Getting clean(ish) tones with a 5E3?

Jalfrezi

I've just been rediscovering a 5E3 that I assembled a few years ago, where I live I cannot "open her up". But today I'm at a place where I could really use her, and wow, what an amazing sound, so full and rich.  I absolutely loved it!

I shall definitely will be using it more in future, but I've never really understood the controls on the Tweed Deluxe.  How do you get the most clean from these?  

BTW, I mainly play Tele/Strat these days, and the amp has a Celestion Blue if that makes a difference.



 

kreggs

Appart from the nob twiddling I got mine cleaner with JJ 6v6 valves as they have a bit more power and headroom than a traditional 6v6. Also tames a bit of the low end flub. Also a 12ay7 in V1 instead of 12ax7. You probably have a 12ay7 in there anyway.
Also get a nos 5y3 rectifier or a JJ one at least as some of the Russian variety, also sovtek do not produce a vintage correct b+ which means they are running at a higher voltage. May cause amp running hotter and more breakup.

Gassage

OK, think of it like this;

Vol 1 is volume to 5, gain from 5 to 12

Vol 2 is profile

Tone is tone to 5, gain from 5 to 12.

So, Vol 1 is the master- Vol 2 will change the response (grit or more grit) but will saturate between 11 and 12 and actually flub out to no signal.

So, cleanest, (IMO) is with Vol1 about 4, Vol 2 11, Tone 6.

THen tweak.

munckee

I was talking to @soma1975 about this earlier! (about finding out, I have nothing to contribute!)

Gassage

One last point, tame it by putting a 1 x 12 extn cab off it. That really does help- 8ohm.

soma1975

Gassage said:

OK, think of it like this;

Vol 1 is volume to 5, gain from 5 to 12

Vol 2 is profile

Tone is tone to 5, gain from 5 to 12.

So, Vol 1 is the master- Vol 2 will change the response (grit or more grit) but will saturate between 11 and 12 and actually flub out to no signal.

So, cleanest, (IMO) is with Vol1 about 4, Vol 2 11, Tone 6.

THen tweak.

Is this all assuming normal input 1 is being used? 

Just bought a 5e3 off here and so been looking into the same thing. 

Found this. Might be of help to the OP - http://www.tdpri.com/threads/the-tweed-deluxe-settings-thread.887034/

Gassage

soma1975 said:

Gassage said:

OK, think of it like this;

Vol 1 is volume to 5, gain from 5 to 12

Vol 2 is profile

Tone is tone to 5, gain from 5 to 12.

So, Vol 1 is the master- Vol 2 will change the response (grit or more grit) but will saturate between 11 and 12 and actually flub out to no signal.

So, cleanest, (IMO) is with Vol1 about 4, Vol 2 11, Tone 6.

THen tweak.

Is this all assuming normal input 1 is being used? 

Just bought a 5e3 off here and so been looking into the same thing. 

Found this. Might be of help to the OP - http://www.tdpri.com/threads/the-tweed-deluxe-settings-thread.887034/

Yep....this is why Neil Young used a mechanical device to change the 3 pots.

I have a very good example of a 1957 and I know these things like the back of my hand. Part of their charm is how things interact like this and finding that sweet spot.

The Celestion Blue shoild make it cleaner and louder than a vintage Jensen

Gassage

Re inputs, input 1 will generally work better with pedals- worth remembering. It's got a bit more vol but not like a Twin where there's a big diff.

soma1975

Brill thanks for the info.

stickyfiddle

I think of it as whichever I put you’re plugged into, that volume is volume. The other volume is gain, tone is tone, but also adds a bit of dirt above 6. 

And +1 for the Celestion Blue. Loud in a good way and really great sounding.

stickyfiddle

stickyfiddle said:

I think of it as whichever I put you’re plugged into, that volume is volume. The other volume is gain (with backwards taper),  tone is tone, but also adds a bit of dirt above 6. 

And +1 for the Celestion Blue. Loud in a good way and really great sounding.

FTF-myself

merlin

I found this when I had just bought my first 5e3. It's long, slow but thorough. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VN2vqCxaeC0

and this helps too, which I found somewhere else, can't remember. 

