Mesa F-series Lounge. Come on in and share your secrets.

[Dann'sTheMan]

Originally posted by John Denver
I am looking into purchasing some effects for my F-50. I really just want to make the amp sing, not over-effect it. I was thinking of running the possible setup:

guitar>EQ1>compression>amp>EQ2(in loop)

As of right now i have a Surf and Turf compression pedal and a Boss Metal Zone(use for one of the EQs only). I am looking in to getting a good EQ pedal(Suggestions Welcomed), and putting this in the chain as one of the EQs. Where should the best EQ pedal be placed?(pre or fx loop) Also, would it be better to just use one EQ pedal for now(the good one i intend to buy)...and leave out the Metal Zone as an EQ? Feel free to give suggestions on the best way to line up these effects (2EQs and 1 Compression)

Thanks again for the help guys, this thread has saved my life!!!

EDIT: Just remembered i have a digitech RP-6 multi fx unit.....any ideas on what i could use this for(if anything) in this situation?

Hi John Denver,

You're not alone in not wanting to cover up the F-series' fantastic tone through over-effecting! :thu: IIRC the Metal Zone has a powerful parametric EQ, so it's not a bad idea to try that. Putting EQs both in front of the amp, and in the loop is also a good idea allowing absolute control. Some of the other brothers have reported great results by reducing bass in front of the amp, and adding it back in in the loop.

Regarding your RP6, I would try it first in the loop (for delays, reverbs and modulation, and potentially EQ) to see if it's happy operating at line level. If not, you'll have to use it in front of the amp. Obviously, make sure that effects like Distortion and Speaker Sims are turned off, so that they don't mess with your F-series' tone. :)

Big smiles,

Andy.

[Dann'sTheMan]

Originally posted by markmann
That is awesome man.

+1. Absolutely awesome story, plumptone! :) Your custom Boogie is really beautiful too! :thu:

Big smiles,

Andy.

[Dann'sTheMan]

Originally posted by Mr Genista
Thanks a million to Surfcaster and Dann's The Man for all your help. I''ll get onto Watford Valves when I get paid, change the lot and be done with it. There's something slightly crazy about spending a grand on an amp and then replacing all the valves though....!!!

I've got a Lexicon MPX100 FX unit wired up to the FX loop at the mo and it sounds FANTASTIC!!! I've got a bypass switch for it, but I just need to find some kind of pedal to remotely change patches. Still getting too much his from my DOD Wah/Volume at the front end though. Guess that's just the pedal itself.

Meantime, I'll keep wading my way through the previous 150 pages of this thread and see what else I've been missing!! Talk about late for the party...

Thanks again guys!!! :thu:

Mr G

Hi Mr G,

If you've only had your Boogie for a short period of time, then the valves may still be covered by warranty. I'd suggest speaking with the store you bought it from, as they may well replace the valves for you FOC.

Unfortunately, valves are like light bulbs - they either fail quite early, or they last a good duration. Screening techniques catch most of the early failing ones, but a few still get through - regardless of the manufacturer, or the price tag. It's entirely possible that you order a new set of valves, and find amongst them one that deteriorates rapidly into microphonics. This is why most reputable stores will warrant new valves for a couple of months or so. Give your store a call, :)

Big smiles,

Andy.

[Dann'sTheMan]

Originally posted by markmann
.... and buying a new guitar is a very cool thing!

I can relate to enjoying a wide range of tones and I get quite a variety between a LP and a Strat. Interestingly the rig that led me to Mesa/Boogie was an ex-bandmate of mine who had a Mark II and a Tele... what a tone. I've seen a few Tele players lately that have me wanting to try a tele through my f50 and if it sounds as good as I think it will that may be my next purchase.

Mmmm, I love the Tele sound, both clean and dirty, and it's crossed my mind that if I'm going for a single coil bridge sound, then a nice Tele might be an interesting solution. Unfortunately, I've never really got on with playing them - I haven't as yet been able to get used to the feel (my problem, I know :cry: ). But man, what a sound! :love: :D

Big smiles,

Andy.

