Eh-See-Four

One of the best practice amplifiers from the golden age of vacuum tubes came from a well-known British company. Their tone was more inspiring than their looks, however, so I created Eh-See-Four.

The circuit itself is a model of purity.  It starts with an EF-86 pentode preamp tube, which while clear and detailed provides enough gain to drive the single-ended EL-84 in class A operation. A 12AX7 tremolo stage is controlled by a push-pull knob (on/off) to adjust the speed. A single 10" Jensen speaker takes care of moving the air.

The unique cabinet is assembled from solid wood in much the same way that I make my guitars. The front is bookmatched curly maple. The hand-bent sides and bookmatched back are of black walnut. The result is a light and sturdy cabinet, which adds a bit of woody resonance to the tone. It's pretty enough to keep in your livingroom!