LA Amp Show review

[audiomidijace]

Hello all. Sorry I've been away for a bit. I spent the last few weeks on Death's doorstep. I managed to slowly crawl off of his porch, roll down his driveway and have slowly started walking up the street toward brighter days. I'm still pretty weak, but feeling MUCH better.

October 6th & 7th I brought a few guitars and my two RM50 combos down to work the LA Amp Show with Rob. It was a lot of fun and we met a lot of great people. As usual, most folks had NO idea that our beloved modular amplifiers even existed. And as usual, once they were introduced to the concept they were very intrigued. There were some great chicken-pickers, a few jazz guys, metal heads, etc. And Rob had something perfect to offer for everyone! They were all blown away with the quality of the tones available.

This was also a big treat for me as you can imagine! Not only did I really get to know Rob as a person (fantastic individual), but I got to try out all of his modules! I thought I would give you my take on some of these:

The NEW XTC: I've always been a fan of the XTC. Not only does Rob's new front panel look VERY cool, but what ever magic he has used to update this already impressive module has made ALL the difference for me. I MUST HAVE IT.

TEXAS SPECIAL: Clean tones for MTS has always been a sore spot for me. No matter how low you turn down the gain, you can just never seem to get a TRUE clean tone. It always has a bit of grit in there. I've had Rob make a couple of custom Tweed mods for me for just this reason. These were the best MTS clean tones I had heard until now. The Texas Special is simply amazing. It's a cross of the Mesa Lone Star and the Fender Twin. JUST BUY ONE.

VOXLESS: Finally truly clean Vox tones! Or not! This one will burn or be completely clean. The Matchless tones are bad *** too. Just fantastic.

RVERB: I'm not usually an Orange fan, but this thing really has character and cuts better than most. I didn't expect to like this one and I REALLY did. If you're looking for something different in a mid gain module you should give this one a try.

STEIN+: This is another one I didn't expect to like and REALLY did! When it comes to metal, I like guys like Lynch, DeMartini, Nuno, Sykes, etc. So this is not the amp that comes to mind for these kinds of tones. However I was able to dial in these tones beautifully! Point being it does a lot more than just the Dimebag sound! You'll be surprised how many different metal tones you can sculpt with this one.

PLEXI/TWEED: I would describe this as "pushed vintage tones." Really, Really cool. The midrange can be rather sharp though. I set the mid control down to 8 O'clock.

Brahma #39: It was just as described and bad ***! Not as versatile as the 59RR, but more specific and raunchy. If the description on the website appeals to you, don't delay.

This is just a selection of modules I hadn't had a chance to try before that really left an impression. There's not a bad tone to had with Rob's line up.

I've been so sick I haven't picked up a guitar since the show. I'm also kind of dead in the water until I finish setting up my new studio in the garage. Hopefully I'll have the energy to resume my work on it soon.

Cheers to all,
Jace

 

[Spencer4hire]

Thanks for the review. Wish I could of been there. Get to feeling better!

 

[metalsoup]

Nice review!

About the Brahma #39, were you able to coax a little of that "brown sound" a la early VH out of it?

I brand new to the world of MTS but am quickly appreciating the artisanry of the various module modders. Very impressive indeed.

One of my many interests is in trying to emulate some of that magic guitar tone off the first VH album. There's just something especially unique about that particular tone.

I'm looking to gather information on modded modules that focus in on that specific tone. I recently acquired the SG Bully which is way cool. However, its focus is on EVH's tone on subsequent albums (e.g., Fair Warning). This is also a great tone, but as most readily admit, not the same as on the first VH album.

Of course, I'm guilty of splitting hairs here, but I get the feeling from lurking around this website and reading the posts, I'm not alone in that! :lol:

 

[Oyster]

I am going to talk to Rob at Jaded Faith about the same sound on my next order.

I have a stock Brown module and I am hopeing to mod it into that first Van Halen tone.

 

[metalsoup]

That sounds like a good idea. Please let us know how it goes! I'm sure many would be interested in the results.

 

[eyeball987]

I have the new XTC inbound. Hopefully this week so I can take my weekend off and rock it out. Good review!

