At Mars Amplification Brown Filmosound Head 5E3

This is the Brown on with the Bell and Howell shield originally sold to Brad.

http://atmarsamps.blogspot.com/2009_05_01_archive.html

It is a single input 5E3 circuit with volume, tone, fat/lean switch and 16/8 ohm outputs.

The amplifier is a nicely excecuted example of less is more. The one improvement I would like is to change the on/off switch to on/standby/off.

This amplifier is a tone monster. Very full, clear and responsive to pick attack.

Using a stratocaster, lower volume settings are very warm with beautiful bell tone. As the volume is turned up, the tone stays warm and full, but gets a nasty (good nasty) edge. Stinging blues tone is not problem. All the way up roars.

Using a P90 equipped guitar is a trip into hyper-space. Dialing up the volume brings on a sustain forever moltn lava sort of tone.

I am not much for humbuckers, but could easily see this amplifier producing that early ZZ Top sound.

The Filmosound is point to point wired 5E3 circuit built into a Bell and Howell movie projector chassis which uses the original transformers and tubes as possible. The transformers are 40+ year old iron that sound incredible. I received the amplifier with modern era 12AY7 and 12AX7, and old stock 5y3 and 6V6s.

The amplifier is very quiet with no rattles or hum. The chassis shows some wear. It is after all a 40+ year old movie projector amplifier chassis.

The head box is very nicely made with no defects in the tolex, corner protectors and the original B&H shield on the face. Overall, it is built like a tank and I do not anticipate any problems.

I have not had a reason to have the amplifier service. I have exchanged emails with the builder, Anthony Roos. Anthony is very friendly and will answer any questions about his amplifiers.

I bought the Filmosound 5E3 used on Ebay. I am a gear head that is into amplifiers more so than guitars. I have a Dr. Z Maz 18 NR, Carr Hammerhead, Vox AC15, Bob Burt 5F2, Stu Daddy 5F2, Fargen Bastage, Allen Class Act and Blackheart BH5.

The Filmosound compares favorably to the best of the bunch. Tone is similar to the 5F2s with deeper bass, clearer articulation and a bit more volume. The 5E3 blows away the 5F2s when dimed.

The sound is more Fender (duh), darker and smoother that the EL84 based Dr Z or EL34 based Carr which produce a more British tone. The Filmosound 5E3 has a warmer power tube oriented tone than the Allen Class Act or Fargen Bastage which use preamp overdrive for a more British, Marshall, tone even with a 6V6 in the socket.

I am not a big fan of lots of knobs, do not use pedals and like the sound of a tube amp turned up. The Filmosound 5E3 fits the bill perfectly. The Filmosound 5E3 is the best bang for the buck among my amplifiers.

This is review of the second At Mars Filmosound amp that I have purchased; this one is #14 in the series, completed Aug. 2009. Basically identical to the #10 Brown one previously reviewed - variation of a Tweed Deluxe 5E3 circuit, one volume, one tone; this one has a Hi/Lo Power switch on the back. Found out this model of Filmosound projector was made in the late 1940's, so the chassis, transformers, and most of the tubes are 60 years old! Produces 15 watts or so, and so far one amp has been plenty loud enough for any place I've played.

Using mostly Strats with both stock and hi-output pickups, playing mostly blues/blues rock, in a working part-time blues/bar band. The 5E3 circuit is famously great for this type of music, and these amps represent that sound well, with perhaps more gain on tap if desired. I use a vintage Ross compressor, an ADA MP1 preamp, and a Boss SE50 multi-effects unit going into the amp; it is a bit noisy, but much of that noise is introduced by the Ross. If I plug directly into the amp, it's relatively quiet. I can get a variety of tones with this combination, including some nice blackface sounding mild overdrives, but it excels at the more traditional, fully-tube-saturated but not fuzzy-distorted 'clean-lead' Tweed types of tones, with lots of bottom, sustain, and sag. Probably not a good metal amp, not a problem for me! I do play some punk/roots/rock with my kids sometimes, and it works well for that also. The only reason I'm not rating it a 10 is because it's a single-channel amp without a lot of built-in tonal variations - that said, I'd rather have a couple really good tones than dozens of mediocre ones.

I've used the new amp on a couple of gigs and have used #10 on a several gigs, without any problems, other than some minor preamp tube noise - I'm still playing around with different combinations of preamp tubes, and the tubes are accessible and easily swapped during breaks. The original transformers were probably way overbuilt in the first place, and Anthony's conversion work it excellent. I'm still using the original vintage 6V6 power tubes; at some point, I'll probably retube one of the amps with new tubes just for grins. I always take a backup amp along, and having two of these Filmosounds on hand should handle anything that comes up.

