Head vs. combo

[bcole]

I am looking to get one the RM amps. I am considering getting a combo for home use then I can just plug it into my cabs for live use. Thoughts? Is there a big difference between the two?

 

[GtrGear]

Soundwise I guess no difference.

The combo is very heavy. Not to mention when you
want aftermarket EVM speakers in it.

Converting a combo into a head is also no solution
bacause than you have your new head upsidedown in the headcase...

 

[drewiv]

I am looking to get one the RM amps. I am considering getting a combo for home use then I can just plug it into my cabs for live use. Thoughts? Is there a big difference between the two?

I, personally, prefer the head to a combo. I also prefer the RM100 to RM50, but I may be in the inority in that one. Something darker about the RM100 over the 50, that I like. The RM100C wieghs a ton and a half.

 

[Ampoholic]

The RM100C wieghs a ton and a half.

Amen to that! The head weighs 1/2 a ton! But I gladly carry it for the tone and 3 channels.

 

[bcole]

When you converting combo to head.... if i had the combo... all i need to do is unplug the combo speaker and run the outs to my cab right?

 

[Ampoholic]

Yup, that's it, that's what I did. Hard part's finding a head cab. Only downside so far is it's a bit top heavy, so transporting I lay it on it's side.

 

[BigBrewtus]

When you converting combo to head.... if i had the combo... all i need to do is unplug the combo speaker and run the outs to my cab right?

You are correct! you just unplug the combos speakers and run out to another cab. If converting a RM100C to a head the controls are on the
top side opposed to bottom. Not a big deal if you find a desent wood
worker and have him build one. I did this before and it wasnt over 100
bucks. The RM50 combo and head are the same so you can swap much
easier but finding a cab can be hard. Go the custom route. You can get
it the way you want and need and have it with better materials. I choose
7 ply birch. Much stronger than pressed wood.

 

[bcole]

My marshall is on ebay as we speak. I am stoked. A few years back my band toured with a band from the UK called Skindred, and their guitar player, Mikey was rockin the RM100. I wish I would have payed more attention to it. It always sounded amazing but at the time I was douche and just dismissed it because it was a Randall. The versatility seems like it cannot be beat. So far, the modules that interest me are Salvation Matchvox and Mash-oldano. I am shooting for the most flexibility I can find.

 

[wesarvin]

Do like I did. Get both the head and the combo. Keep crunchy or clean modules in the combo and heavy modules in the head. Run a dual rig. Leave one at home. Play with them. Experiment. Enjoy the versatility and tone of MTS.

 

[bcole]

Like your moves... it seems to be the way most MTS users go. I like that the modules will be almost, if not better, than experimenting with pedals. Albeit more expensive, but more fun and rewarding I would assume. How do they handle effects pedals. I have, up until this point, just run my pedal board through the front end of my Marshall.

 

[wesarvin]

I'll try to comment best I can as to pedals. I've been a long-time anti massive pedalboard guy. For some reason guitarists are often judged more by the size and bling of their pedalboard than their skill. In all honesty, tone matters. Tone is in the fingers and rig. Please take my effects comments with a grain of salt.

I'm quite happy with today's modeling, especially Line6, and feel that their multi boards for effects can't be beat for simplicity, versatility, and tone. For drives, I mostly get them from amps, and this is where MTS shines. Most of these have series and parallel loops, which is an awesome feature. As long as your effects can handle a line level loop, you're golden. The modules take pedals much the same way as the original amps that they model do, with the versatility of the loops and channel switching thrown in.

 

[bcole]

As far as pedals, I just use a Ernie Ball volume pedal, Line 6 DL4 delay, Digitech hardwire reverb, Maxon OD 808 and maybe in the near future a Line 6 MM4. Do you think will these will have any issues with the effects loop? Would I want to run series or paralled? Never used an effects loop before.

 

[Ampoholic]

I currently use all 3 ways in. I have a Modfactor and Glass Nexus in the serial loop and a Whammy DT, Analogman 808 in front. I'm trying out using a KFK 10 band EQ in the parallel loop with the effects knob dimed for a mid boost, this is just sitting on the amp so as not to have 2 more cables running to the pedal board. Also have a loop on the board with a Boss Super Octave and Diaz Squareface going to the front. All pedals work great with all channels except the Squareface which needs either a clean preamp or the gain cut WAY back.

Oh, I have loaded a modded Tweed, a gigmods Plexi/Brown (almost traded this away, would have been a BAD move. Pete's brown is badass!) and a modded KH3. Sometimes also use a Gigmods Slodano, a Voodoo Sear and a Gigmods Blackface.

Amp has Winged C EL34s and 6L6s loaded.