which modules to fill the tone gaps between these 5?

[9985]

OK I am like a kid waiting for Christmas morning. I have a RM100 head & a total of 5 modules en route this week from several sources:

1086
Ultra
KH-3
Top Boost
Pete modded Deluxe

I'm looking to buy maybe 1 or 2 other modules...for now. So: what two modules (stock or modded) would best fill in tone gaps between the 5 above? I'm least interest in Marshall-ish modules since I also own a Voodoo modded DSL 100, although it is sadly in the shop for another few weeks. (A few people claimed the modded SL+ could out-Marshall a DSL100 - maybe for a stock one; doubt it for a Voodoo.)


I play 95% rhythm guitar in a 2 guitar cover/garage band, rarely any lead. Call me Malcolm Young, without the talent. or fame. or money. you get the idea. Our music range is pretty broad - from mid 60s classic rock through 80s hard rock/metal, occasional late 80s thrash metal & 90s alternative.


My rig: Marshall 1960a w/ G12T-75s, the RM100 with Ruby EL34s (for now); a H/S/S MIJ Strat, a 79 Les Paul Std that I butchered in my youth with SH-8 Invader & Super Distortion p-ups & a Jimmy Page mod (great 80s metal tone though), a bone stock SG Special (which I love for AC/DC & Sabbath tunes), and a Carvin DC150T that doesn't get much use. I have a few pedals that I rarely use- normally just run straight to the head. I also have an SGX 2000 Express & ART X-15 MIDI controller that I'm afraid to break so I don't take it out of my house much... if I can figure out a how to program complex presets on the RM100 with the X-15, that might change.


Suggestions? XTC? Grail? Brahma? Blackface? Tweed? what?

 

[crankyrayhanky]

I think modifying some of your ewxisting arsenal would be a great chopice. Stock, I would say a Blackface or KH1 would offer some cleans you don't have- but what exactly does that Pete Deluxe have? That may already have a BFace switch so then you would be set there.

I would be curious how a PeteSL+ could stand up to a Voodoo Marshall, so I hope you go that route!

 

[9985]

I think modifying some of your ewxisting arsenal would be a great chopice. Stock, I would say a Blackface or KH1 would offer some cleans you don't have- but what exactly does that Pete Deluxe have? That may already have a BFace switch so then you would be set there.

I would be curious how a PeteSL+ could stand up to a Voodoo Marshall, so I hope you go that route!

There's a Pete modded Clean module that is supposed to be very close in tone to a Blackface for sale in the classifieds I was looking at. Don't know exactly what that Pete Deluxe has... it's in the mail right now, will report back after I've tried it.

Trace at Voodoo said on Rig Talk they could actually mod the Randall modules, I haven't followed up on that to find out what he can offer, after I've played with my stock modules a bit maybe I will have him tweak one when I drive up to retrieve my DSL 100 later this month. Might be fun to compare to some of the more common mods.

Other suggestions?

 

[Zander]

I see cleans and high-high gains.

How about a Plexi for mid-high gain?

 

[JKD]

I say go JTM

 

[Julia]

JTM is underappreciated and very versatile. It can roar, or be very clean

 

[Mailman1971]

I say go JTM

Yes.....JTM all way. Have Pete do a mod on it. Really cleans it up and brings the tone to life. Then you can always run a OD in front if you want to push it a little.
Great "middle of the road" module.

 

[Jaded Faith]

There's a Pete modded Clean module that is supposed to be very close in tone to a Blackface for sale in the classifieds I was looking at. Don't know exactly what that Pete Deluxe has... it's in the mail right now, will report back after I've tried it.

These are both my old modules. The Clean has been traded but it was a great clean tone. The Deluxe is just a standard Deluxe with a custom faceplate and Pete's standard Warmth/Clarity mods. Just the Deluxe tone cleaned up and improved.

 

[9985]

Yes.....JTM all way. Have Pete do a mod on it. Really cleans it up and brings the tone to life. Then you can always run a OD in front if you want to push it a little.
Great "middle of the road" module.

Hmm- didn't expect that recommendation- I had put both the JTM & Plexi towards the bottom of my wishlist due to owning the Voodoo DSL100. I have a Humphrey modded Bad Monkey, a Keeley DS-1 and a MXR 10 band EQ that I could experiment with as OD/boosts.

Read a post by Pete elsewhere that said the Brahma (stock) had some tone overlap with the stock JTM, will have to look closer at that module & the available mods for it. Tough to find those used though from what I have seen.

Aren't there some SL+ mods that have switches to cut the gain back to Plexi/JTM levels as well?

Any non-Marshall-ish modules that could fill in the mid-gain gap? I thought the XTC could come down into that territory.

 

[Mailman1971]

Well a Recto or treadplate has a different voicing then the others mentioned. Its great when run the gain at about noon and put a small boost in front of it. One of my FAV to play modules as well.

 

[9985]

Well a Recto or treadplate has a different voicing then the others mentioned. Its great when run the gain at about noon and put a small boost in front of it. One of my FAV to play modules as well.

