MTS Tractor Beam

[zepplin490]

Damnit Just as im ready to move on from mts, well not completely just keeping a 50 watt head to serve as a poweramp for my RM4 preamp, and getting rid of a 3 channel 100 watt RM100 and a 50 Watt RM50 combo and keeping four modules and had planned on purchasing 2 new modules that have been getting absolutely rave reviews. So my plan seemed to be going along ok.. Sold the RM50 combo and have a couple offers on the RM100.. But Now a 3rd Killer Module has emerged... The 2 New modules that I was planning on getting were the Jaded Faith Mods: Vybe Deluxe which is based on the SRV vibrolux and i have never heard any comments about that did not refer to it as anything but stellar, and the Jaded Faith Mods: Silverado Which is based on the Silver Jubilee and have have heard with my own ears how great it sounds. These two modules would be stored in the RM50 head that I planned on using as my RM4's poweramp and would be a slick rig, 6 modules 4 available through the RM4 at the touch of a footswitch. But now People have been raving left and right on the mts forum about the Jaded Faith Mods: Snakebite which is based on the Framus Cobra and offers a shitload of extra tone sculpting switches and knobs and like the vybe deluxe everything that I hear about the Snakebite is that it is basically the 2nd coming of christ in module form... So Now ive got 3 Must haves.. and it kinda sucks cuz i have no donor modules to use which adds $150 to the price of each module... I think I am going to sell my JF "UltraLead" which is based on the famous vht/freyette amp and my PlexiTweed which is a combo plexi and tweed based module... Cuz with the donors and all those 3 new modules are gonna cost exactly $1105...phew so im selling my Epiphone Les Paul Custom (Hotrodded of course), and keeping the jackson dinky reverse DX-10 Firestarter that i bought this past tuesday.. I dunno i might keep all the modules and buy another RM4 which would give me 8 channels.... as I said at the begininng MTS seems to have that damned Tractor Beam effect when you try to leave it behind, theres just too much great stuff going on with the module modders at the moment to leave.. So im gonna keep my TSL which still gets 50% of my playing time but im gonna spend some more money on mts..
-mp-

 

[chunktone]

I went down the MTS road for a while. Loved the clean tones! I found the high gain modules to be a bit lacking compared to real amps. I had a RM100 for a little over a year, and had the thing in the shop 2 times in less than a year! It kept blowing an internal fuse, that you could not get to without partially disassembling the amp! This was the deal breaker for me. Even if the tones were equal to the amps they were trying to emulate(which they are not) the lack of reliability was just unacceptable for me. It was also the noisiest high gain amp I've used.

 

[zepplin490]

My Rm100 was in shambles when i got but in the two years since then all ive had to do to it was change the tubes out.. I now use the RM100 as purely a poweramp for my RM4 4 channel Preamp running the RM4's output into the serial effects return on the rm100 and its worked flawlessly. Alot of the newer Custom modules from Jaded Faith and Salvation Mods are exemplary espescially the high gain mods they are absolutely killer I have a module called the UltraLead which is based on the Vht/Freyette amp of the same name and it is absolutlely killer tight tons of gain tons of low end and inspiring to play, Im selling it an another module to pick up some of the Latest crop to MOds which seem to jump to a whole new level about every 6 months.. I was pretty much getting out of MTS after i got my TSL but now im right back in.. I probably wont own another RM100 or RM50 but another RM4 is not out of the question these have a great record for reliability and performance and then theres the crop of brand new Egnater M4 preamps which i probably would have gotten in on if they only had the effects loops that the rm4's have.
-mp

 

[Kapo_Polenton]

.. I think I am going to sell my JF "UltraLead" which is based on the famous vht/freyette amp and my PlexiTweed which is a combo plexi and tweed based module... Cuz with the donors and all those 3 new modules are gonna cost exactly $1105...phew so im selling my Epiphone Les Paul Custom (Hotrodded of course), and keeping the jackson dinky reverse DX-10 Firestarter that i bought this past tuesday.. I dunno i might keep all the modules and buy another RM4 which would give me 8 channels.... as I said at the begininng MTS seems to have that damned Tractor Beam effect when you try to leave it behind, theres just too much great stuff going on with the module modders at the moment to leave.. So im gonna keep my TSL which still gets 50% of my playing time but im gonna spend some more money on mts..
-mp-

