Original Trainwreck Express, 1959 Gibson Les Paul, more...

[Geetarpicker]

7 videos on Youtube with an original '89 Trainwreck Express, '08 Fender Relic Strat, '92 Callaham Strat, and original '59 Gibson Les Paul. This one has been played the most: http://www.youtube.com/user/GlenKuykendall#p/u/15/Y2_12Ler9B8

Three of these videos have full band backing playing tunes from my "Can You Hear It Ring?" CD. The others are raw free form demos. Audio ranges from ugly camcorder mic to pro studio recording gear.

All of these are straight guitar>amp>cab with NO pedals.

Here is a clip to the newest video done in May 2008, and the others can be found from there. More audio clips & pics are on my "myspace" page along with info on my CD.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E3VhCRFoFYk (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E3VhCRFoFYk)

Enjoy,
Glen Kuykendall
www.myspace.com/glenkuykendall (http://www.myspace.com/glenkuykendall)

[stuagu]

its all good stuff glen,
what i find i like the most about the clips & your playing is obviously the tone which is great, one of the best & i just wonder what that set up sounds like in person?.
your style isnt the type of guitaring id normally go for but its very tasteful, but the control you have over your instrument/amp is fantastic, you know the set up so well & that comes out in the clips.
best wishes from this side of the pond.
gu

[scruffydoo]

enjoyed that a lot, thanks for posting

[bluesmain]

Great tone bro! Choppage was kicking too!


7 videos on Youtube with an original '89 Trainwreck Express, '08 Fender Relic Strat, '92 Callaham Strat, and original '59 Gibson Les Paul.

Two of these videos have full band backing playing tunes from my "Can You Hear It Ring?" CD. The others are raw free form demos. Audio ranges from ugly camcorder mic to pro studio recording gear.

All of these are straight guitar>amp>cab with NO pedals.

Here is a clip to the newest video done in May 2008, and the others can be found from there. More audio clips & pics are on my "myspace" page along with info on my CD.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E3VhCRFoFYk (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E3VhCRFoFYk)

Enjoy,
Glen Kuykendall
www.myspace.com/glenkuykendall (http://www.myspace.com/glenkuykendall)

[Elmer]

Excellent. Great feel, great tone. I really dig these clips.

[Dog Boy]

Hey Glen,
Thanks for posting those. Which do you feel captures the TW vibe the best?

[PinoyBoy]

I like it how Glen uses technique to bring out the different sounds -- strumming closer to and even over the neck, adjusting volume, picking at different locations, etc. Good stuff.

[MBreinin]

Another awesome vid, Glen. Man, you just make that amp scream!

Mike

[Geetarpicker]

By the way the main cabinet I use with this amp has old 25 watt G12Ms in it. The amp is loud but not as loud as say a JTM45 but close. I always wear earplugs when I play the amp. I also have all my guitar pickups potted, so that I can get REALLY close to the cab for sustain. My amp settings are usually volume and treble on 12:00 to 1:00, and all the other knobs on 1/2. The bright switch is in the full bright position.

Thanks folks for checking out the videos!

GK

www.myspace.com/glenkuykendall (http://www.myspace.com/glenkuykendall)

[tejastubes]

PM sent

[Guitar Slinger6]

Awesome playing and sound!

[corn husk bag]

Great tone, great playing! Do you ever use pedals with the TeeWee?

Thanks again,
Steve

[Geetarpicker]

I never use pedals with the amp with stock tubes, and there are no pedals in any of my clips/videos and none on my "Can You Hear It Ring?" CD either. These days there's probably not many instrumental guitar CDs that have no pedals, though I didn't intentionally plan it that way.

Still, I'm not a NO pedal snob and actually have a nice pedal board that I use with other amp rigs quite often.

For the most part many pedals get in the way of doing what the Trainwreck Express amp does best IMHO. That said many folks have good luck with wahs, chorus and other pedals IF they are true bypass and you don't mind quite a bit more noise than you might expect when you click them in. These amps are quite high gain, and with just about any amp the higher the gain the more pedals can sometimes wash out. With these amps you really never need any sort of gain pedal, as the amp's beautiful gain on it's own is truly not worth missing and quite ample.

