Why do I/you stay with MTS?

[dboy5150]

I got into MTS two years ago and like many of you, I go thru phases where I think about getting out and just buying one or two of the amps that my favorite modules emulate. Went thru that again last month. So I borrowed a stock Single Rectifier, stock JCM800 and a JCM900 dual reverb from some friends. A/B'd with my rig. These amps all sounded great...but only at higher volumes (master at 5-7).

Problem is that I'm never allowed to crank up that high at any of the venues we play, and at lower volumes (3-4) these amps all lost their mojo. My RM4/RT2/50 sounded more massive at lower volumes, period. The two Marshall's are also "one trick ponies"; dial in a great high gain tone but the clean goes to crap; vise versa. The mesa clean couldn't hang with either the JTM or Plexi modules either, especially for heavy rhythm work. The mesa was just sorta sterile (both clean and pushed). My bandmates agreed; rehearsed with these amps and handsdown they liked the Randall rig better.

So I returned the loaners, took my rack rig off the market and even bought an RM50 to dive deeper into MTS. (oh how I love the new addition!)

Anyone else have similar experience?

 

[rhequiem]

I am fairly new to MTS, just having got into it in the last few months. I haven't had any live playing experience, so I guess I am lucky that I stumbled into MTS almost right off. Initially, I had been using a Roger Linn Adrenalinn III, which is an incredible unit, but not really practical to rely on completely for live. I had bought a Peavey Roadmaster and Soldano 4X12 cab, but the Peavey (while I nice head) couldn't really do higher gain stuff. So began my quest. The other guitarist in my band had mentioned the MTS stuff (he has a GSP1101) and when I looked it, I thought it was cool-sounding, but waaay too expensive at retail ($600 for an RM4 + 4x$300 for modules = $1800 for a setup I wasn't sure how it would sounded). I ended up finding this forum and getting some stuff used. It's taken me a little bit, but I am really digging the sound I am getting out of my MTS gear. I play with people that have Triple REctos, Marshall JVMs, and I honestly prefer the sounds I am getting. I am very happy with my rig, and the only thing I'd like to try down the road is an Axe-FX, but probably just to run in tandem with my MTS stuff...

 

[walshinator666]

Before I went to the mts gear I looked for months before deciding what to get.I needed something that I could use at home playing very high gainy stuff and then tone it down when I played live.I found alot of stuff was either one or the other.The other guitar player just bought a mesa mark 5 and swears by it,but something didn't really click for me.With the mts just a little tweek here and a little tweek there I got what I am looking for.You buy,sell, trade until you get what suits you,it's a perfect set-up.

 

[crankyrayhanky]

Agreed, Marshalls and Rectos need to be loud to be good. Moderate volumes sound like bees buzzing my tone away.

I heard about this line years ago and literally laughed at it, mocked and ignored it as a cheap gimmick. But then I stumbled into here, found Pete's amazing SL+ and Recto tones and dove in. Now there's plenty of pro modders, so I can't imagine going anywhere else- except maybe adding axe fx for headphone playing and cool fx.

MTS does sound real good at any level

 

[JKD]

I bought into MTS in a big way back in the early days....probably went through one of each amp but ultimately high dollar and brands lured me away....big mistake! I spent a lot of $ and time on ENGL, Mesa, Marshall and finally got an MTS again just before the release of the Lynch sigs I think....

I basically don't feel the need for anotehr amp...it satisfies my lust as a tweaker (I'm a much better tweaker than player..) and then when Pete started modding stuff...it really took off.