[Ogi-wan]

Plump, congratulations on your new baby, and thank you for sharing your experience of receiving a letter from R. Smith. That is just awesome! :)

[plumptone]

Originally posted by Dann'sTheMan


Mmmm, I love the Tele sound, both clean and dirty, and it's crossed my mind that if I'm going for a single coil bridge sound, then a nice Tele might be an interesting solution. Unfortunately, I've never really got on with playing them - I haven't as yet been able to get used to the feel (my problem, I know :cry: ). But man, what a sound! :love: :D

Big smiles,

Andy.

Andy - I basically split my time between a USA Strat deluxe and a tele. The F-50 RESONATES with tele goodness. One of the really fantastic things about the amp is that it doesn't color the guitar's sound at all, so it really lets the natural timbre of the instrument shine. We all know what tele's sound like in the right hands, and let me tell you from experience that the F-50 delivers it up in spades.

What's equally satisfying to me is what it does to my tele in the second channel. If you dump in a decent amount of gain, it turns the tele into a screamer! It can get a bit harsh if you're not careful with contour engaged, but it pumps out a delightfully balanced crunch with that guitar. Teles can be fickle guitars though - like strats you really have to play a lot to figure out which one is best for you. I auditioned loads of them, from the custom shop models all the way down. The one I settled on was the basic American Telecaster. It plays like butter, resonates beautifully even when it's not plugged in, and just felt right the minute I picked it up. It has a particularly clever tone pot that when rotated all the way on takes the pot out of the circuit so that you have the fullness of the pickups coming through uncluttered. I would HIGHLY recommend you trying some out through the F-50 if you're looking to add some different, but very recognizable tones to your sonic arsenal. Teles sond great going straight, but also love effects like compression, tremolo, chorus and flanging. Oh, and also, if you've never had the opportunity to do the drop D tuning thing or slide on a tele, you're really missing out.

They definitely take a bit of getting used to simply because they feel very different with no belly rout and the physical location of the tone/volume controls and pichup selector. I had never thought of myself as a tele guy, but once you've played with then a while, you never look back. At least I haven't!

[plumptone]

Originally posted by Ogi-wan
Plump, congratulations on your new baby, and thank you for sharing your experience of receiving a letter from R. Smith. That is just awesome! :)

Thanks Ogi-Wan, and everyone else who congratulated me on both my new babies! I have to figure out a way to preserve what he sent me, so that I can keep it as long as I keep the amp.

[hinrich]

Has anyone seen one of these cabinets? Do you know anythign about them, how much they're worth etc? (see pic)

[plumptone]

Originally posted by hinrich
Has anyone seen one of these cabinets? Do you know anythign about them, how much they're worth etc? (see pic)

I have no idea what they are worth - try a quick search on e-bay. It's a 2 X12 mesa vertical cab from the 80s or 90s. I used to have one. They came in closed back or open top/closed bottom config., and (from what I recall) you could choose what speakers. The sound is awesome, but they weigh a ton. Unless it's been modified, it's probably an 8 ohm cab. I used to run a 50+ caliber head through one, and also used it as an extension speaker for my studio .22. LIke I said - sound awesome - HUGE, full bass response, with good top end due to the vertical config. Sorry I don't have any more info.

[hinrich]

Originally posted by plumptone


I have no idea what they are worth - try a quick search on e-bay. It's a 2 X12 mesa vertical cab from the 80s or 90s. I used to have one. They came in closed back or open top/closed bottom config., and (from what I recall) you could choose what speakers. The sound is awesome, but they weigh a ton. Unless it's been modified, it's probably an 8 ohm cab. I used to run a 50+ caliber head through one, and also used it as an extension speaker for my studio .22. LIke I said - sound awesome - HUGE, full bass response, with good top end due to the vertical config. Sorry I don't have any more info.

Thanks, that's tons of info! Do you think it might be worth $450 US? He said they're Foster Speakers.

[plumptone]

Originally posted by hinrich


Thanks, that's tons of info! Do you think it might be worth $450 US? He said they're Foster Speakers.

$450 sounds high for that cab. You can get a recent 4x12 for close to that if you look hard enough. Also, I don't know anything about Foster speakers, except to tell you they are definitely not original to the cab. Do some research on the speakers, if they are high quality, it might be a good price - assuming they are in good condition, which is questionable if they are "vintage" as claimed. It's definitely a cool looking cab, and should sound great, but I do think the asking price is off the mark by at least $50. Happy bidding!

