Tweed Deluxe Speed Shop Reviews

"I’ve been really enjoying the champ (the amp sounds huge for its size) and thought I would drop you a note... The champ has some of the best drive tones I’ve ever achieved. Throw a bit of analog delay out front and it’s pure magic." - F. B. (Power Champ)

"Hey Ron, did my first show with the super; it sounded fantastic! No pedals needed… was a terrific feeling to be able to play that way again. Thank you for everything." - J. A. (5F4 Super)

"This amp is AWESOME. When Don Felder joined the Eagles in 1974 I was floored by his sound. I spent the last 50 years chasing that tone, and I have finally found it. Les Paul and Stratocaster are my weapons of choice, That covers pretty much anything I need to do. I rarely use pedals, sometimes an EQ if I need it but I like to plug straight into the amp. Every time I start playing through this amp I get lost for hours. I keep finding new sounds, new places, and new inspiration. It is a journey of discovery. I've been playing a 5e3 for the last 20 years. My amp is pretty good, but yours has the "magic". The dynamics are phenomenal. From whisper to scream, just by digging in. From soft jazz to rock, it's all there. Thank you my friend. " - A. G. (5E3 P2P)

"I want to thank you again for taking on a custom order and giving me exactly what I wanted. There is something special in your builds and I think it is because of the time and effort you put into making every detail as good as it can be. I ... want you to know you bring joy to others through your work." - M. S.

"Love this amp. Everything I plug into it sounds fantastic. I’m so surprised by how great humbuckers are through it. The minis in my Riviera really shine. The PAT # pickups in the 335 just kill. You’ve got this dialed in (and that’s an understatement)." - T. F.

"I got to spend some quality time with the amp over the last few days. It's amazing. ...I really like the bright inputs of the amp, very clear and articulate without sounding harsh. The cleans are amazing, and the amp takes pedals extremely well. Frankly, my Sun Face and other drive pedals have never sounded better. I'm happy I went with 2x10 as the amp is pretty portable and I've taken it (comfortably) to several jams over the past week or so. ...I couldn't be happier. Thanks!" - F. B. (2x10 Bassman)

"I am totally in love with the amp. Thanks so much for building me such an awesome and amazing sounding amp." - R. S. (NYC)

"Thanks Ron for a great amp build." - D. B. Photo

"Ron, this amp is just badass as hell!!! It came about 10am this morning and I’ve been playing it since then. By far the best sounding amp I’ve ever played and I’ve owned and played a lot. Love the sound through my Strat. It’s crazy the amount of different sounds you can get from this guy. Louder than I expected but it sounds so good I’ve had it cranked most of the time. Good idea going out of input 2 into effects and then back into normal 1 jack. I put it through a tape echo and Strymon Flint for vibe and verb….then mixed it in with the amps volume knob. Dynamite! Now I can sell most of my other amps. Probably keep a couple magnatones and a Silvertone. Thank you so much! Wish I would have known about you years ago." - W. H.

"Sure am having fun with this, its a really great amp. The settings throughout are all super tonefull, something that stands out is compression that occurs on the initial transient when volume is on 12. With a strat it just perfectly smashes that initial attack then blooms. And turning the volume down a bit to 11 allows that edge of the attack to come back through… like engaging a fast limiter when set to 12, very cool. Ive kinda encountered that, but not such that it was something you could ask the amp to do by increasing the input volume 1 click. Oh, and the noise, even with the volumes up is spooky quiet." - P. R.

"I just wanted to thank you again for the amazing job you have done in building our amp. Me and my father are having some great time playing with it and the sound is honestly unbelievable." - M. N. (Italy) Click here to see Marco's DIY Whizzer and 5E3-6L6

"This is the first time I feel like my instrument (the electric guitar) is a complete one. Thank you for building this beautiful thing and sending it over here." - O. S. (Israel)

"Hi Ron, the eagle has landed an we are totally thrilled. What a great amp. Thank you for all!" - K & K (Germany)

"The Amp got delivered today, and it’s awesome. Thank you so much! I need to dig in more, but it seems like it can do everything. And that cranked sound is what pedals are trying to achieve. It’s also beautiful. Thanks again for the amp and doing what you do." - J. S.

