FRENZEL TUBE AMPS Custom Built To Order - Hand Wired - Made In America Since 1952 - Designed To Last For Generations
Model: Deluxe Plus
Model No: FM-5E3DP
The FRENZEL "Deluxe Plus" was "INSPIRED" by the 50's Fender Deluxe 5E3...but it is a much more than a clone. The Deluxe Plus has two separate preamps, one voiced like the Fender Deluxe and one voiced like the Marshall Plexi. We replaced the 6V6's in the original Deluxe output stage with 6L6's and boosted the power to 25 watts. The power output transformer is a custom heavy duty extended range type designed to produce with crystal clarity all the high, mid, bass tones...plus the harmonics that your instrument creates. The voice is contoured by a modified Bassman style three band tone stack accentuated with a modified Presence control equipped with an "Edge" pull-switch to contour the negative feedback for dynamic soaring leads. We also added a Master control which allows you to control and shape the preamp and output stage overdrive tones. The F and M channels have separate input jacks and gain controls which allows you to use an AB/Y switch to select one channel for Clean and one for Boost...or blend them together for your own unique tones. When playing clean, this amp will faithfully reproduce what you put into it ...and when you stomp on it,..it will produce tones you have never heard before! It works great with guitar, mandolin, bass, organ, piano, harp and strings. Think of it as a 5E3 on steroids! See features list below.
STANDARD FEATURES:
Input Jacks isolated from chassis for low noise, eddy currents, and hum.
DC on filaments for low 60 hz hum.
Star ground system to reduce induced current chassis noise.
Type F (Fender) and Type M (Marshall) inputs with separate preamps and Gain controls for the smooth Fender warm blues tones or the Marshall Plexi high-mid dynamic rock tones. You can use an AB-Y switch to select either channel or blend them together to create your own unique tones.
Classic Fender Bassman 5F6 style 3-BAND TONE STACK for extended flexibility in shaping your tone.
MASTER level control so you can crank the GAIN's up and overdrive the preamp without overdriving the output tubes.
Classic Fender Bassman Style Presence control for dynamic treble punch!
Unique "Edge" pull-switch on the PRESENCE control that transforms the power amp section into a No-Negative-FeedBack style amp for more open, less compressed tones.
Post output transformer LINE OUT with LINE OUT LEVEL control for recording or driving a PA system or a higher power amp, . Has an auto switching internal load if speaker is not connected to give you loaded output distortion
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Class AB fixed biased 6L6's in the output in place of the original Deluxe 6V6's to give you more power and headroom. The bias is optimized using FRENZEL MVD Bias (Multi-Valve Design) which allows you to use octal based 6L6, 5881, KT66, KT88, 6550 in the output stage without adjusting the bias. (Please note you can still use 6V6's which will give you about 15 watts output.)
Preamp and driver tubes are JJ 12AX7's known for low noise and linearity. You may also use 12AT7's or 12AU7's for different tones and less preamp overdrive.
***NEW FEATURE*** - Retro Vintage Cage - heavy duty steel mesh cage provides protection and excellent ventilation for tubes. Includes Fender style strap handle with nickel plated end caps.
Dimensions - 12"W x 10"D x 8"H
Weight: 15 lbs
Power Output - 25 watts @ 8 ohms
5AR4/GZ34 rectifier in place of original 5Y3 for better pick attack and less sag...or you can use a Solid Slate plug-In rectifier for that Marshall super tight no sag sound.
IEC three prong grounded power cord connector.
STANDBY switch to turn off the plate voltage during warm-up
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Rock solid point-to-point hand wiring using only the best of parts...low noise tubular polypropylenes caps, metal film resistors, Micalex sockets, premium low noise jacks...etc.
Sweet vintage clean to classic overdrive tones with three different types of distortion depending on whether you are overdriving the preamp, output... or both!
Tube complement: The amp comes with 3 - 12AX7, 2 - 6L6, 1 - 5AR4
FRONT PANEL:
Type F INPUT
Type M INPUT
Type F GAIN
Type M GAIN
BASS
MIDDLE
TREBLE
MASTER
PRESENCE with EDGE PULL SWITCH
PILOT LIGHT
OFF STANDBY POWER SWITCH
REAR PANEL:
POWER CORD SOCKET
FUSE
LINE OUT LEVEL CONTROL
LINE OUT JACK
SPEAKER OUT JACK
List Price: $795.00........Sale Price - $595.00
DELIVERY DATE: This is a build to order and has an extended handling time. Please check the Delivery section of the auction for the estimated delivery date.
