EXACT trainwreck clone

[markr14850]

umm carol ann isn't the amps name it's a knock off company?

http://www.carolannamps.com/

Alan hangs out here and is very helpful.

[Distortion]

The carol-ann is at www.larkstreetmusic.com or larkstreet@aol.com
or call 201-287-1959 Teaneck, NJ

Funny finding this thread..
I built this cabinet for Alan sometime last year.
I wondered where the amp ended up..

[M Fowler]

Alan had a thread going on the gear page about his TW clones he built and how he was disappointed they were being sold as he built them for muscians to use on the road so they could keep their real TW at home. Now he finds them being sold on the open market and not happy.

Mark

[ClassicRocker]

Ok ... my first post. I was directed here from the MIMF forum. I'm a guitar player in a Classic Rock band here in VA, love the tone on Glen's CD and thought: "Heck, if I can build an electric guitar, why not an amp?

I downloaded all the documents linked in the first page of this thread for the Express, and I'm confident I can follow directions. My DUMB question for everyone''s amusement is: for a novice, can someone estimate the number of hours required to build the Express? I know there are limits and unknowns here, not the least of which my electronics experience, but just looking for a general basis to set my expectation.

[M Fowler]

Classic Rocker,

Welcome to the forum.

That is a very subjective answer on how many hours to build a Trainwreck as that depends if your are using a blank chassis or one from various suppliers with many holes drilled but not all. Just the chassis layout and cutting alone takes a while.

Parts chasing will net you the most hours unless you go with a kit. But I take it you want to try build as much an original as possible.

Mark

[RJ Guitars]

...My DUMB question for everyone''s amusement is: for a novice, can someone estimate the number of hours required to build the Express?

Classic Rocker - You can buy all the parts to build an Express and have it sent to you as kit. You can put this together in 14-20 hours if your halfway competent... then the work begins.

Caution - This is not the route to take if you want to save money.

Trainwreck amps were built one by a mysterious genius one amp at a time, with a specific individual and certain objectives in mind. Ken Fischer spent a lifetime tuning his ears and senses to build the ultimate guitar amplifiers. Many of us have studied what he did and why he did it and very few if any will ever figure it all out... there certainly isn't a Readers Digest version available yet and putting the same parts in the same order doesn't seem to guarantee success.

Building tube guitar amps is a weird disease that some folks catch and it might cost them a lifetime of alternative recreational options... not to mention it does almost nothing for improving your social life, personal finances, or guitar playing.

You can make a pretty close copy that may sound pretty cool or you can buy a very well made copy from one of the master builders here that might even sound awesome... unless you are willing to risk the disease. Then it's greatly enjoyable activity in a weird quirky world with exposure to a vast diversity of personalities and such... I quite enjoy it myself.

rj

[ClassicRocker]

Classic Rocker,

Welcome to the forum.

That is a very subjective answer on how many hours to build a Trainwreck as that depends if your are using a blank chassis or one from various suppliers with many holes drilled but not all. Just the chassis layout and cutting alone takes a while.

Parts chasing will net you the most hours unless you go with a kit. But I take it you want to try build as much an original as possible.

Mark

Hi Mark ... thanks for the welcome ... My name is Chris, left that off my mistake.

I think I can build everything. I have a fully equipped wood shop and do everything from fine furniture to my electric guitar to shop tools and jigs. I'm thinking that the chassis layout and the case are probably comfortably within my knowledge base -- it's everything else I'll need to read up on. And I realize it's very subjective -- hence my "DUMB question" caveat.

I'm just hoping for a level-set. I tend to be overly optimistic about my projects.

[ClassicRocker]

...My DUMB question for everyone''s amusement is: for a novice, can someone estimate the number of hours required to build the Express?

Caution - This is not the route to take if you want to save money.

RJ, I make my own stuff because of a few things: I love to understand how things work, it's always a challenge and fun, and I really don't like spending a lot of money on things I know I can do myself. This list is probably in reverse order. Greetings.

[M Fowler]

Chris,

Print out Ron Worley's express build guide and go over that a few times it has most everything one needs to know, the other you learn from experience. Ron told me lead dress man is a big factor. Tube selection and closed back cab with the appropriate speakers (whatever that may be) ver subjective if you ask me.

Also if you spend a couple nights going back from 2005 and reading the forum forward to 2009 you will have all your answers as well. The search option is weird but there is so many posts that I guess it would be hard for the search engine to function better. Even if the question you have has probably been asked before go ahead and ask away. If some one gives you crap and they probably will it goes in one ear and out the other if get my drift.

Mark

[RJ Guitars]

I make my own stuff because of a few things: I love to understand how things work, it's always a challenge and fun, and I really don't like spending a lot of money on things I know I can do myself. This list is probably in reverse order. Greetings.

Chris,

Yes welcome... if you have that bug that drives you to understand you may enjoy this quite a lot...

I'm sure from your woodshop experience you know that wood is cheap... it's the tools that cost you. Amps are not so bad, especially if you already have a good soldering station and well lit workbench. The transformers are usually the expensive part and worth investing in.

Somewhere along the way somebody will suggest you buy a parts setup from Allyn Meyer's so I'll just do it myself - he is among the most knowledgeable of living folks in the art of Trainwreck amp building and he is especially good at providing "Original Spec" parts if you want to go with the a clone build.

There are several others among us including myself that sell parts & amp kits - although I am more of a provider for and advocate of Trainwreck inspired experimental amps. Brings to me a thought - I think it would be useful to have a master vendors list with all the AmpGarage member services listed??

Anyway, enjoy the learning experience and if you make the journey with us you will create some very cool amps (nobody builds just one do they?) and meet some very decent folks.

rj

['67_Plexi]

umm carol ann isn't the amps name it's a knock off company?

lol.....classy !

knock off what, Rolex ? Gucci ?

[TheGimp]

Bump

I was reading this thread and ran across a statement that this site had a TW for sale.

http://www.larkstreetmusic.com/stock.html

Old thread so I didn't expect to find anything, however they claim to have Liverpool "Jovanna" listed as the last amp Ken made and claims it was voiced by him, but didn't a power cable installed nor was it fitted to it's cab.

I thought the last TW Ken was working on was a Rocket.

[M Fowler]

The add says TW Liverpool Rocket.

I was under the impression that the amp was not a finished product so JM must have finished it?

Mark

[mumford]

Re: time spent building one--I built a ceriatone express kit. It took maybe 6-7 hours for the kit, then I spent a year troubleshooting noise and replacing caps/OT until I was happy with it. I just got started trying different tubes. It never ends.