Legendary Tones

We are honored and humbled by the great feedback we’ve received from customers since releasing the LegendaryTones Hot Mod V2, Lynch Mod, and Mr. Scary Mod high-gain tube modules. Nothing is more satisfying than to create something that others can enjoy and be inspired by. Here are just a few testimonials below:

“My friend, I am absolutely blown away. I tried it in my 900 and it sounds amazing, I love how articulate the notes still are…Just ran my 900 with your HMV2 and the original (Soldano Hot Mod). I’m so liking yours way more. Just keeps more of your tone intact. I’m really enjoying it. Very responsive. Gets the same growl, but only if you really crank the preamp. The original is pretty much on 11 as soon as you turn your amp on. I’m pretty sure the Soldano Hot Mod is going to go on eBay. Yours is way more usable.”
-Chris B.

Hot Mod V2/Hot Mod V2 Evo

“See this thing? Plug it into a JCM 800 and INSTANT GAIN MOD!! Added a ton more gain…If you’re one of my friends who love their 800’s, this bad boy is killer!”
-Gary Holt
Exodus, Slayer

“The Legendary Tones Hot Mod V2 will turn a stock Marshall 2203 or 2204 into a BEAST! Like a killer gain mod except you don’t have to hack your amp.”
-Pete Thorn
Guitarist with Chris Cornell, Melissa Etheridge, Don Henley

“The Hot Mod V2 is the greatest thing to ever happen to a Marshall amplifier. Here’s my 1978 JMP from clean to dirty with my guitar’s volume knob (*note see video below). If you want a simple way to turn your OG Marshall into a monster, this is it. Do it now, trust me.”
-Tracii Guns
L.A. Guns

“Dude, it’s awesome! I wish I had known about the Hot Mod V2 years ago.”
-Jason Hook
Five Finger Death Punch

“Dude…All I can say is thank you!! Holy fuck it’s so heavy!”
-Sammy Duet
Goatwhore (Metal Blade Records)

“Holy Moly, this thing is an absolute BEAST!!!! I can’t believe how the Hot Mot has transformed my Marshall SV20H from a decent Free/Zep/Crowes amp into a fire breather! That modded 80’s Marshall tone has always been an elusive one for me, but no more. I can probably even coax a Slayer tone out of it.

The Hot Mod is so incredible that I can sell my beloved Ceriatone Yeti head. I don’t need it anymore!!!! YOU ROCK BRO!!!!!”

– Chris W.

“WOW, what a game-changer! My Runt 50 transformed into a raging beast! I’ve got more low end, and can dial back my boost to zero on the gain. That said, white noise is reduced significantly, my lead tones are fatter and more alive, and heavy rhythms are chunkier.”

– Doug S.

“I received my HMV2E…holy smokes!!! I put it into my 1990 Marshall JCM 900 50W High Gain Master Volume MkIII and it sounds amazing. I’ve tried for years to get that kind of tone from an amp and I’ve never came close to the ‘sound’ for me. You nailed it brother. Thanks again for all your hard work, I know you must spend hours making these quality products but it’s worth it! You don’t find a lot of things in this world that make you happy anymore….for me this is one of them. Thanks again! I really do appreciate your hard work.”

-Christian P.

“I gotta say this HMV2+ delivers wayyy more than I expected or even thought possible! The gain stays clear and sweet, and the sweep on the dial is PERFECT!… The boost switch is where things get really interesting. 7 string and down tuned 6 guitars kick ass with the boost engaged. The way the tone stack works seems to change slightly to suit modern sounds better with the boost engaged. It’s so easy to get a crushing rhythm tone! I’m just so absolutely in love with this Hot Mod V2, and it will never come out of this amp!”
-Andrew J.

“Just wanted to let you know, the more I play my JCM 800 with the Hot Mod V2, the more I love it. I can’t wait for the Lynch Mod one! Awesome product!”
-Dean J.

“My 800 always seemed a little harsh and brittle. The V2 gave the 800 a warm woody tone. I was quite surprised! Unbelievable how your new Hot Mod V2 took away the harsh tone in my JCM 800. My ears really like what this thing does. Best of all, you don’t need to be an amplifier tech to install it. Great work!”
-Jody H.

“Dude!!! I just installed the hot mod!!!!! Holy sh*t!!!!!!!!! I’ve got it Ab’d to my VH4 and I believe I’ve got the ultimate tone! Thanks David!! I will be sure and give you a shout out when I get famous!!”
-Cullen C.

“David, woweee man…This thing sounds absolutely sweet. This has been exactly what I’ve been looking for! Man oh man!”
-Greyson A.

