| Author |
Topic: 1953 Tweed Deluxe, restoration in progress! |
Ken Fox
From:
Nashville GA USA
|
Posted 17 Sep 2008 7:08 am |
|
Just got this one in. I bought it based on two pictures I saw. The original Jensen with bell came with it, too. It is on the way to South Florida Speaker repair to be re-cones. The Celestion will no longer be allowed inside!!
Filter caps were replaced with Illinois caps, I will soon change those to Sprague. Bypass capos were Illinois and are now Sprague. Tone caps were old Orange Drops. I replaced those with Mallory 150. # wire cord was already installed. Sounds like a dream for a July 1953 amp! I was 2 years and 1 month old when this baby was born.
Bottom was attacked by some sort of wood beetle or worn. Tweed will all be properly replaced and shellac will be applied, two coats of Zinser Bulls-Eye shellac cut with denatured alcohol.
Handle was excellent as well as the logo. It will bet new rubber inserts for the old tack on feet. Those I will get from a new set of tack on feet.
Hope to have it done in a week. I will post a few finished shots later!!!
Missing one chicken head knob. Anyone got an original??
 |
|
|
 |
Wayne Wallett
From:
Shermans Dale, PA USA - R.I.P.
|
Posted 17 Sep 2008 7:29 am Fender Deluxe Tweed Amp
|
|
Hi Ken,
I inherited one of these in good shape with the original canvas amp cover. It was my uncle's and when he passed away was given to me. Didn't work, just hummed a lot. Took it to a friend of mine who is much like you when it comes to fixing amps. $40 and it was cooking again. I used it on a recording session with outboard reverb and delay at low volume and it sounded really good. I've seen these in rough shape on EBay for $2200. Should be a jem when you are done restoring it.
Good Luck,
Wayne |
|
|
|
Ken Byng
From:
Southampton, England
|
Posted 17 Sep 2008 10:23 am
|
|
Ken, you will have people tearing your arm off for this amp when you have finished it. A killer amp!
_________________
Show Pro D10 - amber (8+6), MSA D10 Legend XL Signature - redburst (9+6), Sho-Bud Pro 111 Custom (8+6), Emmons black Push-Pull D10 (8+5), Zum D10 (8x8), Hudson pedal resonator. Telonics TCA-500, Webb 614-E, |
|
|
|
Ken Fox
From:
Nashville GA USA
|
Posted 17 Sep 2008 10:33 am
|
|
It does a great tone. I checked it out after replacing the caps. Can't wait to hear it through the Jensen speaker!
Like most amps I do, it will be for re-sale. I am hoping to get around $2000.00 for it, not sure. There is one on eBay now that has been re-covered, re-capped, and re-cones. It will be a good one to tell if I am on target.
However the original covering would have brought more. There was just no saving it. |
|
|
|
Mike Vallandigham
From:
Martinez, CA
|
Posted 17 Sep 2008 12:32 pm
|
|
With all due respect to Ken, master that he is, It makes me literally ill to see that tweed torn off and replaced. Especially since it was only eaten off on the bottom. One more recovered Fender amp, one less original one.
I'm sorry to say anything, it's your amp, but I just had to speak. |
|
|
|
Bill A. Moore
From:
Silver City, New Mexico, USA
|
Posted 17 Sep 2008 3:57 pm
|
|
| Looks to me like the tweed was only bad on the bottom, top, front, back, and both sides. When I was a kid, the laundry's would post signs about invisible reweaving, maybe they could repair the original tweed. If the amp was mine though, I think it would get recovered, Ken sure turns out some beautiful work. Just my opinion, Bill. |
|
|
|
Stephen Gambrell
From:
Over there
|
Posted 17 Sep 2008 10:05 pm
|
|
| Mike Vallandigham wrote: |
With all due respect to Ken, master that he is, It makes me literally ill to see that tweed torn off and replaced. Especially since it was only eaten off on the bottom. One more recovered Fender amp, one less original one.
I'm sorry to say anything, it's your amp, but I just had to speak. |
That original tweed looks rotten. I know Ken well, and I'm sure that if he could have saved it, he would've. With all the work in the amp, why leave the outside looking like a rag bin? If you were restoring a '55 Chevrolet, that was rusted out, would you re-do the interior, rebuild the motor, and then leave the old rust and paint on the outside, to maintain "integrity?"
I've seen Ken's re-covered amp. I OWN one. Looks Fender-new, and sounds awesome. The old boy knows what he's doing.
