Need to be schooled in a little Amp theory

[M Fowler]

I would have to say from what little I know about your amp is that if you tried reducing 220k plate to 100k which cleaned up the amp but the amp is not loud there is something wrong else where in the amp.

I used a four EL84 Rocket with 220k plate in a band for two years unmiked playing classic rock. The amp is anything but quiet. For really loud songs I kicked in a home made linear booster and Boss OD.

Mark

[john l]

I don't know how much this might help but I was just reading one of webers books where he recomends removing the bypass cap and using a larger value cathode resistor. He says " A tube configured this way can take a large signal without clipping. Instead of clipping, it compresses. This is heard as touch sensitivity."

Seems like something you might experiment with to get where you want to go.

[surfsup]

I would have to say from what little I know about your amp is that if you tried reducing 220k plate to 100k which cleaned up the amp but the amp is not loud there is something wrong else where in the amp.
Mark

I agree. What can be done is split load. If the OP replaced the 220k with a 120/100k combo in series and connected the CC to the junction between the resistors, the gain/bias of the first stage will remain the same, but the amp will receive roughly half the AC signal into the second stage which should clean it up.

[yalesmith]

Thanks for all the help and alot of the suggestions worked great. I decided on reducing the 220 grid resistor to 100k and added a PIG control as well as changing the PI tube to an 12at7. The voltage divider suggested by GAZ also worked great.

Also, i suprisingly realized that the changing the resistors on the V1b from Metal film to Carbon Film, and the Grid Stopper resistor from Metal film to the metal oxide helped the amp be less harsh and brittle.

I am trying different speaker combinations, it seems to get harsh sounding and muddy the louder it gets