[markmann]

Plumptone, I was hoping a tele player would chime in because I had a good feeling that you'd have a positive response. In my initial message that started the tele-talk I mentioned that an ex-bandmate of mine had a tele and a mark-series, what I failed to mention is that the tone I dug was from the distortion channel. When I listen back to old recordings it still amazes me the cutting, mean tone that he had.

You mentioned that you tried lots of tele's... what didn't you like about some, was it the feel or tone?

If it was tone what pup's sounded best through the f50?

Did you ever try a 72 custom or deluxe with the dual vol and tone pots? There are so many models that I don't even know where to begin.

Thanks, Mark

Originally posted by plumptone
Andy - I basically split my time between a USA Strat deluxe and a tele. The F-50 RESONATES with tele goodness. One of the really fantastic things about the amp is that it doesn't color the guitar's sound at all, so it really lets the natural timbre of the instrument shine. We all know what tele's sound like in the right hands, and let me tell you from experience that the F-50 delivers it up in spades.

What's equally satisfying to me is what it does to my tele in the second channel. If you dump in a decent amount of gain, it turns the tele into a screamer! It can get a bit harsh if you're not careful with contour engaged, but it pumps out a delightfully balanced crunch with that guitar. Teles can be fickle guitars though - like strats you really have to play a lot to figure out which one is best for you. I auditioned loads of them, from the custom shop models all the way down. The one I settled on was the basic American Telecaster. It plays like butter, resonates beautifully even when it's not plugged in, and just felt right the minute I picked it up. It has a particularly clever tone pot that when rotated all the way on takes the pot out of the circuit so that you have the fullness of the pickups coming through uncluttered. I would HIGHLY recommend you trying some out through the F-50 if you're looking to add some different, but very recognizable tones to your sonic arsenal. Teles sond great going straight, but also love effects like compression, tremolo, chorus and flanging. Oh, and also, if you've never had the opportunity to do the drop D tuning thing or slide on a tele, you're really missing out.

They definitely take a bit of getting used to simply because they feel very different with no belly rout and the physical location of the tone/volume controls and pichup selector. I had never thought of myself as a tele guy, but once you've played with then a while, you never look back. At least I haven't!

[andershoeg]

you guys are so right: a tele through an F-amp is GREAT! It can really get mean as hell, and really cuts through! ......do I have to mention that I have a tele...? ;) .....OK...... can't resist......showoff :D :
http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i145/andershoeg/tele.jpg
An American Telecaster Deluxe ....really nice guitar! Love it :) That through my F30, and I'm in heaven!
B.r. andershoeg

[plumptone]

Originally posted by markmann
Plumptone, I was hoping a tele player would chime in because I had a good feeling that you'd have a positive response. In my initial message that started the tele-talk I mentioned that an ex-bandmate of mine had a tele and a mark-series, what I failed to mention is that the tone I dug was from the distortion channel. When I listen back to old recordings it still amazes me the cutting, mean tone that he had.

You mentioned that you tried lots of tele's... what didn't you like about some, was it the feel or tone?

If it was tone what pup's sounded best through the f50?

Did you ever try a 72 custom or deluxe with the dual vol and tone pots? There are so many models that I don't even know where to begin.

Thanks, Mark



Excellent questions. Coincidentally, the first time I ever heard a boogie (this is back in 1983 or something like that) the guy was playing one of the original Mark Is and also using a tele - it was a 72 custom. That's when the Boogie bug bit me, and when I vowed one day to own a tele as well.

In any event - to answer your questions. Basically the deciding factor for me had more to do with feel than tone. The custom shop models had unbelieveably good tone and I think the pups they use for those are the overwound vintage-type. One particularly hot sounding one was the '52 Vintage. Incredible output, just down and dirty mean ol' tele tone. But the problem I had with all the models that were modeled on the vintage guitars was that (i) that ash-tray bridge is a pain in the ass and does not feel good mashing up the side of your hand (ii) the necks are very clunky - you have to really like a thick neck (front to back) but I think this helps get really authentic tele tone); and (iii) the weight varies a LOT from model to model.

