Kenny Wayne Shepherd - New Dumble amp

[sonicmojo]

This forum has a lot of focus on the
"Fusion amps" like the #102, #183, #124 and the
"Rock amps"; Bluesmaster and HRM. Great amps for Blues Rock.

Don't forget about the early variants too! My recent 3rd gen build is now my favorite amp. I guess it would maybe be categorized as "classic rock"? I wish I had a way to hands-on compare them all.

[talbany]

Sonic
If you are ever in the Richmond Va area, let me know and we'll play them all..Music Man included

Tony

[chordball]

Its really interesting to learn more about Alexanders take on tweed fenders.

This forum has a lot of focus on the
"Fusion amps" like the #102, #183, #124 and the
"Rock amps"; Bluesmaster and HRM. Great amps for Blues Rock.

And even if these designs deliver impressive sounds, personally, being mainly a blues man, I tend to prefer lower gain amps with a more organic tone like the ol' Tweed Deluxe (5E3) and Super (5F4).

BTW, I have recently DIY'ed a Tweed deluxe and a Super using some of the techniques (or dare I say technology ) from the Dumble #1xx amps. Such as Dale resistors, SDE caps and D-style lead dress.

If anyone has further Tweedle Dee or similar info please keep it coming...

Would you mind describing your experiences with this approach so far? I am in the same camp you are. I love the D'Lite I built (not 100% Dumble obviously, but the same "flavor") but I find myself playing through the 5E3 more than anything.

Thanks!

[bluesfendermanblues]

Would you mind describing your experiences with this approach so far? I am in the same camp you are. I love the D'Lite I built (not 100% Dumble obviously, but the same "flavor") but I find myself playing through the 5E3 more than anything.
Thanks!

Hi Chordball,

I'm a strat playing bluesman.

Have owned/tweaked/build a lot of amps (Fender, Marshall, Boogie, Vox) over the years. Longest love/hate relationship was a Fender 59' Bassman RI with some pedals. After changing OT transformer, 2 of 4 speakers, installing old style component board with Sozo caps and carbon comp res, NOS tubes. Still not happy. sold it. Even with all the mods and tweaks, it sounded sterile.

Wanted the Robben F tone (TTYD). Ordered a Ceriatone OTS. Dissapointment. Tweaked it for a year only the arrive at the stock high plate (close to #102) design. Learned a lot - AND that D-amp need a lot of break-in time.

Discoverend THIS forum and with help of great people have build:
#102 - great amp
#183 great amp - (added a strat switch)
Bluesmaster - great platform - tweaked HRM board for more mids.

Extremely nice amps, but for my needs its too much equipment to drag along - amp top + 1x12 speaker cab. + 2U rack with Dumbleator + multieff. Use the amps in home studio.

Wanted something simpler - grap n' go - build the mentioned tweed combos, which are build like stock 50's combos...

Except
1) Using Dumble grounding scheme as per #102, #124, #183.
2) Carbon comp resistors in the signal path only
3) Cathode resistors - metal film
4) Anode resistors - Dale (like #124)
5) All signal wires are shielded RG174U, grounded at one end only
6) Anode/cathode wires (ApexJr) - run in parallel and close to chassis.
7) Heater wires are floating above tube sockets.
8 Output transformers bigger than stock.
a) 5E3: (new) Hammond 'Blackface Deluxe Reverb', 12" Tonetubby (1750H)
b) 5F4: (new) Hammond 'Blackface Tremolux', 2x10 Weber 10A125 (1750J)
Power tubes biased for approx 65% off max. dissipation

Both amps have very low noise floor and have very fat tones.

Additional mods:
a) 5E3: "Ground switch" can add Global feedback (=Princeton rev)
b) 5F4: "Ground switch" output tubes to cathode bias for a little more compression (very subtle effect in this amp). Below the chassis Fat switch added, which can add either a 500p or a 1000p mica across the 250p treble cap.

So I have tried to use the knowledge acquired on this forum to build a couple of great tweed amps. I sometimes use a Zendrive or Providence SOV-1 with a DD3 for a little slap.

Hope this info is usefull to other blues oriented players.

[sonicmojo]

Sonic
If you are ever in the Richmond Va area, let me know and we'll play them all..Music Man included

Tony

That would be awesome! Thanks for the offer! I'll definitely try when I get up that way again. I'm actually from Virginia originally and still have a bunch of relatives and friends up there.

Bryan

[59Pro]

Code: Select all

Isn't it then fair to say, again, that the Tweedle Dee Deluxe is Alexander's take on a 5E3? 

Yes and no. I guess the Tweedle Dee is similar to the Ultra Phonix technology. The Tweedle Dee can be applied to any Tweed amp, like the U Phonix to any Blonde or BF amp.

[bluesfendermanblues]

Don't know if this adds anything to what has alredy been posted regarding this subject already, but I read a post at TGP fro user 'celestion101' claiming to be a friend of HAD:

http://www.thegearpage.net/board/showth ... p=11158006

He essentially guts the amp and then re-wires it using the stock circuit, but the correct parts and wires, and then a Greenback. They have more power (he gets them up to 16'ish watts versus the 11.5 they come off the assembly line with) and they sound clearer....punchy, etc. Not something he does for "anyone".

Hmm greenback in a Tweed Deluxe...just doesn't sound right. Must be pretty nasal.

[dr.barlo]

I am soo curious about these amps... It simply is not fair.



Love 5E3's... There aren't any schematics info on those, no?

B

[HeeBGB]

Celestion101 is Rick Skillman. He is the Sales Manager of the Western US for OEM sales at Celestion and a very good guy. Pretty cool info.

[Zippy]

He essentially guts the amp and then re-wires it using the stock circuit, but the correct parts and wires...

Must be the Mission Amp 5E3 kit with the PI mods.

[Dr d]

Been studying the Stark photos. Looks very familiar to the original 5e3 layout. He's used 220k plate resistors instead of 100k, separated the cathodes on V1 with 1k5/ 22uf (?) and 2k7/? Any guesses for the second cathode cap? Also, cant figure out what looks like a 680k resistor is doing going from the last filter cap to ground on the power supply. Any suggestions?

[bluesfendermanblues]

Been studying the Stark photos. Looks very familiar to the original 5e3 layout. He's used 220k plate resistors instead of 100k, separated the cathodes on V1 with 1k5/ 22uf (?) and 2k7/? Any guesses for the second cathode cap? Also, cant figure out what looks like a 680k resistor is doing going from the last filter cap to ground on the power supply. Any suggestions?

Could the 680k to ground be a way to reduce voltage aka the 150K in 'ordinary' Dumble amps?

[David Root]

Dr d, where can I find these "Stark photos"?

BTW, the 6G3 Deluxe uses 220K plates, with a 1K5 to both cathodes, which equals 3K effective on each cathode. Very close to 220K/3K3, no? Great sounding amp, I have one.

I would agree that the 680K to ground is a (small) voltage dropper but maybe its function is also to draw a little more current?

[andyhardy]

page 1 of his thread

[dr.barlo]

Any insight on this amp?

B