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59 Tweed 15w Amp Kit Instructions
59 Tweed 15w Amp Kit Instructions
A S S E M B LY I N S T R U C T I O N S
With loads of
helpful tips!
Contents
Capacitor values . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Final assembly . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Copyright © 2018 by Stewart MacDonald Manufacturing Co., Ltd. All Rights Reserved.
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This material is protected by copyright and has been created by and solely for the purposes of StewMac.
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son. Where provided to you in electronic format, you may only print from it for your own private use.
stewmac.com Failure to comply with the terms of this warning exposes
2 you to legal action for copyright infringement. © 2018 StewMac
’59 TWEED 15W
COMBO AMP KIT ORIGINAL 5E 3 CIRCUIT
StewMac ICON KITS bring classics that are no longer made, or are simply
unaffordable, within reach. And the best part is you get to build them with
your own hands.
We give painstaking attention to parts selection, authentic materials, and
instantly recognizable details—everything that makes the originals so
sought after.
Build it with StewMac
These immersive instructions walk you through every step of creating this
tone machine. And you’ll learn a lot, gaining a deep knowledge of your
amp’s inner workings.
Follow our steps closely for safety, too: we’ve carefully laid out a path that
even newcomers can follow in handling electrical components.
Building an amp can seem daunting, but nobody makes it easier than
StewMac. Watch for helpful tips along the way, too—we’re here to help!
Quick look:
Sort your components by type, using the parts list.
Learn more:
Gain Processing Output
Gain Processing Output
68 K
0.1 µF
1 MEG
Gain 6V6 GT
12AX7
500 pF
0.1 µF 1.5 K
68 K
100 K
220 K
.022µF
820 Ω
25–50
25–50
56 K
.0047 µF
2705 W
100 K
1 MEG
68 K
220 K
1 MEG
100 K
1.5 K
25–50
1.5 K
1 MEG
0.1 µF 0.1 µF
56 K
6V6 GT
22 K 4.7 K 2 W
16–450
16–450
16–450
Power
AC switch
2 amp 5Y3 GT
slow-blow fuse
To tube heaters and pilot lights
Resistor Capacitor Potentiometer Transformer Jack Ground Diode tube Triode tube Pentode tube
plate
grid
plate
grid
plate
screen ’59 TWEED 15W
cathode cathode cathode 5E3 CIRCUIT SCHEMATIC
510K
r (2) 100Ω .5W carbon composite r (1) 500pF 500V silver mica
Brown Black Brown Gold
r (1) 22K .5W carbon composite 223J 600V r (1) .022μF 600V Orange Drop
Red Red Orange Gold
r (4) 68K .5W carbon composite 104J 600V r (4) 0.1μF 600V Orange Drop
Blue Gray Orange Gold
+
r (2) 220K .5W carbon composite
Red Red Yellow Gold
A magnifier helps!
Hardware
67 8
r (2) 9-pin tube socket for preamp tube
9
45
1 23
6 7
8
4
3 2
r (1) Pilot lamp bulb (#47) r (1) Speaker wire (two leads)
Additional components
Heat-shrink tubing
r (1) Ground switch (3 lugs)
r (1) 1/8" diameter (5" length)
#1609
Required Phillips screwdrivers, #1 and #2 Round-nose
Bending Pliers #0505
Item #3000 Guitar Tech Screwdriver Set Kester
Pocket-Pak
Needle nose pliers Solder
Item #1610 Long-nose Pliers
Wire cutter
Item #1607 Fine-gauge Wire Cutter
Wire stripper
Item #1606 Wire Stripper
#0501
Soldering iron (preferably 40W) Solomon SL-30
Soldering Station
Item #0501 Solomon SL-30 Soldering Station
Solder (at least one Pocket-Pak)
Item #0505 Kester Pocket-Pak Solder
Solder sucker
Item #0503 Solomon Solder Sucker
#3000
Drill with a 5/32" bit Guitar Tech
Screwdriver Set
For mounting eyelet board to chassis
Ruler
Item #4905 StewMac Shop Rule #1606
Digital multimeter Wire Stripper
#0531
StewMac
Solder Monster
A resistor’s value—the amount of resistance it creates—is Capacitor values are typically printed on the component.
rated in ohms ( Ω ). Larger ohm values mean more resistance. The key values with caps are their capacitance and voltage.
For example, a 100Ω resistor creates ten times as much re-
Think of a capacitor as a container that can hold electricity.
sistance as a 10Ω resistor.
Capacitance, measured in farads, refers to how much elec-
The resistors used in amplifiers are too small to have value tricity this container can hold—its capacity. One farad (1F)
numbers printed on them. Instead, a system of colored would be much too large for use in an amplifier. Caps for
bands tells their values. The key to reading these bands is amps are rated in millionths of a farad, called microfarads
provided below. However, an easier way to decode these (μF), or trillionths of a farad: picofarads (pF). The voltage
bands is to download one of the many smartphone apps spec for a cap refers to how much DC voltage it can handle
for this purpose. at any given time.
One band will be the nearest to an end of the resistor. That A unique property of capacitors is that they don’t allow DC
band tells the first value. Combine it with the value of band current to flow past them, only AC current. This is important
2 to get a two-digit number (68 in our example below). in parts of an amplifier circuit, such as the path between a
Multiply that number by band 3 (68 x 1,000 = 68,000). Thou- preamp stage and a power amp stage. Here, a “coupling
sands are represented by the letter K, so this resistor is 68K capacitor” will block DC voltage, allowing only the AC guitar
(kilo-ohms, or KΩ). signal to pass.
