Calmdown a 5E3

[rokplo]

Hi !

I love the sound of my handmade (Marsh Amps) tweed deluxe, specialy the clean low level ... i'd like to be able to use it easier, and not only from 0 to 1 on the volume pot ;-)

What would you suggest to mod to have more (much more) headroom before crunch ?

Someone told me to use low power preamp tubes, like 12AU7, and maybe to change the 250 Ohm 5W resistor to a higher value, 270 or 300 ohms

Does it make sense to you ?

Other suggestions ?


Thanx !!!

[tubeswell]

(If you already have a 12AY7 in V1,) you could try a 5751 or a 12AT7 in V2. That should clean it up heaps

[hasserl]

5E3's sound like they do because of the sum of all the parts and the way they are connected together. You can change some things around to get different results, but it won't sound like a 5E3 any longer. But with that in mind, Bruce Collins at Mission Amps has a kit for a mod called a Volume/Tone control mod. This changes the volume controls so that the input to the Vol pots is not the wiper. It's a simple mod but it is pretty effective in giving you more room on the Volume control to work with before the amp starts to break up. Email Brice and ask him for his kit and give it a shot, I think you'll like the result.

Note that the interaction between the volume controls is greatly reduced when you do this.

[Chris / CMW amps]

Here's a pretty ok free solution for (stock) 5E3s and also for cleaner sounds:

turn the volume-control from the non used channel above 9.9; the volume lowers and you'll get a pretty nice mid-dipped cleaner sound.

[rokplo]

hasser, i noticed that any change to the amp will make it sound .... different ;-)

i don't worry about that, i just would like to be able to use a cleaner sound. I'm in Europe, so ordering the Mission Amps kit is a bit complicate for me ... Without revealing Mission Amp's secrets, could you explain me a way to obtain this result ? i mean is it possible just by changing some resistors ? (like the "Paul C mod")

What about changing the 5W250R resistor for 300 ohms ?


Thanx !!!

[hasserl]

Check your PM's.

[dwhutchens]

Take a look at the tone/volume setup on the Fender 6g3 Brown Deluxe schematic. You could set the normal channel's tone permenently with fixed resistors instead of a pot and use the tone pot only for the bright channel or if you can get your hands on a dual gang 1meg pot you could have both channels tone control on the same tone knob.

David

[rokplo]

thanx to answer dwhutchens ... i finally found on the net some free adaptations of the 6G3 to 5E3 layout - it's clear for me now.

Anyway, i don't use the normal channel much, so, rather than changing my tone pot, i'd prefer to put a fixed tone one the normal channel. How should i acheave that ?

On the layout i found, there is a wire from the right plot of volume knob going to a 500pF cap and after to the right plot of tone pot - the middle plots of tone and vol are directly wired together. The left plot of tone is connected to ground through a 0.0047uF cap.

What would be the fixed wiring to do the same with a middle position tone ? (pot is 1M A)

Thanx a lot !!!!! (i'm a newbie in electronics ... but i learn fast ;-)

[dwhutchens]

You could actually leave the tone control completely off the normal channel and see how it sounds that way. If thats not ok you could wire the tone pot outside the chassis and play the amp while adjusting the tone pot to your likeing. Once you get it where you like it carefully disconnect the pot without moving the shaft. Now pretend one side of the pot to the center is one resistor and the other side to the center is another resistor and measure each end of the pot to the wiper. Get a resistor as close to each measured value as possible. Connect the two resistors end to end. The junction is now the "wiper" of your fixed pot. You can now wire this inside the chassis in place of the normal channel tone pot. I hope this is clear, I haven't tried wireing it up but it should work in therory.
Good Luck,
David