Wednesday, February 26, 2025
GuitarGuitar Amps

Should you build a 5e3 Tweed Deluxe? Pros and Cons 6 Months later


About 6 months ago I built a Trinity Amp 5e3 Tweed Deluxe clone and have been recording and playing with it a ton! In this video I talk about what I like about it and what limitations this style amp as. You’ll hear a demo track and solo guitar examples. It’s not for everyone but offers a tons of great tones from classic cleans to creamy overdrive to all out fuzz like tones. If you are considering whether or not you should build a 5e3 this video will give you somethings to think about to see if a Tweed Style amp is for you!

Solo guitar examples were recording using a Shure Sm57 and a Shure SM7b using the cab while the track features the Two Notes Captor with my own personal IR’s. (found here: https://www.michaelwwestbrook.com/presets-and-irs/new-impulse-response-pack-strymon-line-6-etc)

Previous 5e3 Videos:
Modding my 5e3: https://youtu.be/Gxwu7cmlxRI
5e3 Build: https://youtu.be/TsphFRtG138

Trinity Amps 5e3 Kit: https://www.trinityamps.com/product/tweed/
Guitar Cabinet Outlet: https://reverb.com/shop/guitarcabinetoutlet
Eminence Signature Series GA-SC64 12″ George Alessandro Speaker : (Amazon Affiliate Link) https://amzn.to/36EcJlb

Ways to support the channel:

Buy Impulse Responses, HX Stomp and Helix Presets: https://www.michaelwwestbrook.com/presets-and-irs

Buy Kemper Profiles: https://www.michaelwwestbrook.com/kemper-profiles

GEAR! (amazon affiliate links)

Strymon Iridium: https://amzn.to/3t7ALOS

Line 6 HX Stomp: https://amzn.to/2RpDXUT

Line 6 Helix: https://amzn.to/2UTwwYg

Radial JDI Direct Box: https://amzn.to/39WaRmL

My Interface: https://amzn.to/39RIPZz

Strings:
https://amzn.to/2uscs4x

Picks:
https://amzn.to/3aAzYge

Best small Gear Bag (for picks and etc):
https://amzn.to/36scBlU

Straps: https://amzn.to/2TQWKdY

Glass Slide: https://amzn.to/3aFp4py

Brass Slide: https://amzn.to/36jHKYE

Tuner: https://amzn.to/2Rowdmw

Small Guitar Stand: https://amzn.to/3aGBCNj

The best iPad stand I’ve found: https://amzn.to/2RtZo7X

The absolute best way to secure pedals:
250 Dual Lock: https://amzn.to/2veUUsW

400/170 Dual Lock: https://amzn.to/38FgDsB

Headphones: https://amzn.to/2tDR1gZ

Direct Amp Recording: https://amzn.to/2tT9mGT

Studio Monitors: https://amzn.to/3c5qV6S

Vocal Shield: https://amzn.to/39QHe61

Studio Acoustic Panels: https://amzn.to/2y4sLpP

Must Have Pedals:

Looper and A/B box: https://amzn.to/2tPvBxo

Compressor: https://amzn.to/2veWbjI

Reverb under $150: https://amzn.to/36piUGR

Delay: https://amzn.to/3aDZWiV

My Camera: https://amzn.to/2RrYUPg

Required Reading:

“Listen Up!”: https://amzn.to/3aI6lty

“Let’s Go (So We Can Get Back)”: https://amzn.to/2sV3xYU

“Chronicles”: https://amzn.to/2RT0h8O

#build #Tweed #Deluxe #Pros #Cons #Months

Originally posted by UCeVgNo2lUKrbUTusgDq6DBA at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x453UEQP7ks

23 thoughts on “Should you build a 5e3 Tweed Deluxe? Pros and Cons 6 Months later

  • I built a 5E3 and didn't like the sound until I modded mine. Mainly I did a mod called the "Mission Amps Volume/Tone Mod" which made it more like a brownface Deluxe. Then I replaced the rectifier tube with a solid state plug-in that increased the headroom by increasing the B+ voltage. Finally I replaced the 5K dropping resistor with a choke.
    Now it breaks up later and has a bigger sweep of usable tones without sounding muddy and wooly throughout the sweep.