If there is a fourth band, it will be either silver or gold. This Filter caps
indicates the tolerance allowed during manufacturing. The Capacitors also filter out 60Hz hum, or “ripple,” after the AC
resistors used in this kit have a +/- 5% tolerance, represented current from the wall is converted to DC. These capacitors
by a gold band 4. are called filter caps, because they filter out the ripple from
a power supply. The filter caps in this amp are the 8μF and
A magnifying glass helps a lot. The bands on a 470Ω resistor
are yellow/violet/brown, and the bands on a 47K resistor are 22μF electrolytic capacitors.
yellow/violet/orange. They’re easily confused! Electrolytic caps
Can’t read the colors? Electrolytic capacitors contain electrolyte: a liquid or gel
that gives them a large storage capacity. Electrolytic caps
You can always use a multimeter to test a resistor’s value.
are typically polarized.
Set your meter to ohms and connect the test leads on each
side of the resistor.
Band 1 Band 2 Band 3 Band 4 22μf
1st Digit 2nd Digit Multiplier Tolerance Positive Negative
BLACK 0 0 1 None +/- 20%
25μF
+
BROWN 1 1 10
RED 2 2 100 Polarized caps
ORANGE 3 3 1,000 Some capacitors have polarity and some don’t. It’s extremely
YELLOW 4 4 10,000 important to install polarized caps correctly in a circuit. The
GREEN 5 5 100,000 positive lead of an electrolytic cap will be indicated by an
BLUE 6 6 1,000,000 indented ring around one edge of the capacitor. The nega-
VIOLET 7 7 tive lead will often be indicated by a band of arrows pointing
GRAY 8 8 0.01 +/- 10% SILVER to the negative lead.
WHITE 9 9 0.1 +/- 5% GOLD
Installing capacitors with the polarity backwards will make
the circuit malfunction and quickly destroy the capacitor—
6 8 x1,000 +/- 5% even causing it to explode.
Blue Gray Orange Gold 68K +/- 5%
K = 1,000
600V
472J
BRIGHT 2 NORMAL 2
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16
17 18 19 20
104J 600V
104J 600V
104J 600V
104J 600V
223J 600V
5W 270Ω
25μF
25μF
25μF
22μf
22μf
22μf
22 23
+ +
21
+
24
25
34 38
26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 35 36 37 39
4 5 4 5 4 5
3
89 89
567
567
2
12
12
1 8 1 8 1 8 34 34
V5 V4 V3 V2 V1
5Y3 6V6 6V6 SPEAKER EXTENSION 12AX7 12AY7
600V
472J
BRIGHT 2 NORMAL 2
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16
17 18 19 20
104J 600V
104J 600V
104J 600V
104J 600V
223J 600V
5W 270Ω
25μF
25μF
25μF
22μf
22μf
22μf
22 23
+ +
21
+
24 STEP 2
25
Solder the speaker plug
Don’t drill through the cabinet! Use a 26 Use27a small 28
screwdriver
29 30to 31
remove
32 the 33
34
Trim
35 the
36 black 38
37 lead to
39 fit and solder
piece of masking tape on your drill bit back of the speaker plug. it to the sleeve lug. The solder joints
to mark the depth, or use a StewMac need to be neat in this metal case.
On the black and white speaker leads,
Depth-stop Drill Bit (item #1712). Reassemble the plug.
push the insulation back 3/8". Solder
Use the black cable clamp screw to the white positive lead to the tip lug Do a continuity test with your multi-
4 5 4 5 4 5
mount the cable clamp. You’ll secure (center of the plug). See “Tips for great meter (page 32) to make sure there’s
3
89 89
567
567
12
1 8 1 8 1 8 34
no connection between the plug’s tip
34
during final assembly. and its metal case. If the meter shows
V5 V4 V3 V2 V1
5Y3 6V6 6V6 SPEAKER EXTENSION 12AX7 continuity, open
12AY7 the plug and rework
STEP 4
Install the speaker StewMac® ’59 TWEED 15W
ICON KITS ORIGINAL 5E3 CIRCUIT
Remove the nuts from the four
DANGER: Unplug the amp before changing tubes.
speaker mounting screws. Carefully Tube locations from left to right:
slide the speaker onto the mounting
screws until it’s flush with the front 5Y3 6V6 6V6
Left
jack
Right
jack 12AX7 12AY7
(ECC83) (6071)
panel.
Speaker Extension
V5 V4 V3 speaker V2 V1
Install the four speaker mounting
Use only 2-amp slow-blow fuse.
nuts so they’re lightly touching the #10731
speaker frame.
STEP 5
Do not tighten the nuts in a circular Glue the tube placement chart
pattern around the speaker, because Cut out the tube replacement chart
STEP 3
this can warp the speaker frame. on page 39. Put a thin coat of glue or
Solder the speaker leads
Twist the speaker leads together to Instead tighten one nut with a quarter contact cement on the back and glue
keep them neat. turn so it’s just snug, then do the same it to the inside wall of the cabinet.
to the opposite side. Then snug the
Push the insulation back 3/8" and in- STEP 6
third nut and fourth. Repeat this criss-
sert the white lead into the speaker’s Optional copper shielding
cross pattern of quarter-turns until all
positive terminal and the black lead If you prefer extra shielding on your
four nuts have had one full turn. This
through the negative terminal. amp, apply copper shielding tape
will give proper tension to compress
Before soldering these leads, place (item #0028) on the top back panel,
the speaker gasket. Overtightening
a business card or other protection covering the exposed wood. This
can warp the frame, damage the cone
under the terminals to prevent sol- helps shield the circuit from unwant-
and cause unwanted distortion.
der dripping onto the speaker cone. ed interference caused by other
Solder the two leads to the speaker electrical devices.
terminals. Because this tape’s adhesive will be
subjected to heat from the tubes, it’s
a good idea to staple the corners to
the wood panel.
