Cameron Marshall Mods

[Colossal]

Man, there's a lot of hate in this thread! And hate based largely on speculation too! C'mon guys give Mark a break. Now I know some of you are very close to the LA music scene and are real commercial builders. I'm from LA and know the scene well. Mods are a big deal for many players and there's a cult following of consumers that revere this sort of thing. Colorful references such as the Aldrich mod, or Jose Mod, or [Friedman's] Kitchen Sink mod are the grail of tone chasing for many players so there is serious money to be made. I'm sure it's very competitive and secrecy is important especially when it's so easy to rent an amp, gut shot it and clone the heck out it. We do that all the time here.

Yeah, I wouldn't spray an amp or goop it either (especially without prior customer consent!) but I can certainly understand the <i>principle</i> of wanting to protect one's bread and butter, as did HAD. Mark's CCV is an incredible sounding amp. Please step off the guy's nuts and do him a courtesy of wanting to be treated with civility, just as all of us would.

AmpGarage is about the academic (and sometimes commercial) pursuit of ampbuilding and the discussion there of, hopefully not digressing into lambasting other builders in a one-sided witch hunt.

I was hoping to actually read something about Cameron's mods! He did some great Jose mods to JCM800s turning them into very good sounding amps and his company is being reformed from what I've read. I don't know Mark, nor do I play him on TV.

[FUCHSAUDIO]

Sorry this created such a shit-storm. I met Mark a few times and found him to be a fairly nice guy, and I heard all the horror stories as well. Not much different than HAD honestly. To some a prince, to others not so much.

I thought this was a nice sounding amp, for what it was intended to be. Had I the time and inclination I suppose I could have tried to measure out what was going on, but I have neither to spare. It was brought to me for one purpose (to add a loop), and I did that.

I do agree no amp should really be rendered this unserviceable ! In the early days I gooped (bless me Father for I have sinned), but when I needed to tweak or repair my own stuff, I realized the position I was in as well as my customer or his chosen tech. I have found most brands of epoxy goop can be desolved. The goop makers do make anti-goop chemicals. Silicone is easy to nick off with a dental pick if you have time and motivation. This paint coating, well, not so easy. You also run the risk of ending up with the amp not working when you do this much desoldering to measure things, or possibly breaking a component or two you cannot figure out !

Here's a brand new "non-D-clone", that's gooped...

[Lonely Raven]

Here's a brand new "non-D-clone", that's gooped...

That's just that much more authentic!

[argonaut]

Ugg, cameron drama... ...uglier than TW and Dumble drama. Too bad it spread here.

But since it has, may as well do it up Amp Garage style.

High Gain Jose type amp, what do you guys want to know?

[Colossal]

Sorry this created such a shit-storm. I met Mark a few times and found him to be a fairly nice guy, and I heard all the horror stories as well. Not much different than HAD honestly. To some a prince, to others not so much.

I thought this was a nice sounding amp, for what it was intended to be. Had I the time and inclination I suppose I could have tried to measure out what was going on, but I have neither to spare. It was brought to me for one purpose (to add a loop), and I did that.

I do agree no amp should really be rendered this unserviceable ! In the early days I gooped (bless me Father for I have sinned), but when I needed to tweak or repair my own stuff, I realized the position I was in as well as my customer or his chosen tech. I have found most brands of epoxy goop can be desolved. The goop makers do make anti-goop chemicals. Silicone is easy to nick off with a dental pick if you have time and motivation. This paint coating, well, not so easy. You also run the risk of ending up with the amp not working when you do this much desoldering to measure things, or possibly breaking a component or two you cannot figure out !

Here's a brand new "non-D-clone", that's gooped...

Hi Andy,

Thanks for the reply. Please understand that I did not mean to imply anger in my reply and was certainly not accusing you of any wrong doing, just merely commenting from the sidelines. It's interesting your comment about Mark being a nice fellow as well as the associated horror stories. I have a read a litany of comments from both sides and there doesn't seem to be much middle ground LOL. I do have some friends that know him personally and attest that he is indeed a very nice person although I have never met him.

Most of the mods for which he is known turn run-of-the-mill Marshalls into fire breathing beasts and I think he does that very well. I understand that he worked at Bogner and has a background in high gain amps. I think his CCV amp sounds fantastic. Very open sounding but you hear the classic Van Haleny sort of foundation underneath. Nice complex tone. I have read some threads (on other boards) which summarily dismiss his work as "just Jose mods" but I don't know. I personally love higher gain modded Marshalls. I don't know what any of his mods really involve. Some apparently just tweak a traditional 3-stage Marshall design, others add an additional gain stage, and another the traditional pre-tone stack/post cathode follower Jose master volume with clipping diodes. Only what I've read though. Hard to wade through all the internet signal-to-noise to get at what's real though

[Lonely Raven]

High Gain Jose type amp, what do you guys want to know?

