OK, In Your Opinion What Is The Best Sounding 5E3 You've Heard?

[jumpnblues]

Are any of them in kit form? How about Mission?

Tom

[Taildragger]

I have a Clark Beaufort Special with a Weber 12A125-A speaker and couldn't be happier. Looks as good as it sounds: absolutely flawless workmanship.

http://www.clarkamplification.com/pr...edreplicas.htm

[Ricky D.]

I have a Mission 5E3 that I assembled last fall. Mojo cabinet and Weber Sig 12 speaker. Sounds fabulous. Bruce and Randy at Mission know their stuff, I would be glad to deal with them again. Good component quality.

[maestrovert]

my "5E3 Deluxe" circuit head from www.stf-electronics.com is great sounding, but i have no personal experience with any other company's 5E3 kit offerings....
However, unless an individual amp has issues, i really can't imagine any 5E3 sounding bad !

[stantheman]

As long as I'm not the builder I'll be very happy with a stock Weber Kit.
When they're done by someone who knows what they're doing they're fine Amplifiers that'll hold up for decades.
In fact - I'd prefer The Weber.

[DavidP]

Mine is the stock build with Stokes mod and a Weber 30W P12Q (or whatever they are now called). This had been a/b'd against a vintage 5E3 and this one is quieter and sounds better (IMHO, and that of a local tech as well). This was my first home build--Bruce was supportive throughout the build, suffering through some really stupid newbie questions.

[G-P]

There are so many variables that define any amps tone that I think it is difficult at best to pit one kit against another, in terms of tonal quality.

Even a single kit supplier is bound to provide kits that sound different from one another. Component tolerances and assembly play the biggest role in the tone of an amp.

Remember that a components tolerance is rated to be within a percentage, not an absolute. So while you may have several resistors with the same value and tolerance, each resistor will have a slightly different value.

Luck of the draw.

[11 Gauge]

The best one I've ever heard was Sonny Landreth's.

Unfortunately, it's not a kit - it's the real deal.

[xStonr]

I've read a lot of good things about the Ceriatone kits that are available and for not much dinero.

http://www.ceriatone.com/index.htm

[Joe K]

Man, I sure hope it's going to be the new Clark Beaufort with Celestion Alnico Blue that the Fed Ex man is supposed to bring tomorrow!

Wonder how long I'll need for the speaker to break in...

[shakedancer]

Curious JOE, how's that Beaufort working out for you? Pro's and Con's ( if any).

[petebradt]

Clay Hullett - without a doubt.

[charlie chitlin]

Mine...
It's got that tone that's a little fuzzy around the edges...

[JTM45blues]

Well, Tom, good too see you coming over to the "fuzzy" side...

I love my 5E3 kit, that was built by someone on the net from a Mojo kit. I bought it used and had the great, Jeff Olinger go through it. Now its solid as a steel tanker. Its a totally stock circuit with a Jensen reissue P12Q in it, which cuts a bit better through a mix than a Weber P12Q, IMHO. The Jensen reissue is harsh at first, but after a lot of playing it does smooth out, but still cuts nicer than the Weber. I love Webers, but the P12Q of his is just not great for live work IMHO. Great for studio, or quiet gigs.

The best 5E3 that I ever played though was a 1959 Deluxe, and it was one of the most magical sounds I've ever heard. Victoria's example is also very good, but really not that much different from the 100's of kits that I've heard. However, resale is better on a used Vicky, or a Clark than a kit amp.

Honestly, I don't know if you'd dig the 5E3 tone, perhaps we should get together and you can try out mine? The Double Deluxe, I think may suit you better, because it has a little more clean. The stock 5E3 circuit gets pretty dirty at about 3 on the volume, and has many, many shades of beautiful gorgeous old school blues dirt. Think Hubert Sumlin, Freddy King, Jimmy Rogers, Eddie Taylor and ESPECIALLY Willie Johnson!!! Put a reverb tank in front, with a hollow or semi-hollow and you've got some seriously good West coast tone.

[Joe K]

Originally Posted by shakedancer

Curious JOE, how's that Beaufort working out for you? Pro's and Con's ( if any).

