trinityamps.com

This post is in hoping the current users would be intersted in sharing their thoughts about how to use the TRIWATT.

Basic amp stuff Do & Don'ts aren't necessary, but

For example:
How to get certain tones;
Effect of controls;
How to use the OD;
Using the link channel;
Volume / Master interaction;
Good tone at Low volume;
How to deal with certain types of guitars e.g. single coil, humbuckers;
etc.
etc.

This could eventually be complied into a short manual.

Just a thought.

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Stephen
Web: www.trinityamps.com. Facebook: facebook.com/trinityamps. Twitter: @trinityamps

To engage overdrive, turn it to about 1/4, pull the OD control knob out. Set it to where you like to OD level. Push it back in to disengage it.

Note: If you have a footswitch control plugged in, this overrides the push-pull [on-off] panel control. OD activation is only by footswitch in this case.

Be careful it is not on Max when you engage it!!

_________________
Stephen
Web: www.trinityamps.com. Facebook: facebook.com/trinityamps. Twitter: @trinityamps

If you installed the bias switch correctly per the layout, with the switch to the left (preamp side), the 18V zener gets shorted out for KT66 operation. Bias switch pointing to the right, zener in circuit, is the 6V6 position.

KT66 <<TOGGLE>> 6V6

This is how all the TRIWATTs are built.

Note: If the amp is fitted with KT66s and the switch moved to the 6V6 position, that could damage things, since KT66s require a higher bias voltage. With 6V6s, there is no danger with the switch in either position, although the amp won't sound its best, since the internal voltages will be a little too high.

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Stephen
Web: www.trinityamps.com. Facebook: facebook.com/trinityamps. Twitter: @trinityamps

So far the best sounds I get with the Triwatt is the "Gilmour Method", using the amp in relatively clean mode, channels linked, OD not engaged (Varying between the OD on and off plays havoc with the intensity of the modulation effects and the delay so I prefer to leave the gain set on the amp relatively clean), and controls between 10 to 2 o'clock (depending on room), except the Master Volume (set depending on volume needed). I found, out of all of the ODs and Distortions I have tried, the Fulltone Fulldrive II (on FM Mode) works the best for me. I am using all Fenders (Strats & Teles) with Single Coils. The Fulldrive also can be used with a Fuzz (BBE FREE FUZZ - Silicon Fuzz Face Clone) in the front of it without too much noise. Hope I don't sound too much like a Fulltone Ad.

With this configuration the Triwatt is a 4 channel amp:
1) Clean - Fulldrive & Fuzz Off
2) Crunch - Fulldrive without Boost ON
3) Lead - Fulldrive with Boost ON
4) Fuzz Lead - Fulldrive without Boost ON & Fuzz ON

Running the Fuzz alone is a little too raspy for my taste, but the Fulldrive smooths it out.

The Triwatt seems to like any decent quality Effect or Guitar you put into in.

_________________
ROB

Cool tips with the Fulldrive!

We also shouldn't forget that Gilmour used a 12AX7 in the PI of his amps instead of the stock 12AT7. So there would have been a bit more breakup from the amps than people often think.

Also FYI, here's his stack of Hiwatt amps with their stage settings, from Pete Cornish's site.





They all seem to have all their controls set to 12-o-clock, except for the 50W on the bottom left. With those settings I would expect a moderate breakup when pushed.

DG also used a Treble/Bass boost pedal for his solos. The Triwatt can reproduce those same tones using its internal Overdrive boost, as demonstrated by Lawrence Bethune.

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Great tones come in small glass jars!

Phil, what do you think the hash marks around the controls would be for on the top three heads??

Joe G

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Some assembly required,
Brain sold separately...

Hey, good call! I never noticed those before. So maybe those are some whitener to show where the controls really need to be set. In that case, it looks like the MVs are actually rolled back a little, to the cleaner part of the dial, although with 12AX7s in the PI, it must have been on the borderline of breaking up. Then maybe the booster pedal just gave the whole amp that extra push into overdrive.....

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Great tones come in small glass jars!

