AMPS

Here’s the amp that got me interested in all things tube.  It’s a 1957 Fender 5F4 Super-Amp that I bought at a garage sale back in 2000 for $15.  Didn’t know what it was at the time because it had been covered in black tolex and had a silver grille cloth.  The tube chart said “Fender Electric Instruments” so I figured it was some weird pre-CBS PA head.  Got it home and realized there were traces of tweed under the tolex.  Of course, it was originally a 2x10 combo but someone cut it into a head.

The tube chart states that it’s a model 5E4.  However, I believe that Fender just used some existing cabinets that were left over from the 5E4 production run for the earlier 5F4 amps.  The date code on the chart is “GG” (July 1957.  Fender stopped production of the 5E4 circuit in 1956) and the tube values have been remarked with a ballpoint to the 5F4 values.  The circuit is most definitely a 5F4 circuit and the transformer codes match the 5F4 trannies.

Peeled off the tolex and added spec. grille cloth, a replacement leather handle, and generic “tweed” Fender logo (which I’ve since replaced with a repro of the original Fender Super-Amp logo).

Replaced the selenium bias rectifier with a silicone diode.

Replaced the power supply resistors with wire wound and ceramic units.

Added an adjustable bias pot.

Replaced the electrolytic capacitors with Sprague Atoms.

Replaced the non-original bipolar caps with Sequa metal-foil-in-paper caps.

Added a three prong AC cord and disconnected the polarity switch (don’t want to die).

Currently running EH 6L6s and a Mullard 5AR4/GZ34.  Can’t remember which preamp tubes but they’re all NOS.

I run it through a Carvin Legacy cab loaded with Celestion V30s.

This is my Sovtek Mig-50.  It’s from the early-mid 90s and is essentially a knock-off of the Marshall model 1987 (famous 50 watt “plexi” Marshall).  It’s really cool – all the components have Cyrillic markings on them.  The stock pots and switches were cheap but the rest of it is built like a tank, which makes sense since it was built in a former Soviet military factory.  Note that the presence knob is misspelled “Presense”.

I replaced the electrolytic caps with Sprague Atoms, Mallorys and F&Ts and increased the power supply filtering.  I had to get creative with the cap placement since the old caps were strange can-types that screwed into the chassis like sparkplugs.

Replaced the nylon switches with heavy duty Carling units

Replaced the preamp cathode resistors with 220K resistors to boost the gain.

I am going to replace the pots with Clarostat RV6 type units.

It’s currently running all Sovtek tubes including 5881 power tubes.  I plan to get some nice EL-84s for more of a classic Marshall sound.

I run it through either my Mesa/Boogie 4x12 (two 90 watt Mesa Black Shadows and 2 65 watt Eminence speakers) or my Marshall 2x12 (two Celestion G12T-75s) and I use a Scholtz Power Soak attenuator. 

These are the old Russian can caps I replaced.  They read way off spec. with the meter. →

Here’s my Fender Champ 12 that I bought new back in ’89.  These amps have a bad reputation but mine sounds great - I used to gig with it all the time.  The trick is to keep the treble knob set below "2" and crank the bass.  Also, need to keep the lead channel’s gain low.  The reverb is terrible.  This amp has a beefy midrange – it sounds similar to a Mesa/Boogie Mk I.

I installed the Torres “Red Knob Champ Mod”.

Replaced all the ceramic disk caps with silver mica units.

Replaced the electrolytic caps with Sprague Atoms and Nichicon Black Gates.

Here is my rack system.  It consists of a Marshall model 9001 tube preamp and a TubeWorks model MV-962 160 watt power amp.  This was the shit back in ’91 when I bought it.  I wanted an amp with three channels and a stereo effects loop.   It also has a switchable five band EQ.  I run it through either the Mesa/Boogie 4x12 or the Marshall 2x12, both of which are wired for stereo.  This amp is all about preamp gain and it has loads of it – a great shred amp.  The clean sound is very hi-fi.  A very modern sounding rig overall.

Here’s Aurora the cat.  She likes music and will sometimes sleep in the back of the Mesa/Boogie cab while I’m playing.

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