Trainwreck.com change

[selloutrr]

word on the street is that he is no longer taking orders.

I sent an email to JM middle of last week asking for more information and delivery times and have not heard back.

[FUCHSAUDIO]

Interesting.

[selloutrr]

I'm not surprised, Most were probably pre sold from the list of clients Ken wasn't able to fill.
There are only so many NOS parts to build from, however many NOS parts are actually used in the build ? until we see gut shots.
TW can only build "x" number of amps they can justify the heavy $ so it was bound to be a limited run. But it created a buzz and got they possitioned to either sell the company, or release another amp.

I'm wondering if they will transition to using current parts and keep riding the money train, or try to release a new amp? Maybe something Ken had in his notes? With the Popular trend of little amps in full force I wouldn't be surprised to see the 6 to 12 watt amp flood the market. Letting everyone own a TW for under $2500.

If it's an amp ken never built or voiced - who will know how it should sound? but would it really be a Wreck? The good news! Those who own a genuine wreck the value is going to climb!

I can't help but feel like the new TW can be related to fender amps. The Originals are the Blackfaces, timeless and respected, the New RI are the Silverfaces, not horrible and if you have the right parts you can revert them to black face specs with minimal effort. In time they will be sought after. If they release a new amp or build with new parts... Red knob 80's Fender?

I understand that times are tough and they need to make a buck. I wish them the best I just hope they don't tarnish the legacy of a great Designer.

[HeeBGB]

MY guess, and this is pure speculation, is that it is a combination of a few things. For starters I am gonna say that JM didn't realize what an undertaking this would be. Even one amp per month can be hard to make time for if you have a day job and a family. It's probobly not as profitable as they thought either. I am also going to go out on a limb and say that after YEARS of telling EVERYONE that it can't be done...A lot of people aren't interested if Ken is not doing it. And lastly, let's face it....This economy sucks! Who's really got $5k to blow on a guitar amp? I am having trouble getting rid of my 68 Deluxe Reverb for $1200 pfft!


I've said it before, The family would have been MUCH better served if they had gone with an established amp company to do this Like Komet or Dr. Z. They had long established track records of building Ken's design's and would have probably done quite well with it. Allessandro also would have been a better choice.

What really got me was the snake oil bit. I would not have said a word if they just came out and said "A lot of people are making money off Ken's design's. We think we can do it just as well or better and it comes with an honest to god Trainwreck logo." Then there would be no shitstorm!

[FUCHSAUDIO]

I've said it before, The family would have been MUCH better served if they had gone with an established amp company to do this Like Komet or Dr. Z. They had long established track records of building Ken's design's and would have probably done quite well with it. Allessandro also would have been a better choice.

What really got me was the snake oil bit. I would not have said a word if they just came out and said "A lot of people are making money off Ken's design's. We think we can do it just as well or better and it comes with an honest to god Trainwreck logo." Then there would be no shitstorm!

Agreed. I'm not sure about going to the "finding a manufacturer" route for a number of reasons : Besides the whole holy grail "nobody can make a Trainwreck but Ken" stance, we don't know that they tried or are trying. Dr Z removed his name from the attenuator, although he mentions Ken designing an output transformer for him. His relationship with Komet was tenuous, as he had a royalty deal, but they made amps in limited quantities and he wasn't making money as quickly as anticipated. Apparently, Ken was friendly with Allessando, but I think the friendship soured (from what I heard, don't know). It will be interesting to see how things turn out.

[Structo]

This is the part I have trouble with:

Ken respected, trusted, and was influenced by JM's ears. JM worked with Ken before Trainwreck Circuits existed. Ken consulted JM on issues of tone and JM helped Ken voice the original Trainwreck amps.

Anybody ever hear that before?

Was that from Ken or JM himself?

JM's is sure Ken would have affirmed that the new amps sound "right". That's coming from the man who helped Ken originally voice Trainwreck amps.

[FUCHSAUDIO]

The fact there is nobody alive who can corroborate these statements empirically, is what make it smell shitty. I mentioned I talked to Ken (only happened twice), and that idiot Realityczech more or less called me out on it....fuck man, I don't wave it like a flag. I mentioned that it happened PERIOD. It's not like I said "Ken told me to carry on the legacy with a PC board..". It was more like "sounds hip, but I'm just not in any shape to commit to anything these days..."

