Egnater TOL 100

This is a review for a MICA TOL 100...hand built by Bruce. This particular one was built with reverb and series effect loop. TOS mod, 4 channels, and you probably know the rest of the features. I've seen amps with alot more options, but this one comes in near the top so I give it an 8.

I've used this amp with LP's, EB Music Man Axis's, PRS, ESP, etc. I've played everything from classic rock to metal through this amp. The amp does get a little noisy if you are close to it, or if you turn up the reverb. Alot of people complain about a proximity hum with the TOL 100's. Its not too bad though, and I've played much noisier amps. Now onto the sounds...

Channel 1...this channel is nothing short of beautiful. No kidding...the best cleans I've heard from any channel switching amp. Add a little reverb and you won't believe your ears. Dime the gain and you get a little breakup.

Channel 2...lots of people don't like this channel too much, but I think it was great for SRV type leads and chunky blues rhythms. Nothing amazing, but good tone none the less.

Channel 3...This was my least favorite channel. It sounded like a muddy Plexi. There was none of that top end bite that Plexis have. The bottom end was woofy with way too much loose bass. There was always a harshness in the top end (though not TOO bad), but my biggest complaint was that it sounded congested. It was like the amp had a bad head cold...the tone just wasn't big and open and it felt like you had to wrestle with the amp at times.

Channel 4...This channel in Modern 1 mode is capable of some great lead tones. It can also get DAMN brutal if you want. It suffers a bit from the congested midrange as well, but not as much as channel 3. With the right tubes, this channel sings. However, it was almost too thick for me. I like a thick tone, but this channel wasn't the kind of thick I was looking for.

Overall, the first 2 channels are great, and the second 2 are better than most, but not quite what I would call great. I think this amp is really a jack of all trades, master of none (except maybe the clean). However, for the price these are going for used, they can't be beat! FWIW...I tried this next to several Bogners (including the Uberchall and XTC, and it slayed them all IMHO. Tube experimentation is so imprtant to finding a good tone on this amp, and I went through lots of different NOS and current production tubes. JAN Philips and RFT are great NOS tubes. I had a JJ ECC83S inthe reverb slot to warm up the reverb, but they sounded horrible in all other slots.

For a high end amp like this, it was really unreliable. This amp had more problems than any other amp I've ever owned...including digital amps! Most of the problems occured in the MIDI switching section. It would randomly reset during high volume playing, and then just switch through the channels until you turned it off then back on. Apparently, this has happened to alot of people, and has something to do with the MIDI board being too close to the power tube sockets and the heat affecting it. Talk about embarassing in the middle of a gig. I've also had problems with loose pins in the tube sockets, and a few other small things. I just feel that a boutique amp like this should be built with better quality components. When I pay $1700 for an amp, I expect it to hold up for a LONG time. And I take care of my gear so well that you would think its new after 10 years of ownership. When I finally sold the amp, it had not 1 knick or scratch on it. Tubes were changed regularly, and it was never abused.

Bruce Egnater is a really nice guy. I can't say I'm 100% happy with the service I got though. When I was talking to Bruce about having the amp built, he was there every time I called and was very friendly. However, as soon as the money passed from my hands into his, he became unreachable. I was told it would take 4 weeks to finish my amp, and it took several months. Now that wouldn't have been a problem at all if he would have answered my calls. Every single time I called, I get no answer at all and all messages went unreturned. I found it funny that he was there every single time before I actually paid him. Could have been coincidence, but I have a wierd feeling that caller ID was involved. After I got the amp and began having problems with it, I emailed him. I got very prompt responses within 24 hours most of the time. However, he never offered to fix the problems for free although the amp was only 4 months old when it started developing problems. Maybe Bruce is just busy, but I expect more from a boutique company.

Overall, this amp is a steal on the used market for many. However, its not quite the amp for me. The customer support situation really got me pissed off during the building of the amp. I owned the amp about 2 years before selling it, so I knew its controls and tones pretty well. I may sound like I'm being harsh in this review, but this is just the honest truth about my experience. I think most people who review these amps are still in the honeymoon stage and give them higher scores than they deserve. If you can find one for $800 used, try it and get it if you like it. I would still take one over a Bogner, though the Bogners are more reliable.

