AMP IDEA! Tweed Twin

[Quencho092]

Hello everyone!

I didn't rape the 63 bandmaster. It will be sitting around until I get a few of my last contracts' pay (I get paid a month after working by individual contracts, sucks right now but it's gonna be raining in a month) I'll be shipping it off to a pro as you guys recomended, and I will be enjoying it in mint condition hopefully soon.

In the meantime, I was thinking of building something like a Tweed Twin to couple with a 15'' weber california speaker I have layin around. Is there a way to build a tweed amp based around 4 6v6 power tubes? If so what circuit is ideal for this?

What type of amp would you guys want to play thru with a semi double fat strat like mine (ant mini neck/seth bridge) for something that gets a little more headroom than a Deluxe Reverb, but a mild smooth crunch? I was thinking something tweed and 40+ watts....chime in on a circuit!

What cab would you guys recommend? I'm thinking something very resonant and sweet sounding, different from the dead fibreboard stuff, with a natural finish no tolex.

 

[jeremy]

Re: AMP IDEA! Tweed Twin

finger jointed void free pine is my favorite for open backed cabs.

as far as circuit, there wasnt a four 6v6 tweed amp. people make double deluxes, a four 6v6 5e3 circuit but im not sure where to send ya for a schematic

 

[Gunny47]

Re: AMP IDEA! Tweed Twin

Might be hard to get a tweed-clone tone with a Weber California (especially if you have the aluminum cone). I find that speaker is too bright and clean to give up the tweed crunch. Some ceramics I dig in a tweed clone, but the california is probably the last one you want....

With that said however, the Tweed Pro is 28-35 watts with a 1x15. That's a pretty beefy sounding amp from what I've heard.

I like the double deluxe idea I got to play one at Rudy's Music a few years ago and I really liked it. It had the Jensen reissues. It was punchier than my Tweed lo-po twin to my ears. That with a 1x15 might be cool.

My Tweed Twin is pretty darn clean sounding too at 40 watts. The thing moves a ton of air I think it could blow the doors off of a Deluxe Reverb. Maybe the Pro might be more of what you are looking for in terms of headroom. However, my amp doesn't really crunch out like some other Tweeds do (I guess because of the dual rectifiers, 12AX7s and "modern" components) so maybe you want that too! (more mild crunch)

And you gotta go with pine cab with a nice lacquered tweed or it isn't worth doing IMHO.

Hope this helps

 

[Quencho092]

Re: AMP IDEA! Tweed Twin

how do you like your jazzamp by the way? I heard tons of good things about it!

I like a bright tone, does the power section of a tweed pro break up smooth enough to sound good with that weber california? I'm VERY used to playing solid state into 'sterile/clean' speakers and I find that I get great tones for what I want (textured clean jazz tones)

I'm not looking for THE tweed sound, just a nice, semi clean, giggable, very textured amp that gets that semi broken up tone without speaker distortion, this will be my #1 amp, and the acoustic 200H as my workhorse/beater amp.

I was thinking of doing it as head/cab, for the cab something like a lacquered tweed 'tone port' style 1x15 cube. I'll be trying the tweed pro idea out as a head. Thanks dudes!

 

[Quencho092]

Re: AMP IDEA! Tweed Twin

Good lord, how do you like that campelone standard?!?!?!?!? I've been GAS'ing hard for something like that, is it a lam top?

 

[Gunny47]

Re: AMP IDEA! Tweed Twin

how do you like your jazzamp by the way? I heard tons of good things about it!

I like a bright tone, does the power section of a tweed pro break up smooth enough to sound good with that weber california? I'm VERY used to playing solid state into 'sterile/clean' speakers and I find that I get great tones for what I want (textured clean jazz tones)

I'm not looking for THE tweed sound, just a nice, semi clean, giggable, very textured amp that gets that semi broken up tone without speaker distortion, this will be my #1 amp, and the acoustic 200H as my workhorse/beater amp.

