John Landgraff 5E3 Tweed Deluxe 112 Combo

It was handmade this year by John Landgraff in Pensacola Florida. It is made with 100 year old pine and modeled after a 5E3 Tweed Deluxe. It is finished with just a thin lacquer so the pine wood shows through. It has a Weber alnico 12" speaker. It has four inputs, and 2 channels, bright and normal. Has 2 volume knobs and 1 tone knob. All go to 12 like an old Tweed amp with chicken head knobs. It has a bright pull knob for the normal channel. He used cloth wire throughout, silver solder, and the best components money can buy. All milspec with 90 degree angles. It is designed to be very simple, and nothing but pure tone. No effects loop, no channel switching, headphone jacks He designed to to put in 6l6, or 6v6 tubes. It has a handwound interleaved output transformer, top notch. You can also put in different rectifier tubes also, i have a GZ34 currently. It came with a 12at7, and 12ay7 for preamp tubes. I prefer a 12ax7 in the driver position for earlier breakup. I use this at church 3 times a week, and am primarily a lead guitar player. It has 20 watts with the 6l6 tubes, and about 15 with the 6v6 tubes. John has recommended using the THD Yellowjackets with EL84's for more distortion at a lower volume, I have not had a chance yet. I use the 6l6's for more head room. This thing is loud and can hang with The 1966 Pro Reverb that the other guitarist uses. I set the volume on about 2 1/2 to 3, and use a distortion pedal with it.

I am using a Hiram Bullock Signature Heavily modified with Duncan, Anderson, and Van Zandt pickups. I play distorted and clean lead primarily at church 3 times a week, sometimes more. It is extremely clean, and is the most amazing amp I have had the privelage of owning. I have owned many, many amps through the years, and this thing kills them all. It is not a metal amp, but for blues, hard rock, or even country this is IT!!!! The clean simply swirls, I have never evn heard a tweed that can come close, so lush, so fat sounding. It literally takes my breath away every time I play it. With the Fulltone Distortion Pro it goes into another realm. While it is a good distortion pedal, you really need a Landgraff Dynamic Overdrive. Words could never express how much I love this amp, it sings like no other. The highs are so crisp and warm, the mids cut through the mix like a hot knife through butter. Due to the design of the 5E3 circuit, the bottom end is not as tight as a modern design, but it is not really a downfall. John assured me if I desire he could make it tighter on the bottom. I may do it later, but for now it is more than fine.

Built like a tank, top notch in every way. No tweed, so I have to be more careful of scratches. I live in Texas and John lives in Florida, but if I ever have a problem, I have no doubt John will take good care of me. NO problems whatsoever thus far.

John Landgraff is a fantastic individual. He is a perfectionist to the highest degree. He lives, breathes and eats tone. He has no employees, and works on all amps and pedals himself. He also is a strong Christian, who honors Jesus Christ in all he does. It is on his logo, and handwritten on all pedals. You will not find a more honest decent peron in the music industry. That is a real rarity today.

I have been playing 20 years, and have a 62 Bassman head, and Crate VC20 currently. I have played just about everything out there and nothing can hang with this amp. I a/b'd this amp against a Naylor, Two-Rock, Old 50 watt plexi, Egnator, Dinky, and Thd Univalve. I have played several Dr. Z's, Tophats, Matchless, Bad Cats, Demeter, Victoria's and bruno's, no contest. They all sounded so one dimensional compared to this amp. It has the widest tonal range of anything I have played besides John's 50 watt head. The 100 year old pine just adds to the extreme tonality of this beauty. I chose this after playing numerous amps in Blues Angel Music. They have dozens of old Fenders as well, nothing even came close. When I first plugged into the amp I was in another room, and my buddy immediately put down his guitar and came in to see what he heard. I was not planning to buy an expensive amp while I was there, but had to. This is #3 with oxblood grillcloth and if it was ever stolen I would choke back the tears and then ask John to make another just like it. I wish the rating went higher, 10 is not enough. His heads are back ordered by 14. I will buy 1 also, along with a 2x12 100 year old pine cabinet. Get these while you can, these will end up in Dumble, Trainwreck territory in a few years. These are it, forget all the other boutique promises. Only thing to make it better would be his pedal.

