A Trainwreck Thread

[M Fowler]

At first I thought holy shit he is going to start selling TW amps.

I had a hard time reading through all that bullshit and I finally got to the end.

Then I had a hard time figuring out what I really wanted to say and not get carried away.

[UR12]

I have tried to spend some time over at the gear page, but the shear amount of misinformation that gets spread around over there drives me out in short order. It does make me appreciate the Ampgarage however.

Just imagine how much more awesome the old Fender, Marshall, Trainwreck, and Dumble amps would have been had they been designed and built by a Rocket Scientist.........I think this dude should volunteer to play his first amp build on the moon......

That would be a feat. He could take the glass off the tubes as they wouldn't be needed in the vacuum of space but he would have to come up with a newly designed speaker that could create sound in a vacuum. At least it would prove he was a rocket scientist

[CapnCrunch]

That would be a feat. He could take the glass off the tubes as they wouldn't be needed in the vacuum of space but he would have to come up with a newly designed speaker that could create sound in a vacuum. At least it would prove he was a rocket scientist

I'm sure the tone would be "out of this world" because the tubes would be cryogenically altered in the vacuum of space where the temperature is absolute zero. He could probably even market them as "space" tubes on TGP, get rich, and retire from his incredibly important day job. We need an emoticon with a pocket protector.......

[Tone_Chaser]

He was actually very complimentary toward Ken, he really slammed people like us for having the gall to build a TW clone when we are not engineers and have 50 years experience in electronics. It is OK for him to build one though because he knows what he's doing.

What really made me laugh was that this highly educated engineer had several miss spelled words and incomplete sentences. Some made no sense at all. And for his first post in a forum to go on and on about how much he knows and act like it is beneath him to share his knowledge with idiots like us.

I could go on but it's getting late.

Thanks guys for all of your information and help here.

[paulster]

In this clone, we used orange dipped caps on the pre-amp, electro-harmonic tubes on the pre-amp, and Mesa Boogies for the mains.

Hmm, orange dipped caps? So there's someone that clearly knows a thing or two about capacitor materials and types. At least the M-B tubes would be Siemens/RFT if he used their NOS EL34s.

I did also enjoy that he'd looked at the body of work here and found lots of errors. I'm sorry pal but if you've got more knowledge than the collective of builders round here and can spot the errors that people who've been inside real amps haven't then frankly I don't believe it. Yes we have the Blue Guitar schematics published but everyone that spends a little time here knows they are for interest purposes only and bear little resemblance to the 'correct' schematics and layouts that are published.

And as for taking plumbers acid flux and a 500W iron to the back of a PEC pot, give me a break. "But it was in the chasisis so that would heatsink it". Last I checked, PECs had a plastic ring between the front flange (attached to the chassis) and the rear cover that's being heated. Go and find a pot that you can solder to without damaging the internals or at least massively shortening its life, or choose a better grounding method.

[Zippy]

I think this dude should volunteer to play his first amp build on the moon......

In space, no one can hear you scream...

[Rob S]

What a load of absolute shite.... I sometimes wonder if I should take the BOMs and layouts out of the TW files section to keep arseholes like this pair out of our hair.

I have been in aerospace for almost 30 years and am a EE, but I would never have the gall to post something like this crap. And just cause you're a "rocket scientist" does not make you anywhere an expert on tube amplifiers and all of the subtle nuances that go on with them. I didn't know a damn thing about tubes until I studied the posts on many forums and certainly did not open mouth (except to ask stoopid question or 12).

If he starts this shit here, I vote for a swift and decisive ban!

I second that!! I just looked in on that thread, saw it had now reached a truly mind numbing 15 pages and moved on!
Rob

[jaysg]

I'm now convinced that TGP has been spoofed. It isn't as funny as a Rip Glitter review, but I think it is an elaborate joke. warble dropped a small number of clues...like knowing rocket scientists who've won an Emmy. Absolutely nowhere does he claim to be an engineer, yet some people went off assuming he's an EE and saying so in their posts. He talks of building a better ingnition starter for rocketry, but then admits that it's not ready yet...still in R&D.

I'm not sure what to call the reaction, but fundamentally, he arrives, says, 'I know something you don't...neener neener,' and then is treated like the Messiah by a number of people. It's sort of like Instant Martians...Instant Sycophants...just add water. Also a pet peeve for me...he either doesn't know the difference between 'theory' and 'hypothesis' or chooses the wrong word as another clue.

Otoh, there are a few subtle jabs that read like compliments at first. It has lent an opportunity to stretch some satirical skills.

[Structo]

Hmmm, I hadn't really thought of that, that he is spoofing.

Could be, with that many members anything is possible.
I think many times people start a thread their just to see how far it will go.
I have to admit doing that a couple times just to see how many pages of opinions it could turn into.

