Well they're working fine at the moment    I'll ring the supplier in the morning and see what they say. 250vDc rating does not equate to 'they're very robust tubes and will be fine at 450V' in my book.

Had a couple of NOS russian military 6v6's

http://www.langrex.co.uk/images/valves/6p6s6v6gt.jpg

in my OTS for a week now. No problem biasing them to 20mV. They sound very good indeed, a warmer earlier breakup and nice harmonics, esp if you run with the master volume at 8-10. Very pleased, will be ordering a few spares. I know they're not rated to 450V but I did ask the supplier and he said they were very robust valves and would be fine. Seems so, so far, but it is early days yet.

I'm really keen to hear one myself. I would have thought that any rawness could have been tamed with the HRM trimmers, but I'd like to know if its not. My OTS won't do that verrrryy smooth RF tones, but I'm not really looking for that. I use it with trimmer and level low for a much cleaner OD, then use pedals to juice it up more.

What I'd be looking for in a Bluesmaster is a little more edgy clean tone, a bit brighter with more harmonic content ( a bit like my DC-30 12ax7 channel) and an OD is the same as my OTS, but with the added TMB capability.

http://www.audioloudspeakers.co.uk/tayden_guitar.shtml

Seem to be as expensive as Blues and golds from what I've seen, just wondered if they are any good.

Will look out for a Fane.

Thats an interesting list Doc and I was wondering if you've had chance to try the new Tayden speakers , especially the alnico's. I have an EVM-12L curently paired with an Eminence Tonespotter in an open backed 2x12 and a G12-65 in my DC-30 combo. I need to spend some time moving speakers around as I have an Eminence Texas Heat spare, but I think this isn't the speaker to pair up with the EV, I need an alnico I think, probably will be a Gold.

Investigate London Power PowerScaling. I had it fitted to my DC-30 and it works very well indeed.

Great , well done. LEt it burn in for a good while before really getting down to play. I suppose the FET level depends on what youre going to plug in to that input. Not even sure what HAD intended it for.

really like the Centuries aswell, very chimey and bright. Might need to get my hands on one of those.

Yep, but I would want it in a rack and like the rack mount K*lator I built,  I would also want a hardbypass footswitch.

That my friend is a summer car. If you are having anything like the weather we are having in the UK you need a WINTER car right now. 

Anyone know what the differences are between the 5F8A and the 5E8A?  Tonally I mean.

Ahh, but have you tried it with one of Erwins' Percolators

If you do find one day it sounds dull and lifeless, measure the mains voltage. I think, but I'm not sure that when its low the amp sounds less than perfect.

You should now be getting some sound out of it, the voltages are in the right region, though a little low on V1 and V2, though I wouldn't worry about that for now.

Try pluging a lead in to the Power Amp IN socket just to see if the poweramp section is working properly (touch the tip of the other end of the lead). If you do then plug in normally and if you get nothing from either clean or OD then check and re-check your wiring  from input jack up to V3 pin 2 and 7. This is the point at which its helpful to have both the schematic and the layout to guide you whilst checking, but you can do this with just the layout checking every joint that you have made whilst marking them off with a highlighter pen. Any join that looks suspect re-do it.

You have wired your input jacks the right way haven't you?? Have you tried the FET input?

You can't. Its one channel or the other.