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Post subject: Mustang III or 5E3 hand wired...
Posted: Mon Jun 18, 2012 11:25 am
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Location: Nashville
So I know I have a guitar/amp/pedal problem. At the end of the day when I'm tired of thinking of work I retreat into whatever area in the guitar world I have decided to immerse myself in. My current fixation is putting together a vintage 5E3 (tweeed deluxe) amp in a wood cab. I have been doing all my research, selling gear to buy gear and then I started researching how closely my Mustang III could come to mimic the 5E3. I started to find die hard 5E3 owners that were saying they got amazingly close with the Mustang. So I got back into my Mustang 3 and started tweaking, added a dirt pedal, added some reverb, and finally a delay. I haven't owned a real 57 Deluxe or hand wired 5E3 but I did love what I was hearing from the Mustang. Now I own more than my share of tube amps - 130 watt MusicMan, 32 Watt Kustom Coupe, 5 watt highly modded Valve Jr., Blues Jr that has been modded, plus all my random amps. I know that the Mustang can't get 100% on top of the 5E3 sound but man if it can get 90% there I'd say that is more than enough. I'm not Billy Gibbons (but I want to be when I grow up). Plus the Mustang has 100 SS watts on tap. That could come in handy while gigging or when I want to be loud AND clean with a 5E3 sound.

So have I talked myself out of a real 5E3? I think I have for now. I know I tend to get all mired up in a build and stop playing. My goal this year is to stick to the playing aspect and keep my head out of building/modding guitars/amps/pedals. Do I want a hand wired 5E3 in a lacquered wood cab? Hell yes I do! Do I really need for what I'm doing? Not really.

So Mustang III you have won this round but my GAS is strong and who knows when it might rise up and take me!


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Post subject: Re: Mustang III or 5E3 hand wired...
Posted: Sat Jun 23, 2012 2:41 pm
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One of the main reasons I got a Mustang over any other modeling amps is because of how good the Fender amp modeling is. I like Marshall, Vox, and Mesa just as much as any gear head, but the Fender amp sound is what I gravitate to most. Versitality is important to me, but so is tone. And yes, I agree, there is something magical about a good 5E3 amp cranked up and pushed to point of break up. Mustangs do the best job of emulating this as any modeler I've heard. I wouldn't go so far as to say the Mustang is just as good as the tube magic of a handwired 5E3, but all things considered, its damn good.

Like you, a good 5E3 is on my wish list. But I have a hard time justifing it for what my current usage/budget is. The Mustang, so far, keeps me happy. But one day...


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Post subject: Re: Mustang III or 5E3 hand wired...
Posted: Sat Jun 23, 2012 3:01 pm
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I just sold my 4 button controller for my old GDEC 3 on Ebay and went to Sweetwater and bought the 4 button for the Mustang III and the EXP 1 pedal to go with it. Hopefully this will keep my 5E3 desire at bay for now...but I'm still looking at them on Ebay!


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Post subject: Re: Mustang III or 5E3 hand wired...
Posted: Wed Jun 27, 2012 8:45 am
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Billy,
I hear you! But...like you I have a ton of tube amps and the Mustang is really my answer to wanting more! I am able to tewak my M3 to what I want and then go out and gig. I am totally loving the Super Sonic preset and have done my tweaks to where the other guitarist in my band is drooling over it everytime I go to that setting. He is a die hard Fender Tube amp guy and still can't believe how good the Mustang's sound is! My beloved Deluxe is sitting at home in my studio and the Mustang is now getting all the play live. However...when I am recording the lovely Deluxe still comes out:)
ABS :D


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Post subject: Re: Mustang III or 5E3 hand wired...
Posted: Wed Jun 27, 2012 9:16 am
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I had a band crash at my place last night (The Mystiqueros). They play Fender Tweeds and hand built 5E3s. I plugged them into the Mustang III but I have a wall of amps so I didn't point out where the sound was coming from. After playing for while and loving the tone I revealed he was playing through a modeling amp...at a volume level of 2. I think it passed the test.


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