Is this the right choice ?

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Hebaton
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Is this the right choice ?

Post by Hebaton »

Hello everyone. I am new here and only this week started wondering about the Marsahll 18 watt...and I am 63! Go figure. SO, I recently got a 5E3 clone and fell completely in love with the touch sensitivity it offers when dialed in the sweet spot. I wondered around the net looking for another amp that would offer that sort of controll from pick attack dynamics and the 18 watt keeps coming up.
Is this corect ? am-I looking in the right place ? at the reight amp ?

Thanks for any coment or suggestions.
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JMPGuitars
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Re: Is this the right choice ?

Post by JMPGuitars »

Hebaton wrote:
Sat 07/10/21 9:17 am
Hello everyone. I am new here and only this week started wondering about the Marsahll 18 watt...and I am 63! Go figure. SO, I recently got a 5E3 clone and fell completely in love with the touch sensitivity it offers when dialed in the sweet spot. I wondered around the net looking for another amp that would offer that sort of controll from pick attack dynamics and the 18 watt keeps coming up.
Is this corect ? am-I looking in the right place ? at the reight amp ?

Thanks for any coment or suggestions.
Hi, welcome to the site!

You're definitely in the right place. The 5E3 is sterile by comparison in my wicked humble opinion. The touch-sensitivity of the 18 watters is awesome. Take a look in our downloads section on the left menu, and get an idea of the different choices you have for build options.

Thanks,
Josh
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Hebaton
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Re: Is this the right choice ?

Post by Hebaton »

Wow, I just took a quick look and there is so much info here I am aleady lost. This will be my first build.
ALl I have done is a few simple mods to a Traynor YBA-1 and the 3 position NFB switch on my 5E3 ( Rob Robinettte.)

I was planing on getting the Valvestorm kit TMB version.
good choice ?
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Re: Is this the right choice ?

Post by JMPGuitars »

Hebaton wrote:
Sat 07/10/21 12:45 pm
Wow, I just took a quick look and there is so much info here I am aleady lost. This will be my first build.
ALl I have done is a few simple mods to a Traynor YBA-1 and the 3 position NFB switch on my 5E3 ( Rob Robinettte.)

I was planing on getting the Valvestorm kit TMB version.
good choice ?
Valvestorm isn't a bad choice, though you need to be careful regarding their documentation. I have had communication issues with him (I haven't heard back from him since November of last year), but YMMV. Read the threads in my signature before you buy anything. Skills matter more than kits. ;)

If you want a simpler project, look at the Lite 2b(ish) or the Superlite TMB in the downloads section. Both of those are excellent amps, and less involved than the 2 channel stuff.

Thanks,
Josh
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Re: Is this the right choice ?

Post by Hebaton »

Valvestorm isn't a bad choice, though you need to be careful regarding their documentation. I have had communication issues with him (I haven't heard back from him since November of last year), but YMMV. Read the threads in my signature before you buy anything. Skills matter more than kits. ;)

If you want a simpler project, look at the Lite 2b(ish) or the Superlite TMB in the downloads section. Both of those are excellent amps, and less involved than the 2 channel stuff.

Thanks,
Josh
I started looking at the info on those links ( in your signature.) Basics I am glad to finally get clear explanatons/demonstrations for ! Thanks for that. The Valvestorm KIT has no "instructions" per say. But I assume instructions on the JT45 or 50 watt build from Metropoulos could serve as a road map.
Unless you can point me to something ? Or a kit using better parts in your vue ?
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Re: Is this the right choice ?

Post by JMPGuitars »

Hebaton wrote:
Sat 07/10/21 2:39 pm
I started looking at the info on those links ( in your signature.) Basics I am glad to finally get clear explanatons/demonstrations for ! Thanks for that. The Valvestorm KIT has no "instructions" per say. But I assume instructions on the JT45 or 50 watt build from Metropoulos could serve as a road map.
Unless you can point me to something ? Or a kit using better parts in your vue ?
I like the kits from GDSamps.com, the owner there was one of the founder's of this site. He also has my favorite version of the Heyboer transformers. His single-channel kit is essentially the Lite 2.

I will eventually be selling some kits too, but not yet. I have PCBs I made for a slightly more complicated build, the Tremolo TMB Reverb...but it being laid out on a nice PCB simplifies things nicely. If you like TMB + Tremolo + Reverb, it's awesome. If you don't like Tremolo, don't bother with it. ;)

I would also suggest that you consider not using a kit. You can buy the transformers and chassis from wherever you like (for example, GDS Heyboer transformers, Mojotone chassis and cabinet - do NOT buy mojotone amp kits, they're terrible, but good parts otherwise), and source the rest of the parts yourself if you're feeling ambitious. If you go this way, I highly recommend 1W CMF resistors for all your lower watt resistors in the amp. Those work out great.