“I’ve been putting the word out to everyone! It’s amazing how quiet it is too (in JCM 800 2203x reissue), to get that much gain out of my Bogner there is a lot of hiss.”
-Mark Bouras

“I got the HMV2 yesterday. Plugged her in today for a test drive…..yeeeehaaaw! Let me tell ya, this thing doesn’t disappoint. It works just fine with my modded circuit on the basic JCM800 mode in my Ceriatone Chupa and with all the other additional gain mods I’ve added. Typical Jose diodes etc. It sounds very harmonic and musical. I can get great metal tones and more gain than I need. It really is the tone of my amp with more gain. Didn’t mess with anything tone wise. Lower gain sounds are still there if need be too. It doesn’t add to the noise floor. Another bonus. Gonna play with it more this weekend. Great product and thank you.”
– James R.

“I had to tell you how awesome the V2 is. I am running a 100 watt Super Lead that has a JCM style master volume, through a 4×12 Greenback cab, and it is absolutely wonderful. It is ‘The Tone’!!! I can’t believe I didn’t find it sooner. Thanks so much!”
-Darren B.

“Really happy with the Hot Mod. It just made my 5150 expendable, which is what I was hoping for…I’m super stoked on this setup. Best tone I’ve ever had. Can’t stop playing. Thank you!”
-Bryan E.

“That little voodoo box is badass. Played it tonight in the 1959RR and it makes a much meaner beast… Best way to describe what it does is add girth along with the extra gain. Pretty awesome. Definitely would recommend it!”
-Paul T.

“Just got a chance to try it out my Marshall 2204s with the Hot Mod V2+. Sounds great! Nice to not have to use fx pedals in front of the amp, now. What really surprised me is that the tone controls on the amp are as responsive as they are. I thought I might lose something there, but, if anything, they are more pronounced. All-in-all, a great device! Having it all contained within the amp, and no extra controls is a big plus. Adding more external controls to a six knob Marshall really starts to defeat their simplicity and ease of stage use. The Hot Mod V2+ allows me to keep it simple, and just play, with great hot-rodded Marshall tone, without worrying about extra knobs or fx pedals. Now, I can control everything from my guitar, without having to work my way back to the amp, or find the right switch or button on the floor, for my sound. Free at last, to just play!”
-Jerry H.

“Got the unit and its awesome! Really wakes up my old JMP master volume and JCM800. I haven’t plugged into my Splawn amps since using this thing! Works really well with P90s plugged straight in without any other boost. I hope you make these things a household name among musicians. Cant recommend them more! Free at last, to just play!”
-Dave B.

“Have to say, I’m very impressed with the mod it sounds fantastic, as this is coming from a guy that’s had many Marshalls over the years, and done a ton of different mods with my amp tech.”
-Steve R.

“I bought this Hot Mod V2 from LegendaryTones for my Wangs Amplification 2204 clone (now the Tone-Talk mini stack) and let me tell you it turned the amp into a flame thrower! I highly recommend this mod if you have a JCM 800 type amp or JMP with a master volume. It’s based on the old Soldano Hot Mod but this is updated and it freakin works!”
-Marc Huzanksy
Host of Tone-Talk Podcast (www.tone-talk.com)

“I just installed the mod in my SC20H and it’s a totally different amp now. I have been looking for that hot rodded 800 crunch forever without hacking my stock 800. Your Hot Mod is awesome I simply love it. Thank you.”
-Ricky G.

“This is the next BIG THING for molest-free modification! Each note still articulate and sustain for days! My Canadian version JCM 800 2204 has never sounded sooooo good! Watch these things: Hot Mod V2 will be BIG! Grab one now while you can! You’ll LOVE it and your amp will come ALIVE!!”
-George L.
Marshall Amplifiers, Cabs & Gear (Facebook Group Page)

“This beyond what I expected — This amp is now spitting out Liquid Flammable Napalm. Just unreal…Dude this is BAD ASS…I’m amazed that it has so much more gain, better overall tone and it’s quiet as a church mouse. Simply brilliant. I have a 5150 stealth EL34, Splawn, JVM, 6505+ & more to list — This Hot Mod V2 is better. Thank you so much!”
-Derek B.

“The Hot Mod arrived today. Man its better than I thought it would be and I was sure it would be good.”
-Daniel A.

“I like the sound I’m getting out of this unit…I got a post phase MV on my 69 Super Lead and with this unit, volume at 5 it screams.”
-Joseph H.

“Wow…your Hotmod sounds killer. It is a fantastic piece of gear that should be part of every studio’s arsenal. With the Preamp gain of a stock Marshall Jcm800 2203 (1981) set on 3 (with Hot Switch on) we get the brown sound and even with a Boss OD1 with drive set on 10:00 clock – bang – there is a transparent high gain sound that fits every metal production. Thanks a lot.”
-Franz Z.

“Sounds Incredible David! Just what the amp needed…excellent quality on the build. Awesome work and a very happy customer!”
-Michael P.

“Thank you, David! I just received it…this thing is exactly what I wanted and it sounds amazing. I’m spreading the word on social media. I’ve got a Marshall SV20H. It’s a great amp but didn’t have the drive like a 50w or 100w of course. This mod gave it that punchy percussive plexi tone. Thanks again!”
-Rob S.

