CAE 3+SE vs OD100SE+?

glpg80

Well-known member
Is there any difference between the old CAE preamps in the late 90's, and John's OD100 series as far as the preamp is concerned?
 
The second channel on the preamp isn't really present on the head. Only clean and lead. The tones are pretty much the same otherwise.
 
Yeah, I didn´t have them at the same time but I´ve had both, and I agree with Snave. The unboosted channel 2 of the OD100 SE+ doesn´t quite feel the same as the middle channel of the 3+SE... gainier and looser, perhaps. It really does have a lot of distortion even without the boost, more than I can recall from my time with channel 2 on the preamp. It feels more like another variation of channel 3, which I suppose makes sense.

Other than that they are very similar.
 
I'm contemplating selling my 5150 for peanuts to get a CAE 3+SE preamp. They sound massive from what I can tell?
 
The preamps are cool... but there are a bunch of mods people have done to them... some authorized, some 3rd party. Some of the more popular Suhr mods are replacing the toroidal transformer, modding the clean channel to be more like a Fender Blackface, and a crosstalk mod. I’ve pondered snagging one of these for sometime. One of the quintessential ‘80s preamps. And yes there are differences... John himself prefers the tone of the head vs the preamp for several reasons (hence all the mods to get them close to the heads).
 
I see John no longer offers an OD100 or SE+, FTM. I wonder if he'd consider reissuing a pre-amp :inlove:
 
glpg80":ew79qfus said:
I see John no longer offers an OD100 or SE+, FTM. I wonder if he'd consider reissuing a pre-amp :inlove:

Yeah... I notice he even stopped the SE1000 handwired amp. I guess the OD100SE+ wasn’t a big seller. I like it way more than the current PT100v2.0 amp.
 
John will build you what ever you want. Probably one of the coolest guys in busines and very supportive of his products in my opinion. He’s helped me with my OD-100 and fine tuning the clean and boosted channel to get the tone I was doing for. The schematics are kind of all over the place depending on the model but they have a very good sound no matter the version it’s just what you like. My OD-100 goes from amazing cleans to full on kill and everything in the middle. Very cool amp.
 
Are CAA amps (with the branding and everything) still available "off the menu"?
I'm guessing the 3+ SE isn't available from either John or Bob anymore?
Lastly-- and don't mean to start a flame war--, can someone comment on how the 3+ SE compares to the Soldano preamps, for example the X88R?
I recall reading somewhere that the X88R was given by Suhr and Bradshaw to Soldano to produce- is that true? How do they differ tonally?
 
You can still get the CAA PT100, but I noticed a few days ago thinking this question over that he doesn't even have the OD100, OD100SE, or OD100SE+ model options anymore.

I really do wonder if he'd build a 3 channel modernized version of the CAE 3+SE preamp but based on his OD100SE+ preamp. For starters, I know the transformer mod on the old CAE's is almost essential to wake them up. Rumor has it that EVH himself used a CAE prototype with the transformer used in the transformer mod on FUCK.
 
white buffalo":1jokh4h6 said:
Are CAA amps (with the branding and everything) still available "off the menu"?
I'm guessing the 3+ SE isn't available from either John or Bob anymore?
Lastly-- and don't mean to start a flame war--, can someone comment on how the 3+ SE compares to the Soldano preamps, for example the X88R?
I recall reading somewhere that the X88R was given by Suhr and Bradshaw to Soldano to produce- is that true? How do they differ tonally?

The preamp should still be available directly from Bob Bradshaw. He retains the right for production while John Suhr kept rights for the amps. Current ones are outsourced to De Leon Enterprises, not built in house.

The X88R and 3+ aren't similar at all besides the form factor. The history goes Bob approached Mike Soldano to build a preamp for Steve Lukather's touring rig. Bradshaw supposedly first had the concept of a 3 channel preamp with discrete channels, aiming for Fender clean/Marshall crunch/Boogie lead. The circuit was entirely Soldano's work, approximating the 3 modes of the SLO.

Bradshaw didn't have a big enough margin when selling the X88R so he decided to get his partner John Suhr to make the 3+ preamp. Soldano was pissed since it appeared to be a ripoff of the X88R but it's not the same at all. The Soldano is fat and smooth and the CAE is very bright and crunchy sounding. Neither sound very good without a nice power amp.
 
Mark never had a problem getting a badass tone out of one. These things kick all kinds of ass :rock:

 
Snave":1jgx9sgu said:
white buffalo":1jgx9sgu said:
Are CAA amps (with the branding and everything) still available "off the menu"?
I'm guessing the 3+ SE isn't available from either John or Bob anymore?
Lastly-- and don't mean to start a flame war--, can someone comment on how the 3+ SE compares to the Soldano preamps, for example the X88R?
I recall reading somewhere that the X88R was given by Suhr and Bradshaw to Soldano to produce- is that true? How do they differ tonally?

The preamp should still be available directly from Bob Bradshaw. He retains the right for production while John Suhr kept rights for the amps. Current ones are outsourced to De Leon Enterprises, not built in house.

Bob did a supposedly final run last year, of a dozen or so units that I heard are sold out. So no more new units coming at this point.
 
Dave L":jsyfi744 said:
Snave":jsyfi744 said:
white buffalo":jsyfi744 said:
Are CAA amps (with the branding and everything) still available "off the menu"?
I'm guessing the 3+ SE isn't available from either John or Bob anymore?
Lastly-- and don't mean to start a flame war--, can someone comment on how the 3+ SE compares to the Soldano preamps, for example the X88R?
I recall reading somewhere that the X88R was given by Suhr and Bradshaw to Soldano to produce- is that true? How do they differ tonally?

The preamp should still be available directly from Bob Bradshaw. He retains the right for production while John Suhr kept rights for the amps. Current ones are outsourced to De Leon Enterprises, not built in house.

Bob did a supposedly final run last year, of a dozen or so units that I heard are sold out. So no more new units coming at this point.

That's what I was told as well. No more preamps.
 
The X88-R & CAE 3+SE are 2 different animals with just about only their faceplate layouts looking the same.Both of them have complete real amp feel even w/out mods,(roll your vol knob down and they clean up very well) especially when mated to a vht classic or 2150.Ive used them both w/ mesa 290,and vht 2 50 2 and 2 90 2,even the marshall el 34 100/100..But when these preamps are paired w/ the mighty vhts,its tone heaven.I did demo an original od100se once yrs ago,but my preamps offer much more options and flexibility.Some yrs back,I did a mini tour in schools w/ a rock band and we did a w/d/w 3-miked rig w/the CAE dry middle cab into vht classic, and the X88R to L/R wet into the 2150.It was a good time with killer tone.
 

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psychodave":3n73w0h7 said:
They sound great, but have very poor touch sensitivity. When I played them I had to fight the amp.
Really? not my experience at all..I think the right power amp makes a difference as well.

Here's a pickup demo using the CAE 3+ into a Mosvalve power amp, this power amp sounds better than the Mesa 2:90 I previously used with it!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=koY5Zhs2vvU
 
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