Calling a mulligan on my express.

[mumford]

I built a ceriatone express kit a year or so ago. It was my first amp build, and sounds ok, but has some noise issues, and doesn't sound as good as it should. I've been upgrading parts and doing little things here and there, but yesterday was the first time I really took a serious look at my wire routing.

I think I'll just desolder all the wires and start over.

I based my wiring on the ceriatone layout--I had no idea trainwrecks were finicky at all when I bought the kit--I'd heard of them, but got it based on Nic's recommendation. Well, thank goodness for AG.

At this point, I've figured out my hum problems are in the preamp section, near V1. Still, I'm going to just redo the whole thing with proper routing. I can't play through it in my apartment anyway, so might as well get on it.

[guilds100]

You might want to try a sheilded wire from the volume pot to the tube. Mine had extreme noise until I did that. Also you may want to put a weaker tube in v1 position. When I finished my amp a month ago I played for 5 minutes and almost though it in the garbage as it sounded that bad. I just picked it again a couple of days ago and put a 5751 in v1. Now the amp is very close to what I had hoped it would be.

[mumford]

I've got a shielded wire there, haven't tried other tubes--I discovered a stash of 12ax7s and 12at7s I didn't know I had yesterday, though. Seriously, though--my wiring job looks NOTHING like the "proper" ones.

[drhulsey]

... first time I really took a serious look at my wire routing...

This is what I used as a layout form my Express clone. It is a composite picture I made from the Francesca pictures. I tried to recreate Ken's wiring exactly. I have been gigging this clone for about two years with no problems.
I hope this helps.

[mumford]

Thanks, yes, that will be very helpful!

[keewee]

How is the amp from the pictures for hiss? Where is the buss ground on the pots attached to the chassis? is the input jack a grounded one?
I'm in the process of building a express and looking for agood grounding scheme other than hit and miss.
Thanks!!

[mumford]

I think the general wisdom (which I did not follow) is follow the picture exactly. I didn't know any better at the time, and now I am about to redo my whole amp to get rid of hum. Don't make the mistake I did!

[Structo]

That picture is of an actual Express named Francesca I believe.
It's the real deal.

[M Fowler]

Have you guys read the Express build guide in the Trainwreck files section?

[mumford]

Have you guys read the Express build guide in the Trainwreck files section?

Printed it out this morning.

[mumford]

I need to learn to wait before posting. What made me decide to redo my wiring was a new very loud hum with the volume off. I went through my preamp wiring yesterday, and it's a little sloppy, but basically right to the picture.

I did the 'pull the preamp tubes' trick, and the noise moved on different tests. Arggg. Bad tube. I still have some hum, but not the big hum I had. Sheesh.