Wrecher amp

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Wrecker amp

I've had my axe Fx II for about 2-3 years now. Too many toys to play with and I've been a bit scattered in the amps I've used. I've always thought I was a Marshall guys. Loved the amps but something always took me away from them. Then......I found her. Just sitting waiting patiently at the end of the amp list. Our eyes met and it was love at first note. So touch responsive. She cleans up so nice when I roll down the guitars volume. Then, totally turns into a beast with volume on 10. Glorious! I cannot believe I've overlooked this amp for so long. I'm in Love and I don't care who knows it. Cliff, thank you. For without you, we would have never met. I'll be sending out wedding invites "very soon".
 
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The secret to a Trainwreck is the output transformer. The impedance ratio is about twice that of other amps. I.e. typical 50W Marshall has a primary impedance of about 3200 ohms. A Trainwreck is about 6500 ohms. The causes the power tubes to clip much sooner.
 
I've had my axe Fx II for about 2-3 years now. Too many toys to play with and I've been a bit scattered in the amps I've used. I've always thought I was a Marshall guys. Loved the amps but something always took me away from them. Then......I found her. Just sitting waiting patiently at the end of the amp list. Our eyes met and it was love at first note. So touch responsive. She cleans up so nice when I roll down the guitars volume. Then, totally turns into a beast with volume on 10. Glorious! I cannot believe I've overlooked this amp for so long. I'm in Love and I don't care who knows it. Cliff, thank you. For without you, we would have never met. I'll be sending out wedding invites "very soon".

One of my favorite amps! What cab(s) do you use with it?
 
I love the Wrecker 2 model. I revisit it often.

I love to jam with it, but when I try to work it into the set list with the band I always end up going with something else. It is so ambient and in your face. When I have the levels set where I think they should be against the band it just always seems too far out in front. I've tried some eqing, but then it loses the character that I love about it.

Anybody else experience this and find a cure?
 
I love the Wrecker 2 model. I revisit it often.

I love to jam with it, but when I try to work it into the set list with the band I always end up going with something else. It is so ambient and in your face. When I have the levels set where I think they should be against the band it just always seems too far out in front. I've tried some eqing, but then it loses the character that I love about it.

Anybody else experience this and find a cure?

same exact thing for me. love playing it solo, but always choose other amps instead. it's fun to play but there's something i just don't vibe with long term. oh well, glad others love it so much, no one amp fits all...
 
I love the Wrecker 2 model. I revisit it often.

I love to jam with it, but when I try to work it into the set list with the band I always end up going with something else. It is so ambient and in your face. When I have the levels set where I think they should be against the band it just always seems too far out in front. I've tried some eqing, but then it loses the character that I love about it.

Anybody else experience this and find a cure?
Sometimes I'll use Damping (I think now it's called Dynamic Damping) to 'soften' an amp. I haven't tried it on the Wreckers (btw, my favorite is the Liverpool!) but it can help on amps like a Twin if it's too in my face or too stiff sounding.
 
The Trainwreck, and by extension, Komet, 'thing' is a cold-biased 'cutoff clipping' circuit...like Marshall uses in the 2203/2204. Instead of overdriving, the tube is biased really cold and clips by 'shutting off'. It's a lot less prone to noise than cascaded gain, but it does sound different.

Marshall used it before the tone stack, and Fischer uses it after. At a very basic level, the 2203/2204 are nonmaster Marshall with this circuit added; the 'wrecks - preamp-wise at least - are BF nonreverb Fenders.

I agree with the comment that they're not as useful as they seem at first. They do sound great by themselves, and they're very very sensitive to input level - among the most 'clean to scream' amps I can think of. But they don't seem to blend very well with other instruments.

In the days before Fractal, I built a Komet clone; when the Concorde came out, I built the changes in it into my amp with the ability to switch them in and out, such as was practical. Eventually I just got tired of it, but the guy who wound up with it still uses and loves it (he's on TGP and talks about it occasionally).

There is a humorous note in all this - I owned a Komet 60 for a while, just long enough to copy the circuit. When I first plugged it in, I noticed that the presence control didn't seem to do anything, which seemed odd - although, also as mentioned, they are BRIGHT amps.

When I opened it up, I discovered that the presence control wasn't connected - one wire was completely missing from the circuit.

It was an easy fix, of course, but it struck me in two ways - first, a $3500 amp that's sold on its 'fine, hand-built quality' should probably not have parts missing...and this amp had had two previous owners, neither of whom noticed.
 
The Trainwreck, and by extension, Komet, 'thing' is a cold-biased 'cutoff clipping' circuit...like Marshall uses in the 2203/2204. Instead of overdriving, the tube is biased really cold and clips by 'shutting off'. It's a lot less prone to noise than cascaded gain, but it does sound different. Marshall used it before the tone stack, and Fischer uses it after. At a very basic level, the 2203/2204 are nonmaster Marshall with this circuit added; the 'wrecks - preamp-wise at least - are BF nonreverb Fenders. I agree with the comment that they're not as useful as they seem at first. They do sound great by themselves, and they're very very sensitive to input level - among the most 'clean to scream' amps I can think of. But they don't seem to blend very well with other instruments. In the days before Fractal, I built a Komet clone; when the Concorde came out, I built the changes in it into my amp with the ability to switch them in and out, such as was practical. Eventually I just got tired of it, but the guy who wound up with it still uses and loves it (he's on TGP and talks about it occasionally). There is a humorous note in all this - I owned a Komet 60 for a while, just long enough to copy the circuit. When I first plugged it in, I noticed that the presence control didn't seem to do anything, which seemed odd - although, also as mentioned, they are BRIGHT amps. When I opened it up, I discovered that the presence control wasn't connected - one wire was completely missing from the circuit. It was an easy fix, of course, but it struck me in two ways - first, a $3500 amp that's sold on its 'fine, hand-built quality' should probably not have parts missing...and this amp had had two previous owners, neither of whom noticed.

It's interesting you mention the Komet. When it was first added to the AxeFx I fell in love. Thought it would be my go to, even posted about it. Tried to gig it for a month and it never say we'll live. It either disappeared or was harsh and middy. Finally got tired of trying to make it work and moved on. As good as it could sound solo'do it just didn't work for me in a band or mix.
 
It's interesting you mention the Komet. When it was first added to the AxeFx I fell in love. Thought it would be my go to, even posted about it. Tried to gig it for a month and it never say we'll live. It either disappeared or was harsh and middy. Finally got tired of trying to make it work and moved on. As good as it could sound solo'do it just didn't work for me in a band or mix.

It's a lot easier to 'experience' a Komet, since they're a lot more 'available' - I've never seen, let alone heard or played, a real Trainwreck.

And the K60 is more or less an Express with higher voltages and a tube rectifier.

I do think the Concorde 'cuts' a little better, probably because of the cathode follower and the lower output impedance, but it's still no Marshall.
 
Just tried the Wreckers for the first time. Definitely preferring 2 right now. Check out 4x12 G65 (OH) (F056)
 
I've got an express clone that I have played live for years. I can tell you this much, I was blown away at how accurately the AxeFX reproduced the Trainwreck sound. Sound and felt like I was playing my amp...except for the freaking loud volume. It's the loudest 30 watts you'll ever hear.
 
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