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Title: Best Cleans From a Ceriatone EF86 Amp? Which One? Post by: Animalboy71 on January 25, 2014, 09:47:47 PM Hey Guys,
I've always wanted an amp that uses an EF86 pre-amp tube. What amp models have you tried? Are the cleans chimey? Does it sustain well? Tihgt bass response? What speakers? Any input is appreciated! Cheers Title: Re: Best Cleans From a Ceriatone EF86 Amp? Which One? Post by: wyatt on January 25, 2014, 10:05:41 PM I thought you wanted a SSS or OTS?
Having trouble making up your mind? I would guess the EF86 amp with the most headroom on the Ceriatone offerings is the Dizzy 30 (Matchless DC30). All the Ceriatone EF86's preamps are the same design (late '50's AC15) applied to different amps, you're really just looking for the amp with the most headroom from the poweramp. It's kinda of enigma, the EF86 is suppose to be the dirty channel on the amps, but people like it for cleans. However, it doesn't offer neither as much clean headroom nor as much overdriven gain as the 12AX7 channel of the Dizzy 30 (which is the Vox TOp Boost preamp). If anything the EF86 is favored for it's thicker tone. But the EF86 and all pentode preamp tubes are a real hassle at times. They are ALL prone to go microphonic, and a poor match for combo use. Many manufacturers, including Vox, has given up on them altogether. Title: Re: Best Cleans From a Ceriatone EF86 Amp? Which One? Post by: Animalboy71 on January 26, 2014, 05:57:06 PM In truth I want about 9 or 10 Ceriatone amps. I guess I'm just figuring out which one to buy first lol.
I searched the amps last night and it looks like there's only 3 models that use the EF86 front end. I think the Dizzy 30 is the one I would go for. Do you know if you're able to Jump the channels on this amp? Has anyone here tried both the Dizzy 30 & the Marshall 36/18 watt Ef86 amps? Title: Re: Best Cleans From a Ceriatone EF86 Amp? Which One? Post by: wyatt on January 26, 2014, 06:14:50 PM The DC30/Dizzy 30 channels are out-of-phase with one another — one phase inversion in the EF86 channel (180°), two inversions in 12AX7 channel (360°) — so jumpering probably not ideal.
Can't really give a first-hand comparison of the DC30 and EF86 36-watt, but in general, the 18-/36-watt design offers less clean headroom in the power amp (the PI signal runs hot into the power tubes). The DC30 power amp design is copied right from the Vox AC30, just with a lot more filtering. The only advice I can give it buy what you need...when you need it. What is your immediate needs from an amp? |