He's apparently stopped basically before he even got started it's a moot point. It is true because it's on the internet. Everything there is true, let's face it.

[Richie]

Mscratch probably now gets an idea of how most of us feel when we try to post anything on the gear page.
As you can look back at most of the posts there. And TGP guys could get by with whatever they wanted,and nothing happen to them,but if we mentioned anything in a rebuttle, we would be banned, or warnings or whatever.
No matter how you put it, or word it, they just don't get it. Mscratch said if we had questions to email JM and ask. well i asked all of the questions, and no reply. So.. no more orders. I guess he has to wait for some more LOGOS to come in.

Most hope his amp sounds great,as he sure spent a lot of money on it.
I think one guy at TGP said something like all we wanted was to put on rubber gloves and open it up etc.. Then another post,someone mentioned they could check it out for him and make sure it was Trainwreck.
So, us to look inside, is bad, but for them to look inside,its ok..
Seems it never ends. most could care less and don't need to look if its like a Wreck or not. More so just to see if it is 98% using NOS parts, or in some emails,Mscratch said JM told him he was using new upgraded parts.
All just my opinions, but most want to see how the amp was built,and which story JM stuck to. If i were to buy a 4 or 5000.00 amp.That wa supposed to be a wreck amp I would probably make sure i could see a picture of what was used.

Seems we[people building wreck type amps] will always be looked down on by some. Not much has changed. Most can't afford a real one. So if you want one,and can't build amps, you have to have someone build it for you.
Except for the combo amps built by someone else with a wreck logo.
It wasn't certified,bonifide by KEN. The logo didn't go on untill Ken approved[the amp] it. Or signed it.
And probably record of it. Ken did not, certify JM to build wreck amps, the family did.
As for stealing circuts or cloners as they call some people, look in the wreck amps, tell me where you can't find the same thing used before in another amp? And the Liverpool is borrowed from an amp that came before.

[selloutrr]

It was fun while it lasted.

I wonder if JM runs out of parts for a full build and has some spare potentionmeters if he would sell them? Maybe a logo, chassis, and manual, and transfomer lol JOKING!!!

ok but seriously I would like a full set of original wire wrap pots.

[Richie]

Maybe a logo

look at the logo real good

[FUCHSAUDIO]

I rememebr in the early days, I got beat up over Dumble cloning. Few were qualified to know that the circuits were rehashed Fender, Western-Electric, and so forth. The more we learned, the Tremolo, the Reverb, the driver in the SSS was Ampeg, and on and on. No doubt he tuned them different, stacked things in different orders and had his own tone stack. What he did wasn't without merit and unique attributes, but most of the general TGP public wouldn't know how to read a schematic to judge. It never stopped them from jumping on the pile during a cluster-f*ck though huh ?

[Richie]

Very true. I like the layout he used. If you dive deep into the old tube books, you can see where many things came from and were used. People will then see them in an amp and say Orange or Vox etc came up with that.. well, no they didn't. While reading, you'll see where they borrowed it from.And it was many many years before those amps were thought of.

Not saying some things may have been used or tweaked a bit,and thats all part of getting what your after.But some of the guys at TGP will never get it,don't have a clue or going on hear say etc..,and seem to just want to cause trouble. Aways twist it around.

I hope, no matter what Mscratch's amp turns out to be a great amp for the money he has in it. Even though he mostly called us thieves and few other choice words. i don't think everyone said anything bad. But we all get put in the same pan to fry.

[selloutrr]

Maybe a logo

look at the logo real good

Ok i'm looking now what?

"the joke was with those parts a clone would be an authorized wreck." sorry bad joke... to soon?

[redshark]

I agree with you Richie. I hate when people call T.A.G. members "thieves" because I'm a member here. I have never sold a clone for profit but as I wrote there I had learned a lot thanks to all you guys that are willing to share your knowledge.
I hope the best for Mrscratch. He is a nice guy and he is going to use that amp the way it is supposed to be used.

[breakfastbuddy]

no one know who JM is . maybe he Mscratch?