    Reply
  • The tweed amps aren't meant to have allot of headroom. They breakup and get dirty fairly quickly, and even when they are "clean", they have that smoky tone thing going. I love the tweed circuits, they will take SOME pedals, but you have to be selective with which pedals you use. Keep your ODs simple and transparent like a Nobles or a Wampler Tumnus. Mine likes the Maxon OSD-9. I have never found a fuzz pedal that my amp likes, and I have tried PLENTY. If you want a more pedal friendly amp, get a Silverface Fender whatever or a Peavey {preferably one of the hybrid circuit amps}. Old Music Man amps excel here too. Even an older Carvin is a good pedal platform for not allot of money at all. The 5e3 sounds best when played loud without too many pedals. I love mine, especially when I play my Tele through it.

    Reply
  • Hi there Michael. Great Vid. I am always looking for great Riffs to learn. You wouldn't happen have Tabbed Out what you did on this video from 5:41 to 5:55 or so (the end of the Overdrive segment)? I'll try to suss it out myself but I always get frustrated after some point and tend to give up after I reach some level of frustration. It's a great slower picking Riff that Teles and Tweeds were made for IMO! I'll stroll over to your site to buy some IR if there are any. If you don't have the Tab maybe it would be fun for you to Tab it out for kicks and exercise? Anyway great Job!!

    Reply
  • Well buy a Louis Electric Deltone. Great Tweed tone on left side with reverb and tremelo and right channel … black face….You'll be in love.

    Reply
  • @MichaelWWestbrook Have you experimented with running this amp with another? Splitting signal between a higher head room amp and the 5e3 Tweed? I built a Stewmac 5e3. It was a blast. I am experimenting with the 5e3 and a HOT Rod Deluxe using the "TPS Wet/Dry" sort of approach. It's been fun to try and figure out what drive pedals sound good to the 5e3 in tandem with the Hot Rod. At stage volume, I am finding that I can run guitar straight to 5e3, while all my other gain/modulation/delays run to the Hot Rod. The 5e3 is such a unique thing, and it's been a fun challenge trying to find ways to pair it with other amps/pedals in a way that only highlights its strengths. Curious if you have played with this as well.

    Reply
  • Great video and thanks for doing this! Do you find the amp to sound similar enough to an original Fender? I always find even the more expensive clones to lack a certain character I only hear with original Fenders. I'd love to hear a comparison of your build to other stuff too 🙂

    Reply
  • That speaker sounds great. You can put a switch or potentiometer in to add additional negative feedback, which in turn will get more headroom. I've done it to my 5f1 and 5e3.

    Reply
  • I have some really harsh very high frequency clipping type of distoriton on top of the note when i play the E and B strings on my 5e3, only when i play kinda loud, anyone know what this can be? Tried changing speaker and tubes. Or maybe this is just the 5e3 sound?

    Reply
  • 15w to be honest is way to much for an apartment – your neighbours will definitely clearly hear all the nuances of you practicing the same riff for 20 mins)

    Reply
  • Sounds amazing! I’ve had a blackface deluxe reverb for a while and do like it but mostly the cleans I love the tweed breakup so much! Im debating on buying a fender tweed deluxe 57 but they are so expensive!! Would I better getting my local amp guy to build me a kit ? Would in be cheaper? And do you have any suggestions to good kits available? Thanks in advance!!

    Reply
  • Nothing but the original is going to sound worth a crap, no way to polish a……

    Reply
  • Just wondering, do you find that you use this amp mostly at home and for recording and do you use something else when out at a gig with a loud drummer? Is there a particular go to for that situation?

    Reply

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *