come up with a "surgery blueprint" to shoehorn the EC circuitry in. Frankly, I have a strong dislike of Octal sockets on PCBs. Can you say crack?
Try the "Wayback Machine" for an old, no longer available, DECWARE forum that contains quite a bit of the project's history.
Here's what was on the listing-
Looks like a Dynaco A-410 or thereabouts...
I plan to run a CCS under the LTP, and I might even go fixed bias, simply because I'll already have a negative rail for the CCS anyway. I'll run the feedback to the opposite LTP triode's grid. It's simple and basic, but it will be for use in the garage, and I wont be rolling tubes so I'm not too concerned about PCB mounting the sockets. It'll probably end up triode or Pentode connected (I'm not a UL guy) and it should be pretty easy to modify into a good little rig. For $9 shipped I'll be happy enough with it for a quick-'n-dirty build.
Looks like a Dynaco A-410 or thereabouts...
An externally hosted image should be here but it was not working when we last tested it.
I plan to run a CCS under the LTP, and I might even go fixed bias, simply because I'll already have a negative rail for the CCS anyway. I'll run the feedback to the opposite LTP triode's grid. It's simple and basic, but it will be for use in the garage, and I wont be rolling tubes so I'm not too concerned about PCB mounting the sockets. It'll probably end up triode or Pentode connected (I'm not a UL guy) and it should be pretty easy to modify into a good little rig. For $9 shipped I'll be happy enough with it for a quick-'n-dirty build.
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