Trainwreck Amps: A Short History, featuring Jeff McErlain
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- Опубликовано: 30 сен 2024
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Here's the promised history of the amazing Trainwreck Amps, some of the rarest and most sought after amps on the planet. Though we weren't able to put our hands on an original Trainwreck we've included video of Jeff McErlain playing one at Ultra Sound Studios in NYC back in 2012. We've also feature a lot of time with Jeff playing a Dr. Z Z-Wreck Jr and a Komet Aero 33 in the video. I hope you enjoy the video as much as I enjoyed doing the research and learning about these incredible amplifiers.
I'd like to send a SPECIAL THANKS to all the "friends of five watt". Your level of support continues to make the channel possible.
Thanks for watching. Until next time, thanks for being a part of the five watt world.
Keith
p.s. Holger Notzel tells me that the "gut shot" I list as a Constellation is actually a Rocket. Such are the vagaries of internet research.
***Five watt world participates in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn commissions by linking to Amazon. In simpler language, this means that whenever you buy something from Amazon from a link on here, I receive a small percentage of its price.
I hope everyone who watches this enjoys it. There's no more deserving amp builder deserving of having their story told than Ken.
It was such a great story - Thanks!
"...deserving amp builder deserving..."
@@raycochrane3971 thank you for the correction on this comment I made on a youtube video using my phone
Excellent story, I read stories over many decades on Ken and he was another level of electronics expert, entirely.
Totally agree. These amps, imho, are the best ever built, right up there with Hendrix’s Marshall’s and the classic Dumble’s SRV and EJ used. If I ever fall into some money, I’m going to buy a new reissue or something based on the Trainwreck and get as close as I can. I just love the crazy high volume and insane harmonics and the beautiful sparkling cleans.
Thanks for having me involved on this one Keith! A ton of fun!!
Great playing Jeff , you bring out the best in these wonderful sounding amps. Being a Vox owner ,these amps sound a lot better than my gear for sure. 🎸
@@Wildman9 thank you Bob!
That slid chord starting at 0:19 caught my ear. What is it if you don't mind me asking?
Argh such a GREAT player!
Love your playing Jeff. Very Claptonesque around 20:30 in this video (and that's a good thing!).
Main, thank you, never heard about this guy. What an artist.
I love the attention to detail and passion. Sweating the small stuff leads to next level development. Thanks Ken!
Warrens tones were amazing to hear at the Ryman . Blew my mind
I really like the photo of Vandenberg's first album sitting next to the EVH Kramer.
I forgot to tell Keith that Ken sent me that same picture too along with the picture of him standing in front of those plexi Marshalls. Ken wrote on the back; "Have a few friends at Kramer and got to check out one of Eddie's guitars for a few hours. Other than having a lot of separation between the notes on chords... it's nothing special". I remember saying something to Ken about that Vandenberg album too, as Ken was primarily into 60's stuff (Cream being his favorite). Ken was the Albert Einstein of amplifiers. He was one of a kind, and a wonderful human being.
Regards 🎸
I don't even play guitar, but I can't stop watching this!
All i knew about Ken's Trainwrecks was a few of Guitar Shop magazine articles, one in memory after his passing.
Screen resistor value over a phone ??? Sad he's gone.
I have to dream of sounds this vid didn't help my insanity. God bless.
Great amps only sound great when you have a great player.
I spent close to 2 hours on the phone with Ken while I walked around Las Vegas back in 2004. He told me he could make a Tele sound like a Rickenbacker with a wiring scheme he had just come up with. He sent me a pack of pure nickel strings in the mail. He was brilliant.
That's an good story. I love tech talking with those types. I just realized I had the same job in the Navy that he did, and was wondering what he may have been like. The Navy electronics work is deep. You get to work on things that others don't. I wish I had thought to build amps when I got out. I may build a replica of his circuit.
None of this sounds the least bit eccentric to me. This is just a guy who actually gave a shit, knew his shit, and wanted things done right.
Passion will always sound better than greed.
The thing about a smart person is that they always look like a crazy person through the eyes of a dumb person.
I met Ken in 1988 and he taught me everything I know. I spent hours on the phone with him picking his brain, and he was always patient with my questions, and more than happy to share his expertise. He also had the most twisted sense of humor. He sent me dozens of letters and pictures... including the one of him standing in front of all those Plexi Marshall heads. He wrote on the back; "Mr Trainwreck and his practice amp setup, all are '67-'68 Plexi except for the orange '69 Metal Face, the top head is factory purple but looks black in this picture, all heads were selected for killer tone... no dogs!". I really miss him. Thank you so much for this, Keith.
Keith Williams, the Walter Cronkite of RUclips!!!!!
This cat doesn’t miss a beat!!!
@@CarsInDimension
Good point!!
However, people in America referred to him as “the most trusted man in America”
That was really what I was thinking of. Thanks for the reply. 👍👍
Another great video Keith.
