Boogie Studio 22 Lead mods

springhead

I've got a stock 22, not the +, that I've owned from new.  Love it apart from the volume jump in Lead mode that was addressed in the + version with the additional Lead Master control on the front panel.

Anyone here done that mod?  Is it also worth doing the Lead Drive mod, sanctioned by Mesa, which varies the level out of V1 which is added in Lead mode?

I'm going to use the Direct Out pot on the back panel for the Lead Master, no drilling and it's the right value.  I could replace the Direct Out socket with a Lead Drive pot.

There are a few other tweaks in the audio path for the + version. Anyone done those as well?  I can see what they do, just don't know if it's worth it.

Anything else worth doing when I get it in bits?  I swapped out the PSU filter caps a few years ago when they started to fail so they should still be fine.  I was thinking maybe go all metal film around V1 as it's quite hissy in Lead mode.  May or may not help.

normula1

I've got the + version and did the Lead Drive mod as stock was way too shouty for me. Rather than drill any holes in the chassis, I moved the reverb control along with small toggle switch for channel changing to a small hammond box screwed to one of the side battens at the back and used dymo labels to in true Boogie fashion  

springhead

With the Lead Drive can you dial it back to more of a crunch than lead sound?  Presumably brings the noise down a bit too?  Lots of hiss from mine in Lead mode.

normula1

It does tame it quite a lot but because the drive channel also does the mid boost thing, it's not really crunch. In fact, I reckon the best drive tone on the 22+ is the clean channel with the preamp around 7.5 and a boost pedal in front.