Gigging amp for Stringmaster

[Pete Martin]

What amp do you western swing guys use for your Stringmasters?

Playing in a medium sized club mostly and looking for something to use with my '56 D8 and electric 5 string mandolin with a Lollar Charlie Christian pickup. Really don't want to tote 2 amps. Tubes? SS?

Or just curious what you SM guys use for gigging amps?

Thanks!

Pete

[Tim Whitlock]

I own a '56 Stringmaster, a '51 Custom and a '58 Fender 1000. These instruments were paired with and designed for use with 50s Fender tweed amps. IMHO, that is what they sound best with. I can't afford an original tweed, but I have tweed Vibrolux and Tremolux clones. If you want authentic, vintage western swing sound, I don't think you can get much more real than a Fender tweed style amp.

[Pete Martin]

Thanks Tim, tweed was the answer I thought I'd most likely get. Can you tell me who made your clones? I think that is where I will start looking.

[Tim Whitlock]

My Vibrolux was made by forum member Mike Marsh (Marsh Amplification). Mike offers some terrific clones at reasonable prices. I really love the sound of this amp with a Fender blue alnico 10" speaker. If you contact Mike through the forum he can give you a quote for several 50s Fender tweed clones he builds. My Tremolux was made by local Colorado builder Aaron McCloskey (McClostone Amps). I enjoyed working closely with Aaron. At my request he subbed 6L6s for the usual 6V6s, for a little more headroom, and I added an Altec 417b speaker. Great sound and his cabinetry is spectacular! I would post photos but can't figure out how to do it with the new Forum process.

[Rich Ertelt]

I played my stringmaster through a SF deluxe reverb, sounded great, but that was mostly more twang stuff.

I once, in a music store, played the older trapizoid pickup one through a tweed pro. Yea, That sounded great.
I also did a rockabilly gig (guitar and stringmater steel) on a borrowed tweed pro, and that also sounded killer.

I have a tweed deluxe clone I built, other than low volume, not the way I'd go. I'd go bigger tweed.

[Tim Toberer]

I have a tweed deluxe clone I built, other than low volume, not the way I'd go. I'd go bigger tweed.

I also built a deluxe, but I used bigger transformers making it more of a Pro, they are basically the same circuit. This thing has one setting, loud! I worry about hearing loss. This is not a versatile amp, but it sounds so good. You always want to turn it up, up, up. This guy has a Fender tweed circuits wired into his head. https://robrobinette.com/5e3_Modifications.htm. Building will still cost you at least $500 I think probably more. Just buy it.

I think you can get fairly close to a tweed tone on most amps if you crank the Mid and turn down the Bass and Treble. Three band EQ seems to suck all the mids. A good preamp pedal will nearly get you there as well, or you could go modern and use a Tweed amp capture.

[Bill Sinclair]

While period correct, 5E3 circuit tweed Deluxe clone is kind of a one trick pony. Not enough clean headroom and the two channels are so interactive that it's really just a single channel amp. A Blackface Deluxe Reverb or, as suggested, a Vibrolux would give you enough headroom for medium sized venues plus a usable second channel with its own tone settings. I often use my '67 Deluxe Reverb in fairly good sized rooms with Stringmaster, guitar, and harmonica but I have to watch my volume on the A6 neck or full chords can turn into distorted mud. Fortunately, this band doesn't play super loud so it's not usually an issue.

[Rich Ertelt]

I also built a deluxe, but I used bigger transformers making it more of a Pro, they are basically the same circuit. This thing has one setting, loud! I worry about hearing loss. This is not a versatile amp, but it sounds so good. You always want to turn it up, up, up. This guy has a Fender tweed circuits wired into his head. https://robrobinette.com/5e3_Modifications.htm. Building will still cost you at least $500 I think probably more. Just buy it.

I think you can get fairly close to a tweed tone on most amps if you crank the Mid and turn down the Bass and Treble. Three band EQ seems to suck all the mids. A good preamp pedal will nearly get you there as well, or you could go modern and use a Tweed amp capture.

Yea, that is where is gets kind of tricky. A buddy of mine has (and gigs) a 5e5 and it is Very like a 5e3. But then there is the 5e5A which is a bit different and can stay cleaner longer. I've played both, similar but I liked how the A stayed cleaner longer and seemed to have more "chime". Though I love turning my 5e3 up. It ain't clean, and it ain't pretending to be, lol.

