To goop or not to goop, that is the question!

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speed2dirt

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Just curious why some of my JF mods have the dreaded black goop on the components while other JF mods I have don't. I also noticed that it doesn't seem consistent to a specific mod (ie my Pitbull has goop, but I have seen one on eBay with no goop). Just curious. I have no problem with Rob using a black sharpie to cross out the numbers on a cap, but the goop is a bit extreme. For example, I am thinking of seeing if Rob can add a mid freq knob to the Pitbull for added flexiblity instead of the switch that has polar opposites on the mids. But will the goop affect Rob's ability to re-mod his own mod? I know it sounds stupid, but makes me a bit hesitant.

Also, do any of you factor the goop in on a mod purchase? Does it hurt the resale value to you?
 
I think the "goop" is used to hide the modified components used to make the mod.....I could be wrong
 
Yea, I get why it's done. Klon's are like that and most of the Marshall mods in the '80s were too. But in this day and age, are we still worried about copycats? Plus, given the nature of the MTS system and its customization, it'd make future tweaking much more difficult.

And what ultimately gets me is that I can't find a logic as to the ones that are gooped vs non-gooped. Maybe there was a time period Rob did this and can clarify, but I just don't see the logic. If the Snakebite is top secret, goop all the Snakebites; not goop one but let the next three go ungooped. Just saying. :?
 
All jaded faith mods past a certain point were gooped, any newer mod as of the last year I believe has the goop. It keeps all the secrets from being exposed. But I would think it also makes it harder to be jacked with it physically, from damage to the components.

I know there was some alleged tampering with a couple JF mods, which would make the goop feasible. Also it wouldn't hurt resale value since all newer mods have it. The pitbull is older which explains why it doesn't have the goop. :D
 
LunatiBSW said:
All jaded faith mods past a certain point were gooped, any newer mod as of the last year I believe has the goop. It keeps all the secrets from being exposed. But I would think it also makes it harder to be jacked with it physically, from damage to the components.

I know there was some alleged tampering with a couple JF mods, which would make the goop feasible. Also it wouldn't hurt resale value since all newer mods have it. The pitbull is older which explains why it doesn't have the goop. :D

^
To the best of my knowledge this is 100% accurate.
 
I?m not a fan of it but I understand it is a necessary evil. It?s a shame that a couple bad eggs tried to reverse engineer and damaging the module in the process have spoiled it for the rest of us. As nerdy as it is, I really like to admire the components and workmanship in the modules and amps in general. A couple positives are that with the goop, a module can take a little more abuse and possibly may be quieter in some cases .
 
Over time this became an unfortunate necessity, for both protection of my intellectual property and to help protect those buying in the used market.

Prior to the goop, I encountered problems that ran rampant for a period of about six months. The biggest issue was folks receiving mods in the used market that were not functioning upon receipt. The sellers all claimed the units were 100% functioning when they sent them and it eventually ends with the buyer contacting me. As I examined and repaired them, the damage was consistently a result of parts being de-soldered and tampered with.

With over 1100 of my module mods in circulation worldwide, I had to take steps to protect myself and my customers. I took care of those impacted despite them buying used and not truly being "my customer" (as I didn't sell them anything directly), because it's the right thing to do. It led to the need to implement policy (explained on my FAQ page of my site) and take steps to prevent it (the goop) from continuing.

Dealing with these situations not only wastes my time, it unfairly increases my turn around times because I have to spend time dealing with repairs instead of building new work. I am able to take care of any issues in you module with the goop in place, however it is highly likely that anyone else who attempts to get under it would completely destroy the module attempting to remove it.

Rob
 
MarcoR said:
I?m not a fan of it but I understand it is a necessary evil. It?s a shame that a couple bad eggs tried to reverse engineer and damaging the module in the process have spoiled it for the rest of us. As nerdy as it is, I really like to admire the components and workmanship in the modules and amps in general. A couple positives are that with the goop, a module can take a little more abuse and possibly may be quieter in some cases .
I agree with you 100% and wish it wasn't necessary. It's added time, hassle and cost on my end. You do add one EXCELLENT point: it adds to the ruggedness and stability of the module. Particularly in dual modules, which are very fragile by nature.
 
Good man Rob defend your work in any way you can, I know there are probably people who would copy your work in a second..
I love the goop looks like liquid metal
-mp-
 
MarcoR said:
As nerdy as it is, I really like to admire the components and workmanship in the modules and amps in general.

I'm with you there. I don't know what I'm looking at, but I do like to see everything under the hood. It reaffirms the money spent and time it took to create such a masterpiece.

Jaded Faith said:
I am able to take care of any issues in you module with the goop in place, however it is highly likely that anyone else who attempts to get under it would completely destroy the module attempting to remove it.

This is very encouraging. My only complaints were really with the point I quoted from Marco as well as the ability to tweak the mod further in the future. You've answered my question. I appreciate you responding, Rob!
 
My pleasure and I hope it helped clear things up for you. FWIW, I have often been inside gooped modules without a problem. I have only had one potential customer I am aware of not buy on account of it. He openly said in his emails that he was interested in tracing what I do and tuning it himself, which is exactly what it's there to prevent in the first place. :roll:

I'm with you completely on the visual issue, as I too admire looking under the hood of a fine tuned machine. I also take A LOT of pride in the cleanliness of my wiring and that goes completely unseen as a result of the goop.
 
If Rob told us the goop was made from melted Jolly Ranchers, someone would eventually try to work out the flavor.

"FT: JF 59 RR Sour Apple"
 
I am not a fan of the goop. What if something happened and Rob went out of business and I needed a repair to a module? Or what if I wanted to return a module to factory specs or even have someone else do some other unrelated mod, like adding a switch or something? I think it detracts from the long term value and versatility of the module. What I think is a bit ironic is the factory modules are knock-offs of someone elses work (Fender, Vox, Marshall, etc.) but yet, they don't come from Egnater or didn't come from Randall with goop on them. And while some of Robs mods are originals, some of those are in and of themselves knocks offs of Fenders, Marshalls, etc. I realize the trick is getting them to sound the way they do within the context of the module, but they are still intended to emulate someone else's design.

I would assume that all amp makers would want to protect their ideas but yet, I have yet to see a Fender or Marshall come from the factory with goop inside them and I'm sure there are practical reasons why anyone would want to be able to see and have access to the components inside their own amp. The goop is a downer for me. If it was so important, then everyone would be doing it. If I were Frankenstien, I would surely say, "Goop, BAD!"
 
Caine said:
I would assume that all amp makers would want to protect their ideas but yet, I have yet to see a Fender or Marshall come from the factory with goop inside them and I'm sure there are practical reasons why anyone would want to be able to see and have access to the components inside their own amp. The goop is a downer for me. If it was so important, then everyone would be doing it. If I were Frankenstien, I would surely say, "Goop, BAD!"


Fender and Marshall can afford legal teams. Goop less expensive ! :wink:

frankenstein.jpg
 
There should be a no goop option. It is just plain ugly and looks like it could cause future problems. I was disappointed when I saw this on my 59 RR.
 
Rather than putting it all over the guts of an MTS module, there are far more useful things the black goop could be used for. For instance, if you have a cat, you can protect your sofa with a hefty coating of black goop:

largest.JPG


http://www.theatlanticcities.com/design/2012/05/recycling-old-furniture-coating-it-black-goop/2088/
 
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