Anyone try a choke in an Express?

[JimmyR]

Hi Trainwreck gurus - first post here for me. I just finished my first trainwreck clone and it sure is one gutsy amp! I'm using some NOS 12at7s in the first two spots as the gain is so high. I like it with vol on about 1-2 - any higher and it's too much gain for me. I'm not a high-gain kinda player. It sounds really good at these volumes for me.

But I was wondering if anyone had experimented with a choke in a 'wreck? I recently built a 5E3 Deluxe with a choke and much prefer it over the original spec. I find the 'wreck gets a little mushy in the low end at higher volumes and wonder if a choke might help keep it all together? I do tend to like tighter, clearer bass strings.

TIA!

[lastwinj]

a choke should address those issues.

germ

[JimmyR]

Cool - I may just try it. I happen to have one here...

But I was hoping that someone may have tried it before. Oh well - I don't mind being guinea pig.

[Thiago.zanato]

Hey,

I would like to know how that turned out. Can you keep me updated?

thanks?

[oldepicker]

I built a variant recently using Mercury Magnetics BF Deluxe Reverb PT & OT, a 6L6 Fender Amp Choke and a 5AR4 rectifier in a wreck chassis using wreck boards, both acquired from forum guys and it sounds great. I had planned the build for quite a while, so I never considered NOT using a choke. I've always preferred any amp with a choke that I've compared w/ and w/o. I'm like you in that I like my bass tight and rarely turn the bass level pot past halfway, usually keeping it around 9 or 10 oclock on the dial. I used the Francesca circuit with a couple cap value changes here and there. I've played it through a couple cabs, but prefer it through my Mesa Boogie 4x12 w/ 2 mesa celestions and 2 EVs. It's amazingly loud for a 22 watt amp and really does growl. I will say that I like the volume at about 7-8, to me that's what these amps are about...BALLS...just dial in the grit where you like it and wail! It's reasonably quiet too, BTW. Any hiss/blow it has is what I consider normal for this circuit, quite usable and giggable.

[JimmyR]

Ok - looks like I'll be trying it this weekend! I also have some JJ 6V6s and KT77s on the way to try in it. The choke really did the trick in my 5E3 so what the heck?

[rfgordon]

I used a 5E3 Tweed Deluxe card to build the Blues Express version of the TW q/ 6V6s and a vol/tone combo. It used a choke--sounded amazing. Extremely sensitive and dynamic. I also put one in a full-on Express I built a while back for a guy. So, I like to use chokes, too.

[JimmyR]

Ok - for any who wanted to know the outcome! I just replaced the big power resistor with a Marshall-style 10 Henry choke. It was what I had at home!

Having played the amp with the choke for a few hours now I kinda don't understand why the original didn't have one! I like it a lot more now. The lows are not fizzy at all now, and the mids seem to have gained a bit more "howl" - Maybe it's because the tops are tamed a tiny bit? It's sort-of more plexi sounding in the top end rather than metal-front.

It feels slightly different to play, but not in a bad way. Maybe less spongy? It is still super touch sensitive and the low end punches out even more.

I also replaced the 12ax7 PS tube for a 12ay7 and I can get a bit more distinction between clean and full-on grunt. I now have two 12at7s and a 12ay7 in the front end. If anything I would like to extend the space between clean and raunch because there is a lot of tone in there!

Overall I am pleased with how solid and full this amp sounds. Many amps seem to have lots of wierd artifacts in the tone which aren't necessarily musical. This amp is very pure and full sounding.

HTH!

[Thiago.zanato]

That's really interesting. Can you tell us a bit more about the outcome? do you think it's less distorted at higher volume settings? One of the features by which the Express is well know is the dynamics, so with a choke, when you roll back the volume the guitar clears out quite well and becomes bright and clean just like before?

thanks

[JimmyR]

It's not like the amp dramatically changes personality once you install the choke. It still sounds like an Express! Yesterday I was showing some friends the amp - we had it running through a Marshall 1960AX cab with 4x greenbacks. The guitar was a PRS McSoapy and it was just fab.

With vol at 9.00 it was pretty loud, but I could get full-blown saturated OD with the guitar's vol on full, then when the guitar's vol was rolled back to about 8 it was this beautiful biting blues tone which I loved. It had all the OD I need, with plenty of bite and chunk. Roll the vol down lower still and it was clean, if a little less sparkly than just turning the amp down. Still a highly usable tone though.

After all this I find that the main difference with the choke is that I can get a bit more "chunk" out of the low strings and there is less "fizz" in the OD. Single notes are still fat, sustainy and amazing. It also responds the same way to vol and pick adjustments. It may sound even better with a 3 Henry choke - maybe feel a tiny bit looser?

[s2]

Did you do anything to compensate for the changes in screen voltage or did you just swap the resistor with a choke? That resistor drops the B+ about 20VDC IIRC, so it may make a difference. Or maybe not. Just curious as to how that worked out for you for future reference.

[JimmyR]

Yeah I wondered about the voltage drop before I put a choke in my 5E3, but all the experts I consulted on various boards said to just swap the resistor for the choke. It certainly works and sounds good!

[Paul86]

Sorry, I don`t really want to hijack this thread, but I have a question for oldepicker - How do you like the EV + celestion combo in your 4X12?

[oldepicker]

Paul,

The mesa cab I have is one of those older metal grill ones with the angled front. It came stock with those speakers and I highly recommend snagging one if you get the chance... but they are quite heavy. The top (angled) half was originally open back, the bottom (with the EV's) always has been sealed as a closed-back 2x12 sort of thing. It's deeper than a normal 4x12 in the lower half and I added an insert to the top half to make it closed back for all 4 speakers. The complement of the Celestion and EV speakers is great; tight, focused bass, clear highs and the more midrangey response of the celestions covers the whole frequency spectrum quite well. I have a couple cabs with mix 'n match speakers, and also ones with single brand/model speakers. My preference has generally been to mix 'em, and that Boogie takes anything the Express based amp can throw at it, and then some. I still haven't tried it through all my cabs, but after plugging in a fully closed back 4x12, I have to agree with Ken on this amp being best through a good 4x12 closed-back cab.

[Paul86]

Thanks oldepicker,
Have you by any chance ever tried your amp through an ALL-EV 4X12?
By the way, has anyone here done this?