Tweed Deluxe 5E3 - NAM Capture Pack

The Fender Tweed Deluxe 5E3 is one of the most influential circuits in guitar amp history. A simple, low-wattage tube amp that became the blueprint for decades of boutique and DIY amp building. Its signature is an early, musical breakup: push the volume past halfway and the 5E3 starts to sing with warm, harmonically rich distortion well before you hit "loud" territory. That gain-before-volume character is exactly why it's remained a favorite for home recording and small clubs alike, and why so many amps since have chased the same feel.

I built this amp from a kit over a decade ago. It started as a bone stock 5E3. I used it as a mod platform for years. Recently I converted the circuit back to stock, except for my favorite mod: the added negative feedback switch.

Even though this amp is a combo, these are complete amp "head" captures, amp-only DI, requires your own IR/cab. The speaker and cabinet were not captured. Calibrated and A2 ready.

NFB Switch Positions

• Normal: Stock 5E3 configuration, cathode bypass cap in circuit. Highest gain, earliest breakup, classic tweed grit.
• No Cathode Bypass Cap: Removes V2A's cathode bypass cap, dropping gain and shifting distortion from preamp/phase-inverter to power tubes at the same volume. A civilized middle ground - and it's especially good paired with boost or distortion pedals.
• Added NFB + No Cathode Bypass Cap: Combines negative feedback with the cap removal for the tightest lows, sharpest breakup transition, lowest noise, and the most headroom. The cleanest, most versatile setting - this one genuinely transforms the amp.

What's in the pack

• 17 unique calibrated A2 NAM captures across all three NFB positions
• Excel file with full settings for every capture

Preamp: Sovtek 12AY7, JJ 5751
Power tubes: GrooveTubes 6V6-S
Rectifier: NOS Sylvania 5Y3

Reamp chain: Motu M4 > Lehle P-Split III (ISO out) > Tweed Deluxe 5E3 > Suhr Reactive Load > Motu M4

These models are amp‑only DI captures taken from the amplifier head into a reactive load. They do not include any speaker cabinet or microphone simulation. To achieve a complete guitar tone, you will need to place your own cabinet IR or cab simulator after the NAM plugin in your signal chain.

Because these captures preserve the natural behavior of the real amplifier, different presets are intentionally recorded at their genuine relative levels. Some settings—particularly high‑gain or high‑master presets—will be naturally louder, while cleaner or lower‑master presets will be quieter. This is expected and by design. Please use your DAW or NAM’s output controls to match loudness between presets to taste while keeping the underlying dynamics intact.