Let's see the tiny low wattage tube amps you love

[Iron1]

I was about to mention joyo mjolnir and zombie but never tried them personally. Someone posted long ago that they are quite shitty, still would like to try

I wanted a Mjolnir for awhile, then read a few reviews where they just stopped working and are nearly impossible to get fixed. Been there done that with Blackstar. The BanTamps are by no means the greatest amps of all time, but for the price they're hard to beat - definitely need an EQ in the loop, but I never had trouble getting a good tone from mine. I like the MiniAmps better, but they're solid state.

 

[-BOOGIEMAN-]

I was about to mention joyo mjolnir and zombie but never tried them personally. Someone posted long ago that they are quite shitty, still would like to try

I have the Zombie ll and I dig it!!! It totally provides the Mesa tones I’ve missed since selling my Deul Rec that I had in the 90’s at a fraction of the price of admission. Hit the front with a TS or SD1 and have an EQ in the loop and it sounds massive coming out of a 412 cab…I want to pick up the JaCkMan ll…

 

[MadAsAHatter]

What tubes did you use? I don't have any but may try to see what I can get here in the US.

I just keep an extra set of the standards around as backup if something craps out. Usually JJ or Nesstone. So it's not like I did a bunch of tub rolling. I started with an EL84 which sounded good, but it was more Vox British & I wanted to be more Marshall. Gave a KT77 a shot which had the Marshall flavor but a bit too much headroom. I ultimately ended up with an EL34. That got me the tone and breakup I was hoping for. I was happy with the EL34 and never did get around to trying a 6V6 or 6L6.

You should be able to get something from Tube Depot, Eurotubes, TheTubeStore, or Nesstone; all reputable vendors in my experience.

 

[Snags]

Not entirely sure this counts as "tiny" given that physically it's almost as big as the DSL40, but it is only a weedy 5w valve amp (with optional 1x12" extension cab). It has seen a fair amount of use and abuse over the years, most of it in public without the extension cab.

 

[jellodog]

Not entirely sure this counts as "tiny" given that physically it's almost as big as the DSL40, but it is only a weedy 5w valve amp (with optional 1x12" extension cab).

The amp part of the combo is kinda tiny though!

I used to own the L5 Studio Head. Probably should not have sold that one, but I don't think I knew what I was looking for at the time.

 

[Elric]

The Hagerman Half Watt might not be far off.

This thing was getting talked up like crazy on TGP for a week or two

 

[FuzzyAce]

Not entirely sure this counts as "tiny" given that physically it's almost as big as the DSL40, but it is only a weedy 5w valve amp (with optional 1x12" extension cab). It has seen a fair amount of use and abuse over the years, most of it in public without the extension cab.

View attachment 9951

Really love the looks of that stack.

 

[jellodog]

This thing was getting talked up like crazy on TGP for a week or two

Sounds juicy!

 

[FuzzyAce]

This thing was getting talked up like crazy on TGP for a week or two

 

[jellodog]

Had a bit of a mind blown moment today. An EH 6CA7 power tube arrived.

For cleanish sounds, I've always been fighting that black panel / 6V6 high end with a Strat-style guitar and I was still fighting to tame that with the Spanky Jr. I had hoped that an EL34 or similar might help in that regard, but didn't really expect it to.

Well this has been transformative. It's like a completely different amp. With the 6CA7 this tiny tiny amp sounds much bigger and indeed stout! The high end isn't glassy like a 6V6 but there is chime there. In the neck position, the low mids and low end are full, tight AF and warm. The low strings almost sound like a bass guitar. Amazing.

All the frequencies are balanced and there seem to be more of those "good" harmonics that are desirable and none of the shitty ones.

This 6CA7 is really smooth and mellow, which I think this "immediate" single-ended amp needs to balance out that immediacy. I love it!

Here's the biggest surprise: I usually hate the middle pickup and never use it. Today the middle position had a nylon guitar-like tone through the 6CA7. It's a completely new and enjoyable tone that I didn't have before. All harshness has gone.

I've also got a comically large KT66 on order. That might arrive tomorrow, but I may have wasted my time and money with that, because I could stop right here with the EH 6CA7 + 5AR4 rectifier and be happy.

 

[la szum]

Nice! Happy for you, JD!

I had a Goodsell Thunderball for a bit, and you could put any power tube type (2x) or Rectifier
in it. That was a fun amp to prove to me directly that power tubes do indeed have a sound and
a feel of their own. Same with Rectifier types. Crazy how the rectifiers also change the amp's
output (wattage and headrooom).

Fun stuff!

 

[jellodog]

That was a fun amp to prove to me directly that power tubes do indeed have a sound and a feel of their own.

Right? It's funny how the accepted knowledge on a lot of gear forums (especially one in particular) is that tone a feel differences between power tubes is marginal.

I appreciate that the circuit around the tubes is important as to whether or not a difference would be noticeable, but in this case it was night and day!

Who knew that some random people on the internet could be wrong or misleading?

 

[la szum]

Right? It's funny how the accepted knowledge on a lot of gear forums (especially one in particular) is that tone a feel differences between power tubes is marginal.

I appreciate that the circuit around the tubes is important as to whether or not a difference would be noticeable, but in this case it was night and day!

Who knew that some random people on the internet could be wrong or misleading?

Yup. Totally!

Direct experience like that---with only a single variable being changed---is enough to make the most
gullible among us a bit skeptical of a lot of the nonsense that is purported to be proven as "objectively
true."

