ot question

[iknowjohnny]

First of all, will my marshall style hammond OT (3.2k/50watt) be good for a 4x6v6 amp? Thats about right, no? I love my marshall style build, but every time i try JJ 6v6's in it i can't help but feel they are a superior sounding tube in ways that aren't really subjective. I mean, everything guitar players generally want, there seems to be more of. But 2 6v6's aren't clean enough at volumes. So i'm considering converting it by adding 2 octals if i can make room. The PT is 250ma.

[Jana]

Yeah, you could do that.

The question is, what kind of plate voltage do you have? Supposedly the JJ 6v6 can handle some pretty high volts, like 450 or so. I wouldn't personally run them, or any 6v6, at that voltage. If your build is giving you somewhere between 350 to less than 400 volts, that would be perfect for 6v6's.

[iknowjohnny]

Thanks. It's over 400, more like 425. But i've read of a lot of people running them very high both plate voltages and bias. People have cited running them as high as 500v with no problems and even biasing them stupid hot. I can't recall the numbers, but one guy cited a bias waaaay hotter than i run them. Mine has about 425 when i run them at 24ma. But i edged it up to mid 30's w/o red plating in the dark. I know the guy i mentioned ran them well over 30, so i know i can run them at 30 and the plates will be even closer to 400. Over and over again i have read of people punishing JJ's and no one has ever said they killed a set. I've been running these on and off for months. I think with 4 of them i should be even safer.

[Phil_S]

2 or 4 tubes, one config won't be safer than another. If a tube's gonna croak, having more company won't change that.

Why do you want to bias at 30mA or more? If you have a good reason, go for it, but not just so you can punish the tubes. This is about tone, not about limits!

[iknowjohnny]

Why do you want to bias at 30mA or more?

I don't. I wouldn't bias that hot just for the fun of it. But if it sounds better and it's still a good ways from red plating, why not. By the way, it's actually about 28 where i left it because beyond that point i didn't notice any improvement. But before i knew where the best tone was i had it as i said up to the mid 30's with no red plating. These are STRONG tubes. and i haven't done anything close to them that i've read others have.