Funny Story About Tweed!

[The Ballzz]

Hey All,
Back when I first started playing (I'm not sure I even knew how to "properly" play 3 chords and knew nothing about real tone), I had a chance to buy really beat up a 5E3 Deluxe for $25 in good working condition. I passed, given the cosmetics and I didn't think it was a "BIG BOY" amp. Now after 45 years of playing (often paying my bills by doing so) and never having actually plugged into a 5E3 long enough to realize the magic, I've built this wonderful example of one that could have easily been my "go to" for all this time!

FWIW, the guy who bought that $25 gem for $20, still has it untouched, except for routine maintenance, and has used it as one of his "go to's" for all that time!

Funny How Life happens, Huh?
Gene

[tony hunt]

The 5E3 circuit never really interested me because it seemed everyone was building them.
A couple of years back I bought an old '58 and kicked myself for being so arrogant not to listen to combined wisdom!

[sliberty]

The 5e3 was my first build. It came out pretty well. Totally just as you would expect, BT maybe more hum than I'd like. I eventually corrected the hum. But the amp didn't really do it for me. Not enough clean to use with a band, and frankly to much compression for me overdriven. They are cool for what a they do, but not for everyone.

[The Ballzz]

The 5e3 was my first build. It came out pretty well. Totally just as you would expect, BT maybe more hum than I'd like. I eventually corrected the hum. But the amp didn't really do it for me. Not enough clean to use with a band, and frankly to much compression for me overdriven. They are cool for what a they do, but not for everyone.

That's what I thought, initially, but the compression lessens as you turn the volume knobs down a bit,without losing much, if any volume! And FWIW, in my universe, in the little corner "Gin Mills" that I play in, if the stage volume is big enough to drown out this amp, we won't get paid! I've been regularly gigging with 5 watt and even a little 1 watt Marshalls, for a couple years now. I even need to use a little bit of my attenuator with the 5 watt units and will likely need to also do so with this 5E3! Of course, there is always a mic on my amp, as well as my voice, not so much for "volume" but to help spread it around the room.!

Just My $.02 & Likely Worth Even Less,
Gene

[strelok]

Do you still have your 5e3 build? If so have you tried adding some NFB? Might help you get that little bit of extra clean range you're looking for, though depending how loud you play with the band it may or may not be enough.

Edit: You might also try a GZ34/5AR4 in there. The higher voltage would give you a few more clean watts assuming your PT/OT can handle the extra current.

[stretch2011]

My first build was a 5e3 and I loved it. But then a built a 5f2a with a vintage rectumfryer and a Jensen p10r. That was one of my favorite little amps ever. Just beautiful tones. But the more I build the more I appreciate different sound. I recently got to play a 50watt fumble ods clone cranked to 10....that was a sound.

[bluescaster]

Hi, for NFB on 5e3, just look at 6g2 princeton schematic. You need to remove one cap and add one 56k resistor. I did it on mine and love the tone ! Try it !