Tube boost + overdrive running off a 9 volt battery

[Renegadrian]

I also tried some tubes labelled 5963 - they work.
but as you can read they're part of the same family.

http://www.nj7p.org/Tube4.php?tube=5963

[Krinor]

All nine pin double triodes "work" in this circuit. 5751's are low to medium gain and like the mentioned 5963 is a very good substitute for something like a 12AU7. I also tried some NOS GE 12AV7's and they are okay, although IMO not as nice and creamy as the 5751.

Has anyone tried anything from JJ in this thing lately ?

[andrew_k]

Has anyone tried anything from JJ in this thing lately ?

Yes, JJ 12AU7. Compared to a RCA 5751 it was brighter, "brittle" would be a word to describe the difference. I think the JJ would be better for a live situation where the pedal was being used as a lead boost. The RCA sounds nicer when being hit by a boosted signal.

[frequencycentral]

Already out this in the 'Pictures!' thread but what the hey!

Valvecaster with stompable LPB boost:

[Renegadrian]

thanks for sharing, Rick!!!
I love to see other people's work, expecially on the Valvy...
Altough it's the same f***ing circuit wit the lowest components list, every pedal looks different from the others...

[Jimmy-H]

Hi Rick,

Sure looks great!!
The Tube is invisible, but well protected.
Very practical on the road.
Really nice build.
Looking forward to your next!

A hell of a thread you started here Dano! 
And it seems not to end yet

[frequencycentral]

thanks for sharing, Rick!!!
I love to see other people's work, expecially on the Valvy...
Altough it's the same f***ing circuit wit the lowest components list, every pedal looks different from the others...

Thanks Adriano - yeah simple circuit - but it was wiring the two 3pdts that was the mindbender here. I made the bypass switch bypass both circuits, the boost switch just cuts out the LPB. Took a while to get my head around how to do that!

Hi Rick,

Sure looks great!!
The Tube is invisible, but well protected.
Very practical on the road.
Really nice build.
Looking forward to your next!

A hell of a thread you started here Dano! 
And it seems not to end yet

Thanks Jimmy. Well protected - yes! My first VC was for home use - this one is for gigging with.

As for other builds - I finished three other enclosures yesterday, all the electronics done too - I just need to 'pot' them up - so it should be a bumper week for me in the 'Pictures!' thread.

And yes - one hell of a thread - its this thread and Dano's site which got me into the forum in the first place.

Thanks again Dano!

Rick

[Jered]

  Hi Rick, question for you. I'm curious how hot your pedal gets with the LM317 and the tube inside the enclosure? I'm wondering if I need to drill vent holes before I paint.
  Thanks, Jered

[frequencycentral]

  Hi Rick, question for you. I'm curious how hot your pedal gets with the LM317 and the tube inside the enclosure? I'm wondering if I need to drill vent holes before I paint.
  Thanks, Jered

Hi Jered,

There is no LM317 inside - this Valvecaster runs on 12 volts, including the heater.

Maybe its the Subcaster that you are thinking of that needs the LM317 for its 6.3 volt heater?

As for heat off the tube - I only finished the pedal today, so it hasn't been plugged in for long. I'll be using it at band practice on Wednesday so I'll report back. I did consider vents - I may still have to drill them!

My other Valvecaster is 9 volt battery powered - the tube gets warm but not hot. I don't know how much differance it will make being powered at 12 volts from a wallwart.

I can tell you this: I built a little amp recently, using a Subcaster as a preamp into a LM386 based amp, I'll be boxing it up this week. The 6111 submini tubes get much hotter than 12au7 tubes, and the LM317 does get seriously hot - even with a heatsink. The enclosure for this project is vented.

Rick

[Jered]

  Thanks Rick, I wasn't sure what voltage you were running it at and needed the volt reg or not, that's why I asked. Please do post your results after your rehersal, I'll hold off on the vent holes until then.
  Thanks, Jered

[sengo]

Hi again,

Sorry I have taken so long to respond about my Valvecaster.

I took some voltages, ans was wondering if anyone could compare theirs to mine? To me it just sounds really poorly biased. I also found out my 9V 500 mA power supply actually runs around 12.6 Volts when not plugged into the jack on my Valvecaster, it is an EH power supply. when the jack and take a reading across the positive terminal and ground I get a reading of 11.05 Volts, but I have gotten readings as low as 10.9V. Here are my voltages:

Pin 1: 7.63V
Pin 2: 0.00V
Pin 3: 0.72V
Pin 4: 0.00V
Pin 5: 10.99V
Pin 6: 4.46V 
Pin 7: 0.37V
Pin 8: 0.00V
Pin 9: 5.52V

A lot of these voltages seem to fluctuate slightly while taking them. I don't know if that will help diagnose the problem. I'll try to get a picture up later perhaps, but I don't know how helpful that will be, right now my project sort of looks like an octopus.