TOL100 JJ/Telsa Review
JJ/ECC83S (s) and Matched Quad JJ/6:6GC?JJ/EL34L Review:

The amp had all Russian tubes in it, probably Sovteks. The now live in the trash can as environmental unfriendly bastards. I replaced V6 first with the ?balanced current? JJ/ECC83S, and V-1 to V4 with JJ/ECC83S (s), then replaced V7-V10 with the JJ/Telsa Matched Quad EL34L/6L6GC. Set bias to 36 and it was right on with dual matched EL34Ls in the middle, and dual matched 6L6GCs on the outside.

Round 1: No Soak, MVOL 4-6, 40-60 watts output power, into 1960BV
Reverb 5-30%, Mix 0-100%, Resonance 6
BBE 462 (B6 T6) in the SND-RTN loop

CH1, Gain 6, CHVOL 6
CH2, Gain 8, CHVOL 4
B6, M4-7, T6, P6, Bright off both channels.

BBE OFF:
Bright country (M4) to Fat Bluesy (M7). The midrange came to life whereas it was anemic before.
BBE ON:
CH1: Sounded even better (more Tonemaster clean // bogner classic-ish)
CH2: Brought out a Vox/Matchless quality to Channel 2 depending whether I set the mid to 4 or 7

CH3, Gain 8, CHVOL 4
CH4, Gain 4-8, CHVOL 4
B6, M4-7, T6, P6

BBE OFF
On both channels 3 and 4:
Plexi mode came alive and very very articulate as a real plexi would
Modern 2 brighter in the midrange and more sensitive BassMidTreble relationships
Modern 1 became more of a true rock monster

For shits and giggles I turned the Mid to 0, Bass 8, Treble 8, Gain 8 and voila: Early Metallica MarkIIC+ nailed to the bone .. at least I thought so. Then turned the BBE 462 ON, turned the mids up to 4, BBE Bass 8, Treble 8 WOW WOW WOW WOW WOW WOW ?
Before I dropped the Telsa in, Treble at 8 sounded like razor blades. Bass at 8 had no definition, man?o?man,
I dialed in EVH 5150 tone (B3, M4, T6, P6// BBE B6 T6), then I dialed in Bogner Classic, Recto Red, VHT, Bogner ? this has become a truly versatile tone monster. CH 4: turned down the gain to 4 and nailed a Dumble. This is like having a pod in a TOL LOL.

Round 2: Same as above, with speaker output to PGA 04, Master volume 80 percent, out into MOSVALVE 500 into 1960BV.

CH3 sounded better cooked on ?Plexi? than my 68 SLP ever sounded.
Modern 1 nailed the Peacemaker samples on Victor?s site at Mojave. Its gotta be the balance between the 6L6GCs and the EL34Ls. The bottom end finally came out clear and punchy, the top brown british on MOD1, and the best of Free to AC/DC to 80s modded plexi on ?Plexi and MOD2.?

Round 3: As a point of tonal reference, I went back to Eggmans email and tried combinations of ECC83S (s) and other 12AX7A(s) -- I replaced V1/V4, V1/V2, V2/V4, V3/V4 with EH Premium 12AX7s with the other slots keeping ECC83S (s). It became brighter and unbalanced on all channels. Then I tried an assortment of other 12AX7As I had laying around, No contest. These ECC83S babies are smooth and ferocious.

I could not dial in a 50 watt Plexi cranked. The Egnater circuit is too rich and the output transformer has to have a lot to do with it? Maybe? I dunno. My 50 watt 73 plexi has KT88s in it. I think the only way I am going to dial this in somehow is by trying a combination of JJ/KT88s outside with EL34Ls inside or 6L6GCs inside, but I don?t know how to set two biases on the TOL. Maybe if I just used 2 JJ/KT88s outside at half power, but the tranny will still be off ? We?ll see.

Summary: The ECC83S(s) V1-V4 are great with the matched JJ/quad pairs. I also replaced the V6 as stated above with a balanced current valve. The head really came alive tonight, not as if it was dead before, rather taking an already superb eq circuit and gain structure to the next level where it just came alive with BFMFMT. Relationships between the Bass/Treble and Mid/Gain became more sensitive and tasteful. If you are a player who always has his/her mids on 0-4, you might not notice the difference. My mids stay on 7 all channels most of the time, and never go below 4. The harmonics are to die for. SH4/TB4 in the bridge position helps ???????..
Most productive $105.50 I ever spent. Ordered these last night and they arrived this

Duh

Duh

Bruce is the Man!

