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Black, Brown and Tweed Amps: How Are They Different?

five watt world

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Mojotone 5e3 Kit on Reverb: https://tidd.ly/3R06WR9

Fender 62 Brown Deluxe on Reverb: https://tidd.ly/3QIKz2N

Fender 65 Deluxe Reverb RI: https://tidd.ly/4p9ettR

***I use Reverb's affiliate program so if you buy from the links above I will get a (very) small payment from Reverb. Thanks

David Barber’s video in the new 62 Deluxe: Fender's Rowdiest Deluxe? | '62 Brown Deluxe

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This video includes clips of the new Fender '62 Brown Deluxe that was released on 6/30/26! Check it out.

In this video we answer the question: how are the Fender tweed, brown and black amps different? And mostly importantly, how do they sound compared to each other playing clean, edge of break up and cranked. Time stamps for the video below.

One of the three "amp videos" I've long wanted to make with my buddy David Barber, as a reference for the community. It took me years to gather together the amps then send them down to David Barber so he could do the playing clips included here so you can compare the specific sounds of each era.

This was good fun to make and I'll apologize in advance if the sounds here make you think you "need" one of the amps here that you don't have already. We're just sharing...not selling. It would be possible to come away from this thinking, "well I really only need that one amp for everything I do." That's how it hit me...I just can't decide which...yet.

Best of luck to you in trying to do the same thing.

0:00 Introduction
1:25 Tweed amp history
6:45 Brown amps history
10:54 Black amps history
17:13 Demo clips
17:26 Clean
18:27 Edge of breakup
18:57 Cranked
19:46 Cranked and boosted with a pedal

20 Comments

@shadowulf 3 months ago

Ya know, for a guy promoting a minimalist guitar philosophy, you sure produce some G.A.S. inducing videos.
The brownface super is one of my dream amps, but I could easily live with a brown deluxe as my tube amp.
Keep it up, Keith.
Really love the history on the gear

@justinschmidt9180 3 months ago

That brown deluxe with the les paul is just magic

@willywonka5757 3 months ago

I had always heard my great-grandpa played a late 50's 5E3 that he got as a wedding present. I found it after digging through my uncle's garage, wrapped up in a dusty Kansas tarp. I flew it home with its own seat like Bonamassa does with his guitars. Felt like such a baller.

@tomirwinbernier-ll2hm 3 months ago

Is it just me…. or did they ALL sound great!?!?

@wewalkedonthemoon 2 months ago (edited)

The tweed has much more clarity and presence to me in the final comparison recordings. I wouldn’t have expected the brown and blackface to sound more scooped in comparison.
Honestly sold me on the 5e3.

@bazzabaz 1 month ago

I like how after finishing each expertly played riff, Dave Barber looks menacingly at the camera. Made me laugh.

@ralph_clay 3 months ago

Hearing Roy Buchanan playing through a dimed Vibrolux is what sold me on Fender amps.

@crocodilechris 3 months ago (edited)

Both the 5E3 and 6G3 Deluxe amps produce some of the best guitar tones I have ever heard, especially with a good pair of P.A.F. pickups. I imagine running the two in a stereo setup would sound heavenly. I have a Suhr Hombre that is my favorite amp, and I plan to pair it with a Victoria 20112 soon. Excellent video and much appreciated!

@umrmech84 2 months ago

When I saw that ad for the Brown Deluxe I literally yelled "Holy F**k!!!" I think I paid $850 for mine.

I also paid $1450 for my Blonde Bassman and that came with a reissue Blonde Reverb unit.

As I've said on many occasions, I couldn't afford to re-buy my collection today.

@deanroddey2881 3 months ago (edited)

The tweed really suits the Strat and Tele nicely. The brown sounds monstrous, but it would probably take up a lot of space in a mix when cranked. The two would cover a lot of territory for a home studio.

@richardjames6623 3 months ago (edited)

I’ve had most of the originals and reissues over my 40 years of playing. I always go back to my Fender 57 5e3 reissue with the Eminence alnico or through my Celestion blues. Like the Tele, Leo got it right in the beginning. Thank you Leo and Happy 4th everybody !!!🎉

@lewolf2884 3 months ago

Hi, Keith! Great video yet again! My first amp was a Fender Twin Reverb back in the early 70's, black tolex, silver face, and it was my Rushmore, but somewhere along the way of life, I became enamored with the Tweed sound and am now forever owned. Tweed, all the way! I do have the 5E3 Deluxe Mojotone built for me, along with my Fender Blues Deluxe... my two Tweed Princesses! 👸👸🐺

@mariodriessen9740 3 months ago

I would be more than happy to have any of those. 😊

@rfpho1456 3 months ago (edited)

For all the fuss about Strat shapes, I’d argue that the dominance of Fender and Fender derived amp tones over the years may be Leo’s greatest legacy…

I’m a tweed fan if I’m honest….

@christopherprice3226 2 months ago

This could be your best video for amp selection . I dig it. Love you Keith your videos are awesome .

@northernmostbecker 2 months ago

This was an excellent video. The back to back clips were really helpful to illustrate why I like what I like. I really don't like the low-mids on the brown (black bothers me less), but the tweed is super articulate. Explains why when I went into the store to buy a Deluxe '65 RI I walked out with a '59 Bassman RI.

@Conservative73 2 months ago

I have always enjoyed every single 5 watt world video and this is no exception. After watching I feel enlightened as well as inspired to plug in and play.
Thank you Keith! 🎸😊

@BillRussell-tronm 3 months ago

I love my tweed. It cuts through so much that I was able to hang in there with a bass player that loved to crank it and a 5150 user couldn't keep up.

@davidcraft4919 3 months ago

Thanks, Keith. Your hard work and dedication to the guitar community is much appreciated. My Fender amp is a small Mustang, and models of all these are built into the Fuse software on my laptop. That's probably as close as a mere mortal like me will ever get. Rock On, Guitar Friends!!!🇺🇸🤘🎸🍺🍻

@jonsterngold4942 2 months ago

Old dude rocker here - I bought a new '63 SR in '63 when I was in HS. I dragged that tone monster through college, med school, and life and family later. Sometime in the early to mid 80s, I really wanted a distortion lead tone and didn't know jack about pedals to accomplish that so I foolishly sold the SR and picked up a two channel Music Man that, in retrospect, sounded pretty awful. I sure wish I knew then what I know now, but with an old trashed spine, I doubt I'd relish dragging the SR around, so now, it's Fractal and Boss, etc, though I do love the tones from my Bad Cat Ocelot. What a journey it's been from that SR through scores of other great amps along the way. 25 years or so, I had a Fuchs modded DR that was just OK at home but killed on stage at full volume. And on and on. Great video, Keith!