Anybody use Tweed amps for Jazz?

[Greentone]

Yep, that's the 5C5. Great amp.

I wish I had a wide panel cabinet around when I built mine. I put it in a Bassman cabinet with a 15" baffleboard. Works well.

My friend's original 5C5 (excellent condition) might be one of the top three amps I have ever played. His tweed 5f11 Vibroverb is also in the top three. A '60 5f6a Bassman completes the trifecta.

Apart from great tweed amps, I am a Polytone/Ampeg guy. I also like good blackface amps. The 50-watt Bassman with the small, 2X12" cabinet from the mid-60s is a great, all-around amp. The Polytone Minibrute IV is also a great all-around amp.

For all this, I tend to play a 5C3 or a Polytone MiniBrute II the most. They are very convenient amps that get the job done.

[ruger9]

For all this, I tend to play a 5C3 or a Polytone MiniBrute II the most. They are very convenient amps that get the job done.

Wait... do you have a 5C3 or a 5C5? And did you MEAN (in the above quote) 5C3 or 5E3 or 5C5? lol

[gggomez]

Tweed Deluxe. Best tone I have ever heard. Head room scared me, after an hour or so of trying one out, once it was hot I don't know how it would go with drums but I want one even if it sits at home. I know why Mick Campbell has one and a Princeton.

[Sam Sherry]

The coupling caps between the preamp and power amp, and between the phase inverter and power tubes are all 0.1 mfd. These are flat to 10 hz.

The 5e3 sends gobs of bass to the output transformer.

Moreover, there is no bass cut knob.

I like this circuit with a 10" speaker.

For that reason, I added and strongly recommend the Robinette 3-way NFB toggle. Standard 5E3 at one end of the switch and more blackface-y sound at the other.

+ + +

I use my home-built 5E3 every day to practice. GreenTone was one of the inspirations to build it.

6V6s sound great at home but I usually take out my home-built 6L6 12" Princeton Reverb. It's a beautiful, reliable known quantity. A little more ooph, a nice thick note. (Perhaps not the precise note that I intended to hit but that's another story.)

Horses for courses, right? No losing with these amps! I smile every time I turn one on.

[gggomez]

Sam we are in same wave length. I have a 65 Princeton replica and an Alnico blue 12 inch like the tweed deluxe I played had.
Surprised how warm and clear the Princeton replica is compared to Fender RI. With treble and bass close to 1 you can hear it’s heritage even though it’s different.

[Greentone]

Er...I meant that I play a 5e3 or Polytone on a daily basis. I have a 5C5 and several 5e3 amps and I got the C and the e goofed up. Oops. Sorry Ruger9.

Both the Pro and the Deluxe are great amps. They are kind of different, though. The 5C5 doesn't have the interactive inputs that the 5e3 has--you can use the second volume knob to add body to the volume one input, for example. Also, the 5e3 uses a 12ax7 as a mid-amp and a phase inverter. (The tube has two triodes, so the first triode is used as a second stage of preamplification, after the 12ay7 V1 stage. This feeds the second triode, which is employed as the phase inverter. It's not as balanced as the V3 6sc7 phase inverter in the 5c5, so there is more distortion in the Deluxe than in the Pro in this stage.)

To my ear, the Pro gets cleaner cleans than the Deluxe, though both amps get more than adequately raunchy when overdriven. The overdrives are different. I'd describe the Pro as "bluesy," while I'd call the Deluxe a "Rock" machine. (Neil Young plays a 5e3 on about 11, for example, on "Cinnamon Girl" and other songs.)

FWIW, Fender intended the Pro to be a steel guitar amplifier for professional musicians in country and swing bands. They expected the Telecaster players to use Super Amps.

[ruger9]

See, while the interaction on the 5E3 volumes sounds really cool.... everything else sounds really cool on the 5C5. When talking tweeds, I like the sound of "bluesy" (I'm guessing smoother, less raunchy?) more than "rock". I've got a rock amp, I'm looking for something to go from clean to gritty blues.

I'll need to do some research... I'm sure 5C5's are tough to come by... and most clones I'll assume are of the '57 variety...

[Greentone]

Ruger9,

Another amp to look for is the 5c3. The wide panel Deluxe is like the octal Pro in terms of smoothness.

It also has a negative feedback loop in the power section that adds a high fi quality to the clean signal.

[ruger9]

Ruger9,

Another amp to look for is the 5c3. The wide panel Deluxe is like the octal Pro in terms of smoothness.

It also has a negative feedback loop in the power section that adds a high fi quality to the clean signal.

Have, or have had, any 5F2A's? That's another one I was enamored with.... originally because I know Brian Setzer uses one at home, so I figured it mated well with hollow Grestch and Filtertrons.... for the tele I think I'd prefer to try a 5E3 or a Pro... but for the Gretsch... it seems maybe the 5F2A would have less bass and more headroom? (which would make it better for a big hollowbody)

[mad dog]

I was pleasently suprise how great a 5E3 clone amp would be for Jazz. I am a fan of Lil Dawg amps and they make a D-Lux (you can get it in 12 watt or 25 watt). Same Price. I have the 25 Watt that I found this for a smokin used deal a few months ago.

I've had several tweeds. The one that remains is this very Lil Dawg DLux. Mine runs 6v6s, has a 15" ceramic speaker in a Mather pine cabinet. It's one fine amp. For me, not so much with jazz stuff. I mostly practice at home at lower volumes. It's harder to control volume with the Dlux. Same with EQ. So I'm mostly plugged into a polytone MB II or IV. The Polytone is so flexible and sweet sounding at lower volumes. If I ever got good enough to play out, I'd be experimenting with the Dlux and other amps.

