Laney LC30II preamp bias question

[mac]

First, sorry to post this here.

I have an academic question about a particular tube bias.
I opened up my Laney LC30II to check if everything is ok.
I was following the schematic, available on the net, and I noticed a rather high cathode resistor, 10k, that puts the plate close to B+.
The schem says plate 195v, and B+ 210v. I have to check it.

I wonder if this biasing makes the tube compress, or clip like a transistor biased close to 9v. Since there is only a 68k series grid resistor between the previous tube 22nf out cap and the 1M drive pot, 15v of headroom looks like it is going to clip/be driven hard. Not an expert, not sure. I'd appreciate your comments.

BTW, hot neck pick ups makes the drive chn sound a little muddy, unless a treble booster or ext eq is used. But it could be the HH speaker... yeah, yeah, I know a 70/80 or V30 would be better

The only schem I've seen close to this is the Pignose G40.

mac

[PRR]

This goes back to when Marshall started to diverve from Fender designs. An extra stage for more gain, but with over-size cathode resistor for not-too-much extra gain.

Distortion onset is abrupt, but that's not a primary tone because the next (Bassman-like) stage will overload first.

http://www.freeinfosociety.com/electronics/schematics/audio/laneylc30.pdf

[mac]

This goes back to when Marshall started to diverve from Fender designs. An extra stage for more gain, but with over-size cathode resistor for not-too-much extra gain.

Distortion onset is abrupt, but that's not a primary tone because the next (Bassman-like) stage will overload first.

I put a pot across the 10k, not a big change in tone at lower values, but much more distortion and more tight.
The voltage reading was 18V away from B+ at 10k.
I don not want more distortion, this amp has tons of it, so I'll try a 12au7 tube at v2 and/or v3.

The only significant voltage readings I noticed are the heaters at only 5.4V AC (pin 4&5 <-> pin 9), and the phase splitters at 180V instead of suggested 195V.
Eveything else looks like just out of the box

I think there is an error in the schem. V1b in mine has a 1k5 cathode resistor, not 820R. The schem notes that both tubes should be at the same voltage, which is not possible if both have different cathode and same plate resistors.
And the chn switching looks also wrong.

mac