H Posted January 12, 2011 Share Posted January 12, 2011 Hi all, I finally pulled the trigger on a 5E3 Tweed Deluxe amp kit from Tube Amp Doctor in Germany. This is a chassis, components and valves kit only - no speaker, no cabinet. I've also got a 12ft x 11in x 1in plank of quartersawn English Oak heading my way soon (see pics - my plank, currently unfinished, is on the left in the stack) and I have the woodworking plans to make the cabinet from it. The figuring in the wood is fabulous and I'm planning to leave the cab uncovered so all that wood is on show (an unashamed steal from KBP810's beautiful maple cab, seen in a recent post of his). I'll work out what speaker I want in it over the next few months as I build the cab and solder up the electronics. I'll post updates from time to time with pictures and, eventually, sounds Wish me luck! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mooonpi Posted January 12, 2011 Share Posted January 12, 2011 Good luck! I built a 5e3 myself. It was fun to build, and awesome fun to play. I did it a lot like you're about to. Got the kit build and then built the cabinet mayself, and got speakers etc etc. Have fun! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kbp810 Posted January 12, 2011 Share Posted January 12, 2011 Woohoo! Best of luck on the build and we are here to help in case you run into any stumbling blocks. Man, that oak is going to make for one heck of a sharp cab! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JeffB Posted January 12, 2011 Share Posted January 12, 2011 Have fun with that. Progress reports as you go. That oak is going to look great. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NoNameBand Posted January 12, 2011 Share Posted January 12, 2011 Good luck!!! That wood should be beautiful when completed. It sounds like you know what your mission is and capable of completing it. So, have fun and we will await the pics of course. The 5E3 is a great platform. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
H Posted January 12, 2011 Author Share Posted January 12, 2011 Thanks for all the encouragement I expect this to be a pretty long-running thread as I don't get a lot of time for my hobbies with five kids to run around after! I haven't really done much woodworking since high school so I'll be taking my time getting the cab done and looking as good as I possibly can. My soldering skills are decent and I've bought a variable heat soldering station specifically for the project. I haven't dealt with the high voltages that can be present in these circuits but I plan to be safe and take plenty of advice from the books I have (thanks to KBP810 and mars_hall for their help with these towards the end of last year) and from this and a couple of other forums (ax84.com and music_electronics_forum.com) that I've recently joined. I'll be asking for suggestions at a later point in the build; speaker ideas, grille cloth, exterior fittings, built-in attenuator perhaps. There'll be lots of pics and updates at decent points in the build. I'm planning to keep a kind of diary of the build too so I can track exactly how long it really takes to get from bits to built Thanks for your interest and keep watching for the next thread bump! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bolero Posted January 14, 2011 Share Posted January 14, 2011 wow that's cool!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
conorb Posted January 14, 2011 Share Posted January 14, 2011 Keep us informed as to your progress. I've been contemplating an amp build myself and it'll be fun to see someone else be the guinea pig. Err, I mean thought leader/visionary on this type of project. Good luck!!! conorb Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
H Posted January 14, 2011 Author Share Posted January 14, 2011 I've been contemplating an amp build myself and it'll be fun to see someone else be the guinea pig. LOL I hope to encourage other HOCers to take the plunge and get down and dirty with their soldering irons Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
H Posted January 14, 2011 Author Share Posted January 14, 2011 First diary item: chassis, components and valves arrived from Germany today. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pegleg32 Posted January 14, 2011 Share Posted January 14, 2011 Hey Howard, just wanted to pitch in my encouragement here. I have thought a lot about undertaking just such a project, so I'm going to be looking forward to hearing about your experience, especially the hard stuff. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
H Posted January 14, 2011 Author Share Posted January 14, 2011 Hey Howard, just wanted to pitch in my encouragement here. I have thought a lot about undertaking just such a project, so I'm going to be looking forward to hearing about your experience, especially the hard stuff. Thanks I expect to be drinking quite a lot of the 'hard stuff' during the project Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DetroitBlues Posted January 14, 2011 Share Posted January 14, 2011 Oak cabinet? Whoa, hope you have a strong back. KBP810 combos are some of the heaviest beasts of tonal monsters I've ever lifted! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
