I think I prefer the unmodded one, to me the modded one sounded more bassy and saturated but also more compressed, the unmodded one sounds more open to me and the lesser amount of gain wouldn't bother me because I don't go for ultra gainy sounds anyway. Very interesting comparison, thank you for sharing this with us!
@@belligerentamateur That's how I percieve it, maybe I'd have a different opinion if I tried both amps in person but this is what I truly hear from the video.
It’s cool that you’ve given Mr Scary a shot and that it works! I’m so new to the Mesa family my Badlander 100 hasn’t even been delivered yet (this afternoon!!!!). Have to admit the thing that attracted me to this amp was its…focused?…gain. So, as I unbox this afternoon (and probably cream my own…er…never mind), I’ll keep in mind that the Mr Scary mod is a viable option should I want “more” 😃 Thanks for posting!
The group is looking great so far and seems such a cool and relaxed place to be for gear nerds,thanks for the admin invite and also the mention on your channel 👍
I had a Badlander. I liked the tones, but found myself playing the Badlander and staring at my JP2c and wishing it had as much gain as the JP did. Methinks the Badlander should now be back on my wish list...along with a Legendary Tones Mod! Thanks for doing this!!!
yup, put the mr scary mod in my 50W badlander back in october...whole different animal after...pairing it with my engl fireball 100 in a stereo rig at the moment...yikes!!! cheers all!!!
The extra tube (not a 12AX7) allows for more headroom to go along with the increased gain. Similar principle to Soldano's preamp design. David even mentioned that's it works well with high gain for that very reason.
THANK YOU KYLE!! ❤❤❤ I’ve always had a love hate relationship with Mesa. But.. after watching your video I bought a Badlander and Mr Scary and I couldn’t be happier. I bought the 100w rack version and the tone was ok but wasn’t great, for me almost unusable. After installing Mr Scary.. AMAZING! It feels amazing and sounds amazing. I couldn’t be happier. I’ve been hunting this particular tone for 15 years and my search is over. Thanks buddy!
I’ve been wanting to throw a Mr. Scary Mod into my Single Rec for a while now. Very interested to see what it sounds like through the Swamp Thing/ DV-77 cab I just put together.
It blows my mind Mesa hasn't just added another tube gain stage to these things yet, so many people out there like myself would probably be rushing to buy one.
I love the Badlander 100.. it’s more like a jacked JCM 800. I think you can also use an EQ pedal in loop and in the front, use a Seymour Duncan 805 to shape and add a little push and a similar result. I do use the 805 but not the EQ as I get enough bottom for my style with the MESA Rectifier 2x12. This head is amazing for classic rock, rock, alternative, alternative rock, punk but I’m not sure for metal as I don’t really that style. One thing to keep in mind this amp cuts through the mix and playing with a band as it has a little more upper mids which is great. I don’t think MESA’s intention was to replace the older rectifiers but to give another voicing more on the Marshall side.
Yeah Davids the man. Recently put one of these in my jcm2000 dsl and it rips. Opens the amp up quite a bit. David was super helpful too when I had some questions.
Something i learned the og hot mod was originally built by David Hicks in Tulsa. He was contracted to built the hot mods for Soldano. I recently had a Hicks Mender which is a hot mod but for fender amps that is footswitchable and it was great!
The Valvestate is one we definitely will need to look at because technically that tube in there is a cathode follower. But there is a lot of other circuitry and things going on there so we’ll hopefully be able to validate it one day.
@LegendaryTones Thanks for your reply. I do appreciate that. I admit, I did check the list just in case but didn't expect it to be there. I just bought a VS100 combo in excellent condition and it really is a pretty decent old amp. After watching Kyle's video I couldn't help but wonder.
Was literally on the fence about getting rid of my multi watt for a badlander because I’ve always thought they they just weren’t as saturated and aggressive but this just solved my issue
Dude buys a second $3k amp so he show us the difference back to back. Some heroes don’t wear capes. Or maybe you DO wear capes Kyle, I don’t know or judge, I’m not Capephobic
I see a 6534+ in the background. I'd love to see a review of that. I played one in 2013 and it was one of the best high gain amps I've ever played through.
I think both sound good regardless. I can see wanting more saturation and low end punch, its a pretty dry amp, but I think it gives it a lot of clarity. I'd be happy with either!
I immediately ordered one after watching your video. I have a Badlander 100 and already love the tone… kind of contemplating using it in my JCM900 that I have never liked.
The Mr. Scary is kick a$$ in my Ceriatone stuff (Molecular, Chupacabra & King Kong). Perfect timing on the video Kyle - Mesa ought to be back in Europe this quarter or the next. Looking forward to getting my hands on a Badlander to at least try out.
This sounds absolutely insane. I played one of these amps a couple weeks ago and I absolutely hated it (maybe I’m just too used to my 6505+) but that mod makes that thing sound NUTS
The mod sounds great, but tbh this is nothing an EQ can't get - specially with a great amp like the badlander. It has all you need and maybe you can EQ it to get the "punch" on low end you need. Glad you are enjoying your mod and this awesome amp! Keep rocking \m/
Sorry dude, but an EQ can not add an all tube gain stage to an amplifier. Sure, you can get more low end out of an eq, and you can push the front end with the level up to achieve more saturation, but pushing the front end vs more natural gain from an extra tube gain stage are not the same thing in function, sound or feel. Appreciate the comment!
Gotta say I much preferred it without the mod. More open and articulate, and I think it would record much better. Big fan of the Badlander amps (have my second one on the way).
Why not clean-boosting it or using an OD-pedal with not only Level to full but also adding a bit gain? Yes, certainly there is a difference with the mod, but I personally would try the 2 possibilities I mentioned and/or a high-output pickup like DiMarzio X2N. I think Ola made it also sound very good without 2 additional tubes!
