1 # Bdale's Custom Build of a Fender 5E3 "Tweed Deluxe" Tube Amplifier Clone #
3 Once I started working on my [first guitar](../bdale-1), I started to think
4 about what I wanted as an amp to plug it in to. Of course, my son already
5 has a couple amplifiers he's happy to let me use:
7 * Silvertone "Smart II S" that came with his beginner's guitar kit
8 * Fender "[Mustang III](http://www.fender.com/search?q=mustang%20iii)
9 that some friends bought him after
10 [the fire](http://gag.com/blackforestfire.html)
12 Both of these are fine amps, particularly for just starting out. The
13 Silvertone is very small, with simple controls. The Fender is far more
14 complicated as it has DSP innards that allow it to "fake" a bunch of different
15 amplifier tone profiles. But both are solid-state amps... and Robert and I
16 both felt that adding a classic tube amplifer to the mix would be great fun!
18 After a lot of reading and listening to various video clips and audio files,
19 I started to narrow in on building a clone of the Fender "Tweed Deluxe", which
20 was an early very simple amplifier with two 12AX7 tubes for the preamp and
21 tone stack, and a pair of 6V6 power tubes in push-pull configuration for
22 about 12-15 watts output into a single 12" driver in a combo cabinet. The
23 schematics for this amplifier are on the web, and all the parts are widely
24 available at modest cost. A good page describing more about this amp is
25 available on [fenderguru.com](http://fenderguru.com/amps/deluxe-5e3).
27 The things that appeal to me about this amplifier are:
29 * It's a very simple design with lots of potential for experimentation
30 * The tones you can get with a strat clone into it direct with no pedals are
31 pretty amazing, and please my ear.
32 * The combination of modest power and a single 12" driver should make it a
33 good fit for our basement rec room environment.
34 * The kit price is reasonable, and subtantially less than a good vintage
35 example of this amplifier on eBay / Craigslist.
37 The only "downside" to this amp is the lack of reverb, but to be honest, the
38 tones available are so good I'm not sure how big a deal that will be. And if
39 as my son says it's something we really want/need, the
40 [Reverb 2](http://buildyourownclone.com/products/reverb2)
41 looks like it could be a completely plausible addition to the mix at some
44 Lots of reading and web investigation led me to the
45 [full kit from Tube Depot](https://tubedepot.com/products/tweed-5e3-vacuum-tube-amp-kit)
46 as a good starting point for a custom build of this amp.
50 I plan to start out with the amp fully stock and see how it plays. But there
51 are a bunch of mods documented out there including a collection documented
52 by [Rob Robinette](https://robrobinette.com/5e3_Modifications.htm). Of those,
53 the ones that stand out for me already are:
55 * How to Lacquer a Tweed Cab, to protect it and help keep it clean
56 * Add a Master Volume, rumored to make working with pedals easier
57 * Half Power Switch, so we can get all the cool tones at lower volume
58 * Input Jack Jumper Switch, simplify using the amp, free up space on the panel
61 The other "mod" that a lot of folks suggest is to replace the first 12AX7 tube
62 used as the preamp for a 12AY7. That's apparently what the originals used.
63 It has less gain, which means more useful "clean tone" range before the crunch
64 kicks in. Apparently, this really is as simple as just pulling out one tube
65 and putting in the other, since several models of 12A tubes have the same 9-pin
66 base and matching pinout, just different amplification characteristics. I can
67 easily add one to the amplifier kit order from Tube Depot, and the 12AX7 pulled
68 can be a spare for the remaining one if I decide I like the results...
70 Not sure exactly when I'll start this project .. stay tuned!
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