UPGRADE OPTIONS: The following upgrade options are available on the amp. PLEASE NOTE: The upgrade options are not listed on the PayPal invoice for the amp. To purchase any of the upgrade options, you will need to email us BEFORE you purchase the amp with a list of the upgrade options that you want. We will then add them to your PayPal invoice once you purchase the amp using the Buy It Now button.
1. EFFECTS LOOP - buffered serial effects loop with hard bypass switch and Send Level and Return Level controls. Designed to work with new and vintage effects pedals. Add $75.00.
2. EL34/6L6 BIAS SELECTOR SWITCH - Allows you to use either 6L6 or EL34 power output tubes. Add $50.00
3. POWER ATTENUATOR - Built-in power attenuator provides three power levels. 1/4 - 1/2 - FULL power. Add $75.00
4. EXTENDED RANGE 4-8-16 OHM OUTPUT TRANSFORMER - for more tonal range and speaker options. Comes with 4-8-16 ohm speaker selector switch. Add $50.00
5. EDGE FOOTSWITCH- adds jack to rear panel for footswitch control on the NNFB EDGE switch. Includes classic heavy duty footswitch with LED. Add $60.00
6. EFFECTS LOOP FOOTSWITCH - adds jack to rear panel for footswitch control of the EFFECTS LOOP bypass switch. Includes classic heavy duty footswitch with LED. Add $60.00
7. RETRO 6SL7 PREAMP UPGRADE - replaces 12AX7 preamp tubes with vintage 6SL7 "big bottle" tubes for the 40's-50's vintage Les Paul tones. Add $60.00
8. JCM800 PREAMP - Replaces Plexi preamp with high gain JCM800 preamp. Add $50.00
9. 100 - 240 VOLT POWER TRANSFORMER - for operation outside the USA. Please specify line voltage. Add $55.00
Customer Reviews: Please check the Customer Reviews page on our website for more reviews, sound clips, videos and links to reviews.
FM-5E3 DP - Hey Jim, Amp is here and really nice. I'll take a pic in the day time and send it to you. It looks great sitting on the walnut speaker cabinet. Thanks again...your service is second to none and I would happily recommend your business to anyone! Regards, Jason M (Australia)
FM-5E3DPR/6SL7 "Deluxe Plus Retro" Dear Frenzel Team, THANK YOU! This amp sounds amazing. My Strat and Tele have never sounded better!! The Gretsch is almost dialed in as well. I can’t say enough about the tone of this amp. Even my wife walked into the music room 2 nights ago and said, “wow, that sounds awesome” Gretsch 5422TDC FSR + Frenzel F input + EXH Holy Grail Nano Reverb + MXR Carbon Copy Delay + THD 2x12 cabinet makes for an impressive Sleepwalk rendition. Again, thank you! Brian M. (California)
FM-5E3 DP - Jim, Just a note to say that the amp you built for me (deluxe plus) is perfect! I mostly play a Tele partscaster with Don Mare pickups. This seams to be the magic combination I have been searching for. The tone is great. It is small and light. It plays well with my pedals. I have installed it in a wood cabinet (photo attached). I did change a few tubes. I have a Phillips 5R4GY in the rectifier and RCA 6072 in the 1st position, amperex 12ax7 in #2 tone, and RCA 12ax7 in the #3 PI. The 6l6 are still the JJ. Anyway thanks for the great work! Alan B. (Texas)
FM-5E3DP " Deluxe Plus" - Hey Guys, Had this amp for 6 years now and it has been as solid as solid can be. Here's a picture from last week when my band opened up for Chris Jansen. 5,000 thousand people showed up. Chris E.