STEP 7
Drill two holes in the boards
Place the insulator board behind the
eyelet board, aligning the two boards
so the edges are flush. Tape them
Position the taped boards inside the Drill the 5/32" mounting holes
together with masking tape to keep
chassis as shown above, with a gap of through the pair of boards. Separate
them aligned for drilling.
roughly 1/4" between the long edges the boards and set the insulator aside
of the boards and chassis. The short for later.
ends of the boards are flush against
the end of the chassis.
the chassis so you can see the two Number the eyelets and holes
mounting holes. Using a sharp pen- These instructions will refer to the
cil through the holes, mark the hole eyelets and holes by number. Use a
locations onto the insulator board. pencil to mark these numbers onto
your eyelet board:
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16
17 18 19 20
22 23
21
24
25
34 38
26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 35 36 37 39
POWER TRANSFORMER
4 5 4 5 4 5
3
6
2
1 8 1 8 1 8
V5 V4 V3 V2 V1
5Y3 6V6 6V6 SPEAKER EXTENSION 12AX7 12AY7
Wrap
Snip
STEP 9 The black wire is used in all cases, and STEP 11
Prep the two grounding strips it’s twisted together with another Install the two speaker jacks
With a wire cutter, snip the mounting wire depending on your country’s Mount the speaker output jack (3-
holes on the three-lug terminals as voltage: lug shorting jack) and the extension
pictured. Cut two 1" pieces of green speaker jack (2-lug) with the large
100V: black/blue striped
wire and remove the insulation. Wrap washer on the outside. Tighten them
120V: white
and solder the wires to the terminals, well for good electrical grounding.
220V: black/yellow striped
electrically connecting all three lugs.
230V: black/green striped STEP 12
These are used as grounding strips.
240V: black/red striped Install the 5Y3 tube socket + clip
STEP 10 The sockets for the 5Y3 and 6V6 tubes
In North America for example, you
Mount the power transformer would twist the white wire together are identical, so you can use any one
The power transformer has thir- with the black wire for 120V. of them for this step. Orient the socket
teen leads, including three pairs so pin 1 is nearest the open side of the
Twist the four unused transformer
with matching colors, plus seven chassis. Use two 4-40 x 3/8" machine
wires into two pairs. You’ll terminate
wires with different colors. Twist the screws to mount the socket outside
them independently in a few steps.
same-color pairs together and pull of the chassis. Include a tension clip
the red lead with a yellow stripe off Uncover the mounting bolts and in- on the outside to support the tube.
to the side. stall the transformer on the outside
STEP 13
of the chassis, with four 8-32 locknuts
Five of the other wires allow you to Add the 6V6 tube sockets + clips
inside. Mount the two grounding
wire the unit for different voltages, Mount the two 6V6 tube sockets and
strips at the corners as shown.
depending on the electrical system tension clips in the same way.
where you live.
stewmac.com 12 © 2018 StewMac
GROUND FUSE POWER LAMP TONE BRIGHT VOL. NORMAL VOL. BRIGHT 1 NORMAL 1
BRIGHT 2 NORMAL 2
OUTPUT TRANSFORMER
(Mounted outside)
4 5 4 5 4 5
3
89 89
567
567
2
12
12
1 8 1 8 1 8 34 34
V5 V4 V3 V2 V1
5Y3 6V6 6V6 SPEAKER EXTENSION 12AX7 12AY7
STEP 19
STEP 16
Add 12AY7+12AX7 tube sockets Install the power switch
Use two 4-40 x 1/4" machine screws Mount the power switch with its two
for mounting each of these sockets. lugs facing up for soldering later.
Position the socket so pin 3 is toward
the open side of the chassis.
GROUND FUSE POWER LAMP TONE BRIGHT VOL. NORMAL VOL. BRIGHT 1 NORMAL 1
BRIGHT 2 NORMAL 2
Enlarged to
show detail
4 5 4 5 4 5
3
89 89
567
567
2
12
12
1 8 1 8 1 8 34 34
V5 V4 V3 V2 V1
5Y3 6V6 6V6 SPEAKER EXTENSION 12AX7 12AY7
Install input jacks + 1M resistors Install power transformer leads Terminate unused power
Mount jacks 1 and 2 in the Normal Run the black wire from the power transformer leads
channel. Turn the jacks as pictured, so transformer to the side lug of the fuse The four unused leads from the power
a side lug of jack Normal 1 is close to socket. Trim it to length and solder transformer need to be safely termi-
the center lug of jack Normal 2. it. Use the trimmed scrap to create a nated and tucked away in the chassis.
short jumper from the end lug of the Trim these leads to 4". With one hand
Run the leads of a 1M resistor through
fuse socket to the closest lug of the hold the leads where they come out
the right and left lugs of jack Normal 1,
power switch. Leave the white wire for of the transformer and with the other
positioning it out of the way of a gui-
now, we will connect it in a later step. hand pull the insulation of each lead
tar cable plug. It doesn’t matter which
direction the resistor is attached, be- STEP 24
until it stretches about a 1/4" past
cause resistors aren’t polarized. Power transformer green leads the wire inside. This creates further
Run the two green wires from the insulation over the internal conductor
Wrap one end of this resistor onto
power transformer to the lugs on of each lead.
the center lug of jack 1, and the other
end onto the center lug of jack 2. This the pilot lamp socket (either wire can Once the insulation is stretched out,
resistor connects all three lugs of jack go to either lug). Trim these wires to apply 1" of heat-shrink tubing to the
1, plus the center lug of jack 2. length and wrap them onto the lugs. end of each lead.
Don’t solder these connections yet.
Don’t solder these connections yet. Once the heat-shrink cools, twist
these leads back up and tuck them
Using another 1M resistor, repeat
in between the left side of the power
these steps for jacks 1 and 2 in the
transformer and the chassis wall.
Bright channel.
