I want to build a 5E9 as my First Build: Speaker Options?

[jimboyogi]

I can't directly address this question^, as I have no experience with 5E3 or 5F11

My 2 cents worth though, from fiddling with amps for a few years. If you are making any of the Fender amps that use the single tone control, I would recommend using a speaker that has lots of bass response. You can find 10" or 12" speakers with big bass.
My reasoning is that the single knob tone control really lets lots of bass through, and then when all of this bass hits the phase inverter (PI) and output stage and starts distorting, you get farty bass. Might be what you want, might not. But if you use a speaker with lots of bass response, then you can cut the bass using smaller coupling capacitors before the PI, and get less fart, but still the right tonal balance.

BTW, I vote for the 5F11. You can do it!!!

[Racing]

As the residential tubeamp building moron then...

Of course you can!

The whole concept of putting an amp together is one of learning. Ergo,you learn as you go. Word of advice is...read. Online. There´s TONS out there... Some of it good,some of it..mediocre.
Forums like this in turn..very often little FACT and much opinion. Value accordingly.

Visit the Valve Wizards pages for starters. Read up and get to understand what the man says. In turn learn how to read schematics. That done,dive in.
When you get stuck,and you will,forums like this is where to turn.

The basics of electronics tho,like Ohms and Kirchoffs laws, HAS to be understood to tamper with this at all. Otherwise it is just an "paint by n yumbers" ordeal that´ll teach you nothing.

Tools.
Get a GOOD quality digital multimeter (aka DMM). No..it does NOT have to be a Fluke. Any decent one from like 80 dollars up will do basically. Check youtube for tips n ideas.
Get a GOOD quality soldering station. No..it does not have to be a Curie controlled unit. It DOES however need to be a reputable unit enough so you can pick up spares for it,even down the road.
Get some decent quality electricians pliers and screwdrivers. Ditto for an insulation peeler.
GOOD quality soldering wick to remove solder as you WILL F up...

But more than anything. Time. Read...then read some more...when done reading take a break...and go back to reading. Come to understand what it is you´re about to do.

[wproffitt]

Thanks for the encouragement!

I've been reading quite a bit (almost obsessively, actually) and trying to think of what would work best for me and give me a project that I could appreciate for years to come.

Racing- Thanks for the tip on Valve Wizards. I'll be giving that a look. It's nice to see what others have done and seek out advice from those who have experience. Part of me really thinks that I can do this without a "Paint-by-numbers" approach that this would be more satisfying, but another part of me is terrified that I'd this could be a big mistake if I go without full instructions.

I just had a crazy thought: "What if I did a 5e9 (small box Tremolux) instead of the 5f11?"
A) They sound great and have that growl of the Deluxe, but with a really cool trem as well!
B) It's mostly a 5e3, so there's loads of documentation out there.
C) I would need to procure a larger chassis (one from a 5f4 would do) and have a bigger cutout done on the cabinet, but Mojotone could take care of both of those things.

[StevenO]

Hmm... The more I think about it, the more I think you'd be better off with a deluxe and foregoing the Trem aspect. A deluxe will have better drive than the Vibrolux and the Trem is a nice feature but not vital. There's pedals that do that sound almost just as good or even better, and they don't have any of the speaker thump that the amps have.

[Racing]

Right. Look.

ALL of us were intimidated by the power inherent with electricity when we started out. Every...damn...last...one..of us. Therefore i kind of take offence when some seasoned builder sort of flick off the newbees. It simply ain´t right and it is a sort of lie IMO. Having forgot ones origins.

Look.
You are CORRECT in taking on 400-500 volts with respect. Mark that word..respect. Not fear. As would you an unknown gun. ALL guns are ALWAYS loaded,at all times-remember? Works EXACTLY the same way with electricity,and the more proficient you get,the more knowledgable...the simpler them "safety rules" become. Second nature if you wish..and that said ALL of us fuck up none the less,yeeeeees...even us seasoned boys,from time to time. The one claiming otherwise is full of it. Period.

It´s more a matter of that us seasoned boys don´t get as startled when crap goes boom. Or catches fire...or... And i guess there´s no shortcuts here. You HAVE to go through that phase,like it or not so..i guess what i´m saying is that i hear ya. What i´m telling you is...don´t fret.

Don´t let that "fear" stand in your way though. As stated knowledge is power,and certainly so in this case. Here´s an invaluable piece of advice when it comes to most (read-all) electronics...
It is dumb as a paperbag. It is PURE logic. It is controlled by laws of nature. It is mathematics. Stupid. Dumb. It does what it is told,period.
Huh?

