Looking for best kit, parts, approach for a 5E7 bandmaster build

[Webfoot]

I have had the honor of borrowing a 1955 Bandmaster with three P10Rs for the last couple of days. It sure smokes my DRRI. I just use a Honeybeest and it sings. Can do Jeff Beck, Gary Moore, Trower etc. Plus it super light weight. So have decided to build one for myself. So am assuming the 5E7 is a great circuit choice. Am Looking for input on...

- Best Kit (Mojo? Marsh? Ceriatone? Weber?....)

Or if I do it myself...

- Which power and OT transformers (4 ohm?) and model number to use
- Which tweed cab/shellac'ed supplier (like a bassman ltd finish)?
- Which speakers (P10Rs but have heard about Weber Alnico Sig 10AS)

Just follow the schematic or any other circuit mods?
- bias adjust (needed?)
- copper cap?
- ????

Thanks

[twangbanger]

I'm just putting together all the parts for the same build. I've got a weber stainless steel chassis and fiber board. I picked up a 4x10 '56 reissue bassman cabinet on ebay and am currently sourcing out the other parts needed. I will have to watch this thread for info.

[GrungeMan]

Originally Posted by Webfoot

I have had the honor of borrowing a 1955 Bandmaster with three P10Rs for the last couple of days. It sure smokes my DRRI. I just use a Honeybeest and it sings. Can do Jeff Beck, Gary Moore, Trower etc. Plus it super light weight. So have decided to build one for myself. So am assuming the 5E7 is a great circuit choice. Am Looking for input on...

- Best Kit (Mojo? Marsh? Ceriatone? Weber?....)

Or if I do it myself...

- Which power and OT transformers (4 ohm?) and model number to use
- Which tweed cab/shellac'ed supplier (like a bassman ltd finish)?
- Which speakers (P10Rs but have heard about Weber Alnico Sig 10AS)

Just follow the schematic or any other circuit mods?
- bias adjust (needed?)
- copper cap?
- ????

Thanks

They are all good.
If you have never built an amp just build the kit as is.
In the future you may want to upgrade some of the parts such as the pots, jacks, OT...

Three 8ohm speakers wired in parallel into 2 or 4ohms, it doesn't matter.
Are you planning on pushing the amp hard?
Signatures are great sounding speakers but the bottom end may be too flubby for high volume.
Speakers are a matter of taste, I prefer ceramic smooth cones and small wattage such as Weber 10F100's or 10F125-O's, lotsa treble n crunch!

A Weber Copper Cap will work just fine.

A shellac'd cab is just esthetics, a matter of preference again.

5E7 Great Amp, just decide on a kit, build it and enjoy!

Grungy

[Krayon]

The Mojo kit is great! agree with grungeman on the upgrades. but its not an immediate issue.

Watch your lead dress on the power section. parasitic occillations can occur if your lead dress is sloppy.

[Muzzy]

I just put 3 WGS veteran 10's in my Tungsten bandmaster and they sound fantastic. At $41 each they kill the ri p10r's. They seem to love the bandmaster circuit.

[stratman_el84]

If you go with the Weber 5E7 kit, you've got the option right in the kit-listing to select options.

https://taweber.powweb.com/store/kits_50a.htm#5E7

You can, for instance, choose through check-boxes and drop-down menus to order the kit with or without various things like the stock jacks/pots and have them send upgraded parts instead at a discount. They're extremely flexible and will include/exclude/swap-out most anything in their kits. Very convenient and saves time & shipping costs.

Strat

[Webfoot]

Just curious what guys things are the best speaker match... does not have to be P10Rs or alnico or most expensive. For example curious if some people like ceramic speakers more. The veterans are good suggestion, or any emi legends? or go with the weber alnico 10as etc. Do want to use as my main gigging amp.

Also curious about the transformer... some say you want an old exact wrap at 4 ohms for a mismatch. Others say get the mutlitap (8, 4, 2.6) and you can use with other speakers.... but wondering if you lose some options here.

Those are probably the biggest questions... and parts I just want to buy once. I am sure most of these choices are all good... but curious if some one has tried something that was bad I need to stay away from.

Thanks for eveyones input.

[GrungeMan]

Speakers are a matter of taste, no one can tell you what you are going to like.
What about the speakers in the 5E7 that you tried, you did like them?

Three speakers wired in parallel are 2.6ohms, using the 2 or 4ohm secondary either way will be a mismatch.

Your splitting hairs, over thinking

[Thin Slices]

I have a 5E7 clone (local build). Since I got that amp both the 66 Super Reverb and the Vibro King has been collecting dust.

