Frenzel 5E3 Deluxe Plus Head

All Frenzel amps are made to order. Each one is custom made to your specifications. This is a basic single channel amp with two discreet single channels. Fender voiced and Marshall voiced (F and M inputs). You can order the amp with an effects loop or 4-8-16 ohm external speaker jack (or just the standard 8 ohm). Presence tone switch for nice mid boost. Separate Bass, Middle, Treble EQ controls and separate gain for either the F or M inputs, master volume and On-Off-Standby switch. This is all you are ever going to need. Nothing fancy - no tone sucking junk. This is an all hand wired, point to point amp that is whisper quiet even at higher set volumes of gain or master volume. This is what an amp should be like. If you want bells and whistles go elsewhere - this amp has more than enough settings to dial in great tones. You can also use various power tubes and preamp tubes and it also has fixed bias and cathode bias switch. Also has handy Line Out and Line level. What more do you want ? This amp is perfect and has just the right amount of features - and all of them work nicely with the amp. This is not your grandfather's Fender - this is much more than a simple clone - it's everything that it should be - Jim has made what might be the perfect 25 watt amp. No PCB boards, no transistors, no soild state anything (even the rectifier is a tube rectifier). Perfect!
You will also notice that this amp is NOT over priced. Many boutique makers out there would easily charge over $1000 for this amp head. This has to be one of the best deals out there. It really doesn't get any better. Do yourself a favor and get one of these. You'll play it and love it and wonder why you didn't do it sooner.

For rock I like to pull the presence - nice big mid boost there.
And use the Marshall voiced input.

For country or clean picking/strumming - I like to disengage (push in)
and turn it all the way down the presence and use the Fender input.

I have an AB-Y footswitch that I am using to go into the F and M inputs.

I'm playing the amp using a Fender 'Lone Star' Strat (fat strat)
and a Fender Telecaster. The 'M' input (even with the 6L6 tubes)
and the pull out presence/edge) really gets the humbucker in the
Lone Star grinding out some classic rock tones really well.
Big airy sound with a little crunch. Love it.

The amp is hooked into a 2x10 cab. (Eminence speakers)

The telecaster (and the strat using the neck & middle single coils)
really shine through the 'F' input and backed off presence.
Gets that bright chimey Strat sound and of course the twangy telecaster
chime
without that mid honk you get from the Marshall input with presence boost.

So far this amp is incredible and it is going to take a long
time for me to see what else is there to dial in. It seems
nearly impossible to get a bad sound from this amp. But I really
like the differences offered by the F and M inputs and that presence
setting.

This amp will probably be part of my main rig now - I can't
even imagine anything better. 25 watts is all I need and
the tones this amp are giving me are beyond anything else
I have ever heard. Even the Reverend Hellhound with the "schizo"
setting that let you go from Fender to Marshall doesn't even come
close to the way you have done your amp. You have done it much better
than the Reverend amp.

The other thing I notice is how crystal clean this amp can be.
Big airy sound. My Fender guitars love it. Very sweet and never harsh.
This amp also responds well to pick attack and it has that tube
compression that allows long sustain. It is like a compression/sustainer
without the artifacts that pedals give you (whoosh noise and squishing
notes).
I really like the sustain this amp gives - not just to notes but
to full chords too. Amazing.

I really can't say enough things about it.
You've done a super job Jim - I'm privelages to be playing
this amp of yours. I'll enjoy it forever. From the moment
I plug in until I take a break - I'm loving it all the way.

Many thanks again - your lifetime of experience comes through
with this amp. It's 'in there'. I can hear it and hopefully others
will appreciate what a great amp this is.

That's the beauty of this amp. It is elegantly simple, no circuit boards, point to point wiring. Easy to access tubes, open mounting - no overheating problems - nice perforated metal cage cover (Protects the tubes and allows ventilation - tubes are NOT mounted upside down in some air deprived combo cabinet).
I had one small problem with the amp - but Jim got back to me and it was fixed without a problem (one of the preamp tubes was bad -- probably happened in shipping). You get to communicate directly with the actual person that built your amp. Try that on some 'off the shelf' amp.

