Fender Tweed Deluxe Clone

[EWBrown]

My first attempt at building a complete guitar amp. This one is about 95% faithful to the original design, the only major component which isn't an exact equivalent in the original, is the output trannie, which is the paper bobbin TF-110- 48 UL from Triode, which has a larger core, with broader frequency rsponse. I didn't use the UL taps, though I retained the leads, for experimentation, shouild I decide to try UL mode at some point in the future. The only truly non-original feature which I added, was that the two speaker output jacks, are individually wired for 4 and 8 ohms, rather than just being connected in parallel. This will allow for future speaker-rolling, should the inspiration hit me some day The only thing that is missing is a genuine FENDER logo plate above the speaker grille.

The chrome-plated, silk-screened chassis and the iron are from Triode Electronics, and the "Tweed" Cab is from Tube Depot, as is the Jensen P12Q speaker.

I did not even consider trying to build the cabinet, or punch, drill, plate and label the chassis myself, as my woodworking and metal-mangling skills are not sufficient to get the final results that I really wanted.





Tubes are all vintage USA production, 5Y3GT, 12AY7, 12AX7 and two 6V6GTs. The Jensen sppeaker is new manufacture, produced in Italy.

More details to follow, after I get some sleep....

/ed B

[Geek]

Hi Ed,

I was about to congratulate you on the fantabulous cab work when I fully read your post

That looks like that Ebay chassis from the guy in Ontario.... that's some quality piece he sells, eh?

Cheers!

[Shannon Parks]

Thank goodness I'm not a geetar picker, or I'd immediately want one. Lovely amp, Ed!

--Shannon

[WA4SWJ]

Ed,

That is beautiful! I used to be a guitar player but that was 40 years ago!

Fantastic looking amp!

[dhuebert]

Punching holes is not a problem, it's lettering that stumps me. With the extinction of Letraset, lettering is a whole lot more complicated now. I miss Letraset, WAAA!

Don

[EWBrown]

That looks like that Ebay chassis from the guy in Ontario.... that's some quality piece he sells, eh?

The chassis is from Triode Electronics, nicely chrome plated and silkscreened. They also have a "Tweed" speaker cab, but it is larger than the original, and is (curently) apparently not available. Note that the volume and tone controls go all the way to "12", so Spinal Tap and Marshall both now have something for which to aspire

Tube Depot had the correctly sized cab, and it was immediately available, and since they are only one state away, delivery is fast!

TD does have a complete kit, but they use a circuit board rather than the turret board, (which isn't really a problem) and the cheaper Jensen "MOD" speakers, which I am sure, sound good, but they are not "original".

I wouldn't even consider attempting to DIY one of these Tolex-covered cabs. mysellf, it would probably end up looking like a badly corrupted, and slimed, version of Homer Simpson's spice rack

I haven't played in years, mostly 'cuz I didn't have a decent sounding amp (I did have a SS Peavy 50 watter which barely survived a house fire), which a friend gave me, but its sound really s*cked (probably from the efects of the fire), so I just let everything go over the intervening years... . Couple years ago, sold the Fender Jazzmaster, and the Gibson LP, (and got some really good $$$$ for them) but kept the "beater" Gibson SG, as it has a great sound and a really nice action.

/ed B

[ChrisAlbertson]

Punching holes is not a problem, it's lettering that stumps me.
Don

Ink jet printers make lettering easier. Make a face plate that gets sandwiched between the knobs and switches and is held in place by the nuts that hold the pots and switch to the chassis. This plat completely hides the metal chassis. You can make the plate by printing to glossy photo paper. Then you laminate the photo paper to "whatever" and maybe if you like place a thin sheet of plixiglas over the photo paper.

You can print direct to the metal if you like if you buy slide off decal material for the printer

[Geek]

I wouldn't even consider attempting to DIY one of these Tolex-covered cabs. mysellf, it would probably end up looking like a badly corrupted, and slimed, version of Homer Simpson's spice rack

D'OH!

[nyazzip]

i have yet to attempt tolexing; it seems daunting
not to hijack the thread, but, Ed you should try an 18 watt marshall clone some day; i finished one last winter and i really couldn't be happier with the tones. it was cheap too(lafayette carcass)

[EWBrown]

An 18 watter with EL84s is in the works, I have all the parts except a proper sized chassis...
and I probably can scrounge something up for that.

Tube Depot has a kit but it is silly expensive

/ed

[nyazzip]

yep i built an "18watt Lite IIb" off of the 18 watt forum. just volume and tone. your SG would really snarl through one i bet

[EWBrown]

The one I was considering is the "Minimalist 18 Watt". Nice and simple, no-frills, single instrument input, and volume control only. Input stage is paralleled 12AX7, LTPI is another 12AX7, and two EL84s. SImple FWB PSU, B+ of around 305VDC, and 280 for the screens and 270 for the VA and LTPI. THey used Hammond 261M6 and 125E OPTs, but as I found and reported a few years ago, these "open frame" trannies have a serious magnetic (H-Field) coupling problem, up to 2 feet separation.

I suppose with a steel chassis, and putting the PT outside and the OPT inside, that may mitigate the H-field coupling issues.

Of course, I can never leave any circuit "as is" so I'll probably do something nutzy like using 6NP2s and 6GK6s (or 6P14P-EVs) , just to be different (and cheaper)... But I also have a "champ" (or more likely, a "chimp" to bild, first).

/ed B

[Casey4s]

Nice looking build Mr brown.

Do you have any pics of the inside of your finished chassis?

[EWBrown]

I could take the back top panel off and shoot a pic or two sometime...

/ed B

[Casey4s]

...

The chrome-plated, silk-screened chassis and the iron are from Triode Electronics, and the "Tweed" Cab is from Tube Depot, as is the Jensen P12Q speaker.

I did not even consider trying to build the cabinet, or punch, drill, plate and label the chassis myself, as my woodworking and metal-mangling skills are not sufficient to get the final results that I really wanted...


/ed B

Working with a blank chassis isn't as bad as you might think. Not that the chromed chassis is a bad choice. Maybe for a future build.

Two DIY chassis construction photo essay links.

http://s238.photobucket.com/albums/ff24 ... 20chassis/

http://s238.photobucket.com/albums/ff24 ... ?start=all


...