Lark 5E3 Tweed Deluxe Australian-Made Guitar Combo Amplifier

This is a pre-loved amplifier in very good condition. This amp has been used and the tweed shows wear and patina, and the leather handle has signs of use. That said, it presents well and is solid under the hood. The wear suits the amp and its character.

Handwired 5E3 Tweed Deluxe style amp built by Derek Lark in Canberra.

This is a classic Tweed Deluxe style circuit with modern usability upgrades. Raw, touch-sensitive and full of vintage character, but with practical features that make it easy to live with.

From the seller:

When I bought the amp it had a Vintage 30 fitted. It worked, but did not suit the circuit to my ears. I later had the amp professionally serviced by John at BJ Amplifiers in Redbank, who confirmed it is fitted with Mercury Magnetics transformers. During the service I also had fresh PM Tubes 6V6s installed and the rectifier tube swapped to a more vintage-flavoured option.

The speaker was changed to a UK-made 20 Watt G12M Greenback, 8 ohm, Heritage series. This speaker is no longer in production and is in excellent condition. The Greenback absolutely suits this amp, delivering gritty, dynamic breakup and classic rock energy. An Alnico would take it straight into classic vintage territory if that is your preference.

This is a fantastic addition to a serious amp collection and delivers gritty vintage mojo that pairs beautifully with a Tele, Strat, Les Paul, Junior with a P90, or just about anything you throw at it.

Features and notes:

- Approx. 12 Watt Tweed Deluxe style amp
- Handwired build
- Mercury Magnetics transformers
- UK-made 20 Watt G12M Greenback, 8 ohm (Heritage I believe)
- Master volume mod
- One channel modified with an added volume or gain control in place of an input jack
- Channels don't strongly interact, usually this is a Tweed Deluxe quirk
- Extension speaker output with micro switch
- 2 x PM Tubes 6V6GT matched power tubes
- 2 x 12AX7 preamp tubes I believe, could be JJs or PM Tubes (tube sleeve covers in place)
- Rectifier tube believed to be a 5Y3, Australian stamp on it

If you have never owned a Tweed Deluxe style amp, this is absolutely worth experiencing. While it may not carry a mainstream brand badge, it is a high-quality, handbuilt amp using excellent components, with thoughtful modern features and a properly dialled-in speaker choice. I paired this amp with a Bad Cat (think angry Vox, or rebellious Matchless) and the two complemented each other nicely.

More on the builder:
http://dereklark.com.au/