The Hoffman layout 5E3 with the changes from the original Fender (layout, grounding, choke added etc) is in my opinion one of the greatest sounding amplifiers with a tele or strat one can find anywhere. I get feedback all the time on the Hoffman 5E3 amps I built years ago as they change hands (either from G.A.S. or at estate sales) from the new owners saying in essence "Wow!" or "Holy Crap!" "This thing sounds awesome." Some of them are in recording studios and others are being gigged with in the Hollywood world on soundtracks for video games and movies. Every time I plug my ash telecaster into my personal Hoffman 5E3 it just makes me smile. Incredible tone to be sure. The Hoffman BFPR and BFDR with the bias vary tremolos are also incredible. I'm really looking forward to finally building and hearing the Sluckey AC15 amp. I'm figuring it will be the next holy grail amp with which I have a tonal love affair. Prior to finding Doug's website years ago, I was trying to play blues and rock through a Roland JC120 solid state amp. Then I built a Hoffman 5E3 on my kitchen table in Corona and my musical life was forever changed. The Roland went on eBay almost immediately and I've never missed it. It's tube amps for me till death now.
Barry, I will say the honeymoon with the AC15 is way over and is still my number 1 small watt. I think you will really like this build and it is cool that Tele and Les Paul's both sound great and I cannot leave out my Suhr Strat. I built it in a head and use a 1, 12 Celestion Blue. Sluckey got an Avatar cab and a blue himself and told me he really likes the combination.
I have been on a amp selling binge and finally got back down to the point where I feel it is ok to build some more and am actually considering another Vox and maybe use 4 little bottles for the AC30 route, but I just do not prefer the top boost model. It is really cool to watch someone check out one of your builds and not know you built it. I put mine in a local music store to sell and they usually sell fairly fast cause I price them just to get my money back. I have to say the owner of the store wants me to build a lot of the AC15, but I have only built 2. One he has and mine which I don't think will ever tire of.
There is something to the cap switching as opposed to a tone stack. I did knock up a test which sounded really good and I may add it in as a switchable feature.
I tried a EF86 to 12Ax7 PI and 3, EL84's into a JTM45 Output Tranny what I had on hand. Just as a test I inserted a Brownface tonestack and it was really cool. Like the 6G9 Tremolux that used 2 EL84. I prefer it without the tonestack, but I must admit it was a different sounding amp and would make a great addition to a studio.
Good to see you around.
Topic: Yet Another Tweed Deluxe Build (Read 23959 times)