First Express build success

[analog_stud]

Just wanted to thank you guys! I'm loving this thing! Fired up with no problems. Pretty quiet even past 12:00. Gonna be building an AirBrake cuz this thing is LOUD! but very dynamic and sweet. Never played anything like it.

What speakers do you guys suggest would be a good match? My V-30's are a bit too harsh. This seems to be a bright amp (in a GOOD way). Tends to get muddy when baking off the presence and treble so a darker cab may be in order.

Thanks

Dave.

[Colossal]

Dave,

Top notch! Looks really nice and, as you've found out, what a fantastic amp. As far as speakers go, the holy grail is a 4x12 of pre-Rola Celestion G12M 25W real-deal Greenbacks. Barring that, Scumbacks are another option. It's going to be up to your ear, budget, and needs however. Do a search and there are volumes to read on the matter as this topic comes up repeatedly. Read everything by Geetarpicker (Glenn Kuykendall) who owns original Trainwrecks, knew KF, is a helluva guy and very generous with his knowledge, and an incredible player. Glen is really the ambassador to the Trainwreck legacy IMO since he has graciously helped pull back the veil on these amps making them accessible to the rest of us. KF really never got the monetary recognition or technical credit he deserved (and the latter posthumously at least).

Mandatory viewing and reading
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y2_12Ler9B8
and
http://www.glenkuykendall.com

Again, great job on your amp. You need a nice head cab for it now.

[Gibsonman63]

+1 on what Colossal said.

V30's are great for bring clarity to a Marshall, but are way too bright for an Express. I have a 2 x12 cab with Heritage 30's and a 4 x 12 with Brittish made greenbacks (not pre-Rola). Both sound great to me.

Find a guitar with a very accessable volume knob and have fun. I am still amazed that I can dial back the guitar with mine and get really full sounding cleans.

[Colossal]

Find a guitar with a very accessable volume knob and have fun. I am still amazed that I can dial back the guitar with mine and get really full sounding cleans.

Yes, this is huge to get the most out of your TW. There is a thread on pot taper so search for and check that out too.

I was playing my Express yesterday with my PRS SC245 and the pot tapers on PRS guitars are great. I think they are CTS pots, possibly customized for PRS (just a guess though on that last bit), but they are incredibly easy to spin and you only have to back off to about 8 and you get the delicate, sparkling TW clean. Turn it up and the rage is right there. Incredible.

[analog_stud]

Might've answered my own question on speaker choice. Greenbacks are what I was thinking but just wanted some opinions on a newer speaker with those attributes. I'll have a look at those scumbacks. I have an old 4x12 Marshall from '69 but the speakers were already long gone Nice sounding cab though, best I've heard.

Watched GK's videos for a few years. Probably one of the reasons I decided to build one. Videos don't do it justice. This thing sounds better (sorry Glen, LOL!) One of the features I wanted was to be able to clean up with the volume on the guitar. No problem there! Works like NO other amp. I'm really satisfied with it just the V30 in 2x12 open-back issue, I'm sure. Tried my Strat, Tele and my dual '59 Duncan Strat all with beautiful results. Gotta say, I like the Tele the best with this amp.

I taper all my pots with a resistor after a bleed-cap to retain clarity at low volume. I also disconnect any tone controls (except on the strat).

[Bob S]

Congrats on getting her finished Dave.
Glad you like her - the clean to mean is something else on these amps.
I wish I was as happy with mine.
Pulsonic greenbacks are the nuts for these.
If you can find & afford them.
For the price, I like the G12M 20's.
Haven't tried Scumbacks yet.

[analog_stud]

Hahahaha! You like the faceplate, Bob? I may have to ask you for another custom engraved one. Not happy with yours? Looks like you got a couple of beauties there. What don't you like about them?

Yeah, seems people aren't letting greenbacks go cheap. The vintage speaker market is somewhat of a crapshoot it seems, unless you can test-drive em' first.

[Reeltarded]

If you can find a set of 80s reissue GBs that someone beat to death with a superlead and mount them in a really light Marshall cab you will be happy.

I like the 20s too. I love the Websr low watt alnicos with the soaked in dope option too, or at least I liked them a couple years ago. Watch Ebay for 8ohm 20s with proper recone. I have a friend who buys them from the Fatherland for a funny song and a little dance.

G12-25s and all are so defocused compared to what I am used to now. You have to really hit 'em hard to make the lowend come up, but the highend is much sweeter when it rolls off so low as a worn in set does.

[analog_stud]

1965 Blackburn Mullard in V1. +1! That really helped! Now...on to the power-tubes.

[dobbhill]

A-Stud:
More details about your volume control mod would be appreciated, please.

D

[analog_stud]

You can experiment, but it's basically this:

[Colossal]

You can experiment, but it's basically this:

analog_stud, in your guitar(s) that are modded are you using single coil or humbuckers, or both?

Thanks.

[analog_stud]

Yes, both. Works better for single coil however. My specific values for single coil are 180k carbon-comp resistor and 750pf polystyrene (hi-fi) cap on a 250k pot. I also prefer NO tone pot (always seems to shave a little "chime" off the top) unless it's a delta (Fender) pot. I haven't really found my favorite for humbucker.

[Firestorm]

Glad you pulled it off. I've built a lot of amps, but the Trainwreck Express drove me nuts. Couldn't quite pull it in. Still trying to understand the tweaky bits.