Fractal Audio AMP models: Wrecker Express (Trainwreck Express)

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* EDIT: Up-to-date information is available in Yek's Guide to the Fractal Audio Amplifier Models *

Trainwreck.jpg


Wrecker Express: based on Trainwreck Express

Trainwreck Circuits amps are the most expensive guitar amplifiers, after Dumble. These boutique amps (heads only) with their remarkable wooden enclosures were designed by (the late) Ken Fischer. More about Ken Fischer.

Trainwreck.com:
“What makes Trainwreck amps so good?
To start, they are so responsive. You can set up a Trainwreck so that you can control the amount of distortion in your sound with the volume knob but, depending on how much overdrive you like, you can go from gorgeous clean to gorgeous crunch by merely altering your touch.
The tone of these amps is incredible but if you don’t have tone in your fingers, don’t expect a ‘wreck to make you sound good. Remember, they are totally responsive. If you have a bad sounding guitar or you put bad sounding tubes in the amp, don’t expect it to sound great.
The unprecedented clarity of these amps makes it possible to hear the tonal differences created by your guitar cable, your speaker cable, removing your pick-guard, or whatever. A Trainwreck head will allow you to distinguish the quality of every link in your signal chain. Clarity also means that when the amp is distorting, you can still hear all the nuances of your playing. That Ken made amps with this degree of clarity that still sounded beautiful, even under distortion, was his unique genius. As a result of the incredibly nuanced high-end of a Trainwreck head, the guitar tends to cut through the overall mix of the band.
Trainwreck amps are also built incredibly well, built to last. They very rarely need servicing.”​

Cliff owns a Trainwreck. AFAIK the exact model is unknown.

The Wrecker Express model is based on the Trainwreck Express, which sounds similar to a Marshall Plexi. Go here for more Trainwreck info and discussion.

Here’s a great article in Premier Guitar: The Last Trainwreck.

The Express has either EL34 or 6V6 tubes. The model is based on EL34s.

Like all Trainwreck amps, the Express is a simple amp. Its controls are: Volume, Treble, Mid, Bass, Presence and Bright switch. Because there’s no Master the Volume control not only sets the volume level but gain as well.

Cliff:
"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 prefer to use the model with IRs of G12M (greenback) speakers.









 
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The Wrecker Express model is based on the Trainwreck Express, which sounds similar to a Marshall Plexi
I was glad to read this as I was thinking I was crazy using this for my AC/DC tone. Such a sweet amp!
Thanks again for all the time you give to the forum yek!
 
I came across clips of a new Carol-Ann amp: the Raw-35 Mk2. It's based on a Trainwreck Express ands sounds fantastic.

So I selected the Wrecker Express model, did some minor tweaking and I was able to get exactly the same tone, well, close enough.

What a machine we have. :)

 
Pulled up one of my old AFXII Express presets. Been playing it all evening.
Now I want to figure out how to work it into my current live set ;-)
 
I used to speak to Ken on the phone every week for hours he told me most amp builders overlook speaker efficiency
I wonder if the master volume past the PI was exactly what he was talking about as that would harness things down to not hammer the speaker so hard... Many try to build those but tuning them was the trick Ken did not share.....
I know one person that got them right and Ken did not tell him he had to figure it out on his own far smarter then I am..
The same person built most of the Dumble amps and taught me quite a bit about those amps....
That and a quarter wont buy a cup of coffee though... so who gives a shit....
 
Loved this amp last night. Goosed the front end and had a hard rock party... But the Post-PI MV trick is the real winner!


Is the post PI MV trick only within the axe fx ?
or is this something that was actually on the original Trainwreck heads ?
Trying to see where this is an option and if it was on the originals or just something Fractal included...
thanks in advance...
 
Is the post PI MV trick only within the axe fx ?
or is this something that was actually on the original Trainwreck heads ?
Trying to see where this is an option and if it was on the originals or just something Fractal included...
thanks in advance...
It's a physical mod that can be done to any amp, as far as I understand it... but it's an option in the Axe, of course :D
 
I came across clips of a new Carol-Ann amp: the Raw-35 Mk2. It's based on a Trainwreck Express ands sounds fantastic.

So I selected the Wrecker Express model, did some minor tweaking and I was able to get exactly the same tone, well, close enough.

What a machine we have. :)




Killer sounding amp !
what guitar was used to make these examples ?

Sounds great !
 
Yek, thanks! Followed your settings with either cab 054 or 058.... Jeeeez! Spot on, wish I could call out today!
 
Yes, I love it too. Seriously contemplating replacing my Double Verb / BE combo with just this model. Because its clean sound is awesome too (Input Drive all the way down to 0.50 - 1.0) and higher gain as well (5 - 6).
 
Yes, I love it too. Seriously contemplating replacing my Double Verb / BE combo with just this model. Because its clean sound is awesome too (Input Drive all the way down to 0.50 - 1.0) and higher gain as well (5 - 6).

How would you set that up ? Would you go X/Y with different Input Trim settings ? Scene Controllers ? What do you think the best approach would be ?
 
How would you set that up ? Would you go X/Y with different Input Trim settings ? Scene Controllers ? What do you think the best approach would be ?
On my Axe-Fx II I'd go dual-amp. Why not, right? :)

On my AX8 I'd X/Y it.
 
How would you set that up ? Would you go X/Y with different Input Trim settings ? Scene Controllers ? What do you think the best approach would be ?

On some of my presets where I don't want to use a drive block I use a scene controller to control the input drive. Then I use the "Main" level in the output block to match volumes. since it's stored per scene. It works great. Lets you keep the full resolution of running a single amp while giving you clean and drive channels. I do use the two amp solution far more often as the scene controllers do not allow control of B/M/T at different input drive levels.

Some amps (Like the Wreckers) are better at maintaining tone with different gain levels than others.
 
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