Sometimes I will run a wet/dry rig with some Lexicon rack units, power amp, and separate effects speaker to get effects with my Trainwreck done totally "post" amplifier. This does sound awesome.

However if I swap out the 1st two 12AX7s for 12AY7s the gain is reduced to the point that it works well with pedals and my wireless. Still, it's not the same amp at that point at all but still cool. With the Y7 tube trick I've done country gigs with the amp, mostly clean playing at that.

There are quite a few folks that do run pedals with their Wrecks, I just don't like the degradation I can always detect on the basic tone. Still, a true bypass pedal wired correctly can usually get around the problem of any tonal compromises when clicked off.

I guess I'm too fixated on working the guitar knobs with my Express to step on pedals anyway!

www.myspace.com/glenkuykendall (http://www.myspace.com/glenkuykendall)

[cochese]

Actually there are no pedals used on my CD for distortion although it is only about 50% instrumental. I prefer the amp distortion as well although some of the greatest guitar solos of all times have been done with pedals.

I haven't had the chance to play through an original Wreck although I have played through a very accurate clone recently. My Bassman was recently modded with the Wreck circuit and I plan to do a clip of it. They are really cool sounding amps and Glen has really provided us with some great clips (and original music.)

[Geetarpicker]

To make things easier here is a direct Youtube link to ALL of my videos, including the ones with the '59 Les Paul and more.
4 have lo-fi camcorder audio, but 3 have studio quality audio so please check them all out!

Cheers,
GK

YOUTUBE: http://www.youtube.com/user/GlenKuykendall

Myspace too: www.myspace.com/glenkuykendall (http://www.myspace.com/glenkuykendall)

[Gasp100]

Great, great stuff. I really liked the composition of "The Clipper" and the tone was just fantastic. Then I waded into the clips of you in the corner with the wreck and '59... Holy smokes... it doesn't get more simple, organic and sweeter than that! Really cool that you posted studio quality AND lower-fi clips for us to enjoy. Too bad I could never afford any of that gear :rolleyes:
But, fun listening!
:BEER

[Geetarpicker]

Heck I couldn't afford this gear these days either! I try to not think about it and just enjoy it. When I got LP it was $3725 and the amp was $850 but that all seemed darned expensive at the time...

Thank you listening and for your comments!

GK

[realityczech]

Hi Geetarpicker
Love your cd !

That being said how about putting a twist on the Trainwreck mystique by recording some clips with pedals, normal cables and speakers not usually associated with Wrecks.
Push the envelope as it were with some straight jazz, ripping fusion and trad country tracks with everyday guitars and such.

Thanks

[CALI68]

Unreal! The holiest of holy grails in both categories. '59 Les Paul and a Trainwreck. Wow.

Amazing.


-Chris

[Groovey Records]

Always love your stuff Glen

I'd love to hear you lose control one day and just goo way out over the edge without a net.

You got any tracks that puts you in that kind of light?

[corn husk bag]

Hi Glen,
Still lovin the cd! Check your PM for a question. Thanks.

Kind Regards,
Steve

[pgurlea]

Great clip! Love how you made that Strat sing.
Paul

[Trainwreck]

SWEET !!!!!!!! Great cd Glen....Keep um coming....

[Geetarpicker]

My tribute to Ken Fischer

http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2005-10/1099486/KFtribute900pixel.jpg

[NFB]

Great stuff!:AOK

[Geetarpicker]

Thanks!

Don't forget folks I have 6 other videos, some lo-fi camcorder and some pro audio.