"VERY COOL!!!! The whole package is beautiful and sounds great. It is really remarkable how quiet it is, kudos!! I played my 6120 and 335 through it so far. Lovely cleans and easy to achieve nice crunch. I have a lot of exploring to do as I have never played through one of these before. Glad I got the power step down (half-power switch). That is a very nice feature. I am looking forward to getting to know my way around this gem. All the best Ron. Thanks again." - E. R.

"Its a [expletive deleted] tone machine Ron. You are a [expletive deleted] genius!" - J. H.

"I hope you don’t stop building these because you are making a lot of people happy!" - S. J.

"The amp is dead quiet at idle. I can play any type of music with this amp. It sounds and looks killer! I've got a new number one amp. Thanks!" - N. J.

"I was just wanting to email you and let you kno you have built probably the finest amplifier I have ever owned, and I have a lot...thank you for building awesome amps." - L. B.

"What a terrific little amp, man. Really impressive. Looks are fantastic. There's so many sounds in there. Everything about it feels like an old amp (except the noise floor - sooo cool!!). It records incredibly well. Just plugged an old 57 directly into a STA Level. Delicious! Great selection of tubes, btw. Thank you for making the effort to build such fine amps the way you build them and giving them to the world! I'm sure, we will have a great time together." - D. S. (Germany)

"The amp arrived today in perfect condition. I plugged in the tubes and turned it on, set up the controls to meet the most basic of my preferences, and was blown away by the tone that came out of that amp. You have ruined me. So my only question at this point is can you make me another one? Well done. I am very impressed." - M. L.

"I have been playing it and getting great results. It is the dirtiest sounding amp I have ever owned lol. I have been trying fuzz pedals with it. WOW. it just loves them all fuzzface tonebenders astrofuzz my burns buzzaround sounds symphonic. Beautiful job. Thanks again." - D. B.

"One word. Awesome! I had no idea, a clue how this Amp would right off the bat make my guitars sing to new heights. The Tweed deluxe that you made for me is plain and simply on a totally different "planet" than anything... All is better than good. Thank you very much for building this Amp." - L. F.

"Sat in the studio today and played the Deluxe all afternoon. A tone monster with a great bass mod. There's no way I'm going to part with it. All The Best, GT" - George Terry (Clapton Band)

"I got the amp today tubed and powered it up played for about an hour… It’s fantastic!" - R. M.

"I gotta say Lukas had the classiest, best sounding rig onstage for the Last Waltz Tour and all the musicians noticed!" - B. H. (Lukas Nelson's Tech)

"Fantastic amp, thanks so much for your efforts in building the best quality amp around." - K. B.

"Thank you for the fantastic-sounding amp. It's a joy to play." - K. C.

"It is one of the best sounding amps... Reminds me of the '70s Dumble I played though, with that in your face sound." - D. P.

"The amp is fantastic! WOW. ...all of the controls work like the original circuit, only better, far better, far more useful, and with a much better sweep allowing more resolution of settings within the controls range. Love it!! I had been using two 2007 Fender 57 deluxes fitted with A12Qs and good nos tubes. These in phase, sound pretty damn good....but the 6l6 amp lays waste to the stock deluxes. Much louder, tighter, more sustain, way more cut, it sits perfect in a group with a loud rock drummer, really punchy and in your face. The guys loved it, they can hear it clearer, more in your face, great drive and really allows the group to tighten up as a whole...I think I play better too! All my guitars sound great, les paul to teles. I have some telecasters built to different eras. 52,55,59,63 and each ones personality comes through. You can hear the harmonics of the individual guitars personality, overlaid with the amps harmonics...fantastic classic hard outlaw country tone. ...and have a really great sounding les paul, this amp and that guitar are amazing, jaw dropping blues rock tone. It stays tight and focused all the way up to sag. Neck pickup, killer, the best, all the way down to low E at the nut, TIGHT. Bridge? Billy Gibbons all day, not just Billy Gibbons, but his best tone...crushing it with touch sensitivity, clean to hard bark with the pick. Overall, really great classic electric guitar tone. Oh, and the most quiet amp I’ve experienced. Thanks again for your work Ron. ...it’s been a pleasure doing business with you." - P. V. B.