BRIGHT 2 NORMAL 2
4 5 4 5 4 5
3
89 89
567
567
2
12
12
1 8 1 8 1 8 34 34
V5 V4 V3 V2 V1
5Y3 6V6 6V6 SPEAKER EXTENSION 12AX7 12AY7
LEFT RIGHT
LEFT+R IGHT refer to however the
LEFT RIGHT parts are shown on the diagram
600V
472J
BRIGHT 2 NORMAL 2
4 5 4 5 4 5
3
89 89
567
567
2
12
12
1 8 1 8 1 8 34 34
V5 V4 V3 V2 V1
5Y3 6V6 6V6 SPEAKER EXTENSION 12AX7 12AY7
Attach the 500pF Add two yellow jumpers Add two green jumpers
silver mica capacitor Wrap a 2-1/2" yellow wire between Add a 2-1/2" green jumper between
Solder one lead of the 500pF cap to the center lug of the Tone pot and the left lug of the Bright volume pot
the right lug of the Tone pot. Wrap the right lug of the Bright volume pot. and the left lug of the Normal volume
the other lead through the center lug Solder the connection at the center pot. Solder the connection at the left
of the Bright volume pot, but don’t lug of the Tone pot. lug of the Bright volume pot along
solder this connection yet. A connecting wire like this is called with the lead from the 0.0047uF Or-
a jumper. ange Drop cap added in Step 35.
u STEP 33
Add the 0.0047μF Wrap a 2" yellow jumper between Add a 3" green jumper between the
Orange Drop capacitor the right lug of the Bright volume pot left lug of the Normal volume pot and
Solder one lead of the 0.0047μF cap and the other end through the right the left lug of the Bright 2 input jack.
to the left lug of the Tone pot. Wrap lug of the Normal volume pot. Solder Solder the connection at the left lug
the other lead onto the left lug of the two leads at the right lug of the Bright of the Normal volume pot, along with
Bright volume pot, but don’t solder volume pot. Leave the connection to the green jumper already on that lug.
this connection yet. the right lug of the Normal volume Don’t solder the connection to the
pot unsoldered for now. left lug of the Bright 2 input jack yet.
600V
472J
BRIGHT 2 NORMAL 2
4 5 4 5 4 5
3
89 89
567
567
2
12
12
1 8 1 8 1 8 34 34
V5 V4 V3 V2 V1
5Y3 6V6 6V6 SPEAKER EXTENSION 12AX7 12AY7
Add two 1.5K resistors Add two yellow jumpers Inspect and double-check
Wrap a 1.5K resistor through the top Add one 3" yellow jumper between This is a good time to step away from
eyelets of pin 5 and pin 6 on the V3 the bottom eyelet of pin 8 on the V3 the project for a few minutes and take
tube socket. tube socket and the bottom eyelet of a break.
Wrap the other 1.5K resistor through pin 8 on the V4 tube socket. Solder When you’re ready Be suspicious
the top eyelets of pin 5 and pin 6 on these connections. to go at it again, Assume there's
the V4 tube socket. Solder these leads Add another 3" yellow jumper be- carefully review a mistake and
in place on all four pins. tween the bottom eyelet of pin 4 on every connection you’re the one
the V3 tube socket and the bottom you’ve made so far.
who’ll find it!
eyelet of pin 4 on the V4 tube socket. When everything
Don’t solder these connections yet. checks out, you’re ready to move onto
u STEP 38 the eyelet board.
Add a tiny yellow jumper
Add a 3/4" yellow jumper between
pins 3 and 8 of the V1 tube socket.
Solder the pin 3 connection, but just
wrap onto pin 8 for now.
Solder after
all the parts
are in place
Don’t think of solder as glue Make the specs visible How much insulation to strip?
Good mechanical connections make Attach components with the specs With plastic insulation, strip 3/8" from
good electrical connections. Solder’s facing out so you can read them. Many the wire ends. Push-back wire works
job is to finalize an already good joint, builders also align resistor bands to best when you strip away about 1/4"
not to hold the parts on the board. read in the same direction. of the cloth wrap.
electrical contact before soldering. wiping it often on a damp sponge. touch anything until the joint has
n Melt a small amount of solder onto Also keep it tinned by occasionally cooled completely. A good solder
the tip of the iron (“tinning” the iron). melting a little solder onto it. joint is shiny — a sign that it was left
Hold the tip against the connection to cool undisturbed.
n Feed solder to the connection, not
until the connection reaches solder- to the iron. Stop feeding solder once n After the joint has cooled, trim away
ing temperature. This should take just the eyelet is filled. Keep the iron on the excess wires.
a few seconds. the connection for a second longer; n Plan so each joint is only soldered
You should also tin component leads, this pause gives time for all of the flux once. Resoldered joints are messy and
like coating multi-strand wires to help to cook out of the joint. more likely to fail.
the solder flow for a more solid joint.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16
17 18 19 20
104J 600V
25μF
22 23
+
21
24
25
34 38
26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 35 36 37 39
25μF
+
17 18 19 20
104J 600V
104J 600V
223J 600V
25μF
22 23
+
21
24
25
34 38
26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 35 36 37 39
Positive Negative
u STEP 43 u STEP 48
35
25μF
+
resistor through eyelets 23 and 37. polarity of the capacitor. Connect Add a 0.1μF capacitor +
the negative lead to eyelet 9. 56K resistor + one jumper
Cut two yellow jumpers, 3" long. Add
one at eyelet 36 and one at 37. Add a 3-1/2" yellow jumper wire at Add a 56K resistor between eyelets
eyelet 35. 22 and 32.
u STEP 45
Add a 0.1μF Orange Drop capacitor
Install a 0.1μF cap + one jumper u STEP 47
between eyelets 6 and 32.
Wrap one 0.1μF Orange Drop cap Thread a long jumper through
between eyelets 10 and 36. This cap two holes in the board Add a 2-3/4" yellow jumper wire to
can be installed in either direction. Add a 10" yellow jumper down eyelet 32.
through hole 8 and back up through
Attach one 5-1/2" yellow jumper to
hole 34, leaving about 2-1/2" coming
eyelet 13 and attach one 6" yellow
through hole 8 and about 3-1/2"
jumper to eyelet 10.
through hole 34.
stewmac.com 20 © 2018 StewMac
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16
17 18 19 20
104J 600V
22μf
22 23
21
24
25
34 38
26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 35 36 37 39
Install two 220K resistors + Add three resistors Add five jumpers
one 0.1μF capacitor Wrap a 1.5K resistor between eyelets on the back of the board
Wrap the leads of a 220K resistor onto 31 and 17. Turn the board over for the next five
eyelets 5 and 18. Wrap the other 220K jumpers.
