EF86 as Preamp. Can one stage of 12AX7 be used as cathode follower?

[Easyrider31]

Hi
I am building a tube amp with 2 input channels based on a design in AX84. 1st one with two 12AX7s giving 3 stages of gain and a cathode follower stage. Another channel with an EF86. Can the cathode follower be used for the EF86 as well?? Is it required?The output tube is going to be an EL34. Where is the best place to put the tone stack. Before the Output stage or some point in between the gain stages? Help and suggestions needed.
Thanks

[soundmasterg]

The EF86 will make its max gain when directly coupled to a cathode follower, however it will also work without one too. As long as the output impedance that the EF86 sees is about 1M then it won't get loaded down too badly. You could go with an EF86 >> CF >> tone stack >> volume control. This would give good gain and tone, but it all depends on what you are trying to do. Even though the CF allows the EF86 to get max gain, if you went with this instead: EF86 >> gain stage >> tone stack >> volume control, you would get more gain that method 1. You can also go with gain stage >> tone stack >> volume control >> EF86, and this would give good gain and tone. There are lots of ways to hook it all up. The tone stack does go before the output stage regardless, and also before the phase inverter (if your amp is push-pull). The tone stack can go after the first gain stage and between that and a second stage, or can go after two stages or three stages. The closer to the front of the amp the tone stack is, the more range of control the tone stack will have over the sound.

Greg

[Easyrider31]

Cathode follower stage before and after tone stack...

Hey thanks for the info. I am new to amp building so pardon me if the questions seem a bit too dumb and also
there are not many people in India who are into building tube amps.
I am planning to build something similar to the matchless clubman. One channel will have two gain stages from
both triodes of a single 12AX7. Second channel will have 1 EF86. I am planning to put both triodes of a 2nd
12AX7 as cathode follower both before and after the tone stack. I am planning to use the same 12ax7 as a
cathode follower for both the first 12AX7 and EF86. Will this be any good.?? Or should i use some
other method.?? I play mostly blues,hard rock and metal and recently started playing some jazz also .
I thought i would build an amp that can be used for all this. I have about 60 tubes(EF86,ef89,12ax7,12au7,
12at7, ecc88,ecc86 etc...) is there any other combination of tubes i can use??? Thanks again for the help...