Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

Mark, I'm using a Svetlana/Sovtek EF86 in my brother's Silvertone and it sounds and works great. They stopped making them over a year ago due to inconsistant quality and gain levels, but they're still around for a reasonable price.

There is a new Tung-Sol EF86/EF806 available. I haven't tried it yet, but if its like any of the other reissue/made in Russia Tung-Sol stuff, it will be great! I'm a dealer for these Tung-Sol tubes (and many other brands) so if you want some then shoot me an email and I can quote you pricing. JJ was supposed to be coming out with an EF86, but no one has seen it yet. Other than those, its NOS or nothing. There are still lots of NOS out there, and they sound and work the best, and are reasonably priced still. GEC and Amperex would be to two best brands, but there are lots of acceptable NOS stuff.

I started with the Vox AC15 EF86 circuit in my brother's Sivlertone, but changed it up to the present arrangement pretty quickly. With a 6L6GC pair of power tubes, they need more drive to overdrive than EL84's do, and I also didn't like that with the stock Vox circuit, the screen voltage is higher than the plate...it just isn't good design.

When tweaking the EF86 circuit, you'll find that the screen voltage REALLY controls how much gain the EF86 puts out. Book recommendations say to make the screen voltage about 30% to 40% of what the plate voltage is. Its a good idea to split the screen resistor into two, and make half of it a pot to dial in the exact value that you want. You also need a cap to ground or (better) to the cathode from the screen. This cap helps to make the screen voltage more stable. Something like a .1uf is fine. I pretty much used the standard EF86 circuit that was on the Svetlana site, and tweaked from there.

I, for one, am usually running ROS, the bridge pickup through a Peavey Delta Bass w/4x10s cab and the neck pickup through an old Carvin B2000 w/2x15s cab. For smaller venues where the ROS is just too big – one or the other rig depending on the room. Usually with a Sans amp up front.

I use an Ampeg VH-140C. This is a 2 X 12 combo about the same size and wattage as a Fender Twin Reverb. Its solid state but you would never know it by plugging into it. It sounds great with every guitar I plug into it. I can get any sound I want from it. I would love to find another one sometime to have as a spare.

Greg. I sent you an email. Thanks a bunch. This is a great resource and it really is nice that there are people here with brains and taste!

Not to single out Greg. This place is full of people with brains and taste.

Mark, I couldn't agree with you more... brains and taste - and a combined cultural memory that has to mount up to eons. When it comes to tube talk Greg sounds like my guitarist. I start hearing Svetlana/Sovtek and my eyes just kinda glaze over. The breadth of the knowledge base here is simply amazin!

Thanks Mark, I got your email. I'll reply a little later.

Tom, its taken me years to learn about amps enough to have an intelligent conversation about them with someone and invariably, others around just glaze over like you mentioned. This all started from me wanting to learn how to maintain my Vox AC30 so I wouldn't have to keep paying for "bias adjustments" when I changed my tubes. Once I learned the AC30 doesn't need bias adjustments and pretty much biases itself, THATs when I decided I should learn about this stuff myself. Its really fun, which is why I keep learning more about amps.

I'm lower on Greg's curve, but having fun with tube projects. Greg and I are actually on other lists (which I mostly read) and I had to check where I had gained so much familiarity with him.

One thing that was great for me was to have the THD Flexi and buy a truckload of tubes and have an amp that seems to encourage experimentation. I'm still not Mr. Gestalt with the math and my eyes cross when reading some of the diy ampbuilding sites when they really get into the technical stuff, but I do have an inkling about how some tubes behave in identical circuits and what happens when I cool or warm the bias of an output tube. Watch out, world, I'm learning other stuff too.

Also, aside from the intelligence and taste here, I really appreciate the level of help, respect and courtesy we seem to enjoy here. It isn't like this everywhere.

Yeah, I was sitting here thinking Sharkboy was familiar too Mark!

I have issues with the math too, and some of the real technical stuff flies over my head, but I just read and reread and ask questions when I want to learn something and eventually it clicks in. I want to be an electrical engineer eventually, (that is if my future rock stardom doesn't happen right away...haha) so learning the tube stuff will help me when I actually get to where I can take an electronics class.

You're right about this site. Peter has set up one of the best places on the web to talk about RICS and other stuff. A lot of great people here on a regular basis.

A 67 Fender Deluxe Reverb and 18 Watt.
When I need more power I use a 72 Bandmaster Reverb that is modified to a Marshall JTM45 but with adjustable negative feedback and some T. Mitchell mods. Normal channel stock.

'66 Princeton Reverb.

Fender '65 Twin Reverb Reissue ...super clean ...and loud !