And if looking at tore up amp covering makes you puke, then what do you think of the stock market? |
|
|
|
Danny Bates
From:
Fresno, CA. USA
|
Posted 18 Sep 2008 12:54 am
|
|
Great amp Ken. It's gonna be real nice when it's like new again. Probably fetch more than 2K.
Stephen, your statement is pretty funny.
Stephen said:
| Quote: |
| And if looking at tore up amp covering makes you puke, then what do you think of the stock market? |
|
|
|
|
Cartwright Thompson
|
Posted 18 Sep 2008 2:31 am
|
|
| I agree with Mike. If you're going to keep it, fix it up any way you like. If you're going to sell it, it's worth more with its original tweed, so why bother to recover it? |
|
|
|
Eric Philippsen
From:
Central Florida USA
|
Posted 18 Sep 2008 4:39 am
|
|
Ken,
For better and tighter bottom end, did you increase the values of the power filter caps? If so, to what? I like the change you did of the Illinois and Orange Drops to Sprague and Mallory 150's. I've never been a fan of Orange Drop tone although many swear by them. Spragues are the best but, whew, they are expensive.
Not sure, as good as your work obviously is, if you'll get $2K for it, given the recover and recone.
Currently, I have a Pro Reverb, Vibrolux reverb and two Princeton Reverbs in my shop.
Last edited by Eric Philippsen on 18 Sep 2008 11:06 am; edited 1 time in total |
|
|
|
Ken Fox
From:
Nashville GA USA
|
Posted 18 Sep 2008 5:31 am
|
|
The filters were previously replace with Illinois at 22uf. The original call for 16uf caps. I will order a set of three 16uf Sprague Atom caps for it and replace the Illinois caps.
Got it all "tweeded"!! Today it gets two hand coats of the amber shellac. The tweed that Mojotone has is excellent and a really dead on match to the old stuff.
The tweed coming off was absolutely rotten in many places and just plain worn out for the most part.
I was able to fill in the bottom with a a good grade of wood filler and sand it out smooth.
The old glue comes off easily with warm water, a sponge and a 4" scraper. Animal hide glue that Fender uses is water based and removed easily with with water, no need to sand it off. Once it was dry a quick sanding with 120 grit and it was ready for a small amount of fill work.
Should have a picture or two to share soon. New grill cloth on the way and the speaker is about 2 weeks out, no kits were in stock at South Florida for the speaker so he has one on the way. |
|
|
|
Jim Sliff
From:
Lawndale California, USA
|
Posted 18 Sep 2008 6:07 am
|
|
Unfortunately I'm another sucker for dragged-through-the-mud tweed and wouldn't have recovered it; I like the stories (real or imaginary) that go with the original covering, rotten or not (when they're rotten I do a little re gluing and an invisible penetrating-shellac job to hold the remnants together). But I understand anyone wanting to recover their own.
Ken, email me your address...I'm pretty sure I still have several spare chicken-heads in my stash. I'll send you a couple spare preamp tubes as well if I can...pretty sure they are ones I have a stock of.
_________________
No chops, but great tone
1930's/40's Rickenbacher/Rickenbacker 6&8 string lap steels
1921 Weissenborn Style 2; Hilo&Schireson hollownecks
Appalachian, Regal & Dobro squarenecks
1959 Fender 400 9+2 B6;1960's Fender 800 3+3+2; 1948 Fender Dual-8 Professional |
|
|
|
Bill Terry
From:
Bastrop, TX
|
Posted 18 Sep 2008 7:06 am
|
|
| Quote: |
| Unfortunately I'm another sucker for dragged-through-the-mud tweed and wouldn't have recovered it.. |
Yeah, me too... but hey, to each his own.
_________________
Lost Pines Studio
"I'm nuts about bolts" |
|
|
|
Ken Fox
From:
Nashville GA USA
|
Posted 18 Sep 2008 8:43 am
|
|
Cabinet work done. All original holes were located prior to shellac work. Polished the old screws for the handle and chassis mounting. Rear screws were not correct or original. Used new chassis screws and tea cup washers. I like the tea cups, as they are hard to see and protect the fabric
Grill is next. Should have cloth in a few days!
 |
|
|
|
Brad Sarno
From:
St. Louis, MO USA
|
Posted 18 Sep 2008 9:46 am
|
|
I'm with Eric on the cap's. I've grown to really enjoy the sound of the Mallory 150 mylar caps in tube amps. More "caramel" sounding than the foil/polypropylene cap Orange Drops (series 715p and 716p).
