Modding an Express clone towards a Liverpool

[monkeymagic]

Hi All,

I've been reading here and here abouts for a while, but this is my first post on what I've found to be a really informative forum.

I'm wondering if I can get your views?

I have a Fuchs Train 45 (Express clone) which I love - just an awesome amp. It's touch sensitive to the point where I've had to raise my game to (begin to) do justice to it.

It's great with humbuckers and I'd like a Liverpool clone to get into that same sweet spot with the single coils

I don't have the budget to spend £2-3k on getting one built for me to top spec (let alone the real thing!)

I've read lots of views on the Ceriatones that suggest that whilst they are good, the component quality might impact the tone or longevity?

In terms of self build, i don't have the talent to do it justice and I get an asthma reaction to soldering nowadays and have to limit my solders to short bursts, so building from scratch myself isn't an option, but I could mod something pre-built.

I'm thinking I could purchase a modify another of Andy Fuch's express based amp designs (I know where I can get a Lucky 7 (single ended EL34) or another Train 45) but what do you gents suggest is the best of the following options to get 1) THAT Tone 2) Quality / Longevity on a budget?

1) Get a Ceritone Liverpool prebuild with transformers, add my own tubes, bias and enjoy

2) Get a Ceriatone prebuild chassis and add my own Transformers and tubes (Transformers will be custom built as in the UK and I'm getting no joy with Tonesluts or Heyboer)

3) Use a Fuchs Train as a base (great components and Transformers) - tweak some component values in the preamp and either

a) Just run it with a pair of 6V6s, same OT (will I get THAT tone?)
b) use Yellow jackets to install a pair of EL84s to get about 18w (which will be plenty if the tone is there) (I know the Express runs the OT at 6.6k rather than 5.2k, but I don't know how this interacts with a single pair of EL84s rather than a brace?)
c) Mod the whole power section to 2 pairs of EL84s and put in a 5.2k OT

4) The option 4,5,6 that I've not even thought of..?

Ultimately, the tone I get with my Train 45 is great, even with the SCs, so this is only worth doing if I can get it right into the Liverpool sweet spot.

It would be a very bad thing to mangle a great amp to get something inferior to the starting spot!

All views and help much appreciated!

Baz

[matt h]

(deleted)

[monkeymagic]

Hi Matt,

The cathode bias makes a lot of sense - the thanks

In terms of tweaking the voltage to the power amp, are you talking about some sort of VVC or is this more about tweaking component values to suit?

Best

Baz

[matt h]

(deleted)