Monte Allums Boss MT-2 Mod

The modded MT-2 (I got the kit with all the possible mods Monte offers for this pedal) is incredibly versatile. Though booked as a "metal" pedal, and when modded it's heavy and aggressive and gain-y beyond description, it's also extremely wide-ranging and can easily be dialed in to sound sweet and thick and jazzy if you want, or, at the other extreme, it shrieks like a banshee. Surprisingly, modded, it comes close to being a one-pedal magic box. (Special note: I included what I think Monte calls a "tri-gain" mod, where you install a three-way mini-toggle that allows you to switch in different diodes; this works great as the distortion/gain characteristics of each option are really, really different -- from fairly creamy to just ultra-nasty.) If you know the MT-2, you know that one of its benefits is a very usable set of tone-shaping knobs (bass, treble, plus tunable midrange) and having these controls along with Monte's mods gives you an extraordinarily broad range of tones. I did this mod totally for fun, after finding an unused MT-2 lying around. The directions were spot-on, and while you can definitely mess up if you rush or work sloppily, I had no trouble at all, just going one step to the next. Frankly, the best tip I can offer is for you to get a good desoldering braid, as most of the modding is simple sawpping of parts. I was stunned with the result of this mod. In my rig at least, it now produces truly earth-shaking tones.

See above. The range of sounds that results from the mods is astounding. Certainly, there are high-gain, high-distortion metal options that are pretty potent, but what surprised me was the full range of tones possible, which also include a vast array of non-metal tones. IOt's pretty quiet, too, though if you're running a signal chain with several other pedals active, and are using really high gain, you're going to get noise when you're not playing. Turn down then or use a noise gate (this is why the ZVex Fuzz Factory has a gate!).

Well, the Boss unit is like all Boss pedals -- built like a brick ****house. If you do your work pretty carefully, the result will be completely solid. One thing all modders should be careful of, if you're going to repaint the case, is to clean back to bare metal the input and output jack holes in the housing (and all other holes, I would add) because physical grounding is part of the circuit. When I popped all the guts back into the case, I couldn't get any sound out of the unit until it dawned on me that I had unintentionally isolated one or both jacks because of excess paint. (Though my paint job is pretty darned groovy, but that's another story.)

I didn't need any support because Monte's instructions were good and clear, so I dunno.

I play all kinds of stuff and love to experiment with tone. I'm fortunate to have wonderful equipment of all kinds -- many guitars, several great amps, all kinds of pedals -- and I love to try things out. I didn't need this pedal, and undertook the mod just for the heck of it, but it found its way right onto my pedalboard, and not just for metal sounds. I have a Klon for gorgeous semi-clean boost, a custom pedal for bluesy overdrive, and now the MT-2 for over-the-top, "grab hold and hang on!" adventures.

Following Monte's well illustrated instructions carefully and not rushing is the key to a successful mod. Any prior experience with a soldering iron and PCB is advantage.

The mod worked first time, being careful to check everything as I installed it.

Rating this as an 8 as the instructions are clear and well laid out.

I used this with a Marshall JCM2000 DSL50 Head into a Marshall 1960A Cab with Jackson DK1 guitar.

Now I actually have two MT-2 pedals, both aquired second hand and both stock. I was new to the idea of modding so figured I would buy an additional one just to alter. Prior to modding both pedals sounded identical with same control positions.

The first changes I made was to the 'HIFI' components, which basically entails replacing electrolytic capacitors for metal film types. Having made those changes I A/B both the newly modified MT-2 and the stock. Absolutely no difference audible. I had a friend and my wife see if they could hear any difference to make sure it wasn't just me and they concluded the same.

I have since done some research on this and the effect capacitors dialectic material have on sound. Unfortunately there is alot of 'snake oil' information out there and I believe that any difference it 'might' make to the sound quality is unlikely to be detectable by the human ear.

The remaining changes I won't go into detail on because I don't wish to disclose the actual changes for obvious reasons. However I carried out the rest of the mods successfully.