Videos: http://www.youtube.com/user/GlenKuykendall

[captainT]

What a combo!!!!!! Just killer tone from them both; the TW and guitar. But I have to give accolades to the guitar player; it is a gift to bring two pieces of equiptment together and produce such a beautiful sound. I think it is any guitar players dream to find just one of approx. 1500 of those guitars made. I was always told that it is in the hands of the master to make it come alive and breath life and soul into that piece of wood. How true it is when you hear the same guitar with the same equiptment played by different people how much different each makes the equiptment sound. My mother 85 years young now used to tell me, keep strumming, keep strumming; it still resonate in my mind today which I tell my students so it remindes them to practice; and the more they practice the the better they will get. There are so many who get caught up in having the best equiptment or just listening to their favorite players thinking their going to get it through osmossis. Sorry to babble on, keep strumming you sound great.

[Geetarpicker]

Thank you.

Here is a pic of the setup in the 1959 Les Paul & Trainwreck Amp - "Can You Hear It Ring?" video. Two mics, that I blended together for the mix. I may have had a room mic too, but I don't think I put the fader up on it much at all. The room is so small and dead there really isn't much point to it. The two white arrows on the cab mark the cone center position which I then mic and also mic the cone edge. Speakers are '71 era G12M 25s in a slightly earlier cabinet. Two Mogami 18' guitar chords in series mellows the high end of the aggressive '89 Express amp just enough. Yep, I'm wearing ear plugs and the PAF pickups are wax potted to allow me to stand this close to the rig.

Pardon the sloppy intro in this video when I kick in the bridge pickup. I was playing the intro lead from my CD only to realize later that I played it here in totally the wrong scale position, a much harder position. That happens with studio projects, sometimes later you forget how to play your own stuff! At least the final high note sustained well, which was the main point anyway. This video was intended to be more of an amp demo than a performance. Some of the other videos are true songs with band backing.

Glen Kuykendall

The video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y2_12Ler9B8


http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2005-10/1099486/StudioLPTWpic.jpg

[cr8z4life]

The combination of that guitar, that amp, and your hands is tone nervana!!

[pir8matt]

Thank you.

Here is a pic of the setup in the 1959 Les Paul & Trainwreck Amp - "Can You Hear It Ring?" video. Two mics, that I blended together for the mix. I may have had a room mic too, but I don't think I put the fader up on it much at all. The room is so small and dead there really isn't much point to it. The two white arrows on the cab mark the cone center position which I then mic and also mic the cone edge. Two Mogami 18' guitar chords in series mellows the high end of the aggressive Express amp just enough. Yep, I'm wearing ear plugs.

Pardon the sloppy intro in this video when I kick in the bridge pickup. I was playing the intro lead from my CD only to realize later that I played it here in totally the wrong scale position, a much harder position. That happens with studio projects, sometimes later you forget how to play your own stuff! At least the final high note sustained well, which was the main point anyway. This video was intended to be more of an amp demo than a performance. Some of the other videos are true songs with band backing.

The video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y2_12Ler9B8


http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2005-10/1099486/StudioLPTWpic.jpg

Man, the flame on that '59 is incredible - the youtube vid doesn't do it justice.

Great setup, great playing. Thanks for posting.

[Geetarpicker]

Just a new years bump for 2009!

[PUCKBOY99]

I've seen these clips before, but having just acquired a beautiful TW Express clone, I appreciate them much more.

Thanks for posting & inspiring me ! :BEER

[dr.morton]

Great song, wonderful playing.
But you should improve your dancing moves :-)

[goodtone]

Hey Glen, those clips are so cool ecpecially when you go from clean to mean all with the volume knob on you Les Paul. Those harmonics just kill.

[HeyMrTeleMan]

Pure tonal bliss, Glen. Great great tone. Thanks!

The YouTube title says the TW is #1. Or is it video #1?

The reason I ask is Lark St. Music had TW's "Ginger" for sale recently (for $39K!) and it was supposedly #1.

Am I confused?

[Geetarpicker]

Yep, it's "video" #1. My Express was made in '89, and the Liverpool I used on the TV interview show videos was made in '91.

[Geetarpicker]

It seems once a week or two someone posts the question on my youtube channel "what pedals are you using?" or "are you switching channels?". No it's just working things from the guitar. Recently I charted out all the control changes in my "1959 Les Paul" video and posted that in the comments section.
Seems in that video I used all the knobs on the guitar including both tones.

