Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

Hey there,
I just got an old Danelectro Cadet, which is supposedly the same as the amp-in-case transformerless amp, but in a cabinet. It sounds great, but ever the tweaker, I'm wondering if there are any tube alternatives I can try for more gain, chime etc...
The tubes are 50C5, 35W4 & 12AU6. All are unfamiliar to me.
Any advice?
Thanks!

You can add more gain using a different variant of the 12AU6. The 12AU6 has the lowest gain its type.

12AX7=100 12AT7=60 12AY7=45 12AV7=41 12AU7=20

The 35 W4 is a rectifier and the 50 C5 is an audio tube which used to be common in radios.
Both are still available.

Thanks guys!

Ken, I looked at putting in a 12ax7, but the socket is too small. Electrically speaking, can I just put in a proper socket to make the swap?

Yeah, you don't want to even try a 9-pin dual triode into an 7-pin sharp cutoff pentode spot- it is a single stage. You would need to change the circuit to make that work.

I would suggest going to tubesandmore.com or one of the other common merchants to find exact replacements unless you want to make it into a whole new amp.

As an odd coincidence, my friend sent me an interesting link that's somewhat related to this.It's a project to mod an old Kay amp.http://www.instructables.com:80/id/SWQWBKAF9T401MU/

Thanks, Don, that's awesome!

My mistake I read and wrote 12AU6 but was thinking 12AU7. I guess I wasn't quite awake yet. Sorry.

The tubes in those type of amps are specced out as they are for a reason. The filament voltages add up to the wall voltage, and if you start subbing in different tubes, they may not work. These type of amps sound great, but are a safety hazard. Be very careful when using it.

Greg

Hey thanks guys, for all the input.

I did replace the power cord with a polarized one, as well as all the caps. It sounds MUCH better now, with considerably more gain, though the volume is about the same. I'm getting new tubes today, which will help even more I'm sure.

The 4 guys at the electronics parts store who looked at it (probly over 100 years of experience between them!) said they were all confident that it was safe to use with the new cord & caps.

I'll tell you what, this thing rips now!

Grats on the amp! Bet it sounds really cool.

Be advised, though, that there are other meanings of "tweaker" that you may not have intended...

- Scott

You had my curiosity!

http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=tweaker