"The amp continues to impress. There's just zero of the farty/muddy distortion that you so often get with these; the clarity, no matter the gain setting, is amazing." - D. G.

"Hey Ron, received the amp today and was blown away!! Just beautiful work my friend!! Got it mounted and played 2 hours non stop and let me tell you she roars when needed. Love turning down the volume on the guitar to get a unreal clean and turning up to get a beautiful crunch!! It’s like nothing I’ve ever played before. Just love it!! Thank you so much Ron" - B. S.

"I just wanted to thank you again for the fantastic 5E3-P2P amp. I play it every day since I've have it. Compared it to all the amps I have (Matchless Independance, Marshall, Fenders…) and honestly the tone is really awesome, it kills everything! ;-) It is really great for live and for studio. I am currently recording my 3rd album with it  with Neve 5088 preamps - and a blues album,  too." - Y. A.

"So the amp arrived today and its fantastic. Worth the wait. It looks beautifully old and vintage. The amp sounds killer. I loved the NOS tubes. Great selection and original tube boxes too!" - R. K.

"It is awesome & it's fun to play. I hooked it up to different cabs (Vintage 30, Heritage g12h30, Sholtz Sugar Cone, A 4/12 with EV's in it, all 8 ohm) I can make them all sound great. It is way more versatile than the Fender I used to have. It looks great too. Great job Ron!" - N. P.

"It is really miraculous one. I never thought that the amp with 3 knobs can offer so much different tones and each one is great. It is rather an extension of the instrument than just the amp. You can hear also that the cabinet also pays a role here. And on top of it the input/patching combinations bring yet another dimensions. It really contributes to my musicality as it is so sensitive to what and how you play and touch the strings. LOTS of GREAT FUN. THANK YOU VERY MUCH." - P. M. (Poland)

"Gorgeous, golden tone. Beautiful. It’s dead quiet. Just ... beautiful. Been playing for 3 hours, since I installed the tubes (which themselves are masterpieces). Thank you Ron!!!" - R. N.

"The more I play that amp the more I love it. I had to tear myself away this morning as I had to get to work. Can't wait to record with it." - C. T.

"Amp is spectacular. Many thx again Ron." - D. S.

"First, this amp is incredible;-) really impressive, I have played all day yesterday with it, giving guitar lesson and doing some test recording. I will send you soon the result , it sounds astonishing…even at low volume... I am amazed by the versatility, the response of this amp and the quietness. It responds also very well with my pedalboard ;-) I can feel that I am just at the beginning of discovering all the possibilities it has to offer, you have made a fantastic job and as you told me I can feel this amp has the right thing I was seeking when I purchased it: having a fantastic 5E3 sounding amp than a best real ones without the inconvenients… I wanted also to thank you for your kindness and all the love you put in this amp, now that is up to me to make it ring as a bell !!!" - Y. A. (France)

"I could say all kinds of things about the amp but perhaps the best thing I can tell you is that it’s just a blast to plug in and play. I’ve been through so many “custom” amps in the past 20 years it’s embarrassing. With this little sweetheart it’s “till death do us part”. Thanks for the dedication to quality and the gift of great ears. After all, there’s a lot of guys with solder guns and ideas, but unless they know what to listen for, they’re just guessing. You’re a class act all the way from initial contact through delivery." - R. S.

"Got a chance to play a bit yesterday. Really nice full cleans. The string to string clarity and depth are amazing, and I’m comparing that to a Bogner Goldfinger 6V6 which is known for having great cleans. I love the channel interaction and the touch sensitivity. I got a fantastic... I don’t know... “creamy” or smooth distortion using a PRS McCarty with P90’s. Just a killer rich, fat and full distorted tone with both knobs at noon and tone dimed as you suggested, but then I could roll back guitar volume and ease up on the right hand and it cleaned up wonderfully. It played really well with the Tele too of course. Haven’t tried humbuckers yet, but I expect it will sound huge. Of course I couldn’t resist jumping the channels and opening it up – this thing is a beast! Through the Celestion Heritages it sounded like a mean Marshall, but with more harmonic complexity. Fantastic sustain. Huge attitude. Ballsy. Thank you for an amazing amp... your technical knowledge, attention to detail and commitment to high quality levels is evident in the final product. The Speed Shop will get high recommendations from me!" - B. O.