 

[dcg8]

At the show did you have any hands on with the VHT inspired Ultralead :?: It's on my wanted list, but I'm looking for more feedback on the mod.

 

[audiomidijace]

Nice review!

About the Brahma #39, were you able to coax a little of that "brown sound" a la early VH out of it?

Yes, Brahma #39 is BY FAR the closest to the VH1 tone that I've heard.

 

[audiomidijace]

I have the new XTC inbound. Hopefully this week so I can take my weekend off and rock it out. Good review!

You'll love it! For me it's the kind of module where you can set all the knobs at noon and just flip the switches to dial the voice and gain that you want. It's just magic.

 

[audiomidijace]

At the show did you have any hands on with the VHT inspired Ultralead :?: It's on my wanted list, but I'm looking for more feedback on the mod.

I did. I have to say that I'm NOT a VHT Pitbull fan. The best thing I can tell you is that everything that I don't like about that amp seemed to be well represented and I disliked the module just as much!
A few guys that owned that amp did try the module at the show and said that it was VERY close. If the VHT is your thing I'll think you'll be very happy.

 

[metalsoup]

Yes, Brahma #39 is BY FAR the closest to the VH1 tone that I've heard.

8)

Thanks for the review and additional comments!

 

[JKD]

Do you hear any feedback from the rest of the guys at the show on the modular stuff/JF mods?

Obviously MTS is end of life, am just curious what the boutique amp crew had to say

 

[eyeball987]

Do you hear any feedback from the rest of the guys at the show on the modular stuff/JF mods?

Obviously MTS is end of life, am just curious what the boutique amp crew had to say

+1.

 

[audiomidijace]

If I'm understanding your question correctly, it was a little awkward pushing custom modules for a currently discontinued line of amplifiers! However the low prices of used MTS amplifiers was kind of a selling point for us. With the average price of an RM50 combo being $400 and an RM100 head being $500, it a pretty small investment. The most you'll pay for a JF mod with a new donor is $350. So one could get an RM100 head with 3 custom modules for about $1500! Once you point that out to guys who are paying $3k to $5K for Fuchs, Friedman, Bogner, etc it starts looking like an affordable option really fast! And they could hear for themselves that the tone stood up!
The fact that the system is Eganter designed goes a long way with these guys, because let's face it; what is Randall known for? Solid state amps for metal heads. So guys looking for Fender tones, Vox tones, Marshall tones would never think to look at Randall amps! And Randall NEVER marketed the amps to give those folks a different opinion. But for the guys who took the time to hear the pitch and try the amps....none of them left unimpressed!
One guy who owns MANY boutique amps was so impressed, he found an RM100 on the LA Craig's List for $500 with a couple of modules. He bought it that night and is having Rob make him a handful of custom mods.
The fact that you can use just about any kind of power tubes you want and bias them yourself went a long with with folks too.
I saw a hell of a player in the Bogner booth trying out some amps and then later on he came to our booth and seemed just as impressed as he was with the Bogners. So for the guys who are looking for tone and not "names" MTS does well. There are always those who worship at the alter of "point to point only" and god bless them and their pocket books! But for the rest of us......

 

[Mike361]

Thanks for the great post for those of us that just can't do LA. I never even gave it much thought about trying to sell modules for a amp that you can't get from the manufacture. Gotta be a hard sell even if the modules are so great. I am so glad Rob is willing to try and expand this whole thing. And of course I don't want to leave out the other great modders out there. Thanks again and good luck with your health issues. Sounds like you are on your way back to good times.

 

[Jaded Faith]

My apologies for being so late to the party, but it's only because we have been so busy here. My spare time for looking around the forum has been quite limited for the past several weeks. The show was a complete success, far more so than I could have imagined.

First off, a huge thanks to Jace for all of his help. The show was that much better not just for his gear, but for his knowledge, personality and passion. The two days spent with you were a pleasure and I gained a true friend in the process. I look forward to working with you again in the future sir, particularly if things continue according to plan.

Our room was nearly non-stop traffic from start to finish both days, with many folks returning more than once after walking around some more. I also got an opportunity to meet many of our customers and you were all as great as I imagined from both our phone and email conversations. I can count on one hand the number of folks who came in that weren't interested in hearing what we were all about. A lot of interest was sparked in both our MTS and non-MTS work (the 6505+ we just shipped back to Cali with a 59RR-inspired Rhythm channel and Ultra XL-inspired Lead channel is an absolute MONSTER, all for around $300 after shipping across the country).

