Another tube guitar amp

[ciscokid]

Here’s another tube amp I recently completed. 1952 Fender Deluxe circuit. This is the 5C3 Deluxe that used octal preamp tubes with grid leak bias. I believe this is the last time Fender used the grid leak bias first gain stage. Grid current leaks out through the input circuit causing a negative voltage to appear on the grid, thus biasing the tube. A capacitor and large value resistor (5 meg) are used to keep the negative voltage fairly stable. All Fender Deluxes after this model used 12AX( or Y)7 preamp tubes. Cabinet is ribbon mahogany (sapele) and ebony. Through dovetails. 12” Tone Tubby completes the picture. This amp breaks up early and at relatively low volumes making it ideal for a practice amp. 5 or 6 on the volume dial gets you Billy Gibbon's tones (think Mescalero CD) and 9 or 10 on the dial gets you squarely into Neil Young's Rush Never Sleeps territory. This is using guitar – cable – amp with no pedals.
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[kamusur]

Hey Cisco

That's some very lovely work you've done, what a beaut little screamer and so neat and tidy. Perhaps you could really make us all drool with a small sound sample, say something like the intro to Cortez the Killer


Steve

[Ball Peen]

What Steve said, very tasty!

[Cliff Rogers]

[dayvo]

Nice

[old_picker]

that is a sweet little amp - cab looks beaut - chassis layout looks very neat -
i have used 5e3's extensively myself and is a favorite of mine - as i understand the 5c3 has similar characteristics but with a little less power and even more dirt
these early fender circuits sound so rock and roll - players buy pedals that attempt emulate the overdriven tones of classic rock of the 60's 70's
this amp does it on its own - guitar direct - crank her up and there is that tone -

the reason why they sound so authentic is that most US recording studios in the 60's and 70's used small tweed fenders as studio amps
a lot of the heavy rock hits of the era were recorded using them -

i always used 50 watt lorantz speakers from here in melbourne in my 5e3's - a great tone and at $120 a pop great value as well -
currently i have two tweeds and two browns [all clones] and all are lodeed with lorantz speakers
i know the tubbies sound great but they are pretty pricey from memory

anyhow you will get a lot of fun outa this little amp - whch by the way works very well as a stage amp for small rooms - also excellent on a big stage miked up -
you can crank these things right up without getting into hot water with the sound guy

dont have a tweed deluxe clone but would love to get one as i miss the ragged, glorious tone you get out of them