I believe Warble did critique Ken's build quality unless it was another member.
You have to admit, Kens amps almost had more of a prototype look to them rather than a production amp.
But I guess where the rubber meets the road, as they say, is the final proof in how it sounds.

It's funny how things can get beat to death over there with no real resolve.
More often then not, the threads will either be locked or deleted.

A friend of mine had an idea which is probably the most accurate about The Gear Page.
He said most of the members there are probably office workers stuck in a cubicle somewhere looking in on TGP every few minutes to see if somebody slagged Dumble amps or maybe there is a new swirly painted pedal available but with a three year waiting list.
The same pedal generally ends up in the Emporium a week later..........

[dunara]

I'm now convinced that TGP has been spoofed. It isn't as funny as a Rip Glitter review, but I think it is an elaborate joke. warble dropped a small number of clues...like knowing rocket scientists who've won an Emmy. Absolutely nowhere does he claim to be an engineer, yet some people went off assuming he's an EE and saying so in their posts. He talks of building a better ingnition starter for rocketry, but then admits that it's not ready yet...still in R&D.

I'm not sure what to call the reaction, but fundamentally, he arrives, says, 'I know something you don't...neener neener,' and then is treated like the Messiah by a number of people. It's sort of like Instant Martians...Instant Sycophants...just add water. Also a pet peeve for me...he either doesn't know the difference between 'theory' and 'hypothesis' or chooses the wrong word as another clue.

Otoh, there are a few subtle jabs that read like compliments at first. It has lent an opportunity to stretch some satirical skills.

I totally agree, James. 'Firestorm Igniters' indeed! Great piece of TGP satire if we're right....

[ampgeek]

Wow...pretty crazy thread going on over there!

I can't comment on anything Wreck'ish as I have never heard/seen one in person (although I think Glenn K's stuff is magical) nor have I tried to build one.

But...there does appear to be a Firestorm Ignitors LLC out there as Warble indicates.

http://firestormigniters.com/

Mind you, I don't feel that this, in itself, validates anything that they are saying. I find the lack of anything concrete (pics, vids, sounds) deplorable.

My gut is telling me that it is a somewhat twisted entree into a commercial venture despite the altruistic claims that all will be revealed freely in time.

I find the continuing requests for KF biographical/"life and times" info and allusions to this being a significant driver in an amp design akin to metaphysical crap and not worthy of pursuit from a technical perspective.

I have to believe that the man had a tone that was very clear and focused in his "minds eye" (errrr....ear!) and was driven to make it a reality.

Dave O.

[Ron Worley]

Wow, I think I've been Shanghai'd!! I surely took the bait if it's a hoax. The Firestorm Ignighters site is for model Rocket engines...

Hey, they really ARE (model) rocket scientists!!

TGP is so full of flamers that I considered this just another one. Maybe just somebody with a damn good sense of humor knowing he could wind everyone up........

[candh]

I'm now convinced that TGP has been spoofed. It isn't as funny as a Rip Glitter review, but I think it is an elaborate joke. warble dropped a small number of clues...like knowing rocket scientists who've won an Emmy. Absolutely nowhere does he claim to be an engineer, yet some people went off assuming he's an EE and saying so in their posts. He talks of building a better ingnition starter for rocketry, but then admits that it's not ready yet...still in R&D.

I'm not sure what to call the reaction, but fundamentally, he arrives, says, 'I know something you don't...neener neener,' and then is treated like the Messiah by a number of people. It's sort of like Instant Martians...Instant Sycophants...just add water. Also a pet peeve for me...he either doesn't know the difference between 'theory' and 'hypothesis' or chooses the wrong word as another clue.

Otoh, there are a few subtle jabs that read like compliments at first. It has lent an opportunity to stretch some satirical skills.

Yes.....Here's what I said on page 6..

You know fellas.....This almost could pass for a "spoof" thread. I mean really!.....I'm waiting for Allen Funt to jump out with a....."Smile, you're on candid camera."

But does anyone listen?? NOOOOooo.

[VacuumVoodoo]

The very first post in that thread is a telltale. Bill Gates commissioning them to R&D a graphics card for the Apple computer? Involved in first laptop ever invented? Schooled by Boeing VP? Hardly likely, no?
I called their bluff on "proper engineering practice" but they didn't respond, this was more than enough for me. It's funny how everybody's getting agitated.

[dreric]

That same part of me that slows down to view a car wreck on the highway made look at TGP post again...........

OMG, now I have to take "ampstrument" lessons to learn how to harness the musical potiential of a microphonic preamp tube. In addition I have research jacks and DPDT switches make the best inputs for my microphonic tubes........... or maybe it's the size of the little space between the chassis and the frontpate of the cabinet.

The internet never creases to amaze me in its alibity to provide a vehicle for one to make a fool of oneself.

Eric