Hairy Brown eye or Cali

[War Admiral]

I'm finally going to send a Marshall off to be modded and I'm torn between these 2 mods. I want the classic Marshall hotrodded grind that can do 80's rock right up to bands like Disturbed. A good FX loop is a must and 2 switchable channels.
I also live in Canada so this comes into play too...

I was sold on the Cali up until I heard the HBE mod...sounded fucking good too!
Now what?????

 

[RedB4Black]

Being in Canada, I'd probably lean to Fortin. I haven't played one though - but I'm sure it sounds good. I have played a KS modded Marshall. I thought the HBE would be what I liked best because I generally like more gain - but I really like the BE with the Saturation mod the best. All the other switches didn't do much for me. A very cool amp nonetheless.

 

[tweed]

You can't go wrong with either amp builder, they both make incredible sounding amps! Based on your location alone I would go with Fortin. Well that and I'm a wee bit biased

 

[War Admiral]

Being in Canada, I'd probably lean to Fortin. I haven't played one though - but I'm sure it sounds good. I have played a KS modded Marshall. I thought the HBE would be what I liked best because I generally like more gain - but I really like the BE with the Saturation mod the best. All the other switches didn't do much for me. A very cool amp nonetheless.

Thanks for the input. I'm worried that the Cali is going to sound too fat and not enough top end grind that Marshall is known for...I love fat but it has to cut! I hear more high end in the Friedman. Though I would like to hear a Cali in person because the recordings of the Fortin that I've heard haven't been very high quality.

 

[War Admiral]

You can't go wrong with either amp builder, they both make incredible sounding amps! Based on your location alone I would go with Fortin. Well that and I'm a wee bit biased

Which one do you have again Tweed? You see, Camerons sound great by themselves but I would like to hear one in a blaring band mix...the Cali has that same high gain fatness to it like the Cameron, I hear something different in the mids between the 2 amps but you know what I mean, though it is hard to truly tell without personnally playing one side by side...I'm just going by shitty recordings. Can the Cali cut in a mix while still retaining that fatness that we all hear when the are recorded by themselves?

 

[tweed]

Being in Canada, I'd probably lean to Fortin. I haven't played one though - but I'm sure it sounds good. I have played a KS modded Marshall. I thought the HBE would be what I liked best because I generally like more gain - but I really like the BE with the Saturation mod the best. All the other switches didn't do much for me. A very cool amp nonetheless.

Thanks for the input. I'm worried that the Cali is going to sound too fat and not enough top end grind that Marshall is known for...I love fat but it has to cut! I hear more high end in the Friedman. Though I would like to hear a Cali in person because the recordings of the Fortin that I've heard haven't been very high quality.

Give Mike a call.

 

[MrDan666]

Thanks for the input. I'm worried that the Cali is going to sound too fat and not enough top end grind that Marshall is known for...I love fat but it has to cut! I hear more high end in the Friedman. Though I would like to hear a Cali in person because the recordings of the Fortin that I've heard haven't been very high quality.

The Cali can have a ton of top end grind if you dial it in that way Also, if you get the Cali, get the 'Hair switch' added too. That will give you all the chunk and top end grind that you could ever need, without ever going thin sounding. I do the Cali Mods for the UK/EU customers, and just started offering that as an extra option. It's well worth having if you want to cover more modern territory as well as hard rock

 

[Digital Jams]

Being in Canada, I'd probably lean to Fortin. I haven't played one though - but I'm sure it sounds good. I have played a KS modded Marshall. I thought the HBE would be what I liked best because I generally like more gain - but I really like the BE with the Saturation mod the best. All the other switches didn't do much for me. A very cool amp nonetheless.

Thanks for the input. I'm worried that the Cali is going to sound too fat and not enough top end grind that Marshall is known for...I love fat but it has to cut! I hear more high end in the Friedman. Though I would like to hear a Cali in person because the recordings of the Fortin that I've heard haven't been very high quality.

The Cali has the same top end ripe your head off if that is what you are looking for and maintains the same mids as well. The tone stack is not altered but you can add and subtract different cap values for more or less gain and the cali part can be taken out as well so you are getting ppimv plexi tones but with more gain. Also have the depth control to further tone shape. I have played in many jams with oher amps and have never had to grab more volume.

It is all Marshall hot rodded.

He is my vid, it could have had more upper end but I had the Q3 off axis so it was like micing the edge of the speaker frame. In the room there were more upper mids excuse inserted BTW you can hear how quiet Mike's mod is due to the dc heaters that are part of Mike's work. A little about tv volumes.

 

[Gainfreak]

Being in Canada, I'd probably lean to Fortin. I haven't played one though - but I'm sure it sounds good. I have played a KS modded Marshall. I thought the HBE would be what I liked best because I generally like more gain - but I really like the BE with the Saturation mod the best. All the other switches didn't do much for me. A very cool amp nonetheless.

Thanks for the input. I'm worried that the Cali is going to sound too fat and not enough top end grind that Marshall is known for...I love fat but it has to cut! I hear more high end in the Friedman. Though I would like to hear a Cali in person because the recordings of the Fortin that I've heard haven't been very high quality.

The Cali has plenty of top end grind should you want it and it cuts like glass in a band mix.

It's one of the best modded marshalls ive ever played and Ive played a ton of them

I recorded this just by sticking a mike in front of the amp and the presence was tame. I could have easily added a TON more!