As stated previously - Jim Frenzel stands behind what he builds and coomunication with him is always professional and caring. If you ever have a problem or just a question - he's there for you.

This is one of the best amps I have ever played. It really doesn't get any better than this if you want pure tube goodness and tone. It easily rivals the Fender Twin or any other amp for that matter. Sure you can spend $1000++ on some other boutique 'name' but I can assure you it won't be any better, in fact I would put this Frenzel 5E3 Deluxe against any other amp for tone and it's perfect form that follows function. Everything you need and nothing you don't need. If you ever doubted that a single channel amp could not possibly compete against some multi-channel fizz box - think again. The amp also responds very well with effect pedals so the sky is the limit on where you want to go with your tone. This amp is a solid part of it and will probably last several life times. Hook it up to any cab you like -- a 2x10 or 2x12 or whatever - and it has enough volume and punch for any studio, home practice or small to medium sized gig. Anything larger - simply mic it up. It makes for a very portable rig - grab and go. You won't leave home without it. This amp gets my highest recommendation. I have played so many amps over the years - and this one has no peer. You do not need that 100 watt ear numbing amp -- put it down and play with this 25 watt tone monster. You'll thank yourself over and over again. This amp sounds good at any volume. Period.

2006 model. Mine has the upgraded output tranny 4-8-16 ohm.

I am really, really pleased with this amp. Loud enough to gig with. Drives all my cabs nicely. You can tailor your stage volume or recording by driving cabs at different ohmage - example 8 ohm input into a 16 ohm cab, or 16 into 16 (louder). It is quiet, as others have reported. Simple, high quality components and classic design make this amp what it is - a killer low-wattage musical instrument.

Can't say - had it 4 months. You would need to commision or build yourself a cabinet for it if you are touring or gig frequently. Absolutely ideal for recording studio use.

All communications with Mr. Frenzel were friendly, professional, prompt and informative.

If you are reading these reviews to help decide if you want to buy one of these, I say BUY IT. You won't regret it!

Two inputs, one "F" one "M"...I think you can figure that out. I would say it's pretty versatile, yes. Like having two completely different circuits which cover most vintage tube amp lovers requirements. Essentially a single channel amp. No reverb, no tremelo, no problem. There's a line out jack which seems pretty handy for recording without a mic, or late night practicing. I played out this weekend with it, was really pleased with the sound at bar-room volume. Presence switch makes a huge difference. Might not have all the bells and whistles for some, but I'm happy.
I use an Avatar 2x12, with a Wizard & a Tonespotter, this amp gets plenty loud if you want it.

Not really suited for metal, but with an ancient HM-2 in front of it, it's easily the first couple of Maiden albums heavy. Which is plenty for me. But where it shines is on the F side, the most shimmering cleans I've EVER heard...especially for a class AB amp. Haven't fully explored the M side, but so far I've been impressed with it as well. Absolutely NO NOISE. I don't know if that's down to the minimalist wiring or what, but all the way up to 10 this thing is sooooo quiet.

Looks super dependable. Although it's early days yet. The simplicity of the wiring would make it easy for any decent tech to fix if anything shoud happen. And let's face it...the possibility is there as with all electronics.

Jim Frenzel is an absolute gentleman. Answered my emails within a day, always friendly. I think if I had any problems, I could email him and get it resolved with no problem at all. I checked this review page while I was waiting for my amp to be built, and was totally amazed at the response from the Admiral or whatever he is below...side note to potential future pricks, don't waste Jim's time...there are plenty of more deserving people who, like me, are proud to own a hand built, made in America, dream of an amplifier.

