Comments on: 1959 Gibson Les Paul + Trainwreck Amp tech talk w/ Glen Kuykendall

By: Jazzguts

Jazzguts — Tue, 25 May 2010 22:53:26 +0000

Very interesting explanation I’m always in favor of Tube amps, at the Music school (I’m a teacher) I use a Fender Blues de Ville (neat amp) and I have 2 modified old tube Kitty hawks for gigging which also sound neat. Love your natural Bluesy Rock sound,greets Vic. (check out my channel someday).

By: thenextvh

thenextvh — Tue, 25 May 2010 22:16:23 +0000

i own a ceriatone trainwreck amplifier. the stock version is a good amp, but sounds nothing like glen’s. i have worked on mine for a few years now trying to get it to sound like glen’s, using his recordings as a set standard. i recorded and compared for a while and i can truthfully say that i’ve never heard another amp come as close as mine. i will be posting a video soon to see what everyone thinks, hopefully also GK himself!

By: jammers5

jammers5 — Tue, 25 May 2010 22:03:39 +0000

Hey I am looking forward to a video from you with your modded Ceriatone! Please do one soon!

By: thenextvh

thenextvh — Tue, 25 May 2010 21:46:22 +0000

Sure thing, glad to see it may help people make decisions! Once i figure out how to link a video along with recorded audio i will put one up.

By: peterlostig

peterlostig — Tue, 25 May 2010 21:30:08 +0000

Did you ever compare your original 59 to a new 59 vos?

By: GlenKuykendall

GlenKuykendall — Tue, 25 May 2010 20:43:22 +0000

No but I do own a ’03 R7. The R7 sounds nice, though different. Not as balanced string to string nor fret board range to same, even though I’ve worked with the pickups quite a bit. It’s not way off but noticable. The R7 is perhaps a little deeper in the lows, but not as clear or as refined. I would say for slide I actually prefer the R7, but for everything else the original wins. The finish is stickier on the reissues, and I had to put original old pots in the R7 for the control as shown here.

By: rtaylo30

rtaylo30 — Tue, 25 May 2010 20:14:31 +0000

Search YouTube for Gjika Mini Amp. It is a real powertube distortion pedal! Rare find! If you like this amp I think you will like the pedal.

By: KeyserZoso

KeyserZoso — Tue, 25 May 2010 19:49:01 +0000

Hi Glen. Your playing is an inspiration and your gear isn’t half bad either Are the sylvania 12ax7 tubes you’re using 5751? thanks for your time

By: TheGoldiniac

TheGoldiniac — Tue, 25 May 2010 18:54:48 +0000

wow it does sound good with the guitar knobs.

By: steveules

steveules — Tue, 25 May 2010 18:03:47 +0000

Glen, Please let us know how to get close to this sound with out spending the real big doller , maby a clue on pick-ups or certain year LP Just to get in the same ball park, I know to get the same sound , you gotta have the same gear, but for people that can’t afford the real stuff ,like train wreck, 59 Les Paul

By: GlenKuykendall

GlenKuykendall — Tue, 25 May 2010 18:01:14 +0000

A historic LP R7, scumback M75 equiped 4×12 and a nice TW clone would get you in the ballpark. Stock burstbuckers are ok, but you probably would need to upgrade the pots for enough control on the low side of the dail for cleans.

By: bartboop

bartboop — Tue, 25 May 2010 17:44:40 +0000

Glen – I did not think you would have an answer for this very legitimate question, but I have to agree with you. There are a lot of sonic forces at work here. One of the first keys is an amp of similar quality and construction, that gets dirty fast, great speakers, knowing how to work the knobs on the guitar, and most importantly knowing how to play like Glen!

By: frogslips

frogslips — Tue, 25 May 2010 16:55:11 +0000

Glen, what are your thoughts on VVR (Variable Voltage Regulator) against MV and attenuator.

By: theguitarczar

theguitarczar — Tue, 25 May 2010 15:56:48 +0000

One of the most impressive rigs in Existence.

By: theDIEHARDGATORFAN

theDIEHARDGATORFAN — Tue, 25 May 2010 15:23:36 +0000

this guy takes care of his stuff!

By: beeroosterm

beeroosterm — Tue, 25 May 2010 14:32:59 +0000

Still cannot believe you’re using the Rolls Royces of guitars and amps while using a dead sounding, cheap box to hold those Celestions. I’ve posted the question before but you haven’t responded. I believe a detuned cabinet (48″L x 36″W x16″D) made of 5/8″ antique heart pine holding TWO greenbacks (detuned 4×12 cabinets have 4 holes but only two speakers) would kill. The best part is that it’s only a $400 project, uses half the speakers, and has the same volume with half the power (lighter, too)

By: beeroosterm

beeroosterm — Tue, 25 May 2010 13:50:14 +0000

@theguitarczar See my comment about his speaker cab. I cannot begin to tell you how most of the craziest, anal-retentive tone gurus completely ignore the speaker cabinets when creating their rigs. They think if they load their piece of &%$! Marshall cabs with Celestion greenbacks it’ll be tonal nirvana. Wrong. Dude is using $250,000 worth of guitar and amp and a POS cab.

By: amast3rMind69

amast3rMind69 — Tue, 25 May 2010 12:50:35 +0000

my epiphone les paul standard shits on your 59…

By: asdfasdsfsa

asdfasdsfsa — Tue, 25 May 2010 12:17:08 +0000

it’s a pity youtube compresses the audio so much….

By: Cwassicwock

Cwassicwock — Tue, 25 May 2010 11:44:09 +0000

The thing I really love about this amp, are the lows and it’s responsiveness to your playing and controls while having it’s fair share of compression. I know the clones won’t be as good, but I think I want one.

One question though: How do you think this amp would respond to non-rock/blues stylings? I would imagine it would work quite well, but I would like to get yours and other’s opinions.

Awesome playing too! I’m a fan now! Rock on!

By: alexmcginness

alexmcginness — Tue, 25 May 2010 11:09:20 +0000

@amast3rMind69 AH HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA. Only if youre tone deaf!!

By: amast3rMind69

amast3rMind69 — Tue, 25 May 2010 10:43:54 +0000

It was a good joke, but I am putting some duncan 59′s in it soon and I am going to pretnd its been aging for the past 50 years

By: IcechickenSr

IcechickenSr — Tue, 25 May 2010 09:49:34 +0000

Man, I Must find some plans to build me a clone of one of these bad boys I just LOVE thier sound. Nothing sounds like them anywhere I’ve ever heard! I also found it interesting you use 2 long patch cables to “mellow” out your sound. I’m betting it’s the capacitence from the cables giving you the desired effect, as we know the resistance plays no part in the equasion for guitar cables. Cheers, IC.

By: IcechickenSr

IcechickenSr — Tue, 25 May 2010 09:35:36 +0000

Do you think if one say designed a box to take the cranked trainwerck’s output (so you can caputre it’s full gain) and then bring the power amp signal into this box, convert that signal into a preamp type or small signal with a volume or master type volume knob then re-amp it with a clone power stage that you owuld retain the amps high gain output but at low volumes, or is this what you mean by an Attenuator in the first place? Cheers, IC.

By: PLUMBdogg

PLUMBdogg — Tue, 25 May 2010 09:18:47 +0000

@beeroosterm I think he’s pretty happy with his cab dude. I’m very interested in your design though. Can you post a video of it in action? Is it similar to a Mojave 2×12 cab, partial open back?