just rip it apart and start over?

[wsaraceni]

i built my express clone as my first real amp build. i never could get it to sound right. my wiring is messy and i could probably do a much nicer job if i did it again. the question is, do i just rip it apart and start over? or try to fix the mess i have now?

[Doug H]

Depends on how "fixable" you think it is.

I hope you've learned by now that a TW is a really poor choice for a first amp build. You would be much better off to try something like a Champ or one of the entry-level AX84 designs. Get your chops and confidence up first- then move on to more complex designs. I would highly recommend AX84 as there is a really good community there that will support you if you have problems.

You might consider putting the Wreck on the shelf and completing a beginner project first- then get back to the Wreck.

[keithrick]

A picture is worth a thousand words.

JMHO - but I do not think a TR is a hard amp to build. Just go back through and clean up your wiring one stage at a time and see if it is moving in the direction you want. Look at the Francesca pics and duplicate. I wreck might not be the style of amp for you.

BTW- I wanted to add that if you are not using the tubes and speakers that these amps were designed around your never really hearing the amps potential.

[Bob-I]

If you used a known good layout, just rip out all the wires and clean up the lead dress. If you didn't use a known good layout, just rip it all out and start again.

[wsaraceni]

[img:800:600]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v217/ ... G_1756.jpg[/img][img:800:600]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v217/ ... G_1755.jpg[/img]


HeeBGB helped me clean it up a lot but there is some real bad sounds coming from the amp. i put it on a scope but cant really tell whats wrong. it does seem like the noise is mostly on the B+ coming off the larger capacitors. at least thats what i can see on the scope. not sure if that is normal.

[gearhead]

In the preamp section, what are you grounding to? Can't tell if you're running a buss wire down low or not.

You might want to recheck your power filter caps - to - dropping resistors. Since you used all one color wire, can't make that out.

[skyboltone]

[img:800:600]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v217/ ... G_1756.jpg[/img][img:800:600]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v217/ ... G_1755.jpg[/img]


HeeBGB helped me clean it up a lot but there is some real bad sounds coming from the amp. i put it on a scope but cant really tell whats wrong. it does seem like the noise is mostly on the B+ coming off the larger capacitors. at least thats what i can see on the scope. not sure if that is normal.

I hate to tell you this, but I can't see a wire in there that doesn't need work. Pay really really close attention to your OT primarys and final grids. That's where the majority of the mess is, but I'd sure take a good long look at the francesca pics and try to emulate. You shouldn't have to do a rip out, just a wire by wire re-lead. The tone controls wiring needs to be short; and close together too. Deep breaths and go wire by wire to match Francesca.

[Bob-I]

I think you can redress these leads without "breaking" the amp.

I re-wire one section at a time. Start with the power supply, then the ot, then go tube socket by tube socket cleaning up the lead dress. Remove each wire and re-dress cleanly.

I think you'll be amazed at how much better it sounds with the lead dress cleaned up.

[Chris G]

Hi,
I would NOT take it down to nothing and start over.I would get the pictures of Fran that are here and try to replicate every wire there is.

I have re-done both the trainwreck amps(wireing and boards) I built.I did them both before we had the pictures we have now.I can say they both sound better now that I'm done!!!!
Chris

[Firestorm]

The 9K1 dropping resistors in the power supply look like 1/2 watters. Probably not the source of any ugly noises, but those will be toast eventually. You need 3-watt metal film or wirewound.

[geetarpicker]

It looks like you are a quite decent at working the soldering iron! You just need to spend a little more time bending and sizing the wires. Most of those wires could simply be carefully unhooked at one end, rebent and possibly trimmed and reattached. some of them might not even need to be unhooked. Neatness counts in these amps.

Also any wire that you nicked and melted with the bump of a soldering iron I'd replace if possible. If it's a transformer wire, I'd shrink wrap the section near the burn. Also if you soldered to either board on top after running wires close underneath I'd make sure nothing melted underneath. Sometimes heating an eyelet or terminal up top can melt things underneath. The power supply board is tricky in this department, as the transformer wires underneath are a tight fit. The way around it is to solder the stuff with the board still unmounted and lifted up a little.

If you do totally rewire it you will have much better luck checking your work with different colors of wir in there. All one color isn't easy to trouble shoot.

You don't want any shorts to burn the house down, or add some action to your next concert show. Ah, hell I once had a talk box go up in smoke and the crowd thought it was part of the act...

Keep at it. It should be a nice amp.

[HeeBGB]

Hey Bill,

Did you ever get that 4x12 you were thinking about?

Check your PM's

Greg

[wsaraceni]

so i started to clean it up some more. i took it to heebgbs and he pointed out some stuff i can clean up. im going to order new wire to do the heaters but as you can see i think it's much neater. one thing i did notice was i installed the OT backwards making the wires much too long since they all had to criss cross. still have some work to do but i think its much nicer. and i didnt have to rip it all out.


[/img]

[wsaraceni]

here is the updated pic taken with my camera. as you can see, its cleaner but not quite there. i powered it up and played for about 20 mins. it wasnt quiet, but it wasnt bad. then i powered it off. came back about an hour or two later and turned it on and blew the fuse. gotta get some more fuses and then figure out what would cause that.


[img:480:640]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v217/ ... /photo.jpg[/img]