"Ron, Wanted to let you know how thrilled I am with the P2P. By far the best amp I've played. It easily gets the tones I've always wanted. I'm completely blown away with what this amp does. My best to you." - Thanks, K. L.

"I brought my Studio-Series into the studio with a band last week. The lead guitar player ended up using the amp on everything... you build great stuff." - O. E.

"I have been playing it nonstop lately and I am loving the myriad of tones I get out of this thing! I'm enjoying noodling around on it so much in fact that I find myself stopping to sit down and play in the mornings before work now too. I can't thank you enough for building me the P2P Deluxe Combo. I can honestly say that I enjoy playing the amp more and more, each and every time I use it. I have some other vintage style amps that I enjoyed playing through; but while they sound great and all, the tone on your Deluxe absolutely destroys them, hands down! The amp sings man!" - J. K.

"It's been two months since I got the amp and I just wanted to let you know that I am in love with my 5E3-6L6. It is absolutely amazing. The range of tone, the touch sensitivity. It's exactly what I was looking for." - L. P.

"The amp is just killer !!" - R. L.

"Hey Rondo, I've been loving and using the crap out of my Deluxe...just a fantastic amp...one of the best I've ever owned in my 40+ years of playing....awesome work." - J. F.

"This morning I took the amp to my preferred guitar shop. We admired the inner works!!! And then we put the amp through its paces. We were floored and me first. What a great amp. Clean, crunch, high drive, singles, humbuckers, all sounded wonderful. And the dynamics, wow. The guys in the shop told me that I could leave the amp and get away alone:) Ron, I want to thank you for this piece of art/instrument. I can finally have the sound I looked forever (and I can tell you I spent a looooot of money chasing it). Thank you for all this expertise and heart you put in building such amps. If you ever happen to be in Switzerland, Montreux side, let me know." - P. P.

"Holy sh*t.... In the best most spectacular way. Holy sh*t. Love it. I could go on and on about how dynamic it is but really.. Holy sh*t. Thank you Ron." - R. H.

"Wow. What a kickass amp. It sounds like the best Tweed Deluxes I've heard or played, but without any of the annoying or limiting stuff... Great feel and dynamic response. Has that nice feel, with a bit of compression and give, but not squishy and flabby at all. Lovely. And lively. Thanks again for making such a killer amp!" - L. P.

"Hi, Ron… she arrived today and I quickly fired her up. All the things D. G. said in the quote below are absolutely true! Just another masterpiece, Ron!! Words alone are inadequate to describe your work. Thank you for the amp that will never leave here… and I have owned vintage originals from this period, along with high end boutiques of the same circuitry… none can touch your P2P. Period. Thanks, again…" - S. C.

"I got the amp yesterday and have been playing it almost nonstop since. The clean tone of this puppy is outstanding. It simply sparkles. I have owned Fender amps for fifty years, (Bandmasters, Dual Showman, Twins and Cybertwins). For the last five years or so I have been using Bogner, Soldano and Mesa Boogie amps for their channel switching capabilities. I have, however, missed that clean chime of the Fender platform. Your amp far exceeds any clean tone from the afore mentioned amps. I am using a Fractal FX8 pedalboard in front to get overdrive, reverb and chorus when needed and it sounds unbelievable! I am very happy with your product and can't wait to play it for the rest of the guys in the band. Plus, it weighs next to nothing compared to my other rigs! Great job Ron! Thanks again." - D. I.

"Ron, there are no words to describe the incredible tone and tactile feel of this Instrument! (P2P Combo). Your assessment of 5% better than your stock Speed Shop (Studio Series) is woefully low. I would say without any hesitation at least 25% better, now with that said I'm not saying that your regular Studio is anything but amazing compared to anything out there but the difference is absolutely noticeable. I could continue to sing your praises all day but I really must get back to playing this incredible machine!" - D. G.

