Original Trainwreck Express w/ '57 Fender Relic Strat

[Geetarpicker]

"The Clipper" Youtube video

The amp is an original '89 Trainwreck Express using GT EL34m output tubes for an output of about 35 watts. No pedals were used in this video.

I used a 1x12 as a monitor in the video room, but also ran a Marshall 4x12 (w/old 25s) in a separate room to capture the audio.

The guitar is a new '57 Fender Heavy Relic strat with an ash body. Pickups are Lindy Fralins.

This song "The Clipper" is from my "Can You Hear It Ring? CD regularly listed on ebay...

Enjoy!

Glen Kuykendall

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

More info:

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

[corn husk bag]

Hello Glen,
I received your CD only a little over a week ago. Everyone that has heard anything off of it wants to hear more! Great CD and for only $10 bucks! Worth much more! Keep on playing man!

Best Regards,
Steve

[Seditious]

"The Clipper" Youtube video

The amp is an original '89 Trainwreck Express using GT EL34m output tubes for an output of about 35 watts. No pedals were used in this video.

I used a 1x12 as a monitor in the video room, but also ran a Marshall 4x12 (w/old 25s) in a separate room to capture the audio.

The guitar is a new '57 Fender Heavy Relic strat with an ash body. Pickups are Lindy Fralins.

This song "The Clipper" is from my "Can You Hear It Ring? CD regularly listed on ebay...

Enjoy!

Glen Kuykendall

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

More info:

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

I usually click on these youtube links, watch 20 seconds of it, and then shut it off. They're usually trite, look at me, boring solo's or licks we've hear a million times. I'm not a fan of solo's to begin with. I'm a fan of music.

So, having said all that, I'm truly impressed. The amp sounded great, the guitar sounded great, but more importantly, the music sounded great. I'm more of a fan of indie, brit-pop, but I really enjoyed this. I'll check out more and you may have a sale.

[Geetarpicker]

Thank you! That response made my day.
GK

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

[astigtigas]

wow sounds great man

[THebert]

Wow- that is awsome. I am more of a humbucker guy, myself:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PMAYWeZVjGQ&feature=related

Thanks for making these.

[martins3325]

Yeah Glen's tone and touch are astounding! And aside from his great playing his tone is kinda secretly legendary..except to the amp building forum he pretty much single handedly inspired to try to replicate that amps sound...I doubt anyone has quite exactly gotten there.

Funny.. when I think of it ..how many guitar player's tones has inspired entire amp forums to try to cop that sound? Maybe a handful of legends..Brian May, EVH, Calpton-Beano, SRV, Robbin Ford, and Glen! Thats pretty good company to be keeping as far as legendary guitar tones.

[cg]

damn.... now that is incredible!! Great playing!! Super tasty.

[candid_x]

Excellent stuff! I have to spend more time in this section.

I take it those are Vintage Hots?

Bruce

[corn husk bag]

Had another listen, yep! Great sound and playing.

Steve

[nuthinew]

I guess you wouldn't want to know that one of those amps was sitting around at a local music store for years in the late 90's and the price kept getting lower and lower because no one around at the time had ever heard of it or the maker. Last price I remember was $595. we couldn't help but look at it and say " Trainwreck? That's an apt name for an amp in a box of used looking wood."
IF I'd of only known............................................. ..............................

[Geetarpicker]

Yep, I remember folks making fun of my Express for how it looked back in the early 90s. Folks would ask "did you make that?" They didn't say much about the looks after they heard it though. :AOK That was way before boutique was cool or even called such. Back then it was just a handmade amp "built by some guy that lives in New Jersey...." When I bought it I had only heard of two other hand built amps, Dumbles and Kendrick's tweed clones.

Yes those are Lindy Fralin vintage hot pickups.

Thanks folks!

GK

[decay-o-caster]

You got great tools and you do so much with them - really fine clips! Thanks for posting them.

[Groovey Records]

sweat sweet

[Geetarpicker]

Thanks! This is definately my most understated video using the Trainwreck. However it shows the Express amp with a lower gain setting which many folks have not heard. Folks have asked about the cabinet used. Even though I used the 1x12 you can see as a monitor, the audio you are hearing comes from a 4x12 in an isolated room. I just about wear out the volume pot on this one...:)

[MBreinin]

Another great clip.

I wonder one thing, Glenn, and don't take this the wrong way.

Did you make as much use of the volume knob before you got the TW, or was it the dynamics of that amp and the fact that it cleaned up so well that enabled you to develop that approach? That is an integral part of your sound, and I have watched the vast majority of your videos and I have always wondered.

Mike

[Geetarpicker]

Mike,

Good question. When I first started playing someone showed me how well you could control an amp from the guitar, IF you had the right amp. At the time he demonstrated this with an old funky tube PA amp and I was floored at how good the distortion was AND you didn't need even need any pedals to control it.

Before I got the Wreck I played for over a decade using the same amp, a '67 Marshall 100. That amp also cleaned up very well and I also didn't use pedals with it. However it didn't have as much gain so it wasn't quite as wide an envelope of clean to dirty but it was nice. I went through several Marshalls before settling on the '67 and finding the widest range of clean to scream was very important to me.

When I first saw a Wreck it was decribed as a great amp IF you controlled it from the guitar. I borrowed it for a week and was sold.

These days I also have a pedal board that even has a volume pedal that I use with a typical clean rig like many folks use these days. Sometimes I have to play at volume levels that are stupid low, and also sometimes soundman need to be spoon fed with solos boosted way up and such and they expect you to run a volume pedal.

I'm not sure if that totally answers your question except to say yes, I already was a big fan of controlling an amp from the guitar way before I ever played a Trainwreck. Still the Wreck is the most responsive to this of any amp I've ever played so it does inspire one to really work at the dynamics you feed it. You get out of it what you put it, and then some if that makes sense :)

GK