Also, while playing the various models, I realized that I have a definite preference for maple fretboards, as opposed to rosewood. Some of the models only come tih a rosewood board, so that took them out of the running too. I didn't notice much of a difference in sound resulting from choice of fretboard material, but to me the rosewood feels a little sticky for some reason.

I auditioned a couple of thinline models (the ones with the hollow body), and although the vibe is cool, and they don't weigh much at all, the sound wasn't what I was after.

The '72 reissue was tha one I wanted to like so much, but I didn't find one that was up to snuff in terms of build quality. I don't think they are US made, and it definitely shows. I seriously considered trying to track down a real used one, but there was nothing to be found.

So basically, the tele tone was there on pretty much all the models. They've been building these guitars since the beginning and they know how to make them sound right, no question about it. In terms of feel, there was a lot of difference in my opinion. Overall weight, neck carve, fretboard all played a part. But I'll tell you what - it was a TON of fun. Incidentally, the "custom classic" is gorgeous, but very expensive. I loved the way it felt and played, but for close to a grand more than the one I eventually picked up, I just couldn't justify it. For me a tele is kind of a workhorse guitar. I didn't want to feel like I always have to baby the thing, you know? And if I had spent too much on one, I would have felt obligated to keep it pristine.

Over and out.

[plumptone]

Originally posted by andershoeg
you guys are so right: a tele through an F-amp is GREAT! It can really get mean as hell, and really cuts through! ......do I have to mention that I have a tele...? ;) .....OK...... can't resist......showoff :D :
An American Telecaster Deluxe ....really nice guitar! Love it :) That through my F30, and I'm in heaven!
B.r. andershoeg

Wow - that's a gorgeous one. It's got the belly cut, right? I also have a DC-3 which is close to the F-30, and mine sounds very hot with those fiery EL84s too.

[plumptone]

Mine's nowhere near as gorgeous - basic workhorse...

http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k18/plumpton1/JamBoneatOAnnies028.jpg

[markmann]

Plumptone, That's exactly what I wanted to hear.... and thanks for invoking extreme tele gas by the way :D

Yeah, I know that the 72 customs are not am made. A friend of mine has one of each but I haven't had a chance to get my hands on either yet.

Thankks for all of the excellent info, this is all stuff I've been wanting to know so I think you've saved me some valuable time plus it's nice to know what other think.

[plumptone]

Markmann - glad I can offer something useful finally!

[markmann]

Andershoeg, that is one sweet guitar... I'll take one just like that!

Plumtone, yours isn't too shabby either. Actually, a workhorse guitar is just fine by me and I agree with your earlier statement of feeling obligated to keep an expensive guitar mint.

[andershoeg]

Originally posted by plumptone


Wow - that's a gorgeous one. It's got the belly cut, right? I also have a DC-3 which is close to the F-30, and mine sounds very hot with those fiery EL84s too.

Thanks plumptone! Yes it is gorgeous, I think that too :) And yep, it has got the belly cut; a really nice thing! And as you describe, the el84 is the perfect match for these guitars. Hot indeed!
I think your tele looks just as beautifull as mine, it is just more like a workhorse....actually I would love to have a tele like yours, except i would choose rosewood fretboard...that's more "me" :)
B.r. andershoeg

[andershoeg]

Originally posted by markmann
Andershoeg, that is one sweet guitar... I'll take one just like that!



thanks markmann, do that ;)

[plumptone]

Originally posted by markmann
Andershoeg, that is one sweet guitar... I'll take one just like that!

Plumtone, yours isn't too shabby either. Actually, a workhorse guitar is just fine by me and I agree with your earlier statement of feeling obligated to keep an expensive guitar mint.

I have two other electrics currently - one's a 1988 strat plus - with the lace sensors. I love that guitar, but I'm trying to keep it in really nice condition, so I don't play her out too much any more. My other is a USA deluxe strat in transparent teal. This thing has the vintage noiseless pickups. Some folks don't like those pups too much, but I just love how stratty it sounds through the F-50. Dead on Knopfler if you like that sort of thing, and I can totally nail a Gilmore sound too.

http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k18/plumpton1/ACMERichSolo1.jpg

[Rodimus Prime]

hey, do you have any clips of strats in action getting nice stratty tones with an F50? I'm still pretty torn between a SuperSonic and an F50.