This is combo amp number one built by John Landgraff, completed 12/27/01. It is a classic reproduction of the tweed narrow panel Fender Deluxe amplifier. Simplicity are the big features, along with the great workmanship/tech talent from John Landgraff, who has used top quality components/tubes/chassis,trannys/capacitors/tubes/speaker, ect. John voiced this amp for harp, upgraded trannys/voltage adjustment where I can use either 6L6, or 6V6 power tubes, currently using Jan Phillips 6L6GBs, which are perfect for this amp. Also came with a Weber P12Q, which about to break in, great speaker for this amp. John had the cab built from heart of pine, and it is very resonant and beautiful. I liked it so much,forgo's tweeding cab, we went with stain/polyuerothene, sort of a honey color.Wheat with silver specks grill cloth. Depending on power and rectifier tubes, will run about 12-18 watts. Will mainly use this amp for blues type gigs,some ocassional recording opportunities, at Methodist church I play Sundays in band at a contemporary service, or rehearsals/home enjoyment. It is very versatile to the intended use. It is not versatile as to thank GOD not having multiple gain stages/effects loops, all tone sucking and feedback causing headaches for amplified harp playing. This is and will be my main amp. Additionally John is building me a 4X8 extension cab.

Use the Landgraff Deluxe with a Danelectro " Dan Echo". Main harp mic. is a 60s Shure 520 Green Bullet, though use several others. A crystal mic. would also sound great with this amp. This amp is perfect for small/mid size venues, sounds great miked thru a PA. It is dead quiet when on. It starts overdriving nicely with volume on 3-4, and tone set at about 3.Gets even better at volume 6-7, and tone-3-4. Great coloring/tones, and with help of tube selection, Johns workmanship/design/expertise, with help of the the Weber P12Q speaker, nice tight bass response,great low mids, and high end. Nice tweed/brown sound.

John Landgraff has serviced just about every amp I have ever owned. I know its reliable, and John will back it up.I would, and do use it playing out/gigging without a backup.

Customer support is excellent, John is "da Man" and he lives in Pensacola, Florida where I live. He alone is my authorized dealer. John is a great guy, ethical, respectful, no big ego, a great communicator, who has been a great help through the years with my amps, and getting the sound I wanted.

I have been playing harp about 30 years, played in a regionally popular bluegrass/newgrass/swing band( I hate labels)for 15 years, left group 10 years ago to concentrate on amplified blues harmonica. Have tweed champ, 50s Masco converted one 6L6 tube PA to guitar amp, and a 1954 tweed Pro a good buddy is letting me keep for awhile. Have owned/played through Silvertones, Harmonys, Premiers,Gibsons, Ampegs, and Fenders. If my Landgraff Deluxe was lost or stolen, I would weep for several days, consult with the FBI and if not located, and either before or after speaking with my wife, would order another.

John Landgraff, a long time pro tech, up until the last couple of years may have been the best kept musical secret on the Florida, Alabama, and Mississippi gulf coast. That may have ended, though John does not act as if he wants to mass produce amps like others. John allowed me to have input, was respectful, and delived just what I had hoped, a great low/mid watt harp amp. He makes wonderful overdrive and distortion peadals, is now building a 50 watt tube head(amp), and building more 5E3 tweed deluxe and other combos. He can be found at Blues Angel Vintage Music Store, Pensacola, Florida-850-341-2310, or 850-457-7557. The owner of Blues Angel is Jim Destafney, also a great guy. John Landgraff is the real deal, and given the choice of a Clark, or Victoria 5E3 reproduction, I am pleased to have gone with a Landgraff.