Showing posts with label Low Power Tweed Twin. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Low Power Tweed Twin. Show all posts

Friday, April 6, 2012

'57 Tweed Twin Amplifier Project

So I finally built an amplifier. It's based on the Weber DIY kit for a '57 Fender Low Powered Tweed Twin (5E8A circuit). The "low power" part of it is a relative description. It is loud as hell. It also sounds unbelievable. I started building it mid-November of last year and finally had it up and running (unfinished cosmetically) on March 20, 2012. I also put together a cabinet for it and that will be finished off with a black tolex wrap and silver Fender style grill cloth so it matches the speaker cabinet I am refinishing as well.

I have never built an amp before, so this seemed to be a daunting task to say the least. Luckily, Eric at Eric's Audio Repair was more than helpful in the completion of the project. Matter of fact, I probably couldn't have done it without his help and knowledge. His link is to the right.

A few things changed from the original specs. There were higher voltages required on some caps on the circuit board and a bias adjustment pot was installed as well for the KT66 power tubes I used instead of the 6L6s. The rectifiers are Weber Copper Caps as opposed to tube. I have some pictures of the process below to show some of what goes into one of these things. It was a lot of work and I had to do it in stages when I had spare time, but the result is a quality hand wired tube amp at a pretty reasonable price. I kid you not, I could not be happier with the sound coming out of my 4x12 cab and it is the best sounding amplifier I have ever owned.

Here is a sound clip I recorded using a Tascam DR08 stereo recorder about 10 feet in front of the amp when powering it up to play for the first time. First clip is with a Deluxe Nashville Telecaster and after the awesome computer voice is an Epiphone Les Paul 7 String with a General Guitar Gadgets BSIAB II distortion pedal I built. Pardon some of the sloppy playing. I wasn't concerned at the time: