Hi.
I am building a Fender Tweed Deluxe Clone.
I don't want to use 5Y3 there. Because I don't have any.
I am using Hammond 290AEX for Power.
It has 650VAC with center tap so 325-0-325 VAC
Lets say I wan't to use a SS rec there. A regular 4 diode bridge.
Is it a easy modification?
I know there will be a little change in tone, but its not what I am after.
I know that voltage for Anode will be too high by just using diodebridge and deafult schematic.
Schematic:
I am building a Fender Tweed Deluxe Clone.
I don't want to use 5Y3 there. Because I don't have any.
I am using Hammond 290AEX for Power.
It has 650VAC with center tap so 325-0-325 VAC
Lets say I wan't to use a SS rec there. A regular 4 diode bridge.
Is it a easy modification?
I know there will be a little change in tone, but its not what I am after.
I know that voltage for Anode will be too high by just using diodebridge and deafult schematic.
Schematic:

I think this might give you an overview:
The Unofficial Fender Hot Rod Deluxe Owner's Guide! | The Tube Rectifier "Sag" Mod
If you chose to go the "Weber-route" and a lot of people chose to do so:
Weber Copper Cap Rectifiers
A more DIY-solution from the same website:
https://taweber.powweb.com/amptechtools/subs.htm
However, "Google is your friend" and Googling for "Weber copper caps"
or "rectifier" , "sag" and related terms will bring you a good week's work
going through it. (As well as giving you some "pro" or "con" POV's)
Hope this helped a bit.
Greez
SigFire
The Unofficial Fender Hot Rod Deluxe Owner's Guide! | The Tube Rectifier "Sag" Mod
If you chose to go the "Weber-route" and a lot of people chose to do so:
Weber Copper Cap Rectifiers
A more DIY-solution from the same website:
https://taweber.powweb.com/amptechtools/subs.htm
However, "Google is your friend" and Googling for "Weber copper caps"
or "rectifier" , "sag" and related terms will bring you a good week's work
going through it. (As well as giving you some "pro" or "con" POV's)
Hope this helped a bit.
Greez
SigFire

Tubes / Valves All about our sweet vacuum tubes 🙂 Threads about Musical Instrument Amps of all kinds should be in the Instruments & Amps forum
And
Instruments and Amps Everything that makes music, Especially including instrument amps.
Moved..
If you have a 4A bridge of high enough voltage, then just use half of it. Leave the negative terminal unused. Wire the positive side just as the rectifier tube is wired. Yes, your voltage will be higher without the 5Y3 voltage drop.
Don't have a 5Y3? They are not expensive and readily available.
Don't have a 5Y3? They are not expensive and readily available.
The Anode voltage may be too high using silicon diodes and damage the output valves.
http://www.tubezone.net/pdf/5y3.pdf
The 5Y3 drops around 50 - 60 volts under load. If you use series surge protector resistors in series with the diodes, Svetlan 6V6's and not GT type JJ's you might get away with it.
Hope that helps.
http://www.tubezone.net/pdf/5y3.pdf
The 5Y3 drops around 50 - 60 volts under load. If you use series surge protector resistors in series with the diodes, Svetlan 6V6's and not GT type JJ's you might get away with it.
Hope that helps.
seeing your power tranny has a 5 volt winding you wont really save all that much by not puting in a rectifier valve. dosn't HAV to be a 5y3 a 5ar4 or a gz34 will do just as well that's whats in mine. but a new 5y3 is only about $15, you could end up spending that much on aspirin.
Valves are best as rectifiers in this situation as they have a nice slow start for the output valves to warm up.
You could use an NTC positor in the centre tap to ground connection of the HT winding to help reduce the current/voltage surge. 🙂
You could use an NTC positor in the centre tap to ground connection of the HT winding to help reduce the current/voltage surge. 🙂
Hi.
Thanks guys for all that info.
Happy new year by the way!
I did make some modifications for this schematic.
I will have a Standby switch there.
Now I used a program called Circuit Simulator v1.5n Circuit Simulator Applet
What I did was that I drew up a full rec and two voltage generators (to simulate my PT sec windings) put them together like this 350-0-350. Just to see what voltages I can play with.
I would like to make this simulation even more complex to see what is going to happen if I use a resistor to lower voltage. But I have no idea how to simulate tubes and transformer. So maybe I will let it be.
Only rec tube that I found is NOS 5ц3с How about that?
It should be the same as 5U4G.
Compression is not actually what I am after. And I will change the preamp for this amp to have a 3band EQ. So its not the sound of a 5E3 that I am actually after. Its just I had parts for this amp (exept the 5y3) and went with it.
So I am sorry I didn't clear this up in a first place.
I have previously built one 5E3 and I have to say that there was something that I was not so keen on. So I desided to build another one and have some fun with it.
There is just one thing about thouse amps. I don't understand how the highvoltage is devided and calculated. But maybe I am digging too deep. I know that its a voltage divider. And I need to calculate it as one.
So now I will go and get myself some 5Y3 tubes (if 5U4G doesnt work) and have fun with sound, not with high voltage maybe.
EDIT:
Still one question more.
What voltage reading should be there after 5Y3 and what should be there if SS rec is used?
Just to have a sense how big is the difference in voltage.
Thanks guys for all that info.
Happy new year by the way!
I did make some modifications for this schematic.
I will have a Standby switch there.
Now I used a program called Circuit Simulator v1.5n Circuit Simulator Applet
What I did was that I drew up a full rec and two voltage generators (to simulate my PT sec windings) put them together like this 350-0-350. Just to see what voltages I can play with.
I would like to make this simulation even more complex to see what is going to happen if I use a resistor to lower voltage. But I have no idea how to simulate tubes and transformer. So maybe I will let it be.
Only rec tube that I found is NOS 5ц3с How about that?
It should be the same as 5U4G.
Compression is not actually what I am after. And I will change the preamp for this amp to have a 3band EQ. So its not the sound of a 5E3 that I am actually after. Its just I had parts for this amp (exept the 5y3) and went with it.
So I am sorry I didn't clear this up in a first place.
I have previously built one 5E3 and I have to say that there was something that I was not so keen on. So I desided to build another one and have some fun with it.
There is just one thing about thouse amps. I don't understand how the highvoltage is devided and calculated. But maybe I am digging too deep. I know that its a voltage divider. And I need to calculate it as one.
So now I will go and get myself some 5Y3 tubes (if 5U4G doesnt work) and have fun with sound, not with high voltage maybe.
EDIT:
Still one question more.
What voltage reading should be there after 5Y3 and what should be there if SS rec is used?
Just to have a sense how big is the difference in voltage.
Last edited:
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