This reads like a teenager who doesn't really know what he wants and decides he can have it all...? So essentially you are raving about 3 modules you have not heard nor played in person ... again , not to be a dick but is this not sounding like a Richedie thread where he went back and forth with his ultimate speaker combinations and never really settled on anything? zepplin, you have to ask yourself how much of a need you have for these modules. Do you really need a Silverado when you already have a Marshall that will cover close enough? The mods really aren't jumping to a whole new level, the faceplates and marketing are. You are either going to like the tone or you will not like it. That simple. Try one at a time and flip it to recoup some cash for the next one if it doesn't do it for you. I almost guarantee you that you will be back to your TSL. If that is the "holy grail" tone for you then the other gainers will be redundant. As good as a snakebite sounds , I bet someone could take your TSL and a boost and get it to sound in the ballpark. In the mix, a lot of these nuances are lost anyway. I think it is a mistake to ditch the plexi tweed and the ultra you have. There is only so much you can do with these modules because V1 and the output section is fixed within the amp. Remember that. The ultra sounds awesome so just roll with that. The biggest draw from all the modules is honestly the faceplates which makes people feel like japanese tourists and go OOOOO AAAAAAAAAA. It's your money but I bet within 3 weeks you'll be back with another dilemna related to MTS...should i buy or sell or buy more!

 

[crankyrayhanky]

The kid's got enthusiasm!
Re-read your statement- I was cutting back on mts, just a 6 mod switching system, lol
Agreed with Kapo, pick a few favorites and stop-unless money is no concern

 

[zepplin490]

Yeah it is true that the faceplates are pretty cool and yes i do jump back and fourth alot but the Modders really are doing some much better stuff on id say the last 6 or 8 months worth of releases.. Salvation mods released the dual eq mod on the existing dual channel modules which used to give you a single eq but 2 sets of gain and volumes but now gives you all the tone shaping features plus two fully independent eq's but they are only on the Benzin modules which are based on the Diezel vh-4 and theres one based on the Herbert... and for me its not about the modder totally nailing the tone of a paticular amp but getting in the ballpark and sounding good are enough for me, My UltraLead sounds similar to clips of the real thing no exact by any means but it just plain is a kickass module with the tone that it provides. Trust me before i decided to grab the three new modules I had 3 seperate very long conversations with Rob the main guy at Jaded Faith Mods and he has never steered me wrong on any purchase he is the reason that I went to grab my TSL as i consulted with him on it for about an hour before i moved on it and he knows what I like as i have had several custom "just for me" mods built by him and he has always nailed it... So Im gonna get the silverado, Vybe Deluxe and the Snakebite based on a huge amount of comments and conversations ive had with owners of these modules... Maybe another rm4 is in my future maybe not but ive already got my RM50 combo sold as of today and im hoping for a call back from one of three people interested in my rm100... So im going for it.. crazy as it may sound
-mp-

 

[drewiv]

Oh, Kapo. Always so harsh.

 

[Kapo_Polenton]

Tough love is good! Sometimes you get too much into toys and then you get a vet bill, need a new garage door, need new shingles on your roof etc etc.. that's when you'll want that cash! I know I mostly play my JCM800 and my brahma module. I keep going back to what my ear wants.. we are all like that. That is why the classifieds are so full of gear be sold all the time. end rant!

 

[drewiv]

Oh, I know and in a lot of ways you're dead on. Toys are fun, but you're absolutely correct. I'll be cutting down and the classifieds will be filled with a bunch of my gear as I heed some of your advice. My niece wants a Disney vacation. Damn, that's expensive.

 

[zepplin490]

Yes toys are fun and I dont really have any bills except for rent and cigarettes and since paying off my TSL i have been saving for nothing in paticular but I think i have found something to spend it on No extra RM4 though im gonna keep it to a 6 module setup 4 in the rm4 and 2 sitting in the RM50/poweramp.. Im gonna be keeping my best lead module the JF XTC and the best clean ive encountered the JF SuperClean, already sold the Ultralead just a few minutes ago and hopefully the PlexiTweed will go in short order too, Waiting for a call on my never used les paul too.. then I gotta call rob when he gets back from the amp show which is probably going fabulous and he's probably gonna have a shitload of orders from the show so im gonna try to get my order in as soon as possible... gonna grab a foglifter for my rm50 too even though its gonna be used as a poweramp and module storage it should still have the latest and best parts in it.. BY the way anybody got a Peavey Classic 60/60 poweramp they might wanna get rid of? Ive got the 50/50 which sounds amazing with the RM4 on all modules but the high gain monsters just doesnt have the low end kick that 6L6's provide.. I might be selling that too soon..
-mp-

 

[chunktone]

There are some great sounding clips online of modules, especially Salvation Mods. I found them less than impressive in person. I've gone back to real amps. My current main amp is a Framus Dragon, and I am more than happy with it.

