Voodoo CP-100 mod or other?

[jforsythe]

Voodoo CP-100 mod or other?

I have a JCM 800 2204 that I have been considering getting modified by Voodoo amps. I was set on the CP-100 with an effects loop... until I called the shop and found out they would not have room in the amp to install the effect loop since the CP mod pretty much fills the whole amp. So now I am in a dilemma. I really need that effects loop since the only effect I use is delay for clean parts. However, I don't play extreme metal, and Trace has said that Unearth who use the CP-100 (and play alot heavier stuff than I do) use position 3 out of 5 on their gain rotary switch. In that case, I would never even need to use positions 4 and 5, thus alot of unneeded gain. Also, I play alot of clean stuff. I like the dynamic control of rolling the volume off the guitar to get my cleans, but at really high gain settings the guitar wouldn't clean up as nicely. So maybe something as high gain as the CP-100 would unnecessary for me.

So now the only options I see are these:

-Get the CP-100 anyway and risk running a delay pedal in front of the amp, which I have never done on any of my other amps and wouldn't know how it would sound.
-Get one of Voodoo's other mods like the "Classic Mod" or "HG-Mod" with an effects loop installed, and if I need more gain, run an overdrive in front of the amp.
-Sell my JCM and buy an entirely different amp. I have been considering the Madison Divinity. I could probably buy one for less money than the modifications would cost. Suggestions welcome.

 

[eaeolian]

The Voodoo mods sound really, really nice, from the times I've heard them. I've also heard a lot of good things about the HG mod, actually, too.

 

[Regor]

Stay away from Voodoo Amps!

My lead guitarist has a 5150 he had modded to be more like a 5150 II, cuz he wanted to get rid of the buzz in it. It sucks now. The buzz is gone, but so's everything else. His distortion lacks gain (imagine that! on a 5150!!) and sounds like he's playing on a rubber band. Ontop of that, it's now burning out his FX loop tube! He had to change it every band practice. He got ripped off bad!

 

[Drew]

My only contribution here is that a delay pedal works just fine in front of a clean channel. It's when you're using distortion that you need to watch out, and really want the delay applied post-gain.

Regor, your guitarist is the only guy I've heard of having problems with Voodoo Amps mods. Granted, this is out of a total pool of like 5-6, but I'm wondering if his was just a fluke, or possibly miscommunication on the tone he was going for vs. the tone they thought he was after...?

 

[eaeolian]

Stay away from Voodoo Amps!

My lead guitarist has a 5150 he had modded to be more like a 5150 II, cuz he wanted to get rid of the buzz in it. It sucks now. The buzz is gone, but so's everything else. His distortion lacks gain (imagine that! on a 5150!!) and sounds like he's playing on a rubber band. Ontop of that, it's now burning out his FX loop tube! He had to change it every band practice. He got ripped off bad!

I should clarify - the only one's I've heard are the Marshall mods. That sucks, Roger, and I'm amazed the Voodoo hasn't stepped up to the plate to fix it.

 

[Regor]

Regor, your guitarist is the only guy I've heard of having problems with Voodoo Amps mods. Granted, this is out of a total pool of like 5-6, but I'm wondering if his was just a fluke, or possibly miscommunication on the tone he was going for vs. the tone they thought he was after...?

Would you like links to Huge Racks Inc threads with complaints?

 

[eaeolian]

Hmm. Do we have yet another place that *used* to be good? I haven't followed Voodoo lately, since Splawn seems to be the hot one at the moment.

 

[Drew]

Myself? I don't personally care one way or the other.

For the good of the site? Sure, post up. It's information anyone interested in a modded amp should be aware of, at least.

I've also mainly heard what they've done to Marshalls, and that it's been rather good, so this would be a new perspective for me.

 

[jforsythe]

I've been looking at Splawn mods as well. Can they achieve modern amps sounds, though? It seems like this amp mostly appeals to the 80's metal crowd, and that's not really the sound I'm looking for.

According to the website, however, the mod with the KT88 power tubes achieves a modern high gain amp tone, compared to the EL34's, which is has more of a "classic 80's vibe".

Anybody have experience with these amps/mods?

 

[noodles]

I'm not too familiar with Splawn, but I did play a Marshall MK-II with the jumper, master volume, and additional gain knob. One pull of the gain knob would give you plenty of saturation, and you could nail the rhythm tone from the first three Metallica albums.

As nice as it sounded, I passed on it for a reason. I believe that amps are being built better now than they ever have been, and the options available let you dial in just about any tone you want. More gain, more channels, eq knobs with more control, and more reliability. What more could you want?

 

[Drew]

From a marshall? Channel switching without that damnable "swell" between channels you get on a TSL.

Oh, and a Mesa lead tone.

 

[Regor]

EDIT: Just found a better thread with two complaints. Still looking for more of them.

http://www.hugeracksinc.com/board/viewtopic.php?t=18800

steve10358
Huge Member
Joined: 15 Dec 2002
Posts: 1988
Location: In front of a Marshall and Variac
Posted: Fri Jan 06, 2006 5:30 pm

Personally, I think they are pretty overrated and horrendous.
I've played a lot of his modded amps, and they all equally lack dynamics, punch, clarity and whatever else makes a guitar a tonally rich instrument. I can't even hear a difference between the amps on the site. All his stuff has that thin, buzzsaw midrange, sloppy low end sound to it. Even the blues clip shows the lack of how these clean up. Everything sounds the same.

gearnut
Huge Member
Joined: 12 Jan 2003
Posts: 493
Posted: Tue Jan 10, 2006 4:56 am

Don't want to cast aspersions here, folks, but I had voodoo amps mod my gp3 to "warm up" the clean channel and give me "more gain" on the rhythm and lead channels. I had to send it back TWICE, first time because of the horrible sound that the rhythm channel was making, somewhat akin to a really bad fuzz tone when the gains were up past 12 o'clock. And this was supposed to be corrected, second time around, but a part on the board busted off during return shipping the second time around. Thankfully, Steve Fryette offered to correct the bad workmanship FOR FREE, because he probably felt sorry for me. Upon his repair of the unit, he happened to take photos of the work that voodoo had done on my preamp. Tag soldering of resistors, and caps that were physically too large for their locations were abound, and I still have the email and photos that he sent me on this. So needless to say, it left a bad taste in my mouth for their mods.

http://www.hugeracksinc.com/board/viewtopic.php?t=1896

Paul Secondino
Huge Member
Joined: 22 Dec 2002
Posts: 1130
Location: Milford,Connecticut
Posted: Thu Jul 24, 2003 10:19 pm

I have checked Trace's website in the past.THe thing that i find odd about him is that he is mysterious about everything he does.HE epoxies over his work so no one can see anything.What doyou do if the circuity needs repair adn it is underneath the epoxy?