5E3 with presets....

Jaded

I'm on another Neil Young binge and after playing about with my Pro Jr for the past fortnight I wound up using the controls on the amp to vary the amount of distortion/brightness in lieu of a whizzer! I've never really used an amp for anything more than a clean slate for pedals and I found it so much more rewarding and intuitive than any fuzz/overdrive pedal.

Which got me thinking... would it be possible to build a 5E3 clone but have two sets of controls (or more?) that you could switch between with a footswitch like channel switching, while still retaining the traditional controls like the 4 inputs (which you could then theoretically use a line selector to switch between as well) and more importantly, the interactive volume controls. Maybe add a VVR control for the times you can't crank the amp naturally, maybe even have one per each set of controls... that way you can really balance the volumes of the different settings.

I'm guessing there's a reason as to why this couldn't work and hasn't been done before? If so, besides motorized pots and all the complications that involves what other options would there be?  

57Deluxe

Easier to have two 5e3s independently dialed and switch between them!

                                     (a nice pic for the thread....)
http://i232.photobucket.com/albums/ee301/snotmale/Things that make you go Ding/Deluxe_57_top.jpg

hotpickups

Yes that would be my ideal setup for the future. Although it's another box to lug to gigs

57Deluxe;593963" said:

Easier to have two 5e3s independently dialed and switch between them!



                                     (a nice pic for the thread....)

http://i232.photobucket.com/albums/ee301/snotmale/Things that make you go Ding/Deluxe_57_top.jpg

martinw

Yes, it's possible.
Basically a multi channel amp where all the channels are the same.
You could also have a Power Scaling set up which has a pot for each 'channel' and switches between them when the channel is activated.

jpfamps

Jaded said:

I'm on another Neil Young binge and after playing about with my Pro Jr for the past fortnight I wound up using the controls on the amp to vary the amount of distortion/brightness in lieu of a whizzer! I've never really used an amp for anything more than a clean slate for pedals and I found it so much more rewarding and intuitive than any fuzz/overdrive pedal.

Which got me thinking... would it be possible to build a 5E3 clone but have two sets of controls (or more?) that you could switch between with a footswitch like channel switching, while still retaining the traditional controls like the 4 inputs (which you could then theoretically use a line selector to switch between as well) and more importantly, the interactive volume controls. Maybe add a VVR control for the times you can't crank the amp naturally, maybe even have one per each set of controls... that way you can really balance the volumes of the different settings.

I'm guessing there's a reason as to why this couldn't work and hasn't been done before? If so, besides motorized pots and all the complications that involves what other options would there be?  

As mjw says, it can be done.

I suspect one reason that it hasn't been done is that the 5E3 cloners are all using off-the-shelf chassis and there isn't the space for more controls.

mike257

I do wonder why there aren't more amps with more than one identical channel around, I like the idea. With so many well-liked single channel amps you think there'd be some market for it. I love the range of tones I can get from my Genz Benz Black Pearl, but there's so much possible within the one channel that I'd definitely go for a twin channel version if one existed.

Jaded

Well that's a turn up for the books! A 5E3 with multiple channels and some form of volume attenuation sounds like the perfect club amp. I guess it's time to start selling gear/saving!

As for the lack of space in the chassis would it be possible to use concentric knobs for the controls? Actually I just googled the innards and it looks like they would probably be deep for the capacitors in there. 

jpfamps

Jaded said:

Well that's a turn up for the books! A 5E3 with multiple channels and some form of volume attenuation sounds like the perfect club amp. I guess it's time to start selling gear/saving!

As for the lack of space in the chassis would it be possible to use concentric knobs for the controls? Actually I just googled the innards and it looks like they would probably be deep for the capacitors in there. 

Concentric knobs/pots seem like a great idea, until you need to replace them.....

To be honest, were I undertaking a project such as this, then I would do a different layout and use custom chassis.

The 5E3 layout is far from optimal; Fender used it because it works and is easy to assemble.