Had a chance to compare two 5E3 Deluxe amps and record clips...

[TubeGeek]

This past week I received an amp from a guy that was attempting his first amp build from a Weber 5E3 kit.  I corrected some error's and got his amp working and then set up a few microphones and recorded the amps side by side.  I took some pics and videos of the amps being played and thought I'd make a short page for my website.

I thought the Weber kit sounded more "woody" and thin, more brightness overall.  Sounded more oriented for a rock riff tone.

My amp sounded darker but not too dark, more balanced with more resonance from the cabinet.  Almost sweeter, richer sounding.

Listen for yourself.  I recorded tracks with a Les Paul and a Strat.

http://www.glacieramps.com/Glacier_Amplification/5E3_Deluxe_Comparison.html

[tubeswell]

I prefer the Weber speaker to the Jensen. The Jensen sounds like it has that kapton coil fizz/bark. Other than that the amps sound potentially pretty similar. (Just my opinion)

[Fresh_Start]

What happens if you put a real, NOS 5Y3-GT rectifier in that Weber kit instead of the copper can?

Other than that, I thought the amps sounded pretty similar and, like tubeswell, my guess is that the speakers are the biggest difference. 

FWIW amp (or pedal) comparisions work best when the exact same input is run through them.  These clips were darn close, but still different enough to make it harder to say "Yeah, that's the one I like!"

Cheers,

Chip

[TubeGeek]

I didn't have a chance to do an extensive test on the amps, I should have tried replacing the copper cap. 

It was interesting to hear them side by side though.