Fractal Audio AMP models: Deluxe Tweed (Fender Deluxe, 5E3)

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* EDIT: Up-to-date information is available in Yek's Guide to the Fractal Audio Amplifier Models *

Deluxe.jpg


Deluxe Tweed: based on Fender Tweed Deluxe

This guitar amplifier was produced by Fender from early 1948 to 1966. Not to be confused with the Deluxe Reverb, the difference is more than reverb.

The modeled amp is a "narrow panel" Tweed (the Standard/Ultra model was matched to a Victoria "clone"). This refers to the panels around the speaker grill which are narrower than earlier "wide panel" models such as the Fender Tweed Champ, which looked like old televisions. The Deluxe was the most popular of all Tweed amps at the time.

The Tweed era is the earliest period of Fender amplification (late '40s - early '60s), before the Blonde, Brownface, Blackface and Silverface models. Very collectible amplifiers. "Tweed" is based on the cloth covering used at that time, as seen in the picture above. Tweed amplifiers typically break up earlier than later "cleaner" models and are known for their warm-sounding overdrive. More information.​

The modeled amp has the famous “5E3” circuit. While it’s a sought-after amp, it’s also relatively easy to copy, err, reproduce. There are lots of clones and DIY kits on the market. Fender's The Edge Deluxe amp is a Deluxe re-issue.

About the circuit numbers: in general the first number indicates the decennium (5 is ‘50s). The letter indicates the circuit revision, and the last number indicates the amp model (3 = Deluxe).​

Guitar Player:
“Plenty. Rich and sweet clean tones at low volume, toothsome overdrive at decibels that won’t make the soundman apoplectic, and compact dimensions that’ll let it ride in the front seat of your Fiat 500. In short, the tweed Deluxe is the original “ideal studio and club amp”.”​

Fenderguru:
“The 5e3 Deluxe is desirable among players within all kinds of music styles. The tone of the 5e3 Deluxe is fat and rich with strong mids and a decent bass response given the relatively small cabinet size, approximately the same size as the Princeton Reverb. The construction of the pine baffle and cabinet sounds to us tighter and more closed than the blackface open cabinets, with the possibility of more low end response given the right speaker. A 12″ speaker contributes to a full and warm tone and the pure and simple tone stack of the 5e3 Circuit delivers a natural and uncolored tone of your guitar.

The 5e3 Tweed Deluxe is known for its distorted and cranked tones which comes easily when setting the volume and tone above 12 o’clock. The early distortion is partly explained by the lack of a negative feedback loop and the 6V6 cathode bias design which offers more sag and compression and less clean headroom than fixed bias (typically the ab763 blackface amps and a few tweed amps). Besides the fact that the 5e3 Deluxe distorts easily, what fascinates us the most are the golden tone secrets that exist within this amp. If you experiment with the tone knob and the other channel’s volume knob (the channel you’re not plugged into), you’ll find one of the most beautiful clean tones of all times that once and for all confirms that Leo is a God of tone and that he loves us all. The clean sound is not as loud, cold and terrifying as of the silverface or blackface era amps. They will require much more experience and effort to dial in sweet tones, but once you know how you’ll be rewarded greatly. With the 5e3 Deluxe it is easier to quickly dial in a nice clean tone, especially at practice volume levels. Given the early distortion and mellow clean sound we find the 5e3 Deluxe great for single coil guitars, especially the bright bridge pickup of the Strat and, of course, the Tele. It is just fabulous for a Telecaster on bridge pickup.

By looking at the control panel the 5e3 Deluxe appears to be very simple. The few controls provide a quick and small selection of tones. It is practically impossible to not find a good tone with this amp. All you need to do is turn up the volume and set the tone. We believe the world would be a better place if the 5e3 Deluxe was the only amp around. All guitar players deserve to play this amp and learn how to create music with a natural and transparent guitar tone. But the amp is really not as simple as one might think… The two interactive volume channels and the mysterious, non-linear tone control provides a big spectrum of tones, everything from Fender clean to Marshall grit. Many players find the two volume controls confusing. We at fenderguru.com agree. What the heck was Leo and his engineers really thinking when they designed the two volume controls? When you plug into the normal channel any normal person, even a drummer :), would expect that the other channel’s setting is not affecting the tone. But no. As you gradually turn the other volume knob, both tone and volume changes, also drastically at the very end between 10 and 12 where you’d expect nuthin more to come. It works likewise the other way around if you play the bright channel. Even more confusing is the tone control. You’d might expect a treble or mid control. Nope, the tone control affects volume, gain, EQ/tone, everything! And worst of all, it does not behave consequently at different volume levels of the two channels. In total you have 4 inputs to choose from, two volume knobs and a tone knob that you can spend years trying to figure out.”​

Each of the two channels (Normal and Bright) has two inputs. The model is based on the Bright channel.

