Noob, first post, module advice please

[Zedman]

Hey Folks, my name is Andrew Z, I'm in Canberra, Australia and yesterday good fortune smiled upon me as I was gifted a Randall RM100 with Plexi module.

I like the idea of this amp and I'm hoping that some of you wiser souls can help me with some module selection.

By trade, I'm an electronic tech and after a stint in media production I have returned to doing amp repairs in a serious manner. I've been saving gear from landfill for about 30 years.

Previously I had no idea about the RM/ Egnator series but I think that this amp will suit well as a loaner amp for when amp repairs are taking time.

So, please I will appreciate suggestions of two modules to complement the Plexi I already have. I'd like to try and find some that are either local to Australia or can be sent to me and would ideally like to keep costs as low as possible. Any leads on good value used modules to deliver a clean Fender type sound and a high gain sound will be great.

I really don't know how much my loaner amp will get used but it's worth a go and hopefully will be appreciated by some people who need an amp in an emergency situation.

Thanks
Z

 

[The Rossness]

Bruce Egnater invented the concept. He lisenced the concept to randall. They made single channel modules while Egnater made dual channel modules. When getting a module, know that a dual module will only have one amp channel available for a Randall amp (unless its been modded to have a manual channel switch)

The MTS concept was aquired by Synergy. At some point, they will be making newer modules and amps.

Base egnater and randall modules are ok. IMO, the best stock module I ever played was the KH1. The base module with the biggest following is the Brahma. It was a george lynch signature module. Personally, I never liked it, but others did and it tends to sell for more money than any other stock module.

Since the modules came out, there have been a number of people who've modded the modules to make them sound better. As an engineer, you could probably do it yourself. However, the two bigger module modders are Jaded Faith- he's in America, and Salvation- he's check republic. Dave Firedman will also mod modules.

There are several guys in Australia here on the forums- ask around. Peace~

 

[Zedman]

Hey thanks for your help TheRossness, I can see that Bruce Egnator is a respected designer so it's surprise where its come from.

MANY years back I remember that Seymour Duncan did combo amps that had similarities but definately not as sophisticated.

So, I guess the modules aren't cheap. Please what is the usual starting price for used modules?

Z

 

[VitaminG]

you can pick up most unmolested stock Randall modules for around $100-150. The sig (Dan Donegan, Scott Ian, George Lynch) models seem to hold their value a little better but it depends on how motivated the seller is. Modded modules will naturally cost more, reflecting the R&D of the modders. Check out the For Sale section here for a feel for prices.

For clean, I don't mind the stock Blackface or Clean modules. I know other guys really like the Tweed. For high gain, I thought the Modern was better for lead than for rhythm, the Recto was alright but unremarkable, and the XTC is underappreciated. I could play a gig with just the XTC and use the volume knob on my guitar to clean it up for rhythm. A solid module. There are many other modules that I haven't had the pleasure of trying, so dig around the forum here and check out other's feedback on the different options.

Given that you were gifted the RM100 & only need a couple more modules, you could be fully up and running for a couple of hundred dollars

Keep in mind that you do get what you pay for. You could be perfectly happy with the stock modules. As much as some malign them, they provide perfectly useable tones for not a lot of money. But there is an appreciable improvement when you move into the modded modules, albeit at a much higher cost ($250-400 per)

 

[Zedman]

Hey VitaminG, thanks for giving me your insight. I've had some luck and found some stock modules- Mr Scary and Tweed for a bit over $300AUS inc delivery.
I guess I coulda waited to get cheaper modules but here in Australia they are a bit more rare and delivery costs add up.

Considering that the aim is to fit out the RM100 which will be used as a loan amp for when I'm doing repairs, I'm happy with the overall price. I also think there's a good chance I can recoup my money if I wanna sell it on eventually which is also good.

I am looking forward to getting the modules and hearing them in action. Last night I compared the RM100 to my Marshall 1959SLP. Whilst it sounded good I still preferred the Marshall but hey I'm not gonna complain when I've ended up with a 3 channel, 100w valve amp for cheap.

Z

 

[unearth]

Hi Mate, fellow aussie here. Keep an eye on ebay as they do come up on there often and being that MTS gear isn't widely popular here, they tend to go for cheap. I've seen Stock mods sell for $100aud, a Mr scary sold on there for $115aud(thats $90usd ) just a few days ago.

I don't have any MTS gear any more but my fav for clean(ish) was the deluxe as you could crank it up to get a driven tone or wind it back to get a clean tone and the SL+ was my fav driven tone. If I could ever find a RM22 the deluxe and SL+ would make it my ultimate rig.

I've had a KH-3, ultra, Tread Plate and XTC. KH-3 was also good but the SL+ was the best one I've owned.

Also, don't think you can save money buying a RM100 with mods and keeping the mods and selling the amp as NO ONE in australia wants a unloaded RM100, trust me I know.

 

[Zedman]

hey unearth, yeah my plan is to keep the RM100 as a loan amp for people in need when theyre amp goes belly up as I do repairs.

If it gets no use then I can either sell the complete amp and three modules for $350 or split the modules and resell whilst harvesting parts from the amp. Either way, I think I should just about get the cost of the two modules back in the long run or close to it/ small loss.

I got that Mr Scary, it should be on its way to me in the post now. I thought that seemed like a good price. ALl up its gonna be a pretty cheap amp.

Z