Mic Kaczmarczik's Tweed Deluxe Clones Information

Tweed Deluxe Clones


Do it Yourself

Tweed Deluxe Clones

This directory contains USENET articles Mic has saved about guitars, equipment, pickup, techniques, players, and so on. Mic has graciously granted permission to post the stuff on the JT30 page on the off chance that it might be useful in the context of Blues Harmonica. Mic is not responsible for the content, just the collection.

Do it Yourself

Tweed Deluxe Clones

Tweed Deluxe Clones

From wboyd9815--(at)--ol.com Sat Aug 23 18:00:13 CDT 1997
From: wboyd9815--(at)--ol.com (WBoyd98153)
Newsgroups: rec.audio.tubes
Subject: Re: Homemade Deluxe
Date: 23 Aug 1997 19:58:14 GMT
X-Admin: new--(at)--ol.com
Xref: geraldo.cc.utexas.edu rec.audio.tubes:38705

Hi Lee - have built several knock off 5E3 Deluxes. Here are my
thoughts...

> I plan to make it a head and use a remove 1x12
>with Mojotone MP12R.
Sounds great - had some problems with speaker failure with hard playing -
don't use the kapton vc model though they don't sound nearly as good -
have ordered a Weber p12Q for mine.


>1) Single point ground v. buss ground. If single point, do I need to
>isolate the jacks, pots, switches from the chassis also? (I suppose it
>wouldn't be true single point without this.)

I isolated all the grounds seperately by stage & star grounded it. The
input and speaker jacks are grounded at the chassis also though - tried
both ways & no difference in noise.

>2) Steel v. aluminum chassis. Al is easier to work with but doesn't
>provide any electromagnetic shielding (is this necessary in a low gain
>amp?)

Made them with aluminum chassis - the amps are very lightweight, the
transformers are relatively light too and it works fine - maybe a tendency
to ring & rattle a little - had to damp the chassis. - no problems with
interference.

>3) Carbon comp v. carbon film or metal film resistors?
>
>

Used carbon film - sounds great!

>4) Fiberboard circuit card v. terminal strips? Dixie has a tweed
>Deluxe board for $35 but terminal strips (more drilling req'd) would be
>about $6.
>
>

We used pc boards with lug strips attached and layed out just like
original - did have to shield one lead (to volume or tone control) in one
amp to prevent oscillation) - the lug strip way definately is easy to
service and flexible to modify. the pc board is attached with
nonconductive standoffs.

>5) Should I put in a standby switch that the original didn't have?

I didn't - but no reason not to. The 5Y3 comes on pretty quick.

You didn't ask - but some more tips:

1. You will definately want to use solid pine box with finger joints and
a "floating baffle of appropriate thickness if you want that true tweed
deluxe sound.

2. Use NOS 6V6s - the Sovteks sound very poor to me. I have had some
good luck with NOS Mullard EL32s in tweed deluxe but you will have to
change the bias resistor and add a grid cap. I have also used 6BQ5s
successfully but you have to again, rebias it and reduce the driver gain.
Have also used the 6EZ5/EY5 which sounds a little glassier and more
brittle - not the sweet sound of NOS 6V6s

3. The amp is sensitive to output tranformers - old hifi units seem to
work better than new replacement types.

4. We have used both several types of Sprague orange drops (715p mostly)
and Mallory 150 series. Can't really tell much difference - much more
difference in tubes.

5. Built the way I descrbed, this is a very light weight but beautiful
sounding amp (IMHO).

Bill Boyd






 

Index:

A B box
ABY box
Aging Grill Cloth
Available Pot Evaluation
B plus Precautions
B plus Safety Tips
Best Guitar Cable
Bias Jig
Biasing by Scope
Build an AB box
Cabinet maker
Cable Shield Conducts
Caig ProGold GxL
Cap Orientation Test
Cap Temp Ratings
Cathode Current Biasing Error
Champ line out
Cheap Headphone Amp
Cheapo amp
Cigar Box Amp
Damp Tube Microphonics
Darkness
Decontaminate Ckt Board
DIY Bias Probe
DIY Coil Winder
DIY Tube Dampers
Dr Z Kit
Eyelet Board
Fitting Grounded Cords
Fix Stripped Baffle Screws
Fixing Faded Knobs
Forming Caps No Variac
Good Pot Cleaners
Groove Tubes
Grounded Cord Codes
Heat Shrink On Cables
Hot Transformers
How To Lacquer Tweed
How to Measure Wattage
Installing Grillecloth
Light Bulb Cap Formers
Light Bulb Current Limiter
Low Drain Buffer TL061
LV Switchcraft vs Neutrik
Making Decals
Maxi Matcher Review
Measure Amp Power
Mounting A Variac
No Tuner Cleaner
Ohms Law Calc Online
Potting Transformers
Powering up old amps
Re Tolexing
Reconditioning Checklist
Reduce AC Voltages
Reducing Hum
Remove Ground Switch
Resistor Differences
Retensioning Sockets
Scooter Takes The Juice
Solder Types
Speaker Cable Guage
SwAMP ChAMP
Tolex Cleaner
Tolex Repairs
Tone Stack Calculator
Transformer Adapter Plate
Tube Font
Tweed Deluxe Clones
Why Orange Drops

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