Ceriatone Forum

has any one used this EF806 from eurotubes?
Quote from the site:
The JJ EF806 is a premium version of an EF86 and we could not be happier with its tone and performance! I have been asking JJ for this tube for years now and have always stressed the fact that microphonics must be very low. Well they have pulled thru again! Its quieter than any of my NOS EF86’s and the construction is almost identical to the Telefunken EF86 and it has the same sweet open sound!

It seems a good choice to try on the DC30. Anybody?

Now you've mentioned it I'm going to call and get one from Hotrox today. I'm plagued with 'phonics with my stock EF86 (though only when its VERY loud).

Tried a JJ Ef806 and it is better, but Mark at Hotrox had to test a few to find one that was better than the EH that Nik supplied. He reckons by far the best is a NOS Mullard if you can find one reasonably priced.

I've been so lucky with my EH supplied by Nik. I live in Costa Rica, so my local option limits to some Sovteks I've found on an electronics store. I also have another EH replacement, but untested.
So did you find the sound of the new EF806 somehow similar to the EH? volume, etc?

Haven't had much of a chance to test it to be honest. Rehearsal was a bit hectic. Used channel 1 most of the time, and I had complaints I was too loud so I turned down and then could really only hear the drummer!!!!

hehe... I know what you mean....take your time. But as soon as you can test it let me know...

It sounds good, if anything a little less bright. Its still microphonic, you can still hear it in the background tinkling, but its much less prone to squealing than the EH, though as I said before it was a handpicked example.

I'm going to try modding the mountings of both the valve base and the chassis to see if I can reduce microphonic effects because at the moment its not really useable with the volume turned up loud, fine for most gigs but still, you need to know you can get a bit extra out of it if you need to.

It's your DC30 a combo? Mine is a head, and as I said I've been lucky with my EF86. But also, I usually run the amp on half power and volume not past 9:00, so I am not demanding too much from her...This channel is real loud anyway!  A couple of days ago I did an outdoors gig, and again, the sound guy asked me to lower my volume (it was below 9:00!)...
Do you use any pedal for gain? or just the amp crancked?

No I've not really used a pedal much, this amp is so repsonsive that I can get pretty much what I need from the guitar volume and channel swapping.

I know it is loud, but I need to know that if needs be I can turn it up without fear of uncontrollable squealing microphonics. I am bidding on a NOS Mullard EF86 after the advice from Mark at Hotrox, as soon as I get one I'll let you know.

 8)
I'll be waiting!

Now in posession of NOS Mullard EF86. Installed it and its seems way better, I've just turned the volume up gradually and slowly and I can get it to MAX with NO squealing microphonic feedback. Previous valve I've tried you can't get past 12:00 and the one supplied by Nik was 10:45ish. These Mullards are still quite plentiful and because so few amps use them the cost is still reasonable, I paid less than the new price of the JJ EF806. I think I will keep the Mullard in reserve for gigs and use the JJ for normal use, and I will keep my eye open for another Mullard.

WIll let you know about the tone later, I'm taking it to rehearsal tonight, man are they going to complain about the volume!!!!!!!

hywelg- I have to agree with that- I bought two pristine NOS Mullard EF86 on eBay for around £20 which I was very happy about,  ;D I've just tried one against the original Dario Miniwatt (pretty good actually) but the Mullard won by some margin- much more warmth, gain & clarity, but the total lack of microphonics was a revelation- even turning the amp up to full power and banging it fairly hard on the top with my hand produced virtually no microphonics - I'm well impressed!  I have to say the DC30 is one helluva amp for the money! 

I was at rehearsal last night, I tried the EF86 about 10 o'clock volume, and it was simply amazing. But I still use an sd1/808 to boost it, so I guess that's my luck. Of course I could not get higher volumes, we were on a small room and my amp+drums its a real freq fight on the air!
Gotta try it on higher settings without the pedal, I've found amazingly better than nothing, shame on me I always relied on pedals! I guess I should be scoring for one of those mullards....

Got to agree with that. I just need to know now which are the other hidden gems in Niks range? The OTS gets the most interest, but is it the best amp? well its horses for courses naturally, but I love the DC.


Work the guitar volume knob, this amp is all you need, something I'm not so good at ,  I've tried pedals aswell and still rely on a clean(ish) boost, but I think in time when I master the volume knob technique I'll probably lose most of them.

Cheers

Hywel Harris

Listening to Buddy Whittington today I love his tone, DrZ Maz 38 I think. I wonder how close the DC-30 is to that and indeed how different the 36wattTMB Ef86 is to the DC?. I'd love to hear one, seems to me that I naturally prefer EL84 amps.