This video will help preserve Ken's Magic and his dedication to Sonic Perfection.
Yes few recordings of his work, mostly due to his not giving special treatment to Rock Stars.
His Legacy is the countless amp builders he helped and influenced in his life, and I am thankfully on that list.
DR.Z
Wonderfully said Dr Z. Thank you so much for... being you! (and making such wonderful amps)
I loved talking with Ken, and when he called, you dropped what you were doing and listened!
Hey DR.Z
I don’t know if you’ll see this or not. But I’m just starting out in the tube amp repair/modification craft and if you’d be so inclined I’d like to pick your brain about some questions I have.
Have a good one,
Chris
High praise indeed!
One thing is for sure this video was not a trainwreck it was amazing!
Thanks so much Robert!
Agreed!!
You can expect at least a bare minimum from Keith Williams in the five watt world.
I'm jst getting where I can appreciate and can tell the difference with great tones and especially playing dynamics....thanx to you to Robert.
Damn that ZWreck Jr. sounds insane
For what it's worth. I've never played a Dr. Z amp that I didn't totally fall in love with. I've never cracked one open, so I can't testify to how they're built. But each model I've played through was magnificent on every level.
@@ravenslaves i have 3. A Carmen Ghia, Maz 38 and, Mazerati LE. I've used all 3 everywhere between barely on and wide open. The Maz was my amp when I played a house gig 6 nights a week in myrtle beach about 200 yards from the water. The gig was about 6 hours a night. I was there for almost 5 years and in that time, I dont recall ever having a single problem with the Maz other than tubes wearing out. The quality of Z amps simply can't be beat.
@@MAC100PROOF I'm jealous beyond jealous. I love those things, and I'm not one who's easily impressed with most things modern. Especially amps. But Dr. Z is one of them to be sure.
I would trade my Dr Z Remedy for one.
I've owned an early Maz Jr, a Z-28, and an EZG-50. All were outstanding.
Personally Ive never heard of Trainwreck amps but i'm excited for Keith to teach me all about them
Me too! Thanks, Keith.
I've heard of them and of Ken, but never have heard his amps. Really interested in this video.
I was at Ken's around 87/88 OR when he offered to build a trainwreck for $1650. I was there for BF Pro repairs. He asked me where my guitar was, as his clients usually stay and play. What an amazing guy. I did call him early 90's to say hi and he told me he was sick. A genius in his own right. Long live Ken and all his amps. xx Great great vid, thank you
I built an Express clone a few years ago. While the circuit isn't crazy complex, it was the most challenging build I have completed to date. It required a lot of post build tweaking. Paying close attention to detail really paid off. Now it is a true cut above any other amp I have ever played in terms of harmonic content, touch responsiveness, and the range of tones from sparkling cleans to roaring crunch. I have great respect for Ken and his work.
Yes. Everything in his design matters, parts and wire dress.
If you are debating wether or not to watch this, you need to set aside the time - this is incredible on so many levels. Besides being a genius amp designer/builder/philosopher, Ken was obviously one of the most caring, kind people around. His story is an inspiration to all players - keep seeking to be better, from the soul.
Mr. Fischer sounds like the Paul Reed Smith of amps: starting as a repairman, using the knowledge, passion, and drive to improve, and never letting good enough be good enough. What a cool story
To my ears, this story closely parallels the one behind Randall Smith and Mesa/Boogie. I received the news about the acquisition by Gibson with great consternation.
@@gaussian5499 though I'm a Mesa fan and player, I never learned Randall's full story. I've heard bits, but haven't seen a deep dive like this I'll have to check it out.
Thanks Keith, a lot of Ken's sensibilities are more aligned with the highend stereo world, he just applied them to a realm where you are inviting distortion instead of banishing it making what he did all the more amazing. The idea that same spec'd parts from different manufactures sound different really upset some people but the builders of the most prized amps followed that mantra. In a past life I designed stereo cables for expensive systems and listened to the same interconnect made with seven different brands of silver bearing solder. They all sounded different.
Hearing about the changing of different branded components is reminiscent of the story of Mark Levinson.
Holy grail boutiques. Thank god we have modelers. One of the nicest things about having Fractal modelers is the ability to try many of these classic amps.
Furthermore, you can adjust a number of circuit fields, tubes, cap values, bias, etc. To clean up some of the flaws inherent in some designs, or just try different flavors. Like cleaning up the PI blocking distortion in the Express and Liverpool.
Interesting that he worked for Ampeg in NJ. One of the more underrated competitors to that Fender-clean/Jazz sound. 60's/70's Ampegs were outstanding PTP handwired amps.
And then you think you get the real sound of the actual amp ????
I'm sorry, but we'll have to agree to disagree. As an example, the phase inverters (coupling actually) blocking distortion contributes to the overall sound of the amplifier as overdriven. To "improve" on it changes the character of that sound. Being the nitpick purist he was, I can imagine Ken saying, "Better change it back."
