A3801 value?

[selloutrr]

It's not a secret the specs are available online. The problem is sourcing the materials and the manufacturing practices. The metal is not as pure as it used to be with recycling.

As for the Pacific iron. Sure you can take one apart but it'll come from a TW amp.

[hitchcaster]

JM has access to the correct line cards KF created they are not available outside of TW. The first half dozen builds JM reissued were made with NOS 90's pacific iron. Later builds are TW circuit line card parts and Ken's surplus.

The second closest iron would be the pacific iron run made for K&M that was a rip from Ken's line card without permission. This directly caused the line card to be made private. The iron that has been produced since is not 100% identical.

Komet has used heyboer iron as a replacement Trainwreck amps before JM. though no records show heyboer production iron as the OEM. Heyboer produces the bulk of the iron for Komet with Ken's blessing.

If it was easy I would have been done with this project a long time ago. It's been 8 years now of searching for parts, history, and knowledge, and Im still not finished. My averaged cost per amp in parts in about $3600 after shipping and parts that turned out NFG. I've spent more in parts/shipping then it would have cost to buy a KF build today. My suggestion save up and buy an authentic build JM / KF or build a clone and use the BOM and enjoy it for what it is.

ok, so the pacific iron being sold now is different, even though they say it's from kens line card??? I thought the k&m stuff was exactly the same. ok, so does anyone know the difference if that's true?? I just bought some Pacific's..... hmmmmmmm

[selloutrr]

Who did you buy them from?

[hitchcaster]

Who did you buy them from?

from allyn.

[selloutrr]

Allyn's iron will make a nice sounding amp/clone.


Comparing the K&m line card with the TW. K&M used the basic spec from kens card with a different wire awg and a slightly different amperage value. It was close enough to upset Ken but mostly the bad blood was from the cloning the amp for production.

[redshark]

Who did you buy them from?

from allyn.

Allyn's pacific iron is great!! if you know how to tube an express and use good caps you are almost there.

[hitchcaster]

I'm just curious. so allyn and rj's pacific iron is different? I thought all the pacific iron was the same, including the old k&m iron. and I never knew the k&m iron, even though ordered directly from kens line card, was different too from TW pacific iron. hmmmm. interesting

[Allynmey]

Allyn's iron will make a nice sounding amp/clone.


Comparing the K&m line card with the TW. K&M used the basic spec from kens card with a different wire awg and a slightly different amperage value. It was close enough to upset Ken but mostly the bad blood was from the cloning the amp for production.

I think you are mistaken. Ken's engineer at Pacific died about the same time as Ken. I had his line card copied to my numbers and they are the exact tranny's that Ken used. I have a line card with my number for all of Ken's tranny's.

[Allynmey]

I've also built a good number of TW's with 3801's (both black and silver). The Pacific's I have are as good if not better than a lot of originals. Much more consistent too!

I've A/B'ed a few in my life!

[selloutrr]

Are you referring to Charlie from Cortran?

I also have ken's line cards, specs and data sheets, as well as the CAD files for the transformers. Including the manufactures who made the rocket iron.
As well as the data spec sheets for the K&M.

According to pacific transformers when I spoke with them a few months before JM started producing amps. ken's exact specs are not available outside of Trainwreck circuits in any other line card private or public. with specs and a line card they wouldn't produce exact iron, even with blank bell covers, I tried.

Anyway back to the cost of the Stancor A-3801.
A black one sold on eBay in the last couple weeks.
Currently 2 stromberg transformers are on eBay. They are stancor with a private party bell cover. Currently bidding is under $40 each plus shipping.

[Allynmey]

Are you referring to Charlie from Cortran?

I also have ken's line cards, specs and data sheets, as well as the CAD files for the transformers. Including the manufactures who made the rocket iron.
As well as the data spec sheets for the K&M.

According to pacific transformers when I spoke with them a few months before JM started producing amps. ken's exact specs are not available outside of Trainwreck circuits in any other line card private or public. with specs and a line card they wouldn't produce exact iron, even with blank bell covers, I tried.

Anyway back to the cost of the Stancor A-3801.
A black one sold on eBay in the last couple weeks.
Currently 2 stromberg transformers are on eBay. They are stancor with a private party bell cover. Currently bidding is under $40 each plus shipping.

Mark, JM has only been building wrecks for a couple of years. I've had Ken's line card since the time of his death. Long before the family started starting trouble with everyone.

[Blackburn]

According to a guy named Gregg in Jersey, Ken had some very 'unique' methods of grading his trannies... Down right hilarious actually... Some ancient alien technology!

[Colossal]

According to a guy named Gregg in Jersey, Ken had some very 'unique' methods of grading his trannies... Down right hilarious actually... Some ancient alien technology!

Can you elaborate or is the story supposed to remain anecdotal?

[selloutrr]

Allyn I have no issues with your transformers I have purchased a set in the past and I think they are great! And I'm happy you are willing to offer them. I highly recommend them for a TW clone build.
You have helped me several times in my parts search and I'm in no way trying to tarnish our relationship. I'm just going by the information that has been presented to me during my research in search of OEM correct parts. I don't believe the manufactures and suppliers had anything to gain from miss informing me. in fact quite the opposite considering my willingness to purchase product.. I know ken's information is legit.

[Blackburn]

According to a guy named Gregg in Jersey, Ken had some very 'unique' methods of grading his trannies... Down right hilarious actually... Some ancient alien technology!

Can you elaborate or is the story supposed to remain anecdotal?

Ideed I will! Was curious if anyone would pay any mind to it.

Turns out that Ken knew a guy named Mike (I think) and he was somewhat of a character around there. You know, a nut. I don't know when Ken started this (maybe late 80s), but it was while he was using Stancor trannies and this guy Mike claimed to have some kind of sixth sense or whatever regarding magnetic fields and all that so Ken had him put his hands on his Stancors and determine the strongest feeling he got out of them. Ken would then decide to use those and they turned out to be some of the real special wrecks he made. Eventually, Mike got into something with the law and was put away and Ken was out of a means to grade his trannies. Well, the guy I talked to, Gregg, had some kind of magnetic therapy or something on his hand at the time and told me it was incredibly sensitive so he tried his hand at grading some for Ken and he helped in producing some of those 'extra special' wrecks. The ones that weren't good, but amazing. You know, the TW grading system. Ten being otherworldly and nine being amazing.

Pretty nutty story and do what you will with the info, but I talked to him for a good long while and learned a bunch, realizing this was the kind of thing I'd expect in Ken's workshop.