I've been playing for 20 years, became a bit of a gear whore amp-wise over the last couple of years...I guess that's done. If this were stolen...well it doesn't bear thinking about. I would get right back in line and order another one. I may buy another circuit Frenzel amp one day, hell, maybe in April if the taxman says so....a quality product from a real gent. If you're even considering getting an assembly line particle board amp from Guitar Center...you might rethink it and take the plunge with Frenzel. I hope he gets more sound samples up, although I doubt they would do the amp justice.

i got the super 5e3 deluxe amp wtih a hammond tranny upgrade so i could select different ohm outputs....and i got it made with el34 power tubes..he uses eh tubes...they sound ok to me..one fender channel and one marshall channel...i like the marshall channel best because i already have a fender amp...my amp came as a naked chassis with the tubes....i built a custom wood cabinet for it for about 5 dollars...including the handle....its very light and easy to tote around...it has a good master volume and a presence control with a boost...also, you can use an a/b kinda switch and go into both channels at once...and get louder sound....and you can blend which channel you want more of..he can provide you with a cabinet for it but it costs a lot..it has all the featues a good amp needs...

this amp is pretty loud....i drive a 2 12 cab with it....in some rooms it will be too way loud for some peoples tastes..in some others it would not be too loud.....i used it in big crowded room and it was fine but i had a tube screamer boosting the amp some of the time..the sound was , i thought, fantastic...it has a good clean headroom and ..it gets a great overdriven tube sound..depending on how you set it...i just use the marshall channel mainly, as i tend to get one good sound and stick with it all night.....it has a nice chime to it too...it runs very quiet....i never owned a marshall but i like this sound...and i love that the amp is so easy to carry..its a high quality no bullshit amp..and its cheap..425 dollars, what can you get for that price except pcb board amps from china...i call them headaches waiting to happen.

i aint had it long enough to tell you how reliable it is...but it seems rock solid and it doesnt seem to be overly complex , so anyone could service it if needed...he seems to be very conscious of quality when he builds them...

i had to wait quite a while for mine..about 45 days...but what the hell, i have it now...some guys just have no patience i guess...he seems like a nice bloke..

for the price, i dont see nothing else that can touch it...you can buy a name brand amp if you want, but a name doesnt necessarly make an amp sound better, and often time big name amps either cost a fortune or they use production shortcuts.......i dont plan on selling this amp so i dont care about resale value, i just wanted an amp with great sound, el34s and a master volume...i got that..i plan on keeping it ..it is better than a tweed deluxe as it way more versatile with a better tone stack and the ability to overdrive at lower volumes..not to mention you get one channel of hump ass straight fender sound and one channel of hump ass marshall sound...all hand wired..no pcb..what the hell more would you want for 425 dollars..?.some people are so lame that they have to have an amp just like their hero has....thats what drives the amp business mostly, hero worship...

You can get the full spec from the Frenzel web site. I ordered the amp with several of the optional extras: effects loop, Hammond output transformer with selectable 4/8/18 ohm output, Universal mains power transformer (i'm in the UK), fixed/cathode bias switch. Added to the standard featues of dual 'F' and 'M' inputs (no prizes for guessing what these represent!), real tube rectifier, almost total flexibility as regards output tube type for different tones, etc etc, this amp has all the features you could possible want from a tube amp, save possibly a spring reverb unit, but then this is a head unit/chassis. In terms of aesthetics, i ordered it with a black chassis and chrome handles.

My main axe is an American Tele with Bareknuckle 'Yardbird' pickups. The amp is being used with a custom made 2x12 containing a Jensen C12N and a Emminence Cannabis Rex connected in parallel. I lost myself in playing the amp continuously for days on end before I even considered what it might sound like with some pedals between it and the guitar! Sounds so good going in direct. I finally relented and shoved a home-brew Distortion+ in front of it just for fun. Woah! I've since built a spring reverb unit for it and run this via the amp's effects loop. I also sometimes use the amp with my Weber Mini Mass (a power soak), which enables me to get sweet ouput distortion at levels that don't cause my elderly neighbours to duck and cover and start stockpiling fuel and tinned food. This amp is loud!

