ADA MP-1 3TM (Three Tube Mod)

ADA MP-1 The 3TM Board Modification/Installation. Unlike the other common mods for the MP-1 the 3TM (not to be confused with 3.666 mod) is a actual change out of the preamp board that the two stock tubes reside on for a completely new 3 tube preamp board. So instead of two 12AX7 preamp tube sockets as the stock board had, there are three 12AX7 tube sockets and many other changes to resistors and capacitors on the new 3TM board. The boards are made by a gentleman in Belgium (Europe) and will cost you about 236 USD / 158 Euros if you install the board yourself (plus supplies for installation) and you can get it installed by the vendor for a fee. The board was mailed to me very quickly and Phillipe (at the vendor) was very helpful via email. I got the 3TM board and a small package of resistors, caps, a mini potentiometer and new knob and sticker for the faceplate. All of these had to be installled by me as well as connecting the wiring of the new board to the main board of the MP-1 My self install was successful although, it was not super easy. It was much more intricate than I had anticipated and the work was almost all in a small confined area. It was kind of like working on a guitar pedal but I couldn't flip the MP-1 over like a guitar pedal to see the other side. It also took me much more effort to remove the old board, clean up the old solder and install the wires and parts than I thought. I can see where mistakes could result in problems or disaster if it were rushed or a first mod. I would have gotten it installed by the vendor if I had known how detailed it was up front. The instructions are very very well laid out. IF you read them and follow each step there is little chance of doing something wrong as far as installing parts. My chances of failure were with the de-soldering and soldering on the board. The board was 20+ years old and brittle to start with. But, I chose to go really slow and take a few breaks during the install and had great success. I am thrilled at the outcome. A big metal 'tube' sound improvement.

I can say without a doubt that the 3TM board is the best mod out of the more common MP-1 mods. It changed my ADA MP-1 from a barely metal sound to a Metallica Master of Puppets crunch and of course more. It will now get that heavy without a problem. It did increase the 'hisss' noise level of the MP-1. The new board install creates 3 add'l trimpots that I probably need to tweak more to cut back the noise level. Overall I am totally pleased with the sound, it's thick, heavy and with a tube power amp sounds really heavy and tube amplified, and it is, true tube. I am using a ESP JH-600 guitar with EMG active pickups (81/85), and tube power amp (four EL34's) with the ADA MP-1 (with new 3TM).

The 3TM board is made very well and detailed. There is no sloppy work. I think the chance of getting a bum board is very unlikely. The board I got was obviously custom manufactured and to high quality standards. If you have problems on a self install, I think it would be best to check yourself well before assuming its the 3TM board. It is clean and looks perfect in every way, NOT like junk from mass produced factories of Asia.
I think doing this modification was a good step. Instead of decreasing the value as some other mods often do, it has increased the value of my MP-1. They definaltely have no trouble selling on web site auctions if modified with the 3TM board. The unit now has brand new parts in the tube section. So overall its a good thing and probably the MP-1 is more reliable than it was before the modification. I did check all the new connections twice.

Philippe at marshalljmp is the greatest. He is very friendly and you can trust what he tells you. Have no fear sending him payment. Its all good with Philippe.

I think the ADA MP-1 3TM board modification is reasonably priced. It definately is a quality product and made to last if properly installed. The customer service is top notch. I would do it again if I bought another ADA MP-1 that did not have the 3TM board in it already. If you might find one already modified. But like I said, its worth every penny and the sound is the bomb.

The manual supplied for the installation is very well written. It goes step by step, letting you know what tools you'll need to install the 3TM. Photos along with instructions, show you how to disassemble the MP-1 in order to install the 3TM. It took me close to one and a half to set it up. The manual makes clear that someone unexperienced will need PATIENCEand time. But aside from that it was fun to set up.

Regarding the sound for the 3TM: this one one really blew me out. Voodoo Amps has a similar one, but to me the 3TM it's the one to go for. I installed 3 Electro Harmonix 12AX7 and boom! It can go from a subtle Fenderish blues crunch to a solid hot rodded Marshall. I've had this MP-1 for quite sometime now and I'm happy to say it never sounded better. Check out the clips on ADA Depot and be the judge yourself.

