5E3 Parts List

Buy it as a 5E3 Tweed Deluxe component pack

Both packs hold every electronic part for the amp: chassis, turret board, Hammond transformers, JJ valves (with a matched pair of 6V6s), sockets, resistors, capacitors, pots, switches, jacks, fuse, mains lead and wire. You pick the level of capacitors and pots.

Whichever way you buy, choose the 5E3 schematic and layout you'll build from and check each item against it. Values vary between versions and modifications.

In the lists below: In both packs Value pack Premium pack Not in packs

Chassis, board and hardware

Everything in this section is in both component packs.

• Chassis: a pre-punched 5E3 chassis
• Turret board: a ready-made 5E3 Tweed Deluxe turret board, plus a 10 mm turret stand-off pack
• Valve sockets: 3 × octal (two 6V6 and the rectifier), such as our Fender-style octal ceramic sockets, plus 2 × B9A 9-pin ceramic sockets for the preamp valves. See all valve sockets.
• Valve retainers: 3 × octal tube retainer clips for the power valves and rectifier
• Screws and solder lugs: M3 and M4 screws and washers, and 3 mm and 4 mm locking solder lugs for ground connections
• Grommets and strain relief: rubber grommets for wires passing through the chassis, and a cable gland for the mains lead

Transformers

Not sure why we use Hammond? Read why we choose Hammond transformers.

• Power transformer: the Hammond 290BBEX Tweed Deluxe power transformer, with a 240 V primary and 6.3 V and 5 V heater windings In both packs
• Output transformer (for 6V6 valves): choose one:
  • the Hammond 1760E, with 4, 8 and 16 Ω taps In both packs
  • the 1750E for an 8 Ω speaker, or the 1750EP Not in packs

Valves

All the valves are in both component packs. Retubing an existing 5E3? Our Fender Deluxe 5E3 retube kit has every valve below (JJ as standard, or choose your own brands).

• V1 preamp: 1 × 12AY7, the original 5E3 first-stage valve, for more clean headroom, such as the JJ 12AY7 / 6072A In both packs. A 12AX7 in V1 gives more gain.
• V2 preamp / phase inverter: 1 × 12AX7, such as the JJ 12AX7 / ECC83S In both packs
• Power valves: 2 × 6V6GT (a matched pair), such as the JJ 6V6S In both packs
• Rectifier: 1 × 5Y3GT for the classic tweed sag, such as the JJ 5Y3S In both packs. A 5AR4 / GZ34 raises the voltages and tightens the response, so check your power transformer suits it first. Not sure which to choose? Read Understanding Rectifier Tubes.

Potentiometers and controls

• Volume (Normal and Bright) and Tone: 3 × 1 MΩ audio-taper pots: Alpha metal shaft Value pack or CTS audio pots Premium pack. A Bourns 1M audio pot also suits. See all potentiometers.
• No bias pot needed: the 5E3 is cathode biased, so there's no bias adjustment.
• Input and speaker jacks: 5 × Switchcraft Type 12A mono jacks (four inputs, two per channel, plus the main speaker output) and 1 × Switchcraft Type 11 for an extension speaker In both packs. See all jacks and plugs.
• Power and standby switches: 2 × toggle switches. The original 5E3 has no standby switch, but the packs include one. 240 V DPDT toggles Value pack or Carling Fender-style SPST toggles Premium pack
• Pilot light: a Fender-style lamp holder, an amber jewel bezel and a bayonet dial lamp bulb In both packs
• Knobs: 3 knobs to suit your pots, from our amp knobs Not in packs

Capacitors

This is where the two packs differ most. The Value pack uses Evatco axials and polypropylene film caps; the Premium pack uses Sprague axials and Orange Drops.

• Filter capacitors: 3 × 16 µF (B+1, B+2, B+3): Evatco 16 µF 500 V axial Value pack or Sprague 16 µF 475 V Premium pack. Prefer a can? The F&T 16 + 16 µF 450 V dual can is a popular choice. See all can capacitors and axial electrolytics.
• Cathode bypass capacitors: 3 × 25 µF 50 V, such as the 25 µF 50 V axial Value pack or Sprague 25 µF 50 V Premium pack
• Coupling and tone capacitors: 4 × 0.1 µF, 1 × 0.022 µF and 1 × 0.0047 µF (tone): polypropylene film Value pack or Orange Drop 716 600 V Premium pack. Also see our metal film tubular capacitors.
• Bright cap: 1 × 500 pF 500 V silver mica In both packs

Resistors

All the resistors are in both component packs, and the pack parts list shows the colour bands for each one. Buying them separately? Our 1 W carbon film resistors suit the signal positions.

See all resistors.

Wiring and power

• Hook-up wire: red, black and yellow vintage cloth pushback wire for the classic tweed look In both packs
• Heater wire: twisted heater wire In both packs
• Buss wire: 18 AWG buss wire for ground buses In both packs
• Fuse and fuse holder: a 3AG fuse holder and a pack of 1 A slow-blow fuses for 240 V, from our fuses and fuse holders In both packs
• Mains lead: a 240 V mains cord with an earth (always earth the chassis) In both packs
• Heat shrink: a heat shrink pack to insulate mains connections In both packs
• Shielded cable (optional): shielded audio hook-up cable for long input runs Not in packs
• Speaker wire: speaker wire Not in packs

Speaker

The speaker isn't in the packs, so you can choose the one you want. The 1760E in both packs has 4, 8 and 16 Ω taps, so wire the tap that matches your speaker.

• 1 × 12" speaker. For the original sound, choose the Jensen P12R 8 Ω alnico, or the Jensen P12Q 8 Ω for more headroom.

Cabinet and covering

• Cabinet: a Tweed Deluxe-style 1 × 12 combo cabinet
• Tweed covering: our gold tweed authentic woven fabric, or choose from our tolex range
• Grill cloth: beige, brown and gold stripe grill cloth for the period-correct look
• How much do you need? Our free Tolex & Grill Cloth Estimator works out exactly how many metres of covering and grill cloth to order.
• Handle, straps and feet: a Fender-style brown leather handle, chassis straps to mount the chassis in the cabinet, and amp feet

Build tips and tools

• Check your parts first: tick every part off against the pack parts list, and use the colour bands on it to sort the resistors before you start.
• Test as you go: bring the amp up slowly the first time with a variac or bulb limiter, and check voltages at each stage.
• Soldering iron and solder: a temperature-controlled iron, around 40 to 60 W, makes turret work easier
• Multimeter: for checking voltages and continuity
• Wire cutters: our wire trimmers
• Step drill: a 4 mm to 32 mm step drill for clean holes in the chassis and cabinet
• Turret staking tool: if you're building your own board, see our turret stake tools

Still deciding which tweed to build?

If this is your first amp, the smaller 5F1 Champ is worth a look too. Read 5F1 vs 5E3: which tweed amp should I build? and see the 5F1 Champ parts list. Want more power? See the 5F6-A Tweed Bassman parts list.