I have only owned the Frenzel for a few weeks and I'm barely scratching the surface of the variety of tones it can produce. Twiddling for ever more tonal variations is quite addictive (stop twiddling!), but i found that searching for specific tones I had in mind was pretty straightforward. The cleans are sublime, which was essential for me, while the quantity of different variations of crunch and on into preamp distortion, output tube distortion or both is fantastic. Then double that when you take into account the two inputs with different flavours. The F(ender) input is as sweet and warm, yet clear as a bell as any vintage Fender amp I've played, while the M(arshall) input is grittier/crisper/brighter giving the more British tone one would expect. Top marks for both. I've also used a splitter cable to go in via the 2 inputs simultaneously, which adds yet another layer of tonal options as you mix the relative contributions of each side. As I said, it will take me quite a while to explore it fully, but so far...me like and me like a lot! I did find that the fixed vs. cathode bias switch option is quite a subtle difference. However, this might become more apparent as I try out different tube combinations etc. The stock EH 6L6 tubes are pretty nice on the cleans, but a bit ragged when driven hard (without a power soak you'd be deaf anyway!). I have ordered higher quality replacements. Same goes for the stock preamp tubes. These are also EH brand 12AX7s, which are fine, but I've been trying some nicer types. Don't get me wrong though, the amp sounds superb using the stock tubes, I'm just a tone freak! I'm currently running the amp with a set of Svetlana EL34 'winged-c' output tubes, which are much nicer, but still not exactly what I was looking for. At least I have the option to use such a variety of tubes thanks to the design of the amp.

This amp is not a metaller's amp, as should be obvious from the name and description on the Frenzel site. If you want ear-bleading shred sounds (and hence don't know/care what good guitar tone is) then look in the section of your guitar shop that has guitars shaped like thunderblots and amps specifically designed to go up to 11 ("yeah, but it's 1 louder...")

I was impressed by how quiet this thing is. Only when I push it into higher gain settings does it make much in the way of hiss, and then not much. At usual settings it is virtually silent when idle, which makes it perfect for recording at lower levels.

I couldn't be happier with tone this amp is capable of.

Too early to say, but looks very solid. Entirely hand built. I had the bottom off of the chassis and it all looks very well put together. Point-to-point wiring of course. In terms of build quality, you must take into account that these are made to order by hand and not mass produced on a production line. This is likely to mean better reliability (it's made by someone with a passion for tube amps and obviously a wealth of experience) but this can affect the finish quality in terms of aesthetics. The basic no-frills finish is exactly why the amp is so cheap, so no problems there. That said, the black paint job I opted for was not first class and had already started to chip off when I received it new. I have since removed the chrome handles and built the chassis into a head unit to match my speaker cab, so this is not a problem for me. I would recommend doing the same.

Not had to use it other than my initial questions before purchase, which were always dealt with swiftly. Jim seems like a good man to do business with. He answered my questions well, but I did get the impression he was very busy. Now I have the amp I can see why.

Exactly the amp I was looking for. If you want a no frills, hand-made p-to-p tube amp that sounds fantastic and wont empty your bank account, this is it.

Given that Jim describes his product with such accuracy and detail, I'll not rehash the specs here. Check his webite for that. I'll simply state that I orderd the upgrade to the Hammond transformer (not only for the fatter sound but also so as to be able to change between 4-8-16 ohm output) and the switch that allows the amp to operate in both a fixed and cathode biased mode. Those options, along with the standard twin inputs and presence switch, make for very wide variety of tonal possibilities.

This is one the best sounding amps I have ever heard, especially its clean tone. Whoa! Way back when, I cut my teeth on a silverface Deluxe. I can thus assure you that this Frenzel is way better than that vintage. Well, OK, it doesn't have reverb like the old Fender; otherwise there is no contest.