The end result is a pedal that whilst not as 'harsh' as the stock MT-2 is essentially the same gritty diode distortion albeit with a blanket thrown over it. In A/B test with stock I just couldn't find any positive changes, gain appears reduced because of the more dulled sound (losing some of the treble). It appears that the mods make the MT-2 sound closer to other boss distortion pedals which to me defeats the objective of the MT-2 in the first place, it would be better to use a tamer distortion pedal if that is the sound you are after.

I had hoped that the mods would essentially enhance what was already there in the MT-2 however these mods detract from the MT-2. Yes it sounds warmer due to having more mids, but note definition is also decreased as is pick attack.

The stock MT-2 is by no means perfect and has nothing on a decent tube amp distortion however it does have its place in playing modern scooped sounds.

Modified Boss so built like a tank.

Not had any cause to get support for this mod.

Playing guitar for around 22 years, mostly play an eclectic mix of Megadeth/Metallica and Blues amoungst many other styles. In a covers band.

The mods are fairly cheap so by all means give it a try, however beware of perceived benefits. It is easy to believe that changes made are an improvement just because you have changed something.

Personally speaking, I would recommend having 2 of the type of pedal you intend to modify because without being able to A/B the changes you won't really appreciate what those changes actually do.

Also further piece of advice, do a bit of research on capacitor material audio qualities. There is plenty of snake oil out there that would have you believe that it matters whether you have a ceramic cap or poly cap etc.

I have done the Sustainiac Mod with the Tri-Gain switch. It was fun doing it and it is damn exciting knowing I did it myself. Before I had only a very basic experience with soldering, mainly doing my jacks and nothing more. I followed the instructions (take your time to understand them properly before you start heating on the iron). I took my time and did all the tests between each mod. You can't get it wrong that way. Meanwhile I listened to some inspiring music so in the end I had a great time. And the outcome was outstanding. It came as a surprise how easy it was to drill the hole in the chassis to fit the switch. i am not trying to make it sound not difficult at all, it can be tricky at times. It is within reach with some patience and some skils. I have made it, so... Only one complaint: the sticker is ugly, it really spoils the look of the pedal. Can't it be silver writing on a black background and not the opposite?

Well, I resolved to write my review here because I am so amazed and excited by what my MT-2 has turned into I really want to shout! I wish one could do a blind test on a standard MT-2 and a MA modded MT-2. You could not believe they are the same pedal. I still can't believe what a difference it makes. Before it was barely usable and only with a very narrow range of setting. I wasn't impressed at all. Some playable leads, some power chords but the rest it all sounded somehow too cheap and digital for me. Not anymore. My MT-2 has turned into a serious tool, with some of the sweetest distortion I ever had. Definite notes, huge distortion, nice tones, clean shimmering harmonics. And, did I mention I am in love with it?

I hope I did a good job here. Boss pedals themselves are forever so i can only blame myself if if it doesn't work...

I had only asked a question via email before buying (a dummie's one but I was confused) and I had a quick and polite answer. Instructions are ok but they could do with a style upgrade.

I play mainly classic rock but I often have to do other stuff. I have used this modded pedal both in the studio and live with great satisfaction. Before the mod I did not dare to take it out the practice room. It takes a little to tame the volume boost it has acquired but with the right settings it is an incredible piece of gear at the cost of a dinner in a good restaurant. I own quite a few toys, including Pete Cornish stuff and the rest and I would recommend this mod to everyone looking to upgrade their sound without having to divorce.
If it was stolen: hey! Get your filthy hands off my MT-2 mod!! Yes I would go through the trouble again and get another one done.
I love the sound, I hate the sticker. I find it a fine distortion pedal now.
If you are not at ease with doing the mod yourself get someone to do it for you. It is like buying a new piece of gear all together

This was an easy mod to do. You just have to take your time. The instructions are easy to follow.

Awesome sound! I purchased the Tri-Gain Switch Mod with it. I love the different sounds that this pedal gets. I put the switch, and the Led's on the front of the pedal. The switch is under the distortion knob, and the two Led's under the level knob. Cool effect! I play it through a Fender Cyber-twin using a Fender Strat or a Gibson Les Paul. I also use a Boss Compreesor and Boss Eq (GE-7) both of which have Monte's mods in them. Great distortion sound! Not muddy. Comes through just right, with a ton of variety of sounds to chose from. Montes' mods take a lot of the noise that a stock Boss effect has. He uses better quality components that Boss has in their stock pedals. This does a nice job cleaning the pedal up.