Enjoy,

GK

[tejastubes]

Glen,

Still love your CD!

Can you tell me where you have the settings on your express when you are playing your les paul/strat?

Joshua

[Geetarpicker]

Thanks!

I almost always the same setting with that Express, as in mids, bass, presence on 1/2 and volume and treble either on 1/2 or maybe 1pm. Bright switch in full (500pf) bright position. If I recall the booklet in the CD shows the amp set the way I usually use it. Here's the front panel pic close up...

http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2005-10/1099486/PanelCloseUp.jpg

[Geetarpicker]

Hadn't bumped it up in a while. Pretty hard to get any simpler than one of these amps. GK
http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2005-10/1099486/OrphanAnnie89.jpg

http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2005-10/1099486/TrainW2.jpg

[pir8matt]

Hadn't bumped it up in a while. Pretty hard to get any simpler than one of these amps. GK
http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2005-10/1099486/OrphanAnnie89.jpg



"Orphan Annie" - love it!

[HeyMrTeleMan]

http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2005-10/1099486/TrainW2.jpg

The unit must be grounded. But not the player...

Man, that was good, even a second time...:drool

[Festus]

Beautiful stuff! Absolutely. You got me gassing for a 'Wreck-ish type thing now. And a CD of yours, Glen. Those fingers available with the purchase of a CD?

[Geetarpicker]

Thank you.

FYI I'm bringing my original '89 Trainwreck Express and '68 Marshall 4x12 to the Nashville Amp show coming up later this month. Anyone that wants to check it out is welcome to plug in and crank it up!

GK

http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2005-10/1099486/TWhalfstack2.jpg

[Geetarpicker]

Actually this is the setup I'm bringing for folks to demo at the Nashville Amp show this weekend, August 22-23.
GK

http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2005-10/1099486/TW+2x4x12.jpg

http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2005-10/1099486/TW+2x4x12close.jpg

[WadeF]

Ken built me a wonderful Express in a cabinet made of Cedar named Charlie Fourstar around the end of '92. I miss it but not as much as my friend Ken. Does anyone out there now own her?

[Geetarpicker]

Did that amp have an image of a duck on it? I have a TW amp pic I found labeled Charlie Fourstar, but haven't confirmed it for sure. Didn't Greg @ High Test Guitars have that amp for a while? He might know where it went.

[CPA]

I think Greg levy had it last from what I know. Do you know where he got the name?

[Geetarpicker]

I always thought Charlie Fourstar was a cat! Or maybe a cat was named after the amp?

This is the same amp, the lower one. Still that looks like a cherry cab not cedar. However one of the pics I found along the way had this same amp labeled on the pic as Charlie Fourstar.

http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2005-10/1099486/katang.jpg

Here is the most original Trainwrecks I ever seen in one place though I think they have slightly thinned the herd. That be Ultrasound, and that be about 10% of all the original Trainwreck amps ever made.

http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2005-10/1099486/why_ultra.jpg

[Festus]

I thought Ultrasound had a mighty fine collection of Trainwrecks. Yikes! Beautiful.

Gotta post this 'Wreck w/ '59 LP link again. I know it's in the thread a lot, but I can't enough of those tones! Man, that's just crazy good stuff.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y2_12Ler9B8

[Geetarpicker]

Thanks!

Glen

[Geetarpicker]

Here is the video that seems to draw the most interest, albiet more of a free form deal playing wise!

http://www.youtube.com/user/GlenKuykendall#p/u/15/Y2_12Ler9B8

[CALI68]

Here is the video that seems to draw the most interest, albiet more of a free form deal playing wise!

http://www.youtube.com/user/GlenKuykendall#p/u/15/Y2_12Ler9B8

I've seen that video maybe 100 times...it just kills me! The tone is perfection. Perfection.

Someday I will own a Trainwreck. ...but sadly never a '59 Les Paul :) ...unless I win the lottery :)



-Chris

[charveldan]

Glen, you sure are a talented SOB [smile] love your clips, but my favorite is "Majic Man" with your Marshall.:drool:drool:drool:drool:drool:drool