AcornHouse
Venerated Member
Oops, I did it again! I've been thinking about getting some tweediness to go with my BF PR et al. So, while perusing the GC used listings, saw that they had not one, but two '54 Fender Deluxes (5d3) at not too high prices, both in the Hollywood vintage store. (And, they were running a 24 month no interest finance deal for September.) Thanks to LTG, I was able to get a first hand account from or Master Enabler, the one and only Treemster! One of them (listed at $1499) wasn't there, out for repairs. (I later found out that it wouldn't power up.) So he tested the less expensive one for me and declared it a "tone monster." Both were recovered (re-tweeded?) and this one had a replaced transformer. Since an all-original one would go for at least twice the money (and with the nice payment plan) I bit and called my friend at the local GC and made the deal.
It finally arrived last night in a gargantuan box with enough peanuts to supply a stadium on a doubleheader night. (lets just say it was well packed.) The tone is there, although I was getting some ground hum (which might be due to my CFL at home, its done that with other quiet amps) and a rattle at high volume. Something may have loosened in the journey from Cali, so when I get the plug switched to a grounded one, I'll get that checked. All vintage glass as well.
And now, the pics!
This one goes to 12!
It looks like they used a 5c3 label and crossed out the old metal pre-amp tubes and put the glass ones used in the 5d3 circuit. Since the date code is March '54, they were probably using up the old labels.
(cont.)
It finally arrived last night in a gargantuan box with enough peanuts to supply a stadium on a doubleheader night. (lets just say it was well packed.) The tone is there, although I was getting some ground hum (which might be due to my CFL at home, its done that with other quiet amps) and a rattle at high volume. Something may have loosened in the journey from Cali, so when I get the plug switched to a grounded one, I'll get that checked. All vintage glass as well.
And now, the pics!
This one goes to 12!
It looks like they used a 5c3 label and crossed out the old metal pre-amp tubes and put the glass ones used in the 5d3 circuit. Since the date code is March '54, they were probably using up the old labels.
(cont.)