# Bdale's Custom Build of a Fender 5E3 "Tweed Deluxe" Tube Amplifier Clone #

Once I started working on my [first guitar](../bdale-1), I started to think
about what I wanted as an amp to plug it in to.  Of course, my son already
has a couple amplifiers he's happy to let me use:

* Silvertone "Smart II S" that came with his beginner's guitar kit
* Fender "[Mustang III](http://www.fender.com/search?q=mustang%20iii)
  that some friends bought him after 
  [the fire](http://gag.com/blackforestfire.html)

Both of these are fine amps, particularly for just starting out.  The 
Silvertone is very small, with simple controls.  The Fender is far more
complicated as it has DSP innards that allow it to "fake" a bunch of different
amplifier tone profiles.  But both are solid-state amps... and Robert and I
both felt that adding a classic tube amplifer to the mix would be great fun!

After a lot of reading and listening to various video clips and audio files,
I started to narrow in on building a clone of the Fender "Tweed Deluxe", which
was an early very simple amplifier with two 12AX7 tubes for the preamp and
tone stack, and a pair of 6V6 power tubes in push-pull configuration for
about 12-15 watts output into a single 12" driver in a combo cabinet.  The
schematics for this amplifier are on the web, and all the parts are widely 
available at modest cost.  A good page describing more about this amp is
available on [fenderguru.com](http://fenderguru.com/amps/deluxe-5e3).

The things that appeal to me about this amplifier are:

* It's a very simple design with lots of potential for experimentation
* The tones you can get with a strat clone into it direct with no pedals are
  pretty amazing, and please my ear.
* The combination of modest power and a single 12" driver should make it a
  good fit for our basement rec room environment.
* The kit price is reasonable, and subtantially less than a good vintage
  example of this amplifier on eBay / Craigslist.

The only "downside" to this amp is the lack of reverb, but to be honest, the
tones available are so good I'm not sure how big a deal that will be.  And if
as my son says it's something we really want/need, the 
[Reverb 2](http://buildyourownclone.com/products/reverb2) 
looks like it could be a completely plausible addition to the mix at some
point.

Lots of reading and web investigation led me to the 
[full kit from Tube Depot](https://tubedepot.com/products/tweed-5e3-vacuum-tube-amp-kit)
as a good starting point for a custom build of this amp.

## Modifications ##

I plan to start out with the amp fully stock and see how it plays.  But there
are a bunch of mods documented out there including a collection documented
by [Rob Robinette](https://robrobinette.com/5e3_Modifications.htm).  Of those,
the ones that stand out for me already are:

* How to Lacquer a Tweed Cab, to protect it and help keep it clean
* Add a Master Volume, rumored to make working with pedals easier
* Half Power Switch, so we can get all the cool tones at lower volume
* Input Jack Jumper Switch, simplify using the amp, free up space on the panel
  for other hacks

The other "mod" that a lot of folks suggest is to replace the first 12AX7 tube
used as the preamp for a 12AY7.  That's apparently what the originals used.
It has less gain, which means more useful "clean tone" range before the crunch
kicks in.  Apparently, this really is as simple as just pulling out one tube
and putting in the other, since several models of 12A tubes have the same 9-pin
base and matching pinout, just different amplification characteristics.  I can
easily add one to the amplifier kit order from Tube Depot, and the 12AX7 pulled
can be a spare for the remaining one if I decide I like the results...

Not sure exactly when I'll start this project .. stay tuned!