FM-5E3DP - Hi Jim, This amp sounds like the best guitar tones I've heard over the past 50+ years of listening to music. On my Nashville Tele and Jensen Alnico's...I just can't stop playing! So many songs, so little time. Very inspiring. Thank you for beautiful tube tone. Curtis Popke (Round Rock, TX)
FM-5E3 DP - Hi Jim, been meaning to write a review but you know how it goes... I love the amp and its enormous versatility. So far I haven't gigged with it, but its the centrepiece of my practice setup. I've got a drum machine, a pedal board and the line out goes to a simple mixer. I can put any set of tubes into the Deluxe+ that I want and play any hour of the day or night. My wife and neighbours love you for making it!! Cheers, Peter R. (Australia)
FM-5E3 DP - Hi Jim, finally found the time to build a cab for the 5E3 DP, which I bought from You in 2010! I made a lightweight spruce-cab with the shape of the old Standel amps. In spite of the JBL-120 the weight is only around 17kg. Of course it sounds great. Helmut H. (Germany)
FM-5E3 DP - Finally arrived on Friday. Custom built, hand wired Frenzel Deluxe Plus. So far I think it is the best amp I've ever play through. I keep changing speaker combination and it still kick's Ass. 2x10,1X10,1X12,2X12 and any combination... The F preamp and the M preamp inputs are great. Manage them with an A/B switch Greg W. (New Jersey)
FM-5E3 DP - Dear Jim, You wonderful amp has arrived and has enjoyed many good hours of testing--it passed with flying colors! Thank you for sharing your excellent work with me. I wanted to pass on a few pics of the cabinet I made for it. I love the way it all turned out. Cheers, Ben W. (Florida)
FM-5E3DP3 - Jim, How sweet it is to have a product work so well for the first time that I just wondered why it took so long to discover Frenzel? This first run was coupled with a Tone Tubby Alnico and Celestion V30 which is very stout and reliable and can’t wait to experiment with my favorite vintage drivers. I suppose that your company is sized just as you prefer and that is very respectable but what you are doing (IMO) is possibly the best kept secret in America. Thank you very much to you and your staff for an outstanding product that does everything you advertise at possibly ‘double’ the value if not more when compared to others in your class. James P. ( Indiana)
FM-5E3DP3 Jim (and to everyone on the team), Thank you for building my amp. It arrived the other day and I got to put it through its paces over the weekend. The amp looks and sounds wonderful and I am looking forward to playing through it in the church band. I’m extremely happy with the amp and I wanted to let you all know that. I thought it impossible to get an amp that sounded like it does, with the features it has, let alone at a price that I could afford. Yet, you came through and I was most pleased with your customer service (specifically the very quick responses to my emails).From start to finish, you honor Christ in the way you conduct your business. Thank you very much, Mark R. (Tennessee)
FM-5E3 - Hi Jim, I have to tell you that this has become my main amp even though I kind of bought it as a backup. The Frenzel has become the go to amp for just about everything in the studio, guitar, organs, pianos, mandolins. It is a very versatile amp, from crisp and clean to crunchy, round and full of rich harmonics. Thanks for making a great amp. Kenny P. ( Ontario , Canada)
FM-5E3 DP3 - I've gotta tell you Mr Frenzel - you know a thing or two about making guitar amplifiers. I'd never heard of you or your amps, and I've been on A&M and Polygram records and will be 57 years old in February. Two months ago, I bought one of your FM-5E3-DP3 Deluxe 25 watt chassis used on Ebay - totally on a whim.. I was so impressed I ordered the AC-15 you are currently fabricating within a week. You've real got a gift - thanks for sharing it with the rest of us. Richard "Lefty" Coulson (Michigan).
FM-5E3 DP3 - Jim, I wanted to let you and yours know what a great amp I got. I ordered the FM-5E3 DP3 with KT-77 tubes. This is a great sounding amp. I have not found a "bad" setting on her! I am playing a PRS SE Semi-Hollow with soapbar pickups and this guitar and this amp sound like they were made for each other. I tried some pedals in front of the amp and WOW!!!! I use three pedals. My setup looks like this: Guitar - PlanetWaves tuner - Vintage MXR Distortion + - Carl martin Delay - amp. When I kick on that delay...whew...the tone is three dimensional. And when I punch the distortion pedal on, look out...this bad boy will growl! I am getting everything from serious Fender cleans to some real rock-n-roll distortion and everything in between. And when I pull the NNFB knob - watch out! I am rattling the light fixtures!!!!! What I am trying to say Jim is, I love this amp. Thank you for offering such an affordable and versatile amp! I look forward to using this amp in the worship of my God and Savior Jesus Christ...thanks again brother. Dane R. (Maryland)
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