SDG Vintage Amps 5e3 Deluxe Clone 112 Combo

In various categories I am rating this amp for what it is - so here it pretty well does what it says on the packet - one bright channel, one normal channel - with volume for each and shared tone. No balancing of multistep pre-amps here - just plug and play.

My kit included some top notch components - Mercury transformers, Sprague Atom caps, Carbon resistors, Mojo cab etc.

There are loads of comments on the 5e3 here and elsewhere - you dont buy one of these expecting to play clean country. I bought this kit to get the quintessential blues tone at domestic levels and it does exactly that. Everything I have plugged in sounds fantastic (strat, tele, 335, LP junior).

When you consider all the complex gizmos that guitarists often resort to in order to get "that" sound its just great to find it in a simple, honest form - just good components, uncluttered circuitry and point-to-point wiring.

I guess this is something of a self-appraisal since I put the thing together - have to give it a 10 then I guess!

I am reviewing an amp KIT and, make no mistake, this is what really counts here and will almost certainly vary between different suppliers.

From the word go, where I made initial enquiries from the UK, to the final firing up and playing Steve (who runs SDG) has been incredible. He was very flexible in supplying the parts of the kit I required (I fitted my own speaker - a celestion blue) and even ran the gear up in his car to where I was staying near Washington when things got tight (I was visiting the US at the time). Steves response to any questions when purchasing and also during the build of this amp have been extremely fast and very informative - EMAIL has been replied to sometimes within minutes. Although the instructions provided with the kit are first class (see below) I cannot stress enough how important this interaction was for someone like myself who was building an amp for the first time.

The instructions for the 5e3 kit are excellent and take you on a step-by-step guide through the whole project with clear photographs at each stage. However, you get much more than than this - helpful tips and hints about what to look out for and avoid are included throughout - I built this one in a weekend and learnt a hell of a lot along the way about amp building.

Have been playing for about 40 yrs.
Yes, would buy again if stolen.


Love it for what it is.

Update -- I replaced the Weber 125A with a Celestion Blue -- you have to remove the bell cover (done by removing the retaining screw under that celestion cover sticker and then gently prying the thing off) to make it fit without touching the power tubes.

All those other testimonials online about how the Cele Blue and the 5e3 were made for each other were right. This made a big difference in the clarity of the bottom end. The extra chime really comes through up top as well. The amp is still more or less of a one trick pony, but it has an even more dynamic sound now -- like the tubes and the impedance of the speaker are really wrestling with each other, with neither ever being able to totally dominate the other. The amp also sounds louder now (undoubtedly due to the higher sensitivity of the Cele Blue). It could probably be used in all but the largest gig venues as a dedicated lead amp, especially when miked.

Now, bear in mind that this is a 5e3 clone; it is not supposed to sound like a twin reverb. Bear in mind also that this is not some crappy POS Mesa nomad or Line 6 modeling amp. It's meant to do one thing only, which it nails to the wall like George Michaels finding a glory hole in the men's room of a San Fransico truck stop.

Two channels, two volumes, one tone. 6v6's and a Sprague/orange drop capacitors. Steve customized this bad boy with a master volume, which I usually leave cranked all the way up. There's also a standby switch (the originals did not have these) to save tube life -- a nice addition.

Comes with a Weber speaker, which sounds excellent. The only other speakers I'd like to try in this thing would be a Celestion Blue and a Tone Tubby hempcone, but I'm not sure there could be a "better" tone than what this thing does currently. I'd also be interested to see what the paper in oil capacitors sound like, although again I'm again loath to change something that doesn't need much changing.

Reverb? Re-what? Huh? I don't miss it at all. It would just take away from the immense presence. I'll get a fender DR if I want to sound like I'm playing in a cavern.

The amp is sort of a one-trick pony, but why would you buy it if you didn't know what it was supposed to sound like? It has a lot of variety so long as you don't expect an apple to sound like an orange...

Initially, I was dismayed at the lack of headroom and the dark tonality of the amp -- it seemed like breakup happened so quickly (even with a 12AY7 in the preamp) that the bottom end just fizzled and sounded muddy. That was before I started fiddling with all the settings. I realized first that I was plugging into the "normal" channel, which didn't have that spanky presence that I was looking for. Plugging into the bright channel made the amp come alive -- every tone oozes the blues -- incredible presence! It has a clanky, metallic pick attack (with the tone cranked), and a woody resonance that decays into a controllable sustain.

I use a Gibson Nighthawk Standard with a five-way toggle (mini humbucker in neck, staggered/slanted humbucker in bridge - out of phase single coil option in position 3) and a vintage '65 Gibson ES-330. I like to play SRV/Kenny Wayne Shepherd/Jimi Hendrix/Government Mule/Eric Clapton/Buddy Guy style music (throw in a Jeff Buckley for good measure).

After having discovered the bright channel, I thought I had reached tonal nirvana. But no -

It gets even better. ALTHOUGH, with the master volume cranked, the preamp is very sensitive around 3 o'clock (at 2 there is no volume - at 4 there is full-on overdrive), the channels can be linked. This thing has 4 inputs - 2 channels, each with a "normal" and "bright" input jack. One can loop these things with two patch cables, sort of like an effects loop. I plug into channel one (normally sort of dark and muddy, although a classic overdrive sound) and try to get the cleanest sound I can get (rolling off on the preamp), then run a loop from that second channel's "normal" input (which is, I guess, an output in this case) to the first channel's "bright" input. In between I put a Robert Keeley modified Boss BD-2 with the phat mod. I crank the bright channel volume (preamp) way up to about 5 or 6 (usually almost over the top except that now I can turn the "level" knob on the bd-2 down to clean it up) and crank the tone control as high as it will go. The result is blissful:

I can control everything from the guitar's volume (with no loss of girth in the pick attack! The presence stays with you!) and the "level" knob of the BD-2. Between those two knobs, I can get the just the right amount of sustain and tone coloration. If I really need crunch I can futz with the gain on the BD-2, but the amp already has plenty of gain -- you could probably even use this thing for death metal if you scooped the mids of the guitar out enough.

Bottom line: the amp is suitable for jazz in a coffeeshop (if you harness only 4-6 watts of the 18 total). This amp could be used for metal, theoretically, since the overdrive can be dialed in thick enough to cut with a dull spoon. Moreover, it will do most classic rock tones as good as or better than what one is accustomed to hearing (sounds about as marshally as a fender circuit can get). The amp is the holy f*ing grail for the blues, provided you know what you're doing and mess around with the knobs enough.

This amp is built like a Rolls Royce. The only thing I would worry about is a tube failing.

Steve has responded immediately to my emails, even though I bought this amp used. Since I'm lucky enough to live near his shop, I'm not worried about a breakdown, and I'll probably buy all my amps from him in the future.

Bottom line: this is simply the best amp I have ever heard, anywhere. I flatter myself, but I think I actually sound better than the guys I like to emulate when I play through this thing. I can't believe I paid what I paid for it. I've been looking for this sound for a long time. It inspires me to be a better musician, and the only way I'd get rid of it would be for another amp with very, very similar tonal characteristics (maybe a larger version of the same tweed circuit or possibly rebiased with 6L6's for more headroom).

Made by Steve Gupta in 2006. 5e3 Deluxe with proluxe upgrade; jensen paper in oil; Can use 6L6 and 6V6 with a 4ohm and 2ohm selector switch. This gives this amp a lot of versatile tones. 18 Watts; plenty of power.

Best sounding amp that I have ever played. I have played a lot of amps in my 25 years of playing and this is the best! That's saying a lot. I play rock and blues and this amp nails it down for me. I use a 72 tele; 335; supro and a Reverend Club King 290. It handles every guitar perfectly.

Solid amp. I use this out in clubs every week and it is reliable and always ready to go.

Steve is one of the most helpful guys that I have ever worked with. He always anwers his emails in a timely manner and treats you with respect. He will work with you to make sure that you are completely satisfied with your purchase. You can't go wrong with SDGVintage.

It is a relief to finally have found an amp that I know I will keep for the rest of my playing days. I just purchased an SDG Deluxe 18 watt for the British tones. This is another incredible amp. Steve will build you the best amp that you have ever played. Do yourself a huge favor and buy one of Steve's amps. Solid 10's all the way down the board.

An 18w Marshall-inspired amp.Very simple and to the point.No effects, just tone controls.

I use ALL kinds of guitars .Everything from a '52 Tele reissue to a VERY fancy D'Angelico. Play most anything musically with the possible exception of Metal.Can you say W-O-N-D-E-R-F-U-L? It is.A near-Religious experience...NO BS.I wish there was an "11" rating.

Built like fine jewelry.

Haven't had the need. I'll say this: THERE IS NONE BETTER THAN STEVE!

Been playing 30+ yr.
After I stopped crying, I'd order another and happily wait for it.
The absolute finest example of an 18W I have ever heard or seen (Electric Wood made and constructed the cabinet for it)

Simple 5e3 deluxe with two volumes and one tone control,four inputs and a standby switch. I got the upgraded transformer option so I could use 6L6s if needed. I also had Steve install an Eminence Swamp Thang speaker because I like the big fat sound and it's 103db efficient so it helps me have more head room.It has all the features I want.