I've had not trouble with any of the parts that Monte has sent me. He's the king of mods in my book! I feel that I can trust my pedals to perform without fail.

Great guy. Willing to take time to help you if a problem comes up, or if you have a question. Easy to get in touch with. He's very easy to work with, and very knowledgable.

I play anything from country to hard rock. I've been playing guitar for over 30 years. I love my newly modded Boss MT-2! If something were to happen to it, I would buy another pedal and use Montes' Sustainiac Mod with the Tri-Gain switch! It's the only way to go! Great work Monte!

I performed the mod in about 45 minutes. I'm comfortable around a iron, so it wasn't difficult, just time consuming with proper testing after each change.

Why a 7? Well, the tonality of the pedal has definately changed. To me, with all tone controls at 12:00, the sonic character of the pedal is more like my modded DS1 (using T-Von's DS1 DS-1 Rectifier Mod Plus). I guess I'd rather use the DS1. I was hoping the MT2 would growl more and sizzle less - you know what I'm talking about? Sourt of like how a Rat growls and a DS1 sizzles. I'm not knocking the sizzle - like I said I have a modded DS1 and I really like it. Its not a bad sound, but I don't think I can qualify it as better, either. Its just different.

Well, that's up to you and you soldering abilities. You can't blame T-Von for your shoddy soldering skills, or lack thereof.

Never needed it. His instructions are clear and well documented. If they confuse you, or you think they are inadequate, then you are probably not skilled enough to make the changes. Find a electronics repairman, or a techincally inclined friend to do it for you.

I really liked the DS1 mod, this mod to me just turned the MT2 into a DS1 with more gain and tone controls. If you have only a MT2, then you may like this mod. If you have a DS-1, then I recommend you get the DS-1 Rectifier Mod Plus.

I don't understand all the 10's though. I think most of them are't really objective. I believe most of them are motivated that they now have a MT2 that is different from the rest of the masses. This isn't a bad thing I suppose. I guess what I'd like to see is a third party shoot-out between the stock MT-2 and the modded one. That goes for any pedal mod actually. Hmmm. May be I'll do that.

It is not really complicated installing the kit like what someone said on the review "if you know how to install a pickup on your guitar, that's golden!" Soldering small parts can be at time really frustrating but with PATIENCE (DO NOT RUSH!) and a steady hand and a good sight you'll get there. DRILLING (I've installed a TRI GAIN SWITCH!) that was the hardest part. Your usual taste in settings will definitely change it'll be not be the same MT-2 you've always known. Manuals are the best but like all other things you will still have questions.

Sound is definitely OPEN!! You can hear your actual strings shimmer! Boutique QUALITY? YES! This is my 18th distortion pedal the first MOD I did. At first NOISE (HISS) was HUGE I am very picky with NOISE! I emailed MONTE regarding the problem I told him I check the sound after each mod and making sure that nothing is touching the other weld on the pedal. he emailed back! He said "Upgraded components were installed that's why the volume will raise higher" So I back up all my setting controls on all pedals on the chain and my AMP. THERE IT IS!! SWEET just SWEET! Use it as a volume boost, chunk, fuzz, distortion with TRI-switch its there! I use a ROLAND JC-120 for GIGS in CLEAN channel and a ROLAND CUBE 60 in my room...of course. I use a very clean sounding channel on the amp and let the pedal do the WORK! I am a big HEAVY METAL fan but not into HI GAIN AMPS! I have the money to buy them but do not like them. I use a SEYMOUR DUNCAN CUSTOM CUSTOM (TB-11's) on 5 guitars, PAF PRO on 2,1 guitar with TONE ZONE, 2 with SD JB's, 2 with SD distortion and EMG 81 and 85's on my LP and JACKSON Rhodes ,ALL of them have an ORIGINAL FLOYD ROSE not my GIBSON LP! I want definition on my chunk this pedal does it for me. SOLOS are just sweet! DEFINITIONS at it's cleanest! Like what i stated your string shimmers with brilliance and of course in a distorted kind of way we are not talking about Chorus effect here! I have a wide range of Guitar wood with various selections of pick ups I cannot speak for the MARSHALL, MESA and other Boutique AMP users they have a different feel but the sound is there for me!! Great sounding pedal!! Let's put it this way it CHUNKS (power chords!) like HELL and SOLOS like VAI and SATCH! get the picture?

