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Welcome to TweedDeluxe.com, home of the best sounding, most accurate Fender Tweed Deluxe reproductions available; founded by me, Rondo (perhaps better known as "Cayocosta" of RecProAudio). Overview: After having gained experience reverse-engineering and recreating classic studio recording outboard gear including the Teletronix La2a optical compressor and Pultec EQP-1a program equalizer (as well as multiple 5E3 circuits) I'm personally assembling and making available custom and reproduction Fender Tweed Deluxe amplifiers. Update: Due to requests, I am now also offering custom, Tweed Deluxe "Studio-Series" chassis; duplicating the mods of my #1 studio Deluxe. For examples, please see 1960-ftdm-07312010 and 1960-ftdm-07162010. What Others are Saying:
Chassis Only: Be advised however, that I am offering the completed chassis only - which means the relatively simple sourcing of a cabinet, speaker and tubes is left to the buyer. (Don't worry, mounting the chassis and speaker to the cabinet is very easy and takes just a minute; and tubes simply plug in.) Plus, when you buy the cabinet, vintage tubes and speaker yourself you ultimately save $500 (or more) vs. the cost of a Deluxe from Fender or other boutique builders - and you have the best of the best when it's assembled. Furthermore, I assist buyers in locating the optimal speaker(s) and tubes for their individual needs, as well as the cabinet(s). Additionally, I am always available via phone or email for technical support and assistance. (RecProAudio is based in Southwest Florida, USA.) Chassis Versions (all chassis are built to order with current lead times of 2 weeks):
Accessories: Each chassis includes: finished vintage speaker wire with switchcraft jack, capacitor discharge wire with alligator clips, chassis mounting hardware, documentation and voltage chart. Detail and Investment: Paying very close attention to detail, I build each chassis personally (as if I were building it for myself) while utilizing only the finest components available anywhere; including those by Kendrick (Gerald Weber), Mercury Magnetics, Sozo, Allen-Bradley (NOS), Amphenol (NOS), CTS, additional NOS and more (excluding Studio-Special builds). Moreover, hand assembly in the USA by an accomplished studio musician and electronics enthusiast renown for quality engineering and workmanship helps ensure outstanding secondary market value and return on investment. Operating voltages are inline with vintage mains, and output transformers are 1960 specifications. No variac is required, as B+ is optimized to provide maximum performance and valve longevity. Interestingly, considering that many original Deluxes have had cap jobs and replacement output transformers installed, the vintage-series Deluxes, carefully assembled with NOS, OEM and otherwise high-quality parts are really only differentiated from such an original's electronic DNA by virtue of the power transformer and pots (both of which being stood-in-for by very similar modern equivalents) and a standby (very sensibly) replacing the outmoded ground switch. To assure premier mechanical and tonal performance, all builds are tested, optimized and burned-in by me personally (in my home studio). Photos, build notes and demo videos are published (on this site) for each individual chassis. Each chassis is signed and numbered by me.
Just about anyone can build a Tweed Deluxe circuit; but few do it very well, and fewer still can assemble an amp that performs as expected when overdriven - as the best original Deluxes do - especially without losing any of the amp's normal operational characteristics. When operating below overdrive levels it's easy for just about any 5E3 circuit to sound nice, but when the volume is increased the tone can often be awful - flabby bass, fizzy highs, splotchy distortion and phase issues can plague even the cleanest builds; and sorting out these problems can take a long time. For me, it took a few years, many rebuilds and many dollars before I was finally happy with what I was hearing. I only do one thing: 5E3 Deluxes; and I think it's safe to say that I've done more research over the last several years regarding the Tweed Deluxe circuit and it's application in studio recording than just about anyone else. What I was after was that classic tone of ZZ Top's Billy Gibbons, Larry Carlton (Steely Dan) and Don Felder (Eagles); what I learned was that simply building a "stock" circuit will not get you there. Why? Because of differences in voltages, passive componentry, transformers, tolerances, lead dress, and more - plus all of the aforementioned factors combined. Tweed Deluxes should sing and rock, and they do just that when sorted out and built right; though you'd never know that by checking out demos on YouTube as nearly everyone plays the same old chicken pickin', clean blues and rockabilly riffs. Nothing wrong with that stuff, but (as popular music history has illustrated) this amp is capable of so much more, yet (alarmingly) nobody today seems to acknowledge it - including most builders. So, I suppose what I'm saying here is: if you want an amp that's built and tested to deliver vintage Tweed Deluxe rock and roll tone (while retaining all the other attributes of Fender's late tweed era) you'd do well to consider my work. Additional background and amplifier information is available on the About page. There are tons of mp3s and videos located at RecProAudio recorded by me with my Deluxe clones. Please check them out at your convenience. (Reproductions of classic recording studio outboard gear - Universal Audio Teletronix La2a and Pulse Technologies EQP-1a - were utilized in studio recordings.) Peace of Mind: To me, a reproduction is a much better option as opposed to buying an original Deluxe, for the stock output transformer is prone to failure (if it's still installed) and the capacitors are often in need of replacement (again, if still installed) - and ultimately, there's no guarantee an original Deluxe will even sound good. Thus, by building a very faithful reproduction, the amp can be pushed and that classic tone achieved without risk of depreciating an original collectible, or experiencing the considerable stress associated with that prospect (especially while trying to be creative). Likewise, new reproduction circuits can be modified without any impact on valuation. Chassis Pricing: In addition to elevated highest-quality new and NOS component cost, chassis builds are also labor intensive - requiring 2 full days of assembly, plus additional time allocated to testing, tuning and burn-in. Notwithstanding, pricing remains more than competitive versus boutique peers and Fender itself; ultimately representing a tremendous deal considering the performance, build quality and components of these amps are second to none and simply not available from any other source. PayPal, check and wire transfers accepted.
Warranty: All chassis are guaranteed against defects in workmanship and materials for a period of 1 year, parts and labor, with all shipping costs the responsibility of the owner. This warranty is voided in the event of abuse, misuse, or any modifications to the circuit performed by third parties or otherwise unauthorized personnel. 
Summary: If you're seriously interested in acquiring the finest, most accurate, Fender 5E3 narrow-panel Tweed Deluxe reproduction available, please feel free to contact me with any questions, and/or view my current available vintage-series chassis here: For studio-series builds (clones of my modified Tweed Deluxe studio amplifier chassis), please see 1960-ftdm-07312010 for more info and/or contact me for details. (Custom builds to customer specifications are also available.) In any event, it's my pleasure to offer these amplifiers & I thank you all for your interest and support. Best,  |
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