Add a 1M resistor between eyelets
resistor onto eyelets 6 and 18.
30 and 17. Add a 2-3/4" yellow jumper between
Add a 0.1μF Orange Drop capacitor eyelet 29 and eyelet 22.
Add a 56K resistor between eyelets
between eyelets 5 and 31.
4 and 17. Add a 2-1/2" yellow jumper between
u STEP 51 eyelet 22 and eyelet 23.
u STEP 53
Add three jumpers Add a 3-1/2" yellow jumper between
Add one 22μF electrolytic cap +
on the back of the board eyelet 7 and eyelet 30.
22K resistor
Flip the board over and add one 9"
Wrap a 22μF electrolytic cap through Add a 3-1/2" green jumper between
yellow jumper at the back of eyelet 6.
eyelets 4 and 29. Note the polarity. eyelet 4 and eyelet 9.
Thread this jumper up through hole
The negative lead goes to eyelet 4.
24 and pull it tight to keep it in place. Add a 3" green jumper between eye-
When electrolytic capacitors don’t
let 9 and eyelet 16.
Add another 8" yellow jumper to the show a positive or negative symbol,
back of eyelet 5. Thread this through look for the arrow design; the arrows
hole 21 and pull it tight. point to the negative lead.
Wrap a 1-1/2" yellow jumper between Add a 22K resistor between eyelets
eyelet 18 and eyelet 4 on the back of 28 and 29.
the board.
stewmac.com 21 © 2018 StewMac
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16
17 18 19 20
5W 270Ω
16μf
25μF
22μf
22μf
22 23
+
21
24
25
34 38
26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 35 36 37 39
Positive Negative
26
25μF
1
5W 270Ω
Test the back-of-board jumpers Add two 22μF electrolytic caps Add a 25μF cap + 270Ω resistor
Flip the board over and double-check Wrap a 22μF electrolytic cap through Wrap and solder the leads of the 270Ω
the jumpers on the back. The easiest eyelets 3 and 28. Note the polarity. resistor onto the leads of a 25μF cap,
way to do this is to set your multi- The negative lead goes to eyelet 3. joining them to install as a unit.
meter to test for continuity and do Wrap the other 22μF electrolytic cap Wrap this capacitor/resistor assembly
this test between eyelets 22+23, between eyelets 2 and 27. Connect between eyelets 1 and 26. Note the
22+29, 7+30, 4+18, 4+9, and 9+16. the negative lead to eyelet 2. polarity of the capacitor. Connect
Read about testing on page 32. u STEP 57
the negative lead to eyelet 1.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16
17 18 19 20
22 23
21
24
25
34 38
26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 35 36 37 39
Add a yellow jumper in back Stop and review Solder the connections
Wrap a 7" yellow jumper from the All the components and wires are now on the eyelet board
back of eyelet 27. Run the other end on the eyelet board. Take a break to When all the parts and wires are in
of this jumper up through hole 25. rest your eyes. It's time to inspect the right place and tightly wrapped,
your work so far, and it’s a mistake to it’s time to set the connections with
u STEP 63
do that in a rush. solder.
Add a short yellow jumper
Review everything to make sure Review the tips for great soldering on
Add a 2-1/2" yellow jumper wire to
you’ve correctly followed each step page 18, then solder each connection
eyelet 26.
so far. To find no mistakes at this stage on the eyelet board.
u STEP 64 is pretty unusual, and it’s much easier After soldering all the joints, clip the
Add a green jumper to correct them now than after you’re excess leads on the back and the
Add a 4-1/2" green jumper to eyelet 1. done soldering! front of the board. This is important
to avoid a short in your circuit.
As you check your work, make
Check all your solder joints to make
sure every connection is tight. sure they’re shiny.
600V
472J
Insulator board
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 82 9
BRIGHT 10 112 12 13 14 15 16
NORMAL
17 18 19 20
104J 600V
104J 600V
104J 600V
104J 600V
223J 600V
5W 270Ω
25μF
25μF
25μF
22μf
22μf
22μf
22 23
+
21
+ +
24
25
34 38
26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 35 36 37 39
4 5 4 5 4 5
3
89 89
5 67
5 67
2
12
12
1 8 1 8 1 8 34 34
V5 V4 V3 V2 V1
5Y3 6V6 6V6 SPEAKER EXTENSION 12AX7 12AY7
104J 600V
104J 600V
104J 600V
223J 600V
5W 270Ω
25μF
25μF
25μF
components.
22μf
22μf
22μf
22 23
+
21
+ +
24
34 38
to reach the Normal volume pot. 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 35 36 37 39
567
2
12
12
1 8 1 8 1 8 34 34
600V
472J
BRIGHT 2 NORMAL 2
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16
17 18 19 20
104J 600V
104J 600V
104J 600V
104J 600V
223J 600V
5W 270Ω
25μF
25μF
25μF
22μf
22μf
22μf
22 23
+ +
21
+
24
25
34 38
26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 35 36 37 39
4 5 4 5 4 5
3
89 89
567
567
2
12
12
1 8 1 8 1 8 34 34
V5 V4 V3 V2 V1
5Y3 6V6 6V6 SPEAKER EXTENSION 12AX7 12AY7
Connect two 100Ω resistors to Solder tube socket V5 Solder tube socket V3
the lamp socket Wrap the yellow jumper from hole Wrap the yellow jumper from hole 24
Twist one lead from each of two 100Ω 25 through pin 8 on the V5 tube to pin 6 of the V3 socket and solder
resistors together to join them. Wrap socket, along with the yellow power in place.
the other leads of these resistors to transformer lead and the red output
Wrap the yellow jumper from eyelet
the lugs of the pilot lamp socket. transformer lead. Solder these con-
26 through pin 8 of the V3 socket
Don’t solder these connections yet. nections to this socket (six wires). Trim
and solder in place with the existing
away any excess wire ends.
u STEP 69 jumper.
