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Post subject: Re: New Amp Build - Trainwreck Express Clone
Posted: Sun Mar 24, 2013 6:41 pm
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Hey Bill,

I am using your step by step posts as an education. I have looked at getting a new OT ( looked at the schematics as well) for my SCX2 and want to get one that allows for 8 and 4 ohm selection. (Found one or two that I like). I noticed that there is just the one white wire going to the further output jack from the ohm selector switch. Can it stay like that or will another wire be going there? Thanks.

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Post subject: Re: New Amp Build - Trainwreck Express Clone
Posted: Sun Mar 24, 2013 8:15 pm
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modwiz wrote:
Hey Bill,

I am using your step by step posts as an education. I have looked at getting a new OT ( looked at the schematics as well) for my SCX2 and want to get one that allows for 8 and 4 ohm selection. (Found one or two that I like). I noticed that there is just the one white wire going to the further output jack from the ohm selector switch. Can it stay like that or will another wire be going there? Thanks.


The white wire is the "hot" lead from the switch. It has to go to both jacks. There are three different color wires from the OT for 4, 8, and 16 ohms (the 2 ohm lead is not used and is covered in black shrink tube). The black wire is the OT ground. It goes to the ground terminal of the first jack. That jack is grounded to the chassis as is the second jack so another black wire is not required.

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Post subject: Re: New Amp Build - Trainwreck Express Clone
Posted: Sun Mar 24, 2013 8:30 pm
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Thanks. Little by little, pictures and schematics start to talk to me. Probably time to practice my soldering technique. I think a build bug is going to bite me. I have been following every step. I think once i better understand the current flow and purpose of each component the overall concept will give me the "aha" moment that tells me I now have a new habit to fund. :lol: Fortunately I have few besides eating and the occasional GAS.



I watched some videos and an interview with the designer of this amp. I think this was a brilliant build choice.

I was looking at an OT from Classic Tone. I looks to be a drop in for my SCX2, hole-wise. Going to have to look inside and make sure about that. It has a black, green and yellow wire going to the output jacks. Green is 4 and yellow is 8 ohm.
Not sure why the 2:1 tube formula is seemingly not recommended for the SCX2. However, an inexpensive mod can remedy that. It's drilling the holes for a jack and switch that could be challenging for me. First time for everything.

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(Telecaster, Jaguar, Villager 12 String. Mustang l, Bronco, SCX2, Rumble 350, HRDIII, Rumble 2x8 Neo Cab)
http://www.reverbnation.com/modwiz


Last edited by modwiz on Mon Mar 25, 2013 1:30 am, edited 3 times in total.

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Post subject: Re: New Amp Build - Trainwreck Express Clone
Posted: Sun Mar 24, 2013 8:34 pm
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modwiz wrote:
Thanks. Little by little pictures and schematics start to talk to me. Probably time to practice my soldering technique. I think a build bug is going to bite me. I have been following every step. I think once i better understand the current flow and purpose of each component the overall concept will give me the "aha" momnet that tells me I now have a new habit to fund. :lol: Fortunately I have few besides eating and the occasional GAS.

I watched some videos and an interview with the designer of this amp. I think this was a brilliant build choice.


Lot's of good videos out there.

I have no idea how this amp will sound when finished. Although the circiut I am building to is a clone of the Express, the layout of the parts in the chassis is very different. I'm not really sure what the effect will be. Should be interesting, though. :D

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Post subject: Re: New Amp Build - Trainwreck Express Clone
Posted: Wed Mar 27, 2013 2:23 pm
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modwiz, there's some pretty nice kits out there.
I built this one http://www.modkitsdiy.com/kit/mod_102_guitar_amp_kit
It's a EL84 driven 5 watt amp that sounds great. Pretty easy build too. It's true point to point, no turret board or PCB, just a few terminal strips. Fun stuff with really great instructions. It's pretty addicting. I built a PCB based 5e3 clone that sounds great too. I started looking at others too. Bill's real knowledgeable and a huge inspiration.

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Post subject: Re: New Amp Build - Trainwreck Express Clone
Posted: Wed Mar 27, 2013 2:34 pm
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63supro wrote:
Bill's real knowledgeable and a huge inspiration.