This mod I know it will last a while,it's well built. Nice clean job. Once you listen to it you'll want to mod your unit.

All I did was e-mail Marhsalljmp and the guy took care of me right away. Shipping was fast and being able to pay thru PayPal was great!

I've been a guitarist 26 years and I play in a cover band doing everything from pop to rock and I could say: This is a TOTAL MONSTER! I tried the setting suggested and it was really cooking. It's like having a JMP-1 and a Triaxis in one unit only fatter. You can even tailor the sound with individual eq trim pots on board!!!!! As soon as I finished the installation, I plugged it in to my Micro Tube 200 and to my Carvin 212 cabs (2)without efx's and cranked it up. I ended changing my rack setup. I have an ART DST-4 as preamp and the MP-1 was the master volume unit, but after this, my DST-4 WILL take a looooong vacation. With this mod it's going to be hard to decide what setup to gig with. I have the rack system with the MP-1, Micro Tube 200, Art DST-4, Rocktron's Super C and Expression effects with Carvin 212 cabs, a Marshall AVT-50 head, a Carvin V3 and a Fender Bassman 50 2 x 15 cab, modified with 2 12" 70/80 celestions. I'm very impressed. It beats, by far and in pricing, the Voodoo Amp Mod!!!!!
Thanks for letting this mod become a reality for us MP-1 users.

My set-up.

PRS(Clone) into a Boss GT8 for effects and midi control, into the MP-1(3TM)into a Mosvalve 962, into a 1x12 Mesa Boogie Cab.

This is the tone i have longed for, real chunky, sustain, texture to cry about. It's real 80 rock and metal.

I did the Noise Mod 2 months ago, i have to check to make sure it's still on, it's that quiet.

Now there are some major changes, 1. Clean tube, is now Mean tube, so if you had some real nice sparkle and sweet (Fender) clean stuff saved, it's now a Marshall grunt, think early Van Halen. I have a GT8 which has 44 amp sims, so i don't miss or need the clean tube or SS. But you can dial up some real nice, fender pushed sounds.

Tube is now that tone you longed for, you do need to reset your patches, increase the od1 and od2 and play lead like never before. I have played guitar for 27 years, i have had Marshall, Meas Boogie, Peavey, Boss GT6, Vox Tonelab SE, Boss GT8. I thank god, i found the MP-1. I love to play notes that stay with you. Most sound great for rhythm but when it comes to lead, they just don't do it. 3TM is the saturated texture of lead guitar. I love to milk the note dry, the 3TM does just that.

I play classic rock and that means all rock new and old, this can do it all, ACDC, ZZ Top, 3 door down, Pearl Jam, Jimmy Hendrix, Led Zep.

I did have to adjust the volume, that also changes after the mod. You need to reset this or you will do what i did, i played the first gig thinking well its sounds very much like the old MP-1 but really quiet, then i adjusted the volume and then WOW. AWESOME Tones.

You now also get 2 extra EQ Trimpots, so if you have a quad box and there is too much bass(yeh Right) you can turn it down, or up if you need more. Plus you also have one Eq for Mid to high. So this would help tweak your sound.

This is the ultimate Mod for the MP-1.

128 storage spaces, 3 Tubes/Valves.

Can you say easy, this is the so easy to program, hit edit, hit the button adjust up or down, then hit edit, then the patch location.

For something this old, all i can say is WOW.

This is my new best friend. She's old like me, but boy can she cook.

No Idea, but there are many memebers from ADADEPOT to help.

But i figure it's ten+ years or older, and it still going strong.

ADADEPOT, those guys are the reason the 3TM exsists at all, but they are there if you need help or setup advice. There are so many Mods to pick from, so also there are sound clips, PDF files, lots of cool stuff.

The memebers are all like you and me, always there to help solve any problems you have, give advice or just talk sit if you want.

Too Bad ADA is not around to see what they started. They would have been proud of the 3TM.

I been playing guitar for 27 years,
If my 3TM was stolen, i would buy another one straight away.
You know, we all have an idea what our sound is, and it's not until you actully hear it for the first time, then you go WOW.