Add a ground wire u STEP 72
Wrap the yellow jumper from eyelet
Solder a 4" green jumper to the joined Solder tube socket V4 28 through pin 4 of the V3 socket
leads of the 100Ω resistors. Wrap the yellow jumper from hole 21 and solder in place with the existing
Solder the other end of this jumper to pin 6 of the V4 socket and solder jumper.
to the center lug of the ground strip in place.
Make sure all connections on the V3
near the 6V6 sockets. Make sure all connections on the V4 socket so far are soldered in place.
socket so far are soldered in place.
u STEP 70
600V
472J
BRIGHT 2 NORMAL 2
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16
17 18 19 20
104J 600V
104J 600V
104J 600V
104J 600V
223J 600V
5W 270Ω
25μF
25μF
25μF
22μf
22μf
22μf
22 23
+ +
21
+
24
25
34 38
26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 35 36 37 39
4 5 4 5 4 5
3
89 89
567
567
2
12
12
1 8 1 8 1 8 34 34
V5 V4 V3 V2 V1
5Y3 6V6 6V6 SPEAKER EXTENSION 12AX7 12AY7
Solder tube socket V2 Solder tube socket V1 Solder the Normal channel jacks
Wrap the jumper from eyelet 32 onto Wrap the jumper from eyelet 36 onto Solder the jumper from eyelet 15 to
pin 6 of the V2 socket. pin 6 of the V1 socket. the right lug (tip connection) of the
Normal channel jack 2.
Wrap the jumper from eyelet 33 onto Wrap the jumper from eyelet 37 onto
pin 1 of the V2 socket. pin 1 of the V1 socket. Solder the jumper from eyelet 14 to
the middle lug of the Normal channel
Wrap the jumper from eyelet 30 onto Find the jumper coming through hole
jack 2, along with the resistor lead
pin 7 of the V2 socket. 38 that has continuity to eyelet 19.
from jack 1.
Wrap this jumper onto pin 7 of the
Wrap the jumper from eyelet 31 onto
V1 socket. Solder the connections to Normal
pin 8 of the V2 socket.
channel jacks 1 and 2.
Wrap the jumper from eyelet 39 to
Wrap the jumper coming through
pin 8 of the V1 socket, along with the Trim the excess wires.
hole 34 to pin 2 of the V2 socket.
jumper from pin 3.
Wrap the jumper from eyelet 35 onto
Find the jumper coming through
pin 3 of the V2 socket.
hole 38 that has continuity to eyelet
Solder the connections to this socket 20. Wrap this jumper to pin 2 of the
(six wires). Trim the wire ends. V1 socket.
Solder the connections to this socket
(five wires). Trim the wire ends.
600V
472J
BRIGHT 2 NORMAL 2
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16
17 18 19 20
104J 600V
104J 600V
104J 600V
104J 600V
223J 600V
5W 270Ω
25μF
25μF
25μF
22μf
22μf
22μf
22 23
+ +
21
+
24
25
34 38
26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 35 36 37 39
4 5 4 5 4 5
3
89 89
567
567
2
12
12
1 8 1 8 1 8 34 34
V5 V4 V3 V2 V1
5Y3 6V6 6V6 SPEAKER EXTENSION 12AX7 12AY7
Solder the Bright channel jacks in place. Connect the power cord leads
Solder the jumper from eyelet 12 to Run the twisted black and white leads
Solder the jumper coming through
the right lug (tip connection) of the along the side edge of the chassis. Cut
hole 8 to the right lug of the Normal
Bright channel jack 2. a 3/4" length of heat-shrink and add it
volume pot along with the jumper.
to the white lead.
Solder the jumper from eyelet 11 to
u STEP 79
the middle lug of Bright jack 2. Run the white power cord lead to
Add the power cord + strain relief reach the white lead from the power
Solder the jumper from eyelet 16 to Strip away 9" of the power cord’s transformer. Trim to length, then twist
the left lug (shield connection) of outer insulation. Twist the black and this lead together with the white lead
the Bright channel jack 2 along with white leads together. from the power transformer and
the green jumper already in place.
Cut the green lead from the power solder this connection, known as a
Solder any unsoldered resistor leads
cord to reach the 3-lug grounding splice. Once cool, add the heat-shrink
into place on the Bright channel input
strip nearest the access hole. Tin this and heat it.
jacks now. Trim the excess wires.
lead and wrap it through the middle Run the black power cord lead to the
u STEP 78 lug of the 3-lug grounding strip. open lug of the power switch. Trim it
Solder the volume pots
Pull the power cord leads through the to length, then solder in place.
Solder the jumper from eyelet 13 to
hole in the chassis and secure with Solder the power cord’s green ground
the middle lug of the Normal volume
the black strain relief. If it’s tight, use wire to the nearby grounding strip.
pot.
pliers to squeeze it onto the power
Solder the jumper from eyelet 10 to cord outside the chassis, and keep
the middle lug of the Bright volume squeezing to fit into the mount hole.
stewmac.com 27 © 2018 StewMac
GROUND FUSE POWER LAMP TONE 510K
BRIGHT VOL. NORMAL VOL. BRIGHT 1 NORMAL 1
600V
472J
BRIGHT 2 NORMAL 2
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16
17 18 19 20
22 23
21
24
25
34 38
26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 35 36 37 39
4 5 4 5 4 5
3
89 89
567
567
2
12
12
1 8 1 8 1 8 34 34
V5 V4 V3 V2 V1
5Y3 6V6 6V6 SPEAKER EXTENSION 12AX7 12AY7
Install the heater wires Add two 3-1/2" green jumpers Add two 4-1/2" green jumpers
In this step, green power supply leads Twist these two wires together Use a black marker to ink both ends of
are being jumped from the pilot lamp tightly, leaving 1" of straight wire at one of these jumpers, so you’ll recog-
socket to the tube sockets. They carry each end. Wrap these jumpers onto nize it after it’s twisted with the other.
the AC voltage to power the heating the lugs of the pilot lamp socket. Twist these jumpers together tightly,
elements in the tubes. Solder this connection, along with leaving 1" of straight wire at each end.
the two resistors and the green power
Take the time to read and understand Join these to the wires from the pilot
transformer leads already wrapped
this two-page section before starting. light by twisting the ends together.
onto the pilot lamp.
