Anyone try SteveD's mod

Vintage Modern Head and Combo

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yngzaklynch
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Re: Anyone try SteveD's mod

Postby yngzaklynch » 20 May 2011, 16:12

Ok initial impressions.... Thicker and gainier. I had to relearn the amp. I had to set the amp a lot brighter, Body off and Detail no higher than 3:00. Even my OD pedal and to be tamed down otherwise it got buzzy and compressed. I think I got the hang of it a little and it is a more agressive amp and I think a bit thicker.

Steve I know caps need a burn in time. Will I notice a difference from just these two caps?

Up loading some lower volume vids now. Wife and kids are home so couldn't play to loud and really haven't had more than an hour with the amp. Please take all of this with a grain of salt. Still tweeking.

Jim

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Re: Anyone try SteveD's mod

Postby Beck-Ola » 20 May 2011, 16:58

I like the "thicker" part of what you're saying, on HDR that is. It's fine on LDR but I'd like it fatter in HDR and I believe this mod would be a good step in that direction. Still on the fence as to whether changing C2 is needed along with C1. I guess you did them both. Maybe when I try it I'll do C1 first and then see the difference before changing C2. BTW, caps don't really need to "burn in". They will sound good from the get go.

Thanks for the report. Let us hear more when you've had time to spend more time with it.

-- Fri May 20, 2011 4:04 pm --
1poorplayer wrote:Hey Beck , just fooling with the smiles. ( and curious about Steve's mod ).

I really dig the amp "stock". BUT , if I try to go more high gain with the amp ( Ratt , some VH ) - and I crank the Detail to get me there , I need more Body to compensate.

Well , the Detail cranked can get kind of thin on top. The Body turned up much ( when trying to even out a lot of Detail ), seems to add more "flubbery" lows. So , ultimately I end up turning the Detail back down to a level where less body is needed.
Don't know if that makes much sense to anyone. Still love the amp though. I WILL say my beard is coming in grey since the promise of clips and a review of this mod. :)
You're all right, dude. :Cheers

I believe many of us approach the settings a lot like you describe. For example, I'll set the Detail as high as I can without it getting shrill, then bring the Body as far as possible without it getting too muddy. I mess with them a lot depending on the guitar or some other voodoo factor. So it makes sense what you said. :yea
Against stupidity the very gods themselves contend in vain. ~ Friedrich von Schiller

Kind of know how he feels.

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Re: Anyone try SteveD's mod

Postby 1poorplayer » 20 May 2011, 19:35

Beck-Ola , :Cheers

Glad to hear someone else moves the Detail and Body like myself. The new EVH celestions in my 4x12 cab are breaking in ( finally ) and giving a little more. I've tried a bunch of guitars thru my VM , and there is a big difference with pickups. I certainly don't like bright pickups with it. And even slight adjustments of pickup height have helped get me closer to my "ideal" tone.

Yngzaklynch , I too like the sound of thicker.

In an IDEAL world , if I could change the amp at all , I would want everything to stay pretty much the same , and have the Body control bring up a more "focused" low.
Is there any such mod that could do such a thing ? - or is this mod the answer ?

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Re: Anyone try SteveD's mod

Postby SteveD » 21 May 2011, 03:10

yngzaklynch wrote:Ok initial impressions.... Thicker and gainier. I had to relearn the amp. I had to set the amp a lot brighter, Body off and Detail no higher than 3:00. Even my OD pedal and to be tamed down otherwise it got buzzy and compressed. I think I got the hang of it a little and it is a more agressive amp and I think a bit thicker.

Steve I know caps need a burn in time. Will I notice a difference from just these two caps?

Up loading some lower volume vids now. Wife and kids are home so couldn't play to loud and really haven't had more than an hour with the amp. Please take all of this with a grain of salt. Still tweeking.

Jim
Don't forget to try your pedal with the Low Range. You will certainly need a little relearning time as you've been used to the original values but that's just a matter of getting 'reused' to it. :winking

As beck said, the caps don't need to burn in.

Why not try hitting the front end in High Range with more of a clean boost from your pedal by keeping its gain almost off and cranking its volume, or try Low Range with the gain turned up. Maybe an alternative pedal will be better with the new values. So many options to investigate.

Maybe you'll prefer the original values as nature intended. Good job it's an easily reversable mod if that turns out to be the case.
Still my guitar gently weeps

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Re: Anyone try SteveD's mod

Postby 1poorplayer » 21 May 2011, 14:15

You know , ..... I got to play around with my stock VM a little more today , and I think I can get heavy enough to cover all my 80's needs and then some. Having only had the amp a few weeks , I'm still dialing.
Les Paul 498 bridge pickup
EVH Celestion 4x12 cab
Presence - max
Bass. - 1:00
Middle. - 11:00
Treble. - max
Mid Boost - on
Detail. - max
Body. - 1:00 to 2:00

Pretty sick amp , being able to cover so much territory right out of the box.

