Trainwreck Champ ? (Dirty Little Monster)

[FUCHSAUDIO]

Anyone know anything about this ? : <iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/post.p ... &width=500" width="500" height="818" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; picture-in-picture; web-share"></iframe>

[newking70]

I asked JM about the amp, here's what he said about it:
The original which no one really knows a lot about was a Fender champ modified with an El 34. It is a single ended amp.There was one or 2 not sure of even 2 but could be one more, however, I knew the owner of the original built on the chassis. I don't know how much it was modified from the original Champ. I'd have to do some searching. I think it sold on ebay for like 40K. I played the original DLM modified champ and it was horrible. Farty bass not full sounding at all. I don't recall how the ones built on a chassis sounded. Ken didn't really like it either but he built a few to satisfy close friends who really wanted it. I was asked to reproduce them a while back, but declined. It wasn't worth the time and my heart just wasn't in it. Komet made some I could inquire, but they were never released to production. They used a KT66 I believe because they felt it sounded better but I am 100% positive the original champ had an EL34. Perhaps Ken's brother wasn't satisfied with the final product.
I most likely have the schematics somewhere for the champ mods not sure about the chassis models. Are you looking for an inexpensive Trainwreck? Do you like the tone of it? Or did you want one just to collect? I clearly remember hating it. Muddy fender overdrive. No clean harmonics.
I am working on 2 low power models that are based on the Express and Liverpool that will get really nasty. One based on the Liverpool, I am shooting for about 6 and 12 watts. I am planning full harmonics but a lot of clean overdrive.I started drilling the chassis for the 12 watt version. The other is built built still needs to be refined. So I am not too far off. The problem is that I keep getting orders. I say problem because I want to start offering these to the public. Personally I prefer the lower power stuff because it is more practical. The hard part is to get it to sound right. Let me know what you are really after and perhaps I could help you get there.
<JM>

[Littlewyan]

Yeah very little information out there regarding these am afraid Andy. I know Hogy from Komet built one but was only happy with it after much tweaking. I've never seen a schematic or gut shot.

[2tone]

I built one after Ken sent me a proto air gap single ended OT that he had made by a company. Several versions. He sent me one he didnt like with EL34's. He sent me a schematic, too, saying never to copy it for anyone. The finished amp sounded good, after I finally determined it liked 6550 tubes. It wasnt a mushy Fender type sound, it was more Marshall style preamp, with extra control pots for harmonics and gain. It's a fun amp, and I put it in a Trainwreck head style cabinet. I know many people have made their versions of the DLM.

[Hogy]

I know Hogy from Komet built one but was only happy with it after much tweaking. I've never seen a schematic or gut shot.

Yes. I had that Champ in my possession for a year or so. Didn't like it as-is. It had a tiny OT from an old RCA record console. Ken went through prototyping a much bigger, properly air-gapped OT, as the whole thing was meant to be a prototype for a future production amp for a company that's no longer in business. It was supposed to have a KT88 output tube. It never happened, but I ended up with a few of those finalized OTs.

We really wanted to make and release a version of the DLM, but it took me a few years of tweaking to make it sound good. By the time it did, it had little in common with the original circuit. The main problem was that the parts count and assembly labor was nearly the same as a Komet 60, for example, as was the size and cost of the big transformers. This was years ago, and I didn't think the market would accept a 10 Watt amp that would end up costing nearly as much as a 50 Watter. Now that tiny amps are all the rage, maybe this would be different.

There were at least two versions of the original circuit. Ken had a hand drawn schematic that he gave to a few friends. It was dated 1999. I think he gave that to Mike Zaite as well, who may have built it for Joe Walsh. But I got to compare that schematic to Ken's original Champ version, and it was a different amp. Neither sounded great to me.

I kept messing with the circuit over the years.

Here it is after I initially was pretty happy with it, but still somewhat in the original "hot rodded Marshall" spirit I think Ken envisioned. A friend of mine noodling on it a few years ago:

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/5vKnBBy_ ... ture=share

I kept pushing it closer to something I would play and in its last incarnation it sounds like this:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LGEubyk ... SandSpider

Edit: hey, that sounds pretty good. Better than I remembered. Hmm...
Let me go into my storage and see if I can find that thing again.

Hogy

[Littlewyan]

The main problem was that the parts count and assembly labor was nearly the same as a Komet 60, for example, as was the size and cost of the big transformers.

This is what puts me off building a single ended amplifier for myself. Once I add up the cost of the transformers and parts I feel like I may as well go back to push pull. Maybe one day.

Your amp sounds good in those clips though and yes low wattage amps do seem to be much more acceptable nowadays.

[Hogy]

This is what puts me off building a single ended amplifier for myself. Once I add up the cost of the transformers and parts I feel like I may as well go back to push pull. Maybe one day.

Your amp sounds good in those clips though and yes low wattage amps do seem to be much more acceptable nowadays.

Truth be told, I'm not a huge fan of the single ended sound myself. By the time I get them to sound good to me, they basically sound like push-pull amps anyway.

One thing, though, that big single KT88 is cool, and it's much easier to find a single vintage KT88 than it is to find a matched pair. For that reason alone, it might be worth doing.

Hogy

[Reeltarded]

Same reasons, everything. Me too.

Shhh.. don't tell anyone I said your amps are better than.l umm.. other amps. "other amps"..

[Mark]

Has anyone seen the AX-84 single ended amps. They sounded pretty good too. Don’t think it’s worth trying to chase down the DLM amp.

https://youtu.be/u_MBHfKI3cw?si=jx03nAi5Q8e2TVl1