 

[War Admiral]

Thanks for the input. I'm worried that the Cali is going to sound too fat and not enough top end grind that Marshall is known for...I love fat but it has to cut! I hear more high end in the Friedman. Though I would like to hear a Cali in person because the recordings of the Fortin that I've heard haven't been very high quality.

The Cali can have a ton of top end grind if you dial it in that way Also, if you get the Cali, get the 'Hair switch' added too. That will give you all the chunk and top end grind that you could ever need, without ever going thin sounding. I do the Cali Mods for the UK/EU customers, and just started offering that as an extra option. It's well worth having if you want to cover more modern territory as well as hard rock

Hey Dan, is the hair switch an extra gain stage added via an extra tube or res\cap config?

 

[Digital Jams]

Being in Canada, I'd probably lean to Fortin. I haven't played one though - but I'm sure it sounds good. I have played a KS modded Marshall. I thought the HBE would be what I liked best because I generally like more gain - but I really like the BE with the Saturation mod the best. All the other switches didn't do much for me. A very cool amp nonetheless.

Thanks for the input. I'm worried that the Cali is going to sound too fat and not enough top end grind that Marshall is known for...I love fat but it has to cut! I hear more high end in the Friedman. Though I would like to hear a Cali in person because the recordings of the Fortin that I've heard haven't been very high quality.

The Cali has plenty of top end grind should you want it and it cuts like glass in a band mix.

It's one of the best modded marshalls ive ever played and Ive played a ton of them

I recorded this just by sticking a mike in front of the amp and the presence was tame. I could have easily added a TON more!

You are a sick fucker

LOVES the avatar!!!!!!

 

[War Admiral]

Being in Canada, I'd probably lean to Fortin. I haven't played one though - but I'm sure it sounds good. I have played a KS modded Marshall. I thought the HBE would be what I liked best because I generally like more gain - but I really like the BE with the Saturation mod the best. All the other switches didn't do much for me. A very cool amp nonetheless.

Thanks for the input. I'm worried that the Cali is going to sound too fat and not enough top end grind that Marshall is known for...I love fat but it has to cut! I hear more high end in the Friedman. Though I would like to hear a Cali in person because the recordings of the Fortin that I've heard haven't been very high quality.

The Cali has plenty of top end grind should you want it and it cuts like glass in a band mix.

It's one of the best modded marshalls ive ever played and Ive played a ton of them

I recorded this just by sticking a mike in front of the amp and the presence was tame. I could have easily added a TON more!

Thanks for that Digital Jams. Sounds good and has that mids things going on but not very much cut. Do you remember what your setting were on that clip and what speakers were used?

Gainfreak, sounded really good man. More top end grind happening with the VH thing of course...getting to where I like it! It would be cool to have that type of sound in one mode say on channel 2 and be able to flip a 'hair switch' to get a more modern chunky sound to play detuned shit. That would be the tits!!!

 

[thiswaythatway]

I own a Cali modded Marshall and I'm borrowing a Friedman modded 50 watt amp. The Friedman has a BE, and a JBE mod along with FAT and Saturation switch. No matter how i set the Friedman it doesn't have the gain that the Cali mod has. The Cali mod is a gain beast and with my depth knob i can get as heavy as i want. For more modern tones i could always add an EQ in my effects loop.

I like the Friedman though and it can really sound like a nice oldschool Marshall and it has a lot of gain on it's own, but when i use it i often hit my BB Preamp for leads to give it that little extra. I hit the pedal on the Cali also just to add a touch more sustain on my single coil pickup.

Since you're in Canada and you mentioned some modern styles tones I'd go Cali.

 

[gibson5413]

I think there have been a handful of great Cali mod clips. That is part of the reason I bought the mod. Mike makes a killer product and I have been super happy. I haven't experienced amp GAS since I got it. Now I am just GAS'ing for guitars.

Either way, here are some clips I recorded with my Cal mod:

 

[thegame]

I'm finally going to send a Marshall off to be modded and I'm torn between these 2 mods. I want the classic Marshall hotrodded grind that can do 80's rock right up to bands like Disturbed. A good FX loop is a must and 2 switchable channels.
I also live in Canada so this comes into play too...

I was sold on the Cali up until I heard the HBE mod...sounded fucking good too!
Now what?????

I've played both. The Cali has way more top end grind and more gain as well. The Marsha was considerably softer and vintage sounding. Some guys may prefer that, some will not.

 

[jonny toetags]

Being in Canada, I'd say go with Fortin.
I've sent Marshalls to Voodoo, Golub and Caswell and got raped on the shipping/brokerage.
Not to mention Mike's mod is one of my favourite out of the "Marshall Modders"

 

[Digital Jams]

I was using greenbacks and had the treble and presence down, that and the fact the Q3 is on the side of the cab caused the lower mid thing.

Has me thinking that I will do another one

 

[tweed]

Mike needs to send Cliff a cali modded slp for modeling

 

[gibson5413]

I was using greenbacks and had the treble and presence down, that and the fact the Q3 is on the side of the cab caused the lower mid thing.

Has me thinking that I will do another one

Time to go new boxer shoppng!

 

[Digital Jams]

I was using greenbacks and had the treble and presence down, that and the fact the Q3 is on the side of the cab caused the lower mid thing.

Has me thinking that I will do another one

Time to go new boxer shoppng!

Oh I have a nice pair already in mind