The Dlux I have is similar in some ways to the Victoria 35115 (tweed pro) I used to have. And wish I still did. The tweed pro is one of those perfect amps, at least to my taste. The mids knob comes in mighty handy, and with old 5881 power tubes, the sound is wonderful.

[wzpgsr]

Have, or have had, any 5F2A's? That's another one I was enamored with.... originally because I know Brian Setzer uses one at home, so I figured it mated well with hollow Grestch and Filtertrons.... for the tele I think I'd prefer to try a 5E3 or a Pro... but for the Gretsch... it seems maybe the 5F2A would have less bass and more headroom? (which would make it better for a big hollowbody)

I have a 5F2A clone with cab that has a 10” and 8” speaker. I just swapped the 10” Altec for a 10” Jupiter. Much more vintagey sounding now, although the Altec sounded great, too. Plenty loud for my home practice needs, even with the far less efficient Jupiter speaker.

[ruger9]

I have a 5F2A clone with cab that has a 10” and 8” speaker. I just swapped the 10” Altec for a 10” Jupiter. Much more vintagey sounding now, although the Altec sounded great, too. Plenty loud for my home practice needs, even with the far less efficient Jupiter speaker.

Yes, for a home amp less efficient = better!

[Greentone]

Ruger9,

I have one 5f2 amp that I built. I think the Princeton is a very nice tweed amp. Bigger cabinet than the Champ (5f1), with a 10" speaker (in the instance of the amp I built). The circuit is single-ended, like the Champ, but it features a tone control--which I like a lot.

This amp is very nice for home use.

[ruger9]

Ruger9,

I have one 5f2 amp that I built. I think the Princeton is a very nice tweed amp. Bigger cabinet than the Champ (5f1), with a 10" speaker (in the instance of the amp I built). The circuit is single-ended, like the Champ, but it features a tone control--which I like a lot.

This amp is very nice for home use.

How about a compare/contrast on the 5F2 vs 5E3... for home use? Just trying to decide which tweed to start with... it wouldn't be for just jazzy tones, looking for nice cleans, not too much low end (because hollowbodies really get woofy sometimes), also maybe some nice semi-clean/bluesy tones (SRV for example)...

I realize the 5E3 is probably more versatile, especially when you start talking about dirt or volume, but again... just a nice home amp I can put a nice reverb pedal in front of. (a good example, altho blackface, is the Princeton Reverb... but I'm looking to "experience" the tweed circuits, as I haven't yet)

[Greentone]

Ah...

I generally use one of my 5e3 amps the most. If you get a 12" to 10" adapter you can use a Weber 10a150 speaker or equivalent. It will tame the bass a bit and give you a great sounding archtop amp.

[Greentone]

I get them from Mojo Tone:

Mojo Baffles >> Baffle Converter for 12'' to 10'' (black)

[Tatayoyo]

Tweed is good for jazz, indeed.

After years of blackface and Polytone practice I went back to a tweed: a boutique Princeton 5f2a (with a 12").
No need for more, plug what you want, it sings. Tele neck pup and P90 are welcome.

[patshep]

I need to buy a Victoria Ivy League in the future, that amp keeps calling my name

[wzpgsr]

I need to buy a Victoria Ivy League in the future, that amp keeps calling my name

I have one and love it. I have been reading elsewhere that Little Dawg makes a Harvard clone that is far less expensive and every bit as good as the Victoria.

[Greentone]

I used to gig with a Fender Harvard. It and the various clones are outstanding amplifiers.

[omphalopsychos]

I’ve been using my brown face Princeton (not too different from a Harvard) exclusively for rehearsals and performances lately. What an amp.

[wzpgsr]

I used to gig with a Fender Harvard. It and the various clones are outstanding amplifiers.

I bought this because I would read you singing its praises. You weren’t wrong!

[ruger9]

I have one and love it. I have been reading elsewhere that Little Dawg makes a Harvard clone that is far less expensive and every bit as good as the Victoria.

Over all the years, I have heard nothing but RAVES about Lil' Dawg... for tone, quality, and VALUE (especially compared to places like Victoria... who of course build fantastic, expensive, amps)

If I ever wanted a real tweed (a tweed Pro has always called my name, as well as a brownface PR), I would call Lil' Dawg.

[73Fender]

I was pleasently suprise how great a 5E3 clone amp would be for Jazz. I am a fan of Lil Dawg amps and they make a D-Lux (you can get it in 12 watt or 25 watt). Same Price. I have the 25 Watt that I found this for a smokin used deal a few months ago.

New you can get it for 649 as a lunchbox head or 950 as a combo (1 12"" speaker). Very high quality, made in USA

I thought I would miss reverb but this amp sounds great straight thru, no effects with an archtop. What is really cool is how the second volume control (when you are not using it) interacts with the amp. Lots of interesting way to jump channels

Great reviews on the web

5E3 Tweed Deluxe - The D-Lux

I have a Lil Dawg 5E3 25 W as well. Found it used on Craigslist. I often wondered about how it would sound with a little reverb and wound up with a Topanga Reverb pedal which is supposed to emulate a basic Fender type spring reverb. I love it even more now. And yes you can get a nice tone for Jazz out of one.

I assume the op has found something by now.

[ChrisBailey]

I play humbucker guitars for most part. Amp is stock, no mods.
The 5E3 volume knob is hard to control in the low vol range, due to the fast on-set (It goes from silent to loud somewhere between 2 and 3 on the dial). So standard procedure is to roll back guitar volume; Here's where some players run into trouble, if the guitar is wired in such a way it rolls off too much treble, things will get muddy at low volume settings.

Easy fix for this is to add a Treble Bleed circuit to the volume post in the guitar, it's a quick and cheap mod that's easy to reverse, as long as you know how to use a soldering iron. or if you don't want the bleed circuit on at all times, a push-pull pot to enable/disable works.