dlt

[Guest]

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[Moose]

Never played one. I'd love to spend time with the real thing, but don't feel it's necessary to what I'm doing here.

Why are you asking? Are you trying to guage how close we are to the real thing?

Personally, I am at a point where I don't care how close I am. If I make an amp that elicits big grins from guitarists who play it, I'm happy with that. I'm NOT a good person to talk to if you want comparisons to one of Ken's amps, and I really don't think there's any way to make a real clone of an express.

I don't want to "clone" anything, though I have no problem starting with known quantites and tweaking from there to create the tone I like. I started with A4 and my own crazy layout. What I got after a few minor changes was an amp that would cause guitarists to stand in front of the cabinet for an hour, playing with the feedback and listening to chords sustain and swell into harmonics with this big o'l shit eating grin on their faces.

Now I'm just trying to use what I learned to make amps with slightly different voices, but with the same grin-inducing effect.

[Guest]

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[BlueDragon]

It´s a very good question but , how many twrecks are outside the U.S. ? Well , i´m from Europe and i don´t believe that is possible to find one around here ! Too bad !
I "found" this amp only this month , sorry my ignorance !
I really like the sound of it , i like DIY amp and guitar stuff so , why not learning how twreck works and build one ? Just for fun , not for business !

[Bickster]

Rocket,
I've played one a couple of times. That doesn't mean much however. It was around 15 years ago! I can somewhat hear it in the recordings that I have. It's more the reaction that I had that I really remember. It is all of the characteristics of this circuit type that I will hope to obtain. I have built a few amps and realize that tone incorperates feel as well as sound. Touch sensitivity as well as sag, harmonic content etc. makes any amp what it is. As you can tell I have to agree with Moose on this. If you build this circuit you will have your hands full but when sorted out it should be like nothing else you've played. If you throw it in a pretty lacquered cherry box and A/B it with the real thing you will most definitely be able to tell them apart. It's still gonna rock!

Bob

[erigm]

I played one about two years ago (Express - can't remember the name). I fell in love instantly! I only played it about 15 minutes, and I don't consider myself an excellent player, but this thing played WITH me. Feedback, grind, clean, it would do it all. It just felt really good to play. You could do alot with one note. I wasn't going to believe all the hype, but the proof is in the puddin'. I have played other amps that I liked as much, and their quality (sound/reaction) was a little different, but I like the simplicity and the wattage of the express. I still haven't built a clone, but I mean to. Soon ... very soon!

[geetarpicker]

I bought my Express in '89 and still own it. I also bought a Liverpool in '90, but do not have it anymore. I've played about 10 Wrecks over the years, Expresses, Liverpools, and two Rockets.

My favorite has always been the Express.

For what it's worth I've tried a few Callahams, and they are nice but don't sound, feel, and react like Wrecks to me. I've also played a few clones at Tonefests that were supposedly "dead on" schematic wise, but sounded very very different. From what I can tell, ALL the details on these amps add up to the tone especially the transformers and layout IMHO.

Not to say it can't be done, just that I haven't heard a decent clone yet.

[Mark]

I'm just curious if everyone is chasing "schematics" or going from ear experience?

Dear Rocket

Regarding whether I'm chasing circuits or going by ear. I'm actually doing both. Why limit yourself to either option.

I learn't a lot about playing guitar from working out other peoples songs, I dare I'll learn a lot about guitar amps by building up other peoples circuits. Much like the songs I worked out, some circuits like better than others. I do think with a handfull of components and a rainy afternoon you could build up a few different amps and see how they differ in tone. I did this with a tweed Bassman, a Vox AC-30 and a plexi Marshall. It was cool.

I'll be quite up front and honest about his post, I do have a AC-30/Rocket post about a small amount of hum in the amp. Does your Rocket suffer from this sort of thing?

Thanks for your assistance.

Yours Sincerely

Mark Abbott.