Getting clean(ish) tones with a 5E3?

soma1975

Ooh if we are hijacking... This is my 5E3 clone I recently bought which is a bit hummy. No idea if there's anything obvious from the innards what needs looking at. I've already changed out the speaker and power amp tubes since this pic. Now has a WGS G12Q

Dominic

My Gartone Bluesman is the best amp I have ever heard.......

markj

Dominic said:

My Gartone Bluesman is the best amp I have ever heard.......

After many years of Trying to find the perfect amp, I totally agree with you.

springhead

soma1975 said:

Ooh if we are hijacking... This is my 5E3 clone I recently bought which is a bit hummy. No idea if there's anything obvious from the innards what needs looking at. I've already changed out the speaker and power amp tubes since this pic. Now has a WGS G12Q

Looks like a single ground point for everything including the input jacks (unless they have shoulder washers fitted?) over on one of the transformer bolts.  That won't help.  Does the hum get worse when you turn the volumes up?  470R cathode resistor on the 6V6's is unusually high, but not hum inducing.

I've built a 5E3, after being inspired by playing a Gartone Bluesman.  With a Celestion Blue, some of the settings listed above and controlling your guitars volume you can get wonderful clean tones with a Strat. Not squeaky clinical clean but sort of "why would I want to plug a Strat into anything else" type clean.

soma1975

Yep hum increases with volume. 

springhead

So there's either an earth loop, possibly with the jacks being earthed to chassis and at the power tranny bolt, or just hum from the filter caps getting back to the input stage.  If you're happy working safely inside high voltage amps then I'd try separating the pre-amp ground from the rest of the amp.  If the jacks aren't isolated from the chassis I'd earth the tone and volume pots back to the jacks and disconnect them from the PT bolt.  If you're not confident with that then that's an easy job for an amp repair man.

stickyfiddle

springhead said:

I've built a 5E3, after being inspired by playing a Gartone Bluesman.  With a Celestion Blue, some of the settings listed above and controlling your guitars volume you can get wonderful clean tones with a Strat. Not squeaky clinical clean but sort of "why would I want to plug a Strat into anything else" type clean.

This, for me. Mine is a Trinity Kit and it's bloody amazing for this. It also sounds really really good with a klon with the gain up, which gets you really nice dirty sounds without cranking it. Which reminds me, I haven't plugged the Strat in since I swapped the Celestion Blue for a Jensen. Must go try that  

soma1975

springhead said:

So there's either an earth loop, possibly with the jacks being earthed to chassis and at the power tranny bolt, or just hum from the filter caps getting back to the input stage.  If you're happy working safely inside high voltage amps then I'd try separating the pre-amp ground from the rest of the amp.  If the jacks aren't isolated from the chassis I'd earth the tone and volume pots back to the jacks and disconnect them from the PT bolt.  If you're not confident with that then that's an easy job for an amp repair man.

Thanks matey. I just booked it in for a spruce up with my local amp chappy with a view to making it all super sexy and quiet. 

Much appreciated. 

menamestom

newi123 said:

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)

Yea gigged my MJW tweed last night with a 6 piece Ska band, sounded great, the other guitarist in the band use my Princeton.

The Princeton is easier in as much it’s just a linear volume and tweak the treble and bass, whereas the tweed is super interactive.  I seem to always get a really good sound but probably set it different every time.

The tweed sounds thick and warm after the Princeton, sometimes it’s got too much mids for clean cleans but the Princeton can sound a bit too scooped sometimes.   Both have decent headroom with JJ 6V6 and efficient speakers.

I do have a hankering so something that crosses the gap between the 2 amps sometimes, when time and funds allow I’m going to dream something up and set about getting it designed and built.  

newi123

Actually I gigged both amps last night run together Mike Campbell style. I struggle with the 5e3 alone - just doesn't seem to cut quite enough - but together last night they sounded really, really good. 

Also, running both together I kept the princeton volume lower, giving more headroom for solo boosts. Worked well.

menamestom

newi123 said:

Actually I gigged both amps last night run together Mike Campbell style. I struggle with the 5e3 alone - just doesn't seem to cut quite enough - but together last night they sounded really, really good. 

Also, running both together I kept the princeton volume lower, giving more headroom for solo boosts. Worked well.

Excellent, what do you use to split the signal?

newi123

Gigrig humdinger. Does what it says on the tin!