I hated my Peavey Supreme 100 at first. Then I accidentally dialed in correctly with boost coming from a boss hm & blues driver and it blew my mind. My Bandit was similar, At first it was heavy but not as brutal as I remembered my Bravo 112 being.👨🏻🚀
You add an hm2 to anything and it will make any amp brutal… but I think the supreme is awesome… peavey really had something good there with both transformers
Holy cow I think this is what I've been looking for for my badlander. I always wanted just a bit more oomph f you will and this would be great!! I always wondered if mr scary would work with this amp!
I’m glad my initial disappointment with the Badlander ended up leading me to the Triple Crown which I love, if it had sounded like this stock I’d probably still own it. Also, what is that light that you have behind the amps? It looks like it’d be useful to have for my practice space
Holy crap. I knew that mod was great on lower gain Marshalls but never thought it would work on anything with higher gain 😛 Now I want one! (Or at least a NAM or ToneX capture 🙃)
I mean I see what you are saying but for a new amp.... I dont want to have to buy another device. I have got to the point where I want to by an amp, I want to be able to plug in straight and not "need" anything. Granted I like using pedals and what not but I dont want my enjoyment to require additional gear.
Kyle, I recently purchased a Gibson Tony Iommi model pick up. Just for reference, I think a channel switcher jcm 800 is a high gain amplifier. I do own a Mesa Tri-axis and a stereo 2:100 rectifier tube power amp what I’ve discovered is, playing a high (or a bugera g5 with the gain dimed) amp, the iommi pickup retains lots of clarity. I own all sorts of pickups from Dimarzio air to x2n. And from low ouput seymours to black winter pups. Lots in between too. That amp on this video sounds very clear…was wondering if you have experienced a gibson 500t (probably) or an ole sckool X2N. Or maybe even a tony iommi model pup. IMHO it seems as though low to med output pickups sound “muddy” through high gain amps. Also, I own all of the AMT bricks for guitar. I was wondering if you ever checked out any more than the 5150 model . The rectifier/Soldano model sounds just like surfing with the alien but I believe what is the Fred pick up in my Ibanez-I believe all of those AMT bricks are pretty awesome. As I’ve stated, I have them all was wondering if you could do a review a few more of them
These Mr. Scary mods are so sick. I just wish they'd work with older amp platforms like my Peavey 5150 II. No possible way that could happen though lol.
curious why you would want to use it on the 5150ii though? that amp has insane amounts of gain and low end, so I am curious what you think it would add to the amp?
@belligerentamateur My idea is to use the Mr. Scary mod to get away from overdrive pedals, as I'm a huge fan of the amp by itself. I just feel like it needs a little more push in the preamp section harder to get the clarity and harmonic richness I'm after. In other words, I'm a caveman and I want to chug just plugging straight in lol.
Interesting. But I think the unmodded one is a lot more versatile though. I use different kinds of overdrives with varying amounts of saturation in front to push the amp. I have a maxon tbo-9 which is a tubed tube screamer which I can vary the amount of saturation that I want. I also have a friedman golden pearl, jhs screamer, boss sd1, keeley phat mod, and a rat 2. All of them sounds different and makes the badlander interesting. I have a rectifier 212 cab... that thing is bassy even with v30s. I have a single rectifier that I don't use anymore... because the single rectifier with my rectifier cab... is just too much lowend. But with my badlander 25 to the rectifier 212...the lowend is just right.
I had a Roadster and I did my best to like it but unfortunately could not! I would like to give a try and get a mini rectifier.. my question, would that Mr. Scary work on Mini rectifier?
Mini recto was fizzy enough stock just balance the presence and bass. Can't believe you didn't like the roadster that amp with a peppers dirty tree is the best mesa I have heard. Sounded better than the dual rec did with that same boost or any other boost and sounded better than the jp2c I had.
@josephbutler148 I sold it already.. could not deal with it 😅 and yes, I've tried it with DT but not for me at the end. I still like my DC-5, DC-10 & Mark V more than the Roadster that i had!
I wonder if this would work with the Ironheart, I know it’s not on the list for the mod but I just wonder since without the boost it tends to lack gain for a high gain amp
I realize this is the wrong channel to ask this question but just in case someone tried this what did the mod do to the Badlanders clean channel? Nobody seems to have a video for this.
I ended up answering my own question. Bought a Badlander and a Mr Scary. It basically adds more gain but doesn’t turn the amp into a blues machine. Still tight and compressed. Also I love the amp stock. I don’t use the Mr Scary in it. I does work great in the Friedmans I tried though.
Also, seems like pick ups that have lots of low end or mid range. Sound kind of muddy also. To me, it sounds like the ones that most people think are trebley Sound very clear through a high gain amp. I’m wondering what your thoughts are?
Awsome, big difference for sure, but can i ask what was wrong with the ltd tuning wise? I have 3 ltd's and although ive never had any issues with any of mine in any way im curious if you found the issue in case i ever have the same problem. Thx bro
I thought the badlander was incredible from the start. But this mod is really cool. I definitely enjoy what it’s doing. Also, I want a purple light for my amp!! How do I get a purple light for my amp?! But I’m not sporting a badlander. I got a 100 watt evh.
i only have the 25 watt but it sound really good. im not sure if that mod works with a 25 watt version. but for me this amp sound really good different flavor but good. upon listening to the video i dont think i need a mod, just add a OD and emg like 57 even with 25watt the gain is more that enough. OD could be a Gridslammer or a Tempest.
Hey Kyle! I was about to pull the trigger on this mod for my Badlander, and came across the KSR Orion 45. Are you going to get your hands on one of those bad boys anytime soon? Just wondering your thoughts if/when you do!! Thx, Mike