Addendum to my last... If Ken Fisher wanted to eliminate or at least reduce blocking distortion, he would have added a cathode follower between the PI and the output tubes, directly coupled to the control grids of the latter.
Jeezus Keith, I nearly choked when you said the price of these amps, not good for a Scotsmans heart. 😱 Thanks for another great school day. Keep them coming bud. Respect and stay healthy all.
"Great school day" is an excellent metaphor for Keith's channel!
You can be sure this video is gonna make them worth even more.
Am thinking with the first klon up for sale at half a million dollars they might make a good match for giving it lallday down the local. pub. Before Keith jumps on me I'll stay minimalist by trading in my micro terror. 🤔Respect guys.
I'm the one who got Ken to build the Express "Suzanne" for George Lynch in 1991. He (ie: the record label) paid $1,200 for it. Lynch got rid of it shortly after he got it, as it wasn't a "hot-rodded" Marshall as he was expecting it to be. Suzanne was featured in a Premiere Guitar segment on Trainwreck Amplifiers.
everybody chases the dragon.......beauty is in the eye of the beholder
I wasn't that impressed by it, obviously neither was George.
@@johnmarshall3903 So nothing surpassed the Jose ?
I personally still am not a fan of the express but I love the Liverpool. Have never tried a rocket
@@georgelynchofficial Well, you're not really George Lynch anyway, so...
I know George... and I know he has much better things to do with his time than hide behind an anonymous, unverifiable account and troll in the RUclips comments section. Be yourself, whoever's behind this account... the real, genuine George Lynch is already taken. If you don't already have a guitar... buy one. Practice as much as you possibly can. In a few months you'll gain some self-confidence, and strive to get even better, and create your own identity... so you don't have to pretend you're George Lynch anymore. It's addicting. Buy a good amp too. Regards. 🎸🤘
A new Short History? Yeah, I can be productive in thirty minutes or so.
Worst decision of my musical life was turning down a Trainwreck when Ken was still taking orders. "$1200 and a 6 month wait???:. I bought a Randall RG-80 instead and used the extra $$ to buy a Randall 4x12 cab. I still feel sick.
Try my record, Brotherhood. Featuring Bruce Springsteen, David Bryan from Bon Jovi, and Hubert Sumlin. Whole record was done with Wrecks. Its on iTunes and Spotify and avail to purchase on our site.
Thanks for wading in here. John M just sent me a bunch of your videos. Great stuff.
@@fivewattworld Thanks so much. Always happy to be apart of all things Trainwreck. No other amp in the world like it!
Loving your channel by the way
Trainwreck & Dumble.
HOLY GRAIL AMPS.
"Not wanting to work for a company that was no longer being run by musicians." While that's a nice sentiment, the fact remains that Leo Fender couldn't play guitar and Laurens Hammond couldn't play keyboards. The key is having company managers who listen to musicians, what they play, and what they say about your gear.
I’d agree with that. But I’m not Ken Fisher, and that was what he said.
I'd agree that an effective business manager is capable of coordinating the very best people and allow their dedicated areas of expertise to be properly unitized to the highest potential. I think where they get it wrong is they become too focused on the bottom line and it can ruin things. Investment firms are only looking to cash out and often don't care about the legacy or long-term viability of an established business. Privately held companies are so much better than publicly traded firms for that very reason. This channel is fantastic by the way. I really enjoy learning from it.
@@valentino3191 pretty much nailed good vs. bad business in a nutshell. I am lucky to work for a company that focuses on customer and product quality, the bottom line speaks for itself!.
100%, although I think I can understand where Ken Fischer is coming from. It’s a personal choice and who knows, maybe he had some bad experience because it happens. Seen it myself in my industry, I left.
What a wonderful story about Ken Fisher, his amps and legacy. Kudos to you and all that helped with this video, Keith.
Howdy Keith. Jeff's look of satisfaction tells a story, don't it? I'll catch the other half of this video this afternoon. Looking forward to it!
You should do a video on Dr Z. He's designed something like 50 models that run the gamut of pretty much everything and he's just an encyclopedia of knowledge. He's not getting any younger either! I'd be happy to submit some content for the few Z amps that I own. Great video, and cheers!
Glen Kuykendall has some great Trainwreck videos.
I was lucky enough to play a few original Trainwrecks at the old Ultrasound Studios in New York some years back. They are phenomenal and despite the unobtainium price tags they still don't command the respect they deserve.
While the playing in this video is great, the attenuators really choke the dynamics... if you like what you hear here, you would absolutely LOVE the sound that you would encounter in person.
Glen Kuykendall still has youtube videos up of him playing his Trainwreck and are a pleasure to listen to. At this point I am pretty sold on getting a Dr. Z Z Wreck Jr. when I save enough couch change.
