Are stock modules becoming extinct?

It seems like they are.

With all the modding and using stock modules as donors, it seems like the non signature, stock modules are showing up less and less on eBay or in the classifieds. I recently bought a stock black faced Deluxe because I had the original one modded and have my feelers out for an SL+ (I had two and had them both modded). You used to see SL+ modules all the time but not anymore. I think that both of those modules are great out of the box and are two of my favorite stock modules (Dlx and Sl+). I figured I better get them now because they will be getting harder and harder to find. I've been into MTS since just before the Lynch stuff came out and still plan to continue to keep my mts for years to come!

I hadn't played one of my stock mods for a long time ,and I have at least one of every non signature one, but then a friend bought a Marshall JTM re issue so I thought I'd rip out my stock JTM and Plexi mods. As soon as I plugged into them I realised why I got into MTS. They may not sound as good as the modded mods but far out when you dime the volume it just sounds so good regardless. I can't wait to A/B with his JTM.

I have actually had a few modded modules that I was disappointed in and ended selling. I actually liked those modules better before they were modded. Some of the stockers really do sound good as is. The Deluxe module is great for warm, thick sounding dirty blues and crunch and really sounds killer with an Xotic BB pedal in front of it. The SL+ module is also one of my favorite stock modules. I had a silver faced version and then had it modded by Pete Turley and sold it (mistake!). I have also had a black faced version and had it modded by another modder. It's "okay" but not as good as the Turley mod I had, IMO. The original SL+ had a ton of bottom end and the black faced version was tightened up considerably, a tad too much, IMO, but is still a great module right out of the box.

Those modules used to be for sale all the time, used, for like 90-150 range and it just seems like now you don't see them for sale as often. I would guess it's because so many of them have been used as donors. I picked up a stock Deluxe for $80 and want to get another used stock SL+ (black faced) while I can still get one at a decent price. I haven't even seen one for sale here or on eBay in a while. All of the Randall modules are out of production and I suspect that as time goes by, some of the stockers are going to get harder and harder to find and prices will start going up.

Last year both Jaded Faith and Salvation were offered the remainder of Randall's modules (what was in the states and in Europe), and both bought heavily if not all.

There do seem to be the occasional stash in various music stores, but the pricing tends to be high.

If you see a stock modules in the gain styles they should be under $149 to be worth your time, and the cleans beneath $120 (or less). Those are my personal guidelines for what they're worth.

I've not found a single stock mod to surpass what the modders bring to the table. Some claim all of the gain mods sound the same to them, but I've definitely not felt that way in my purchases.

Rob at Jaded Faith was great when we were coming up with the Vybe Deluxe. I really wanted the Vibroverb/Vibrolux tones and he followed the original schematic faithfully. I also liked the core tone of the deluxe so he voiced the tone-stack to deliver a less muddy sound, and the pushed mode just made sense.

Play your modules with a variety of gain levels as well as with various amounts of volume on your Gtr. I've found some of the more gain focused mods have a lot more to offer this way (SG XTC, JF Erect and SLO-100).

But if you like some of the stock mods, you should look for The Mr Scary, Brahma, as well as some of the later releases. Bottom line take advice but trust YOUR ears. Some guys here are out playing loud and others are more bedroom/studio focused.

Sorry for the long *** post, but I'm sure glad to have my mods and my R/T250 power amp (and yes I do hear and feel the difference in EL34 and 6L6 varieties).

I've been playing for 36 years and have had a ton of different gear over the years and, at least IMO, I have a pretty sophisticated and finicky ear, although I'm sure everyone thinks that about themselves. I had a few different modded modules that I did not care for. One was a Marshall based mod that I kept for quite some time and I could never really warm up to it. It had an annoying "ear fatigue" quality to it and I was never able to dial it in in a way to solve that problem. I had another modded module that should have produced both clean and warm tones but it was sterile and harsh. And I currently have yet another Marshall based modded module that is mediocre at best and is sort of borderline to me as to whether it was worth the $$ for that mod. It's a decent module but not necessarily a major improvement over stock. I have purchased from three modders and I liked the mods from two of them but the third, not so much.

I got into the MTS stuff just prior to the Lynch stuff coming out. I had the RT250 and two RM4s and have owned most all of the stock modules at one time of another. After the Lynch stuff came out, I got one of the first RM100LBs and eventually sold my RT250 and the two RM4s. I did keep one RM4 for awhile and ran it through my Lynchbox via the loop and a Tonebone Switchbone, which allowed me access to 7 modules via my Lynchbox. I've owned all of the Lynch modules and the Donegan module. I've had six modded modules and my Scary module was lightly tweaked by Voodoo and it kicks ***.

So, that all being the case, I still consider the stock SL+ and Deluxe as great "out of the box" modules if you like that "genre" of tone and know how to dial them in. Even though I have owned upwards of 20+ different modules, I consider those two to be two of my favorites. And for me, modding isn't always just about tone, it's about gaining more flexibility within one module and within one rig overall.

I did a post a long while ago about which stock modules seemed to be worth the money and it was a surprisingly long list

Tweed - a little fizzy but definitely has that kind of vintage tone
JTM - Angus in a box
Blackface - gets a bit harsh at high volumes
SL+ (newer version) - never bonded with the earlier silver face version I had
but the later modded version are very close to the Scary
Scary - 80s tone abounds
Brahma - like the Plexi should have been in the first place
Grail - easy to dial in to sound great for metal tactic goodness
SuperV - on the fence about this one, it has a unique tone but always find
myself turning dials and never quite happy

I bought all the lynch modules at new prices...well, got some money off due to great MTS dealers hooking me up but they are worth the $ to me.


Addendum.

If it wasn't for the modding community, this platform would be dead...just another roadbump/failed concept amp....it still is that in a way but the nodders keep it moving at least.

Some of the mods may only improve your tone by say 5% (subjective) but if that's what makes you happy as a player then it's all good. As an example:

I for one feel ecstatic that I score a Camerock for a bargain price rather than spending 5-8x as much on the scarcely available real thing...so fun to play and really close to clips I've heard of the amp.

Yes, there is no doubt a lot of cool modded modules out there. My main point is that some of the stockers were as good as anything and at used prices, well worth the bang for the buck. Sometimes a mod makes it "different" or provides more flexibility but whether or not it sounds "better" is subjective and a matter of taste While the modding aspect does keep the concept alive there it is a double edged sword in that the original stockers are disappearing which is why I am snagging a few of my favs (again) before they disappear and/or become ridiculously expensive. The other thing is, it seems like eventually mods will become more expensive as donors become harder to come by.

I agree that the Brahma is really what the Plexi should have been. I had a Plexi and was not all that impressed with it although it seems like there have been some guys that have talked about it here and seemed to have really liked it. Again, it's all subjective and a matter of personal taste. It also depends on the rest of your gear. I swapped some JJs into my Brahma and it added some bottom and gain and is otherwise unmodded--and sounds awesome.

I just picked up a stock Mr. Scary off the forum and I have to say....
Its pretty **** cool just the way it is.
8)

Johnny Wadd said:

I just picked up a stock Mr. Scary off the forum and I have to say....
Its pretty **** cool just the way it is.
8)

Click to expand...

Yes! I agree, the Mr. Scary is a great module!

Yeah the Stock Scary was in my rig for a long time. I used to love getting the volume of it past that 1 o clock barrier.