I've Gone through (See Above) it all, and now i'm back with the best Guitar processor i have played with. I thought the standard MP-1 was really good, but then i got the 3TM, now i smile a lot more when i play.
I look forward to playing again, hearing those tones. We all want that elusive tone, but when you actually get it, The Holy Grail of guitar tone is yours.

This is what this thing is all about. Tone. There's a reason the MP-1 is a legendary piece of gear and that so many classic recordings were done with it and so many people are enthusiatic users of it today (check out how active ADA Depot is... and just think about the effort and enthusiasm necssary to make something like this tube board project happen well over a decade after the manufacturer tanked). The tone.

Make no mistake. Like the original MP-1, this thing is not generic, it is not for everybody. If you already hate the MP-1's tone, there is absolutely no reason to do this mod. The MP-1 is a classic from a very specific era and it does two things supremely well:

1. Wicked Late 80's/Early 90's Era Metal and Shred with a unique take on the hot rodded Marshall sound.
2. Crystalline Solid State Chorused Clean Tones.

If you don't like these sounds from an unmodded MP-1 you will not like them any better from the modded MP-1. However, if this is your type of music then you're in for a *major* treat.

The mod maintains the MP-1's Distorted Tube channel's famous base tone but drastically improves the amount of usable gain. The original's tone sounded great but fell apart early along the adjustment curve, turning the OD values above 6 or so started to just become a mess. The carefully selected, high quality components on the tube board drastically bring down the MP-1's notorious noise to a MUCH more managable level at the same time. These two upgrades give a lot more possibilities for tweaking the sound to your rig and you end up being able to achieve any type of thick or scooped rhythm metal tones you'd want as well lead sounds that burn through the mix with saturated sustain and clarity.

The MP-1's awesome SS Clean channel is untouched and stays the same.

The "Clean" tube is significantly altered by the mod. It really is no longer clean except at low gain settings. I can do Fendery rhythms by coil tapping my lower output neck pickup, and have a couple of patches setup specifically for doing this. I can do classic rockish rhythm sounds with it at low gain settings with significant dynamics and crunch. It can do a very nice warm 'brownish' overdriven plexi sounds and can be gotten into much heavier territory than the original clean channel. That said, it is not a Plexi, and if you are a big fan of this channel, I'd recommend listening to someone else's modded MP-1 or buying a backup unit. Due to the fact that if you are used to the existing tube clean this channel is much more fundamentally altered by the mod soundwise and ends up way more focused to the heavy end than in a stock MP-1 and there's a good chance you may miss the old one.

Same as the original, with addition of a new internal tube board which is transparent to the user (except for the sound, duh) once installed.

My Modded MP-1 is from the second batch of tube boards generated by HB and company at ADADEPOT.com. Using it for many months with absolutely no problems.

The guys at ADADEPOT are the bomb. I got so excited installing this, I hosed several solder pads installing it and Hairston at AD was kind enough to rescue my precious MP-1 from the brink of disaster for his normal install fee in spite of it being much extra work for him to undo the damage I had done in my haste.

I'm not going to mince words here: this is THE HOLY GRAIL of late 80's early 90's Metal Tone. The already classic/legendary base MP-1 tone modified with an extra tube stage, lowered noise floor, and more usable gain. Combine this with the unmodded, crystalline clean chorus sound, and plexified aunch of the (no-longer-very) clean tube voicing and this provides "best in any class" tone for the type of music this beast was designed for!

If you hate late 80's and early 90's Metal, by all means, skip this party... This is a fine tuned performance machine meant to decapitate in a very specific way. It has a significant amount of versatility and can be taken an amazingly long way with good technique and outboard gear but, it is simply not a POD or a modeller or a do it all box.

It is not a general purpose machine in the same that way a Ferrari is not an SUV. If you want something general there are some absolutely great multiprocessors out there. But, if you absolutely must have the ultimate tone of this type/era then, congratulations, you have found it. You now only have to supply a quality power amp, cabinet, and axe.

