5F1 (tweed Champ) love

soma5 · June 9th, 2007, 01:13 AM

I have been jonesing for a 5E3 for years. I'm a BF/SF kinda guy from 'way back, but I've always been intrigued by the 5E3 clones. I just had an opportunity to buy a Victoria 5112 (5F1 in a tweed Deluxe cab with a 12" speaker and an 8 ohm output transformer) at an attractive price and it seriously floats my boat. I've put some great old stock tubes in it and I can't tell you how great it sounds. I bought it for recording because I do a fair amount of session work but I might gig with it tomorrow (yeah, I'll mic it). I can't imagine that I'll have any more fun with a 5E3 than I'm having right now! OK, I'm still interested in a 5E3 but the 5112 is really getting me going. What a great amp!

Who else's got a 5F1 they can't stop playing?

Jammin'John · June 9th, 2007, 10:08 AM

I have a Mojo 5F1 and I like it.
I don't like it better than my 5E3 though.
It never gets the sweet CLEAN sounds that the deluxe gets and I gig with the deluxe a lot !
I got mine 'cause it fits on the passenger seat of my motorcycle and I take it to blues jams,get it WAY up in the air,and mike it too.
I like the lead tones but there is not enough MEAT there for nice chimey rythm tones.

JJ

austintele · June 10th, 2007, 07:59 AM

I have dec 58 champ 5F1 that i love to play.

Sound pretty lifeless and muddy 1-9 but 9 to 12 it's absolutely awesome. Turn it up to 12 and it super compression. A great amp. Plus, it's beautiful.

I have a clark 5E3 clone as well and it's also great; very loud and flexible.

Taildragger · June 10th, 2007, 12:53 PM

'59 5F1 here. Run it through a Weber 12A125-O in a 5E3-sized cab. Sounds MUCH better than the 8" Oxford or a Weber Alnico Sig8 through the original cab. But my Clark Beaufort Special (5E3 clone / Weber 12A125-A) leaves it in the dust: it does everything the Champ does (OK, maybe not growl at as low a volume) and much more. A 5F1 is a great little amp...a 5E3 is even better, IMHO.

stantheman · June 10th, 2007, 12:53 PM

I've got a '56 and when I bought it back in '86 I was allowed to play through 24 of them (all Tweed Champs) and the one that we just went "yeah" was Number 14. Cosmetically it's no great shakes. Tonally with a Strat it's amazing. This - The Champ and an MIM Classic 50's is what I use every Sunday
Morning. It can't be beat imo.
That Champ that Soma5 saw - I think I saw it too - The Vicky that was on ebay for like $800...nobody bought it. Y'know that actually is a pretty good deal when You consider what it'd run to put everything together Yourself. I'd
do it if I wasn't in such "deep doodoo" already with Mrs. stantheman.

JohnnyCrash · June 10th, 2007, 01:29 PM

I built a modified version that can use a 6V6, 6L6, or an EL34 power tube (with a cathode bias switch on the back). Solid state rectifier, multiple impedance taps, and a Standby switch (since I have no 5Y3 rectifier).

Its an amp head and I generally run it into a Jensen P15N 1x15" open backed pine cab... other times through a 2x12" Celestion Vintage 30 closed back baltic birch ply cab... I will have more options soon - I'm building two 1x12" cabs today for a few neodymium magnet'ed speakers I've got (a Jensen Neo12-100 and an Eminence Tonkerlite).

With 6L6's its got a big clean bottom end. With EL34s a super smooth rock and roll midrange, but my favorite is still with the 6V6.

JohnnyCrash · June 10th, 2007, 01:31 PM

Oh, forgot to post pics :)

This pic is old, I have since added a SF Champ style slider switch for Power and the Volume On/Off switch is there as a Standby:

Here's one of the open back. It had a JJ/Tesla 6L6 in it when I took the photo:

soma5 · June 10th, 2007, 01:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Taildragger

'59 5F1 here. Run it through a Weber 12A125-O in a 5E3-sized cab. Sounds MUCH better than the 8" Oxford or a Weber Alnico Sig8 through the original cab. But my Clark Beaufort Special (5E3 clone / Weber 12A125-A) leaves it in the dust: it does everything the Champ does (OK, maybe not growl at as low a volume) and much more. A 5F1 is a great little amp...a 5E3 is even better, IMHO.

I don't doubt that the 5E3 is a more versatile amp. In fact, I still want one and as I noted before, it was the original object of my amp lust. But the 5F1 does that (relatively) low volume crunch that sounds so good and records so well. I have a 1x15 open-back pine cab coming and I plan to run my 5112 through it and see whether that combination is giggable.

-soma5

petebradt · June 10th, 2007, 02:24 PM

I put a 10" Fender Blue ALnico in mine. The eight-inch Jensen RI just wasn't doing it. The Fender speaker made all the difference. Had to have Mojo make me a new baffle board but it was worth it.

