My Rockstah Mod 5 2204 guts...

[AndyK]

That's the problem with forums as well. When threads like this pop up and everyone starts putting in their 2 cents worth, it gives the leechers the exact ammo to bump a $700 amp up to $1500 with $15 worth of parts and a name attached to it. The last amp with a "Jose Mod" on it went for a ridiculous price on ebay last year. Who knows if it was legit. Even if it was, why is it worth more?

Most likely this is one Mark did. Lot of things add up.

Glad it mostly adds up, which is why I wanted to try and verify that Mark "probably" did my amp. I am guessing Jose didn't sign his work either? It would be so much easier if he had just put "Rockstah 2011" the chassis.

Why does a Jose sell for so much? I think it's the same reason a designer T shirt can sell for $200, when a Jockey that does the same thing will sell for $10. People pay more for the designer name. That's what turns the $700 amp into the $1500 designer-modded version.

[vanhalen5150]

He usually put a Arrco sticker on the back. Some say they can tell his work. I'm no chef, but I can follow a cookbook and stir up something pretty tasty too.

http://www.marshallforum.com/lets-talk- ... -back.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[AndyK]

He usually put a Arrco sticker on the back. Some say they can tell his work. I'm no chef, but I can follow a cookbook and stir up something pretty tasty too.

http://www.marshallforum.com/lets-talk- ... -back.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Right, an Arrco sticker would be one of the authenticators - although anyone with a digi cam and printer could cook one of those up (if they wanted to fool the buyer).

I would think there have been mod improvments since Jose was around (LARMAR master volume, for example). John Sykes uses Jose modded heads, and I'm not impressed. I think his Boogie Mark heads sounded bigger and fuller (Whitesnake '87 vs. Bad Boy Live).

[vanhalen5150]

If I remember, Sykes contacted Mark at one point.

[AndyK]

If I remember, Sykes contacted Mark at one point.

I don't think he ever spoke to Mark. I do know he was so impressed by Mark's youtube samples, he thought they were actually EVH demo tracks and not Mark.

[Tone Slinger]

I mentioned on another forum about how a Big Mac will taste the same no matter which one of the many thousands of McDonalds you go in.The formula and ingredients are the same. The same applies for a amplifier circuits.Its not the person,but the spec.

I really respected Mark as a guitarist/musician. He found out about what interested HIMSELF, concerning tube amp tone, and he shared it with others, for a fee. His spec was already available by SDM. The 2204/ppimv and 2203/ppimv layouts by SDM ARE exact 'Mod5' spec pretty much.Mark did what anybody else would do,he used his ears. He lowered the value of the mix cap (sometimes), used a different value at the plate bypass and messed around with the value of the v2a cathode cap, pi coupler value, etc. All of that merely was like someone shaking a little salt or pepper. The BASIC foundation of the 'Mod5' is a 2203/2204 with a ppimv as layed out by SDM.

Nobody has ANYTHING on anybody in this field. Nothing is proprietary,unless it is a frivilous name or something. Tone can be had, but not securly OWNED.

[AndyK]

Yeah, I'm surprised at how many "Marshall Clones" are out there, with info on how to build them. I would think the desgn was trademarked by Marshall? But look at Metroamps, selling full Plexi replicas.

Like you said, tone isn't owned!

[Tone Slinger]

Whats funny is what some people have done, after Mark passed, to try and capitalize on him. The 'Mod5' as a spec and tone,can, and has been done by a few (myself included), yet there is one guy inparticular that really tripped me out. He used to be a member here, but due to lack of knowledge and an unwillingness to learn,pretty much banned himself from the site. He goes On and On about how his amp was the last one Mark modded (true enough) and how he would never sell.Foward a couple months after Mark passed, he's trying to sell it. He goes so far as to use a SECOND user name to try and hype what his other user name is saying . A complete and utter &#@$!!I think this was on the Marshall amps forum.This guy's been on a few of them. That is an example of what can happen

[vanhalen5150]

Toneslinger is correct. The SDM site had this basic mode posted for years. Its kinds hidden, but its there.

The 12000 Im building right now is going to have the "Green Bastard" mod. I don't know what that is yet, but I'm going to start circulating that tag around the Intergoogle.

[AndyK]

I saw those posts involving the Rockitt amp (last mod Mark did). I didn't know the guy was banned. Interesting.

People do nutty stuff for money.

[AndyK]

Toneslinger is correct. The SDM site had this basic mode posted for years. Its kinds hidden, but its there.

The 12000 Im building right now is going to have the "Green Bastard" mod. I don't know what that is yet, but I'm going to start circulating that tag around the Intergoogle.

Wow, I heard the guy who does the Green Bastard mod is retiring right after your amp is finished!

[stef]

This brings another question about this particular 2204/M5 amp. Mark used to say "something on V2a is a must" and he was using 2 values for that particular cathode capacitor - usually the 25uf sprague and sometimes of course the 0.68uf. Maybe he changed his mind or did not have enough time on his hands to change "every little thing" later on (v2a, pi caps, nfb resistor, mixer cap).
Anyhow, this particular marshall sounds like a genuine Mod5 and that's what is important, but I'd like to continue with the detective work just for fun.
The question: Is there a cap across 820r on V2a?
I don't see it.There's no cap in stock 2204/3 specs/amps. Just a resistor. Is it there in Eric's 1987/M5 amp?

PS: Andy (Tone Slinger), that was some great detective work regarding the ohmite resistor, Mark was indeed using them.

The BASIC foundation of the 'Mod5' is a 2203/2204 with a ppimv as layed out by SDM.

[AndyK]

This brings another question about this particular 2204/M5 amp. Mark used to say "something on V2a is a must" and he was using 2 values for that particular cathode capacitor - usually the 25uf sprague and sometimes of course the 0.68uf. Maybe he changed his mind or did not have enough time on his hands to change "every little thing" later on (v2a, pi caps, nfb resistor, mixer cap).
Anyhow, this particular marshall sounds like a genuine Mod5 and that's what is important, but I'd like to continue with the detective work just for fun.
The question: Is there a cap across 820r on V2a?
I don't see it.There's no cap in stock 2204/3 specs/amps. Just a resistor. Is it there in Eric's 1987/M5 amp?

PS: Andy, that was some great detective work regarding the ohmite resistor, Mark was indeed using them.

The BASIC foundation of the 'Mod5' is a 2203/2204 with a ppimv as layed out by SDM.

Where is V2a?

[stef]

This is a (black) sprague electrolytic 25uf
http://www.mediafire.com/view/?opu03b9f3zi9a09" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Here's a (yellow) mallory 0.68uf
http://www.mediafire.com/view/?eo3b4ojoyb4ymij" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
http://www.mediafire.com/view/?f893khhd6h82fki" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Mark's builds from the VH style mods topic

[AndyK]

Could it be he installed those for 1987/1959 amps, and not 2203/4?