Output transformer rating

[Justin Thomas]

Since we're talking about how much tubes can "take," I feel I have to ask yet again, which 5881s do we mean here? If you mean NOS 5881s, use caution but I bet they're stout. If you mean TS RI "5881s," I would advise caution. If you mean Sovtek 5881WXT, well then... cook them til they blow up. Nobody still definitively knows the limits on those for sure. But any of these should be able to "work" in this amp.

I'll say this - Sovteks run in my hotly cathode-biased Prosonic all daylong with no trouble. The TS RI I tried redplated in under two minutes. TS simply reprinted the old TS data sheet with their name on top. I don't trust that datasheet.

Justin

[TOA Bassman]

i thought he said that he had gutted it and rebuilt it as a tweed bassman. if that's the case then he's already rebuilt the PI to provide adequate drive for 6L6/5881...

Yes, the transformers, chassis and hardware have been retained but the circuit has been changed to 5F6-A Bassman spec except for some minor changes like the DC filament supply to the preamp. I added a 5V transformer for the GZ-34 heater.

[TOA Bassman]

Since we're talking about how much tubes can "take," I feel I have to ask yet again, which 5881s do we mean here?

They're Sovtek 5881 WGC, which I like anyway and are the only thing I could find short enough to fit in the case. The original EL34s were sunk through the chassis with stand-offs on the sockets but the holes through the chassis were too small for 6L6s. I did away with the stand offs and the wafer bases allowed clearance between the valves and the casing.