EF86 vs 12AX7

[Hank2k]

Hi All

Hope you are all good.

Interesting video posted on Andertons youtube channel today. Not Vox but Bad Cat amplifiers. These amps have a switchable EF86 and 12AX7 pre amp and in the demo they do some straight swaps between the two.

There has been a long debate on forums etc about the EF86 of the early AC15s etc so may be of interest to a few.

[neil2726]

Funny thing about these demos is no one ever seems to play a melody with a clean sound!

[JimN]

Funny thing about these demos is no one ever seems to play a melody with a clean sound!

I remember a USA guitar shop video where a s/h guitar for sale was "demonstrated".

It was a Gibson Super 400-CES played through an amplifier on full distortion - and the only possible reason for that was that the idiot (a carefully-chosen word) who did the demo videos was too stupid to be able to conceive of any other guitar sound (let alone style).

[Stu's Dad]

It beats me how anyone can discuss tones without a clean sound, but I won't watch Anderton's videos anyway. Half of them consisit of 'banter', and most of the rest is showing off their fancy licks. About 10%, if that, is about the product.

Len

[SJB]

Just over two years ago I was asked to mod a 1961 AC30/6 treble.
I was asked to convert it from an AC30/6 to an AC30/4 with an EF86 front end.

I removed the ECC83 and replaced it with the EF86 (Loosing two channels). I mounted the EF86 on a shock mount.
The faceplate was changed with the applicable one.
What a sound!!! And loud!!!

[Uncle Fiesta]

It beats me how anyone can discuss tones without a clean sound, but I won't watch Anderton's videos anyway. Half of them consist of 'banter', and most of the rest is showing off their fancy licks. About 10%, if that, is about the product.

Len

I will only watch Andertons videos if Crappers isn't in them. He insists on playing everything at maximum speed and maximum distortion, therefore making every guitar he 'demonstrates' sound identical. Having said that, he's by far the only offender on YouTube in this respect.

Look out for my forthcoming YT video, in which I demonstrate how distortion can make a wide range of different guitars sound exactly the same!

[roger bayliss]

Bad Cat Amps are great amplifiers and two guys from Matchless went to the company and put their expertise into the brand.

Some of their range have EL84 power valves others EL34 I believe. The clean headroom varies across the range and they are a different design to a Vox AC 15 or 30 so sound will be different too. Tgat said I think they are great sounding amps and are sort of old school sounding with crunch sounds and some great power stage drive .

They bought out a new desktop style amp recently called the PAW check it out

https://youtu.be/81EWjCUSSfg

[Tigerdaisy]

It beats me how anyone can discuss tones without a clean sound, but I won't watch Anderton's videos anyway. Half of them consist of 'banter', and most of the rest is showing off their fancy licks. About 10%, if that, is about the product.

Len

I will only watch Andertons videos if Crappers isn't in them. He insists on playing everything at maximum speed and maximum distortion, therefore making every guitar he 'demonstrates' sound identical. Having said that, he's by far the only offender on YouTube in this respect.

Look out for my forthcoming YT video, in which I demonstrate how distortion can make a wide range of different guitars sound exactly the same!

Lol, yes he is a bit of a bore isn't he and I totally agree with your sentiment of not demonstrating a guitar by immediately putting it into overdrive.... I mean... One thing for certain he can't rise to playing Shadows stuff but would rather do all that awful dribble that is musically meaningless. I guess he means well and I do like the guy.