BOSS are like WAR tanks! I've used them for 20 years now! They never let me down, just do not dip them in water or throw them a lot parts get loose inside and start complaining about dependability?! NASA blew up 2 Space Shuttles and they cost Millions. It's less than a $100, I got it @ $30 off at ebay and I'm not complaining if stopped working because of my MOD!

I've dealt with them! Some days they are rude, some days they are very helpful. I guess if you have a bad experience on the first day, cool down try them the next day or another hour on that day you might get a different attitude.

I play a lot of HEAVY METAL and ROCK! No Country, no Blues, no POP just good ol rock and roll! I have about 60 pedals (BOSS, MXR, DUNLOP, LINE 6, VOODOO, DIGITECH,IBANEZ) all stomp boxes I do not like effects processor. I use a MIDI for some complicated sounds. I have 2 Roland JC-120 and 1 Roland Cube 60. I like Van Halen's guitar playing you can here an EINSTEIN at work! MT-2 is one of the baddest pedals out there but TONE SUCKS so it is worthless!! This MOD made it happen for me I need to do solos that'll glimmer when I slide and roll those fingers on the fretboard! Here it is! It's not my tone but it is definitely ON with my solos!!!

This review is for a Sustainiac Tri-Gain mod MT2. It uses a switch allowing to choose between no clippling diodes, or germanium diodes, or LED diodes. The mod by itself is not really difficult, but you will need a drill in order to place that 3 way switch, and this is the reason why this 8.
The mod by itselve is mainly components replacement, therefore I guess it is OK for anyone with a good sight and a few soldering knowledge.

The MT-2 after the mod is absolutely not the same device. You can go from very clean boost, up to more gain than the original MT2 (thanx to the clipping leds).

Just remember that the veru efficient MT-2 equaliser is still available, even within the clean boost mode... Anyone can easily taylor its own sound. You will probably be surprised!

After the mod the MT-2 can emulate anything, from very clean boost up to metal distortion - what it was prilarily intended for. Or you can also make it sounding like a fuzz, just put the distortion up to extreme, cut the mids, and push balls and trebbles to the max.

I use a BANZAI fireball 2 as my main overdrive, because this is the best and more adaptable overdrive I ever used, and believe me or not but this modded MT2 can sound almost like a FB2 !! OK - the FB2 is different and much more versatile because its boost switch and internal trims, and because the overdrive is its only purpose, but indeed that modded MT2 can play even like a FB2. Diserves a 10 as it was just a "Metal" stuff before, no ?

The boss itself, a 10 of course. Aft he mod, depends on your skill

I have exchanged e few e-mails with Monte, he always responded very quickly an nicely.

I put a 9, just because making the mod by yourself could be not so easy (depending on your skills, although the mod is classical). Regarding the sound after the mod, which deserves a 10, I also bought a DS-1 Rectifier tri-gain mod kit for a DS-1 that I have bought just to make the mod and get THAT sound (no regrets, it's a 10/10), and a "H2O" mod for my BD-2 blues driver.

I have not yet found the time to make the H2O mod, but the DS-1 is now my only distortion, just after the Banzai in the loop, and before a Colorsound wah (yellow). Unusual but terrific setup for blues/rock of the 70'. I play mainly with a '89 lace sensor US strat and like to get a "transparent" sound : when I go from neck to middle pickup, there is a huge tone change and I expect the pedals to reflect this - what they all do nicely.

