document thoughts about an amplfier project

diff --git a/music/guitars/amp-5E3/index.mdwn b/music/guitars/amp-5E3/index.mdwn
new file mode 100644 (file)
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+# 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" 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 a great plan!
+
+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.
+
+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
+* Add a Master Volume
+* Half Power Switch
+* Input Jack Jumper Switch
+
+Not sure exactly when I'll start this project .. stay tuned!

diff --git a/music/guitars/bdale-1/index.mdwn b/music/guitars/bdale-1/index.mdwn
index afd9129d7c8b9232ef626a78a69806afbae0ec20..757f6d03363a03e62bb6263ed4bb3b26b3e9e908 100644 (file)
--- a/music/guitars/bdale-1/index.mdwn
+++ b/music/guitars/bdale-1/index.mdwn
@@ -90,13 +90,22 @@ Erasmus is available on [GrabCAD](https://grabcad.com/library/62-strat-asm)
 and it appears at least one person has actually built a guitar using these
 files.
 
-To build the guitar body I want, the existing body design file needs to be
+To build the guitar body I want, the existing body design file was 
 modified to eliminate the tremolo cut-out and rear cavity, to add screw holes
 for the hard-tail bridge, and to shift the electronics cavity from being
 front-open to being rear-accessible with the front just having 3 holes for
 the volume and tone control shafts and the slot and mounting screw holes
 needed for the pickup selector switch.
 
+The first attempt to cut the body on our CNC router failed, because a large
+delivery of building materials happened in the middle of the roughing pass,
+and I naively thought the router would be ok cutting for a while without 
+me.  Apparently, swarf jammed the bit up enough to cause the machine to lose
+steps and shut itself down.  Unfortunately, when I attempted to restart the
+cut, something went horribly wrong and the roughing cutter put a deep gouge
+through much of the body of the guitar.  I decided to call this attempt a
+bust, and look for more wood to start over with.
+
 ## Wiring ##
 
 A standard strat has a volume control, 2 tone controls, and a 5-way pickup

diff --git a/music/guitars/index.mdwn b/music/guitars/index.mdwn
index ac27cedb388e5450e816bf632e40661770f36c46..9fd10c4949819df6e7827eaa6215959c6f9ae9ef 100644 (file)
--- a/music/guitars/index.mdwn
+++ b/music/guitars/index.mdwn
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 # Guitars #
 
 * [Bdale's Custom "Strat" Clone](bdale-1/)
+* [Bdale's Tube Amp Project](amp-5E3/)