I was about to comment the same thing. Glen gets some excellent tones, so fat & chewy. I’m with you on the Z Wreck as well, this video brought up the “why don’t I already have one of these?” thoughts. Dr. Z makes great amps, I already have a Maz 18nr & it’s my favorite amp I’ve ever owned. I think it’s time for a Z Wreck to stack on top of it.
GMTA lol! Cheers.
I remember seeing Glen’s videos which seems like forever ago. I knew the amp was special because I came across it while going down a Trainwreck/Dumble rabbit hole to see if the hype was real, but for some reason I didn’t appreciate the fact he was playing an original 59’ Les Paul.
Can you get a more dream rig than that? One guitar, one amp and a cord and it’s worth literally 3x my house.
Once again, a new "Short History" hits and makes me late for work! Always worth it. I knew almost nothing about Trainwreck amps and still found this video fascinating. You know you're hooked when you immediately go to Reverb searching for prices on Trainwreck, Dr. Z, and Komet amps! (And Jeff McErlain videos!)
I've been looking forward to this since you first mentioned it was in the pipeline a while back. Real TW's are beyond my price bracket but I did build a trio - Rocket Liverpool & Express. To my playing style the Rocket's the one - the best amp I've ever played through.
You like it more than the Liverpool? That's The one for me, based on sounds I've heard. Been working on a build
@@jtn191 The Liverpool is a higher gain amp and knocks out a satisfying fizz. The reasons I prefer the Rocket are that it has a better response to right hand subtlety and a richer bottom end.
All really depends on your style of music and the guitar you use. Fenders & Gretsches work great across all Trainwrecks; Gibsons are fussier - the amps have to be tweaked to deal with more middly humbuckers.
If you're doing a build use the Ceriatone layouts as I've found them to be best for eliminating hum. A PPIV master volume is definitely worth the bother. Orange Drop or Mallory caps - both work equally well.
I used to hang out with Ken in his basement in Colonia. He was a very interesting guy. He actually moved me up on the list when a guy from Philly didn't return his calls to tell him his Express was ready. I think it was named Amanda Lynn. I went to the bank and took a CD out early and bought the amp with a white Calzone case for just under $1500. I am still looking for the receipt. He was very chill, but knew he was good. Just a wealth of knowledge. I have a couple tunes recorded with it. I was playing with Skid Row's original lead singer, Matt Fallon. When I wasn't playing live any longer I sheepishly called Ken to ask if he minded me selling it. He was super cool and sold it for me for like $3,600. He took a small consignment fee. It was gone in less than a week. His basement was the coolest place. we hung out for hours, he would tell stories and have me play an amp here or there to check some of the rock tones. He had like barrels of tubes to pull from. His legacy lives on, but I miss him as just a cool guy as well. May he rest well!
Thanks for the show, but as usual nothing short about it. I knew of the trainwreck pages, but not him, or really much about the amplifiers. I think it a disservice to to say he "believed" this, or "believed" that. We "believe" in things we cannot measure. He had hard, empirical evidence. Some of the the things he theorized are obviously factual, even if they are not measurable without CERN-level engineering. Mortal men do not know the quality of sound or how to separate it from the color of the speaker; apparently Ken did.
Great video Keith! You might want to look into the collaboration of Ken Fisher and Gerald Weber of Kendrick Amps. Gerald offered a "kit" amp that was developed between Ken and Gerald, called the "Climax". I bought and built one a couple decades ago. May be of great interest with your viewers.
I own a '00 version one Dr Z Mazerati. Killer tone for days. Dr Z is a master. If you're in the market. I highly recommend. Great video!
The output transformer is so critical to the sound of an amp that I wonder why other designers do not go over the process of handpicking the best for a given speaker. My second question is about the amount of time Fischer used in picking the preamp and output tubes for his amps.
Great job as a musical equipment historian, Keith.
money, time, you need to be good at playing the sort of music your amp is made for. Bartell does it, and charges 4k+ for a 30 watt amplifier. He's the absolute pinnacle of wiring jobs too so from that perspective they're a bit of a deal.
One of our local NJ bands back then was Xenon. The guitarist Bob Spect used Trainwrecks and recorded their first full length LP with a Trainwreck Express. The LP is called "America's New Design". Bob used an MXR chorus pedal in front of the amp but it's still a Trainwreck...
I think someone should build a channel or Facebook group that lists all the places people can hear these amps.
@@fivewattworld Another Jersey guy that's known for using Trainwrecks is Matt O'Ree. He's recorded a ton of stuff with them. He also toured with Bon Jovi with Wrecks but those were built by JM specifically for the tour.
Not a direct Trainwreck story, but...
In about 2001 or so, I saw an ad in Vintage Guitar magazine for a "New Jersey style" amp kit for $1000 and called the number. It was the guy from Kendrick amps and he told me he had a few Trainwreck Climax kits leftover from a production of about a hundred amps. Included was a schematic, all the internals, everything but the faceplate and cabinet. I sent the check.