The EL84 is really like a mini EL34- somewhat 'crunchy' and it easily compresses - Hywel, have you the dual 5V4 rectifier set-up installed? - If not, that may be your answer for more compression & sustain via the volume control... my Dizzy is much smoother and refined than with just a single GZ34 rectifier valve.  I know what you mean though- the volume output is ridiculous, but the master volume sucks too much tone away for my tastes... I might give the Marshall Powerbreak I have a go... will report back.

No I haven't managed to find 5v4's yet, Hotrox haven't got any , but I'm in no hurry yet, love it just the way it is.

The Mullard EF86 is a very nice valve indeed, no problems with microphonics last evening and it does sound so warm compared to The JJ or EH. Will stick with it and get some more I think.

Before shelling out on a Powerbreak/Hotplate try one. My Hotplates work well with the OTS up to -8db  but with the DC-30 they are poor, thats one of the reasons I went for power scaling. I had it on about ¼ power last night and it was really nice. As I said before you do still lose something but its different to an attenuator where you lose tone badly.

Once you play an EL84 amp you inmdiatedly fall in love with them... there is something to them that is magical. Even my Paevey Minicolosal (1 12ax7 1 EL84) that is capable of higher gain sounds, have this magic and  the powersponge attenuator does a nice job.
I am a newbie here, how does the powerscaling works? I saw the kits and they seem really "simple" if you compare to an attenuator...

I had London Power http://www.londonpower.com/catalog/index.php?cPath=7&osCsid=fb65c5b33618800e48a4fc0537eee5ee (http://www.londonpower.com/catalog/index.php?cPath=7&osCsid=fb65c5b33618800e48a4fc0537eee5ee)budget kit installed for me by an authorised tech. Its not a simple fit, cathode bias amps need a small fan to cool the chips. It works by lowering the B+ voltage and the bias supply along with it. Tone is affected but I can get good tone at much lower volumes than my Hotplate.

I see... So this is not like a load for the speaker or alike... it works before the speaker out jack... Another question -I may be hijacking my own thread!-  Once you install this PS it will always be engaged? or it is some how bypassable if you want it to? or is it like MV that on 100% is bypassed? ???

As far as I understand, this PS won't short life on your EL84's as a Hotplate would, because it works "inside" the circuit and not as an outside load. Please correct me if I'm getting it wrong.

Thanks for your answers and patience!

It is always engaged but when the pot is maxed the voltages are as designed, i.e full on.


No, because you are reducing the voltages to get your power reduction, tube life is not reduced and may even be extended. With a Hotplate you run your tubes at gigging levels but your speaker is producing bedroom levels. They are going to reach the end of their life sooner, but it won't kill them.

Excelent!
And what about gain and crunch? on lower PS settings, you can crank the EF86 and get higher gain sounds at lower volume? Does your old EF86 got microphonic when you cranked it even at low PS settings, or was it just at blast?
Regards!

Yes. I have a two knob Powerscaling setup, Power and Drive Compensation, because as you reduce the voltages you get more distortion, so turning down the Drive Comp it cleans up the sound. But don't get carried away, the tone at bedroom levels is not as good as cranked. This amp needs to be shifting air!


No the microphonics are volume/vibration related, and not a problem at all now with the Mullard.

well... yes... after all we are looking for bedroom solutions, somehow you will sacrifice some tone on the quest. As you said, the dc it's an must-crank amp. I've been trying some very low MV with a boost, and it's been delivering good for late practice at home. But sill I'm curious about the PS, it's something you may need to tame the amp at rehearsal or gigs in small places. My last gigs have seen my amp at 9:00 or less, at lo power. I can see the sound guy going crazy when I attemp to get more gain from the amp and not from pedals...

Tomorrow night I'll try a couple of changes in my setup... I plan to try the amp at 12 or close to, and use an compressor to cut the signal at half or so for cleaner settings, no compressor for stronger rythm and sd1/808 for solos... Tell you about it later!
If results are as expected, some PS may be needed, because MV will damage my tone, I've tried before at higher volume settings and thins too much...

well I tried it... and could not keep for more than 5 minutes... the small room, the other guys complaining... the amp SOOO loud.... It worked beautiful, but it's too damn3d loud!

I get complaints at 10:00 never mind 12:00!!

Finally got round to trying the DC30 with a Marshall Powerbreak (I still have it after my 100w Marshall days!) - predictably it made the amp fizzy at very low settings- but still sounded better than the master volume, which really thins out your tone.... I'm going to try lowering the voltage via inserting a lower o/p tube rectifier- maybe a GZ30, anyone else try this?  Should be similar in effect to power scaling I think???  I'm after more squash & distortion at a MUCH lower volume- and this may well do it...  comments anyone?