YOUR fav 5E3 tweaks

[cminor9]

Quite by accident I had a tube that is labeled as a 5Y3GT in my 5E3, but as it turns out it was not dropping enough voltage. It is more like a GZ34. Interesting deal there. Anyhow...

At lower volumes, the 5Y3 is much nicer, because it really breaks up nicely at low volumes. But, as I found yesterday, when you dime the amp with the correct recto it gets pretty sloppy. With the wrong recto (and thus about 60vdc too much at the first filter cap), this amp absolutely *roared* when dimed even though at lower volumes it was too clean.

So, here's the question: how could I viably mod a 5E3 to take a diff recto when I want to roar? All of the caps are rated to handle the extra voltage (filter caps are 450, all others are 600), and my speakers are 2 50 watt webers. The JJ 6V6S tubes can take a lot of plate voltage, because a deluxe reverb gets 415vdc on the plates and screens, right? Will I kill one of the transformers if I run this at a higher voltage?

I searched this forum for a while but the topic is often mentioned in passing but not specifically addressed anywhere I could find. Forgive me if this has been answered somewhere and I missed it.

[hasserl]

IS this a real 5E3 or a clone? If its a clone, go for it. The caps are rated for it, the tubes'll take it, what's the harm? Even if you cook one of the tranny's it's not the end of the world. Replace it with a more robust part and keep on rockin. If it's a real 5E3, I'd leave it alone and get a clone to dick around with.

[Bruce / Mission Amps]

Quite by accident I had a tube that is labeled as a 5Y3GT in my 5E3, but as it turns out it was not dropping enough voltage. It is more like a GZ34. Interesting deal there. Anyhow...

At lower volumes, the 5Y3 is much nicer, because it really breaks up nicely at low volumes. But, as I found yesterday, when you dime the amp with the correct recto it gets pretty sloppy. With the wrong recto (and thus about 60vdc too much at the first filter cap), this amp absolutely *roared* when dimed even though at lower volumes it was too clean.

So, here's the question: how could I viably mod a 5E3 to take a diff recto when I want to roar? All of the caps are rated to handle the extra voltage (filter caps are 450, all others are 600), and my speakers are 2 50 watt webers. The JJ 6V6S tubes can take a lot of plate voltage, because a deluxe reverb gets 415vdc on the plates and screens, right? Will I kill one of the transformers if I run this at a higher voltage?

I searched this forum for a while but the topic is often mentioned in passing but not specifically addressed anywhere I could find. Forgive me if this has been answered somewhere and I missed it.

What ever sounds good to you is OK, it is yours right?
Just run the stiffer rectifier if you like it.
If it is a Russian 5Y3GT it will be OK, just tougher on the power tubes.
I'd remove the 250-270 ohm cathode resistor and use something larger in value like 360 ohms @5 to 10 watts, with a 22uF@100v capo across it.
You might find that increasing the 22K resistor in the B+ rail to 27K to 36K will help tame the 12AY7 a little.

[cminor9]

hasserl, Bruce...thanks for the tips. Yes, this is a clone. Trust me, there's no way I'd do anything like that to a real Deluxe!

I think I may give some of those mods a shot. And yeah, the trannys are relatively inexpensive, so if I fry my OT, I am out $50. Not too bad, although I would prefer to avoid that. Guess I need to measure some voltages and check the specs on the OT.

Having the wrong tube in there really taught me something about the 5E3 circuit. It's so simple, I think it really lets the qualities of the tubes shine through. I guess it's no wonder people use it as a starting point for those boutique projects. I have been enjoying switching out my collection of old and new tubes in this amp.

So, I guess there's another tweak to the 5E3! Different rectifiers. You know, when I first built this thing I wondered why it sounded so smooth when dimed, cause all of the sound samples I heard online were very compressed and farty when turned all the way up. More available voltage!

[Bruce / Mission Amps]

Another thing you can do is use the Russian 5u4c (fake 5Y3GT) and install a DPDT switch some where, stick a 6 or 7 lug terminal strip on one of the PT bolts and build a small bias supply one it.
Use the DPDT where you can switch it from fixed bias, idling at about 8 to 9 watts per tube, to full bore, vintage, adjusted, high idle current cathode biasing, idling at about 12-13 watts each.
The amp tone will not be the same in fixed bias but it still rips and fixed bias will net you about 6 or 7 more "clean watts" output too.

[AndreasA]

5V4 rectifier, big improvement. When I had a 5Y3GT in it, I felt that the notes disappeared when diggin into the strings. When I wanted tones to stand out, the totally opposite happened.