Though this amp will serve very well for most style of music, it strikes me that it is best suited for the very things the classic Fenders were used, i.e., jazz, blues, rock, country, and so forth. That said, if you are looking super distorted rock and blues tones, you will need to use a pedal or at least run it fully dimed. But that is not what I was after. I was after brilliance, clarity, and articulation. This Frenzel absolutely shines in that department. I will add that it gets great Marshall-type tones, though I would switch over to EL34 tubes if that is what I were principally seeking.

I was concerned enough about the exposed tubes that I paid extra for the optional cage. It is substantial and protects the unit, plus it looks cool, with that old school tube glow.

I have no doubt that Jim built this right. Check out the guys credentials. Plus, he does not ruch these through some mass production. I am confident that this unit will more than stand up to the babying I dish out for things I love.

I am shocked to read the trashing Jim suffers at the hand of the previous reveiwer. I say this because this is the second amp I have oreder from Jim--the first was for my sister--and he has been totally above board with me. He told me exactly how long it would take to build the model requested, and then delivered. He always answers e-mails within a day.

I have played on and off for about 30 years and am now at in a life situation that I can afford what I want. You can spend more money, but will look far and wide to find a better sounding rig than a Frenzel's. Would I buy another if this were lost? I think I am about to buy another amp in a different circuit. It would be the third one Jim makes for me.

This amp has no features since the manufacturer would not deliver it after taking my money. After 45 days I got my money back instead of getting my amp back. Avoid doing business with Frenzel unless you have the patience of Job.

This amp doesn't make any sounds that I have heard personally. The vendor doesn't sell what he makes, he takes payment in full and makes the buyer wait to over 45 (the PayPal dispute period) to produce his product. The amp was ordered 10/12/2006 and he got full payment via PayPal. He sent me notice that he had ordered shipment the day before Thanksgiving and told me that it would be shipped out on the Friday after Thanksgiving, but his email to me told me it would be shipped on Friday. Then he refunded my money because he states he doesn't like doing business with people who don't trust him. On what should I have based my trust? Delays, apologies, excuses, a change in technical specs that I had to catch in mid stream?

I can't depend on something which doesn't exist. I also can't depend on someone who makes excuses instead of keeping his word.

The company appears to be friendly but they take advantage customers. I did get my money back after opening a PayPal dispute resolution, instead of having an amp shipped after 45 days. If you have a problem how long can you wait?

I'm 51. Have been playing for many years. Collect guitars. Have 2 Parker Flys, a '63 Fender Jazz Master, a Gretsch BST, a Mexi Strat with Owen Duffy PUPs, two Americah made G&L electrics: a NAMM Show ASAT and a Strat with early Lindy Fralin vintage hot wound PUPs.

The 5E3 Deluxe is based on the Fender Deluxe with several added features. There is a second preamp channel set up for Marshall tones. There is also a three knob EQ and a presence knob. There are separate preamp volumes for each channel and a master level overall. The amp puts out about 25 watts that is more than loud enough! The tube compliment includes two 6L6 power tubes, three 12AX7 tubes and a 5U4 rectifier tube. I have the upgraded transformer that allows switchable 4,8 and 16 ohm loads. There is also a line out on the back panel. Jim installs a fixed bias feature that allows using 6L6, EL34, KT66 and a couple of other power tubes without any bias adjustment! This amp has more than enough features; however no reverb.

This amp is very versatile. The Fender channel is Deluxe all the way, and the Marshall side drives well in the upper-mids. The clean tones are very good and allow effect pedals in front with no problems. The preamp driven tones are the best I have ever heard. You can push each channel into a smooth overdrive, but with a certain bite that sounds brilliant! My favorite guitars I use are a 335-type Samick with Duncan Phat Cat pickups and a Strat with Lindy Fralin Blues pickups. They both sound sweet in either channel. I also use a WOBO ABY type pedal to change channels or run both channels together. The number of tones possible is impressive. The amp is also dead quiet.

