Vintage Fender Tweed Deluxe 5E3 - USA 1959

The Fender Deluxe amp of the 1950s was a medium-powered unit designed to let guitarists hold their own in a small group. As blues, western swing, Western, and rockabilly bands began getting louder, the overdriven tone of a cranked-up Deluxe found its way onto many live and recorded performances.

At the time, Leo Fender produced amplifiers with the intention of having the amplifier stay clean even at high volumes. The Tweed Deluxe is not known for producing a clean tone at high volumes, and as such, was regarded as being an intermediate amplifier. The saturated tone this amplifier produces at higher volumes is the reason why it is one of the more famous amplifiers Fender ever produced. It is part of the signature tone for many musicians, a few notable examples being Larry Carlton, Don Felder, Billy Gibbons and Neil Young.

The Deluxe has a 5Y3-GT rectifier, 2 6V6-GT power tubes operating in push-pull mode, and a 12AY7 and a 12AX7 in the preamp. The output is rated at about 15 watts.

We believe this vintage 1959 Fender Deluxe amp has the 5E3 circuit. Of course it is completely hand-wired and constructed using point to point circuitry.

The letters on the tube chart are “II” which places its build at September 1959.

This one has had its original transformer rewound for 240 volts, so no stepdown transformer required in Aus.

The speaker appears to be original to the amp. It is a Jensen Concert 12”, serial # 220618 which dates it May 1956.

Original tweed covering is in very good condition for its age.

Leather handle is correct for the model but is likely a later replacement.

Overview –

Serial #: 3611

Power Output: approximately 15 Watts
Tubes: 5Y3, 6V6 (2), 12AX7 (2)
Controls: Mic Vol, Inst Vol, Tone
Dimensions: 52cm(W) x 46cm(H) x 26cm(D)
Weight: 11.9kg /  26.2lbs

This Tweed Deluxe is a little beauty. It has a deep woody clean tone that quickly turns into a thick harmonically rich overdrive. It's perfect for crunchy chords or singing blues leads, with natural compression and a dynamic overdrive tone.

This is a fine example of one of the most iconic Fender amps ever built – the tweed 5E3 Deluxe. It is in great condition - rock solid and reliable. And it sounds like an old Deluxe should – raw, nasty, greasy and complex.