Balderdash I say!

It's probably also responsible for the proliferation of bad ideas and questionable notions.

 

[laxu]

Right? It's funny how the accepted knowledge on a lot of gear forums (especially one in particular) is that tone a feel differences between power tubes is marginal.

I appreciate that the circuit around the tubes is important as to whether or not a difference would be noticeable, but in this case it was night and day!

Who knew that some random people on the internet could be wrong or misleading?

Or it could be just that the amp is built around a particular powertube, and putting in something else changes how its circuit behaves. You could potentially build the same amp, but using a different powertube and tune it to behave the same.

I mean there's a Marshall built with every known powertube there is and they do all sound like Marshalls.

Egnater makes the Rebel amp that is able to dial between an EL84 and 6V6 and everything in between, and even the manual says the effect is subtle.

 

[FuzzyAce]

Or it could be just that the amp is built around a particular powertube, and putting in something else changes how its circuit behaves. You could potentially build the same amp, but using a different powertube and tune it to behave the same.

I mean there's a Marshall built with every known powertube there is and they do all sound like Marshalls.

Egnater makes the Rebel amp that is able to dial between an EL84 and 6V6 and everything in between, and even the manual says the effect is subtle.

With a SE, cathode biased amp the power tube change will be more apparent.

 

[Boudoir Guitar]

Or it could be just that the amp is built around a particular powertube, and putting in something else changes how its circuit behaves. You could potentially build the same amp, but using a different powertube and tune it to behave the same.

I mean there's a Marshall built with every known powertube there is and they do all sound like Marshalls.

Egnater makes the Rebel amp that is able to dial between an EL84 and 6V6 and everything in between, and even the manual says the effect is subtle.

I think you’re absolutely right. The amp was built around a particular power tube and 3rd power those sneaky bastards shipped it with NOT that power tube…

 

[jellodog]

@laxu Aye, I appreciate your point. Even though this amp is cathode biased and therefore self-biasing - the plate voltages do vary in relation to which rectifier tube is being used, wall voltage and other properties of the circuit, so even changing rectification can have a huge effect on how the power tube sounds and whether or not it's in a sweet spot.

I've been playing the amp again today (and last night) and these EH 6CA7 tubes are providing the most pleasing tone I've ever had at home from a small tube amp. I sure hope it's operating in the safe zone, because I'd hate to lose the tube and access to this tone. Transformer is getting pretty damn hot though.

I could open it up and use my multimeter to check, but as someone with a nervous disposition - I hate doing that and would rather trust that it's okay. A few weeks ago, I was biasing my PRRI with my multimeter across a 430v connection and some a-hole pressed my doorbell. I've never jumped so hard in my life!

Going to have to disconnect that bell (and buy plastic underwear).

 

[la szum]

"I am hear to disavow you of your actual experience.... and will do so no matter what it takes."





I get it. I understand why. But damn.... why make it a fucking lifestyle??

 

[laxu]

I've been playing the amp again today (and last night) and these EH 6CA7 tubes are providing the most pleasing tone I've ever had at home from a small tube amp. I sure hope it's operating in the safe zone, because I'd hate to lose the tube and access to this tone. Transformer is getting pretty damn hot though.

Hey, whatever works!

I'm guessing the 6CA7 gave you basically more output and headroom over the 6V6. This might paradoxically make it sound nicer at lower volumes. I recommend checking your volume levels with a db meter to see if it's just louder at the same settings.

 

[jellodog]

I'm guessing the 6CA7 gave you basically more output and headroom over the 6V6

You'd think right? They are supposed to have more headroom than an EL34 and lean towards 6L6.

But that's not what's happend in this case - I'm getting earlier breakup

Which fortunately, is what I want at home volumes.

I have a theory.

The 3rd Power website states:

Plate Voltage, Rectification:​

​

120V AC input yields ~360 V DC (5Y3 rectified), 380 V DC (GZ34 rectified)​

So if what we're getting is in that 380v ballpark and the spec sheet for the EH 6CA7 says that it can tolerate a whopping max plate voltage of 800v!

Now I've also read that nobody ever runs them anywhere near 800v (which sounds right), but perhaps I'm significantly slashing headroom at that plate voltage, regardless.

Anyway, that's what's I'm experiencing: I have EOB a little lower on the volume dial than I expected and it seems lower than with the 6V6. Weird eh? It's actually happening at the perfect room volume for me and the C1025 speaker.

https://www.thetubestore.com/lib/thetubestore/eh-6ca7eh.pdf

Spanky Jr manual says: "Supported power tubes including 6V6 (standard), EL34, 6L6, 5881, KT66. Supported rectifier tubes include 5Y3(standard) and 5AR4/GZ34."

Well at least the operating values are similar to an EL34 (heater voltage, current draw, max plate voltage):

https://www.thetubestore.com/lib/thetubestore/JJ-E34L.pdf

Also: I swear it broke up even earlier last night. This is what made me start to worry that I was damaging the tube and running it hot. Now I've checked the specs that seems fine though.

I just stuck my multimeter in an outlet and the wall voltage is fluctuating between 117v and 119v over several minutes. Who knows what the wall voltage was last night; could have been even lower. Ohhhh Canada!

Anyway, don't really know what's going on exactly, but as long as the amp keeps making pleasing tones and doesn't explode, I'm fine with that.