This world is divided into two categories: Finders and Seekers, Egnater technology is a finder's world
- Keep seeking otherwise and have a pleasant costly journey -

This is my second TOL 100. Yeah, like it so much I had to have another. My previous reveiw and follow up can be found below (way down there). Very versatile, great tone, and the MIDI capability, while simple and essentially designed to do nothing but change channels, is a fricken must for any one that has a MIDI rig racked up for effects. I mean, why pay $900.00 for an All Access when the amp will change your racked programed effects as a part of its pricing/value equation? Next to the Diezel, this head has the best features around.

I play fast, powerful, lead guitar, with serious solos and mucho sustain and distortion (when needed). I use Gibson, Carvin, Fender, Jackson, Charvel, etc., through many different cabinets/speakers. Bottom line: No matter how I try to find a better amp, I always come right back to my TOL.

The clean tones are really very good. Better than most any other hi-gain amp. In fact, the clean channel really is underrated on these heads. I wont go into each of the channels. Let me simply note that I am a gain junkie. However, I need DEFINITION! I want to hear every fricken note, tweak, and fart applied to my guitar. I DO NOT need any plop-plop, fizz fizz, buzzy-saw distorition. Hell, you can get that shitty sound from a cheap fuzz unit at pennies to the dollar. This amp's distorition is directed, full and clear, with none of that recto buzz that's been going around. When I use this amp in tandum with my VHT Ultra Lead, it's fricken heaven!

Not the most reliable amp made. Have had my first head in the shop three times in four years. I mean, my `69 Marshall SL-100 has never needed a doctor. This new (used) head has needed no attention, although it is a spare and it does have some strange shit going on with its volume output that needs to be addressed.

Having said that, Bruce really is the best. I pray he never dies `cause then I will truly be fucked when this thing crashes.

Well, we will completely bypass Rocktron. This review is for Bruce's support. He has always been exceedingly timily, helpful, and has played psychologist to my head when I have freaked out over my amp being down. Yeah, Bruce is realistically at least a 10.5. In fact, I have decided that Bruce is simply not allowed to depart from this earth--he must overcome the bonds of mortality or I must die first `cause he is da man and my amp needs its designer.

Been playing for over 25 years. Gots me a bunch of gear. I love it and would replace it in a fricken heart beat. I do, however, wish that it could make a good cup of coffee in the morning. Well, I suppose that's a bit much insofar as playing through it is kind of like getting a hummer in the morning as it is. I suppose I shouldn't want it all!

I've had this amp for close to a month and I'm so happy I took the risk to buy a used one. This amp is incredible. It sounds like an amp should. All channels sound great from heavenly clean to maxed out gain. The best part is the definition the gain channels hold and the sweetness of the clean. All chords and notes are held with clarity. I liken the distortion like a modified THD Univalve. Very defined and open. Not buzzy or overly compressed. This amp is very full, rich, and ballsy. Notes "snap" off the strings and the character of your guitar remains. Its not "colored" like other amps will. Your Paul will sound like a Paul and your Strat will sound like a Strat. The amp cranked up is pure magic. I was a die hard Mesa fan and still am...if I'm considering a mass produced "store brand". But now I know what a good "boutique" amp should sound like.....heaven.

As said before Bruce Egnater is the man. Always answers his emails and is freindly and professional. Don't go to Rocktron, they don't answer their emails.

One of the best amps out there. To say its the best is ridiculous. Taste is subjective. One man's passion is another man's poison. 4 great channels that absolutely sound glorious. The best marriage between a Marshall style crunch and a Mesa gain, but with its own flavor....the Egnater Tone Of Life touch.

The amp I'm reviewing is a TOL100 head made by Rocktron. I'm the third owner. This amp paired with T.C. Electronic G-Force is THE ultimate setup and a great cure for GAS. I wish it had separate EQs on every channel, but it is very good as is. Basically what happens is each pair of channels works as one channel in 2 modes - "normal" and "pushed". Each channel has its own gain and master volume. There's also overall master volume, overall presence and focus control (each pair of channels has its own presence control in its EQ section), FX loop level knob and reverb knob for built-in reverb. Basically the only feature I miss reall bad is the ability somehow "remember" las used channel and start with this channel when amp is turned on.