Bright clean:
Input: Normal 2
Jumper: Normal 1 to Bright 1
Tone: 12
Vol Bright: 2.5-3
Vol Normal: 2.5-3

Fat n thick clean:
Input: Bright 1
Jumper: Normal 1 to Bright 2
Tone: 9
Vol Bright: 3.5
Vol Normal: 1-2.5

Jimi "Little Wing" clean:
Input: Bright 1
Tone: 9
Vol Bright: 2
Vol Normal: 6

Clean more compression and sustain:
Input: Bright 1
Tone: 9.5
Vol Bright: 8.5
Vol Normal: 12

Fat Strat/Tele clean less saturation:
Input: Normal 1
Tone: 9.5-10
Vol Bright: 1
Vol Normal: 6.5-7

"Dig in the dirt" clean:
Input: Bright 1
Tone: 9
Vol Bright: 5
Vol Normal: 0

"Sag" overdrive:
Input: Bright 1
Tone: 12
Vol Bright: 12
Vol Normal: 12

Touch sensitive overdrive:
Input: Bright 1
Tone: 12
Vol Bright: 10-11
Vol Normal: 10-11

Most distortion:
Input: Bright 1
Tone: to taste
Vol Bright: 11
Vol Normal: 1

"Marshall" overdrive:
Input: Bright 1
Jumper: Normal 1 to Bright 2
Tone: 12
Vol Bright: 11
Vol Normal: 11

Strat/Tele touch sensitive crunch:
Input: Normal 1
Jumper: Normal 2 to Bright 1
Tone: 12
Vol Bright: 10-11
Vol Normal: 10-12

 

 

dazzajl

Hmmmmm, in my experience with 5e3’s, if you can get a good clean sound at more than home volume, it needs to go and be fixed. 

newi123

does anyone jump the channels marshall style?

And does anyone here gig a 5e3? I find gigging the Princeton is fairly straightforward, but I struggle with the 5e3 (fender 57 custom in my case)

Jalfrezi

Interesting comment re. clean at home levels.  I ran through some of the settings above, and I can get a good clean at very loud levels, far too loud for normal home use!.  But, of course clean is somewhat subjective, the sound I'm getting is very full and harmonically rich, not in the least bit like a Fender BF/SF tone, and I guess knocking on the door of overdrive.

I guess volume pot, pickups, and speaker efficiency comes into it too.  Works for me though.

Jalfrezi

newi123 said:

does anyone jump the channels marshall style?

I just did that, as the settings above suggested.  Works great.

57Deluxe

Any Vol settings (you only get two goes at a level anyway) and just don't hit the strings as hard - simples!

merlin

Despite the fact that a 5e3 circuit is simple, there is a huge variance between them. Some break up sooner than others. I really recommend the Rob Robinette mod with a three-way toggle for -ve feedback. 

TheMarlin

dazzajl said:

Hmmmmm, in my experience with 5e3’s, if you can get a good clean sound at more than home volume, it needs to go and be fixed. 

@dazzajl had a very special Vyse built 5E3. Best I’ve ever heard by a country mile. Was a very angry beast, just wanted to snarl and bite.  Was more Marshall than my Marshall, but was alive and ‘in your face’ more than any amp I’ve ever heard. 

His 5E3 was untameable, and all the better for it.  

brooom

The great thing about tweed deluxes is that sure you can set the unused channel volume to set the mid content in the response, if you go high enough (past 6) on that unused channel volume, the amp will appear cleaner. Keeping the volume on the channel you're plugged into bellow 4 helps and adjust tone to liking, keeping in mind that going very bright also increases gain slightly.

Use a 12AY7 for the first tube and get yourself a nice old sylvania 5y3gt for the rectification.

However the real thing you need to know in order to play a deluxe clean is what @57Deluxe mentioned, how hard you attack the strings. And also learn how to control the volume knob on your guitar.

Those last two things alone, allow you to get lush clean tones.

markj

Sorry to hijack your thread but here is my Gartone Bluesman in all its glory. Antique pine, Mercury magnets and Atom caps. Tone just doesn't get any better than this from such a simple circuit.