June 9th, 2007, 01:13 AM	#1 (permalink)
soma5 Tele-Meister Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Austin, Texas Posts: 118	5F1 (tweed Champ) love I have been jonesing for a 5E3 for years. I'm a BF/SF kinda guy from 'way back, but I've always been intrigued by the 5E3 clones. I just had an opportunity to buy a Victoria 5112 (5F1 in a tweed Deluxe cab with a 12" speaker and an 8 ohm output transformer) at an attractive price and it seriously floats my boat. I've put some great old stock tubes in it and I can't tell you how great it sounds. I bought it for recording because I do a fair amount of session work but I might gig with it tomorrow (yeah, I'll mic it). I can't imagine that I'll have any more fun with a 5E3 than I'm having right now! OK, I'm still interested in a 5E3 but the 5112 is really getting me going. What a great amp! Who else's got a 5F1 they can't stop playing?

June 9th, 2007, 10:08 AM	#2 (permalink)
Jammin'John Tele-Meister Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Tug Hill Plateau Posts: 312	5f1 I have a Mojo 5F1 and I like it. I don't like it better than my 5E3 though. It never gets the sweet CLEAN sounds that the deluxe gets and I gig with the deluxe a lot ! I got mine 'cause it fits on the passenger seat of my motorcycle and I take it to blues jams,get it WAY up in the air,and mike it too. I like the lead tones but there is not enough MEAT there for nice chimey rythm tones. JJ __________________ Tele's and tubes....an accident?......I don't think so... http://www.tughillregion.com/

June 10th, 2007, 12:53 PM	#5 (permalink)
stantheman Friend of Leo's Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: White Mountains Posts: 4,555	I've got a '56 and when I bought it back in '86 I was allowed to play through 24 of them (all Tweed Champs) and the one that we just went "yeah" was Number 14. Cosmetically it's no great shakes. Tonally with a Strat it's amazing. This - The Champ and an MIM Classic 50's is what I use every Sunday Morning. It can't be beat imo. That Champ that Soma5 saw - I think I saw it too - The Vicky that was on ebay for like $800...nobody bought it. Y'know that actually is a pretty good deal when You consider what it'd run to put everything together Yourself. I'd do it if I wasn't in such "deep doodoo" already with Mrs. stantheman. __________________ Somebody Loan Me A Dime

June 10th, 2007, 01:29 PM	#6 (permalink)
JohnnyCrash Poster Extraordinaire Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Lost Angeles and Orange County Posts: 6,925 39 Photos	I built a modified version that can use a 6V6, 6L6, or an EL34 power tube (with a cathode bias switch on the back). Solid state rectifier, multiple impedance taps, and a Standby switch (since I have no 5Y3 rectifier). Its an amp head and I generally run it into a Jensen P15N 1x15" open backed pine cab... other times through a 2x12" Celestion Vintage 30 closed back baltic birch ply cab... I will have more options soon - I'm building two 1x12" cabs today for a few neodymium magnet'ed speakers I've got (a Jensen Neo12-100 and an Eminence Tonkerlite). With 6L6's its got a big clean bottom end. With EL34s a super smooth rock and roll midrange, but my favorite is still with the 6V6. __________________ . Learn about safety before building/repairing/modding an amp. When in doubt, take it to a shop. Never drink yellow snow. Have fun.

June 10th, 2007, 01:31 PM	#7 (permalink)
JohnnyCrash Poster Extraordinaire Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Lost Angeles and Orange County Posts: 6,925 39 Photos	Oh, forgot to post pics :) This pic is old, I have since added a SF Champ style slider switch for Power and the Volume On/Off switch is there as a Standby: Here's one of the open back. It had a JJ/Tesla 6L6 in it when I took the photo: __________________ . Learn about safety before building/repairing/modding an amp. When in doubt, take it to a shop. Never drink yellow snow. Have fun.

June 10th, 2007, 07:59 AM	#3 (permalink)
austintele Tele-Afflicted Join Date: May 2004 Location: austin, texas Posts: 1,501	I have dec 58 champ 5F1 that i love to play. Sound pretty lifeless and muddy 1-9 but 9 to 12 it's absolutely awesome. Turn it up to 12 and it super compression. A great amp. Plus, it's beautiful. I have a clark 5E3 clone as well and it's also great; very loud and flexible.

June 10th, 2007, 12:53 PM	#4 (permalink)
Taildragger TDPRI Member Join Date: Sep 2003 Posts: 51	'59 5F1 here. Run it through a Weber 12A125-O in a 5E3-sized cab. Sounds MUCH better than the 8" Oxford or a Weber Alnico Sig8 through the original cab. But my Clark Beaufort Special (5E3 clone / Weber 12A125-A) leaves it in the dust: it does everything the Champ does (OK, maybe not growl at as low a volume) and much more. A 5F1 is a great little amp...a 5E3 is even better, IMHO.

June 10th, 2007, 02:24 PM	#9 (permalink)
petebradt Friend of Leo's Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: Niner Country Posts: 3,218 12 Photos	I put a 10" Fender Blue ALnico in mine. The eight-inch Jensen RI just wasn't doing it. The Fender speaker made all the difference. Had to have Mojo make me a new baffle board but it was worth it.