 

[Kapo_Polenton]

Oh, I know and in a lot of ways you're dead on. Toys are fun, but you're absolutely correct. I'll be cutting down and the classifieds will be filled with a bunch of my gear as I heed some of your advice. My niece wants a Disney vacation. Damn, that's expensive.

So if you had just one 100watter and could only keep 3, which ones would you keep? I get it though, sometimes it is really hard to let gear go. You always think "what if i miss it?".

 

[Mattfig]

I love the MTS forum, obviously...But there seem to be hype teams or something going on there with the same people pushing the same mods one after the other and for a bit it was bugging me...But now zepp has allowed me to see that they work! I don't blame any biz who markets cleverly but I would also go module by module and narrow it down...Selling two that you really dig is putting a lot of hope in what appears as hype...That isn't to say the hype isn't justified, I just would not fully trust it yet and risk things you know you already like...

I would seriously suggest the presence and density upgrade, then see where your current mods sound like...Try some Sacred Groove mods, some Salvation mods, Friedman...Every modder has a take and each take is different...All mods from one source can lead to a bunch of similar sounding mods in my experience....Try some boosts and EQ...You can do a lot with what you have and modules are only part of the game...

Then again, you could ask yourself...Self? What is MY tone?

 

[zepplin490]

And Matt You are the one who originally got me hooked on mts with all of those old jaded faith demos Now ive tried some salvation mods and I really loved my Angel B (Until I got My UltraLead... Which Btw I sold today) I also liked the salvado deluxe alot but it ended up as one that i diddnt need, wasnt really into the JF SLOD-100 either so I guess i just dont like the soldano flavor.. But the mods that I am going to be buying to replace those that are being sold are either A: unversally loved and I have never heard anything even remotely close to negative about or B: Modules that I have heard Demo's of, Studied and decided upon and the three that I have chosen either meet one of both criteria and some are tones that I have been chasing for years (in the case of the Vybe Deluxe) and some are just tones that from the sound of them i cant go wrong on (the Snakebite) and some are just plain unique and I just have to try (the Silverado). I wish i could try some SG mods but it always seems like theres some issue with that guy, from what I hear his mods are incredible but he doesnt produce very many and takes extended breaks from making them so I really would rather just A: spend my money in the states B: Know that I can call up they guy building and designing the mods at any time and he will always steer me in the right direction. and that leave's me with Jaded Faith Mods and Rob, I consult rob about every amplification decision I make weather its MTS or not and he has never steered me off course, The dude deserves my money and he will have it!
-mp-

 

[Mattfig]

And Matt You are the one who originally got me hooked on mts with all of those old jaded faith demos Now ive tried some salvation mods and I really loved my Angel B (Until I got My UltraLead... Which Btw I sold today) I also liked the salvado deluxe alot but it ended up as one that i diddnt need, wasnt really into the JF SLOD-100 either so I guess i just dont like the soldano flavor.. But the mods that I am going to be buying to replace those that are being sold are either A: unversally loved and I have never heard anything even remotely close to negative about or B: Modules that I have heard Demo's of, Studied and decided upon and the three that I have chosen either meet one of both criteria and some are tones that I have been chasing for years (in the case of the Vybe Deluxe) and some are just tones that from the sound of them i cant go wrong on (the Snakebite) and some are just plain unique and I just have to try (the Silverado). I wish i could try some SG mods but it always seems like theres some issue with that guy, from what I hear his mods are incredible but he doesnt produce very many and takes extended breaks from making them so I really would rather just A: spend my money in the states B: Know that I can call up they guy building and designing the mods at any time and he will always steer me in the right direction. and that leave's me with Jaded Faith Mods and Rob, I consult rob about every amplification decision I make weather its MTS or not and he has never steered me off course, The dude deserves my money and he will have it!
-mp-

Fair enough....My advice is not to steer you away from Rob...I think much of his work is great and I use it myself...I was speaking to the guy who was just unsatisfied with MTS and trying to tell you that there are other options and sometimes the hangup is the similarity in the modules themselves...Different modders sprinkle different dust and diversity comes from that direction quite easily...That's all...You know what you want...But just because there aren't posters stating "Friedman HBE!!!!!!!!" over and over doesn't mean a Friedman may not be your solution...

Rob will hook you up with what you want and is great with customer service...He has a relationship with his clients which is cool...I see why you are attracted to that for many reasons...