My 5E7 has got weber sig 10 alnico smooth cone speakers. They sound astonishing! A/B'd them against the awesome eminence made blues alnico's in the VK and the weber CTA 10 speakers in the Super. Tried every amp with every cab. Guess what. All amps sounded better through the weber sigs!!! The thing is, they are warm and smokey and very 50'ier sounding so they are not for everyone. If vintage sounds is your thing and you don't need a lot of volume and punch I say nothing new beats the smooth cone sigs. If you want a more punchy loud amp that "rocks" in a more modern way, go with something else.

I really recommend you to make a cathode bias circuit with a switch that switches between cathode and fixed bias. I makes the amp very versatile. Bold in fixed bias mode and soft, more spongy in cathode bias mode.

My amp has got a 4ohm OT. Don't know how it would sound with a OT with the non-vintage correct 2.66Ohm impedance.

[Muzzy]

The mismatch of the transformer and speaker ohms is one of the things that gives the bandmaster it's mojo.

[Webfoot]

Transformers... Mercury Magnetics, Heyboer, Radio Shack (just kidding) or ???

Switch for cathode bias sounds good... anybody got a schematic?

[twangbanger]

I picked up some magnetic components trannys for mine . It will be a while before I know the results.

[ReginaldBisquet]

Originally Posted by Webfoot

I have had the honor of borrowing a 1955 Bandmaster with three P10Rs for the last couple of days. It sure smokes my DRRI. I just use a Honeybeest and it sings. Can do Jeff Beck, Gary Moore, Trower etc. Plus it super light weight. So have decided to build one for myself. So am assuming the 5E7 is a great circuit choice. Am Looking for input on...

- Best Kit (Mojo? Marsh? Ceriatone? Weber?....)

Or if I do it myself...

- Which power and OT transformers (4 ohm?) and model number to use
- Which tweed cab/shellac'ed supplier (like a bassman ltd finish)?
- Which speakers (P10Rs but have heard about Weber Alnico Sig 10AS)

Just follow the schematic or any other circuit mods?
- bias adjust (needed?)
- copper cap?
- ????

Thanks

If you don't mind me asking... have you built an amp circuit before? If not, I'd recommend sticking to the schematics & layout of the build before making changes to the plans.

I have built a Ceriatone 5X3 and a Weber 5F1. The Ceriatone was BY FAR the better quality kit. The Weber kit had poorly laid out parts and mismatched drilling on the enclosure. Their parts are good, but the design is sloppy.

I also bought the 5F1 cabinet from Weber and it (by contrast) is an excellent piece of work. Good (not great) construction and materials.

I've read that the Marsh kit is very high quality and that the Mojo kit is (basically) the same thing as the Marsh kit. This may or may not be true.

I have bought OT and PT from ClassicTone and have been very pleased with their products.

I also recommend downloading as many schematics and layouts as possible to see how others spin the 5E7 circuit. Print out the build pdfs from Ceriatone, Weber, Fender and others. Check them side by side to see what they do differently from the original Bandmaster.

And for heaven's sake, take it slow!

[Marshamps]

Originally Posted by ReginaldBisquet

If you don't mind me asking... have you built an amp circuit before? If not, I'd recommend sticking to the schematics & layout of the build before making changes to the plans.

I have built a Ceriatone 5X3 and a Weber 5F1. The Ceriatone was BY FAR the better quality kit. The Weber kit had poorly laid out parts and mismatched drilling on the enclosure. Their parts are good, but the design is sloppy.

I also bought the 5F1 cabinet from Weber and it (by contrast) is an excellent piece of work. Good (not great) construction and materials.

I've read that the Marsh kit is very high quality and that the Mojo kit is (basically) the same thing as the Marsh kit. This may or may not be true.

I have bought OT and PT from ClassicTone and have been very pleased with their products.

I also recommend downloading as many schematics and layouts as possible to see how others spin the 5E7 circuit. Print out the build pdfs from Ceriatone, Weber, Fender and others. Check them side by side to see what they do differently from the original Bandmaster.

And for heaven's sake, take it slow!

On the Mojo Vs Marsh Kit issue. The high quality components, Chassis and Cabinets we sell are Mojo for many models, however we add components/parts not included in the Mojo BOM. additionally Our kits include detailed instructions and support! Thx, Mike

[Marshamps]

We now will be offering the Reverb on one speaker module for the 5E7 and 5F6A kits!!! as well as other mods half power, tone stack lift etc.....
Mike