Yeah...look. What that means is that by reading up and UNDERSTANDING what you read you can basically take whatever to heart as truth. Total and utter truth.
That said...man is man and will ALWAYS look for shortcuts and sorry to say this is NOT novices only. There´s PLENTY amps out there with fuckups put into production you won´t believe...out of the mere FACT that designers and engineers have tried shortcuts that...again...dumb. Does what it´s told. Logic. Math.

Hence why reading up is so imperative,but more so DOABLE. By simply sittin on yer fat ass with the laptop of yours in your lap reading various papers worthy of notice you get wiser...and that wisdom can be DIRECTLY applied to your project-in practice.

First time you flick the switch on one of your OWN builds...trust me,you just about take cover. For real.

I guess what i´m saying is that there´s several of us on here that are both willing and knowledgable to take you by the hand and lead you through this when need be.
Mark..when need be.
Read first.

[wproffitt]

Racing, I've just ordered a copy of E J Jurich's Vacuum Tube Amplifier Basics. I mostly understand the basics of what each part of the amplifier is supposed to be doing, but HOW it's doing that is a little beyond me. I agree that understanding the why and the how will be helpful when/if I make mistakes along the way. I'm guessing that an amp kit (such as the Mojotone 5e3) which they say can be done in 4-5 hours will be more like 10 times that for me, if I'm working through all of it without step-by-step directions. I really welcome the prospect of learning by doing, though. For the next month or so, I'll keep reading! I'll update you with a build thread once I reach a decision on a kit/place an order for parts.

[sookwinder]

No amp should be "done" in 4 - 5 hours.

You should spend a shit load of time reading, reading books if you have them, websites and boards who are discussing the amp you are about to make,
Then (if possible) print out the schematic and the layout drawings and just trace (in your mind) where everything is connected. Look at where the high voltages ar, where the low voltages are, where components are placed.

Then start of the eyelet / turret board. Place the components in, no yet soldered and make sure you have all the correct components and they are positioned in the correct direction (electrolytic capacitors have a " + " and a " - " and must be positions in a specific direction)

Once you are happy... stop. Come back the next day and solder them in place... stop have a break, read the newspaper , have lunch and then go back to it.
Too many mistakes can be made when one rushes a build , especially the first build.

Go back then and check again everything is correct

Then just take it slowly .... the three times I have seriously shocked myself is because (a) I rushed and thought I knew what I was doing or (b) I had been working on the build for many hours and was tired.

good luck

[Racing]

@ sookwinder.
101% agreed.

[wproffitt]

Sook and Racing,
Your encouragement and expertise on this matter are most welcome. I fully plan on taking as much time as the project SHOULD take for someone who's learning the ropes. I'm a teacher and as it's nearly summertime, I'll soon have quite a bit of free time during my time off in order to practice soldering and, eventually, laying out the circuit.
I'm still reading (especially about Ohm's law) and familiarizing myself with some some of the basics of analog electronics. Since I last posted, I've gone further and further down the rabbit hole of building a 5e9-style amp. I'm thinking that I'd prefer to do the small-box version (1955, i think) that came in a Tweed Deluxe cabinet. Here's my only hangup:

-Amp gurus, could the chassis from something like a 5f4 fit in a Deluxe cabinet? Securing an actual 5e9 chassis seems out of the question, but could I even fit a 5f4 chassis into a Deluxe cabinet to make this work? Bear in mind that such a chassis would be 18 1/2 inches long.

[wproffitt]

I've looked into it and a 5f4 Chassis definitely won't fit a Deluxe style cabinet. I'm stuck on keeping this thing on the smaller side of things and not moving up to Super-style cabinet, so my options are:
a) find someone to fabricate a 5E9-style chassis (17 1/2 inches long)
b) have someone build a cabinet that is slightly wider than a typical Deluxe cab.
c) modify a 5F11 chassis (17 inches long) to accommodate the jacks and controls of the 5E9.

Which of these seems the smartest move, given the constraints I've decided I have?

[Racing]

By far the cheapest solution here is to have someone fab you a chassis.

Cabs are mucho dollares.. Chassis,not so much. Walk over to your local smith and have a talk. A fair bet is that they´ll bend you a chassis around the 30-40 USD mark or so out of 1.5-2mm aluminium. Just be very specific with the dimensions needed and you´ll be fine.

[wproffitt]

Thanks, Racing.
Unfortunately, only have so much in the way tools or desire for doing all of the cutouts on my chassis. However I have another solution! The Weber 5e3x2 chassis. It is exactly 17.5 in long just like the old small box Tremolux. It only requires the drilling of two holes for the depth and speed controls , which should be easy enough to do with a drill press using the faceplate they're sending me as a guide.

-Should I just go ahead and place an order for their 12a125o speaker as well? Any votes for the 20 watt or 30 watt version? Speaker hounds, let the opinions flow!