With most of the parts for a 5E3 build on my bench, I found this video the other day. Great tone and playing IMHO. I would be pleased if I could get even close to this sound with my build. Common sense tells me to go stock and then start tinkering, but damn that amp sounds good! The obv
ious difference from stock seems to be in rectification. (from looking at Tungstens site). The amp is 20 watts compared to 12. I also have noticed that most of the better sounding boutique tweeds seem to be running MM trannies. Do you experienced guys have any suggestions.
Jim http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3X1AOlkabwo
Big Jim wrote:With most of the parts for a 5E3 build on my bench, I found this video the other day. Great tone and playing IMHO. I would be pleased if I could get even close to this sound with my build. Common sense tells me to go stock and then start tinkering, but damn that amp sounds good! The obv
ious difference from stock seems to be in rectification. (from looking at Tungstens site). The amp is 20 watts compared to 12. I also have noticed that most of the better sounding boutique tweeds seem to be running MM trannies. Do you experienced guys have any suggestions.
Jim http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3X1AOlkabwo
I've never built a Fender Tweed amp, but I have considered building the 5F4 Super 2 x 10 and may get on with it in 2011.
Rectification is one area that I think you'll see a range of opinions. I believe it does affect tone. If you are a player who has learned to milk the sag from a tube rectifier and integrated it into your style, than, you will need the tube rectifier. If you are the other kind of player, lighten the load and go with solid state rectification. For a compromise, you can always use solid state diodes with a sag resistor, which pretty well mimics the tube.
The 5E3 circuit is what it is. Although there are probably a few tweaks worth considering, once you get into modifying the circuit, it isn't 5E3 any more. So, decide what you want. The only wrong answer is the one that produces tone you don't like. We build these things so we can tailor to taste. There is, IMO, nothing wrong with starting in one place and ending in another. If you wanted store bought, you wouldn't be here, would you? Do it because you can!
Rated high enough to handle the peak surge at switch-on (in most cases 250VAC 10A rating will be sufficient, because factory-made switches are 'typically' capable of twice that)
Greg V does some awesome demos. No matter what he's playing, his Youtube recordings are some of the best. He has a second demo with this amp and an SG. I noted he said the amp had a GZ34 rectifier. In the vid you can see the Weber copper "rectifier". He also said that the builder voiced the normal and bright channels distinctly different.
I wonder what his values are for those channels. It definitely sounds like he tightened up the bass without losing too much of the magical top end that the 5e3 has. A very cool tone to be sure, but Greg V. is a hell of a player and could make most amps sound good.... No diss meant to this amp. I love the 5e3 circuit and this one sounds great.
CapnCrunch wrote:Greg V does some awesome demos. No matter what he's playing, his Youtube recordings are some of the best. He has a second demo with this amp and an SG. I noted he said the amp had a GZ34 rectifier. In the vid you can see the Weber copper "rectifier". He also said that the builder voiced the normal and bright channels distinctly different.
I wonder what his values are for those channels. It definitely sounds like he tightened up the bass without losing too much of the magical top end that the 5e3 has. A very cool tone to be sure, but Greg V. is a hell of a player and could make most amps sound good.... No diss meant to this amp. I love the 5e3 circuit and this one sounds great.
I couldn't agree more...kind of like the guitar salesman that can sell $150 cheapie guitars to kids and moms simply because he can play the hell out of them.
I certainly don't liken Tungsten's product to that...It's obvious that they are very high quality amps. I'll probably go stock to begin with. Thnx, Jim
Many people feel that the stock values in the 5E3 are too boomy - here is a link to a little thread about that with posts from 2 respected members of this forum and Bruce Collins who certainly knows his way around a tweed deluxe : http://music-electronics-forum.com/t16920/
Also, you should check out Merlin's article on the cathodyne PI for some simple tips on avoiding unpleasant distortion with this type of splitter :
I couldn't agree more... I'll probably go stock to begin with. Thnx, Jim[/quote]
Jim, I built Bruce Collins Mission Amp 5e3 as my first amp. His suggestion was to build the amp stock and get to know it for it awhile. After you're well acquainted, then you can start modding. It was good advice. I've tried most of the mods on mine with the exception of the fixed bias PI mod or Paul C mod as it is sometimes called. Every mod I've tried destroyed the bell like high end that this circuit has. I've returned my amp back to stock after every mod, with the exception of the volume/tone mod. That has, and will always stay.
I've been intending to try out what Merlin posted on the PI for the last year or so, but am too busy with other amp projects. It is definitely on my radar though