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Re: Anyone try SteveD's mod

Postby GunCore » 21 May 2011, 18:21

yngzaklynch wrote:Ok initial impressions.... Thicker and gainier. I had to relearn the amp. I had to set the amp a lot brighter, Body off and Detail no higher than 3:00. Even my OD pedal and to be tamed down otherwise it got buzzy and compressed. I think I got the hang of it a little and it is a more agressive amp and I think a bit thicker.

Steve I know caps need a burn in time. Will I notice a difference from just these two caps?

Up loading some lower volume vids now. Wife and kids are home so couldn't play to loud and really haven't had more than an hour with the amp. Please take all of this with a grain of salt. Still tweeking.

Jim
Thicker and gainier.. You have my attention! I play relatively aggressive hardrock/metal, so this sounds like a really nice mod! I shall investigate.. :yea
''If I'd spend less money on gear and more money on tattoos, I'd tattoo the Vintage Modern as a tramp stamp.''

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Re: Anyone try SteveD's mod

Postby yngzaklynch » 21 May 2011, 18:24

It still sounds like the basic stock VM. Just a little more gain and a bit thicker/darker. Not a world of difference.

Jim

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Re: Anyone try SteveD's mod

Postby SteveD » 22 May 2011, 03:47

But that's a good thing right. :winking
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Re: Anyone try SteveD's mod

Postby yngzaklynch » 22 May 2011, 12:36

SteveD wrote:But that's a good thing right. :winking

Yes but it does throw one for a curve ball when you've owned the VM for a long time and find you have to relearn it.

By the way about the OD pedal... that is how I pretty much always use it, Volume maxed and Gain off or very low. The LDR doesn't have enough gain for me but the HDR is pretty killer like this. I am cranking the Treble up and this get's me a pretty happening 80s metal tone.

Jim

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Re: Anyone try SteveD's mod

Postby SteveD » 22 May 2011, 13:27

Yes, because the Vintage Modern is a dynamic amp, adding more gain will change the way it interacts with your guitar and playing so that's to be expected.

Have you access to other guitars with different pickups to try also...and...have you had a chance to see what it's like cranked!
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Re: Anyone try SteveD's mod

Postby yngzaklynch » 22 May 2011, 13:49

Steve I have the following
BC Rich Mockingbird Archtop
Ernie Ball Musicman JP6 BFR
Washburn N4
Fender Strat 50th Anni model loaded with a Dimarzio Tone Zone S and VV Blues in the neck

I have not had the house to myself yet so I haven't cranked it. Got it up to about 10:00

-- Sun May 22, 2011 4:45 pm --

Ok after 2 days...
After more time and tweeking I'm thinking I am on the road to tonal bliss. Some things had to be backed off while the treble had to be upped. I now have a pretty aggressive sounding 80s Marshall metal tone. I may switch from using an OD pedal to a clean boost. I don't use the Gain on the OD pedal as it is so... Anyways for anyone that really likes their Marshall VM but wishes it had a bit more gain and a slightly thicker darker sound give this mod a try. It's easily reversable and doesn't alter the amp a ton. Very happy with my amp!!

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Re: Anyone try SteveD's mod

Postby 1poorplayer » 22 May 2011, 17:05

Yngzaklynch , Glad to hear you're liking the change. The more you like it , the more curious i get. Can you describe your settings "now" compared to "before" the mod ? Please ?

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Re: Anyone try SteveD's mod

Postby yngzaklynch » 22 May 2011, 17:28

Well keep in mind these might change and are swettings at lower volumes < 10:00

Reverb Off
Master to taste
Presence 3:00
Bass 12:30
Mid 11:30
Treble 3:00 or higher
HDR
Mid Boost out/off
Detail 3:00
Body off/0
My OD pedal has the Level at 3:00 or higher
Tone at noon
Gain off/0

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Re: Anyone try SteveD's mod

Postby 1poorplayer » 22 May 2011, 17:59

THANKS ! Sounds like you got that "little more" - that would be nice.

One more question , is it at all possible to play the amp with the mid boost ON ? It's a little tricky dealing with the extra mid-low frequencies , when using it to get the extra gain on the stock VM.

I would think you couldn't engage it at all now. ( which I'm not saying is a bad thing , just trying to wrap my head around the changes ).

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Re: Anyone try SteveD's mod

Postby yngzaklynch » 23 May 2011, 11:03

I haven't used the mid boost in ages. But yeah I guess some might still use it. As far as getting the EQ response you want it will be a new amp. Just not terribly far from the stock version in sound. Different but not marginally so.

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