But there is another cool cap that I recently learned more about. I have used them randomly over the years, but more recently have been really checking them out. It's the Orange Drop 225p series. These may be the Spragues that Eric mentioned. Apparently these are the very same cap made by the same factory as the old blue molded ones found in late '60s Fenders. They are a 400V mylar/foil cap. They have that "mylar" tone with the added detail of foil that the Mallory 150's don't have. Once broken in, they're real nice and less harsh than the 715p andn 716p orange drops. Just because they're "orange drops" doesn't mean they're at all the same cap.
I built a 5E3 clone with a 5W 5F2 power section. The Mallory 150's sounded great in there. Now these 225p's also sound killer. I think I may now be a mylar cap convert. Mylar just sounds different than polypropylene, and the higher the voltage on the cap, the more the character is revealed. That seems to go for most electronic parts.
Brad |
|
|
|
Dan Hatfield
From:
Columbia, Mo USA
|
Posted 18 Sep 2008 9:50 am
|
|
Ken, I have one of those babies that is in pretty good original condition. The paper sticker with the serial # on the inside of the cabinet has part of the number torn away, but I think it is the same number which is stamped on the underside of the chassis which is D-02207. Can you determine from that number which year it is? Also, any idea where I can get an original handle for it?
Thanks, Dan |
|
|
|
Ken Fox
From:
Nashville GA USA
|
Posted 18 Sep 2008 10:06 am
|
|
Looks like that would also be a 1953:
Deluxe 5C3, 5D3 (tweed)
0001 to 1500 - 1953
1500 to 3600 - 1954
3600 to 5300 - 1955
My handle is original and I have noticed the replacements are much thinner. Fender is offering that handle now and it looks much thicker than the ones I have ordered before! I hope my distributors start carrying the Fender replacement soon
I am anxious to try out the Mallory caps, Brad! I will see if Mouser has them, |
|
|
|
Eric Philippsen
From:
Central Florida USA
|
Posted 18 Sep 2008 11:19 am
|
|
Very nice job on the recovering. All the lines seem to be in sync and you've obviously paid attention to that.
Looks like a lot of the panel lettering is still there.
How 'bout a shot of the chassis with the back panel removed? Yeah!
As you probably know, there are two kinds of replacement Fender leather handles. IMO they're not close to the originals and I don't like 'em. But whaddya gonna do? Sometimes you can find custom-made ones on EBay that are much closer to the originals.
Last edited by Eric Philippsen on 18 Sep 2008 11:25 am; edited 1 time in total |
|
|
|
Dan Hatfield
From:
Columbia, Mo USA
|
Posted 18 Sep 2008 11:21 am
|
|
| Ken, the paper sticker (which I believe to be the original) says the Mod. is 5E3. Is that possibly a different amp than the 5C or 5D?? It is definitely a "Deluxe". |
|
|
|
Ken Fox
From:
Nashville GA USA
|
Posted 18 Sep 2008 11:47 am
|
|
Deluxe 5E3 (tweed)
D00001 to D01400 - 1955
D01400 to D03000 - 1956
D03000 to D05000 - 1957
D05000 to D06800 - 1958
D06800 to D09000 - 1959
D09000 to D10000 - 1960
D10000 to D11000 - 1961
Makes it a 1956 model |
|
|
|
Ken Fox
From:
Nashville GA USA
|
Posted 18 Sep 2008 11:48 am
|
|
| That is a very expensive amp by Ebay standards! keep an eye on that one!!! |
|
|
|
Dan Hatfield
From:
Columbia, Mo USA
|
Posted 18 Sep 2008 2:33 pm
|
|
Thanks very much, Ken. I will try to keep it out of sight!!  Dan |
|
|
|
Blake Hawkins
From:
Florida
|
Posted 19 Sep 2008 6:05 am
|
|
Ken,
I'll add my compliments to the others on your Tweed
recover job.
It' very fine. Never seen a better one.
Actually it is better than the originals.
Blake |
|
|
|
Ken Fox
From:
Nashville GA USA
|
Posted 19 Sep 2008 7:39 am
|
|
I was just thinking, this amp is 55 years old and ready to go again!
I will be long gone next time it need re-covering. I wonder if the next guy that does it will do a nice job, too!
Not to many things built today will ever outlast this little amp. Does't say much for the quality of electronics we are now producing!! |
|
|
|
Brad Sarno
From:
St. Louis, MO USA
|
Posted 19 Sep 2008 8:21 am
|
|
Beautiful work Ken!!
Brad |
|
|
|