It is very hard to adequately describe how good this amp sounds. There's just not enough words in my vocabulary. As many reviewers said, the first pair of channels is very "fendery", the second is very "marshally" (in a VERY good way). My main axe is Ibanez RG3120 with DiMarzio The Breed pickups).
The first channel is very clean with slight overdrive when gain is maxed. Very WARM and juicy, very inspiring. The second channel is a cross between a pushed Fender and an old Marshall at the point of breakup. Very SRV sounding, but dishes out Satriani's "Down, Down, Down" with finesse. The breakup is SO SWEET, you'll pee your pants. Channel 3 is THE best Marshall sound I've ever heard. Very balanced, with great string definition and tight bass. Vai's "Die To Live" (which serves as a test for string definition for me :0) is not a problem here. This is also a very dynamic channel considering the amount of gain packed into it. Low strings maintain their "teeth" when you hold a note, they never turn boomy. If the amp turned up loud, there's a great controllable feedback. Channel 4 has INSANE amounts of gain while retaining the character and definition of Channel 3. When you switch to channel 4, you get infinite sustain which can be as agressive or "liquid" as you want. This channel is much more compressed than channel 3 which is good for what it was designed for. The amp is not noisy at all, even at the highest gain settings. There's no audible hum when guitar is unplugged either.

Well, here goes the bad part. Basically when I received this amp it had fried screen resistors. Ain't nothing wrong with the amp by itself, but HT fuse seems to be very overrated. If there's a tube failure, it is pretty much guaranteed that the screen resistors will burn out first (not the fuse as it should). I'll give it 8 because even though these resistors were burnt, the amp still sounded good which means it won't let you down in the middle of the gig. Just replace the fuse, remove the broken pair of tubes and you're ready to go. If you're not the first owner or if you had a tube failure, it is a good idea to show your amp to a good amp tech and ask him to check screen and cathode resistors.

BRUCE IS THE MAN! Rocktron support sucks however. They've never returned my emails. Bruce stands behind his designs with pride and will help you with any questions. He helped me with biasing (don't do this yourself unless you know what you're doing! I do) and explained a lot of other stuff. Here's a bit of wisdom from him - you don't have to use all 4 tubes. You can remove either inner pair or outer pair and run with 2 remaining tubes just as well. Good way to save on tubes if you don't play arenas.

The best guitar-related investment EVER. I don't think I'll ever sell this head. If you see one, BUY IT. Or check out the current Egnater designs at Bruce's site. I think I'll also buy an IE4 preamp for my rack.

Don't know what year this amp was made. I got it for $800 on Ebay. Very good to excellent condition. 4 channels, midi, global density (fatness)presence, and master volume. Each channel has gain and master volume. etc. etc. Very cool looking with Oxblood grill cloth.

WOW...this is a killer sound. Very british and "Marshall-easque" sounding. Channel one is very nice and punchy with a nice slight push when gain is cranked. Very slight grain. Channel 2 is Texas heaven. Raw, nasty, and punchy when cranked. Channel 3 is everything from good Marshall to EVH first album TO A "T" !!! NO JOKE !!! Channel 4 is sick...that's all I have to say about that (my fav Forrest Gump qoute). This amp will cover all your musical basis. I really like this amp. Very different from the Boogies that Im used to, but in a good way. Very brown and with an "open" distorion. Its very hard to find an amp like this now-a-days. Most amplifiers today are very "pinched", muddy, and buzzy. This amp isn't. Some people might complain that each channel should have its own tone controls. I tend to disagree. This amp allows you to get a common "tone" that is charateristic of YOU. There's enough tone difference and feel with each channel that it will sound different, but not so different that you don't develope a signature style. Thats important. Thats why modeling amps aren't for musician's looking to be a musician with a signiture. Make sense??

Who knows. I got it used. There was a problem when I got it, but it was used. Bruce Egnater himself helped me out. See Customer service. Seems very well built and considering its age and that i'm the 3rd owner, not bad. I'll give it a mid-way rating.

