Tweeding a Tweed Deluxe...

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Tweeding a Tweed Deluxe...

Post by Bg »

Got this from Danny last year, Ceriatone 5E3 clone. Liked sound but wasn't struck by the looks - white tolex but a bit hit and miss. Stripped it a couple of months ago and never got much further. Nice well made cab though, dovetailed corners and pine construction :D Will last!

Got off my ass today and spent about 4 hours recovering with proper tweed, I bought a big length last year for cheaps on trademe - just in case :)

So retweeding isn't as hard as it looks, you need a bit of patience and a scalpel... Its on par with Tolexing but at least blood wipes off tolex. Managed to do it with only 5 small cuts, don't recall doing them or feeling the pain at the time. Of course I got blood on the raw tweed, cleared it off but its come back when varnished ;) Very pleased with my corners, not 100% perfect but maybe 94% :D

So I mixed some thinners with some shellac I bought for this purpose a couple of months back and have given it about 5 coats to get a nice deepish amber tweed colour. Shame its a bit blotchy but hey I was going for an antiqued finish :)

Only pic I've taken so far...

Image

More to come tomorrow after reassembly :D
So, is that low alcohol or no alcohol at all? mmmm, no alcohol, do you want to try it? Noooooooooo.

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Re: Tweeding a Tweed Deluxe...

Post by Reg18 »

Looks really good! I remember that one when it was first listed on TM, the Tolex job was even worse before it made its way onto the forum circuit and someone tidied it up a bit. You have returned it to its originally intended look....good man!

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Re: Tweeding a Tweed Deluxe...

Post by StrummersOfThunder »

Oh yes! Looking good.

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Re: Tweeding a Tweed Deluxe...

Post by Jay »

Indeed looking good sofar. Is the top cover (in the photo anyway) folded back on the edge? If so how do you get it so straight and tight?
When faced with quality, I recognise it every time.

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Re: Tweeding a Tweed Deluxe...

Post by Bg »

Not sure what you mean, but basically its done in 4 pieces, two sides first, then top and bottom - they overlap the side pieces by about 10 mm each side which is the joints you can see on the left and right.

this google image shows the joins better - though I think the overlap on this is way too much!

Image

To get the cuts straight - scalpel and rule.

I used a hairdryer to tighten it up a little (I couldn't find my heat gun ;) )

lining up the tweed so the pattern matches is probably the hardest bit - I'm pretty happy with it, its not perfect but its pretty good for a first attempt at tweed :D

Yeah Reg, the tolex was pretty hit and miss and after a few weeks it was lifting badly too in places, which was a shame as the cab was a good one :)

Thinking of doing my vibrolux in tweed now :D
So, is that low alcohol or no alcohol at all? mmmm, no alcohol, do you want to try it? Noooooooooo.

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Re: Tweeding a Tweed Deluxe...

Post by jeremyb »

Looks excellent man, you should offer this as another service!
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Re: Tweeding a Tweed Deluxe...

Post by Bg »

haha, I'd cut off all my fingers ;) maybe when I get 100% at it, or some chain mail gloves.
So, is that low alcohol or no alcohol at all? mmmm, no alcohol, do you want to try it? Noooooooooo.

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Re: Tweeding a Tweed Deluxe...

Post by vintage52 »

I shellaced a Peavey Classic 50 to great effect.

And that stuff is a tweed vinyl - not the actual fabric like Fender.

Vintaged the amp up big time!

Dude that eventually bought off me bought it based on the look first and sound second.

That does look nice tho beeg.
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Re: Tweeding a Tweed Deluxe...

Post by Bg »

cheers guys...

I've just counted 6 cuts on my hands. What is really surprising is that 5 of them are on my right hand, the one that was holding the scalpel - by the handle I swear!
So, is that low alcohol or no alcohol at all? mmmm, no alcohol, do you want to try it? Noooooooooo.

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Re: Tweeding a Tweed Deluxe...

Post by Slowy »

There's a disappointing lack of blood. And no broken teeth.

Meh.
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Re: Tweeding a Tweed Deluxe...

Post by Jay »

lining up the tweed so the pattern matches is probably the hardest bit -
Got it, I see what you mean by lining it up.
When faced with quality, I recognise it every time.

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Re: Tweeding a Tweed Deluxe...

Post by Bg »

Slowy wrote:There's a disappointing lack of blood. And no broken teeth.

Meh.
its on the other side.... and after recent dentistry bills, I can't afford to offer teeth to the Tweed God.
So, is that low alcohol or no alcohol at all? mmmm, no alcohol, do you want to try it? Noooooooooo.

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Re: Tweeding a Tweed Deluxe...

Post by Starfire »

Looks good to me. A Tweed amp looks best when it's nicely ambered—but not too much. Colour looks about right, I think. Whatever imperfections there might be on the corners I'm sure just look like natural wear and tear anyway. And if they don't they probably will soon enough.

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Re: Tweeding a Tweed Deluxe...

Post by Olderama »

Props mate :)
:mental:

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Re: Tweeding a Tweed Deluxe...

Post by k1w1 »

Meh, not enough body fluids showing BG :evil: So would using just nitro lacquer on some tweed type cloth do the job? I have my MPC 5 watts and have toyed with lacquering the cloth.

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