Question: 5e3/deluxe (tweed) breakup & the influence (if any) of the rectifier?

[Mango Moon]

Greetings All!

I'm going to try posting this here in hopes of getting some brief insights, but I've got two very-basic (newb) questions relative to 5E3/Deluxe (Tweed) amps and how they 'breakup' including the influence (if any) of the rectifier:

1) How much of the characteristic 5E3 breakup is due to pre-amp tube saturation and how much is due to power tubes?

2) How much influence (if any) does the rectifier have on early/late breakup of the power tubes?

Thank you!

[Bruce / Mission Amps]

1a) The phase inverter triode will start to distort before the power tube are ready to
1b) The 12AX7 triode driving the phase inverter triode is the last preamp stage that has amplification and the amp will stay cleaner longer if it does not distort too soon, but see 1a.
2a) The higher the B+ to all the tubes, especially the phase inverter, the longer it hangs in without distorting.
2b) A NOS 5Y3GT rectifier sounds better with it's lower B+ in most reissue/home built/kit built 5E3 amps using modern power transformers... because it keeps the plate and screen voltage lower and at a sweeter spot.

[Mango Moon]

Thanks Bruce. I greatly appreciate your taking the time to respond to this thread, and as you may recall, the amp in question here is a '57 Deluxe Reissue that is demonstrating exceptionally late breakup relative to most 5E3's. Other owners, most of whom have far more experience with 5E3's than I, have generally agreed that it is not performing in-line with a typical 5E3. Some have noted that the Fender '57 Reissue in particular, does indeed breakup (almost by design), notably later than many other (if not most) 5E3's on the market, so this is somewhat consoling, but its pretty dramatic in this particular case.

Accordingly, some have suggested that I simply file a service claim under the 5-year warranty with Fender, but I'm afraid I don't have a reputable (Fender licensed) repair facility anywhere near my personal residence. So, this is why I'm trying to diagnose it as best I can before I needlessly box-up the chassis and send it off (my mail) to someone.

That said, its sounding (from what you stated above) that it wouldn't hurt for me to evaluate any number of alternate or different V2 (PI) tubes in hopes that something is wrong with the current one, right? And I'll be happy to do that. And, as I understand it, I should stick with higher-gain 12AX7's in that slot, rather than the oft-recommended lesser gain 5751 or 12AY7/6072A's, right?