R1 Clean Mods: Your Experience? & Does R3 Mean Anything

[2012]

I have a Top Boost and Blackface module. Both have 470ohm resistors in R1.

I noticed that in my 1086, R1 is 150ohms... but R3 is also 150ohms, whereas on the Top Boost and Blackface R3 is 470ohms like the R1.

What is the function of R3 and would changing the resistor from 470 to 150 do anything beneficial? It seems like it would if Randall started using 150 ohm resistors there too.

Also, for people that have done the Clean Mod with the 150 ohm resistor, did it change the TONE of the module? Someone said it killed the tone and that a 330 ohm resistor was better.

 

[Jaded Faith]

I swapped mine out on my Clean, but left it alone on my Deluxe. I didn't see any tonal change on the Clean except more "usable" range on the gain knob. I ran it at around 10:00 to stay crystal clean before and now I can set it up around say 2:00. I didn't change R3 though.

 

[2012]

I'm happy with the Gain control on my Top Boost (it has the lower gain non-top boost AC30 mod), but the Blackface's Gain control is pretty much useless to me, so I keep it as low as possible. Would the resistor mod help with that?

 

[Jaded Faith]

That was the exact same issue I had with my clean module before I swapped out R1. I think that would be just the fix you are looking for. Let me know if you have any questions about the details and I would be happy to help you out.

 

[2012]

^ Thanks!

Did it change the tone of your Top Boost?

Will someone with the newer black stripe Blackface/Top Boost modules tell me what is in R1 AND R3?

I'd appreciate it!