Andy Fuchs is now marketing a Trainwreck Express style amp

[doctord02]

http://www.fuchsaudiotechnology.com/html/train_45.html

[Guest]

deleted

[Craig Reid]

I own a Fuchs modded Traynor. I have to say that;

- the amp rocks
- the construction quality is first rate
- Andy is a VERY good guy to deal with

I really feel that he has started out his business the right way. Go slow and take care of customers. My hat is off to him for that.

The one thing that bothers me ( and I don't aim this at Andy alone) is guys who effectively "borrow" someone elses circuit, and then goop their boards. I am sure he and others have made minor tweaks to these circuits. I personally have NO interest in knowing what value cathode bypass caps Andy uses in his preamp. There is enough data out there for all of us tweakers to get a good start on any given design, and take it whatever direction our ears tell us to go from there.

My problem is with the messaging. It kinda reads like, "It's OK for me to steal someone elses stuff, but I am damned if I will let you steal mine!"

On the flip side, you have a guy like Kevin O'Connor who has shared a TON of really unique circuits and ideas with the world in his books. Ever wonder where builders like Andy got the circuit for their tubedriven effects loop, with series/parallel switch, line/floor level switch and send/return level pots? (Hmmm.....could it be from page 7-11 of TUT?) How about the mention of a new push/pull reverb driver in Andy's new amps? (Hmmm ... could that be from page 6-35 of TUT2?)

OK, this is just a rant. My point is that I hope Andy (or anyone else) doesn't build a Wreck clone and goop it. That will really piss me off!

I will end this off the way I started it. Andy is a great guy who builds a quality product and I have to say that I am a happy customer.

I just question the whole integrity of this gooping thing. Most of these amps are just derivations of old Fenders, which are just implementations of circuits that were in the public domain in the 50's. I think these guys may be guilty of taking themselves too seriously.

Anyway, I am not wanting to start a whole debate here. Just maybe guilty of drinking a little too much coffee.

Java, Java, Java, Java, Java

[doctord02]

I wasnt aware Andy gooped his boards... I thought that was Trace at Voodoo, and even he's stopped doing that I believe.I know he has been cool with other techs doing repair work on his amps and even states he's willing to talk a tech thru a repair/troubleshooting/tweeking issue on his amps when the come in for service...

I'm curious for first hand reports to come in on his Wreck clone... I'd consider getting one if the feedback is positive.

[Craig Reid]

Doc

My Fuchs modded amp is a '99. I admittedly haven't seen inside either one of his newer amps or mods since.

You would think that once you hit a certain size, have dealers and can't reasonably service every amp yourself, that gooping would be detrimental to your business.

If companies do it, then stop, maybe it is a concession to reality.

[Mark]

I wonder why he hasn't been on this page?

Oh well.

[Mark]

Thanks for pointing the new Fuchs out to me. I have sent Andy the web address. If Andy isn't too busy, perhaps he can give us a few pointers.

[doctord02]

I wonder why he hasn't been on this page?

Oh well.

I dont think Andy has much interest in the homebrewing community. He's got a fairly successful business to run, and has largely been concerned with Dumble style circuits, as well as his own variations...

I dont see Hogy hanging out here either, for much the same reason I'd guess - since I know Hogy is aware of the trainwreck forum.

[FUCHSAUDIO]

A friend pointed this thread out to me. I did respond to the e-mail invitation to join the forum and/or visit the site, but time does not always allow. Our business has grown in size, is relocating, and requires a lot more of my attention daily than the internet allows.

To address the questions:

We no longer goop mods. We did goop mods in the first few years, but (as has been mentioned) there aren't many secret circuits in the amp business that haven't been done before. We had little or no problems with anything under the goop, although it can make changing or updating a circuit difficult.

Like Trace (who's a good friend), we fully support our amps. I often tell people "we don't build orphans". We do get occassional phone calls or e-mails about an amp on someones bench, and have no problem assisting in repairs to our amps. We've been blessed with a fairly low return rate. Other than a tube, shipping damage, or misuse our stuff holds up. Like other builders, we chose not to supply schematics and/or service data.

While I've never made a secret of what some of our circuits have been influenced-by, the suggestion that our loop and/or reverb driver was appropriated from TUT is in left-field and flat out wrong. I do not own, nor have ever seen a copy of these books.

In the case of the Train-45, it's approximately based on the Express circuit, using custom wound power and output iron, and a pc board design. The original builder was contacted on our behalf (by a mutual friend), and had no interest in being a part of the project.

As far as the "homebrew community", heck I started out in that community and still love it ! I wish I could support the many people who write with technical questions and/or circuit ideas. I could spend all day on the computer just doing that ! I do field the occassional question that comes through, but there are onyl 24 hours in a day. You'll see me sometimes poke-in on an Ampage, TGP thread or a Webervst thread when I feel I can contribute something meaningful.

[Craig Reid]

I was kinda hoping you would drop by the group Andy, and thanks for the clarifications to the gooping question and the overview of the Train 45.

The tone I tried to set with my original post was, "A lot of respect, and one question." Since I suspected you may join us prior to writing it, I hope that came across.

I had the good fortune to see the London Power, Power Scaling circuit in the late 90's, well before it was put into the public domain with the publishing of TUT5. It was also fairly intuitive how much damage could be done to a manufacturers business if someone put up a schematic for a proprietary circuit on the internet before they have had a chance to recoup their development cost. Many people asked me for a copy of that one. My answer was has always been, "Talk to the guy who designed it. It is his to divulge, not mine."

I would hope that all members of the "love to tweak amps, but don't want to do it for a living" community, would have the same respect for builders like yourself, or Kevin.

Unfortunately in the end, I guess anyone who wants to hurt you will find a way. They'll just buy one of your amps and reverse engineer it. I hope that never happens to you.

BTW, I was at a buddies place a week ago, and I just happened to have brought my Traynor that you modded over. Myself and the three other guys played it beside a couple of Two Rocks, and a couple other Dumble style amps. All agreed that yours was a standout.

As I said above, I believe you are doing it right. May the hair on your toes never fall out! (hobbit greeting)

Cheers, and keep us up to date on the Train 45 (I would love to hear sound files, when you have them).

Craig

[Mark]

Dear Andy

Great to see you here, also thank you Craig.

[FUCHSAUDIO]

http://www.sjfriedman.net/pics/train.JPG