Is tweed essential to the design?

Is tweed essential to the design?

  • Stick with the Tweed.

    Votes: 11 32.4%

  • Love the old Gibson look.

    Votes: 4 11.8%

  • Gibson, but with some cool two-tone look.

    Votes: 18 52.9%

  • Don't like any of these.

    Votes: 1 2.9%
  • Total voters
    34
Scott_F

Scott_F

Flushologist
Staff member
Okay, here's a question. If I was to build a low powered tweed (champ?), 10" or 12" speaker option, and put it in an older 50's style combo enclosure (ala some of the cool old Gibsons we see, or even something like what Carr is doing with his Mercury amp), would that be an attractive option?

My latest infatuation with the old Gibsons from the 40's and 50's is fueling this question. I absolutely love the look of the trace elliott-made Goldtones from a couple of years ago.

Comments? I'm looking for the good, the bad, the ugly.

Thanks
 
Re: Is tweed essential to the design?

straight yellow tweed is a bit like the strat shape these days. Classic, but too oft immitated. I love them ol gibby corner amps.
 
Re: Is tweed essential to the design?

I think there's a two tone gibby look in my near future.
 
Re: Is tweed essential to the design?

I have been lusting after a Victoria Champ clone with a 12" speaker for a while. I'm not sure if not using tweed equals less cost, but if there's a way you could make a decent looking Champ clone in a bigger box at a reasonable cost I think you'd sell at least one. :)

Edit: I could not vote because there was no "my ears can't see a thing" option.
 
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Re: Is tweed essential to the design?

Being as cab covering has virtually no effect on the sound of an amp, then no I don't think tweed is essential at all. But if ya end up makeing this a celtic model rather than just a one off for yourself, ya would probably wanna offer a tweed cab option.
Simply because while it really has no effect on sound, theres alotta guys that think "A tweed sounding amp has to be covered in tweed." In the same way theres alotta guys that think a strat is only a strat if its got a two tone sunburst finish, or a LP is only an LP if its cherry sunburst. Ya know? So NOT offering it in tweed might scare off some potential customers.

But, that all said. I'm not likely to be a potential customer (not for a champ clone at least) so my opinion is probably not that useful, haha.
 
Re: Is tweed essential to the design?

An old T.V. front Fender Tweed would be cool, as would something along the lines of Christians V front amp in his avatar.
 
Re: Is tweed essential to the design?

Well, this same sized cab would be able to accept a 5E3 deluxe as well, with a slightly different cut out on the top panel. So, yes, adding this as an option for either amp, or any tweed in between the 5F1 and 5E3 would be a no brainer. Also, bill, covering it in tweed and keeping the single round hole in front would give it more of a TV appearance.

Lots of possibilities out there. I'm probably going to build a 5F1 as I have parts arriving for the chassis. Not sure what cab to use yet. I might just get the amp built and then wait for the cab request.
 
Re: Is tweed essential to the design?

I think alot of the guitar gear thing is mental...and most guys lusting for a tweed Fender want to own it or a clone of it in tweed. That said, I doubt there's much of a market for a handwired tweed Champ...to low in power for most players to justify spending any real money on...especially with the originals still around and relatively affordable. Lew
 
Re: Is tweed essential to the design?

Lewguitar said:
I think alot of the guitar gear thing is mental...and most guys lusting for a tweed Fender want to own it or a clone of it in tweed. That said, I doubt there's much of a ,arket for a handwired tweed Champ...to low in power to spend a grand or nearly a grand on. Lew
Click to expand...


But at 500-600 USD?
 
Re: Is tweed essential to the design?

Scott_F said:
But at 500-600 USD?
Click to expand...

That's a fair price. I have a tweed Princeton, BTW, that is the same amp as a tweed Champ but with a tone control. I put the Princeton chassis in a tweed Harvard cabinet which fits the Princeton chassis perfectly but the Harvard uses a 10" speaker.

All this to say: I'd make it a Princeton and put it in a Harvard size cab so you can use a 10" speaker. Much better tone.

And maybe make it 8 ohms instead of 4 ohms so it's easier to find a nice speaker.

Lew
 
Re: Is tweed essential to the design?

Scott_F said:
Okay, here's a question. If I was to build a low powered tweed (champ?), 10" or 12" speaker option, and put it in an older 50's style combo enclosure (ala some of the cool old Gibsons we see, or even something like what Carr is doing with his Mercury amp), would that be an attractive option?

My latest infatuation with the old Gibsons from the 40's and 50's is fueling this question. I absolutely love the look of the trace elliott-made Goldtones from a couple of years ago.

Comments? I'm looking for the good, the bad, the ugly.

Thanks
Click to expand...

I don't think tweed is really necessary with any boutique amp. Its the circuit that makes it a "tweed" more so than the tolex or covering. Don't get me wrong I think tweeds look really cool, but to me its more about the sound than the looks!
 
Re: Is tweed essential to the design?

Lewguitar said:
That's a fair price. I have a tweed Princeton, BTW, that is the same amp as a tweed Champ but with a tone control. I put the Princeton chassis in a tweed Harvard cabinet which fits the Princeton chassis perfectly but the Harvard uses a 10" speaker.

All this to say: I'd make it a Princeton and put it in a Harvard size cab so you can use a 10" speaker. Much better tone.

And maybe make it 8 ohms instead of 4 ohms so it's easier to find a nice speaker.

Lew
Click to expand...

agrreed, I like the tweed princeton over the champ any day. 10" or 12" speaker can be a customer call at that point.
 
Re: Is tweed essential to the design?

I'm a little superstitious .. I think tweed amps are like some of the other vintage stuff ... the whole somehow equalled more than the sum of the parts ... I happen to think the tweed does breathe a little, but I do enjoy seeing other nice cab designs

that said, with amps, like guitars, there are tons of followers and a few creative original designers. sometimes being original means fighting peoples' perceptions

some of the other vintage amps -- not just Gibson, but Rickenbacker, Valco, etc had neat old designs more derivative of the old radios than the piece of luggage that the Fender tweeds looked like. Some of Kendrick's cabs look inspired by the "others" too.

I say do something different, but tasteful.
 
Re: Is tweed essential to the design?

There is one thing to think about regarding the narrow panel tweed cabinets in terms of tone: the floating baffle. Won't get that with a TV front. I swear the pine cab I got from Mojo for my Tweed Princeton sounds like there's a little bit of reverb in the mix. Probably a combination of the pine itself and the baffle design, but might be worth thinking about.

Chip
 
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