[subtle knives]

Anyone tried a Rickenbacker 330 through an f-50? Would love to hear some feedback / opinions?

Best wishes :)

[plumptone]

Originally posted by Rodimus Prime
hey, do you have any clips of strats in action getting nice stratty tones with an F50? I'm still pretty torn between a SuperSonic and an F50.

Sorry - no clips available yet here. I'm working on it though. Will definitely post as soon as I have something. Doing some overdubs this evening, so might have something from the session.

Have you tried both amps? I recently play tested the supersonic, and it tries hard to be a high gain amp, but doesn't quite nail the mark. As for clean sounds...well..it's a Fender, so it does a pretty nice job in that department. On balance, the F-50, for me anyway, is a much more versatile amp, and built much more ruggedly.

[Rodimus Prime]

oh yeah, i tried them both.
here's my dilemma. When i played the F50 i was totally blown away by it and i didn't go back to the SuperSonic. But i have such a Fender fetish that i keep coming back thinking, "Fender is what i want". I just dunno man, i just have this wierd compulsion... i need help.

[RonniePentatonic]

Hey guys, been hearing all this talk about Suhrs and Strats with the F-series.

Heres a short VERY informal video clip of my Suhr with the F-30combo. Just jamming with some old friends, nothing impressive but you can hear the tones at least.

http://members.cox.net/ronnie_ward/F30_Suhr_vidclips.wmv

[plumptone]

Originally posted by Rodimus Prime
oh yeah, i tried them both.
here's my dilemma. When i played the F50 i was totally blown away by it and i didn't go back to the SuperSonic. But i have such a Fender fetish that i keep coming back thinking, "Fender is what i want". I just dunno man, i just have this wierd compulsion... i need help.

I can relate, except I have a thing for Boogies. Before I bought the F-50 I demoed tons of other amps, just to make sure I wasn't deluding myself. It took me almost 6 months to pull the trigger. These days there are a lot of great amps out there - boutique stuff as well as the mass produced gear. You have to go with your gut though. If you don't you'll regret it. For me, the F-50 had the "totally blown away" factor too, and I just kept going back to it. Trust me - there's a reason there's a lot of hype around the Mesa name in general, and the F series in particular. This is world class gear.

[markmann]

Originally posted by plumptone


I have two other electrics currently - one's a 1988 strat plus - with the lace sensors. I love that guitar, but I'm trying to keep it in really nice condition, so I don't play her out too much any more. My other is a USA deluxe strat in transparent teal. This thing has the vintage noiseless pickups. Some folks don't like those pups too much, but I just love how stratty it sounds through the F-50. Dead on Knopfler if you like that sort of thing, and I can totally nail a Gilmore sound too.
Interesting, My strat is a 93 am del strat plus in blue burst and it came with blue/silver/red lace sensors. I thought the blue was alright, silver was very good but I disliked the red at bridge. I swapped the set for a trio of Bill Laurence (noisless) and they seemed to work better for me with the f50. I actually liked the silver lace in the middle position better than the BL but the BL set work well together so that's what I settled on. If I can only use one guitar at a gig it's the strat because it's so versatile.

[Rodimus Prime]

hey everyone. I have an announcement to make.
I sealed a deal with omegaman and i'm getting his F50... as soon as i send him the money of course. But soon enough, i'll be entering the brotherhood of the F-series. :thu:

[hal9000]

Originally posted by Rodimus Prime
hey everyone. I have an announcement to make.
I sealed a deal with omegaman and i'm getting his F50... as soon as i send him the money of course. But soon enough, i'll be entering the brotherhood of the F-series. :thu: Excellent! I hope you'll be pleased. I know I am. BTW, my F-100 out Fenders my singer's Hot Rod Deluxe. A bold claim? Yup.