The amp sounds amazing, with an Express lead channel and a BF Fenderish clean channel that adds a Texas Tea knob to the clean channel. It slowly bypasses the tone stack with a .01 ufd cap and a 3 meg reverse audio pot. It supposedly adds a tweed sound on top of the blackface tone.
I heard a lot of stories about how Fischer didn't like the deal he had struck with Kendrick and there was some legal tension between them, but that's all I know.
The Express channel is basically a BF Fender without trem or reverb, and an added third stage in the preamp. You can find all these schematics online. Non-techs like myself, hobbyists really, love putting together Trainwreck inspired designs, even if we aren't geniuses at getting just the right part in each spot.
Great story!
Can anyone post a link to a tried and true TW Express clone layout or kit?
@@123chooby the following is from a company I trusted years ago. I hope they're still reliable: triodeelectronics.com/twtubeampkit.html
A great and almost must have addition to any Trainwreck amp is Ken’s air brake attenuator Adding a master volume to his amps is not the same
Info is out there to build one or pay Dr.Z prices!!
I have a Z-Wreck Jr and it's amazing. Dr Z quality is outstanding. I've never owned a better amp. But don't think that you'll get that sound at bedroom volume just because you have a master volume. You're gonna have to let it move some air. Also, it's more fun with Greenbacks than with Blues and Golds for whatever reason. Just my opinion. But Dr Z is an amazing company and you'll never regret buying one of those.
I have a trainwreck of a life so I was interested in this amp. Now only if they come out with a guitar called Dumpster Fyre I'll be all set.
My first guitar was an Epiphone Dumpster Dyve!
🤣🤣🤣
I used to work with Ken's brother at a guitar shop in Santa Fe, NM in the late 90's
Another great history! The solo lead tones were epic, but it’s really the touch sensitivity of these kinds of amps that I’m attracted to. I don’t have the technical knowledge or desire for High Gain, but there’s something about the harmonically rich clean tones, that break up with a heavier touch?
It’s kind weird, because I have really gotten into crazy Fuzz tones the last few years. I guess I’ve always been intimidated by the epic chopmeisters?
Dr. Z amps are amazing! You have to stay conscious to what you’re playing, because they bring out everything. I used to rehearse at Ultra Sound Studios in NYC, and the MAZ 18JR was my favorite amp to have in the room. I’m sure that the Zwreck Jr. Would be a GREAT amp to own?
I'd love to see a shoot-out between Original vs New Trainwreck amps
I was looking to buy a Trainwreck in the 80's, saw picture of one in a studio somewhere on the east coast. I'll have to admit that I never heard one at the time, I simply wanted a Trainwreck because I thought wood finish looked cool. Anyway never purchased one but did eventually hear one. Thanks for the short history, fascinating man, Ken Fischer.
Search for Glen Kuykendall's videos of his '59 Lester through an Express. Tone for days.
"The Trainwreck Pages" by Ken is a wealth of information on Marshalls, etc. and contains mods, master volume circuits, and the PROPER way to bias adjustment. I highly recommend it, it's a great read.
Awesome history. I played one, once. Friend in CT had it when I was living there. I have always favored super touch responsive amps and that was absolutely the touchiest I've ever played. But what I really remember about it was that after 12 o'clock the amp WANTED to feed back the note you were holding. And the feedback was high, like there was a high pass filter on it. I was playing an early Top Hat Club Royale as my main amp at that point, and it was a fantastic boutique amp of the era, but the 'wreck was playing a different game. Again, awesome story.
I grew up in NJ and had the pleasure of meeting Ken in the mid 80's. Sure wish I had the insights and funding to have ordered an amp from him. Thanks for another great episode Keith, Rock On.
With every video I always get this feeling that there's one less video to come. I so enjoy your videos my hope is that you never run out of ideas. Just love this series, you do such a great job.
That was delightful.
So many stories of strange/awkward manufacturers - not here though!
The first RUclips video I ever "favoured" was "1959 Les Paul & Trainwreck Amp - "Can You Hear It Ring?"" - it is still up and sounds excellent.
Great video as always! Keep them coming! Cheers!
Wonderful vid as always. I think Jeff may have just made of future sale for Dr Z, that Zwreck Jr sounds incredible.
Ha! It’s an excellent amp, as is the Komet!
I was legit blown away by that Z wreck jr. That sounded fantastic.
As a native of New Jersey (grew up about 15-20 mins from where Ken's shop would've been), I never realized how rare these amps actually were until a few years back because there's quite a few shore guitarists who own them and play them frequently. I was in a cover band for a few years with a guy who had a JM reissue of one. He used it as his main gigging rig and I thought it was crazy, taking an amp that would be, to most people, a studio only piece out to crowded bars and whatnot. I believe he spent more on just the amp head than I did on the car on I had at the time!
