New MOD 50 Owner

[EWSEthan]

Hi everyone,

Just wanted to introduce myself. I just joined this forum after getting a MOD 50. Ive been lurking and reading all of your posts for a few weeks which helped me decide on modules. Its loaded with the Vox and MHG modules and I couldnt be happier! This amp is killer and Frank and Bruce are great, great guys! I had been using an SLO for a couple of years which obviously sounds amazing, but the MOD 50 gives so many more tonal options.

The only problem is that Ive had the amp for 1 week and Im already GASing for more modules! I might need an SL++!

-Matt

 

[guitarguy510]

Hey Matt,

Welcome sir! I too am a Matt with a MOD50! Small world! Yeah the GAS for new modules hurts, but it hurts so good! :wink: What kind of power tubes are you running with your head right now? Those are two cool modules, wait until you check out some more!

 

[gtr31]

Awesome,,,

Im looking at ordering mine at the end of the month .just gotta clean christmas credit card bills y'know lol.
Anyway how does your MHG compare to the SLO can you get a similar tone .and the obvious power tube questions what did you get it shipped with .

 

[jmgman70]

I love my MOD 50!!! Hey matt nice choice ,I know what you mean about the gas for modules ,I can't get enough of it and any tube combo or module sounds delicious!!!!!!! Can't wait for the M4 to come knockin at the door!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[EWSEthan]

Hey guys,

Thanks for the warm welcome! I got mine with EL-34s particularly to keep the Vox as "british" as possible. And the Vox truly sounds out of this world! Very chimey and jangly. I use it for clean and mid-gain sounds and its really incredible.

The MHG is similar but different to the SLO. Like the SLO, its tight and sounds huge. However, if youve played an SLO, you know that nothing really has the kind of clarity and definition that its overdrive has. The MHG is close but still not quite there, though it still has exceptional clarity under bigtime saturation. All things considered the MHG is darker sounding than the SLO, which is a very bright amp. Nonetheless, you can dial the MHG in fairly bright still. Both are fantastic for leads though!

It FEELS different though because the SLO is a little more stiff and aggresive whereas the MHG has a certain Bognerish sag and snappiness. Now, that may be because the MOD 50 is only 50 watts and I can really open it up to get the power tubes cooking. The SLO is just way, way, way too ridiculously loud to do that. So, I bet the power tubes being EL-34s and getting them running hot has something to do with that.

Let me put it this way... MHG can be dialed in to sound very close to the SLO (probably more so than most other Soldano amps that supposedly have the SLO circuit) and with 6L6s Id think you can get even closer. Im sure the MOD 50s very high quality Heyboer transformer plays a big part in all this though because the SLO's legendary DeYoung transformer is a big part in getting its clarity.

Do you guys thing Id like the SL++?

Matt

 

[gtr31]

Very cool thanks for the info .
It probably a lot to do with your power section El34 has that Sag .
I bet if you dropped a tung Sol 5881 reiss in there it would be closer.Mike S uses the 5881 in all his amps and they are a stiffer cleaner tube .That could have something to do with the clarity and respose as well .34's are richer in harmoics
and warmer the compromise is they are a little looser in my experience

oh yeah Enjoy!!!!!

 

[muudrock]

Welcome to the forum and congrats on the MOD 50!
You may want to check out the EG3/4 module. To my ears it is very close to SLO overdrive. I had both a Decatone and an SLO when I first got My Mod100 and the EG4 channel is very similar in overall tone to the SLO, particularly in the midrange where the SLO is sooo nice.

Anyways, Welcome!

 

[EWSEthan]

Welcome to the forum and congrats on the MOD 50!
You may want to check out the EG3/4 module. To my ears it is very close to SLO overdrive. I had both a Decatone and an SLO when I first got My Mod100 and the EG4 channel is very similar in overall tone to the SLO, particularly in the midrange where the SLO is sooo nice.

Anyways, Welcome!

I might check that out! From the clips on indoorstorm.com the EG3/4 sounded much smoother than an SLO to my ears, more like an old Mesa, but its hard to tell from internet clips obviously. I always found my SLO to be quite aggresive sounding rather than smooth.

-Matt

 

[superunknown]

you will LOVE the SL2 module....hands down my favorite module in my MOD100 thus far

 

[Chad]

Now, that may be because the MOD 50 is only 50 watts and I can really open it up to get the power tubes cooking.

You are aware of the "trick" that is very popular where you crank the master volume on the amp, and adjust the overall volume with the modules? That gets the power tubes cooking pretty good. I run my master at 3 o'clock on my RM50B and it sounds great.

 

[EWSEthan]

Chad,

Yeah I thought about that, but its a problem because Im not running all of my channel volumes the same, or at least all relatively low. I run my Vox clean volume very high because I dont run the gain that high since I want that at the "just about to break-up" stage and the module gets hot easily. Conversely, I run the gain high on my MHG so I have to back the channel volume back to keep that and the Vox at similar sound levels overall.

Thanks,
Matt

 

[trazan]

Now, that may be because the MOD 50 is only 50 watts and I can really open it up to get the power tubes cooking.

You are aware of the "trick" that is very popular where you crank the master volume on the amp, and adjust the overall volume with the modules? That gets the power tubes cooking pretty good. I run my master at 3 o'clock on my RM50B and it sounds great.

Sorry, but the power tubes won't cook until they are...eh, cooking. IOW when they are delivering close to their full wattage potential...meaning loud. By turning down the modules volume, you're not giving the power section anything to work with.

The only way to play at low volumes while cooking the power tubes, is by going through a power attenuator or other device post power tubes.

 

[Chad]

Sorry, but the power tubes won't cook until they are...eh, cooking. IOW when they are delivering close to their full wattage potential...meaning loud. By turning down the modules volume, you're not giving the power section anything to work with.

The only way to play at low volumes while cooking the power tubes, is by going through a power attenuator or other device post power tubes.

Many have confirmed that this method works, but maybe I'm not using the correct terminology. Whatever the case, I think it sounds better with the amp master on a high setting. As a matter of fact, I believe I read that this feature is one of the main things that got George Lynch really interested in these amps.

 

[trazan]

Yep, the gain staging is different so it'll sound different, but you're not cooking any power tubes :wink:

I've found on my M4 that turning down the module's volume and instead raising the master (not power amp), results in a slightly clearer/brighter and less compressed sound.

 

[EWSEthan]

Who was talking about playing at low volumes? :wink:

I even out all my channel masters to make sure that I dont have any volume spikes or dips when changing channels. Then, I crank the hell out of my overall master volume. Trust me... the power tubes are cooking!

But I do agree with the theory that diming channel masters wont do anything to your power tubes. You need to crank the power amp master.

-Matt