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Trainwreck clones

9/8/2000 12:08 AM
B.W. Skochko	Trainwreck clones Gentlemen: I'm a new visitor to this forum (about a week), however, from what I've seen so far, it has rekindled an interest in trying my hand at building my own amplifier. My interest is to build a 6V6 Trainwreck Express "clone". I do have a number of questions. Question 1 - Who out there has tried a 6V6 version as opposed to an EL34 version? Are there any strong feelings pro or con to either one of the tube choices? Question 2 - Is there any consensus about transformer choices, or is this another perpetual can of worms like "the sound of different caps"? This is the one area where I don't think I'd be happy experimenting ad infinitum. I'd be interested in hearing opinions from people who have actually built a "Wreck" clone as well as from others who may have opinions and/or strong feelings on the subject. Question 3 - I've seen that several people claim to have heard a "genuwine Wrek" - I haven't had the pleasure nor do I expect to have it any time in the near future. Are there anysound clips out there known to be of an Express amp? BWS

9/8/2000 12:08 AM

B.W. Skochko

Trainwreck clones

Gentlemen:

I'm a new visitor to this forum (about a week), however, from what I've seen so far, it has rekindled an interest in trying my hand at
building my own amplifier. My interest is to
build a 6V6 Trainwreck Express "clone". I do
have a number of questions.

Question 1 - Who out there has tried a
6V6 version as opposed to an EL34 version?
Are there any strong feelings pro or con to
either one of the tube choices?
Question 2 - Is there any consensus about transformer choices, or is this another
perpetual can of worms like "the sound of
different caps"? This is the one area where I
don't think I'd be happy experimenting ad
infinitum. I'd be interested in hearing
opinions from people who have actually built a "Wreck" clone as well as from others who may
have opinions and/or strong feelings on the
subject.
Question 3 - I've seen that several people
claim to have heard a "genuwine Wrek" - I
haven't had the pleasure nor do I expect to
have it any time in the near future. Are there anysound clips out there known to be of an
Express amp?

BWS

9/8/2000 12:59 AM
jon	Hi BWS, I has the pleasure of playing thru a tweaked Trainwreck designed Komet the other day. I really think you need to experience these amps...it's the whole package, including what guitar/pickups and speakers... For me it was more of a "gut" thing, rather than something I could pull apart by hearing a sound clip. Like when I first cranked a '60's SG thru an SVT some 30 years ago at a college frat house...... just my $.02 Jon

9/8/2000 12:59 AM

jon

Hi BWS,
I has the pleasure of playing thru a tweaked Trainwreck designed Komet the other day. I really think you need to experience these amps...it's the whole package, including what guitar/pickups and speakers... For me it was more of a "gut" thing, rather than something I could pull apart by hearing a sound clip. Like when I first cranked a '60's SG thru an SVT some 30 years ago at a college frat house...... just my $.02
Jon

9/8/2000 5:16 AM

BWilliamson

quote:
"I'm a new visitor to this forum"

Welcome to the greatest sideshow on Earth!!

quote:
"Question 1 - Who out there has tried a
6V6 version as opposed to an EL34 version?
Are there any strong feelings pro or con to
either one of the tube choices?"

Well, the deal is. There isn't 2 versions. The B+ is run low enought for the 6V6's to be happy. I just finished my "True" clone, and haven't run the 6V6's in there yet. But I'm currently running about 360vdc on the plates of the EL-34's @ 37ma. The circuit pretty much follows the schematic I derived from the notes. Sounds killer...still tweaking here and there. But a fabulous "GAIN FIllED" amp.

quote:
"Question 2 - Is there any consensus about transformer choices, or is this another
perpetual can of worms like "the sound of
different caps"? This is the one area where I
don't think I'd be happy experimenting ad
infinitum."

Seen an ad for a Tranny touted as the Express tranny at one time--had a 5800 ohm primary with 8 and 16 ohm taps. I used a 50W Hoffman unit that was on hand. Sounds good to me--but again haven't tried the 6V6 option.

As for sound clips, none that I know of. Apollo amps have a clone that is bases on the Express, but as I hear it doesn't sound like one at all. Sounds alot like my amp...

Well, just went to get the address. Looks like he's open for business again, but the sound clips are down.

any questions, ask away. Bunch of folks have built the Express around here.

bw

9/8/2000 1:42 PM
Rebel420	Re: Trainwreck clones --WHich Schematic? I've seen a few mods and variaions of the schematics on Steve's site. Which one is the "true" design? I'd like to try one, but I want to go with the tue design before tweaking to MY tastes Thanx

9/8/2000 2:08 PM
B.W. Skochko	The only information I have is from Steve's site and some Electar Tube 30 threads from this forum. If you follow it all out, there seems to be some implication that version A2 of the "Expresso" schematics has been "blessed" by an anonymous paticipant/contributor to the forum. There are, however, some question marks about the transformers. I'm curious if anyone has anything more concrete than that. BWS

9/8/2000 2:08 PM

B.W. Skochko

The only information I have is from Steve's site and some Electar Tube 30 threads from this forum. If you follow it all out, there seems to be some implication that version A2 of the "Expresso" schematics has been "blessed" by an anonymous paticipant/contributor to the forum. There are, however, some question marks about the transformers. I'm curious if anyone has anything more concrete than that.

BWS

9/8/2000 9:24 PM
BWilliamson	Steve and I started out with the same schems, and pretty much had the same feedback about the schems in the beginning. We both ended up with different schematics. IMHO Ver. A0 is the closest with a few minor changes. Omit the 820 going into the second stage. And the second stage's cathode bypass cap should be a 22uF. The treble pot could either be the 250K or 1M--I don't know for sure. Voltage reports have been anywhere from 340vdc to 410vdc. Nobody saying for sure. I thought I read somewhere that KF only suggests NOS tubes for the voltages he's running. Again, most of this is sencond or third generations hearsay. Take it FWIW bw

9/8/2000 9:24 PM

BWilliamson

Steve and I started out with the same schems, and pretty much had the same feedback about the schems in the beginning. We both ended up with different schematics.

IMHO Ver. A0 is the closest with a few minor changes. Omit the 820 going into the second stage. And the second stage's cathode bypass cap should be a 22uF. The treble pot could either be the 250K or 1M--I don't know for sure.

Voltage reports have been anywhere from 340vdc to 410vdc. Nobody saying for sure. I thought I read somewhere that KF only suggests NOS tubes for the voltages he's running.

Again, most of this is sencond or third generations hearsay. Take it FWIW

bw

9/9/2000 3:47 PM
Steve A.	bw: Version A0 and A1a are probably the closest (I have a hunch that the A2 preamp might be for an EL84 amp... maybe a Liverpool clone from Callaham?). One tip mentioned here anonymously was to use a .001uF poly cap in parallel with a .001uF ceramic cap as the coupling cap after the second stage; the combination is supposed to work better than a single .002uF poly cap. As for the B+ voltages, I'd go with the 410vdc figure... Steve Ahola

9/9/2000 3:47 PM

Steve A.

bw:

Version A0 and A1a are probably the closest (I have a hunch that the A2 preamp might be for an EL84 amp... maybe a Liverpool clone from Callaham?). One tip mentioned here anonymously was to use a .001uF poly cap in parallel with a .001uF ceramic cap as the coupling cap after the second stage; the combination is supposed to work better than a single .002uF poly cap.

As for the B+ voltages, I'd go with the 410vdc figure...

Steve Ahola

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