I have not owned this amp long enough to know its reliability. It seems well-built, point to point wired and ready for heavy use. I would always carry a backup regardless of reliability.

Jim Frenzel is a great amp builder/designer and addresses any issues promptly. He personally replied to calls and e-mails quickly and was terrific to work with. He warranties the amps for a year. I have complete trust in his word at this point.

I have been playing off and on for 35 years and just for fun at this time. I own several guitars and amps and know good tone when I hear it. Frenzel amps sound terrific and are quality-built at a great price. Quality/value for the money could not be better. I just happened upon his website through EBAY and am glad I did! The only feature I might want to add is a reverb, but I have not necessarily needed one. I will buy from Jim again. Quality and tone at this price can not be beat!

Frenzel 5E3 Deluxe Plus Head. This amp has a Fender Deluxe input and a Marshall Plexi input. No bull, I've played them both. The beauty is that it's 25 tube watts so you will always get to that power tube bliss. Use either preamp or blend the two with a Y cable. No solid state, digital or modeling. I got the Hammond transformer installed because sometimes I use different ohm speakers and an effects loop because occasionally I'll plug a high gain TUBE preamp into the effects return to get my metal fix. You can choose different power tubes for different sounds, plug and play, automatically biased. Pull out the presence knob and my 4X12 sounds like an open back cab. Very versatile amp.

Absolute professional tone quality. The real Fender and Marshall circuits are in there, NOT THE MODELS! It's not a high gainer by it's self however AC/DC and Zeppelin are in there easy with the right power tubes. I'm a Marshall guy and I always compare tone to a good Marshall. I sold a 1987X because it was a WAY to loud non master volume amp. The 5E3 Deluxe Plus, M input is basically the same as a SLP Plexi at 25 watts so when you dial the gain and level up around 8 to 10, you have the best rock guitar tone there is. Rich harmonic overdrive that sings back to you when you hold a note or a chord. Then back your guitar volume down between 2 and 6 it cleans up to the real beauty of the circuits. I play a Gibson Les Paul Standared with 57's, a Bill Lawrence Strat and Ibanez RG570 with JB and 59. I can get ANY tone that you have heard on the radio in the classic rock, country, jazz, Indi.........no Mesa Rectifire but then it's not designed for that. A Boss DS-1 up front and your in rock heaven!

I have always totally respected Fender amps for having the best clean tones but I could never get one to sound right with hard rock. Hence I never really got to spend as much time with Fender sounds as I did with a Marshall. The F input of this amp reminded me of a bassman I played at a party a looooooong time ago. It was a great experience and a familiar tone from the pop music I use to listen to. This little Frenzel has re-opened a door for me, giving me a second chance to explore some of the finer guitar tones I was missing. Very very sweet, gentle, softer tone than the M input. It is deep and rich and I couldn't make it sound harsh even if I scraped it across a chalk board. Treble all the way up, still very gentle on the ears. Not dull, just really good tone and you can get an excellent singing lead tone when cranked. A Tubescreamer up front brings tears of joy my friend. With 6L6's or EL34's I can dial in great jazz tones. I'm even learning some jazz off the weather channel and I may become a Fender convert because of this amp.

Choice of power tubes makes a MAJOR difference in tone. Mine came with 6L6's which is a good compromise for a Fender/Marshall combination. They sound great on the Fender side especially. Me...I'm a Marshall type that just had to throw in a pair of EL34's to lean toward the british flavor. The Fender side still sounded like a Fender with EL34's, like the bassman, and a beautiful tone. Marshall side just came alive for me. I almost cried I was so freakin' happy with the sound. It's Plexi all the way. I bought a pair of KT77's and poped them in, plugged my Les Paul into the M input, cranked up the amp gain and level to 9, slowly rolled my guitar volume up from perfectly clean, and beautiful I might add, to Zep's "Dancing Days Are Here Again"! NO PEDALS!! The KT77's added considerably more crunchy gain. Brighter too. Yea that was fun but I think EL34's cover the most ground for me.

