5:50 settings to get close to a "Tweed" sound?

[melodiusthunk]

Does anyone have any settings they like to get the 5:50 Express in the ballpark of a an overdriven Fender Bassman?

Scott

 

[Don]

Does anyone have any settings they like to get the 5:50 Express in the ballpark of a an overdriven Fender Bassman?

Scott

I don't know about a tweed Bassman but I can kinda aproximate the overdrive of my tweed Deluxe (5E3) clone by using the Blues mode of my Express 5:50, setting the gain at noon or so, treble at noon, mids around 1:30 and bass around 10:30.

 

[jeppekristoffer]

I dont have my Express cause I sold it to buy a Mark V but as I remember you should try the Clean mode with the gain High, 3 O'clock at least and the Treble high as well, like 3 o'clock or even a little higher mids like maybe 2 o'clock and bass maybe noon. No contour. watts, whatever situation your in and fits the best.
I don't know if it's a real tweed sound but its really similar to the Mark V tweed mode.
Good luck.

 

[Bob Womack]

I haven't played a 5:50 but own a 5:25. try to put the amp in 5 watt mode and in crunch mode with the gain down just below 12 o'clock. When I do that with a humbucker guitar like a Les Paul, the sound I get is like the Doobie Brothers on "Rockin' Down the Highway." It's is my understanding that Pat Simmons and Tom Johnston shared a tweed Deluxe in the studio for most of the early albums.

Bob

 

[mtodd6]

I have a Fender Deluxe 5E3 clone and I can make it sound like the 5:50 clean if I put a boss compressor with attack & sustain set about 12, in front of the 5E3. Without compression, the picking dynamics are just so different.

 

[mtodd6]

I haven't played a 5:50 but own a 5:25. try to put the amp in 5 watt mode and in crunch mode with the gain down just below 12 o'clock. When I do that with a humbucker guitar like a Les Paul, the sound I get is like the Doobie Brothers on "Rockin' Down the Highway." It's is my understanding that Pat Simmons and Tom Johnston shared a tweed Deluxe in the studio for most of the early albums.

Bob

I could never reproduce those 70s rock sounds with my Fender xxx-Reverb. Do you just have to crank the amp so loud it needs to be isolated from humanity? I always assume those guys had their Fenders modified. When I read about the gear used on an iconic recording, I'm always surprised at how basic it was, or a very common amp was used. Makes me want to focus just on my playing & let the gear work itself out over time.

 

[Bob Womack]

I could never reproduce those 70s rock sounds with my Fender xxx-Reverb. Do you just have to crank the amp so loud it needs to be isolated from humanity? I always assume those guys had their Fenders modified.

Many of the blackfaces and the silverfaces had to be cranked up until no human could stay in the room with them to get a decent distortion. The tweeds, however, were less efficient and had wide-band preamps so that they broke up earlier. There were more Class-A designs in the tweeds than in the BFs as well. As I recall, the only Class-A in the BFs was the Champ. The Doobs used a tweed Deluxe and a tweed Bassman, as I recall. Pat Simmons mentioned that he did "Listen to the Music" on a Champ and it sounds it. For distortion on a recording, the way of things back then was small amps, cranked 'til they bled. They often threw a booster in as well. I've still got my Electro Harmonix LPB-2 from about '72, though it has been re-boxed. The reason I have it is that I built it into a pedal board and that pedal board is still hanging around. I "moved up" from that to an MXR Micro Amp to cut down on noise. I had an old '65 Gibson GA-55RVT Ranger (2 6L6s, 50 watts) that had only one speed (full tilt) but broke up at a much lower volume than my roommate's Super and was so dark it didn't icepick. I'd jump the channels and run the LPB-1 or Micro Amp in front of it and it sang. But it was still LOUD.

No wonder Randall Smith made a hit with his little MK.I. Up 'til then, guitarists were on a fast track to deafness. By the way, the 5:25 with the 10" speaker is even better at reproducing the tweed sound.

Bob

 

[mtodd6]

The tweeds, however, were less efficient and had wide-band preamps so that they broke up earlier. There were more Class-A designs in the tweeds than in the BFs as well.
Bob

Yeah, I love my tweed deluxe 5E3. Sounds awesome with a few pedals.

I cannot say the same about my Supersonic 60W. It does not sound like a Bassman or a Vibrolux even though the preamp is almost identical as the preamp stage in the vintage boys. Maybe it's the celestion. Been thinking about replacing it with a repro jensen or weber.

 

[melodiusthunk]

Hey thanks guys, the suggestions I got are close enough to the real thing that I successfully resisted an acute GAS attack and avoided an unnecessary pedal purchase. Now only how to properly package my 5:50 for the eventual journey into the afterlife...

Scott

 

[Don]

By the way, the 5:25 with the 10" speaker is even better at reproducing the tweed sound.

Bob

I played a 5:25 1x12 combo this past weekend and it could definitely get closer to the sound of my 5E3 clone than my 5:50 can. The 5:50 has a more lush, bigger blackface Fender amp (with mids and the ability to work with a fuzz pedal) type of tone. Also, recently, I heard a guy playing ZZ Top's "Just Got Paid" using the Burn mode on a 5:25 1x10 combo with the gain set at about 9:00 and it sounded great- very ZZ Top like!

 

[TimeSignature]

The Fender Bassman has a huge bottom end, I wouldnt recommend the 5 watt setting. I have a Bassman and an Express 5 50 and interestingly that can get similar tones. I actually prefer the Express but that's a different story.

Over driven Fender Bassman imo would be something like 2nd channel - blues, gain at about 2/3. Crank the bass! No EQ. One thing to keep in mind is speaker choice will affect tone. Those Jensen's in the 4x10 Bassman combo's are insanely warm. Maybe throw an EQ in front or a Tubescreamer in front to EQ it a little more to taste.