I play Blues of all styles, jazzy, funky, swing, and raunchy. The tweed sound is what I like most. I use a 52 reissue Tele, an Epiphone Blues Delux W/P90s, and occassionally a Strat.. The amp is very quiet at idle, and amazingly loud even with the 6V6s. I like to have plenty of headroom and just enough distortion at the top. The amp gives me all I want just using my guitar volume controls. I don't use any stomp boxes except my Ibanez analog delay {AD99) if the room is dead.
I've compared it to my friends real Fender Tweed Deluxe ( through the same speakers ) and it is spot on soundwise, except the bigger transformers give me more headroom, and it holds together better on the bottom end. Compared to the original through it's own speaker the SDG is a LOT louder and bigger sounding.Like I said, I haven't even found the need for 6L6s yet, but I'll try them soon.

Steve uses all the best components and is very neat and careful in his work, that's what made me decide to give him a try. His wiring and assembly look every bit as good as V's and better than all the others I looked at. Quality components and quality work equals reliability so I have no worries in that regard.

Steve did a great job of building the amp with the options and choices I chose. He's very easy to work with.
I did have a problem after I got the amp caused by a NOS tube that I was using. It went bad taking out a resistor and a capacitor. Steve took care of it for free even though it wasn't any fault of his. I'm very happy with the amp and will probably get another amp from him someday.

I've been playing professionally since 1965. I've had lots of equipment. I currently own a Fender Prosonic, THD UniValve, THD BiValve, and now the SDG Vintage 5e3. The UniValve does tweed sounds very well, but I got the 5e3 because I wanted a combo. All my ams are very flexible in different volume situations of varying levels.
The SDG is a beautiful little amp that sounds GREAT and much bigger than its size would imply. I would certainly get another if something happened to it. I may do that anyway.
If you're in the market for a tweed replica then I highly recommend an SDG. It's as good as anything out there and better than most. And a GREAT DEAL !

This is a 2005, 5E3 Clone. What can I say a simple deluxe clone that sounds great. 2 volumes, 1 tone. You can link the channels.
Basically an exact clone. Mercury Transformers, Orange Caps.
Weber 125a speaker. Tweed! Has all the features you need.
It's an amp not a computer.

Sounds great with all my guitars, 335, Nocaster, Les paul, 6120.
Even run my martin through it sometimes. I run it with (2)12ax7's , but you can run it with an AY7 in place of one of the 12ax7's. This will give you a little less gain.
This is a Blues, country, Rockabilly, Rock amp. I play many styles depending on the gig. Don't do the metal thing. Run this with a Fender Reverb, a H2O delay/Chorus, RC Booster, Tube Screamer. (18 watts)Perfect for clubs, and Theaters (mic'ed). Plenty of Volume. Believe me in the real world if you are to loud you get fired.

Hand built, Point to Point, Simple design, no stupid mods. 1 year warranty. SDG is a very reliable small builder. What more can you ask for.

Good guy, Answered every question. Built it the way I wanted it. Bent over backwards to give me technical details about the different parts even though I know nothing about electronics. The cool thing is, he did not just build a kit. He used the best parts he could get for each part of the amp, and he is amazingly affordable. Be careful of kit builders that use the cheap parts that come with the kits. Especially transformers. I never realized what a huge difference a good transformer makes.

I am impressed. The build quality is stunning. Very neat and clean.
love this amp. I am already having him build me another.

Compared with a real 1959 Tweed Deluxe. Saved over a thousand bucks. To be honest the '59 was amazing, but carting that amp all over the country on planes would not have been a good thing for the amp even in a case. You would also have to replace the caps, filters, and the speaker. These things all wear out.

I am not a collector, I am a pro player (make my living playing). Been playing a very long time. I think I have owned every amp on the market twice. Loved alot of them, hated some of them. Comparisons are stupid.

Made in 2004.This amp only has 3 knobs(2 volumes,1 tone)and power and standby switches, but can actually kick out quite a few different tones.All of them are quality usable tones.I expected this amp to only be able to do old blues and squashed neil young sounds,but it can actually nail some stones,zz top,and even dinosaur jr. tones(the latter with a pedal of course).Playing with different combinations of the volume controls is extremely satisfying.It doesn't get extremely clean unless you roll down your guitar's volume pot but that's not what people use deluxes for anyway.It can however get a nice vintage compressed motown-type of clean sound if you plug into the bright channel on 2 and turn up the normal channel all the way.Steve(the amp maker) ordered a weber mini-mass(power attenuator) for me to be able to use the amp at bedroom levels and it works great.It's just right without the mini-mass for medium-loud band rehearsals.My amp came with an eminence alnico legend speaker.I opened the amp up and the wiring and construction are very neat and clean.Having this amp and my marshall jubilee,the only style amp I still really want is a cleaner fender sort.
Maybe a twin or vibroverb.

I use a lp jr. clone with antiquity p-90,strat clone with seymour duncan vintage single-coils, g&l bluesboy asat,and a yamaha 335 copy.

I'm sure Steve would fix it up if I ever damaged it.I don't think it would break on it's own because the build quality is incredible.

Steve is extremely friendly and helpful.

This amp has grown to be my favorite so I would definately recommend it to anyone looking for a 5e3 clone.