Nick

[Pushtone]

A few weeks ago I reported that a brand new YUGO tube (12AU7) that I paid $8.00 for sounded terible in the Valvecaster. Farty, sputtery, week, no gain.

I swapped it for the EH tube thats been serving in my Firefly amp. Ah, tonal bliss with the Valvecaster and EH tube.

The Yugo tube got put in place of the EH in the Firefly amp where I could not tell the difference between tube. They sound the same in the Firefly.

Three weeks later the Yugo has about 6 - 8 hours of use in the firefly amp.
I pull it out of the amp and into the Valvecaster.  Gee, it sounds very good now. WTF.

Did it get burned in from the high voltage in the Firefly?  Why does it sound good now?

Before the difference between the Yugo and the EH has huge. Now there is  a "just noticeable difference" between the two.
The EH is still better, but only slightly.

One side note to this history....
The Yugo flashes a bright white light from inside the tube near the base when the Firefly is powered on.
The EH has never done this.

Is it important to burn in a tube?

[Renegadrian]

sengo, I'm not a multimeter guy, I have a rawer approach (Wire it - it works - yell in glory!!!  - it doesn't work - yell in rage!!!  )
So I cannot be of any help with those voltages...

[frequencycentral]

sengo - I'm busy for the next few days but will post some voltages to compare on thursday - unless someone else gets to you first.

Rick

[brett]

Hi
RE: Yugo tube playing up and "Why does it sound good now?"

Wild guess - A couple of time I've had new tubes that make poor connections into sockets.  Once they make contact and get hot and get going, they are OK.  Given the low voltages here and high voltages in the firefly, it might have been the plate pins that had a film of corrosion on them or were not making contact.
cheers

[frequencycentral]

  Thanks Rick, I wasn't sure what voltage you were running it at and needed the volt reg or not, that's why I asked. Please do post your results after your rehersal, I'll hold off on the vent holes until then.
  Thanks, Jered

I ran my red Valvecaster/LPB for 3 hours tonight at rehearsal. Immediatly after unplugging it I opened it up and 'kissed' the 12au7 - lips being very sensitive to heat. It was warm but not hot. The enclosure was colder but a tiny bit warm. My 500ma regulated DC adapter was way hotter. Thats good enough for me - no vents needed. I was running it at 12 volts.

Also, the way I configured the two 3pdt was excellent. The 'bypass' 3pdt cuts of both effects for true bypass, the 'boost' 3pdt brings the LPB in and out. Real Easy to go from clean to rhythm (VC) to lead (LPB > VC).

The other guitarist in my band wants one!

I kissed my tube and it felt good.

[Renegadrian]

YOU PERVERT!!! 

[Jimmy-H]

[
I ran my red Valvecaster/LPB for 3 hours tonight at rehearsal. Immediatly after unplugging it I opened it up and 'kissed' the 12au7 - lips being very sensitive to heat. It was warm but not hot. The enclosure was colder but a tiny bit warm. My 500ma regulated DC adapter was way hotter. Thats good enough for me - no vents needed. I was running it at 12 volts.

Also, the way I configured the two 3pdt was excellent. The 'bypass' 3pdt cuts of both effects for true bypass, the 'boost' 3pdt brings the LPB in and out. Real Easy to go from clean to rhythm (VC) to lead (LPB > VC).

The other guitarist in my band wants one!

I kissed my tube and it felt good.

MMMMMMMMMMMMM........that's new Tube kissing in the Stompbox society!!!!

[frequencycentral]

YOU PERVERT!!! 

[
I ran my red Valvecaster/LPB for 3 hours tonight at rehearsal. Immediatly after unplugging it I opened it up and 'kissed' the 12au7 - lips being very sensitive to heat. It was warm but not hot. The enclosure was colder but a tiny bit warm. My 500ma regulated DC adapter was way hotter. Thats good enough for me - no vents needed. I was running it at 12 volts.

Also, the way I configured the two 3pdt was excellent. The 'bypass' 3pdt cuts of both effects for true bypass, the 'boost' 3pdt brings the LPB in and out. Real Easy to go from clean to rhythm (VC) to lead (LPB > VC).

The other guitarist in my band wants one!

I kissed my tube and it felt good.

MMMMMMMMMMMMM........that's new Tube kissing in the Stompbox society!!!!

I am not ashamed. It felt right at the time. I would definately do it again if the occasion arose.

[Renegadrian]

I wrote this on one of the Sparkle Boost topic, in reply to an Andy question about the SB before a Valvy, I think it has to be reported here too...

I run the SB with the 2n5457 in, then my toneless Valvy with vol and gain set at something less than the max.
The SB is a good companion, expecially on solos - high notes are well defined even at its max gain.
You may want to tweak the amp highs, as to get the best results on the E or A string palm muted riffs...
That said both at SB min and max gain.