Fender Silverface Champ questions

[Jim Williams]

Try it yourself and see. It doesn't drop -3 db in level, it actually goes up. Those transformers have a wide tolerance for loading. Smashing it with 12 watts when it's built for 6 should kill it, but it doesn't. If you think a 6L6 is too low, there are other power tubes you can use, like EL34 at about, what 5500 ohms or what I use, a 6CA7.

The end result is a louder, cleaner amp, if that's what your after. Otherwise, just use a Twin Reverb or Showman head.

Back in the 1970's I replaced the 6V6's with 6L6's in my 1966 Deluxe Reverb and changed the rectifier tube with 1N4007's. The 6L6 drives that transformer very well, without insertion loss. I use a 6L6 designed output transformer that now runs on a pair of 6550's.

Works great, for 20+ years now. Enough for me to get trouble in night clubs.

[???????]

OK, "in theory" vs. "in practice," fair enough... but this statement still confuses me:

Impedance drive levels don't change that much from 6V6 to 6L6

Just for my own clarification, if you'll kindly indulge me--are you saying now that:

a) the quoted statement isn't exactly true, but in practice it doesn't matter, or

b) you maintain that this statement is true.

If "b," could you please explain to me what about the tube data sheets I'm misunderstanding?

Back in the 1970's I replaced the 6V6's with 6L6's in my 1966 Deluxe Reverb and changed the rectifier tube with 1N4007's. The 6L6 drives that transformer very well, without insertion loss.

Funnily enough, I used to have a pair of blackface Deluxe-Amps, one from 1965 and one from 1966. On the '66, I did the exact set of mods you're describing-- 6L6 (GB in my case) output tubes and 1N4007s soldered across the GZ34 socket.

My experience/perception was a bit different from yours, showing how interesting this whole audio thing can be (and how anecdotal evidence must always be taken with a grain or two of salt). In my particular case, I didn't notice much increase in volume or headroom at all... maybe a touch, but compared with the '65, which I left stock, the volume difference between the two, even cranked way up, was hardly dramatic... more like "scarcely noticeable."

I actually liked the sound better with the 6V6s and tube rectifier, so I ended up putting it back stock. Eventually sold the '66, and kept the '65.