I've contacted Bruce Eganter himself. Very open, honest, and willing to help. Very rare now-a-days. Rocktron (the "parent") company, never returned my emails so I went to Bruce himself. See what other reviewers have to say. HE WILL HELP YOU OUT AND STANDS BEHIND HIS PRODUCTS. GREAT TO DEAL WITH. When my amp decided not to work, I told him the "symptoms". He knew right away what was up and I was able to fix it myself. I'm still sending my amp to him after I get my Mesa back so he can do some modifications (external bias points, check over, etc.) I got this used so I want to make sure things are A-ok.

A great amp. Very versatile. I love that one Midi pedal can control this amp and an effects processor(s). Thats a dream !!!Why buy a rack system when you can use this amp. I hate rack systems, after owning numerous, I always sell them. Too big, bulky, tempermental, tone robbing, too many chords, etc. etc. Also, 4 FRIGGIN CHANNELS THAT ALL SOUND AWESOME!!! Looks great and sounds great too!

4 channels with the best gain and eq characteristics of each. reverb. presence. loop level. midi switching. hell yeah!

the actual channels and structure are perfect perfect 10. i have noticed it to be temperamental with buzzing - hence the 9. the reverb is awesome. with a strat, it really does the jimi thing. i play jazz on it too. channel 4 is soooo good.

Bruce is really cool! I have emailed him a bunch and he is helpful, timely and nice.

ab'd against almost everything. it destroys everything. You might find an amp here or there that sounds a tiny bit better for one thing or another...but tone just ooooozzzezzzz out.

as below, though this is the Rocktron Egnater. Get an original egnater if you get the chance! I'd have liked the option to switch tubes and a half power switch but Bruces new head come in 50watt with the option to change tubes

1 Clean = Fender Bassman, 2 Marshall cranked superlead, 3 Boogie/hot rod Marshall,4 egnaters own (awesome 4th channel kind of like a mesa rectifier but clearer and less muddy sounding.
I play www.aprguitars.com (simply more original and better made than Gibson, PRS etc) and use various cabs with EV and Celestion

I bought this used and could hear a background noise on channel 4. I checked the tubes and the guy before me had fitted Yugo 12AX7's which are pretty useless. I changed them to Svetlana 12AX7 from www.watfordvalves.com (excellent site for valves with great reviews!!) and the power tubes with Harma STR EL34s. Amazing difference!!! no other problems

Rocktron are pure S**t after their take over but I contacted www.egnater.com about Bias for the new tubes. Bruce got back to me the next day with full details!! now thats what I call customer service!!! I bought this head because of the reviews though I've got Rocktron products I'll not be buying from them again due to the poor repair facilities in the UK. But I will pay the extra and buy direct from Egnater because of this kind of service. So 10 for Bruce, 0 for Rocktron no wonder he no longer works with them

OK i guess you are all sick of hearing this is the best amp in the world but in truth everyone has their own taste. I own and have owned about everything ie Vox Marshall Park Orange Boogie Fender Peavey Hiwatt but I love having a head which gives me 4 usable channels that sound amazing and although not exactly like the individual amps i mentioned this head just sounds amazing. i'm even getting another head (one of egnaters new ones) as I'll be gigging this and want a spare. i can't see myself going back to the Boogie Duel Rec and H&K triamp I've swapped between for gigs over the last 2 years

This combo amp was designed by the Egnater Company but is built by Rocktron. It has all the features that I could ever want in a 100-watt four-channel amp. However, it does not have EQ knobs for each channel. If it did, Egnater would have to design an amp to hold eight more knobs, and that would be overkill. Channel 1 & 2, and channel 3 & 4 share to same EQ?s which is fine for me. The feature I like best of all is the MIDI switching. A MIDI foot controller connected to an effects processor in the effects loop, makes this amp very versatile. Selecting any effect present number from a foot controller can also select any of four amp channels of your choosing. Very cool.

Most people that own an Egnater amp will tell you that sound is awesome clean or overdriven. And I agree.

I had problems with the amp when I first purchased it. It was making rattling noises that I didn?t notice when I tried it out in the music store. Other people were playing through other amps as well. Not the best conditions for trying out a high-end amp. I later found out that the amp that a bad set of tubes in it, which I will talk about in the customer support section. With a new set of tubes, and the speakers upgraded to Celestion Vintage 30?s I don?t anticipate any further problems. Since the tubes aren?t related to the amps design or build quality, and since they need to be replace periodically anyway, I won?t let this influence my rating. No piece of equipment is 100% foul proof, so I?m rating this amp a 9. I wish I could rate Rocktron with the same number in the customer support department.