Wrap the pair of these ends that
include the ink-blackened wire onto
How to REDUCE THE HUM caused by AC voltage pin 7 of the V4 socket.
These green heater wires carry AC voltage that will cause hum if they get
too close to wires that carry the signal. These tips minimize that hum. Wrap the other pair onto pin 2 of the
V4 socket.
Twist the wires tightly Route them out and away
Solder these connections. Bend these
This reduces hum, the way Let these wires stick out about
wires so they stick straight out from
opposite-wound coils do in a an inch from the socket before
the socket by 1" as described in the
humbucking pickup. Twisted bending them. This keeps the
hum-reducing tips explained at left.
wires are easier to route away heater wires from mingling
from signal wires. with the signal wires. Bend them into a 90-degree angle
toward their next connection.
600V
472J
BRIGHT 2 NORMAL 2
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16
17 18 19 20
22 23
21
24
25
34 38
26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 35 36 37 39
4 5 4 5 4 5
3
89 89
567
567
2
12
12
1 8 1 8 1 8 34 34
V5 V4 V3 V2 V1
5Y3 6V6 6V6 SPEAKER EXTENSION 12AX7 12AY7
u STEP 84 u STEP 85
Solder one pair of jumpers onto pins
Add two 7" green jumpers Add two 4-1/2" green jumpers 4 and 5 of the V2 socket, combining
Twist these jumpers together very Twist these jumpers together very those two pins in one solder joint.
tightly, leaving 1" of straight wire at tightly, leaving 1" of straight wire at
Solder the other pair of twisted wires
each end. each end.
in to pin 9 of the V2 socket. Run these
Join these to the jumpers from the V4 At this point, you no longer need to twisted pairs up an inch from the tube
socket by twisting the ends together. keep track of which jumper is con- socket and turn them at a 90-degree
It doesn’t matter which of these con- nected to an ink-marked lead. For the angle toward socket V5. Trim the
nects with the ink-blackened jumper. remaining two sockets, these green excess wire.
leads are interchangeable.
Solder the pair of jumpers that in- Solder the one wire from this last
cludes the ink-blackened one onto Twist the ends of these new jumpers heater run to pins 4+5 of the V1 socket
pin 7 of the V3 socket. onto the jumpers coming from the and solder the other wire to pin 9 of
V3 socket. the same socket.
Solder the unmarked pair to pin 2
of the V3 socket. Bend these so they On the V2 socket and Take a break!
stick out from the socket as before, the V1 socket, twist Now that you’ve soldered the com-
with a 90-degree bend toward the pins 4 and 5 toward ponents and wires, stop and rest your
V2 socket. each other so that eyes. Come back and review your
their eyelets line up. work later, carefully looking again for
Do this gently, because these pins any errors before moving on.
are delicate.
stewmac.com
600V
472J
BRIGHT 2 NORMAL 2
Completed 5E3 wiring
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16
17 18 19 20
25μF
25μF
25μF
22 23
22μf
22μf
22μf
5W 270Ω
223J 600V
104J 600V
104J 600V
104J 600V
104J 600V
+ + +
21
24
25
30
34 38
26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 35 36 37 39
4 5 4 5 4 5
3
6
3
6
3
6
9 9
78 78
2
7
2
7
2
7
1
1
56
56
23 23
1 8 1 8 1 8 4 4
V5 V4 V3 V2 V1
5Y3 6V6 6V6 SPEAKER EXTENSION 12AX7 12AY7
© 2018 StewMac
5E3 CIRCUIT DIAGRAM
Final assembly
DON’T INSTALL
TUBES YET!
Mount the chassis Install the pilot lamp Clamp the power cord
Place the chassis into the cabinet and Insert the pilot lamp bulb into its sock- Remove the cable clamp from the
run the two 10-32 x 1-1/2" machine et from the front of the chassis and cabinet wall and wrap it around the
screws through the top of the cabinet, twist until it locks back in place. Screw power cord, about 6" from the chassis.
into the chassis. Fasten loosely with the red jewel lens over the socket. Remount the clamp with the cord.
locknuts.
u STEP 89 YOU’RE DONE WIRING!
Hold the top back panel in place, flush Install the three control knobs DON’T INSTALL THE TUBES YET!
with the edge of the cabinet. Move Turn the shaft of each pot to zero and DON’T PLUG THE AMP IN YET!
the chassis so it’s flush with the back install the chicken head knobs so their FIRST YOU HAVE TESTING TO DO…
panel, and tighten the locknuts. indicator lines point to number 1.
STOP!
u STEP 87
u STEP 93
Any multimeter will work fine for Test the dangerous DC voltage
the two types of tests we’re about to The dangerously high DC voltage that
do: checking continuity and reading passes through the rectifier tube and
voltages. The instructions that came 89 the filter caps is referred to as “B+”. The
with your meter will be helpful. next step is to test this B+ voltage.
5 67
12
34
Continuity testing is simply mak- With the amp still unplugged, install
ing sure current flows between two the 5Y3 rectifier tube while spreading
points successfully. Touch the meter's the tension clip with the other hand.
red lead to one end of the section Plug the power cord back in. The pi-
being tested, and the black lead to the lot lamp should light, along with the
other end. If the continuity is good, filament inside the 5Y3 tube.
u STEP 92
your meter will beep or register this
Test the standard AC voltage Again, spend a few minutes watching
on the display.
Set your multimeter to 20V AC. Check for smoke or smells.
