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Solder iron temperature:

I need to re-do some joints on an xlr wall panel that are shorting. I haven't soldered a damn thing in a few years, even then I doubt I had the optimum temperature. What temp would you set your iron at?

380-400

Also, +1 to the wurst mic, but what I’d do first is set up an omni somewhere and get everybody sounding balanced in the room. If you’re starting with a decent sounding mono capture of everything you can use the spot mics to just beef up whatever needs un plus de beouf.

I've gotten a pretty cool drum sound with a 635a literally tapped to the top of the kick pointed at drummer junk. it's lofi but cool especially when crushed with like... a guitar compressor pedal. that was our go-to set up when I was on highschool to record on our 4 track cassette during practice. drums like that an a 57 right between the bass and guitar cab. good ol days shit

I noticed this a couple weeks back... the Stew Mac Valve Factory kit.
https://www.stewmac.com/kits-and-projec ... 8-amp-kit/

I realized that there were two preamp tubes and two cathode biased 6v6 tubes. It has the same compliment as a tweed deluxe, but the topology is totally different. It's gain stage, drive, gain stage, Big Muff stule tone balance, master volume, LTP PI, and power amp. The schematic can be found here.
https://www.stewmac.com/globalassets/vi ... ctions.pdf

This got me thinking. I love the look and size of the tweed deluxe, but I've never enjoyed the sound for myself. Plus the weird performance of the volumes and tone control have always seemes "meh" to me. Has anyone used the 5E3 as a platform for other amp designs? The kits are so ubiquitous and reasonably priced. It would be fun to se what could be designed within those component parameters.

benadrian wrote: Sun Jan 04, 2026 6:21 pm I noticed this a couple weeks back... the Stew Mac Valve Factory kit.
https://www.stewmac.com/kits-and-projec ... 8-amp-kit/

I realized that there were two preamp tubes and two cathode biased 6v6 tubes. It has the same compliment as a tweed deluxe, but the topology is totally different. It's gain stage, drive, gain stage, Big Muff stule tone balance, master volume, LTP PI, and power amp. The schematic can be found here.
https://www.stewmac.com/globalassets/vi ... ctions.pdf

This got me thinking. I love the look and size of the tweed deluxe, but I've never enjoyed the sound for myself. Plus the weird performance of the volumes and tone control have always seemes "meh" to me. Has anyone used the 5E3 as a platform for other amp designs? The kits are so ubiquitous and reasonably priced. It would be fun to se what could be designed within those component parameters.

first......WHY THE SHIT would you put a Big Muff tone control on an amp? Seems like a bad idea to make an amp with always-scooped mids.

Tweed Deluxe wouldnt have been my first guess. I see two preamp tubes and the phase inverter is a 12AT7 and I think a stripped down blackface design. Most of the "BF" series of amps I make are this, essentially. The normal channel from a Super Reverb into whichever backend is desired (preferably cathode biased EL84s). But hey...two preamp tubes could also be a classic Orange!

I havent used the 5E3 as a platform for other designs BUT I have used other models as platforms for things. A long time ago I was doubtful of my skills when it came to building combos so I just bought a kit to make what I wanted. I wanted an Orange OR80 2x12 combo, so I bought a Weber kit for a JTM combo or something and turned it into the amp I wanted. Here it is with a Hiwatt build saying hi to the neighborhood:



I've also done the same kinda thing by gutting other amps and building in the existing shell. Carvin Nomad becomes a 1x12 AC30. Hot Rod Deluxe becomes a BF-30. Ampeg Jet Reissue becomes a 1x12 20W Plexi. The list goes on. Your idea is a fine one you just wanna make sure that the iron and chassis are suitable for what you want it to become. Does the chassis have ample room and are the socket, jack, potentiometer, etc holes gonna work? Otherwise go for it.

Dr Tony Balls wrote: Mon Jan 05, 2026 9:35 am
first......WHY THE SHIT would you put a Big Muff tone control on an amp?

I'm not really sure why one would want it on a Fuzz.

Another micing question: We are at demoing phase and are probably going to record stuff on our own. We have shouty/growly hardcore vocals and I was wondering if it would be beneficial to have a close singing mic and a one at a distance, or am I overcomplicating stuff?

This comes from my dislike of old death metal vocals, they are so powerless and mixed too prominently (for my liking). I like it to have some space and feel there is power behind the vocal delivery.

Personally, I've generally found it to be the case whenever I record a single source with multiple mics that I end up picking the one that sounds better to my ears after the fact and ignore the other one. The idea of managing extra channels or comping stuff down usually seems like more effort than it's worth for like... a distorted electric guitar.

Reverb plugins are really good, you can always add more depth to a close mic. You can also always reamp stuff through guitar amps/spring tanks etc for big time vibes.

But maybe you guys have decent separation and better monitoring in your practice space and are not trying to record yourself huddled over like a goblin in front of a laptop listening through vic firth isolation headphones while 10 people practice double kick patterns in every room that shares a wall with yours??