Those marks do seem to coincide with generally accepted opinion (see gilmourish.com, as usual) on how he sets his amps.

Interestingly, the only place where I've ever seen it stated that he used 12AX7s instead of 12AT7s/ECC81s for PI is on gilmourish.com. While that was typical for Hiwatts in later years, I think ECC81s were "standard" in the early models, going back to Sound City units. I've definitely seen multiple sources document Pete Townshend's PIs as 12AX7s, however, and his were older, 4-hole units, so I'm certainly not saying it's wrong. Just one of those things I'd like to hear from an "official" source such as Phil Taylor. Can't knock gilmourish.com, though - it's an absolute treasure trove.

Has anyone tried out the Triwatt with an Electric Mistress, Big Muff or Way Huge Swollen Pickle yet

Joe G

_________________
Some assembly required,
Brain sold separately...

Hmmm, so you do or you don't believe what you read on gilmourish.com ? Anyway, it's correct that all the early Hiwatts were designed to use a 12AT7/ECC81 in the PI. However, it appears that it was fairly common practice in the '70s for rock guitarists to stick a 12AX7 in the socket instead. Not only Pete Townshend but others as well. While doing background research I came across references to various 1970s rock guitarists using 12AX7s in their Hiwatts' PI position. Martin Barre of Jethro Tull is another one that comes to mind IIRC. I wish I had made a list of them now.... I suspect it had probably become the de-facto rock n' roll thing to do at that time. Having said that, it may well be that Gilmour was a little more conservative than the others, in terms of how he ran his Hiwatts.

From the late '70s onward Hiwatt's "2-holer" amps had a redesigned PI, which was specifically intended to use a 12AX7, and also didn't have the cathode follower in front. The Triwatt uses the earlier "4-holer" style PI and CF, to keep the amp as vintage sounding as possible, at least when the Overdrive isn't engaged.

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Great tones come in small glass jars!

I built a clone of the Foxx Tone Machine and it sounds immense ,with or without the octave setting

joeyvelour wrote:



Not yet, but in a day or so I will try a Boss HM-3 (Gilmour used them in the 1980s).

So far I have tried the Tubeworks 901, Marshall BB-2, MXR Distortion III, BBE Free Fuzz & the Fulltone Fulldrive.

I like the Fulldrive the best.

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ROB

As you know, I'm an engineer, which means I take everything with a grain of salt. I remember finding over 30 goofs in the data manual for the TI TMS320C50 DSP when it first came out while I was trying to debug my own stuff. I'm scarred! lol Bjorn's site is amazing as a resource (I'm on it constantly) - but I'm a "two-source minimum" kinda dude.

And boy, am I glad you made that design choice. I probably would have ended up with a Reeves if you hadn't.

My friend Pat (co-owner of Treehugger Guitars/Guitarist for the band Acid Fusion), who is visiting from LA, brought over some "toys" last night:

The Boss HM-2 didn't show up with him, but he brought the other toys.

Strymon OB.1 Optical Compressor - It was very nice sounding, & very quiet. Boost function is a nice feature. Quieter than the BBE Orange Squash ,that I have, & has less effect on the guitars tone. It's definately at the opposite end of the compressor spectrum than the MXR Dyna Comp.

Xotic AC Booster - Very nice sounding. If you are looking for a early 1970s Martin Barre Style Sound from the Triwatt, this gets it. Very British Sounding.

Also my Voodoo Labs Micro Vibe, I just bought, showed up. My friend was doing the Trower & Pink Floyd thing with it & the Hiwatt. He has the Fulltone Deja Vibe, and while he might not trade it for the Micro Vibe, but if he had to buy another Vibe, he probably would buy the Micro Vibe, because of the cost difference.

Pat really likes the OD function on the Triwatt and was using it as a clean boost, like Larry did in his "Shine On" clips.

I am getting to like the OD function more & more, ever for clean sounds, keeping it on at all times set about 10 o'clock.

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ROB

I was quite amazed at how the OD can yield such sparklingly clear clean tones, when you roll the guitar volume back a bit.

