-# 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!