What do you do when you buy a new amp and there?s problems with it, and you have to either ship it back to the factory or cover the repair expenses yourself? I won?t mention the guys name in tech support, but he sure was two-faced about helping me get my amp repaired. He agreed to reimburse me for any repairs my amp needed. There are a few repair shops where I live that works on tube amplifiers, but none them wanted to repair this the amp under warranty. So a guy at Rocktron tech support said they would reimburse me if I covered the cost of the repair. Great, so I took the amp to the repair shop and then called Rocktron to give them the repair guy?s name and number, so there would be no conflict on the repair. I covered the cost of the repair, so there wouldn?t be this big shipping for me or Rocktron on shipping an 80 lb. amp back east. In the end, Rocktron only reimbursed me less than half of the repair cost. I was supposed to be fully covered under the warranty, and I only had the amp less than 90 days. A lot of repair shops won?t touch any Rocktron product under warranty because they simply don?t pay up. So the customer pays for the shipping or pays for the repair in hopes of being paid back in full. I told this guy in tech support, I can see why nobody wants to work on a Rocktron product under warranty, he just thought was very funny. GHS now owns or is affiliated with Rocktron. I will never purchase another product from them again, they do not stand behind their warranty, written or verbal.

This was my second hassle with Rocktron. First it was the Rocktron Artist foot processor (please read my review on that product). I learned my lesson, don?t buy a Rocktron product. If you have problems their product and decide to pay the shipping, you will have to wait alone time getting it back. The three times Rocktron tried the fix my Artist processor, they had it a least two months each time. Egnater is making their own line of amps now, and that?s the way it should be. Don?t get a second rate company to build a first rate amp. If you are interested in buying an Egnater amp, visit egnater.com to see their new line of amps. I?ve talked with Frank (with Egnater) on phone about questions on the TOL 100. If I couldn?t reach him, he would always return my calls, very nice person. I?ve also e-mailed Bruce Egnater himself, and he e-mailed me back right away. Amp design and function I rate this amp a 10, but since Rocktron doesn?t seem to care about their customers drops my overall rating to a 5. Rocktron is more concerned about saving a few bucks rather than keeping a customers trust. I also give the music store bad marks for not taking care of me either, and I wonder why.

well, read the other reviews....4 channels...2 clean, 2 dirty.....midi, slave out, effects loop...everything crammed into one head....mine is the pre-rocktron model without reverb....i actually bought this in 2001, bruce egnater had enough parts left to make 2 so i grabbed one.....this is one of the most versatile amps ive seen or owned and ive owned many...including bogner, vht, marshall, etc....i also own the pre-rocktron egnater ie4 pre-amp( see my review of that)...both units are different...im not sure which i would part with if i had too.....ill tell you this, i thought about selling the bogner xtc....yep, i said it.....i love the ie4, but the head has a different quality....i think i like the ie4 better....but i couldnt part with eaither

oh man, killer tone....KILLER....very deep growl to this amp...very natural...a true tube amp tone....reminds me of the vintage marshalls....articulate and clear, never muddy or squishy....this isnt a head for the one dimensional metal player(IMHO)....there is too much finesse in this amp for you speedmetal freaks...but, it will do the vht pittbull thang( if thats what you really want)...but, it will do that brown sound thing better.....i love it....the texas blues channel nails stevie ray vaughn.....NAILS IT.....i love those 2 clean channels the most......

ive only had it for a few days now, if there is a problem, i know bruce would take care of me

bruce egnater is great---but slow like dumble( sorry bruce i had to take a shot :) luv ya man)....just kidding there...he did take a LONG time to make this for me....he was busy with starting his new line of preamps and i kept getting put on the back burner( even though he had my money) sorry, another shot....he is a great guy to deal with, at no time was i ever upset at the service or length of time it took to make the amp for me....i was content to wait for perfection.....by the way, that other amp he has is almost finished--so get to it and email him

hey, i love it....what else is there to say??? i highly recomend pre- rocktron egnater stuff.....and i cant wait to test drive that new modular preamp he is doing now....check it out at his web site.....this guy can nail all the favorite tones....just try him....like i said earlier, ive owned them all....egnater is the best....id never ever sell my egnater ie4 or mica head...EVER!!