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joepampel

5E3 Build

Updated: Feb 7, 2023

Assembly hints here for the DIY crowd.


The narrow panel Fender Deluxe Amp (circa 1957-59) is one of the all time greats. Used by too many guitarists on too many tracks to list, but you can start with the Neil Young catalog.


Thanks to its cathode biased output stage and relatively simple circuit, it's a mid-level complexity project that a reasonably technical individual with good soldering skills can successfully complete with good results. It is also much more affordable to DIY these amps as originals can go for several thousand dollars (I've seen them as high as $8500!!), and a good kit is under $1k. Available parts are quite good. Expect around 8 hours to get it all together, depending on experience level, etc.


TL;DR - the high level rundown

  1. Stuff the board and add all wiring to the board as flying leads

  2. Mount all hardware (transformers, sockets, power cord, etc)

  3. Mount the board in the chassis

  4. Wire it up, trimming all leads.

  5. Solder grounds to chassis

  6. Test it

  7. Play it.

That is a very basic order, and it leaves out lots of little steps. I am not including some things because I do not want anyone thinking this is a detailed guide. It is no substitute for knowledge, experience and common sense. It is just how I do some of the things so you can evaluate if they make sense etc.

Here are some pics from a build I did for myself. It is mildly tweaked. All of the coupling caps are .02 630V, and it has a switchable first stage cathode bypass that goes from .68uF (bright) to adding in a 25uF for more low end. This helps keep it focused for recording. I am also a fan of swapping out the first stage 12AY7 with a 5751 for a touch more gain without losing the dynamics.

You can hear this amp (with just a Les Paul and a cable) here playing lead: https://thejohnsallyride.bandcamp.com/track/is-it-over-already

Also here is the same Les Paul and the 5E3 again, on the "Just A Fan" Wilco tribute album:

This is also the same amp, but driven with a Gretsch 6120 for a more aggressive sound:


These things have a very wide range. From midnight blue jazz tones to rust never sleeps.


Step 1 - make sure you have the original factory layout diagram & schematic. They are available online, and you can also purchase entire collections of them from various vendors.

Layout matters a lot. Do what they did.

I like to stuff the board and tack things in place with a little solder

As I move along and complete something, I'll add the wire and finish soldering it.

Adding the leads here

And the underside wiring

I mount all the hardware before putting anything else in, so it is easy to access the screws and nuts

I use bolts, lock washers and nuts to attach my hardware. This chassis also had some built in threaded connectors that were pretty handy.

I usually wire up the power transformer and then give it a basic test before anything is connected to it. I was trying out a bolt for a ground here, rather than soldering. Experimenting.

Once your hardware is in, mount the board with the flying leads, and then start to run the leads, The great thing about pushback braid wire is you can cut it to length and not have to strip it. It also stays where you put it.

Run the leads, and pay attention to the layout diagram. If you must cross signals, do it at 90 degrees or close to it.

Testing the amp chassis before mounting it in the cabinet. Once you know it's safe, the best test instrument is a guitar

Here it is in the cabinet, ready to make some noise. There is a separate page about shellacing the tweed.


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