Egnater Mod50

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Bruciep07
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Egnater Mod50

Post by Bruciep07 »

I just got back home from visiting some relatives in VA, a friend of my cousins plays in a bar band and has a Mod50 that I got to play tonight. I've gotta say, the amp really impressed me! He had a twin module and an SL2 module in it, and they were both spot on, surprises me how well the twin module did with a pair of el34's. The SL2 did angus to zakk wylde and everything in between, I really love this amp! Someone please talk me out of(or in to) ordering one of these!
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selloutrr
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Re: Egnater Mod50

Post by selloutrr »

ok i can help you!

duncan amps was the first company to make an amplifier with cards

they sounded pretty respectable for the time (80's)
down side was they were cards so as they aged or traveled the pressure fit connection would tarnish and loosen and over time they would stop working. If you like an amp you get to open up and clean the contacts every month or so it's the amp for you!

I'm sure they sound neat if not good but really you could make a very nice sounding power amp and buy a buffer so your running a hotter level to the power amp and buy any preamp pedal and get the same effect and be more reliable.
i.e. Soundcity Slave (power amp) el34's
Marl Martin Boost/Buff
Soldano SLO pedal
Mesa Boogie pedal

The egnator is a cool idea for a bar band that plays covers.. but so is a line6 amp if that's your goal. saddly the Line 6 over time will probably be more reliable.

if you get one buy it used so when it stops working you an blaim it on the first guy. ( or Girl)

not to mention...
egnater is a neat idea but the company is trying to hit a price point so the quality of parts has to be low and bought on the cheap the quality of the products has yet to stay the test the time but i'm leaning on them being similar to a behringer or mackie. use and throw away.
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gearhead
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Re: Egnater Mod50

Post by gearhead »

The Mod50 is a different beast from the Egnater GC-sold, chinese-built line. New they cost $2250 or so.
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selloutrr
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Re: Egnater Mod50

Post by selloutrr »

for $2k you can buy a way better amp!!! PM i'll send you a list!
don't throw your money away. it's a company that built it's foundation on cheap amps they can make the most expensive amp in the world and it won't hold value like a solid company that has made a great product. the bottom line is card modules in an amplifier is a bad idea.

it's your money spend it how ever it makes you happy. just trying to help you did ask for it :wink:

for 2K you could buy a Soldano SLO or a twin and the soldano SLO tube pedal and have a solid investment.
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wicker
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Re: Egnater Mod50

Post by wicker »

selloutrr wrote: The egnator is a cool idea for a bar band that plays covers.. but so is a line6 amp if that's your goal. saddly the Line 6 over time will probably be more reliable.
I play on Line6 on place where my band practise and I can tell you one thing, don't buy this ! I really dislike this amp, it's nice at the beginning, when you say: woah, such many tones in one amp ! But after that you'll try to get some kind of 'your own tone' you will be angry, I just couldn't get anything that fully satisfied me. It got hundreds of presets, from Clapton and Dire Straits, through ACDC up to Slipknot etc. Maybe some crunch and leads are even ok, the cleans really disappointed me, all in all, I found Twin+Boss SD better :D
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gearhead
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Re: Egnater Mod50

Post by gearhead »

selloutrr wrote:for $2k you can buy a way better amp!!!
Do you know -anything- about Bruce Egnater? He only recently got into the mass-market GC-sold renegade, etc. line. He's an amp builders amp builder. The MOD50/100 line is hand made from high quality components and doesn't make that many of them. It -will- hold it's value.

Now if you want to talk about cards vs soldered connections, that's a good point.
John_P_WI
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Re: Egnater Mod50

Post by John_P_WI »

Egnater's TOL should clear up any question of quality. Great amp.
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M Fowler
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Re: Egnater Mod50

Post by M Fowler »

I own Bruce's Rebel 20 and that is a great amp even if made in China.

But the card line amps are of greater quality. Can't fault Bruce for wanting to venture out into the market.

I was getting scheduled to meet up with Bruce to learn some tricks when he had stop his classes, too bad for me.

Mark
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selloutrr
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Re: Egnater Mod50

Post by selloutrr »

his cheap amps are a nice bang for the buck but nothing special and the expensive handwired amps are ...
unless you are fan of his work it's just another amp.
the name will be remembered as the amp that you can buy at guitar center.
when you sell it the headline will read...
"egnater _ _ _ _ not the cheap one"

you asked to be talked in or out.

my outs are..
IMHO for $2k there are better amps.
and opinion aside the cards are a horrible design flaw.

My in's
It's your money do what makes YOU happy

My middle ground..
Buy it used / but being that it's cards you may want to have a warranty
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Bruciep07
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Re: Egnater Mod50

Post by Bruciep07 »

Thanks for the replies guys. I was hoping to find someone here that has had direct experience with a MOD. I know the card design isn't the best design when it comes to longevity, but these amps are supposed to be hand built, high quality amps (much different than the GC Egnaters that are mass produced over seas, though they sound pretty good too)... Ty Tabor plays an M4 preamp I believe, gotta be some quality there to be used in his main rig... I know there are plenty of nice amps out there, I just got the itch to buy something different...
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M Fowler
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Re: Egnater Mod50

Post by M Fowler »

When I want an answer about an Egnator amp I email Bruce Egnator and talk to him.

Mark
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selloutrr
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Re: Egnater Mod50

Post by selloutrr »

M Fowler wrote:When I want an answer about an Egnator amp I email Bruce Egnator and talk to him.

Mark
for technical questions sure but i doubt the designer is going to say anything negative about his product when a sale puts food on his table.

The question you have to ask about the live rig is.. does the guy have an endorsement deal or does he play because he likes the amp? The reason i ask is all to often the amp you see on stage is not the amp you hear. for $ the artist puts the amp that puts a fat $$$ on the stage and then has an iso box or an amp off stage or in a dressing room as the actual "sound" usually controlled by the guitar tech.
We did try a Egnator MOD100 for HOBP but we didn't think it would hold up on a world tour. Sorry i don't remember the cards that were in it, I had 3 days to record 16 songs and since it was out it wasn't a focus. We went with a MOD'd V4 and Knucklehead.
I Would probably buy an MOD if it was half the price and I couldn't get all the card sounds from actual amps, of pedals, meaning it had it's own "something special". hand made or not it's still on a PCB :cry:
Honestly the reliabity issue worries me! The exact same design has been done before and failed horribly!!!
You sound like you are set on getting one. just be prepared to handle it with more care then any other amp. you may need to reset the cards after every travel and invest in quality contact cleaner and follow and regular maintenace schedule. If you live in a humid or damp climate corrosion will set in quicker.
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D-Day
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Re: Egnater Mod50

Post by D-Day »

The Soldano pedal you've referred to twice is not an SLO pedal, it's a GTO.

BTW, they went out of production some time ago so have fun overspending.
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selloutrr
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Re: Egnater Mod50

Post by selloutrr »

Correct it's the GTO but based on the SLO channel. You can still find them for less then the egnater card. It's not over spending if you buy it used, you can still get out of it for roughly what you spent on the pedal if not make a buck in a couple years. Over spending is buying a new card

Thank you for reminding me it's the GTO. It's a nice pedal I kinda of regret getting rid of it after I got an SLO head since it was portable.
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