"The amp is nothing short of incredible! I have owned tons of gear over the years and often been disappointed with the product fulfilling my expectations. Not with your amp. The tone is truly inspiring and although I've only had it a few days I find myself getting lost in it finding new sounds and just want to keep playing it. Fantastic workmanship and this truly delivers the goods." - D. S.

"I have been playing this thing all I can and totally love it! It breaths like the thing is alive! It also has the very cool swirling 3D sound going on & a vintage vibe I was hoping it would. I have been through several big name "boutique" 5E3's searching for the tones the Speed Shop delivers. Smooth & creamy, yet detailed & deep! The A12Q is amazing and fits the Tweed Deluxe perfectly. It's just as you describe it. Thanks for everything and am already thinking about another....maybe with the 6L6 option for more power." - M. T.

"Just wanted to let you know I got the amp yesterday and it sounds fantastic! I spent about an hour and half with it last night exploring some of the different settings and I can already tell you this is the best sounding Tweed Deluxe I've heard. I'm particularly impressed at how quiet the amp is...even with the controls dimed! I would like to order another one..." - T. C.

"It sounds beautiful. I am more than pleased with it. Great workmanship, and it all makes a difference. The tones are rich, nice spatial qualities, and growls nicely, very connected to the player. Thanks again." - F. Z.

"The amp is simply…extraordinary." - K. B.

"Thank you for this great amp! It makes everything else I have owned seem very limited. I am finally able to get a lot of the tones I have been seeking. Keep up the good work and I will follow along." - T. C.

"I have a friend who is a pro guitar player and he sometimes asks for an amp to take to the studio. Well this time He took four of my amps and one of them is the chassis you tuned for me. While he was in Austin in the studio he emailed me asking for some details on the Tweed Deluxe. I told him that I sent the amp to Florida to a musician named Rondo to tune it by ear. He said that he and the guys in the studio really liked the Tweed and it got used quite a bit on the album." - K. C.

I've played several 5E3s during the last few years, including a Victoria, but the one you built is the first that sounds like you would expect this kind of amp to sound. Great to use without any pedals just using the volume pot to control the distortion. Thank you very much! - T. F.

"The combo amp is amazing... it's so responsive and musical, I find myself playing on and on and on! It really is the greatest amp I've ever played through. Hats off to you!" - B. L.

"Absolutely by some way the best overdrive of any amp I've owned, from vintage to top of the range boutique and cleans up like a dream. Perfectly balanced... not too middy at all, and the bottom end is absolutely solid and tight, even on the neck pickup. Honestly couldn't be happier with the amp - such a unique sound and a joy to play!" - J. B.

"Been gigging for several years now with your Studio 5E3 build and have been beyond satisfied. Outstanding amp for the kind of music that we play. My backup amp is a Fender 57 Deluxe (Reissue) that I recently required due to a blown tube in my SS. No comparison! The Speed Shop Deluxe is light years ahead in tone and feel from my perspective." - K. H.

"I brought the amp to a low key gig last night. The cleans with the vol rolled back were just sweet, 3d, and pleasing. When I could, I'd dial up the guitar volume and she'd sing and sustain. So great. Strat with Lollar Blackface pickups straight in to the amp. I ab'd my Victoria Deluxe with the Speed Shop and yours is sweeter and, I'd say not as "sharp" or pointed in the attack. The notes seem to bloom more on yours. Also, it's more user friendly as you try various settings. Thanks for building these!" - J. H.

"Just wanted to say how happy I am with my new amp. The overdrive is UNBELIEVABLE! The "glassy strat" setting is dreamy-Hendrix-esque." - M. C.

"This amp sounds incredible. This is easily one of the best amps I've ever played. It is so dynamic. . . . I could not get a bad sound out of it. What a versatile amp! Clean, dirty, does it all and everything exceedingly well. I absolutely love it. I am EXTREMELY happy with it!!" - G. S.