On the handful of occasions I've gotten to try one, I can confirm that everything about the dynamics and response is 1000% true. You can go straight in and hit every imaginable gain stage from sparkling clean to tear-your-head-off high gain with just the roll of the guitar volume pot. It's like the Brian May AC30 approach but on steroids .Even the newer, non-Ken build ones sound unbelievable and live up to the local hype/legend. It might not be everyone's cup of tea, but if you ever get a chance even to try one out go for it.
Anyone curious about hearing more demos and information about them, I would recommend checking out Matt O'Ree's channel. He does tons of gear demos all through his collection of Wrecks as well as a few spotlight videos about the amps themselves. There's a wealth of information over there about these amps...
Great episode Keith. For any that want to hear an Express- a friend of Ken Fischer, Glenn Kuykendall put out an instrumental CD "Can you hear it ring?" which is dedicated to KF and is recorded with his original Trainwreck Express and 59 Les Paul.
This might get some hate but I’d love to see a short history on Peavey
You can build your own. The folks over at Amp garage have an excellent write up on this.
I had the pleasure of playing one of those silver Z wrecks a few years back. The owner of the music shop let me really crank it and good god it was heavenly. I didn't know a clean tone could have just that much character. My Morgan Sw22 comes close but I still hear that Z wreck in my sleep sometimes
ah, one of the few who appreciate the clean side of these things. The Z Wreck is really nice, and the cab is actually correct (a missed detail sometimes). But, you might see if you can track down a Komet Songwriter; between the Rocket, Z Wreck and Matchless it is really the one you want unless you have the money to roll vintage tubes.
I was very close friends with Kenny long before he started Trainwreck amps.... He worked on my 1968 100 watt Marshall head back in the late seventies..... After he started building the Trainwreck amps He would call me up to go over and play one when it was done... I believe I played 75 of his amps.... He also dabbled with a Peavey Audition solid state amp that I bought new and took it over for him to see what he could do with it..... He had it so long that I forgot he even had it.... Over a year later he calls me and said Ive got your Peavey amp done.... I said what Peavey amp... I went over and I plug into it and I couldn't believe what he did...... The amp had unlimited sustain.... I could hold a note for 5 minutes without it dying without it turning into feedback.... I still have that Peavey amp and will never sell it.... Kenny was a gift from god and he was one of the best amp guys around
Did he convert it to tubes?
Dang fine amps. Love the aesthetics and engineering. Love how solid core behaves, some repair nightmares.
Great show, thanks.
All very wonderful, but this sort of story just adds to guitar and amp snobbery, who wants a $40,000 amp you can`t take anywhere. I thought 5 watt was about the most fun from the least amount of gear. What is next $1,000,000 guitars and amps. The least amount of fun out of the most expensive gear, lottery winners only. Featuring Paul Reed Smith and his Private stock
“Least” has never been about “least expensive” but that’s not my point here. This is not an amp ad, but rather a story of a tone explorer’s life. Love a good story and this is a great one.
Thanks for watching and wondering.
I have an original ZWreck and it is my favorite amp, ever.
What a great surprise this morning! My favorite amp of all time!. I’ve been waiting for this video for a long time and I’m so stoked to watch this. Thanks Keith. You’re the best and this channel is easily one of the best on RUclips. Everything you put out is top notch.
This video has not helped my GAS for a Z Wreck. I’ve been fighting the urge for a few years now.....
I remember calling Ken when he had just started to concentrate mostly on his own line of amps. He was very happy to chat about guitar tone for a long time. I recall that he and I loved the Hot Cake distortion pedal. I had recently bought one and thought at a low drive settings that it was the most transparent clean boost I had ever heard and he agreed. I was very sad to hear that he eventually had serious health problems and of his eventual passing. RIP Ken
I honestly liked the Komet the best.. both aesthetically & audibly ...as always, thanks for the history lesson.
I agree. Recently acquired a Komet 29. Incredible cleans. Nasty overdrive if cranked but LOUD. You can control that with guitar volume but I use my Freyette PS2 with a band and I want that distortion. Otherwise it would kill everyone within 20 feet
Goddammit ! I tune in every week to find out how I can make the most music from the least gear, and you've got another piece of gear !! How about being honest and admitting this show is about making the least music from the most gear and watching RUclips
That shirt is coming.
Do a video on the history of E.M.G. pickup
Man that last part where he left the parts for Mico, right in the feels.
Truly man, emotional.
GREAT recap of the Trainwreck story. The reason there's no "Trainwreck tone" is because all of his amps were all different. Each had its own personality. There's a great story about Billy Gibbons wanting one of Ken's amps, but Ken told him to get in line. Gibbons hounded Ken, who relented and sent his personal amp as a loaner. When Ken asked for the amp back, Billy sent a Big Fat Check from his personal bank account instead. I still have a stack of Angela catalogs from the 80s where Ken's 'Trainwreck Pages' were published. These provide really cool insight into his way of thinking about amp design, construction, and modification. He believed wires were directional, meaning they conduct voltage better one way than the other. He was a true iconoclast. Thanks Keith!