This is what it's all about, isn't it? Damn is this sweet! I love the fact that I don't have to max out the OD levels to get the gain I want. This thing has more gain than even the MOD3.666 it seems! And I freakin' loved that one too! Being the gainiac metalhead I am, doesn't that say something when I tell you I use the CLEAN TUBE voicing to get my main rythym sound? Whoo hoooo! You won't get a clear Clean sound anymore, though. Get over it.....that's what the SolidState voicing is for; that voicing really remains unchanged.

Same features as the regular "diet and caffeine-free" version of the MP-1, but a much more killer sound. Knobs and buttons all do the same as original.

I ususally don't have too much trouble with any ADA stuff. At least nothing that I can't fix myself with a little digging around for info.

Company has been out of it for years. ADAdepot.com has pretty much everything we need to take care of our ADA stuff. At the very least, there are a few techies there who can get you info on stuff.

Definitely a keeper. Would replace in a heartbeat if it were ever to get jacked. ADAdepot and crew: keep up the great work!! I'm having an awesome time with this preamp, and no one is going to change my mind about that. Not even someone who rambles on bitterly in all caps. Sorry dude.

This is an ADA MP1 so its pretty straight forward you would think, but this is quite a radical mod and getting a tone straight off takes a bit of thought. (I must add the solid state clean channel is unchanged). Once you have your sounds set its as easy as it gets really.

The ADADEPOT 3TM is a brutal mod that radically changes the amount of gain available and is not for everyone, if you want the 80`s high gain sound then its here in abundance, if you want subtle distortions then look elswhere. When you first get the modded pre amp it takes awhlie to get it set up , but if it`s high gain you want then you will be rewarded with good thick tone and long sustain.

Not had it long enough, but not had much problem with ADA before.

Well there is only really the ADADEPOT website but here you will find support for a product that is second to none really and many companies should take note, with the actual designers and engineers on hand to give support and advice.

As I said before this is not for everyone, but what it does it does better than anything I have come across. For a group of enthusiasts to get together and create something as good as this can only be commended. Yep the sound is brutal, solid and initally takes a bit of sorting out but anyone wanting this particular sound will be well rewarded with the 3tm. (Checkout the soundclips on the adadepot website)

It's still the same features as the standard MP-1 when it comes to programming so it's easy as can be.l

The review below is really really harsh.

Once again, the 3TM is still JUST a preamp and the power amp you'll use it with can make a huge difference and you also have the question of personnal preferences.

The guy below is in my mind missing the point since the 3TM doesn't aim at replicating a vintage amp, but more to emulate a hot rodded 80's marshall with more gain.

In the gain department, it's really great. If you are looking for a jmp-1 with a lot more gain, sustain, and a better clean (provided by the solid state channel), the 3TM will give you all that.

Now what the 3TM can't do is replacing a vintage JTM45 or a marshall Jubilee. I have had it for a month and when it comes to "in-between" sounds for rock or blues, the 3TM is just not the best choice.

I bought it for hi-gain without fizz and pristine solid states cleans and that's what I got. Kudos to the adadepot team.

I had it only three months. It's too short to really judge this.

The Adadepot people do this for passion, not money. They are always happy to help. I had a crackling pot when my unit arrived (from belgium) and was sent one for free straight away.

I play mostly metal with this preamp. I am currently setting up a rack with two preamps. I am using for the moment a jmp-1 for the light crunch, semi-clean stuff which the 3TM doesn't do very well. But for lead, heavy crunch rhythm, the 3TM rules.

I have tried and owned several other rack units over the years. My conclusion is that no one rack unit is going to be the holy grail. The Triaxis is very versatile but I just think it is too expensive.

All the other units (rocktron pro gap, gallien krueger, MP2, rocktron) had their strenghts and shortcomings but I ended up using the 3TM as my main clean/lead amp because what it did, it did great.

For the price, it's hard to beat, plus adadepot will help you more than many established brands.

If it was stolen or lost, I may buy it again, or go for a real head like a Carvin Legacy, as I find more and more that with only a few base sounds, post eq and my guitar volume, I can get the base sounds I need.

The MP-1 is one, the 3TM is two. Got my unit with the build in 3TM tubeboard and three JJ tubes. Programming the MP-1 is easy, even without a manual......easy to use. Dailing in a tone is also easy to do. Giving a 10 is too much, even the best gear on earth does not deserve a ten.

