Cornford Hurricane - tube query

Barrivee

I’ve just stumbled upon a Anderson’s video where Lee A states you can swap the output tubes of ANY Cornford for any tube you fancy (same number of pins permitting obviously). 

Is that correct ? If so presumably it’ll at least need re biasing. I’m specifically thinking of a Hurricane here, but interested re other models. I’m betting @ICBM will have such info in his memory banks. 

Ta!

Collings

No this is not correct it only applies to the Hurricane, 

Edit - It is the Carrera and not the Hurricane that you can use any valve that will fit in the socket

tone1

Are you thinking of the Carrera? That has 1x9 pin and 1x8 pin Output Sockets. 

Collings

Yes your right its actually it's the Carrera that you can use any valves in the sockets. My memory is letting me down.

So just the Carrera

CarpeDiem

I agree with @Collings as I think it is just the Carrera which will take a range of 8 and 9 pin power valves without any rebiasing needed. The Cornford website is still up despite the amps being out of production. It's a shame that they are no longer made.

Barrivee

https://youtu.be/suUZfHUkue4 Have a look here at approx 1.20 (edit 1:12) 

So this is incorrect gents ?

slacker

Hurricane is el84

DJH83004

Yes, the amp is a single ended, cathode biased, class A amp, with an 8 / 9 pin selector switch, which selects a different value cathode bias resistor for the EL84 (9 pin Noval socket) or the octal socket for that range of valves (6V6, 6L6, El34, KT66s etc.) 

tone1

Barry... That YouTube video does say selected Cornford amps, but it’s just the Carrera that takes anything you can shove into it....the Hurricane and Harlequin are El84 based.. The Victory V10 is similar to the Carrera, in that it has 8 and 9 pin bases..

Barrivee

Hi Tone - at 1:12 he does state ALL Cornfords designed to take a 9 pin valve can take any 9 pin then goes on to list the valves. After that they start talking about the Carrera being switchable between 8/9 pin valves. The description mentions ‘selected’ amps being switchable between 8/9 pin. 

Barrivee

It is the All Cornfords using 9 pin valves can swap between any other 9 pin valves statement I'm interested in clarifying. I understand the Carrera switching option. Is it definitely not the case then that you can swap the type of output valves around on other Cornford amps ?

CarpeDiem

I'd suggest checking out the Cornford amps website, as the amp manuals are available to download (as pdf files). This should give you a definitive list of valve permutations for each amp.

Barrivee

Ok Thanks @CarpeDiem I'll see if I can clarify from there. 

ICBM

Barrivee said:

It is the All Cornfords using 9 pin valves can swap between any other 9 pin valves statement I'm interested in clarifying. I understand the Carrera switching option. Is it definitely not the case then that you can swap the type of output valves around on other Cornford amps ?

He's talking nonsense - he says "9-pin valve base" and then goes on to list a lot of 8-pin (octal) valve types. Later on he mixes them up again. The Carrera does have both types of socket and a switch to select them, but I don't know of any other models.

The only 9-pin power valve type commonly used in guitar amps are EL84s anyway. Less common are 12BH7s and 12AU7s which can be used as power valves, but these are definitely NOT compatible with EL84 sockets and would most likely cause damage.

Don't go changing valve types unless you know what you're doing, even if the valve does fit into the socket. Even among the octal types there are drastic differences in biasing - if the amp is cathode-biased then it is possible to make them compatible, but not all amps - and not all Cornfords - which take octal valves are cathode-biased.

tone1

Yep... lots of 8 pin variations 6L6,6V6 etc but as IC says really it’s on the EL84 9 pin output valve that it’s designed for.
Barry have you seen the 2 used Cornfords at Mansons?

Barrivee

 SWITCHABLE POWER VALVE TYPES - OCTAL OR 9 PIN

Found this in very small print on the Hurricane main page. No mention of it in the manual though.

Gadget

ICBM said:

Barrivee said:

It is the All Cornfords using 9 pin valves can swap between any other 9 pin valves statement I'm interested in clarifying. I understand the Carrera switching option. Is it definitely not the case then that you can swap the type of output valves around on other Cornford amps ?

He's talking nonsense - he says "9-pin valve base" and then goes on to list a lot of 8-pin (octal) valve types...

^ this.

For reference, the Hellcat / Hellcat Combo is the other EL84 equipped model in the line-up, in addition to the aforementioned Harlequin MK1, Carrera (which additionally takes an octal valve) and the Hurricane.

The only other amps in the Cornford line-up which are designed to have interchangeable valve types are the MK50H II and RK100, which have a switch to allow a change from 2x 6L6 to 2x EL-34 in the case of the MK50H II and from 4x EL-34 to 4x 6L6 in the case of the RK100.

Barrivee

ICBM said:

Barrivee said:

It is the All Cornfords using 9 pin valves can swap between any other 9 pin valves statement I'm interested in clarifying. I understand the Carrera switching option. Is it definitely not the case then that you can swap the type of output valves around on other Cornford amps ?

He's talking nonsense - he says "9-pin valve base" and then goes on to list a lot of 8-pin (octal) valve types. Later on he mixes them up again. The Carrera does have both types of socket and a switch to select them, but I don't know of any other models.

The only 9-pin power valve type commonly used in guitar amps are EL84s anyway. Less common are 12BH7s and 12AU7s which can be used as power valves, but these are definitely NOT compatible with EL84 sockets and would most likely cause damage.

Don't go changing valve types unless you know what you're doing, even if the valve does fit into the socket. Even among the octal types there are drastic differences in biasing - if the amp is cathode-biased then it is possible to make them compatible, but not all amps - and not all Cornfords - which take octal valves are cathode-biased.

Thanks @ICBM duly noted. I was asking as I have a potential trade involving a Hurricane and stumbled across this video which seemed a little ‘out there’. 

@tone1 ; said:

Yep... lots of 8 pin variations 6L6,6V6 etc but as IC says really it’s on the EL84 9 pin output valve that it’s designed for.
Barry have you seen the 2 used Cornfords at Manson's

No Tone, No plans to visit Mansons again any time soon. 

ChrisCox1994

I had two hurricanes, one caught fire at a gig and the other also died twice - never heard a better amp though for classic blues/rock stuff and the reverb was GREAT. 

chillidoggy

All my amps are Cornfords, an RH30, two Hurricanes, one combo, and one I converted to a head. I'm building up to a gear clear out this year, so the Hurricane head could be up for sale soon, although I'd struggle to put a value on it as it's unique, and not to everyone's taste.

SunDevil

ChrisCox1994 said:

I had two hurricanes, one caught fire at a gig 

So that's how you get a decent sound out of 'em - see I didn't try that one before I flipped it! ;-)