Also got a T-Rex tremster (a tremolo) at the end of the loop, and it is also a very great value for the bucks. I like to play a french bluesman "Paul Personne" with it - mainly : "o?? est le paradis".

Last - Monte is also a musician and not only a modder : just check his own music at http://www.monteallums.com/My_CD_DW.html - Great rock/blues sounds !!

The mod i performed is the newer Sustainia Tri-Gain Mod. this allows for a switch to be used allowing a lot more tonal possibilities than the earlier standard mods for this pedal. the component kit arrived in about a week from USA to UK, and i spent quite a few hours replacing components in my Boss MT-2 pedal. you could probably do the mod faster than it took me, but i like to take it slow, and take breaks. instructions are included, as well as being available on the monte allums website. probably helps if you have used a soldering iron before and know the very basics about electronics (eg. positive and negative, ground/earth, etc)

Well, what can I say. the whole process has really paid off. i bought a used Boss MT-2 on eBay for about $50, just to mod it. i tried the pedal before i modded it though, and the distortion was 'ok', pretty typical metal. the pedal had all the usual boss issues though, ie. noisy, and a bit 'tame'. nothing 'special' basically. anyway, after the mod, just like everyone else here who has reviewed this modded pedal, im blown away. where to begin? first off, it's much less noisy. more importantly though, the sound is now sounding like a really expensive pedal. a very fat rich sound. having the switch to change between diodes, led's, or neither (ie. off), is fantastic. im now getting a huge range of sounds combining the switch with the level, distortion, and equalizer knobs. setting the switch to use the led's or 'neither' and not setting distortion too high gives a more classic type of 'rock' guitar distortion, eg. think ac/dc or tons of other classic bands. flicking the switch to use the diodes though and putting up the distortion goes into (and beyond) metal. wether i use the diodes, led's or neither though, still gives me an incredible amount of sustain, it really has helped my guitar (gibson SG copy) which is lacking in the sustain department. the other thing i must mention, is that using my marshall JCM900 all valve amp combo, in the past without pedals and although my marshall amp has both presence and reverb knobs, even with these knobs turned all the way up i didn't get the kind of 'gorgeous but not too over the top' echoey sound i've been searching for ages. well now, and i don't know how, but using the modded MT-2 pedal through my marshall amp, i get much more echo/presence/reverb or whatever u want to call it. it's kind of hard to describe, but it just simply sounds amazing. i even tried turning both the level and distortion knobs on the boss pedal down really low, and using my built in marshall amp distortion instead, with the guitar signal going through the pedal still, and what happened was my sound is really fattened up and singing with the echoey kind of '3d' sound i really wanted for a long time. i could go on more about this pedal but this could go on forever so i will stop, but one more thing, the lead guitar tones i get now are godlike. it's great, because im not a very good lead guitarist, but with this pedal the sound is so amazing that i just seem to get away with playing anything =D oh and finally, you can dial in as much or as little bass, middle or top as you want, the possibilities literally are endless. any metal or rock sound is sitting right in front of you!

im sure it will last a long time. i use a boos PSA adapter by the way. highly recommended. they are pretty much as quiet as using batteries (boss PSA adapter is filtered and regulated). batteries suck in pedals, as once they start running down a bit your pedal isn't running in top spec anymore. and in some pedals, that happens literally in hours!

monte allums is a nice guy, i have emailed him many times with problems, and some of my problems were embarrassingly stupid, but hes always nice and answers quickly. he doesnt respond with long emails (to me anyway), as no doubt he is busy, but that's no problem with me, especially as opposed to no response/support at all. i think a forum on monte allums website would be a good idea though, which is sadly lacking (unless i missed it!)

well if you have read all of my review, there's not much else left to say. the 'Tri-Gain' mod takes a pretty standard one trick pony pedal, and turns it into something really special. there's not many things i will keep for life, everything comes and goes, but this is definately with me all the way. i've bought and sold about 5 pedals on eBay as they all turned out disappointing (especially the damn expensive boutique stuff, what a con all that lot is). but finally, its nice to hit the jackpot, especially with everything costing so cheap (just get a used boss MT-2 on eBay, and the monte allums kit which is very cheap).

