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Cali76 TX TX-L STD Mods. Has anyone done any?

C

Christian N

Feb 12, 2013
58
25
#1
Examples of possible mods:

- Added a clean blend to the pedal itself without having to add a blender pedal? I mean... The box is pretty big already!

- Changed the transformer from one to another?

- Put in another transformer in side and a switch to switch between the two?

- Anything else?

I haven't even received my TX-L yet and might not need to change anything, but just curious, since I'm mod happy guy and I don't want just one position... I want all positions! (yes.. a cheesy Ruby Rod 5th Element reference)

It seems the ultimate versions were the TX-P or TX-LP, but they had a limited run and the big box Cali76's were discontinued so...

To me, the clean blend and switchable transformers would be the most interesting because I play guitar, bass, and sing etc.. And they say the TX-L is usually the better for Bass and as an insert, while the TX can sound better for guitar..
The boost also sounds cool, but I can thing of many other ways to boost pretty easily.

Unfortunately, being a gearslut and tracking down all versions could get pricey! Might as well then just get a Serpent Audio Splice rack or 500 series unit which does it all and more! (except that they're not pedals)
 
#3
It's my equipment and I do what I want with it. ;) But yeah.. I might not even need the mods at all. I just tend to like the ability for parallel... Might not even need the transformer at all.

What if one doesn't care about resale value? The alternative is to use more pedals or fork out the cash for a TX-LP.. Which could be 4 or 500 more, if you can even find one. There goes your resale value right there.

I'm not too bad with an iron and have built my own pedals before... Modified my own amps... Etc. In school I did take an electronics class... It's not rocket science. Hell.. The resale value went up on them and zero complaints. I was actually thanked for it. Bias mods and preamp mods on 5150.. Inclusion drilling of the chassis etc.

Maybe I should have asked on a pedal building forum.

Whatever the case, I wouldn't even be opposed to sending it in to the manufacturer to get the mods done, although I don't think they do this kind of work and the shipping might be pricey plus labor... Maybe if they sold the parts. I'd seriously not have any problems installing them unless the actual circuit board needed to be modded.
 
#7
BurningSkies said:
So many good small compressors out there, but the really good ones are expensive. Have at it if you want to play with your out of production Cali, but I'll just pick and choose one or a few to have on my board.
Click to expand...

I plan on using it for multiple purposes... Guitar.. Bass.. And other studio work such as vocals on an insert. In fact, I'm not currently playing in a band and mainly doing some recording experimentation for a while, but having an 1176 in a pedal could be useful in the future. If I didn't have so many uses for it and wasn't recording, I'd probably go a bit cheaper....

But I also just have a big for compression lately.. I have a Maxon RTC600, and it's pretty cool and has a nice squishy character if you hit it hard, but it's noisy as sin or maybe I'm just doing it wrong lol.
 
#10
I would. I don't ever intend on selling my big-box standard, and I actually prefer its sound to the transformer-based models (based on, alas, online sound clips); however, there are some additional features the transformer-equipped Cali units have that have nothing to do with the transformers...

Unfortunately (or luckily), my solder skills are still a work in progress, and I'd hate to mess up my compressor so it's going to remain bone stock for the near future. I can see me messing it up down the road though... clean boost, clean blend... lots of tone tidying to do...
 
#12
Doesn't make sense. The smaller Cali-pedals have features that the big box is missing like HPF, blend dry etc. IMO the transformers don't make that much of a difference. If you want a big 1176 with huge transformers, you can buy a 19" Warm Audio or - for the price really really good - for 200,- you get a Klerk Teknik one.
 
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#13
I think the risk vs reward on messing with a big box Cali is pretty bad. I also think the difference in the transformers (to my ear) is not that great, and so adding the switching functionality would again be more work and risk than it's actually worth. I'd keep an eye out for a -P and be done with it. I have a -TX-P that I'll likely be selling soon, for instance.

EDIT: Just realized that this was kind of a necro and that I'm likely responding for no reason. :smug:
 
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#16
I just received my Cali76 TX and have no desire to sell and get the L version. I'm happy and no matter how you look at it there are people who like the TX and some like the L better. Some like the compact and some like the new empress. Its all opinions. Like basses.
 

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