"Best amp I've ever owned without question. Amazing sound, amazing quantity of complex tones, really a sweet sweet amp." - G. M.

"Hey Rondo - Really an awesome build and attention to detail on this, beautiful work. This puppy is spot on what it should be in my opinion. The components (and your slight tweaks) are very important to the tone. Thank you for doing these the right way. I’ve had a couple of the clones out there with good parts & quality, but your SS sounds so much better to my ears… more like what you expect a Tweed Deluxe to sound like, especially if you grew up on Don Felder/Eagles On the Border, Steely Dan’s Royal Scam, Neil Young, etc. No flub on the bottom and rich and warm on the highs…mids are better, no fizzy or harsh tones. Easy on the ears. So many great tones available." - Tony M.

"I'll cut to the point. If this site and clips give you bad bad GAS for a 5E3 then this 5E3 is the amp you want. If the demos remind you of the tones you love and would love to achieve, buy this 5E3 amp. Not one of the other builds out there. How would I know? My P2P Studio Series chassis is the third 5E3 chassis I've had in the last year. That's right. the third. I've got the 5E3 bug bad. The other chassis were good amps, built by names you'd know and sounded very good. But they didn't have the Speed Shop sound. Why would they? Ron builds his 5E3 with a smart mix of NOS caps, resistors and other parts. The others? New parts, maybe just a kit they assemble and label their own. They didn't and don't sound like this. There is more to the sound than following a schematic. These amps are something special. So if this 5E3 sound is the sound in your head this is where you find it. Trust me, you'll end up here anyway." - Neil S.

"I am seriously impressed, you really nailed the tone!!! I went to our local guitar center today where they had a 1951 Tweed Deluxe amp. I A/B'ed your amp against it side by side and your amp just destroyed the original. Your amp sounded so much richer, had much more bottom end and lots of tonal quality! I was surprised how many different tones you can get by just turning three knobs! You did an amazing job, one of the best amps if not the best amp I have ever bought and I have owned quite a few! Thanks for everything." - Joe M.

"Just amazingly musical in every way." - John Gaynor, Sozo Capacitors

"Wow, these amps sound great!" - Joe Janisch, Magnetic Components, Inc.

"It is fantastic, the tone I am getting is just the bomb. - Gregg F."

"The amp sounds fantastic and I really love it. You've hit a home run. I ran into Rick Wheeler (also a GIT graduate) who is Larry Carlton's tech. We were shooting the breeze a bit and I told him about your amps (and my recent amp). I told him that he and Larry needed to check them out." - Jack D.

"I can go from artist to artist, decade to decade, and simply adjust my volume knob, coil tap, or another guitar. With a PRS, a Les Paul or a Tele, you can literally cover thousands of songs. Pick your favorite flavor and rock! I was really really into early Wishbone Ash. Well... the Deluxe can nail the early Ash tone. My ears are ringing right now but I've never been able to nail "Blowin Free" until now. Same with Paul Kossoff and Free. Alright Now. Les Paul into the Deluxe and it's all right there. Thanks so much for building an amazing musical instrument. It's not just another amp, it's an instrument in its own right." - Craig C.

"Thank you for building the best Tweeds out there!" - Ole E.

"This weekend I went to the local Fender dealer to try out the Fender 57 Deluxe (I have tried this model before but I decided to go again to refresh my memory), and the difference in tone between the Fender and your 5E3s is huge (I mean there is no comparison). The glassy clean tones and the fat creamy overdriven tones that I can get from your amps is mind blowing." - Miguel C.

"I had to order one of these amps after hearing the demo tracks. This amp is an unbelievable value and a must for serious or aspiring players." - Gary W.

"This is no cheap repro, it is a pro, custom, boutique style chassis which will blow your mind when you first plug in. From amazing clean Fender Strat to hard crunching Les Paul riffs, this amp does it all. Thank you Ron...I've found the amp of my lifetime." - Alan K.

 "The RecPro 5E3 P2P Deluxe sounds extraordinarily good . . . great tone . . . Very cool and recommended." - The ToneQuest Report, June 2014