Help clear up my confusion

[txbluesboy]

So what are the main differences between the Komet, Concorde and KF-50. I built one of these but I'm not really sure which one it is.

[LeftyStrat]

The Komet has a choke and a tube rectifier and is designed to work with a variety of power tubes. It uses the basic topology of the Express, three preamp stages, though the cathode values of the first two stages and the tone stack varies from the wreck, as well as some additional coupling/voltage divider changes.

The Concorde is the production version of the limited edition KF-50. Same circuit, just different head cab. The Concorde/KF-50 is silicon rectified, designed specifically for EL34's and uses the leftover triode as a cathode follower right before the PI.

[txbluesboy]

Thanks, That makes mine a Komet. However I do have the cathode follower circuit added (allynmeys asteroid is what I copied). Also it has Express transformers so it's not nearly as loud probably. As a matter of fact it's not nearly as loud as my Express, with the same exact transformers. I wonder why that is?

[Fischerman]

I think the Concorde/K50 has slightly higher voltages throughout...but I can't verify that or even remember where I read it. I originally built my amp as an Express, then tried the K60, then tried the Concorde/K50. I increased the voltages a little bit but not much...IIRC I have 320vdc on the PI node (as opposed to ~300vdc on the Express)...and it did improve the tone over the stock Express voltages. Also, the extra current in the cathode follower will drop the preamp voltages a bit more than if it weren't there. So even though my PI node is 20vdc higher than it was before, my V1 node is about the same as it was before (~268vdc). I don't know what the voltages are 'supposed' to be...maybe Allyn will post them.