Thanks,
Josh
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Re: Is this the right choice ?

Post by Hebaton »

Thank you again, I will look up the GDS site.
ON another issue...any clue why a 5E3 would have virtually zero clean headroom with Humbuckers ?
... and not seem to be as loud as what most seem to refer to. ?

TO me it looks legit and well done but...
Here is a pic.
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Re: Is this the right choice ?

Post by JMPGuitars »

Hebaton wrote:
Sat 07/10/21 4:19 pm
Thank you again, I will look up the GDS site.
ON another issue...any clue why a 5E3 would have virtually zero clean headroom with Humbuckers ?
... and not seem to be as loud as what most seem to refer to. ?

TO me it looks legit and well done but...
Here is a pic.
Looks can be deceiving. The first thing I would check is the voltages, and the tubes. But if you want help with that amp, you should start a new thread in the "That's Not 18 Watts" section.

Thanks,
Josh
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Re: Is this the right choice ?

Post by Doxie man »

JMPGuitars wrote:
Sat 07/10/21 10:14 am
Hebaton wrote:
Sat 07/10/21 9:17 am
Hello everyone. I am new here and only this week started wondering about the Marsahll 18 watt...and I am 63! Go figure. SO, I recently got a 5E3 clone and fell completely in love with the touch sensitivity it offers when dialed in the sweet spot. I wondered around the net looking for another amp that would offer that sort of controll from pick attack dynamics and the 18 watt keeps coming up.
Is this corect ? am-I looking in the right place ? at the reight amp ?

Thanks for any coment or suggestions.
Hi, welcome to the site!

You're definitely in the right place. The 5E3 is sterile by comparison in my wicked humble opinion. The touch-sensitivity of the 18 watters is awesome. Take a look in our downloads section on the left menu, and get an idea of the different choices you have for build options.

Thanks,
Josh
You obviously have not built and or played a proper 5E3 😂 a properly built 5E3 is about as far from sterile as it gets. If your ever in the mood to build something really cool…..build a 5E3 with a Vibrolux speced PT with a Bandmaster OT. Use a set of Tung Sol 5881 in the power section. add a grid stopper into the PI and reduce all coupling caps to .022uf and adjust your power rail to taste. Build it into a larger 1x12 combo pine cab with a Scumback “Scumnico”……it’ll be like a religious experience with an ES335 👌. I love the 5E3 circuit personally in stock form and in modified form but I do understand it ain’t for everybody. The large tweed cab behind the chocolate combo shown was a big 30W 5E3 I built some years ago…..it’s blues player’s wet dream 👍
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Re: Is this the right choice ?

Post by JMPGuitars »

Doxie man wrote:
Sat 08/28/21 3:07 am
You obviously have not built and or played a proper 5E3 😂 a properly built 5E3 is about as far from sterile as it gets. If your ever in the mood to build something really cool…..build a 5E3 with a Vibrolux speced PT with a Bandmaster OT. Use a set of Tung Sol 5881 in the power section. add a grid stopper into the PI and reduce all coupling caps to .022uf and adjust your power rail to taste. Build it into a larger 1x12 combo pine cab with a Scumback “Scumnico”……it’ll be like a religious experience with an ES335 👌. I love the 5E3 circuit personally in stock form and in modified form but I do understand it ain’t for everybody. The large tweed cab behind the chocolate combo shown was a big 30W 5E3 I built some years ago…..it’s blues player’s wet dream 👍
Never built one, definitely wasted time playing some. ;) Not a fan! I also hate Scumback, but more because of the scumbag that owns the company than the speakers themselves.

To each their own!

Thanks,
Josh
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Re: Is this the right choice ?

Post by Bieworm »

Nah.. to each his own. But I can understand why the 5E3 is loved by many. It's a very lovable amp. It's got that rancid ballsy overdrive. I like that..
But you're right about the sensitivity of an 18W.. that's hard to beat! When I play my Tremolo TMB Reverb on volume half way, and try to play as quiet as possible... now THAT is bloomy and bold!!!! Hard to beat IMHO! There is no fender on earth that does THAT thing the way the 18W can.
That said... I must confess I do have a severe itch to build a 6G3 with reverb... brown combo and all. But that itch sits between a JTM 45 build, a 3W tremolo tmb, a micro bassman,... so there's future work to be done which is good!
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