Fractal Audio models of Fender amps are always based on the input with the highest input level. To get the equivalent of using the lower input, set Input Trim to 0.500.​

The amp only has a Volume control for each channel and a shared Tone control. In the model the Tone control is mapped to Treble. Usually you will want to turn up Treble a lot (8 or higher). No Bright switch.

Firmware release notes:
"Note that this amp only has a single tone control. This is modeled by the Treble control in the Axe-Fx II. The Bass and Mid controls are functional and recreate the amp when set to noon.”​

Cliff:
“Yup, that's the key. Crank the treble almost all the way up."
It’s a low output amp. Its 6V6 tubes generate 12 to 15 watts. Tis means that it starts to distort early. This attributed to its popularity, and is why players such as Neil Young and Billy Gibbons use it. When you really crank the volume, the distortion gets crazy and uncontrollable, and sounds like a fuzz.

Firmware release notes:
"Also note that this amp suffers from extreme blocking distortion at or near maximum gain. This is common in very old designs. As it is virtually unplayable like this, the model uses a somewhat reduced level of grid conduction to lower the amount of blocking distortion and make the amp more playable at high Drive settings."​

More background information on the Fender Deluxe.

The Deluxe came with a single Jensen P12 AlNiCo speaker. Stock cabs #13, #14 and #81 are authentic IRs to use with this amp model. Or try an alternative stock AlNiCo cab, such as #11.

OwnHammer and Fractal Audio have IR libraries featuring the Deluxe amp.​









 
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If there was ever an amp perfectly suited to the telecaster, this would be it. Any ideas how to tweak this to match the edge's siggy amp? I know there was a request for it in the wish section and the video says it's just a tweaked 5e3
 
I almost posted some Neil Young tone clips and then I remembered...I don' use the Tweed Deluxe for that patch. :fearscream:

I should revisit things with Quantum and see what's changed.
 
Love, love, love the Tweed Deluxe - real amp and Axe version.

There is a reason that many boutique builders offer this great design - simple design, simple to build, simple to operate, but so full of character, great sounding and oh so versatile.

My favorite Tweed in the Axe is the Urban Tweed Twin, but the Tweed Deluxe is very, very cool and great sounding too, and the Axe version is spot on to the real amp.

Tweed Deluxes sounds great form the get go on the volume dial and are easy to carry around and are IMO the perfect grab and go amp for blues and classic rock.
I have a Reinau Modern Tweed Deluxe that is absolutely fantastic.

The "Modern" means that one of the channels is all Tweed Deluxe, the other channel is supposedly "blackfaced".
The 2nd channel doesn't sound like a Fender BF IMO, it's much warmer sounding than a BF, but it has a lot more clean headroom compared to a standard Tweed Deluxe.
This means that the Reinau is a lot more versatile, I can choose my headroom by which channel I opt for, have 2 separate channels via an A/B switch or I - as I do a lot of the time - I can blend the two channels.
So I can get the Reinau to sound just like a stock Tweed Deluxe or close to the Tweed Twin in a easy to carry, grab and go sized low powered amp - great for jams, smaller clubs, studio work or going to a cabin in the woods.

And like @electronpirate mentioned above - a good tele and a Tweed Deluxe is a match made in heaven
 
Love, love, love the Tweed Deluxe - real amp and Axe version.

There is a reason that many boutique builders offer this great design - simple design, simple to build, simple to operate, but so full of character, great sounding and oh so versatile.

My favorite Tweed in the Axe is the Urban Tweed Twin, but the Tweed Deluxe is very, very cool and great sounding too, and the Axe version is spot on to the real amp.

Tweed Deluxes sounds great form the get go on the volume dial and are easy to carry around and are IMO the perfect grab and go amp for blues and classic rock.
I have a Reinau Modern Tweed Deluxe that is absolutely fantastic.

The "Modern" means that one of the channels is all Tweed Deluxe, the other channel is supposedly "blackfaced".
The 2nd channel doesn't sound like a Fender BF IMO, it's much warmer sounding than a BF, but it has a lot more clean headroom compared to a standard Tweed Deluxe.
This means that the Reinau is a lot more versatile, I can choose my headroom by which channel I opt for, have 2 separate channels via an A/B switch or I - as I do a lot of the time - I can blend the two channels.
So I can get the Reinau to sound just like a stock Tweed Deluxe or close to the Tweed Twin in a easy to carry, grab and go sized low powered amp - great for jams, smaller clubs, studio work or going to a cabin in the woods.

And like @electronpirate mentioned above - a good tele and a Tweed Deluxe is a match made in heaven

Where can I purchase a Reinau Tweed?
 
I almost posted some Neil Young tone clips and then I remembered...I don' use the Tweed Deluxe for that patch. :fearscream:

I should revisit things with Quantum and see what's changed.

The Fractal 5E3 is a different beast than Neil's amp or a Tungsten 5E3 clone. I can't get Neil's particular brand of distortion from the Fractal model either.