And the Grail is based on a Recto module, right?

So if I went with a Grail & a Brahma, that would just about cover it?

 

[Mailman1971]

Yes....Grail and Brahma covers ALOT of territory!
I have both in my line up and they each have their place.

 

[guitarslinger]

I think that list needs a Mr. Scary between the top boost and KH3.

 

[9985]

Yes....Grail and Brahma covers ALOT of territory!
I have both in my line up and they each have their place.

Well, I thought Grail + Brahma was the two I was shooting for, but now I am confused after reading a post by RD/Steve in the classifieds:

...for those interested in friedman brahma's...the grail comes very very close to getting those tones. it's a little fatter with more low end, but it's there. (maybe lacks a touch of mid range, but just a touch though.) i have the luxury of owning both, and while the friedman brahma is my fav, the grail can be dialed in to get within a smidge close. i use the grail for my high gain stuff. killer killer module.
_________________
RD/Steve

If they are that close, shouldn't I get just one, and something different for the second? Maybe the XTC or a Mr. Scary? For the last one, I'm looking for whatever module will provide the biggest tonal difference from the 5 I have + whatever 6th one I get. Preferably capable of good mid-gain levels to compliment the others which are mostly high gain modules.
[/quote]

 

[Mailman1971]

You cannot go wrong with the Brahma. That module can pretty much do it all. If you boost it, you can get Van Halen Fair Warning guitar tone. That is the GO TO module. Looks like you have plenty of High gain ones so the nice middle of the road would be the Brahma in my opinion. The JTM is just a slightly weaker version of that tone.

 

[gtr31]

I think the Lynch mods all overlap to some extent and that is whats so cool about them..

the SuperV crunched up gets into Brahma territory. the Scary has some similar Brahma characteristics but starts moving towards the more Agressive Grail .

All the Lynch mods to me sound great and have a certain tone.
but back off the gain on one add a boost to another and they are similar except each one will excel at its specific era of Lynch tone

 

[9985]

I think the Lynch mods all overlap to some extent and that is whats so cool about them..

the SuperV crunched up gets into Brahma territory. the Scary has some similar Brahma characteristics but starts moving towards the more Agressive Grail .

All the Lynch mods to me sound great and have a certain tone.
but back off the gain on one add a boost to another and they are similar except each one will excel at its specific era of Lynch tone

The Brahma is so hard to find it might be a moot point for the near term- think I will try to get a Grail for now, see what else pops up.

 

[9985]

OK, spent about 6 hours this weekend experimenting around with my 5 modules, some impressions that will help me decide to fill in the gaps:

Pete modded Deluxe: really bass heavy! I love a bass/thumpy sound, but I found myself keeping the bass below 4- usually about 2 - the more gain added, the more I cut back the bass. Nice slightly overdriven/warm clean tone otherwise with the gain below about 5. Not really digging the higher gain levels on it, just too muddy sounding unless the bass is turned almost to 0. I only tried humbucker guitars, might be a totally different story with a single coil- will try that later. Also- this module is LOUD! had to keep its levels turned down 2 or 3 notches below all other modules to keep it at the same level.

1086: This module ROCKS! My favorite so far by a wide margin, really versatile - good classic rock Marshally crunch sound with the gain switch set to minus, all the way up to scorching metal with the mids scooped.

Ultra: Need to spend more time with it, but got a great metal sound if I cut back the bass to 3 & boosted the treble to around 6 or 7, which is not an EQ setting I would normally try.

Top Boost: I was most curious about this one since I've never played a Vox before. First impression was that it was way hotter than I expected- can't really get a clean tone out of it. Again- only tried my SG & Les Paul with humbuckers, will have to try single coils and try dialing back the guitar volume. Brian May-type tone is cool, managed to stumble onto an interest Hendrix-style tone that reminded me of Voodoo Child (or maybe the SRV version of it). I'm going to get this one modded to cut gain, preferably with a switch to turn boost on/off.

KH-3. Biggest disappointment. I love Metallica, thought I would dig it. Just uncontrollable gain for me, very muddy & prone to feedback above maybe 4 on the gain scale. It turned me off so bad that I gave up after only maybe 10 minutes & moved onto the other modules, I need to go back to it & experiment more with EQ, maybe some different guitars. Might need to lower the bridge humbuckers in both my LP & Strat to deal with the mega high-gain modules.

So - I am still looking for a Brahma or Grail, hopefully the Top Boost mod will give me broader clean range. One parting shot- the Bright switch was so subtle on all the modules that had it I could barely hear any difference.

 

[crankyrayhanky]

Yea, that bright switch seems like a gentle boost in the higher register, maybe 8k? I used to have them on all the time-now I use them off.

That kh3 should be good to pump the gain to 2 oclck, but agreed it's too much at some point

 

[Mailman1971]

I wasnt a fan of the KH3 either. Played it about 20 minutes and knew I didnt like the tone of it. You should look into a Plexi module or the Brahama(hard to get) but a Modded out Plexi sounds SUPREME!! Nice middle of the road module. :wink: