5E5 on 5E3 Chassis?

[Leftydave]

I have an empty 5e3 chassis but was looking for a little more power. Can I build a 5e5 on a 5e3 chassis? Will the transformers fit without major modifications? I can drill holes but wanted to stay away from cutting the chassis too much. Might there be another approach? Thanks.

[tubeswell]

I have an empty 5e3 chassis but was looking for a little more power. Can I build a 5e5 on a 5e3 chassis?

You need another pre-amp tube and the board layout might be a bit of a squeeze. (The chassis really needs to be about another 6cm/2.5" longer IMHO)

[MWJB]

You could just build a 5E3 with 6L6s, using BF Deluxe PT (even the OT too, but you have plenty of options there) & a 330ohm 10W cathode resistor. Up to you whether you wire the preamp as per 5E3, or copy one preamp tube of 5E5. Fixed bias would be an idea if looking for significant power increase (can easily be put on a switch for cathode/fixed operation).

[tubeswell]

Ah yes I wasn't thinking about a 1 channel 5E5 (albeit that you lose the interactive vol controls)

FWIW I did a 5E3 for 6V6 or 6L6 the year before last and it sounded really good (jazzy) with a 20W greenback and the B+ at about 410-420 with a GZ34 rectifier (running on 20uF reservoir). It had a beefier OT (about 25W) and a Pt with a 325-0-325 180mA rating on the HT winding, and 4A on the heater winding (so it ran at about 360 with a 5Y3GT and 6V6s)

[Bruce / Mission Amps]

Ah yes I wasn't thinking about a 1 channel 5E5 (albeit that you lose the interactive vol controls)

...

Well... the 5E5 uses the extra 12AY7 tube but it uses one triode of each tube for each input jack on each channel... that's over kill and isn't really needed. Only two preamp tubes are needed.
You just wire it up like a 5E3 but as you said, use all 6L6 power and OT parts.
You still get all the artifacts of the interactivity.
It ends up sounding much like a tweed Pro but with a 12" speaker instead.
With good iron and 5U4GB rectifier, it should have no trouble in making 25 watts.

[tubeswell]

Well... the 5E5 uses the extra 12AY7 tube but it uses one triode of each tube for each input jack on each channel... that's over kill and isn't really needed.

I've never heard a 5E5, but from what I gather reading Merlin's book, I understand that the difference in the 5E5 circuit is in how the load lines change in parallel triodes with a common plate resistor when 'different' signals are applied to each side's grid. I guess this is a subtle effect. But it makes me curious about the jumpering combinations.

[Bruce / Mission Amps]

I've never heard a 5E5, but from what I gather reading Merlin's book, I understand that the difference in the 5E5 circuit is in how the load lines change in parallel triodes with a common plate resistor when 'different' signals are applied to each side's grid. I guess this is a subtle effect. But it makes me curious about the jumpering combinations.

That could be a minor factor effecting some small aspect of the tone... I didn't mean to imply there was no difference, just that doing it like a 5E3 ends up sounding very similar to a stock 5E5 driving a 12" speaker.
This is just from my personal observations and listening to the two amps.

[Lead Burner]

Have you looked at the 5e3proluxe design? It is a 5e3 chassis and power transformer with a 40 watt output transformer and bias ciruit. I built one and substituted KT66s for the 6L6s and put in a transitorized rectifier and JBL K120. To fit the KT66s you need to put the rectifier in between them. Just type in 5e3 proluxe on a search. Good luck

[Leftydave]

Hey thanks everyone. Very interesting. I will checkout that 5e3 proluxe design. Sounds like what I was looking for.

[CitizenCain]

Lead Burner, how does that 5E3 ProLuxe sound? Does it still have enough of the "tweedy goodness" to it?

[Lead Burner]

The 5e3 proluxe has the clean tweed sound, not exactly tweed deluxe, until about 8 on the volume, after that it has it's own dirty tone, but still tweed. I always use some effects since it has more head room. I am using KT66s so it is never going to sound just like a 6V6 deluxe. If I can figure out how to post sound clips I will. Also the the filter caps are larger than the tweed deluxe, I think they are 40mf.

[Prairie Dawg]

The 5e3 proluxe has the clean tweed sound, not exactly tweed deluxe, until about 8 on the volume, after that it has it's own dirty tone, but still tweed. I always use some effects since it has more head room. I am using KT66s so it is never going to sound just like a 6V6 deluxe. If I can figure out how to post sound clips I will. Also the the filter caps are larger than the tweed deluxe, I think they are 40mf.

I've got one that followed me home and I just finished redoing the stinkiest wiring I've seen since Danelectro made amps for Sears. I'm surprised it worked but it really did sound good. Closest thing I had was 47 uf filter capacitors. But a good sounding, simple and straightforward amp.

[Lead Burner]

I've got one that followed me home and I just finished redoing the stinkiest wiring I've seen since Danelectro made amps for Sears. I'm surprised it worked but it really did sound good. Closest thing I had was 47 uf filter capacitors. But a good sounding, simple and straightforward amp.

I think I have an mp3 of the 5e3P uploaded. I is just a strat on the front pickup plugged in with no effects first on 3 then on 12 tone control half way. Please excuse the slop, I don't play dry very often.

[Leif H]

There is just something about tweedy goodness, and a Strat bridge pickpup isn't there?

[CitizenCain]

Thanks, Lead Burner! Nice clip. There is still a good amount of tweediness to that sound! Love it