Really pretty easy- Monte gives you everything you need (parts and instructions)..the only variable that can mess it up is you and how well you can solder- I've done lots of electronic work on guitars but this was my first effects mod so I think I fall in between beginner and pro about soldering- If you haven't soldered before, spend a couple bucks on a board and some caps at RadioShack to practice on...it will help you with the process- other than that, fool-proof kit- I got the regular mod btw, not the sustaniac mod-

wow, totally different pedal now- I got this pedal for $25 (really good price un-modded)- I wanted a harder "metal" distortion so I took a chance on its rep and reviews...it was ok but it had it's faults (a little nasal-y and buzzy) I was also concerned about noise, Boss pedals always seem noisy to me - the mod completely changed all that- MUCH warmer and rounded out and quiet- I use it with a Laney AOR 50 Series II and a Powerblock and it's really great with both- gives me EXACTLY the sound I was looking for with nice surprises- the pedal really becomes so much more useful- keeping the perfect metal tone I dig on the pedal, I can switch pups and roll off the volume a bit to go straight into a creamy bluesy, ZZ Top-ish overdrive...awesome-

so far so good- make sure to get some practice at soldering so you don't create bad joints and you won't have any problems-

excellent- I ran into one glitch- contacted Monte, he put me in contact with Chad and Chad was very helpful in determining the problem or if you want to tweak it a bit, he knows what to do-

I play heavy riff rock but I dabble with everything else- I started playing seriously around "81, so that style of metal and sound is a big influence to me and that's what I got this pedal for- The Monte Allum mod completely transformed the pedal into exactly what I wanted...it's weird, like my own custom-built pedal- excellent metal tones abound from this thing and I'm still playing with it- I HIGHLY recommend this mod and I am going to get DS-1 mod now as well-

The difficulty of the modding process depends entirely on your soldering skills and comfort level so I won't rate that. I will rate how easy it is to use the modded pedal, and I'll rate it highly. Because of its flatter eq compared to a stock Metalzone, the modded version is way easier to get good sounds out of.

Yamaha dual humbucker RG -- MT-2 Sustainiac -- '71 Traynor Bassmaster

Noise is noticeably cleaned up after the mod, still some hissing on high-gain settings but that's what you get with high-gain. The nasal mids are gone and the sound is a lot more open and less compressed. With the drive turned down you can get medium distortion classic rock sounds and with it up, all the hard rock and metal sounds are still there. Bass is clearer and the treble is way less fizzy. You have the option of removing 2 diodes for lower gain or replacing them to retain the MT-2's high-gain. I did the high-gain mod but left that particular mod for last and played with the pedal with the diodes removed for a bit. The low-gain option is less compressed and has an edgy sound, more pick attack. Turned way down, it almost cleans up, giving you a nice, growly overdrive. Both flavours of the mod have incredible sustain (hence the name) and just sound clearer and more hi-fi than the stock pedal.

Reliability depends on your soldering, but it's not hard to do well.

Took the guts out of the pedal and started modding, when I plugged into my amp all I got was static. I emailed Monte and got a response within a few hours with a suggestion. Tried his suggestion with no luck, emailed again, got a response within a few hours with another suggestion. This happened two more times, both times I got a response to my email within hours. Turns out all that was wrong was the pedal jacks are supposed to be grounded via the chassis. With the guts of the pedal outside the case, the jacks were ungrounded. No big deal, jumpered the jacks together and finished the mods with no problem. Not many people will go to this much trouble to back their product.

Good pedal for anything requiring moderate to heavy distortion. No longer a "metal pedal". I'd recomend the mod to anyone who's tired of the buzzy sound of their stock MT-2. Actually the mod is good enough to justify buying a Metalzone just for the purpose of modding it. $21 is a cheap price to pay for a pedal mod especially compared to what some other guys out there are charging and Monte is a pleasure to deal with. I wish I would have drilled the pedal and put in a switch to go between the low and high-gain versions of the mod, something you should consider if you plan on doing it yourself. If you have a Metalzone and want a classier, smoother sound from it, get the mod, you won't regret it.