I use the 3TM MP-1 in my main rig, together with a BBE 422A maximizer and a Peavey Classic 50/50 poweramp, but also on in conjunction with a Microcab in my recordingsetup. Getting a good metal sound is pretty easy, getting a nice and warm clean is also easy and the Clean tube channel turned out to be a sort of crunch channel, a brown channel just like the ADA MP-1 Classic. The solid state channel is the same as on a MP-1 without the 3TM mod.

I use to play different styles and I must say that, with a bit of patience, you can get any tone you like. With the right guitar I can get blues, jazz, metal and any other sound I need. You must be a total fool or deaf not getting a good tone out of this unit.

I was also surprised that the noise is almost gone. The MP-1 has the name to be noisy and is noisy in most cases, but the 3TM makes the MP-1 pretty silent.

Again a 9.

The units are checked by the adadepot volunteer tech's before sold, that's good to know. I never had issues with the 3TM MP-1. I have a backup off course, isn't that one of the main things you should do ? Any piece of gear can die just before a gig. I would go insane when I had to play on a backup Mesa or something!

Excellent, passionated techs and members at adadepot.com, no cure no pay and cure no pay :-) I whish every brand would have support like this.

The 3TM rocks, this thing makes the MP-1 a unit for all times. The price is very good, cheap in fact. I love the sound and ease of use. Overall rating 9, seems me a good score and deserved. If you want to start with a all-tube preamp, go for the MP-1 with a 3TM board, it's not overpriced, will sell for the same price if you don't like it and a good start without spending too much money on a brandname only!

I run it with an Intellifex, BBE, Microcab and Classic 50/50.
Playing Hard Rock this preamp is the shit (full stop).
Putting it another way its tonal nirvana: the usable gain is through the roof and nothing "sings" quite like the MP-1, with the 3TM taking away some of the noise, adding more gain and generally improving on the legend without taking away from its character.
Running at lower gain settings its capable of a whole gamut of tone from barely clipped tube to dirty to ..... (You get the picture).

Great solid-state cleans plus all the gain you could dream of from both the dirty and distortion tube channels - all midi controllable. What more could you want from a preamp?

Never a problem.

Adadepot is a great community who help however they can.
More power(gain...lol) to you guys!!!!

I've been playing for well over 10 years and from all my gear this is the piece that would immediately get replaced if something happened to it - without a second thought!!!

I found this preamp to be the worst money I spent. I pefer a stock mp1 or the mod 4 mark II mod over this thing. I hate the distortion channel it sounds like you pluged your guitar into a bee hive. The gain is way to much I never liked any thing over 4.5. The clean tube channel was better but had alot of noise. I could'nt get any classic rock sounds out of it or blues like SRV. This thing is made for the 80's hair band and spandex vibe that died over ten years ago. I like to hear tone and not a bunch of fuss and thats what this thing does best. I know now why Paul Gilbert never used his because the stock version was better. I bought a carvin quad x preamp and it blew away any mp1 I've ever played. I used ada for ten years just because of the clean tone and midi control but I've never been satisfied with the distortion. I've found the carvin with midi control and I like the distortion a lot better and the clean channel is just as good if not better than the mp1. I have a mesa boogie power amp 295 simul-class, so you you can't blame the power amp for the reason I did'nt care for this preamp. If you want tons of chain saw sounding gain this amps for you but if you want true tone that responds to your touch than stay away. I Think the whole vibe on this thing is metal heads and trash players so blues,rock,jazz,fussion,pop,country,and etc. stay away. Theres a reason you don't see Joe Perry,Slash,Jimmy Page,Steve Vai,SRV,Van Halen,Satch,Steve Morse are any great guitar player using ada. If ada was that great Paul Gilbert or metallic would still be using it and they would'nt be out of business. I Think ada depot is just a bunch of wanna be metal heads living in the 80's. I'm Sorry to say it but it's 2004 and the 80's are not coming back.

I had it two weeks and it was time to let it go but it worked fine.

I over paid for this thing and lost money getting rid of it. If lost or stolen I'd say thank god I have better gear than this.