Posible uses for this list of valves

[Kaahrl]

I found old radios (50s, 60s) and I might be able to get my hands with more. so, I got some valves and a shitload of components. one of the three radios was as easy as plug it in, (the radio function does not work)  and when the guitar is plugged in,  the sound couldnt be better!! so, the rest just give me pieces and I would like to start making my own sound system since its free! so, this is the list of valves I got so far and since Im new to this (as new as it can get) I would appreciate if you lead me to what I can do with them.

-ECH81 (x2)
-EBF89 (x2)
-EF86
-EM81 (x2)(I believe this is only a show valve oscilloscope like)
-EL84 (x2)
-ECC83 (this is used in the blackstar pedals)
-and one without name witch looks almost exactly like the ECC83 but a bit smaller.

I also got some red painted valves (they look ancient)
-Mullard ECH3
-EF8 (might be broken since they make noises when moved like something is inside free)
-EF9 (might be broken since they make noises when moved like something is inside free)
and a gigantic one that I cant see any name on it XD

I also got what I thing are valves, but they are enclosed in metal and I can't see any names.


Well, my goal is to make a guitar amp, with EQ, metal distortion,  reverb and delay (I thought about look after valve versions of this pedals and integrate them in the amp, with posibility of bypass with a controler pedal and efect mix) and then I make a cabinet with the speakers (witch are a lot more kickass than I would imagine).
I know is ambitious but I cant help it hehehe, I will take it step by step!!

So, can I do that with the valves at hand?

[amptramp]

The first step is to understand the stuff you got.  To do this, go to:

http://tdsl.duncanamps.com/tubesearch.php

to get the online tube manual that tells you what each tube is and get links to detailed tube data.  For example, the ECH81 is a triode-heptode used normally as an oscillator-mixer tube in radios.  It would make a good tremolo or with two tubes operating push-pull, you could get the equivalent of a ring modulator with gain.  The EBF89 is a dual-diode pentode used as an IF amplifier and diode detector in radios.  The EF86 is a small-signal pentode with internal shields.  The EM81 is a tuning eye tube that has an internal triode with an amplification factor of about 15.  They are usually used as indicators, but I have seen them used as circuit elements with a convenient indicating function.  The EL84 is a beam power output tube equivalent to the 6BQ5 which is usually used in push-pull to get up to 17 watts but is also used single-ended to get over 5 watts.  The ECC83 is our old friend, the 12AX7 high-gain twin triode.

Then check the plate curves and deign something that you can use.  There is a lot of information and circuit diagrams available for the EL84 that you could copy easily from other guitar amps.  Note that European radios often use EL84's as single-ended amps with two for stereo, so don't expect the power transformers you got along with the radios to support the higher power outputs you can get with push-pull amplifiers.  I have often picked up old radios and amps just to get the power transformers and output transformers as they are expensive commodities to buy retail.

[Kaahrl]

wow, thanks a lot for the info and the link!, without hesitation I will start getting my hands dirty to get the components out, and lets see If I can get something of use from it!

[PRR]

> I know is ambitious

Building tube stuff, the first time, is hard enough when you have known-good circuits and known-good tubes. I would not start with an odd lot of possibly-sick radio tubes.

Like what do you do with a ECH3 Triode-Hexode? Common-cathode at that. Really the only obvious use is as a radio frequency-changer (which is NOT an audio freq changer).

Anyway tubes are a "small" part of total tube-gear cost. The power supply, case, filter caps etc and etc will out-weigh the tube cost. It is a little better than having the hood-ornament from a Ferarri, or even a set of Ferarri fenders(wings).... it takes much more to build a Ferarri.

> I found old radios

You have whole radios? Then do NOT cut them up or take out the bits. Every loudspeaker radio IS an audio amplifier (plus a tuner). It has the power supply, filters, case, and everything is *already wired*. Just fix the old/bad parts, hack into the Volume control, put a booster in front, and it IS a guitar amp. Small, maybe gut-less, but you can jack out of the speaker circuit into a bigger amp.

BUT.... be sure it has a Power Transformer. In the USA, most 1950s-1960s radios did NOT, and connecting your guitar (and your body!) to the circuit can be FATAL. In Europe, PTs were more common, but I am sure death-trap radios existed. Find a local expert.

[Haze13]

Morgan Jones - "Valve Amplifiers 3th Edition" and "Building valve amplifiers".
You can download them for free.
He explains exactly what you can do with these tubes. Read, look at the other schemes that you can find on the net... This way is so much faster than just reading some posts on tube designs without knowing the basics and trying to understand what people telling you.
Books are not about guitar amps, but if you will treat guitar amps like a monoblock with pre and power amp in one package with a HUGE gain and forget about THD - every thing will be the same... Gain stages, buffers (cathode followers), drivers, Phase splitters (or inverters), Classes of Power amps, feedback, tone stacks...