I like it and really am still figuring out the best ways to use it; I am so used to the blackface sound and am having a little trouble adjusting to this warmer amp. Sounds very nice on its own. Playing my (noiseless pickup) Strat though it, I was buried when playing in a band next to my someone using a Tele through a Blues Junior. Like I said, I need more time to really understand when and how to use it; I find that I play a little differently through a tweed. It's a real dream when I use my Tele!

The Tung Sols that it came with sounded good but became fizzy sounding quickly. Clark just sent another set to me that I have not installed yet. I have JJs in the amp now and think it will sound better with Tung Sols back in there. I will probably wind up trying other tubes as well. I think this amp is very sensitive to the tubes and components used. Clark's service and workmanship are first rate.

The amp is nice and quiet, a feature I like a lot when playing around the house. Also, in the band situation I mentioned, my amp was quiet while the Blues Junior was getting a lot of buzz from the room's lightning. Part of that though might have been the Tele that has hooked to the Junior.

[P-Zilla]

I think Fezz Parka's Weber Kit is the best sounding one I have EVER heard. And that was on a Youtube Video! So I bet his sounds even better face to face.

[Big Lug]

Originally Posted by charlie frey

Hey Charlie. It looks like you are going into a pedal (or two) that sit atop your amp (nice looking by the way). If I was to make a guess I'd say the pedal you are going into is a RGW Bad Bob booster. Am I right?

[rhinocaster]

I've heard so many "Bests" with 5E3s! I've honestly met very few I didn't like. My personal favorite is my Richter 5E3. For what I need, it gives up the goods in a way that's just perfect. Handbuilt, and only $825 brand new. Worth a look!

[Spidercaster]

Originally Posted by petebradt

Clay Hullett - without a doubt.

Mine will be arriving in a few weeks!

[charlie chitlin]

Originally Posted by Big Lug

Hey Charlie. It looks like you are going into a pedal (or two) that sit atop your amp (nice looking by the way). If I was to make a guess I'd say the pedal you are going into is a RGW Bad Bob booster. Am I right?

Holy Grail Reverb (almost always on), and Analogman Beano Boost (almost always on with P-90s and lipsticks). It just occurred to me that I no longer own a humbucker.
I've got 2 guitars with one mid-mounted pickup and the Beano really wakes 'em up.
Those are the only 2 pedals I ever use and I like having them right up where I can diddle 'em.

[old_picker]

jim nickelson at lil dawg amps built mine
very rich tone
excellent workmanship
jim is a great guy to work with

[bluende]

Another vote for the Clark Beaufort Special!

I've got a somewhat unconventional speaker in it right now, one of those WarehouseGuitar Celestion V30 clones, that actually sounds great. Also running all NOS RCA blackplates which are fab, too!

[moparmutt]

I have a Beaufort special and it has been great.
I don't have another 5e3 to compare it to but I've been happy with it

[petebradt]

Originally Posted by Spidercaster

Mine will be arriving in a few weeks!

WAY COOL! Clay is the MAN!

[Paul in Colorado]

Neil Young's and Don Felder's.

While I've heard some I liked better then others, I've yet to hear a Tweed Deluxe that was a dog. It's not that complex circuit-wise so as long as you get close it'll sound decent. The magic's in the last 5% of tweeking components, tubes and speakers.

[4 Strings]

Originally Posted by Paul in Colorado

The magic's in the last 5% of tweeking components, tubes and speakers.

And in the 0,1 % that the player puts in to it...

I agree with you Paul, since the 5E3 is such a basic design, as long as you use good quality components, tubes and speakers any 5E3 should sound good. Just don't forget that 5,1 % thing...

That's a beautiful amp, Charlie Fey! If it sounds only half as good as it looks, then I can understand if you like it.

[Rob DiStefano]

Li'l Dawg 25w 5E3 D-Lux. The best I've ever heard or played.

[shakedancer]

Rob, what was the speaker setup of the one you own or played? What tube did you have in V1?

[Rob DiStefano]

Originally Posted by shakedancer

Rob, what was the speaker setup of the one you own or played? What tube did you have in V1?

Weber 15F150 in my own cab, V1 was a JJ ECC83S/12AX7. The 25w D-Lux could run with 6V6 or 6L6 valves, I used 6V6.

[shakedancer]

Sweet!!!!!