Met a local builder who went as far as arguing different color wires would effect sound, certain colors emphasizing/attenuating different freqs, etc. Interesting dude
@@Terribleguitarist89 That sounds really bizarre and I'd love to try one of their amps.
@@Terribleguitarist89 Ken also believed that.
@Muckin 4on all the vacuum tube era people have just about died off and they don't teach it in any of the schools.....its now all digital logic. SO all these people only know electronics based on what they were taught and that's the way to build for computers which are all low voltage and micro-voltage systems....that's why you see circuit boards and parallel wire ribbon cables as connectors. If you understand where Ken was from and the mention of RCA......RCA had a lot of there production plants and operations in New Jersey....hence employing a lot of the local people as a major employer.....and TV is a much more sophisticated electronic device than a guitar amplifier and a simple audio circuit.....though a TV does contain a audio circuit obviously as a sub circuit in the whole system. But everything that Ken did was in origin from RCA. They had the research and development labs and wrote the books and designed the tubes....so they taught how to use and exploit their technology.....specially when you worked for them as a technician !! But keep in mind that RCA didn't just produce TV's, they also manufactured stereo & HiFi audio products & radios...as well as microphones and recordings thus having recording studios. Meaning that RCA wrote a lot of books and those publications defined just about all of it in the industry along with Western Electric and Bell Labs...when vacuum tube technology was the original innovation in the infancy of electronics and the electronics industry. Ken wasn't really a magician and pulling rabbits out of hats.....its been hyped up, as he only was doing what he had been taught and staying true to form where he made a choice to try to carve out a living based on what he was trained to do.....plus being close to NYC and living in an area that was an electronics mecca. Ken was still grounded to the concept of his training, to be a technician....rather than to be a business mogul to create his own amplifier company and assembly line manufacturing plant/factory business...to rival Ampeg or any other. Ken knew he was getting hyped up, and he did make some wild statements as insider jokes which would differentiate those who knew the discipline from those who think they know based on copying and being mimics. Personally I grew up in a steel mills town and a good illustration would be this story: A work crew at the mill was building a shack on site and were using power tools and they had a young new guy on the crew that was green and wet behind the ears. They gave him a task to cut a piece of wood with a power saw and pointed out the tools. SO the new kid takes the extension cord and plugs it into an outlet and plugs the saw into its end......and goes to use the saw but the saw wasn't working. So the new kid was a bit baffled and they were watching him the whole time.....so they asked him what was wrong and he said the saw wasn't working. SO they told him the saw definitely works, and proceeded to tell him to look at the extension cord. They told him that the extension was all tangled up and had knots in it AND THAT was the reason that the saw didn't work......they told him to straighten out the cord and get the knots out of the extension as that was not letting the electric through the extension. SO this new guy proceeded to mess with the extension cord as he was told to do......meanwhile somebody else in the crew knew the fuse breaker was off for the outlet he chose to plug in to and went off to flip the breaker back on while the kid was messing with the extension cord and distracted. SO to the new guys amazement after he unraveled the extension cord and plugged it in again.....the saw MAGICALLY WORKED. SO what do you think this guy learned that day ???? They obviously didn't tell him as it was the big JOKE on the new guy....
Gerald Weber's " Desktop reference of hip vintage guitar amps" has the trainwreck pages in print. Read it 20 years ago and its life changing. I got it for Kens simple Marshall mods and tube amps theory. Its excellent.
One man can use a soldering iron and fix a toaster. Ken Fisher forever revolutionized sound with his. Thanks so much for sharing his story with so many Keith.
I've actually never heard of them before, but I'm still watching your video because I know it will be interesting. Keep up the good work Keith
I think the definitive recording is from that guy on TGP who lives in Nashville, who has a Trainwreck and a Burst.
My Dr Z Z-Wreck is an astonishingly good amplifier....probably as close as I'll ever get to playing a 'real' Fischer amp
Thanks Keith for pulling me away from reality for 29 minutes to thoroughly enjoy yet another excellent Short History.
I knew Ken in the late 1980s. He used to work on my Marshalls, and basically developed my 2 Marshall rig of one head plugging into another head. I’ve got more Ken stories than I can type here, but he was a great guy and really knew his stuff. Since then I’ve never found an amp guy who knew more or was willing to work on gear with me. He’s very missed.
Plugging one head into another head doesn’t some like a good idea. Where would the 50 to 100 watts of power go?
@@Mark70609 what ken did was bypass the power section of the first amp, and the preamp output plugged into the front end of the second amp. i don't recall for sure that the first amp had an effects loop, probably not. (marshall 2203 or 2204, whichever was the 50 watt version.) the second amp was a 100 watt jcm 800 with two of the 4 output tubes removed in theory to reduce headroom and get more gain. the end result was tons of gain, maybe too much. so basically ken built a mesa boogie out of two separate marshalls, with the first one's preamp cascading into the second amp's preamp. why he didn't tell me to just go buy a mesa boogie 2C+ is beyond me, maybe he thought it a fun project. given what i remember about him i can see why he might enjoy the challenge.
