Carr Amplifiers Slant 6V FAQ
Answers to frequently asked questions about the Slant 6V.
The General FAQ on the Support page addresses additional questions about tubes, speakers, purchasing a Carr amp, and more.
The effects loop overdrives my stompboxes, what can I do?
The Slant 6V's effects loop is a simple, unbuffered insertion point between the preamp and power amp sections, and the level of the signal coming from the effects send is dependent on the volume setting of the amp. If you play at high volume, the effects send signal level may be too high for some pedals to handle. In this case, the signal level going back to the effects return may also be too low because the pedals cannot supply the same powerful signal at their output.
One way to correct the problem is to make the first pedal in your loop one that has an input level control. You can use this to turn down the signal to a level that works with all the effects that follow. The last effect in the loop should have an output level control, which can be adjusted to boost the signal back up to where it was before entering the first effect.
What tubes are used in the Slant 6V?
We refer to the tubes and their positions in the amp as V1, V2, etc. for preamp tubes and P1, P2, etc. for power tubes. See the chassis diagram in the Slant 6V Owner's Manual to match a tube's label with its physical location on the chassis.
| R1 | P4 | P3 | P2 | P1 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Type | 5AR4/GZ34 | 6V6GT | 6V6GT | 6V6GT | 6V6GT |
| Manufacturer | Sovtek | Tung-Sol | Tung-Sol | Tung-Sol | Tung-Sol |
| Function | Rectifier | 1/4 Push-pull power stage - cathode bias | 1/4 Push-pull power stage - fixed bias | 1/4 Push-pull power stage - fixed bias | 1/4 Push-pull power stage - cathode bias |
| V6 | V5 | V4 | V3 | V2 | V1 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Type | 12AT7 | 12AT7 | 12AX7 | 12AX7 | 12AX7 | 12AX7 |
| Manufacturer | Electro-Harmonix | Electro-Harmonix | Electro-Harmonix | Electro-Harmonix | Electro-Harmonix | Electro-Harmonix |
| Function | Phase inverter | Reverb send | Lead Channel: Tone-stack driver | Lead Channel: Initial gain stages | Reverb return and mix | Clean Channel: Initial gain stage, post tone-stack recovery |
The bias needs to be adjusted whenever the fixed-bias pair of 6V6s (inner pair--P2 and P3) are changed. Refer to the Slant 6V Owner's Manual for biasing instructions.
The Slant 6V can only use 6V6 power tubes. When replacing power tubes, use matched pairs of 6V6s. P1 and P4 (outer pair) should be a matched set, and P2 and P3 (inner pair) should be a matched set.
Carr Amplifiers selects and tests the finest current production tubes specifically for each amplifier model. Caution should be used when buying replacement tubes from any dealer who does not have a return policy as all tubes can have problems (NOS tubes are susceptible to microphonics and failure too).