I don't think you'll ever get clean tones like that from a Fender!

Edit: I meant to say "clean tones" not "clone tones" Typo now fixed.

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Great tones come in small glass jars!

I was able to try the Boss HM-2 thru the Triwatt. It gets that Gilmour sound in the lead breaks in "Sorrow". Looks like it's mine now. (Part of a trade for a Tubeworks 901 - Liked the sound of the 901 , but lots of hum and noise when used with the rest of my stuff.)

*Update:
Playing with the HM-2 somemore, and it really functions well as a Big Muff Substitute. I have not tried a Big Muff (will be a future Ram's Head Clone Project) thru the amp yet, but the HM-2 can come close to the sound I have heard before, of a Big Muff thru Hiwatt.

As I said before, the Triwatt seems to handle any decent effect thrown at it, and if I had to choose one amp only to do everything it would be the Triwatt. If you need a different "Sound", a different Overdrive, or Distortion will get you where you want to go.

OK, I still want to build a Trinity 18 Watt Plexi, in the future.

Zaphod wrote:


We had a mid 1970s Fender Twin Reverb over also, and for the clean sound I was surprised how well the Triwatt's clean sound compaired to it. The Twin was handicapped by the old Utah Speakers, and could use some JBLs. The Triwatt's Fane was a lot tighter.

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ROB

I just got a GGG version of a Way Huge Red LLama Clone, built, off Ebay for less than I could buy the parts alone. Seeing a few online demos, of it, this pedal intrigued me. It seems to work well being used as a clean boost to an almost fuzz-like distortion. It also stacks well. I will be using it before my Fulltone Fulldrive, to "juice" the the signal up a bit. It seems very sensistive to dynamics, & almost fuzz like with the ablity to clean up with the lowering ot the guitar's volume. It doesn't have the Fuzz's minuses though. like flabby bass, & lack of clarity.

It works very well with the Triwatt, either alone or stack with another OD pedal. With the Fulldrive behind it, they give me that Steve Hackett like "Sustained Lead Sound" (think Spectral Mornings) I was searching for, and I'm using a Stratocaster with single coils. (OK - It's been rewired so I do have the option to run the bridge & middle, or neck & middle PUs in series humbucking.)

_________________
ROB

I noticed the same thing with the TW with the Fane clones I have. It can get VERY Fendery, but not quite as "loose". I really like it with my Strat & P90 guitars. Can practically nail the cleanish Floyd stuff.

Triwatt Speakers:
So far the best speaker combination, I have found, soundwise, is the Fane AX12-150 in the 1 - 12" open combo cabinet, used with a closed back 2 x 12" cabinet, roughly the size of a Mesa Dual Rectifier 2 X12" Cabinet. The 2 X 12" has a BBQ 50 Watt Ceramic Blue Dog, and Silver Bell Speakers.

The extension cabinet I was using, before, is an Avatar 1 X 12" Vintage Open Back, with a Eminence Tonker.

The Webers in the closed back cab produce a tighter overall sound, while you still have the open/bright sound of the Fane on the top. The overall sound is a little more Marshally, but is still very much Classic Hiwatt overall.

Now I had to make up a board to plug the slot in the Avatar Cab, to see how that sounds as a closed back cabinet.

_________________
ROB

In the last few months, I have been putting the Triwatt thru it's paces. I am currently running the current dirt boxes with the Triwatt
1) SD Tweak Fuzz - Set for more of a Big Muff type sound.
2) Fulltone Fulldrive - FM Mode
3) GGG Red Llama Clone - Set for a Clean Boost.

This setup give me as little, or as much gain a could possibly want, but the thing I have found over and over is the Triwatt works with any good quality effect very well. It sounded amazing with a Zen Drive in combination with an AC Booster. I this respect the amp is extremely flexible, and can cover many basses that most amps cannot.

I have heard friends play Surf, Country, Blues, Jazz, Rock and Metal out of the amp, and it does it all well, depending on the Guitar & Pedals.

_________________
ROB