Great video! Not sure if you do videos on acoustic guitars but if you do it would be awesome to see a history on the Gibson Hummingbird.
I plan to do Gibson and Martin acoustic histories.
I've played three real Expresses & a Liverpool, as well as a KF modded Marshall. Besides the incredible sound, the feel is amazing. Cranking a Les Paul thru an Express is like holding a wild animal on a chain.
Awesome Video as always.
Really dig Ken's ethos.
Had an opportunity to get one of Ken' amps back in the 90's, but...
Wish a meeting was in the mix.
Maybe next time.
Great video 👍😎
Great amp tones👍😎
👍😎❤🖖
Love brother
Ah my favourite amp that I know nothing about...now I'm ready to learn!
I appreciate the amount of skepticism that could/should/might be taken with respect to many of Ken's ideas about what "tech details" affect the sound etc.
I had a couple of hour long phone conversations with Ken in 1991 which covered plenty of techie talk about tube amp design and fab. I've been building tube guitar amps since 1962 and have a good understanding of what it takes to build a variety of amp styles. I do have to say he was holding a few techie opinions that were just goofy to my understanding backed by my EE degree and experience. But my call was to explore what he required from me to take an order. He did mention he was in poor health and was keen to let me know that his waiting list was unspecifically long (a few years kinda sorta...) and that it didn't matter to him whether I was Billy Gibbons or Joe Schmoe, the wait was lengthy and no one gets special treatment. He was a very nice man. I made the decision to pass on placing an order with Ken and went ahead and purchased a 1966 Vox AC30 from Mark Sampson over at Matchless.
Oh man
What a pleasure it was to watch and HEAR this remarkable story.
And Jeff’s playing is so tasty!!
Brilliant!!
Thanks as always.
Thank you!
For sure, the "myth and magic" live long and deep in these amps. From the directional wire to the tone-insulation on said wire... Respect the engineering, just not the myths of the rest. I believe that most, and when I say most, I mean like 95%, people cannot hear that much detail (read - differences) in sound, and of that 5%, only about 10% of those are actually in the music culture (musicians, audiophiles, hobbyists, etc.). Yes, I am part of that 95% that can't hear that much detail. Anyway, very interesting, like the other History of videos. Thanks Keith.
Thanks for this, Keith. Back in the early/mid 1990's my co-guitarist and I became aware of Ken and his Trainwreck amps. At the time, his price was (I believe) about $1700, for any of the three models offered.....the Liverpool, the Express, and the Rocket. He had a waiting list for buyers, and, if you were on the list, when your name came up, Ken would call, you would tell him which model you wanted, and he would then build it. I believe he required a 50% deposit, with balance due on completion. My buddy and I both got on his list, but some months later, when he called we were up, we both backed down.......$1700 was just ridiculously high.....remember, you could still find vintage Deluxe Reverbs and AC 30's for a few hundred dollars. Obviously, I kick myself for not buying then, knowing what we now know. From strictly an investment view, it would have been a windfall today......but we all have our "one that got away" story.
Fantastic episode!! Loved it! I'm torn between a Z-wreck and a Jr. Decisions, decisions.... Anyone ever used a Zwreck with a Rockcrusher?
Great video-documentary, man!
I'd love for you to dig into the history of the rare LEGEND amplifier built in Syracuse, NY when I was a high school/college kid there in the 70's-80's. The southern rock band The Outlaws owed their tones to Legend amps, as did I between 1981-1993.
That brand name doesn't do them any justice, though. :P
That z wreck Jr sounded amazing to my ears. I've never heard an amp with such dynamics and touch sensitivity and volume pot control. Atleast personally. But I don't have alot of experience.
the one opportunity i had to play a trainwreck amp was a musically spiritual experience - notes had a 3 d quality and seemed to bloom
i would also recommend mr ken fischer's books about amp design for all the technically minded
they are a wealth of information
good work on this one
kudos \m/
be safe, be happy, work hard
peace \m/
I’ll get back to the music is win best guitar for a given genre (it’s not what you think) video. Keith posted a video that’s bound to be excellent. 👍🏻
Wow, what a fascinating story! Thanks for putting together this excellent history! You mentioned Ultrasound studios in NYC; I used to rehearse there all the time! Maybe do a video on Bruno Amps? They were some of my favorites to use there, esp a 45-watt Cowtipper with two 12’s!
A buddy who had teched for a number of A-list bands and toured the world with them, told me that he had had the opportunity to hear and try many different great amps in that role, and when he had the chance to try out a Trainwreck (in Chicago, I believe), he decided then and there that he would start saving up for one as his must-have. He described it as being incredibly touch responsive. All you had to do was work your guitar's volume control.