The Egnater & Randall modular amp thread

FelineGuitars

I thought I'd start a nice clean thread for anyone here who is using these or has interest in them.

It's a modular amp system that uses replaceable /swapable preamp modules that are mini replicas of the amps they are trying to clone , using proper amp circuitry. These fit into either a head or combo chassis - or a rack mounted preamp chasis and can make up the channels of your choice.

The upside is that you can have a 50 or 100 watt amp  that can be reconfigured and used in a variety of ways.

Admittedly you will have the same power section in a majority of these cases but unless pushing the original amps that hard power sections don't colour the sound as much as the preamp does.

So you could choose a Fender twin, Vox AC 30 and a Marshall Plexi trio for one gig and then swap for Marshall JCM800, Bogner XTC and Mesa Rectifier tones for a different gig or application

Here is on of the 100W heads tat i used to own but sold on as 100Wwas too loud for my own uses (they did 20 and 50 watt heads too)

Here is a typical amp module (this is an Egnater JTM 45 one - I swapped the original caps to Sozo ones)

It's a system that is maybe 15-17 years old since it's inception but has grown a lot and has had some very talented guys doing mods to the base modules to create sounds that were not originally offered - guys like Salvation Mods and Jaded Faith Mods.

Bruce Egnater designed the whole system, and the Egnater versions were all USA made 

(other Egnater lines that were developed for Guitar centre like the Rebel, tweaker, renegade and Tourmaster were made in China)

Randall took out a 10 year license agreement to do a version of the modular range.

Randall got bought out about 6 years into the arrangement and the new owners weren't so into the line so they let it fade, which was a shame as it had so much potential.

It looks like the line is about to get a new lease of life underthe Synergy name and manufacturers such as Friedman, Soldano, Morgan etc are all contributing their weight behind new modules , which promises to be exciting 

Some of you will know that I have a lot of them, but it's not about who has the most toys, just finding the tones that are right for you.

bingefeller

Do you have the George Lynch one?  I've always been curious about it.  Apparently there was also a special Ty Tabor module custom built for him, which I would love to hear in the flesh.  Here's some info about it (you would understand this better than me)

Ok everyone just calm down...  :LOL:" title="lol" />  Module one (Gretchen)...is based off the COD module with over a year of me obsessing over his old tone...tweaking different values of res, caps and tone controls. Channel A obtains his older clean tone and channel B the heavier old tone. Go listen to Pleides on Gretchen, this song starts out with channel A and then moves to channel B. Module 2 (XV) is based off the EG5 again with tweaks for Ty.  Module 3 (SL2) for Earcandy, Dogman stuff, stock. Module 4 (SL or Vox) stock. Just so everyone understands me, these modules were able to provide Ty what "HE HEARS" as his old tone and his newer tones from Dogman to Earcandy. That being said, some may feel that the modules are not his old or new tone. I don't care  Ty loves them and said to me that for 20 years amp builders have sent him amps saying they nailed his Gretchen tone and they sounded nowhere near it.......  He looked my in the eyes and said the Gretchen module is 95% accurate to his old tone with the lab and the elite. End of story!   Not sure if they will be production modules as of yet. For now you all will have to just sit tight till all has been hammered out! They will be on tour and they have custom faceplates once they are done I will post pics of them!

Would you have any modules similar to what the Gretchen module is based on?

Sassafras

I remember there was one that was like a tower system where you could plug in about 8 or 10 modules in 2 banks either side. I thought it was an amazing idea and would've loved to try it out,

FelineGuitars

bingefeller said:

Do you have the George Lynch one?  I've always been curious about it.  Apparently there was also a special Ty Tabor module custom built for him, which I would love to hear in the flesh.  Here's some info about it (you would understand this better than me)

Ok everyone just calm down...  :LOL:" title="lol" />  Module one (Gretchen)...is based off the COD module with over a year of me obsessing over his old tone...tweaking different values of res, caps and tone controls. Channel A obtains his older clean tone and channel B the heavier old tone. Go listen to Pleides on Gretchen, this song starts out with channel A and then moves to channel B. Module 2 (XV) is based off the EG5 again with tweaks for Ty.  Module 3 (SL2) for Earcandy, Dogman stuff, stock. Module 4 (SL or Vox) stock. Just so everyone understands me, these modules were able to provide Ty what "HE HEARS" as his old tone and his newer tones from Dogman to Earcandy. That being said, some may feel that the modules are not his old or new tone. I don't care  Ty loves them and said to me that for 20 years amp builders have sent him amps saying they nailed his Gretchen tone and they sounded nowhere near it.......  He looked my in the eyes and said the Gretchen module is 95% accurate to his old tone with the lab and the elite. End of story!   Not sure if they will be production modules as of yet. For now you all will have to just sit tight till all has been hammered out! They will be on tour and they have custom faceplates once they are done I will post pics of them!

Would you have any modules similar to what the Gretchen module is based on?