What amp is a good base for Jose mods? Do you have any schematics or layouts or guides or anything?

I've not built a Marshall yet, I've only got an 18 watt TMB I've received second hand (And not working correctly), so I have yet to really experience a big boy Marshall. I'd love to get that 80's rock/metal sound...and I happen to have a basket case Laney JCM-800 style around here somewhere...

[Colossal]

But since it has, may as well do it up Amp Garage style.

High Gain Jose type amp, what do you guys want to know?

Hahaha, thanks Argonaut! Have you seen this video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w1Ir5eYX ... re=related

Added gain stage in front with a typical 220k plate load, 10k/0.47uF cathode (or 2k7/0.68uF) and the Jose MV/diodes pre-tone stack?

[argonaut]

What amp is a good base for Jose mods? Do you have any schematics or layouts or guides or anything?

100 watter has the most girth, but you can use anything with enough headroom. No schems, just a few notes and a good memory.

Hahaha, thanks Argonaut! Have you seen this video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w1Ir5eYX ... re=related

Added gain stage in front with a typical 220k plate load, 10k/0.47uF cathode (or 2k7/0.68uF) and the Jose MV/diodes pre-tone stack?

You're close!

330k, 2k7/.68uf

Coincidentally, I'm just finishing up a high gainer jose type amp. I'll start a thread when I get the chance to take pics and will give you guys the dirt.

[VacuumVoodoo]

Man, there's a lot of hate in this thread! ........

No hate towards the person, only strong disapproval of his construction methods.

[John_P_WI]

High Gain Jose type amp, what do you guys want to know?

What amp is a good base for Jose mods? Do you have any schematics or layouts or guides or anything?

I've not built a Marshall yet, I've only got an 18 watt TMB I've received second hand (And not working correctly), so I have yet to really experience a big boy Marshall. I'd love to get that 80's rock/metal sound...and I happen to have a basket case Laney JCM-800 style around here somewhere...

Check out two guys here who have posted here at TAG and others:

Fusionbear and Dailey, they both have builds along the lines of what you are looking for. Fusionbear's is a 4 gain stage plate loaded tone stack, Dailey's is more along the lines of one of Jose's mods.

Or the over energetic Ceriatone NIK has knocked off Jose / MC mods in his "Chupacabra".

Have fun

[Lonely Raven]

Those are great leads, thanks!

[M Fowler]

Colossal I agree we need to get beyond this!

You're close!

330k, 2k7/.68uf

Coincidentally, I'm just finishing up a high gainer jose type amp. I'll start a thread when I get the chance to take pics and will give you guys the dirt.

I'm looking forward to that thread

Mark

[Colossal]

Hahaha, thanks Argonaut! Have you seen this video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w1Ir5eYX ... re=related

Added gain stage in front with a typical 220k plate load, 10k/0.47uF cathode (or 2k7/0.68uF) and the Jose MV/diodes pre-tone stack?

You're close!

330k, 2k7/.68uf

Coincidentally, I'm just finishing up a high gainer jose type amp. I'll start a thread when I get the chance to take pics and will give you guys the dirt.

Cool Argonaut! Looking forward to it. I've got some 100W iron set aside for a similar venture. I love the tones in the CCV as well as Friedman's Marsha. All grind and no fizz! Huge tone.

Do you think the CCV is more Plexi than JCM800? I definitely here a Plexi in there but sounds so much more alive and wider if that makes any sense. But it may be a JCM800 without so much treble peaking or that 10k stage might be warmed up a bit (maybe 4k7/0.22uF). I'm just guessing on that though.

Very interesting about the 330k-2k7/0.68uF, thanks for that tidbit! I have seen one gut shot of Dave Friedman's Marsha and it looks like a Plexi but with the same 330k front end for the Hairy Brown Eye input. I think the 820R on the third stage is bypassed with 330uF in that amp.

I'm interested to hear your report on your amp however.
Thanks man.

[leadfootdriver]

Wow, what a mess with the paint. I get it that you're trying to hide an original design. But there must be a better way to hide things. The module example would be a cool thing.

330k plate resistors? Doesn't anyone actually play their amps anymore? 'All that compression makes for a flat responding amp imo. But what do I know?

[Colossal]

330k plate resistors? Doesn't anyone actually play their amps anymore? 'All that compression makes for a flat responding amp imo. But what do I know?

Hahaha, I hear ya dude! But in the right dose, those amps sound glorious! The tone in my head is Rush-meets-Tool! Super heavy, all grind, but with note to note separation and clarity. Really wide sounding chords with endless sustain. No fizz riding on the edge of the note. Marshalls, especially modded Marshalls (the good ones at least!) do this really well and man, what a tone!