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New 5E3 Build

JJC

New member
Joined
Feb 25, 2008
Messages
1,027
Just finished building this little guy. I decided not to attempt covering it and just finished it with a dark mahogany color. Yeah, I know - it's not a Tweed Deluxe if there's no tweed on it. The only problem with it was the typical one for this amp - the volume is pretty much all on at 3. So, I wired in Dana Hall's VVR to power scale it (it's in the On-Off switch hole). That little circuit is a beautiful thing - cranked tones at bedroom volume if you want but the main purpose was to throttle back the volume just a little when playing with the band. Other than that, the circuit is stock 5E3.

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I had typical grounding hum to begin with but fixed it with a dual-star grounding design - it's dead quiet now. I haven't decided whether or not to change the coupling caps to make it more suitable for the humbuckers in my LP - I've got to work with it for awhile.
 

gmann

Well-known member
Joined
May 26, 2003
Messages
6,147
It looks really good but with that finish you need an amber jewel light!
 

Don

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Joined
Dec 1, 2001
Messages
5,732
I put an amber jewel lamp on my 5E3. It was so bright that I couldn't see the controls because of the glare! It looked cool, though!

JJC, you can have it for free if you'd like! E-mail me.
 

el84ster

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Joined
Sep 10, 2001
Messages
1,420
I like that the stain job. Also I think cabs without tolex tend to sound better, that covering can dampen a lot of cool woody sound in a cab!

Really nice circuit those. I had a hard time with too much bass though with humbuckers. Every mod I tried made the magic go away, so I had to get rid of it. Match made in heaven though with a Fender guitar! ...or Gibson bridge pickup.
 

JJC

New member
Joined
Feb 25, 2008
Messages
1,027
I put an amber jewel lamp on my 5E3. It was so bright that I couldn't see the controls because of the glare! It looked cool, though!

JJC, you can have it for free if you'd like! E-mail me.

That's very kind - I will do that. Although I've never emailed through the forum before so it might take me a bit to figure it out. Thanks, Don.
 

JJC

New member
Joined
Feb 25, 2008
Messages
1,027
I like that the stain job. Also I think cabs without tolex tend to sound better, that covering can dampen a lot of cool woody sound in a cab!

Really nice circuit those. I had a hard time with too much bass though with humbuckers. Every mod I tried made the magic go away, so I had to get rid of it. Match made in heaven though with a Fender guitar! ...or Gibson bridge pickup.

I know exactly what you're talking about. But the LP does sound good now, so as long as I never hear a Strat or Tele through it, I'll keep myself blissfully unaware. Actually, I think this is where the Burstbucker pros on my LP might help - the pickup everybody hates. Since it's a brighter, I can get some good chimes. And I do have an SG Classic with P-90s - that sounds pretty good too. Actually a little better. (Maybe I oughta order that Tele after all). :)
 

riscado

Active member
Joined
Jul 6, 2006
Messages
1,460
with humbuckers, try plugging into the low input of the bright/instrument channel and turn your unused channel volume knob up until the point where the mids and the overall volume of the amp starts to really go down, right before that happens there is a sweet spot, that is a bit more usable for humbuckers... and pure magic with p90's
 

Don

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Joined
Dec 1, 2001
Messages
5,732
That's very kind - I will do that. Although I've never emailed through the forum before so it might take me a bit to figure it out. Thanks, Don.

Click on my name and selest send e-mail in the drop down box, or just click on this- damaraljr@comcast.net

I'll drop in in an envelope.

Make sure to post a pic of it when you put it on the amp. gmann is right, it would be a nice finishing touch.
 

JJC

New member
Joined
Feb 25, 2008
Messages
1,027
with humbuckers, try plugging into the low input of the bright/instrument channel and turn your unused channel volume knob up until the point where the mids and the overall volume of the amp starts to really go down, right before that happens there is a sweet spot, that is a bit more usable for humbuckers... and pure magic with p90's

Thanks, Riscado. Have you found jumpering the channels to be to your liking?
 

riscado

Active member
Joined
Jul 6, 2006
Messages
1,460
I'm not a big fan of jumpering, with any amp, even marshalls, can't explain why, I just like the way the amps sounds without it better, especially the tweed deluxe
 

refin

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Joined
Sep 19, 2002
Messages
2,958
That is a great looking amp,I bet it sounds wonderful.
 

JJC

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Joined
Feb 25, 2008
Messages
1,027
That is a great looking amp,I bet it sounds wonderful.

Thanks, Refin. I tried it out with the band for the first time the other night - the other two members immediately told me to get rid of my other amps. There's no need to change the coupling caps for the humbuckers like some others have suggested - everything was perfect. Up until now I had been going back and forth between two Traynors - a YCV40 and a YCV50. I think they may be on Ebay real soon.
 

riscado

Active member
Joined
Jul 6, 2006
Messages
1,460
yep, no need to change caps, at least I haven't felt the need, the amp as enough versatility in it to allow you to compensate for different pickup types... great build by the way, congrats
 

JJC

New member
Joined
Feb 25, 2008
Messages
1,027
So with the recommendation from Gmann and the generosity of Don, I now have a gorgeous amber jewel light. And you will notice it also matches the blinding amber lights of my homemade Tubescreamer clone - I think this is considered good feng shui, although I'm no expert.

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