I run this into a stereo 4X12 using only the two Greenbacks on the left side dry, 8ohm's. I run a cable from the line out to a chorus/delay/reverb processor through a seperate power amp and back into a Vintage30/G12H30 combination on the right side, full wet. So my excellent dry tone is never compromised. Of course I experiment all the time switching Fender Preamp to the V30/G12h side and getting that Jimmi Hendrix "Red House" lead, just add a little fuzz. I only use the effects loop when I want to plug a high gain preamp into the 25 watt power section of the Frenzel. Crank it up! Save your ears!! it's a win/win situation. What else can I say.... I've listened to everything pop/classic rock since the Beatles "I wanna hold your hand" and played electric guitar since IN-A-GADDA-DA-VIDA. I've been through a lot of gear over many years, buy one/sell one. I nailed the Scorpions sound with this Frenzel and destiny was set, KT77's and DS-1. I'll never get rid of this amp.

Point to point wiring, quality construction built by a pros hands?? What do you think? I have used every feature available and cranked to the max and everything works as designed. No problems so far.

Good communications, easy to talk to, willing to do extras if you want. Regular good people doing an excellent job for us. Ordering was actually fun and exciting, Took a few weeks to build but that was agreed on. I don't know any Frenzels personally but I trust them, I can just tell.

I will probably never buy another amp from GC or any other retail mass produced manufacturer again as long as I can find people like Frenzel Tube Amps who give you an excellent quality produce at a FAIR price! This Frenzel 5E3 Deluxe Plus Head is perfect for my needs. I actually can't wait to buy Trevors high gain model. It's like I can suddenly afford a Cadillac.

Kapow! I just got the amp a few days ago and have not yet scratched the surface regarding the features. The two different inputs (M) an (F) are very different tonally and depending on the guitar I'm using I use them both equally. With the line out I used it as a pre-amp into my Music Man 130 watt. Blam! made an ok amp sound supa-bad. I have a 15 watt Spitfire that in some venues is not quite lous enough. 28 watts is a perfect output for most situations.

Kablam! Butta.... smooth and creamy. Plenty of headroom if you want to be squeeky clean. When you crank the gain and output the butta begins to boil with Humbuckers or single coils. I use a Fender Strat and a Gibson Firebird playing Blues, Jazz, Gospel, Soul and whatever comes my way. I can find a killer tone Lickety-Split. The amp is very quiet when running idle which is sweet for recording. The gain when I jack her way up is just what you would want from a souped up Deluxe. Amazingly Blazin! Again I just got this amp and can't wait to experiment further. I'm thinking about a Tone Tubby cab for this bad boy as you just got to treat a fine lady right! Thanx Jim for your tonal artistry

From the looks of it as sturdy as any amp made. I always bring something as a backup as you never know what could happen. I've blow output transformers before by not plugging a speaker into the amp and turning it on...duh... I know....I wrote Jim concerning this issue and he reponded:
The output transformer in the FM- 5E3 Deluxe Plus is protected from failure by the internal load resistor that is automatically connected across the output when the speakers are not plugged in. Zowie! Idiot proof. Thanx Jim!

Jim is very helpful with any questions at all including what kind of cabs to use with his amps. Always a same day response time with emails. Definately good people.

I've been playing guitar for 39 years. I've been blessed to have the opportunity to play all over Europe and Asia. I usually play Blues and Jazz festivals where you have choices of many amps provided for you. Next spring I'm bringing the Frenzel to knock all their sox off! Believe me I know everyone will want to know what I'm playing through. Forget if it were stolen or lost. I'm gonna buy some of them anyway because he makes so many different amps for different situations. Ya think I like this amp? All your freinds'l love your Frenzel!!!!!!!!