Tweed Deluxe 5E3: kits vs clones

[OffYourFace]

I have a Celestion Blue in my ‘57, had a V30 before, but prefer the sound and volume with the Blue

It's been a long time since I sold the amp but I'm pretty sure I blew the Greenback I had in my 5E3 clone. I cranked it up all the time. I'd be nervous to do that with a Blue. Do you crank it up or just use pedals with it?

I might up the ante and if going with a stock 5E3 build and choosing ceramic, my pick would be the G12H30. I've ran that one before in tweed and blackface Deluxe's and it's a loud solid performer that can take a serious beating. That said and maybe better if you set it up for big bottles with say a multi-tap output transformer at 90W the Celestion Cream alnico. I have not had the pleasure but it's a serious contender for my next 5E3/5E5 build.

I'm def going to stick with 6V6s. I can't turn my Deluxe Reverb past 3 anywhere; home, stage, studio (if playing simultaneously with other musicians) so I'm really looking forward to this amp. I think i'll get it in 2 weeks.

I love the G12H30 but I vividly remember it had something in the top end and upper mids that I couldn't dial out with my old 5E3. That's why I went with the greenback. In fact, it was the only amp I ever truly liked with a 20-25w greenback. But I do have a G12H here to try.

here's what I have to try with the incoming new amp:

- Celestion G12H-30 (matchless version with dope removed)
- Celestion Gold (love it for cleans in my DR, makes all my dirt pedals sound fizzy but it's my only Alnico atm)
- Jupiter 12LC (50w ceramic, solid, more efficient Jensen C12N clone)
- Celestion Greenback 20w (heritage UK)
- Celestion G12H Creamback (in my Deluxe Reverb)
- MojoTone Anthem (included in the Mojo tweed cabinet I recently bought)
- vintage Jensen C12PS (in my Gibson Scout but I'm afraid I'll kill it in the 5E3 when cranked)

[redchapterjubilee]

I've done very little speaker rolling in my 5E3. It came to me with a Weber 12A125-O in it and I liked it. At that time I really only wanted to use it to record with. Several years later I wanted more headroom and volume and tried a Tone Tubby 40/40 and it was too dark. I emailed Weber and asked for a louder version of what I had and they recommended a 12A150 with a normal cone. Weber was right. What also helped me was that I had a mix of preamp tubes in it. 12AY and 12AX. So I now have both 12AY's in it and I've got just enough clean headroom to use it for band practice and small gigs.

[B.T.]

It's been a long time since I sold the amp but I'm pretty sure I blew the Greenback I had in my 5E3 clone. I cranked it up all the time. I'd be nervous to do that with a Blue. Do you crank it up or just use pedals with it?

I might up the ante and if going with a stock 5E3 build and choosing ceramic, my pick would be the G12H30. I've ran that one before in tweed and blackface Deluxe's and it's a loud solid performer that can take a serious beating. That said and maybe better if you set it up for big bottles with say a multi-tap output transformer at 90W the Celestion Cream alnico. I have not had the pleasure but it's a serious contender for my next 5E3/5E5 build.

I'm def going to stick with 6V6s. I can't turn my Deluxe Reverb past 3 anywhere; home, stage, studio (if playing simultaneously with other musicians) so I'm really looking forward to this amp. I think i'll get it in 2 weeks.

I love the G12H30 but I vividly remember it had something in the top end and upper mids that I couldn't dial out with my old 5E3. That's why I went with the greenback. In fact, it was the only amp I ever truly liked with a 20-25w greenback. But I do have a G12H here to try.

here's what I have to try with the incoming new amp:

- Celestion G12H-30 (matchless version with dope removed)
- Celestion Gold (love it for cleans in my DR, makes all my dirt pedals sound fizzy but it's my only Alnico atm)
- Jupiter 12LC (50w ceramic, solid, more efficient Jensen C12N clone)
- Celestion Greenback 20w (heritage UK)
- Celestion G12H Creamback (in my Deluxe Reverb)
- MojoTone Anthem (included in the Mojo tweed cabinet I recently bought)
- vintage Jensen C12PS (in my Gibson Scout but I'm afraid I'll kill it in the 5E3 when cranked)

Woah! That's-a-nice collection to be able to test with.

I think I might know what you were hearing with the G12H30. There is a mid bump for sure and I wouldn't say it's a bedroom banger speaker probably because of that. And... I hear you, with that single tweed tone control it's ear bleed or mud at home.

But... in a live band situation that pokes through the mix like a bull in a china shop. I was in a particularly loud project (that didn't need to be mind you LOL) where everyone shows up with 50W/100W amps and the bassist like 300W. Loud drummer... I bring the BF Deluxe loaded with the G12H30 and it cut through every performance like butter with a full bass response, not a small bullhorn tone. Like I had to turn it down some. I've seen guys take the stage with those same amps with the stock Jensen's and just get pitifully drowned out at the same volume levels.

Edit: That speaker needs a lot of break-in time to tame the ice pick. I did all the usual daily break-in stuff for a couple weeks, but I found that it really started to come into its own some months later after numerous weekly practices and gigs. To the point where I don't think I'd ever let it go because it's at a perfect place and wouldn't want to go through the hassle again. Probably why you shouldn't bother using it!

[hulakatt]

I have a Celestion Blue in my ‘57, had a V30 before, but prefer the sound and volume with the Blue

It's been a long time since I sold the amp but I'm pretty sure I blew the Greenback I had in my 5E3 clone. I cranked it up all the time. I'd be nervous to do that with a Blue. Do you crank it up or just use pedals with it?