 

[drewiv]

Oh, I know and in a lot of ways you're dead on. Toys are fun, but you're absolutely correct. I'll be cutting down and the classifieds will be filled with a bunch of my gear as I heed some of your advice. My niece wants a Disney vacation. Damn, that's expensive.

So if you had just one 100watter and could only keep 3, which ones would you keep? I get it though, sometimes it is really hard to let gear go. You always think "what if i miss it?".

I hate you.

Let me think on that question...

 

[rlord1974]

This thread - and all of Zeppelin's recent MTS-related threads - demonstrate exactly the reason why I tired of and ditched my MTS rig. It's too easy to constantly get sucked back into shelling out more dough for modules that sound incredibly similar to one another.

Sure, the faceplates the modders are offering look pretty spiffy at times, but at the end of the day, who cares?.....that's just cosmetics.

As for new modules getting stellar reviews: come on, of course they do. The new owners of these modules (a) aren't going to admit that they shelled out $300 or $400 for a new, custom module and it sucks, and (b) they need to "pump them up" on the forums to ensure their resale value stays up, so they can flip their new $300 module to fund the newest $300 module that some modder just came up with (that sounds identical to 5 or 6 other modules available on the market! )

I'm quite thrilled to be back using traditional, non-modular tube amps. It has been quite liberating to free myself from MTS. That's not a knock on the MTS amps, because they do sound good (well, some of the modules do), but being an MTS person also typically involves spending an exorbitant amount of time shipping and flipping modules, which is not what playing guitar is all about (at least, not for me).

Just my personal experience. I know a lot of guys use and love MTS - it just wasn't for me anymore.

Carry on.

 

[Mattfig]

This thread - and all of Zeppelin's recent MTS-related threads - demonstrate exactly the reason why I tired of and ditched my MTS rig. It's too easy to constantly get sucked back into shelling out more dough for modules that sound incredibly similar to one another.

Sure, the faceplates the modders are offering look pretty spiffy at times, but at the end of the day, who cares?.....that's just cosmetics.

As for new modules getting stellar reviews: come on, of course they do. The new owners of these modules (a) aren't going to admit that they shelled out $300 or $400 for a new, custom module and it sucks, and (b) they need to "pump them up" on the forums to ensure their resale value stays up, so they can flip their new $300 module to fund the newest $300 module that some modder just came up with (that sounds identical to 5 or 6 other modules available on the market! )

I'm quite thrilled to be back using traditional, non-modular tube amps. It has been quite liberating to free myself from MTS. That's not a knock on the MTS amps, because they do sound good (well, some of the modules do), but being an MTS person also typically involves spending an exorbitant amount of time shipping and flipping modules, which is not what playing guitar is all about (at least, not for me).

Just my personal experience. I know a lot of guys use and love MTS - it just wasn't for me anymore.

Carry on.

Mostly agree but obviously not fully as I still am in it...The mod flipping gets old and you are right that many do sound similar...Gain and compression can only be sliced into so many sections before other aspects and techniques are used to refine it outside of the mods...My mod stable does not rotate like it used to although I still like to try a new mod every now and again to see where it is all at but I find myself able to resist the new mod urge much less and find satisfying tones in my current setup...
Zepp is right where I once was...A mad mod slinger...It's cool and fun at the same time and if you can swing it, it's a fun game to play...But a lot of resources get tied up quickly in that game and honeymoons become shorter and less intense each time...Meanwhile, the hype is at a fever pitch and the MTS forum is more like a GAS station...

So what did it for you? What's the current rig? And the big question, would you do MTS again?

 

[Electric I]

Lol @ "GAS station"

Was somewhat deep into the MTS thing awhile back with an RM comb. & a 22 head. Tried most stockers & some Lynch/Scott Ian sigs. Wasn't happy with any of 'em & sold them all off (along with the RM22) except for the trusty RM20 comb w/ Blackface, which makes for your garden variety pedal platform.

Now I find myself looking to get beamed aboard again after checking out the latest JF soundcloud samples.

My only concern is this: if I didn't care for any stock or sig mods, will I dig the JF ones ? Are they that much better ?

 

[Jdguitar]

I haven't bought a new module in over a year. I haven't felt the need to. I play in a few different bands that cover everything from Bill Haley to Metallica. I have a small stable of modules and a couple of RM100 heads...basically one for backup. These mods do all the tones I need and are easily swappable. I may buy another mod here and there for fun but I'm not caught up in the gotta have the latest mod thing.

I still say the MK22 mod the the Bully mod will get most people more 80's Marshall than they will ever need.