“David, got the mod. It sounds killer. Thanks for making this. I’m finally playing through my amp with only amp gain and it definitely sounds amazing, like I’m hearing the amp for the first time. I love it!”
-Tony B.

Lynch Mod & Mr. Scary Mod

“The Mr. Scary Mod excels with dynamics and is incredibly touch-responsive, allowing me to shift from playing clear, lightly compressed cleans to full-out aggressive sustain and distortion – and control it all simply by varying my guitar’s volume control and picking,” said George Lynch. “In many ways, it’s an old-school approach, but it’s also so much more natural and expressive in addition to being musically fulfilling when you can play both the guitar and amp dynamically together this way.”

“I have to say it is damn awesome!!! I absolutely Loved it!! It’s as close as anything on the market to Friedman’s Jake E Lee. You’re a genius and thank you very much and George Lynch needs to keep you on his speed dial because this is a super great product.”
-David H.

“The mod sounds awesome in the SC20H. You were right about the YouTube videos not doing it justice. It made a massive difference. The sweet spot does indeed seem to be around the 1-2 o’clock position, with the bass switch in the down position. It gives the amp plenty of natural sounding gain while still keeping the character of the amp, unlike some of the pedals i was boosting it with. The amp sounds bigger and fuller but still has tight bass. I’m not even running an overdrive in front anymore. I can get Ride the Lightning tones easily by just plugging straight in.”
-Michael F.

“I just got my Lynch Mod the other day. I just wanted to thank you. This took my JCM beyond what I thought it was capable of. I made the mistake of putting all the gain settings to 11 and I’m still mopping up my face after it melted off.”
-Ian S.

“I’m LOVING the Lynch Mod! It has made my JCM800 my #1 amp! I like how the LM has the dial to fine tune the amount of gain you add.”
-Justin G.

“Cant thank you enough. This thing is awesome and is a real game changer for these old amps…Great work and great product.”
-Jeremy F.

“I love the Lynch Mod I got from you! All my friends that have heard it can’t believe how awesome it is.”
-Don K.

“Just got it today and WOW, turned my 2204 into a lil beast, very warm, harmonically rich, tons of sustain. Ran it through a Palmer load than out into an H3000. Ear to ear grin.”
-Justin D.

“I have a love/hate with the JCM 800 but now it us just pure love. This made it exactly what I’ve always thought it should sound like.”
-Daniel A.

Just got it today and WOW, turned my 2204 into a lil beast , very warm, harmonically rich , tons of sustain. Ran it thru a palmer load than out into H3000. Ear to ear grin

“It sounds just as advertised! I’ve never heard my amp sound so good without external help from pedals. Also gets a great sound at very low volume levels.”
-Carlos J.

“DUDE!! What sorcery hides in that red box?? Man, straight jacked, no effects, it gives my Bugera 1960 the Under Lock and Key/Back for the Attack tone.”
-Ted S.

“Dude…This thing so far surpasses my hopes and expectations that I’m a little stunned. I was hoping for TS levels of gain with less noise and it definitely delivers that. What I wasn’t expecting is the massive improvement in the tone of my amp. Suddenly I have this massive, woody low end (with Deep switch on) that tracks as tightly as any ‘modern’ amp but I haven’t lost any of the Marshall midrange and touch sensitivity….Thank you for this awesome mod!”
-Curtis P.

“I’m still blown away by your Lynch Mod. I’m getting John Sykes-like fullness and saturation with my Strats (they have DiMarzio ‘Area’ pickups. At least that’s what my ears hear.”
-Gene O.

“The Lynch modded unit is pretty amazing and it’s now a permanent fixture on my 1978 Marshall 2204. I love the fact that I can keep my amp 100% stock by simply unplugging it and installing a single tube back in.”
-Michael H.

“Wow, this thing is amazing! Exactly what I was wishing for sir.”
-James B.

Videos

Killertone’s Jason Frankhouser checks out the latest Mr. Scary Mod and compares to the earlier models.

Pete Thorn Demonstrates the Mr. Scary Mod

George Lynch demonstrates different settings of the custom hand wired Lynch Mod playing rhythm parts.

Scott Gailor (scottgailor.com) demos the HOT MOD V2 EVO through a Marshall 2204 and runs through all the settings first using Celestion G12T75 and then Vintage 30 speakers. Use headphones or high-quality speaker to hear the nuances.

Pete Thorn demonstrates the updated HOT MOD V2 EVO which has a revised circuit with improved shielding and a 12AT7 in the first position with the 12AX7 in the second position to give an improved “cleaned up” sound when rolling your guitar volume down, with all the gain when you roll it back up.

Tracii Guns showcase the dynamics available in the HMV2E that’s been updated with an ECC81 (12AT7) in the left most position (when facing the front of the unit). It cleans up very smoothly with this tube when rolling down the guitar’s volume, while getting all the high gain goodness when you roll it back up. HMV2E’s have shipped standard with this tube configuration since June 2021!