This low key amazes me because Celestion kinda famously under rates their speakers so they don't have to deal with as many warranty claims or a reputation for blown speakers.

[OffYourFace]

This low key amazes me because Celestion kinda famously under rates their speakers so they don't have to deal with as many warranty claims or a reputation for blown speakers.

Yes this is mostly true but the under rating isn't as significant as one would expect or hope... it's like 10 watts max. So sometimes a greenback can handle 30-35w and a G12H-30 can handle 40w, etc. But their consistency of quality would be all over the place with different batches.

Ramble: When I was at Matchless in 2011-2014, we'd get a pallet of 60 speakers for each type, 60 Ms and 60 Hs. The greenbacks/G12Ms would all sound a bit different. The Hs were more consistent but kinda spiky sounding. The two would balance each other out (for those who don't know, matchless would mix these two types in their 2x12 ext cabs and 2x12 combos). These were the Chinese made Greenbacks and the 70th anniversay G12H30s. After break in they kinda sounded flat and tired to me but that's probably due to the 'dope removed by acetone' treatment. Then the company made the switch to the UK made Heritage series for about a year or two. Those were nice but too expensive to use after awhile. Then came the creambacks (which they still use). The H75s sound great but still need to break in to be their best. The M75s sound terrible to me right out of the box, at least with the Matchless ckts. They get a little better after break-in but I really don't like that one.

[OffYourFace]

Edit: That speaker needs a lot of break-in time to tame the ice pick. I did all the usual daily break-in stuff for a couple weeks, but I found that it really started to come into its own some months later after numerous weekly practices and gigs. To the point where I don't think I'd ever let it go because it's at a perfect place and wouldn't want to go through the hassle again. Probably why you shouldn't bother using it!

Yeah, I love a good G12H30 in british ckts... or I used to. My rehearsal room in 2010-2016 was lined with two modded late '70s Marshall half stacks with G12Hs and two early 70s twin reverbs with JBL K120s. It was pretty fucking dumb. Now all I want is small 22w and under 1x12 combos.

[hulakatt]

It's funny how tastes change and things go in waves like that! I've gone through big amps and small amps back to big amps and back to small amps and since realizing I just oscillate back and forth like that, I keep just a few of each rather than go whole hog either way. There's always more amps I want to try out there anyway.

[OffYourFace]

It's funny how tastes change and things go in waves like that! I've gone through big amps and small amps back to big amps and back to small amps and since realizing I just oscillate back and forth like that, I keep just a few of each rather than go whole hog either way. There's always more amps I want to try out there anyway.

Trust me, I'd prefer a time machine so I could go back to big amps but shit hurts too much now. I can't physical take the volume anymore.

But also, it's useless to have a big amp like a halfstack now. At least in LA. You can't play anywhere other than DIY art spaces with gear like that. Take a new band like Julie... I don't think I've seen them booked at any normal clubs here, just some art spaces or festivals. I could be wrong but they're probably too big for most clubs now anyway.

[hulakatt]

I don't have them for the level of the sound, I have them for the solid fundamental and the width of the sound. Also, the one I use the most is my jtm45 and it is not loud at all, it only puts out about 35 screaming watts or so through some reasonably inefficient Scumback m75's. All in all, quite a reasonable half stack.

[B.T.]

Edit: That speaker needs a lot of break-in time to tame the ice pick. I did all the usual daily break-in stuff for a couple weeks, but I found that it really started to come into its own some months later after numerous weekly practices and gigs. To the point where I don't think I'd ever let it go because it's at a perfect place and wouldn't want to go through the hassle again. Probably why you shouldn't bother using it!

Yeah, I love a good G12H30 in british ckts... or I used to. My rehearsal room in 2010-2016 was lined with two modded late '70s Marshall half stacks with G12Hs and two early 70s twin reverbs with JBL K120s. It was pretty fucking dumb. Now all I want is small 22w and under 1x12 combos.

I hear you. I have 3 or 4 big boy amps I need to unload. As you said nowhere to use them in LA, heavy, taking up room. I’m probably gonna keep the tweed Bassman though.

[marqueemoon]

I’ve swung back towards liking the big amp sound a little, but honestly it seems pointless in today’s venues.

If you can’t turn an amp up to where it’s happy why bother?

[Veitchy]

Double post.

[Veitchy]

I have a Celestion Blue in my ‘57, had a V30 before, but prefer the sound and volume with the Blue

It's been a long time since I sold the amp but I'm pretty sure I blew the Greenback I had in my 5E3 clone. I cranked it up all the time. I'd be nervous to do that with a Blue. Do you crank it up or just use pedals with it?

This low key amazes me because Celestion kinda famously under rates their speakers so they don't have to deal with as many warranty claims or a reputation for blown speakers.

A blue in a Deluxe is a reasonably established formula. GE Smith and The Edge spring to mind. Personal bias, but I often prefer Fenders thorough British speakers. Or maybe I've just never gotten along with Jensens...

[hulakatt]

Personal bias, but I often prefer Fenders thorough British speakers. Or maybe I've just never gotten along with Jensens...

I largely agree. Tweeds and Bassman of all stripes in particular. I haven't yet had a chance to mess about with any brown Fenders so I can't really comment but I've heard they sound fantastic with Golds and I can think of no reason why they shouldn't. I just don't have any experience. Yet.

With that said, I do like straight cone Webers and I really like the small Jupiter speakers I've used, very, very much. I cannot stress my love for the Jupiter 8sc enough.