I still love that I can go from SRV/Hendrix tones to modern high gain or tweaked out Marshall without blinking...and if I really get bored, I switch power tubes! \m/

 

[crankyrayhanky]

I still love that I can go from SRV/Hendrix tones to modern high gain or tweaked out Marshall without blinking...and if I really get bored, I switch power tubes! \m/

Right on! I never had such a killer strat tone until I got Gigmods Blackface and Tweed. The other amps I owned never could do that with any authenticity.

of course the hi gain Salvation pieces are devasting! I love this system

 

[eyeball987]

I bought into MTS in a big way back in the early days....probably went through one of each amp but ultimately high dollar and brands lured me away....big mistake! I spent a lot of $ and time on ENGL, Mesa, Marshall and finally got an MTS again just before the release of the Lynch sigs I think....

I basically don't feel the need for anotehr amp...it satisfies my lust as a tweaker (I'm a much better tweaker than player..) and then when Pete started modding stuff...it really took off.

I still love that I can go from SRV/Hendrix tones to modern high gain or tweaked out Marshall without blinking...and if I really get bored, I switch power tubes! \m/

+1. I am hooked.

 

[KillTone]

I was thinking about this the other day. Like all of you I am always looking for a better or different tone. Over the years I can't even count how many times I would get an idea for a new rig. Often, when I finally put the idea all together, it was great but then the next idea would hit me.

Since I got into the MTS I can say that never happens any more - well it actually does, but it is different now. All I have to do now it decide what I want, find the appropriate module to get modded and decide who I want to do it - or I can experiment with power tubes and bias settings.

Now I am never "between rigs" and I have a collection of preamps that fit in a medium size pelican case. Better yet, I don't have to sell off a whole rig and come up with several hundred or thousand to get into something new. The most a "new idea" will cost me now is about $400 - or much less.

 

[Julia]

I was just looking for something that I could get Fender and a couple different Marshall, and occasional Mesa tones out of.

 

[GtrGeorge!]

I wanted an amp that TRUELY enabled me to switch tones on the fly, to whatever I might need.

 

[tung]

I've been using two MTS amps since 2007. I'm still staying with it because I invested a shitload of money into it, with all the modules and maintenance.
MTS is still a great line, but the reliability is a different story.

 

[Mattfig]

Meesa loves me MTS setup...While it ain't cheap if you do it right, there are no other amps that can match this thing for tone and versatility...I dig that you can make it whatever you want...The modded modules are the point that hooked me...I liked the stock ones that came with my initial rig but as soon as I heard the modded ones, I sold almost every stock module I had...ANd then modded the ones I kept myself...

Axe FX seems cool as hell and I agree with requiem that I'll probably score one of those down the line...But I see no need to go anywhere else at all right now...MTS is where it's at for me...The carryover in tone between stock modules was the only disappointment for me...But with modded modules, the tone is much more specific to certain amps and therefore much more unique...

I swear by my Mashall as the ultimate tonal beast and think it sounds better than most stock Marshalls now...It's modeled after perfect sounding heads and thus delivers the same...There seems to be some spotty quality control (or lack thereof) by most companies now...The last thing I wanna do is buy a new JCM800 and find it's got weird issues...The Mashall delivers better anyway...

 

[kurtisqpublic]

The MTS stuff just does it for me, that's what keeps me here. I think as guitarists we all start to drift to the next greatest thing from time to time. I changed amps alot until I hit the mts rig. Now every time I start to get that itch to try something new i end up playing a gig where a guitarist walks up wanting to take my rig home with them or borrow it for a year or two LOL. gets my mind back on track and kills the gas every time.

 

[extralife]

Great concept.

 

[dboy5150]

The MTS stuff just does it for me, that's what keeps me here. I think as guitarists we all start to drift to the next greatest thing from time to time. I changed amps alot until I hit the mts rig. Now every time I start to get that itch to try something new i end up playing a gig where a guitarist walks up wanting to take my rig home with them or borrow it for a year or two LOL. gets my mind back on track and kills the gas every time.

+1 !!!
Two days after I posted my whole rack rig f/s on the forum, we did a gig at The Saint in NJ; the guitarist in the first band had a JCM800 with a bunch of pedals, second band guy had an Axe FX; soundman came up after our set and said I had the best tone of the night, and one of the best he'd mic'd up ever.