Anthony Roos at At Mars Amplification is great, as everyone else has posted. Haven't had any repair issues come up. He's always willing to answer any of my questions, provides suggestions on tweaking, and solicits and accepts feedback on his products. Although there is no formal warranty, if a major issue ever did come up I'm sure Anthony would deal with it fairly.

Been playing about 40 years (omg!), used Fender tube amps in the recent past, Marshall/HiWatt back in the day. As previously stated, one of coolest things about these amps is the uniqueness and 'funky vintage film projector amp vibe'. There's lots of Tweed Deluxe clones out there, but these look and sound a bit different. I also like having a head amp instead of a combo - increases flexibility, also keeps the weight down.

This is a follow-up to previous review, posted 7/3/09. Still the same features, but should point out the Filmosound has only one input, unlike the Deluxe Tweed with its bright/normal inputs. That said, I don't miss the extra inputs or having to worry about jumpering them. Another thing I like is that it's in 'head' form, instead of a combo - gives more flexibility with speakers, etc.

NOTE - My previous review said sound quality was a '6' - this was an error, apparently on my part - I fully meant to make the inital sound rating a '9', which I thought I had until I saw the review posted.
Now that I've had a chance to use the amp on a couple gigs and rehearsals, I'd rate it a '10'. I play blues/blues-rock, and this the sound I've been looking for. It sounds good plugged straight in, but for gigs I use an ADA MP1 preamp for various levels of overdrive and compression, and a little reverb, and I can get all the sounds I need. So far it's been plenty loud, but I do intend to get another one for backup and the occasional need for more volume.

So far so good; been out of the house with it about half-dozen times. I always take a back-up amp to gigs, no matter what kind of amp I'm using, and this amp still has the original power and rectifier tubes, probably close to 50 years old.

As previously posted by myself and others, Anthony from 'At Mars' is great to deal with. I've already taken steps to get another Filmosound from him, and would recommend these amps to anyone looking for a 5e3 variation.

As previously stated, love the amp and can't wait to get another one just like it. Compared to other Tweed Deluxe clones/variations, this provides an element of uniqueness and vibe, while still providing the sound and the simplicity of the 5e3 circuit. It's also surprisingly affordable.

This is the At Mars Amps conversion of an old Bell and Howell Filmosound movie project amp, rebuilt basically as a tweed deluxe 5E3 circuit in a head cabinet, with a couple of tweaks; number 10 in the series. Built in 2009. Volume, tone, on-off switch - that's it. About 15 watts, single-channel, does have a Fat/Lean bass cut switch on the back, and 8 and 16 ohm speaker outlets. Uses the old transformers and most of the original tubes. All point-to-point wiring, not even a turret board. The cabinet is nicely done in early 60's brown tolex, with the 'Filmosound' nameplate. I'd say it's main feature is 'cool vibe', due to it's look, the 50 year-old components, and its sound.

The tone is what it's all about - and it is a tweed deluxe circuit, so that's what it sounds like. Not a wide variety of tones, but surprising amount of interaction between the amp's volume and tone controls, and good sounds could be produced at different levels. I leave the bass cut switch on 'Lean' all the time. I play mostly blues, mostly with a Strat, but I also carry a Les Paul, into one or two Celestion V30's; both guitars sound great with this amp, and each has it's own character well preserved. Plenty of gain, more than I remember a Fender tweed having, and I haven't had the volume knob much more than halfway. Nice full, round clean sounds, good 'bite' with the Strat, and very responsive to pick and guitar control variances. Smooth breakup, especially with the Les Paul, and it really wails when pushed with the humbuckers - I have a feeling I'll be using the LP more. Very quiet idle for a high-gain tube amp. Output will be loud enough to cover 90% of my gigs.

Have only had it a couple weeks - seems very well-built, time will tell; I do plan on using it on all my weekend gigs. I always use vintage amps, and always take along a backup; I'm already planning on getting another one of these amps ASAP, so my backup will be the same as my main amp. I may also want to use two of them for the rare occasions where one isn't loud enough.

Anthony Roos atmars@rocketmail.com is the amp's builder, and is great to deal with - answers all my questions promptly, and listens to ideas - there's no warranty, but it seems like any issues would be taken care of fairly. I'm planning on buying another 5E3 like this one, and am considering having him do the 18-watt Mar***l circuit in a Filmosound chassis.

Been playing over 30 years, owned lots of gear, etc, including vintage Fender; played thru Marshall and Hiwatt in early days. If the Filmosound were lost or stolen, I'd probably go thru the 5 stages of grief, and only become well again when it's replacement arrived. There's a million tweed deluxe clones out there, but this amp is special, since it has it's own look, vintage iron, and great sound. An excellent value for the money, too.