Voltage testing is where you need the heater voltage across pin 9 and
to be careful. Some steps require the At this point, dangerous voltage is
pins 4+5 on the V1/12AY7 socket. This
amp to be plugged in and turned forming in the filter caps. Always
should read between 5-7V AC. If this
on. This becomes dangerous if you’re discharge them before working
reading is drastically different, unplug
not cautious. Respect the voltages on the circuit, even if the amp is
the amp and check your connections.
and follow the directions, and these unplugged. See how to use a snuffer
tests are safe and easy. If the amp seems normal, unplug the stick on page 6.
power cord while still leaving the
For safety, use only one hand to
u STEP 91 power switch ON. touch the amp during DC tests.
Perform a safe power-up
Keep your other hand behind your
At this point, there should be no tubes back when you need to probe a com-
installed, and the speaker should be ponent. This way, you can’t be a path
disconnected. between B+ voltage and ground—a
Before plugging the amp in, turn the mistake that would send a dangerous
power switch to ON. Switching the charge through your heart.
amp on before the first power-up
protects you from shock if a mistake Seriously, keep one hand
in your wiring has created a short to behind your back!
the chassis. If this short exists, an in-
5W 270Ω
25μF
22μf
dication would be that the pilot light
Ground
You don’t need to read a schematic to build this kit. But it’s We’ve color-coded these stages on our schematic, to show
fun to see how the circuit works, and to see the different how the parts work together. Symbols for components are
subcircuits that interact to shape your sound. in the key at the bottom of the frame.
Working with the tiny signal from the guitar, the amp creates On the wiring diagram we build step-by-step in these
the power needed to drive the speaker. The signal is affected pages, the parts are easier to recognize. But studying these
by the gain, processing, output and power stages as it color-coded stages will help you understand where each
passes through the circuit. component fits into the creation of your sound.
Mic level
The gain circuit increases the signal The processing stage shapes the tone The output stage increases the line
to line level (about 1 volt), by passing of the signal. It only has three knobs, level signal to speaker level, which
it through a 12AY7 preamp tube. In- but this amp is anything but simple! is typically 8 volts or greater.
side the tube, electrons flow from a The Bright and Normal channel each In this amp the signal is split, and half
heated cathode to the anode plate. have high and low gain inputs, and of it is inverted through the second
Between these is a grid receiving both volume controls change the half of the 12AX7 tube.
the guitar’s signal and plate gain no matter which input you use! The split signal is then passed to the
controlling the flow of grid
cathode
The tone knob isn’t typical, either: it pair of 6V6 tubes for final amplifica-
electrons to the plate. affects volume, gain, EQ, and tone. tion. Then the output transformer
The 12AY7 and 12AX7
The real magic is at higher volumes. steps down the voltage and steps up
are each essentially two tubes in one
Set your volume at 9, and the unused the current to drive the speaker.
housing. After processing, the signal channel’s volume at 2—with tone The output transformer adjusts the
passes back through the first half of at 9 or above. This is where to find impedance to 8 ohms to drive the
the 12AX7 for another gain stage. Neil Young’s infamous guitar tone speaker. Amp output is typically 4, 8,
This amp’s “dirty” sound comes from from “Cortez the Killer.” Increase the or 16 ohms.
gain stages that are biased extremely unused channel’s volume for cleaner
hot with an 820Ω resistor. The third tones; decrease it for more gain. An 8 ohm speaker is used in this amp.
gain stage has a 1.5K bias (cathode)
resistor. This small value resistor
reduces headroom and increases Power
preamp distortion.
The power supply stage provides power to the other circuit stages, as well as the
tube heaters and pilot light.
Negative feedback This circuit receives the AC power from your wall and passes it through the power
transformer to create higher voltage. The electricity then goes to the rectifier,
A negative feedback loop flattens and
which converts it to a pulsing DC current.
extends the frequency response, re-
ducing distortion and giving the amp This then passes through a series of three large electrolytic capacitors which filter
a cleaner, more hi-fi sound. out the pulsing to create a smooth current. As each cap smooths a bit more, the
current is also passing through resistors that lower the voltage.
This amp, however, has no negative
feedback loop. This results in the early As the signal from the guitar becomes more amplified, the ripple of DC current
breakup and legendary grit that this becomes less evident and the fully filtered current is sent to the most sensitive
circuit is capable of. part of the amplifier, the first pre-amp tube in the gain stage.
stewmac.com
12AY7
0.1 µF
68 K
128V
1 MEG
Gain 6V6 GT
1 MEG
365V
12AX7 195V 0.1 µF 1.5 K
68 K
2V
500 pF
100 K
.022µF 25–50
1 MEG
220 K
56 K
820 Ω
25–50
20V
49V
320V
1.3V
2705 W
.0047 µF
100 K
68 K
1 MEG
220 K
1.5 K
100 K 163V
1 MEG
1.5 K
25–50
1 MEG
125V 0.1 µF 1.5 K
0.1 µF 365V
68 K
56 K
6V6 GT
245V 22 K 4.7 K 2 W 350V
35
22-500
22-500
22-500
Power
5VAC
360VAC
AC switch 2 amp
slow-blow fuse
360VAC
5Y3 GT
6.3VAC
To tube heaters and pilot lights
Resistor Capacitor Potentiometer Transformer Jack Ground Diode tube Triode tube Pentode tube
© 2018 StewMac
It’s your amp. Your tone. You built it!
StewMac ICON KITS teach you the world of amp building,
then turn you loose with amazing hand-built tone machines!
Left Right
5Y3 6V6 6V6 jack jack 12AX7 12AY7
(ECC83) (6071)
Speaker Extension
V5 V4 V3 speaker V2 V1
Cut this label on the dotted line with a razor knife and metal straightedge.
Fasten it to the bottom of the cabinet using thinned wood glue or contact cement.
The duplicate copy is included as a backup.
Left Right
5Y3 6V6 6V6 jack jack 12AX7 12AY7
(ECC83) (6071)
Speaker Extension
V5 V4 V3 speaker V2 V1