Please help I need expert advice pickin modules.

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BON

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Hey guys my mind is spinning around which modules to get and would appreciate any advice you guys could send my way. I really want to stay with Randall and the MTS but I need to find the right sounds. I'm looking at getting a handful of modules and if possible would like to get as many sounds out of each module.

Cleans- My goal here would be something like a Clapton SRV clean tone. I tried the blackface and while its really clean and sounds great it just doesn't seem to have the response and sustain I'm looking for. Plus switching from my XTC is sounds very harsh live. I was thinking maybe a deluxe?

Gains- heres where its tricky I'm looking to cover a wide range of tones.. My dream amp would be a Soldano SLO or Hughes and Hettner TRIamp. Is there anything close to these. I also heard maybe an SLO module?? any ideas. Like i said I have the XTC and i like, but just think it lacks something. I tried the 1086 and wasn't thrilled either. I guess I'm looking for sounds like Slash, Warren Haynes, SRV, Van Halen, and any other great tones.

I know some module might seem obvious like the SL+ for slash but I'm just trying to hear ideas.

Please help me find my tone in modules whether it me stock or modded.

Thanks guys!!!
 
Here's a description of the Mr. Scary from someone else on the forum. "Mr. Scary (amazing 80's SLO, hard rock - metal; great mid range tone)" I've never tried it, but it might be worth looking into.
 
SRV tones, I would get the Randall Tweed. Maybe not super great as a clean, but will work, and has a nice gainy sound when driven.

I think you need to get a modded SL+ module, very versatile. My Dave Friedman modded module does a great gainy sound, and sounds great backing off the volume for a mid gainer. Pete can add lots of options for you there too on his version of the Sl+. Stock SL+ is fine also. I wonder if you would like the KH3 as well and the clips I have heard of the scary are great
 
You've listed a bunch of different players/styles, so you'll need versatility. Since buying an rm100 last aug I've owned or played darn near every module, stock and modded, in search of the best three for live (and my own style of course). For whatever it's worth I've ended up with superV, modded JTM and modded UltraXL. These cover everything except modern voiced crunch rhythm tones, which I use a modded XTC for. Just my MHO which is worth what you pay for it!

Caveat: I've not played a modded SL+ which is raved about on the forum.
 
BON said:
Cleans- My goal here would be something like a Clapton SRV clean tone. I was thinking maybe a deluxe?
Sounds like you want a Tweed here. It'll clean up but then should fall into a Clapton/SRV overdrive when you add gain.

BON said:
I guess I'm looking for sounds like Slash, Warren Haynes, SRV, Van Halen, and any other great tones.
I think you'll want to get your XTC modded by Pete for the oomph you're looking for and then to round out the 3rd slot for your Slash/VanHalen sound, I'd suggest maybe a modded JTM with a tubescreamer clone pushing it.

I offer you the same caveat as dboy: YMMV.
 
Thanks for the replies guys I appreciate the advice.

I'll have to try the tweed. Like I said I want something that can do
clean-ish but that doesnt sound so harsh switching from the gain channels live. I like my XTC I just wish it had a little more clarity to it. Would Pete's mod help this? Its almost as if the 1086 and the XTC need to be combined to get a great sound. Oh I guess I forgot to mention that my two main guitars are a les paul and a wolfgang.

did you guys hear anything that may be coming out in 2009 that may be worth waiting for?

I also saw some people saying that the ultra module sounds similar to a soldano. is this accurate? whats the difference between the ultra and ultra xl?

Thanks again for all the help guys.
 
From the looks of your list you are mainly looking for classic Fender or Marshall/modded Marshall tones.

I have a Deluxe that sounds great for the SRV/Clapton stuff. A boost in front of it will give you what you need for their gainier stuff. The one caveat about the Deluxe is that it sounds great with single coil pick ups, but too thick in the low mids with humbuckers. If you are doing SRV/Clapton you are probably playing humbuckers anyway. I suggest using at least one good NOS tube in the Deluxe.

For the Marshally tones any of the Marshall based mods are good. They are mindblowing with Pete Mods. I have Pete modded Plexi, Brown and SL+. Between them (and with a boost from a SD1 wehn needed) I can get pretty much anything Marshall. I also have a Pete modded Top Boost which is also an interesting module. It sounds great, but I have not found much use for it with my other choices.
 
I just got an Ultra and to me it sounded closer to a Diezel VH4 dark and bass heavy. When I think of Soldano I think of the bright 80's big hair metal bands. Pete "okstrat" mentioned that he thinks it's the closest stock module to a Soldano. Since I haven't heard one in person I started looking in YouTube for a comparison.

The Ultra sounds like a darker Soldano Hot Avenger 50, kinda.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GHJ7OaQN_9I

Ultra
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ohUL0d6v_1Y

Diezel VH4
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_LSgjHjLpKk
 
NunSuperior said:
I just got an Ultra and to me it sounded closer to a Diezel VH4 dark and bass heavy. When I think of Soldano I think of the bright 80's big hair metal bands. Pete "okstrat" mentioned that he thinks it's the closest stock module to a Soldano. Since I haven't heard one in person I started looking in YouTube for a comparison.

The Ultra sounds like a darker Soldano Hot Avenger 50, kinda.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GHJ7OaQN_9I

Ultra
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ohUL0d6v_1Y

Diezel VH4
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_LSgjHjLpKk

Maybe it's an XL I'm thinking of, hard for me to remember what stock modules sound like. :)

If you go by schematics, the SLO is closest in 'real' amps to a dual recto, believe it or not. They are quite similar, as is a 5150.

Salvation guy here modded a modern to get his Soldano lead 60 tones, and Dave Friedman mods XTCs to be like Soldanos. I think the most important thing IMHO is gain stages - NOBODY is going to mod a clean module into a Soldano, and depending on how much work you want to do, any module with enough gain stages can be a 'soldano' module. Main thing is that you want that upper mid cut and 'hair' on the notes. When I think of the SLOs that I have played, that was the major tonal 'focus' was upper mids that just cut through a mix like butter without being too harsh.

BTW, a 'real' SLO is based on a modded Marshall, so you could probably even play around with an SL+ to get in the ballpark.

Pete
 
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