 

[rhequiem]

+1 !!!
Two days after I posted my whole rack rig f/s on the forum, we did a gig at The Saint in NJ; the guitarist in the first band had a JCM800 with a bunch of pedals, second band guy had an Axe FX; soundman came up after our set and said I had the best tone of the night, and one of the best he'd mic'd up ever.

Wow, really?! MTS beat out an Axe-FX and a JCM800?! That's inspiring

 

[Nigel T.]

It must be me, but ... do you like the sound? If so, why look for something else? Perpetual GAS? The grass is greener somewhere else?

I have two amps, a Ceriatone Dumble clone and a Randall. I like the sound of both of them. I am done; I don't need other amps.

So... why look for something else?

 

[m0jo]

For me two reasons: versatility and quality tone.

I need a versatile rig, because I play a diverse style .. MTS is the only thing I've heard that lives up to that and gives freaking good quality tone every time
Even my guitartonedeaf drummer says I've now got awesome sound.

Also I have the ultimate urge to tweak, modify, expand.
MTS allows that easily, when I get gassy it's easy to change tubes, modules, mod one etc. and then change my pants when it blows me away once again!

Why no Axe-FX?
Although I'm a great proponent of digital where it works well.. I've had too much experience with computers f-ing up sound and basically blowing up whenever you need them most. (I'm an IT guy, so I can fix it, but I want a rig that works period.)
For me analog also just had more edge, I'm more one with any tube amp than any modeller I've tried, there's some kind of disconnect whenever I try one.

 

[GtrGeorge!]

"I'm more one with any tube amp than any modeller I've tried..."


One of the best quotes Ive heard in along time.
GtrGeorge

 

[khingpynn]

The MTS stuff especially the Lynch Box is a great sounding and great looking amp.

I agree with Tung... though my experience so far has been dotted with minor issues the level of build quality of these amps is such that reliability may cause some issues.

To date I've had no major issue... none I could not fix in a short period of time. However I purchased a second Lynch Box half stack mainly for back up.

Early on the tolex and fuse issues reaked of cost cuts and indicated saving money was a priority over build quality... though I commend Randall on the price point, as allways is the case a higher quality would have been better.

It is hard to deny it is a great design. Bruse Egnater and Randall did a great job overal with George's help the Lynch Box became a standout performer.

Every "marshall guy" I know either praises these amps or makes fun of them and both are for the same reason... it just kills any production Marshall amp from the last 20 - 25 years. The tones are stellar... no they do not replicate, the versitility is unmatched yet the layout is still simple and easy to read... this is important when playing live. I know guys with JCM 2000's that just cannot get a great tone like the MTS and get confused over all the little buttons and such that are hard to read from anything past 12 inches. The MTS RM's are layed out in a very user friendly format... at a glance the channel indication is excellent and the dials for the most part are all easy to read... even the micro switch for brite and mids is easily discernible from a distance. Though I admit the Grail dials are difficult to read even up close.

I recently decided to sell off some of the MTS stuff I have however I'm keeping the one Lynch half stack and four modules. The main reason for this is a better built amp... however the challenge is to get the same great tones at lower volumes and keep the amp head lighter, the layout simple, and the tones felxible. So far to do this it's looking like a 50 watt platform one channel amp possibly a two channel. I like three channels so it's going to be heavy and expensive... maybe two LB heads is the way to go afteral... we'll see.

The other thing about the Lynch Box is the matching speaker cabinet and Eminence Super V speakers... this is by far the best sounding cab out there IMHO. Cuts through without the spikey highs that plague many cabinets especially the lower priced Marshall 4x12. Has tight bottom that does'nt get muddy. The mids are sweet and searing all at once.

I'm bringing a LB cab out to test all the production and prototype amp heads where I'm looking at having the custom build done... also I have this bulder working on a Signature Brahma mod. Should be fun!