New amp gear - Randall RM100C 2x12 combo

So last weekend Bruce Egnater announced that the long-awaited upgrade for Randall RM100(C) amps was about to hit the market... this being the upgrade that allows Egnater dual-channel modules to be used in the RM100, effectively turning it into a 6-channel amp. Within about 15 minutes of the announcement being posted, I listed my RM50B Palomino for sale, picked up a NOS Randall RM100C 2x12 combo, and got on the official waiting list for the upgrade. While I've really liked some features of the RM50B--the switchable volume boost, the spring reverb, and (most of all) the custom tolex/grille cloth--I'm looking forward to having a few more channels at my disposal, even if I don't always need 50 more watts of power when jamming around.

This isn't the first RM100C I've owned... I had one as my "rehearsal" amp a few years ago when I was playing with The Burning Sensations. My tendency was to keep the RM4/RT2-50 rig (usually with Blackface, Brown, Recto, and Ultra Lead modules) home for recording, then use the RM100C (generally with the JTM, SL+, and XTC modules) for practices. I even had an RM20B around which almost always had the Top Boost module installed. But that's old news...

The new RM100C arrived Friday afternoon... I had a few minutes to unpack it and move it into the studio then; Saturday I had only a few minutes to power it up to make sure it was working. Yesterday, however, I had some quality time to jam around with it, and I'm digging it so far. Of course, it wasn't long before I got out the screwdriver and multimeter to start switching things up...

First I swapped out one of the stock Celestion G12T75's for a Classic Lead 80 I installed in the RM50B last year. (By the end of the week, I'll have a second CL80 here to install in the RM100C.)

Then I did a power tube swap... pulled the stock JJ EL34's (pretty nice for stock tubes, actually) and replaced them with a pair of Tung Sol 5881's and a pair of SED/Winged C 6L6's.

Last thing I did was load up some Egnater modules... while I currently can't take advantage of both channels on the dual modules, I can at least access one channel (the "A" channel). So I installed the B'MAN, COD, and MHG modules, which collectively remind me a bit of my old Mesa Mark IV (especially when paired with 6L6 power tubes and a CL80 speaker).

While I don't really need it yet (since the Randall ships with a 3-button MIDI controller), I also dusted off the Rocktron MidiMate... it'll be a great controller for the upgraded 6-channel amp, especially since it will run on the phantom power generated by the RM100C.

So it'll probably be a couple weeks before Egnater's ready to start doing the upgrades, at which point I'll have to remove the chassis and send it up to Michigan for a week or two. But it'll be worth it when all is said & done to have a Randall that can take advantage of all the dual channel modules I've got around here.



Looks pretty good with black modules, eh? Now I need to hunt down some matching creme knobs for the B'MAN module and the RM100 controls. And I need to resist the urge to change the grill cloth to the Marshall salt & pepper style. But after all, it's more important to look good than to sound good, right? :)

--B