I had the SL5, which was quite nice if a little noisy (although I wasn't so in love with & it was one that I had modified into the dual channel Soldano clone)

I still have an SL2 and it's nice and I have an SL2X which is tweaked for a different EQ response and is often called the GnR as it was a bit Appetite  For Destruction Sounding

The SL is one of my fvourite modules and one of the best that Bruce made in my opinion. That rarely leaves my rack.

I certainly have a few Lynch modules - the amp shown above was an early version of the LynchBox head , before they got the skull and Bones logo done. It was one Lynch played at a UK clinic and signed.
I kept the modules and sold the amp.

I have a number of Lynch modules and certain ones really do it for me (the Mr Scary and Grail ones were good. I recently had a modified Brahma that has the Caswell #39 mod done that absolutely nails Lynch's Dokken tones around Back for the Attack/Under Lock and Key.

FelineGuitars

Sassafras said:

I remember there was one that was like a tower system where you could plug in about 8 or 10 modules in 2 banks either side. I thought it was an amazing idea and would've loved to try it out,

They did a n oddball one called the RM1250 which was a mono 50watt rack unit with 12 module slots.

It was designed for shops to show off the line but a few players bought them. They come up once in a blue moon.

bingefeller

FelineGuitars said:

bingefeller said:

Do you have the George Lynch one?  I've always been curious about it.  Apparently there was also a special Ty Tabor module custom built for him, which I would love to hear in the flesh.  Here's some info about it (you would understand this better than me)

Ok everyone just calm down...  :LOL:" title="lol" />  Module one (Gretchen)...is based off the COD module with over a year of me obsessing over his old tone...tweaking different values of res, caps and tone controls. Channel A obtains his older clean tone and channel B the heavier old tone. Go listen to Pleides on Gretchen, this song starts out with channel A and then moves to channel B. Module 2 (XV) is based off the EG5 again with tweaks for Ty.  Module 3 (SL2) for Earcandy, Dogman stuff, stock. Module 4 (SL or Vox) stock. Just so everyone understands me, these modules were able to provide Ty what "HE HEARS" as his old tone and his newer tones from Dogman to Earcandy. That being said, some may feel that the modules are not his old or new tone. I don't care  Ty loves them and said to me that for 20 years amp builders have sent him amps saying they nailed his Gretchen tone and they sounded nowhere near it.......  He looked my in the eyes and said the Gretchen module is 95% accurate to his old tone with the lab and the elite. End of story!   Not sure if they will be production modules as of yet. For now you all will have to just sit tight till all has been hammered out! They will be on tour and they have custom faceplates once they are done I will post pics of them!

Would you have any modules similar to what the Gretchen module is based on?

I had the SL5, which was quite nice if a little noisy (although I wasn't so in love with & it was one that I had modified into the dual channel Soldano clone)

I still have an SL2 and it's nice and I have an SL2X which is tweaked for a different EQ response and is often called the GnR as it was a bit Appetite  For Destruction Sounding

The SL is one of my fvourite modules and one of the best that Bruce made in my opinion. That rarely leaves my rack.

I certainly have a few Lynch modules - the amp shown above was an early version of the LynchBox head , before they got the skull and Bones logo done. It was one Lynch played at a UK clinic and signed.
I kept the modules and sold the amp.

I have a number of Lynch modules and certain ones really do it for me (the Mr Scary and Grail ones were good. I recently had a modified Brahma that has the Caswell #39 mod done that absolutely nails Lynch's Dokken tones around Back for the Attack/Under Lock and Key.

Have you ever seen that Premier Guitar video with George Lynch and he's in Dave Friedman's workshop playing through a Randall module and Dave puts some sort of rare vintage valve in it and the difference is just incredible.  

FelineGuitars

Dave Friedman's workshop.

Yeah - nice puff-piece

I have a few of the old Ei tubes (Yugoslavian made)

bingefeller

That's the one!! ^

paisleysoul

GAK had one of the 20 watt ones a while back, think they found it in the depths on the warehouse and I was really tempted to get one. Think the problem was that it could only take one unit. I've never tried one, hope to one day as the concept fits in with my jack-of-all trades guitar ethos.

FelineGuitars

The 20 was quite cool - especially as it also has a built in boost which is pretty good (as well as a silent recording mode and speaker emulated outputs too).

They released the RM22 which was a 2 module 20 watt head, but we never saw any here in the UK

hubobulous

Lynch's distortion on 'Back for the Attack' is one of my top 5 recorded tones ever. I'm always wary of people saying that they've nailed someone's tone with an amp, but MY GOD....when I played through Jonathan's Mr Scary module, it is an exact replica.

There's something in that sound, a raspiness perhaps, that distinguishes it from it being just another distortion. Honestly, I play the intro to Kiss of a Death and it's incredible.

The only time I've ever heard something akin to this was playing my JS1000 through a JSX and again, absolutely hearing Satch's tone.