I was thinking of doing it as head/cab, for the cab something like a lacquered tweed 'tone port' style 1x15 cube. I'll be trying the tweed pro idea out as a head. Thanks dudes!

Haha the Jazzamp is pretty cool. I used to really dig it but now I'm getting back into using my tube amps and it's been sitting in its bag. It works well with the archtop. It's a 1x10 combo so it sounds boxy. I use it for my apartment when I want an electric clean tone that isn't too loud and it's nice to move around in Boston.

I don't know much about the Tweed Pro power section so I can't help you there. It is my understanding that it is the same as a Tweed Super and a Tweed Bandmaster and I know people here have them.

I had a california in my princeton reverb clone and the overdrive tone was super bright, super fuzzy and just unpleasant. I reported that to the forum and Christian suggested a low wattage vintage series Alnico mag Weber and it did the trick. The thing sounds fantastic now! If you are looking for just cleans, it'll be nice. The speaker sounds a little too "surfy" for me for jazzy stuff. I like warmer sounding ceramics/alnicos but that's just me.

Good lord, how do you like that campelone standard?!?!?!?!? I've been GAS'ing hard for something like that, is it a lam top?

The Campellone is a beautiful guitar. It's a carved top so it has all the quirks of a traditional archtop. I posted pics a while ago if you search the forum you can see em. I got 14 gauge flatwounds (thomastik bensons) on it and unplugged it sounds ridiculously fat. Incredible sound. Thing looks gorgeous in the blue burst that he does. Wider nut which is great for my fingerstyle technique. 3 piece neck, Johnny smith specs, Kent Armstrong floating johnny smith mini humbucker. I haven't dialed in a electric sound that I'm 100% satisfied with but I'll find it (haven't been playing it since I left school). It sounds really good with my Princeton and I haven't plugged it into my Tweed (I think ever...) so I'll report what I find hehe.

 

[Quencho092]

Re: AMP IDEA! Tweed Twin

Luckily I'm not too hard to please with this kind of stuff, I feel spoiled by my cheap bass amp rig for guitar!

How are the cleans on your tweed twin? As in the quality of the cleans? I loved the California 15 with my 63 bandmaster, perhaps the softer circuit of a tweed would complement it even more.

 

[Quencho092]

Re: AMP IDEA! Tweed Twin

Would a 6G type blonde be much more difficult than a tweed bassman for example?

 

[Gunny47]

Re: AMP IDEA! Tweed Twin

Luckily I'm not too hard to please with this kind of stuff, I feel spoiled by my cheap bass amp rig for guitar!

How are the cleans on your tweed twin? As in the quality of the cleans? I loved the California 15 with my 63 bandmaster, perhaps the softer circuit of a tweed would complement it even more.

I really dig the cleans on the Tweed Twin. I'm no vintage amp expert by any means, but all of the tweed clones and some originals I've gotten a chance to play are my favorite clean tones. More mids than my princeton reverb, more natural and uncolored to my ears. I play jazz too so I'm a stickler about fat clean sounds. I like pedals too so it works well.

My friend at school collects vintage amps and always busts on me for playing clones. The old ones are amazing, I kinda like the cleaner vibe of clones because of the jazz stuff I guess (cover your ears, folks). I have a digital reverb in front of my Tweed Twin for heaven's sake and it gives me a nice blend of more "rolled off" jazz clean and old school clean.

Just my opinion/experience of course. I really wish I could spend a lot of time with a ton of old Fender amps and really make some discoveries, especially the bigger combos. Until then though, my gear now can go above and beyond the call of duty :approve:

Would a 6G type blonde be much more difficult than a tweed bassman for example?

I've never played a blonde amp, just blackface heads, so I can't comment on that

 

[Chickenwings]

Re: AMP IDEA! Tweed Twin

http://www.ceriatone.com/productSubPages/AC5X3BigDeluxe/AC5X3.htm

http://www.ceriatone.com/productSubPages/AC5E8ATweedTwin/AC5E8ATweedMain.htm