I am planning to have the builder make a schwitchable less bass mod on it, as the bass (or it it perhaps very low mids) can be too much in some rooms. Hopefully this turns out to be my favorite mod.

[richon]

just change the coupling caps before each volume channel from 0.1uf to 0.022uf and you will have a better (not over-emphasised) bass response

[tele-tubby]

just change the coupling caps before each volume channel from 0.1uf to 0.022uf and you will have a better (not over-emphasised) bass response

are these the caps connected to the volume pots?

[richon]

are these the caps connected to the volume pots?

they could be (if you build the amp Point to point)

[teleamp]

For me, I like a larger cabinet, my combo is 23 1/2" w X 20 1/2" h X 10" deep. I keep the circuit stock. I am using a WGS ET 65 right now and it handles the bass.

[buschfsu]

Stagger tune the 12AY7's first unused triode.
If you don't want to use a couple mixing resistors after the plate coupling caps... share a common 68K to 100K anode-plate "mixing" resistor but either way, split the cathodes for what I call stagger tuning.
Use a standard 1k5 with 4.7uF to 22uF bypass on the bright channel triode and a 1K5 with 2.2uF bypass or maybe a 2k7 with .68uF bypass on the "normal channel".
Hold one or both "channel's" cathodes above ground with a 68K to 100K resistor, bypassed with an SPST or DPST switch to turn them on or off.

thanks for the tip! Im trying to make a 5e3 into an existing chassis. id like to use 1 channel but can't follow the stagger tunning as described. do you have a schematic for this? it would be greatly appreciated!!

[GibsonLover]

How about headroom?

I have an original '56 5E3. What I'd like to change is the amount of drive it has. Anyone come up with a removable mod to allow more headroom? I watched a Larry Carlton video where he plays his "Steely Dan setup" on Don't Take me Alive - a 5E3 on "3" and an ES-335. Mine works the samy way, so I know it does what it's supposed to. It just seems limiting to be at full volume by 2-3 on the knob, and then go from dirty to filthy from 3-12. The first tube is a 12AY7, but maybe that's still too much gain. Maybe a voltage divider before the PI?

[tubeswell]

I have an original '56 5E3. What I'd like to change is the amount of drive it has. Anyone come up with a removable mod to allow more headroom? I watched a Larry Carlton video where he plays his "Steely Dan setup" on Don't Take me Alive - a 5E3 on "3" and an ES-335. Mine works the samy way, so I know it does what it's supposed to. It just seems limiting to be at full volume by 2-3 on the knob, and then go from dirty to filthy from 3-12. The first tube is a 12AY7, but maybe that's still too much gain. Maybe a voltage divider before the PI?

I can't think of "a removeable mod" that would give more headroom. You could put in a small choke at the screen node supply and have this switchable with your 5k screen node supply resistor. This would lift the B+ to the preamp and PI thereby adding headroom (as well as cleaning up the hum). But this means driiling holes for a choke and a switch (and probably a tag terminal strip to re-mount and re-wire the 5k resistor onto). You also probably might have to experiment 470R - 1k5 3W-5W screen grid resistors to work in conjunction with the choke (maybe with a multi-pole switch), if the screen voltages get more than 3 or 4 V above the plate voltages.

[cminor9]

I have an original '56 5E3. What I'd like to change is the amount of drive it has. Anyone come up with a removable mod to allow more headroom? I watched a Larry Carlton video where he plays his "Steely Dan setup" on Don't Take me Alive - a 5E3 on "3" and an ES-335. Mine works the samy way, so I know it does what it's supposed to. It just seems limiting to be at full volume by 2-3 on the knob, and then go from dirty to filthy from 3-12. The first tube is a 12AY7, but maybe that's still too much gain. Maybe a voltage divider before the PI?

Depends on how you define "removable". Two things that come to mind are 1) adding some negative feedback, or 2) remove the bypass cap on the PI tube.

You could use something similar to the negative feedback loop in the tweed princeton (http://ampedia.redbeartrading.com/da...php?amp_id=112). If you don't know what that is, it's the wire from the speaker jack to the cathode of the second triode (and has the 22k resistor on it).

I have used both on my 5E3, and neither one would require and irreversible mods.

[tele-tubby]

hey man, this is a simple mod and I might want to try it. But what exactly does it do?

I actually implemented the Ampeg mod

Maybe I'll make the Ampeg mod switchable with the switch I installed for the NFB. But I digress...