But, the Fractal 5E3 has a tremendous amount of mojo and vibe. It is a joy to play.
 
The Fractal 5E3 is a different beast than Neil's amp or a Tungsten 5E3 clone. I can't get Neil's particular brand of distortion from the
Fractal model either.

But, the Fractal 5E3 has a tremendous amount of mojo and vibe. It is a joy to play.

You have to put is at melt down position and hit it with a P90 equipped LP - I have gotten quite convincing Neil tones from the Axe in the past when I had to do "Like a Hurricane" and "Keep on rocking in the free world"
 
One of my favorite amps, the Maven Peal, is based on a Tweed Deluxe. Love this amp!

Thanks once again, Yek.
 
You have to put is at melt down position and hit it with a P90 equipped LP - I have gotten quite convincing Neil tones from the Axe in the past when I had to do "Like a Hurricane" and "Keep on rocking in the free world"

I get in the ballpark but there is a "chirp", for lack of a better word, that I hear in Neil's recordings and from some other 5E3 clones that just isn't there by default in the Fractal.

I'm a huge Neil Young fan, BTW. I still go back and woodshed the solos from Powderfinger off of Live Rust. Heart Of Gold was the first song I learned to play on guitar.

And from reading about Neil's gear over the years, he searches out and can't find real Tweeds that have that same thing going on. That one amp has been documented a lot and is unique I think in it's tone.
 
One of my favorite amps, the Maven Peal, is based on a Tweed Deluxe. Love this amp!

Thanks once again, Yek.

Maven Peal - I used to have a Ganesha or was it a Tuskadaro ?? (50W Plexi derivative) from Maven Peal many years ago - great amp just very big. Never tried any of the smaller Maven Peals but have read good things about them.
 
I went through two Zeetas (a silver and then a gold). I had a Tusk, and then went to a Ganesha (one of the best amps ever). The Ganesha was so heavy. Great amps. I even had an RG88 for a while. All incredible.

Everything went once I finally settled on the Axe FX (and IT just keeps on getting better and better).

Maven Peal amps are among the ones I miss the most though.

Oddly enough, the two amps I miss the very most were modded from old PA systems (a Bogen J330 Bassman and a McGohan M204 JTM45/Plexi).
 
I get in the ballpark but there is a "chirp", for lack of a better word, that I hear in Neil's recordings and from some other 5E3 clones that just isn't there by default in the Fractal.

I'm a huge Neil Young fan, BTW. I still go back and woodshed the solos from Powderfinger off of Live Rust. Heart Of Gold was the first song I learned to play on guitar.

And from reading about Neil's gear over the years, he searches out and can't find real Tweeds that have that same thing going on. That one amp has been documented a lot and is unique I think in it's tone.

Yeah - Niel is a force of nature and one of the best songwriters ever.
I've been into him for the longest time but was utterly dumbstruck when I heard him live for the first time - about 6 or 7 years ago I think.
These elderly gentlemen and women came on stage, and it was like they opened up a portal to another dimension - they just channeled completely pure and raw rock and roll. One of the best concerts I've ever witnessed
 
Yeah - Niel is a force of nature and one of the best songwriters ever.
I've been into him for the longest time but was utterly dumbstruck when I heard him live for the first time - about 6 or 7 years ago I think.
These elderly gentlemen and women came on stage, and it was like they opened up a portal to another dimension - they just channeled completely pure and raw rock and roll. One of the best concerts I've ever witnessed

I think the first time I saw him live was 78'.

But I have seen many of his tours. He is not afraid to try new things like the vocoder period :)

I love the Les Paul -> Tweed stuff the best, but one of my favorites was the solo tour around the Harvest Moon time frame.

I saw that at the Grand Ole Opry, the new one, in Nashville. Just a great set of performances. He had an old Adler pump organ and did a spine tingling version of Like A Hurricane. Slowed down (even more lol). Wow.
 
The Fractal 5E3 is a different beast than Neil's amp or a Tungsten 5E3 clone. I can't get Neil's particular brand of distortion from the Fractal model either.

But, the Fractal 5E3 has a tremendous amount of mojo and vibe. It is a joy to play.
I get in the ballpark but there is a "chirp", for lack of a better word, that I hear in Neil's recordings and from some other 5E3 clones that just isn't there by default in the Fractal.

I'm a huge Neil Young fan, BTW. I still go back and woodshed the solos from Powderfinger off of Live Rust. Heart Of Gold was the first song I learned to play on guitar.

And from reading about Neil's gear over the years, he searches out and can't find real Tweeds that have that same thing going on. That one amp has been documented a lot and is unique I think in it's tone.
Yup. I find matching Neil's tone much easier with the 69 Bassman model in the Fractal. And, really, that's not surprising to me given the fact that Neil's "5e3" is heavily modified...that it sounds nothing like a stock 5e3 is expected.
 
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