Dirty Little Monster

[mcrracer]

Is any one else buildong anything in the quest for the DLM?
I have built the board for the Rocket preamp with an EL34, wired it and installed it in the chassis. Now to wire it into the chassis. The sockets are installed and the heaters wired. Have not decided on iron yet I have repairs and several other amp builds going on at the same time. Maybe another week or so I will have more to report.

[sdp1234]

I've been thinking of trying this:

http://www.freewebs.com/jonesamps/jones ... ment-2.pdf

[mcrracer]

Looks cool, He also has a circuit with only 3 gain stages. Let us know how you come out with it.

[sdp1234]

My problem is that i've never heard a Trainwreck. Only computer clips. I've build several SE AX84 el34 amps and I'm just looking for something different. Should be easy because I'm going to mod an existing amp that I don't use

[Zippy]

Looks cool, He also has a circuit with only 3 gain stages. Let us know how you come out with it.

The Derailment is "inspired" by the Express/Liverpool preamp - plus a cathode follower before the final stage. I'd call that three stages.

[mcrracer]

Looks cool, He also has a circuit with only 3 gain stages. Let us know how you come out with it.

The Derailment is "inspired" by the Express/Liverpool preamp - plus a cathode follower before the final stage. I'd call that three stages.

Excuse me, I have been corrected.
I have never really looked at that one but I know he has one without the CF.
I will keep my comments to myself.

[Zippy]

Excuse me, I have been corrected.
I have never really looked at that one but I know he has one without the CF.
I will keep my comments to myself.

Sorry if I came off wrong to you, M'. I like that you are taking up the DLM.

I think you are on the right track. Now if we only knew what it was supposed to sound like.

Nah. It really doesn't matter as long as we (You!) get something that sounds great. That, in my estimation, is what honoring the Trainwreck "ideal" is about.

[mcrracer]

No apology needed Zippy, I had just come home from the hospital and should have gone to bed instead of getting on the computer. I will put some more time in on the Rocket/EL34 "DLM" after I get up later and feel better.

[fakeox]

It's been a bit since i read this whole thread so excuse me if this has been covered. At sewatt there is a DLM thread as i'm sure most of you know. There was talk of a large & small bypass cap but "the big one swamped the little one. Would a trimpot be out of character before the larger of the 2 parallel bypass caps? Maybe let the little guy shine more..

[mcrracer]

And Dayum!!! So that is what a Trainwreck Express is supposed to do!!! I have seen and heard the clips but hearing one live is a whole different experience. ( and pardon me for not having the facilities yet to record) This guy is a Rock and Blues player on a G&L Tele (beautiful axe by the way with SD humbuckers). He put my TW Express on a KT88 thru its' paces. First he played thru two other amps I built. He liked those two and was ready to decide on an order...then he played the "DLM" wannabe. He was blown away, I was blown away. The first thing I noticed was the clarity that was quite prominent. His guitar tone just stood out more, crystal clear, and then he cranked it and he was like a kid on Christmas morning. Grinning from ear to ear. I had told him I have an amp that he probably wont need a pedal on. He did not believe it ..that is until he plugged in. Needless to say he wants one of those! Thanks guys for all of your help. Next stop the Rocket on an EL34 and then I guess I will do the JCM800 Bass pre, on either an EL 34 or a 6550 since it has been mentioned as a real possibility also.
My name is Marlon and I am an Amp- aholic.

[tweedeluxe]

mcrracer - are you willing to share any more info about your SE express? I am mostly curious about how you set up the output stage and if you kept half of the PI- circuit. Any NFB?

I'm about to start a high-gain SE KT90 build and am looking for a good starting point. Thanks.

[dartanion]

mcrracer - are you willing to share any more info about your SE express? I am mostly curious about how you set up the output stage and if you kept half of the PI- circuit. Any NFB?

I'm about to start a high-gain SE KT90 build and am looking for a good starting point. Thanks.

My production amp, the Absinthe, is a parallel EL34 SE wreck type affair that retains the PI circuit. Works great really and is a simple thing to do. Just make sure you feed the power amp from the appropriate side of the PI or it'll squeal really bad.

[mcrracer]

I took an Express pre up to an including the .022 coupling cap off the second 12AX7 tube. I took that into a 1Meg Master vol into a 5.6k into pin 5 of the KT88. I think I used a 1000uf cathode bypass cap and a 300 ohn 5 watt resistor. Fed b+2 through a 1k 2watt resistor to pin 4
I would have to go back and measure the voltages. But it works great. Did do a few tweaks which were suggested. I will have to check my notes. I am on my way out the door right now. One of my three times a week hospital visits. Any day above ground is a great day and they are trying to keep it that way!.

[azatplayer]

Man i have the iron sitting around for a EL34 SE build. I REALLY REALLY have to build this amp.
All i have seen around is a bit more gainy than i an in too.
If a rocket type of thing could be achieved with a single EL34, then im in to it!
My first rocket build, i did around a pair of EL34's, and it is it! But SE 34' is really what i need!
Please get it together mc, i gotta build one!

[mcrracer]

Actually my Rocket/EL34 SE did not work out at all for me. I built it with a switch for 3 different Cathode resistor values in order to use many different power tubes. I just could not get it to do any cleans hardly at all. I wasnt happy with it so I pulled it apart and rebuilt the board for a "real" Rocket build with either EL 34 or KT66 power tubes.
I had done it just like the Express build so evrything should have been cool. Maybe I can get back to it later. I have several PP build I need to do now.
I am very happy with my Express version though! I still plan on trying the JCM800 Bass SE EL34 version.