Crack with 12AU7 or 6SN7 to start?

dludingt · 7894

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Offline Natural Sound

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Reply #15 on: June 04, 2014, 06:29:21 AM
I punched out the hole in the chassis and installed a 6SN7 from the start. I wouldn't recommend this method for a first time kit builder but if you have a little experience it should be pretty easy. You can see my thread here. http://bottlehead.com/smf/index.php/topic,1222.0.html Unfortunately the photos that I posted are gone now. I did use an adapter to convert back to 12AU7 for comparison. Lets just say that I'm glad I wired my amp for 6SN7. ;) YMMV.



Offline dludingt

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Reply #16 on: June 04, 2014, 09:20:47 AM
I punched out the hole in the chassis and installed a 6SN7 from the start. I wouldn't recommend this method for a first time kit builder but if you have a little experience it should be pretty easy. You can see my thread here. http://bottlehead.com/smf/index.php/topic,1222.0.html Unfortunately the photos that I posted are gone now. I did use an adapter to convert back to 12AU7 for comparison. Lets just say that I'm glad I wired my amp for 6SN7. ;) YMMV.

It was actually your thread that got me thinking about starting off with the 6SN7. I have some experience with point to point kits and tube work, so that's why I asked.

Perhaps the quality of the Chinese adapters would be better than some of the early threads that mentioned the introduction of buzzing. It would probably cost me less to build the amp stock then purchase an adapter. If I encounter issues, then I can work on constructing my own adapter.

One step at a time... and I haven't taken the first step of ordering the kit!



Offline Paul Birkeland

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Reply #17 on: June 05, 2014, 06:45:17 PM
My tentative plan is to use a twisted shielded pair of thin 22awg wires for each pin (doubling up for the heater from 12AU7 to 6SN7).

Does this sound like it would work well? Funny how I'm planning this far more than my actual Crack build.

You'll want to use STP for the heaters, but it's really important that you take advantage of the twisting geometry, which isn't accomplished by doubling it up and using one piece per heater feed.  You could use one piece of STP for both grids, and likely just straight wire feeds for everything else.

Paul "PB" Birkeland

Bottlehead Grunt & The Repro Man