H Posted January 14, 2011 Author Share Posted January 14, 2011 Oak cabinet? Whoa, hope you have a strong back. KBP810 combos are some of the heaviest beasts of tonal monsters I've ever lifted! This is just a baby Tweed Deluxe - no muscle required Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kbp810 Posted January 14, 2011 Share Posted January 14, 2011 Oak cabinet? Whoa, hope you have a strong back. KBP810 combos are some of the heaviest beasts of tonal monsters I've ever lifted! Well.. that would be the October Build and the Tweed Champ to which you are referencing The bulk of the Tweed Champ's heft came from the EV12M speaker, until that was put into it the weight was quite tolerable. (The October was just a big ol' 2x12 beast built from all solid hard maple, now that amp was a back breaker!) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kbp810 Posted January 14, 2011 Share Posted January 14, 2011 Thanks I expect to be drinking quite a lot of the 'hard stuff' during the project Ah yes, when I work on a project my Bell's Two Hearted is almost as an important tool as my soldering iron said in jest, I don't actually condone mixing drinking and working with lethally high voltages and current (but uhm yeah, I do rather enjoy my Two Hearted ) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NoNameBand Posted January 15, 2011 Share Posted January 15, 2011 Thanks I expect to be drinking quite a lot of the 'hard stuff' during the project Be careful not to spill your drink on the amp before it is sealed. Also, if the lines start multiplying or they get a little blurry, measure between the lines. I'm sure it will be fine, carry on. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wdelaney72 Posted January 19, 2011 Share Posted January 19, 2011 Best of luck....post pictures and take your time. Amp building is a ton of fun and VERY rewarding. Don't hesitate to post questions. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
H Posted January 20, 2011 Author Share Posted January 20, 2011 Second diary item: quartersawn English Oak arrived from Cumbria today. It's fabulous! Take a look at the grain on this piece: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
H Posted January 20, 2011 Author Share Posted January 20, 2011 Every last piece is as figured as the rest: To say I'm pleased with the quality of this timber would be a HUGE understatement Six pieces in all. In effect, three sides and three top/base pieces. Now I have to learn how to execute perfect finger joints... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kbp810 Posted January 21, 2011 Share Posted January 21, 2011 Every last piece is as figured as the rest: To say I'm pleased with the quality of this timber would be a HUGE understatement Six pieces in all. In effect, three sides and three top/base pieces. Now I have to learn how to execute perfect finger joints... WOW! that's going to look great!!! Finger joints have been one of my arch nemesis... so my advice (which I'm sure goes without saying), is to make sure to get lot's of practice on scrap before jumping into the real thing. Do you plan on using a router or a table saw? I guess this would also be a good time to proudly boast that I just pulled off my cleanest finger joints to date! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steiner Posted January 21, 2011 Share Posted January 21, 2011 Nice wood gents! I thought that; I didn't say it. Did I? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
H Posted January 21, 2011 Author Share Posted January 21, 2011 Finger joints have been one of my arch nemesis... so my advice (which I'm sure goes without saying), is to make sure to get lots of practice on scrap before jumping into the real thing. Do you plan on using a router or a table saw? I guess this would also be a good time to proudly boast that I just pulled off my cleanest finger joints to date! I'll be practicing (a lot) on some old pieces of scrap pine I have. It's the one part of the project I have doubts over aside from the electrocution possibilities I don't have a router or a table saw but a friend of mine locally has both and I plan to try both out with some guidance from him. I'll have to build a little wooden jig I've seen used on YouTube to help out with the spacing. If I really enjoy the build and plan to make more of these in the future, I'll invest in a proper metal finger jointer jig and a router/table saw. Your woodworking skills are enviable Have you been doing it for a while? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
H Posted January 21, 2011 Author Share Posted January 21, 2011 Nice wood gents! I thought that; I didn't say it. Did I? You know, when I was putting together my post about the arrival of the timber, I *knew* I'd have to word it carefully to avoid making that reference Thank you for today's knob gag! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steiner Posted January 21, 2011 Share Posted January 21, 2011 H, that is some of the prettiest oak I've seen but how thick are the boards? My 5E3 with an AlNiCo speaker and pine cab weighs in at over 30lbs. If I replaced the cab with 1/2" oak, I fear it may compete with a Fender Twin! Maybe you ought to send that oak over here and I'll shoot you some 100 yr old pine from a local farm... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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