First Build - 5E3 (photos)

[LowellH]

Hi,

I've been lurking here for about a year, but this is my first post. I recently finished my first build. Thanks to all the great info on this forum, the amp works perfectly - and sounds amazing.

Here are a few pics:









The cab is in the works; I've got some pine drying in an outdoor shed (I live in Phoenix). I'll add more pics when the amp is complete. I also blogged the build process. It was a really fun project.

[TD_Madden]

pretty nice.....first time I've seen those big Angela caps in a 5E3!

[RickyD]

Nice job! It's a thrill when you hit that first note. Please put up some photos of your cabinet after you get it built.

-Rick

[LowellH]

pretty nice.....first time I've seen those big Angela caps in a 5E3!

Yeah, I went a little overboard on part selection. I went with the Angela caps because I want this amp to have the similar tone and feel of a friend's Clark Beaufort. I've actually spent time with two Beauforts - one premium (Jensen caps), and one Special (Sozo), and greatly preferred the sound of the Premium - although other factors were involved as well (different speaker, bigger cab, etc.). The special had killer tone as well, just different.

[amp boy]

really nice LowellH, i have been planing my first build as a 5e3, and have been looking at the Angela caps as well. i am glad they worked out well for ya. this helps with reincouraging my decisions. I'm new to amp building so i'm just looking around and reading what i can.
good work and enjoy the tone.
- amp boy.

[TD_Madden]

Is the amp indeed similar in sound to the Clark(s)? Which is it closer to?

[LowellH]

I'll know more about how it compares to the Beaufort when I finish the cab. It will be interesting to compare the two.

Right now, I'm running it through a large Clark cab with a 15" Eminence Legend (150W handling, 102+db efficiency) ceramicspeaker. With this speaker it is VERY LOUD and CLEAN - much more so than any other 5E3 I've played through.




The cab I'm building is a tad bigger than my buddy's Pro-sized Beaufort, but will have the same speaker (Cele Blue).

If anyone is interested in viewing some close-up gut shots of the Beaufort, I can email pics.

The Beaufort has a cool story - my buddy who owns it worked for Fender when they were planning to reissue the '57 Tweed Deluxe. I guess the Fender guys used to kid him all the time about playing "Fender clones". Anyway, when they were "voicing" the RI, whatever that means, my friend brought in the two Beauforts. According to him, the reason Fender designed the Fender '57 (I think that's what it's called - the black one with the Cele Blue) is because the Fender dudes loved the tone of that Beaufort so much.

[TD_Madden]

you could always run it thru the Beaufort cabs.....just to check.

I've got a Vicky deluxe and a Mission tweedy, both with Celestion Blues.....sweet, but NOT what I'd call clean.

[ivansc]

Me too!

Nice job, especially that cabinet! Where did you get the dimensions from? I am about to start MY first ever build & it is a 5E3 too!

Ivan