5e3 sounds like an octavia fuzz

thebrettmoore · Post by **thebrettmoore** » Mon Mar 09, 2015 8:00 pm

Keep in mind I'm a total noob when it comes to amp building. Just finished my first build, a 5e3 clone. I took my time with the build, careful to watch the layout and do everything "right." Finally powered it up today and visibly everything seems fine...no blown fuses, all tubes operating what seems normal (haven't measure plate voltages etc. yet) smoke or exploding capacitors. Signal passes to my cab but the tone isn't tweed deluxe to me...it sounds like a Hendrix-style octavia octave fuzz. Any quick tips on where or how to begin troubleshooting? Is this the sound of a poor solder joint?

Firestorm · Post by **Firestorm** » Mon Mar 09, 2015 9:57 pm

If you followed the Fender layout, there some known areas of unintended coupling. Photos?

Jana · Post by **Jana** » Mon Mar 09, 2015 10:23 pm

Don't fix it, patent it!

vibratoking · Post by **vibratoking** » Mon Mar 09, 2015 10:38 pm

Randall Smith would patent it.

IME, poor solder joints can create a buzzing sound that occurs on some notes, but not on all notes. Is this what you are hearing? Usually, there is some frequency(s) that resonates the joint/wire.

Please refer to the resonance thread in the Trainwreck discussion section for completely irrelevant material.

Blackburn · Post by **Blackburn** » Tue Mar 10, 2015 12:36 am

Check your filter cap ground connections.

cbass · Post by **cbass** » Tue Mar 10, 2015 12:38 am

Bad or poorly soldered filter caps can make an amp sounenout of tune

cbass · Post by **cbass** » Tue Mar 10, 2015 12:38 am

Or what Blackburn said

Firestorm · Post by **Firestorm** » Tue Mar 10, 2015 4:19 am

If you followed the Fender layout, there some known areas of unintended coupling. Photos?

bluesfendermanblues · Post by **bluesfendermanblues** » Tue Mar 10, 2015 6:04 am

Jana wrote:Don't fix it, patent it!

Roe · Post by **Roe** » Tue Mar 10, 2015 8:40 am

try a 270k+ grid resistor on the phase inverter tube

Stevem · Post by **Stevem** » Tue Mar 10, 2015 11:37 am

You have a oscillation issue due to build layout, and bad preamp tube, or a bad speaker, these are the 3 most likely first things that would cause that!

A easy first thing to check oscillation/ layout wise is to move all the preamp section grid wires as far away from the plate wires as you can, and or shorten the grid wire up if you can.
If the oscillation is from the preamp and not a bad solder joint than not that it takes 3 stages of gain to make that issue and that issue would be due to the 1 and 3 stages coupling due to layout .

HomeBuild · Post by **HomeBuild** » Sat Mar 14, 2015 12:38 am

Try switching the primaries on your output transformer. Sounds like to me your OT is out of phase with the 6V6's. For example, if your OT has a blue and brown primary and a red center tap, unsolder the blue lead on pin 3 of one 6V6 and use the brown lead instead and vice versa. If your transformer has other lead colors for the primaries, the same procedure holds true. Trick is getting the start of the primary winding mated to the right tube. Out of phase OT primaries can cause all sorts of audio phenomena! It's always a good idea to leave the OT primaries at there original length at first in case a switch is needed. Cut one short and need to move it to the other tube might be tough luck unless you enjoy splicing! Hope this helps.

jelle · Post by **jelle** » Sat Mar 14, 2015 1:03 am

How could that be if there is no feedback loop?

Stevem · Post by **Stevem** » Sat Mar 14, 2015 11:53 am

X2, no feedback network , no difference when a OT lead swap is done!

HomeBuild · Post by **HomeBuild** » Sat Mar 14, 2015 3:40 pm

Thanks guys you are correct, I don't know why, but my mind was thinking tweed Bassman instead of Deluxe. My apologies to the original poster for the misinformation, but on amps where it counts, it does solve some strange audio issues to the new builder.

I normally stay in the background and learn from others, but my only intention to break that posture was to try and help. I'll retreat to the latter!

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5e3 sounds like an octavia fuzz

5e3 sounds like an octavia fuzz

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