The issue with the BF/SF thing is, the circuit dumps a Bunch of gain/mids through that tone stack. Add a pot in series with the 6,8k is cool. I have I think 100k pot on my pro reverb (there was already a hole drilled in the back), usually I keep it around the same 6,8k setting - I've marked it - but yea, you crank up that pot, you not only get a bunch more mids but more gain. In a lot of ways, That is the one of the big dif between tweed and BF/SF. A lot of amps have that, I had a Redplate that did that on the clean channel, you could set how much the resistor for the mid dump was. Changed the sound a LOT. Super easy mod.

I do dig the sound of my stringmaster through the sf dr. Not sure I'd go that way if I were trying to nail a "period correct" tone, but it did sound awful good.

[Jim Newberry]

Pete, I can set up a demo situation where you can try a tweed Deluxe(1x12), tweed Pro (1x15), tweed Super(2x10), tweed Harvard(1x10), and a 70's Deluxe Reverb (1x12) if you'd like. All clones except the Deluxe Reverb... You can borrow any if you'd like.

The pedal guys love the extended range of the 15" speaker; I like my 2x10 Super setup and 1x12 tweed Deluxe the best.

The tweed Super (5F4) and tweed Pro (5e5a) essentially share the same circuit and I made my chassis so that I can accommodate either setup in different cabinets.

[Tim Toberer]

How do you decide on a Tweed amp? I was in the "which amp should I get?" about 5 years ago. This was before I knew anything about steel guitar and I was looking for a guitar amp. Long story short I discovered the Tweed era amps which led me to reading about and looking at a lot of pictures of old Western swing players. Of course I had to also have a steel guitar so here I am! I'm thinking a period correct Pro amp 1947-1951-53 would be the 5A5 and the 5B5 which is a tough one to find. I don't think I would want to deal with the added stress of Octal tubes. The 5C5 was transitional 53-54 and I think it has negative feedback which is very untweedlike, but probably gives more headroom...The 5E5 is close enough. Add a fixed bias and you have more clean volume and call it a 5E5A. That should be a good one and still a Tweed.

My experience with Tweed is complicated. For me it is not practical at all since I don't perform, but I still love to fire it up and annoy my wife and neighbors. They are loud, heavy and problematic, but there is nothing like the "real" thing. An attenuator is a must for home use. I also built a 5F2A with variable negative feedback and a Tone control cut (Champ mod) which is a gorgeous little amp and just the right volume. No pedals needed for any of these. I don't even use reverb. To further complicate things I really love all the new technology and for a minimalistic approach you can't beat It, but It is a big time investment to really learn to use it, so I haven't done it. My tube amps are like my record collection. I don't really listen to them often, but I can't get rid of them!

[Gary Meixner]

Pete,

The Fender Stringmaster is a versatile guitar with an assertive personality and I think you will find it sounds pretty darn good through any mid powered tube amp made by Fender and various clones. Your satisfaction will depend a lot on your playing style, and the performance situations you find yourself in. As far as what would sound period correct I dont think I could easily define what that sound would be. From Bob Dunn to Joaquin Murphy, Leon McAuliffe, Herb Remington, Noel Boggs, on and on there is a lot variation.

I think most non pedal steel players prefer tube amps but you might find that a solid state or hybrid amp a better fit if you are trying to use one amp for both steel and mandolin. If that is the case, find an amp the suits the mandolin best and see if you can get a sound you like when paying the steel. It seems to me the mandolin might be harder to dial in but I could be wrong.

Lately I hve been using a Milkman The Amp with a twelve inch neo speaker and its sounds great most of the time in most situations. Other amps might sound better, but when you add up all the variables and can get by with something that weighs less than 20 lbs. it is hard to beat.

The other night I listened to a friend play a Fender Dual Pro through a blackface Fender Princeton Reverb with a 12 inch JBL. I was small club but a loud crowd. That guitar / amp combinations was as nice as any I have ever heard live.

Good luck,

Gary

[Pete Martin]

Thanks all for the replies, I really appreciate the advice!

I do have an amp I like the mandolin through, an original Quilter Micro Pro. The steel doesn't sound bad through it, actually sounds pretty good, but I do miss a tube sound for the steel.

A number of years ago, well before I took up the steel, I had a 5E3 clone that I didn't like for the mandolin as it broke up to quick for my taste.