As Jace mentioned, at least one customer hit Craig's List Saturday night and returned with an RM100 and an order for 3 modules. He was far from the only one, with at least a half dozen others following suit since then. Many owned several boutique amps with price tags eclipsing the modest investment that is an MTS system. After listening to our passion for the system and getting a chance to demo the offerings, I honestly can't remember a single sceptic.

Overall, I left extremely satisfied with the experience and it will not be our last show. I am looking into several other options and will post them as soon as we lock a spot.

Thanks again to Jace for everything, all of you who were able to make it out, those of you who sent their well-wishes and support while we were out there, Trace @ Voodoo, Jim @ Scumback, Rick @ Celestion, Dino from Fear Factory and anyone who game us a moment of their time. You made the entire endeavor a huge success.

 

[DonP]

I'm glad you did well at the LA amp show. I came very late to the party just picking up an MTS amp one month ago. I'm liking it a lot so far. I hope you get enough business to stick around until I can send my modules. And hopefully it may spark enough interest to get Randall thinking maybe they made the wrong decision. I feel this is very similar to the Les Pauls of the late 1950's. Gibson killed them because they weren't selling good, but after players figured them out they had to bring them back 8 years later.

 

[drewiv]

I'm glad you did well at the LA amp show. I came very late to the party just picking up an MTS amp one month ago. I'm liking it a lot so far. I hope you get enough business to stick around until I can send my modules. And hopefully it may spark enough interest to get Randall thinking maybe they made the wrong decision. I feel this is very similar to the Les Pauls of the late 1950's. Gibson killed them because they weren't selling good, but after players figured them out they had to bring them back 8 years later.

Randall is D-O-N-E with MTS. I see almost no chance of them returning the line. Our hope lies with Bruce Egnater or possibly another company licensing it from Bruce. My best guess is Bruce.

 

[The Rossness]

I'm glad you did well at the LA amp show. I came very late to the party just picking up an MTS amp one month ago. I'm liking it a lot so far. I hope you get enough business to stick around until I can send my modules. And hopefully it may spark enough interest to get Randall thinking maybe they made the wrong decision. I feel this is very similar to the Les Pauls of the late 1950's. Gibson killed them because they weren't selling good, but after players figured them out they had to bring them back 8 years later.

Randall is D-O-N-E with MTS. I see almost no chance of them returning the line. Our hope lies with Bruce Egnater or possibly another company licensing it from Bruce. My best guess is Bruce.

...and Bruce won't tell us if MTS has a future or not (beyond the USA custom module runs he does every so often). Will egnater make a new modular series of amps? Will they be built in Asia like the rest of his amp line? Will modules be cheaper than $375 for a USA dual module? I'd really like to know what the plan is, or if there isn't a plan, I'd like to know that too. And when people have asked Bruce, the answer is either vague or non existent.

 

[drewiv]

I'm glad you did well at the LA amp show. I came very late to the party just picking up an MTS amp one month ago. I'm liking it a lot so far. I hope you get enough business to stick around until I can send my modules. And hopefully it may spark enough interest to get Randall thinking maybe they made the wrong decision. I feel this is very similar to the Les Pauls of the late 1950's. Gibson killed them because they weren't selling good, but after players figured them out they had to bring them back 8 years later.

Randall is D-O-N-E with MTS. I see almost no chance of them returning the line. Our hope lies with Bruce Egnater or possibly another company licensing it from Bruce. My best guess is Bruce.

...and Bruce won't tell us if MTS has a future or not (beyond the USA custom module runs he does every so often). Will egnater make a new modular series of amps? Will they be built in Asia like the rest of his amp line? Will modules be cheaper than $375 for a USA dual module? I'd really like to know what the plan is, or if there isn't a plan, I'd like to know that too. And when people have asked Bruce, the answer is either vague or non existent.

Maybe there's a plan that can't be outlined in public quite yet, maybe there's no plan. I understand the wait and see position is getting more and more difficult, but unfortunately that's where we're at.