Which type of Fender Deluxe should I build?

[dehughes]

Hello again,

I'm getting my thoughts together on my next build, which is going to be a Fender Deluxe of some sort. It is obviously going to be a 1x12 combo, but I'm stuck as to whether to build a 6G3, or a typical Blackface (non-reverb...), or....?

I'm hoping that you all will be full of great suggestions. I've played Tweed-ish Deluxe creations, and Brownface-inspired ones, and then also my share of Blackface (and Blackfaced) Deluxes, and all are neat. It's tough to choose one, so I'm hoping you all can narrow it down for me. Essentially, I'm looking for a nice 1x12 to compliment the Voxy/Marshally amps I currently own, and have always liked the Deluxe Reverb tone...but am always curious about Browns and Tweeds.

Thanks!

[Darkbluemurder]

The best contrast to the Voxy/Marshally amps would be the blackface. IMHO, however, the BF Deluxe lacks headroom and solid bass so I definitely prefer a 2 6L6 or larger BF amp.

I definitely cannot relate to the Tweed Deluxe. It's too middy and mushy to me. I cannot imagine using such amp for anything else than quiet recording in the studio but then I prefer the Tweed Champ for that.

I have not yet had the chance to play a Brown Tolex Deluxe so I would probably build one out of curiosity. Due to its simply tone controls and lesser negative feedback it should have a lot more gain and crunch than the BF counterpart.

What are you going to use the amp for?
Recording/quiet jamming - tweed
Blues band with drummer - brown 1st, then black

[v00d00blues79]

I have to throw my vote in for the 6G3 Brown-face Deluxe! I have a clone that I built not too long ago and its my main gigging amp! I set it up so that I have the option of running both 6V6's and 6L6's in this guy and it sounds awesome!

Andy

[CaseyJones]

I definitely cannot relate to the Tweed Deluxe. It's too middy and mushy to me. I cannot imagine using such amp for anything else than quiet recording in the studio but then I prefer the Tweed Champ for that.

The tweed Deluxe can be a misunderstood amp. An authentic replica will have all the grind and grunge of the original, the real magic happens with a few slight deviations from stock. It's pretty easy to get rid of the mush.

If you roll back on the volume knob on your guitar the tweed will yield the warmest jazz tone imaginable, all the mush and sag goes away if you don't pummel the preamp.

DON'T cheap out and use a 12AX7 for V1. It may still be a 5E3 circuit but you'll lose tonal flexibility.

The 6G3 is cool, too. It's not just another blackface obviously, it's not a black panel at all. For a baseline follow the schematic carefully, don't change anything until you understand what the stock circuit sounds like.

[Tubetwang]

I like the Tweed. Use lower cap values on the pre amps tubes.

I want to eventually build a Princetown and Deluxe Reverb.

Great amps.

[Funkalicousgroove]

THe 5E3 IMHO is one of the BEST amps EVER!!! I LOVE mine. Just think Larry Carlton during all the Steely Dan Recordings!!

[jjman]

You could look at the trem, preamp, PI and power amps of each and pick and choose which are more desirable. Call it a Tweebrack! Raw-Tweed vs. scooped-BF preamp. No-gain type vs. LT type PI. I wouldn’t use BF type Trem since you need 2 triodes and the roach. Cathode vs. fixed bias.

I've been thinking of building a head with switches for Tweed/BF preamp (mid resistor lift) and also power amp (cathode/fixed bias.) Wouldn't be perfect but close to the best of both worlds. Keeping (bias modulation) Trem in both power modes was not completely obvious to me and I’m not certain it’s easily to employ.

[stelligan]

In the middle of finishing a 5E3. I used to own one and have missed it every day since it's been gone. Going on 20 years now. It went to a good home -a former band mate that now tours the world as the Stones guitar tech. Those guys have tweed amps galore! Ken said they haul 20+ tweed twins. BTW I have tried to dink around with the circuit and can't make any improvements that "improve" it. But then, I 'm a numbskull......

[rfgordon]

Any way ya go, you're gonna end up with a good amp---just different personalities. 6V6s just don't have tons of headroom, but that's part of their charm. IMHO, they sound best cathode biased, with about 405 VDC on the plates.

One alternative is to build a Blackface/Brownface amp, but with a lower voltage profine, say 400 VDC with a 5U4, higher with 5AR4, and bias the pair of tubes with a 300 ohm resistor. If you use big iron, and a multi-tap OT, you can run either 6V6 or 6L6 in the thing. Each tube type has its own personality, and you build versatility into the amp.

Of course, you could do the same thing with a 5E3 design, too.

[dehughes]

Wow. Thanks guys!!! Very helpful....in as much as one can be helpful when I'm not really sure what I want to get out of the amp!

I suppose I'll be using the amp for playing in church, recording at home, small gigs should the come up, etc.. I have a Top Hat 1x12 Club Royale that covers the 18-watt Marshally thing with some Voxy attributes, and then an AC30 head/2x12 cab creation that I finished up earlier this year.

My other planned builds are a Blonde Bassman head/cab creation (with slight derivations...), an AC15 head/1x12 cab, a JTM-45 head/2x12 in all of its non-master volume glory, and then a Fender Deluxe of some sort. Also, I'm inclined to build a Pro Reverb amp, as I'm quite enamored with them...especially a nice Blackface Pro Reverb. GREAT amps....a little bigger than a Deluxe, but not so huge like a Twin.

Anyway, I'm not a blues player at all, but rather more of a songwriter type that is okay on guitar, but no genius. Just an average guitar player looking to cover some of the basic tonal colors in the amp realm. I suppose that's the ultimate goal here: covering the essential bases of guitar amp tonality.

[dehughes]

OR, what do you think of this: A Brown Deluxe preamp section into a 5E3 power section?

[v00d00blues79]

you'd almost have to ask yourself if you want tremolo or not. I really like the way the tremolo of the 6G3 sounds. Its just an output tube bias wiggle, but its better to my ears than the blackface roach...


andy

[dehughes]

Yeah....that's true. What I have in mind is a non-Reverb, non-Tremolo Fendery amp of some sort. I have two identical chassis that are cut out for the typical Fender 5E3 tranny sets: 2 1/4" x 2 13/16" PT mounting, and a 3 1/8" OT mounting. SO, I could easily pick up nearly any 5E3 tranny set and go that route, and also use a more Brown/Blackface PT and just drill an extra couple of holes for an OT to match (if necessary).

SO, my inclination is this: With one chassis, build a 5E3 Deluxe in a 1x12 combo, and in the other chassis, grab some trannies from Allen Amps and build a 2x12 Blackface Pro sans reverb and tremolo. I've kinda liked the Blackface Pro more so than the Deluxe, so that way I'd have some Tweed flavor and some Blackface.

Would that be a good way to cover the "Fender" realm with two chassis? My goal is to do so...(then move on to the JTM45! ). If you all have other benchmark Fender amps that would be better, please let me know. I'd only like to build two Fendery amps and then move on down my list...

[dragonbat13]

I am building a 5e3 with a hoffman board
I hope it sounds good