Nah. I'm just lucky. :lol: :lol: :lol:

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Post subject: Re: New Amp Build - Trainwreck Express Clone
Posted: Wed Mar 27, 2013 4:00 pm
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Not necessarily true there BlueSky...you know it is better to be lucky sometimes than to be good as the old saying goes, but I think you just might be both :mrgreen:

T2

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Post subject: Re: New Amp Build - Trainwreck Express Clone
Posted: Wed Mar 27, 2013 4:06 pm
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T2Stratman wrote:
Not necessarily true there BlueSky...you know it is better to be lucky sometimes than to be good as the old saying goes, but I think you just might be both :mrgreen:

T2


Ok. :oops:

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Post subject: Re: New Amp Build - Trainwreck Express Clone
Posted: Sat Mar 30, 2013 10:29 pm
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I managed to get quite a lot done today. Completed all of the tube socket wiring and the power supply wiring (need to finish the standby switch wiring, but that will come a little later).

Image

I installed all of the signal and power wiring for each tube first, making the wires long enough to reach the appropriate connections on the eyelet board. Then I added the heater wiring. In order to keep the heater wiring away from the signal wires and minimize 60 cycle hum, I "levitated" it above the tube sockets. :lol:

Image

Image

Here is a closeup of the preamp tube socket wiring. Note that the second half of V1 is not used in this configuration. It has an option of being wired as a cathode follower to drive the tone stack. I'm driving the tone stack from the plate of the first half of V1, so pins 6, 7, and 8 are grounded (to one of the screws for the V2 tube socket) to prevent noise. The resistor hanging off of V1 is the 100K plate resistor which would normally be connected to pin 6 of V1, which is not being used.

Image

Finally, here is a closeup of the power tube and power switch/fuse wiring. Its pretty crowded around the power tubes, but there is a fair amount of space between all of the components. The power switch, AC connector, and fuses have been wired as has the cap hanging off the standby switch (to help reduce pops). The green heater wires heading toward the front panel are for the indicator light. I did notice one odd thing with the power transformer. According to the schematic and wiring diagram, there should be two input wires to the tranny; a blue wire for 125 VAC input and a brown wire for 120 VAC input. My tranny only has the brown wire. I checked the part number and the tranny matches the schematic, wiring diagram, and parts list. Maybe there was a running change in the power tranny. Anyway, the brown wire is hooked up and I will keep my fingers crossed. The tranny wires that remain are the high voltage (red) and bias supply (red/blue).

Image

Next up will be wiring of the front panel controls, bright switch (with two different boost choices as well as off), the V1 cathode bypass cap switch (to change the gain of V1), the bias supply adjustment pot, and standby switch. Stay tuned for more fun. :D

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Post subject: Re: New Amp Build - Trainwreck Express Clone
Posted: Sun Mar 31, 2013 11:09 am
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Finished up a few things today.

I added the remaining power wires to the back of the eyelet board as well as running a few signal wires to unused eyelets which will make connections to the tube sockets easier.

Image

Next I finished the switch end of the standby switch.

Image

Finally, I wired up the bias pot. The amp can run on either 6V6 or EL34 tubes. The resistor range on the bias supply is given as 10K to 27K. Since I am running E34L's which require more current than 6V6's, I decided to start with the 10K resistor. I need to clean up the solder job on the back of the pot a bit. I only had my 25 watt iron out. Next week when I start soldering up the control panel, I'll be using my 40 watt iron to solder ground leads to the brass panel, so I'll clean up the bias pot then.

Image

Next weekend will be wiring of the front panel controls, bright switch (with two different boost choices as well as off), and the V1 cathode bypass cap switch (to change the gain of V1). She's getting close. :D

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Post subject: Re: New Amp Build - Trainwreck Express Clone
Posted: Sun Mar 31, 2013 2:52 pm
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Good job there Bill. :)

Art


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Post subject: Re: New Amp Build - Trainwreck Express Clone
Posted: Sun Mar 31, 2013 7:42 pm
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Art1 wrote:
Good job there Bill. :)

Art


Thanks. :D

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Post subject: Re: New Amp Build - Trainwreck Express Clone
Posted: Mon Apr 01, 2013 1:01 am
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Bill,

Great job. BTW... did that bias pot (47K-ohm) come with that plate adapter for the chassis? Or did you fashion it from a blocking plate?


Thanks! :D


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Post subject: Re: New Amp Build - Trainwreck Express Clone
Posted: Mon Apr 01, 2013 5:49 am
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BMW2002Ti wrote:
Bill,

Great job. BTW... did that bias pot (47K-ohm) come with that plate adapter for the chassis? Or did you fashion it from a blocking plate?


Thanks! :D


The chassis is common between the Weber JAVA and the Weber JTM45 clone kits. The JTM45 clone uses a tube rectifier while the JAVA uses solid state and provides the filler plate for the unused tube socket hole. I just drilled the plate for the bias pot and mounted it there to be easily accessable. :D

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Post subject: Re: New Amp Build - Trainwreck Express Clone
Posted: Mon Apr 01, 2013 11:37 am
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Nice Bill, real nice.

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