[Rodimus Prime]

when i played it at the shop, the presence and 3dimensionality of the clean channel reminded me of a 59Bassman and i've always wanted that "thump". I couldn't turn it past 2 of course so i can't wait to do that at home... er my practice space.
and the contour channel was also amazing, really nice and aggressive but not overly so. I don't play metal. FF is about as heavy as i get. Nice medium gain rock sounds in spades.
Not sure yet what to do with the regular gain channel, again its a volume thing.

don't like the reverb so much, but menh. no biggie. I have delay

[musicdog400]

Rodimus, wait till you get a chance to turn the master volume up between 9:00 and 12:00. I think you will be pleased. It breathes fire.

[stheeg]

hey hal!
took your advice and bought 2 hellatone 60s off ebay. hope to get them in a few days. cant wait to try them.
i bought the 60s (not L's), mainly because the L's werent available. plus, i already generate tons of bass with my rig, so i may not need or want the 60L's.
im gonna try the 2 60's with my 2 g12m70s. ill probably be replacing the 2 12m70 in time too, so maybe ill buy a pair of 60Ls then.
anyway, ill let you know how they sound hopefully in a few days! i cant wait to try them out!
stheeg

[musicdog400]

FYI...due to technical difficulties, my ISP has moved my web page. My clips have moved and now live at http://www.think600.com

[Rodimus Prime]

so, lets talk tubes people. Who uses what tubes and why.
In my deville, i like TAD6l6's and i figured i was going to do the same but i was just wondering if there was a hot pair out there that is the general concensus.
also, what pre-amp tubes are good?

[PJohn]

Well, after several months of serious playing and thinking I decided to finally take the plunge and buy a Mesa F-30 combo.

Now, as awesome as the amp sounds, I seem to be getting a lot of noise when I turn the volume past about 9 o'clock. This happens even on the clean channel. On ch2 with the volume turned right up I'm pretty sure I could hear voices too, meaning I appear to be getting some sort of radio station coming through!

The noise comes through even when my guitar volume is turned completely down. Is this amount of noise normal from these amps? I don't remember noticing it in any shops, though there's a lot more background noise there than in my house so maybe I just didn't notice it?

Any help greatly appreciated.

[Rodimus Prime]

i've found with housing electricity that plugging into certain outlets can affect noise. For instance, my Fender Blues Junior buzzes like nuts when my computer monitor is on, I've also noticed with other places that amps can react to running water. It can be pretty wierd. Probably no fault of the amp. Try it in different places and maybe even a different house.

[duncan]

I used to have the F-100 head, and I loved it. I really wish I hadn't gotten rid of it, and I think I'm gonna get another one right away.

When I get another F-100, I want to experiment with the tubes in the preamp. The only problem is my local guitar shop has a pretty limited selection of tubes. I am looking for a very tight, but mean, high gain tone. Darker, and warm. The brands of tubes that I have access to are: Groove Tubes, Mesa, Sovtek, EH

What would work best and where?


My only beef with the F series is that the EQ doesn't affect the tone as much as I'd like. It's almost as if I could set the EQ to almost anything, and it would only make the slightest difference. Is there anything I can do to make the EQ more responsive (different brand of tube, an easy mod, etc)?

[eSoTeRiK]

Originally posted by warplanegrey
I used to have the F-100 head, and I loved it. I really wish I hadn't gotten rid of it, and I think I'm gonna get another one right away.

When I get another F-100, I want to experiment with the tubes in the preamp. The only problem is my local guitar shop has a pretty limited selection of tubes. I am looking for a very tight, but mean, high gain tone. Darker, and warm. The brands of tubes that I have access to are: Groove Tubes, Mesa, Sovtek, EH

What would work best and where?


My only beef with the F series is that the EQ doesn't affect the tone as much as I'd like. It's almost as if I could set the EQ to almost anything, and it would only make the slightest difference. Is there anything I can do to make the EQ more responsive (different brand of tube, an easy mod, etc)?

While I can't help you with the tubes (I just got my F-50 and haven't experimented yet), I can relate to your frustration with the EQ having a minimal effect (mostly on the contour channel). This is because the EQ is pre-distortion instead of post-distortion, so as you increase the gain, the tone controls have less effect.

I would recommend going the route of EQ both pre and post distortion (something I am planning on doing): ie, an EQ pedal before the amp, and then another in the loop.

While I have no first-hand experience of this (I have to get around to getting the EQ's) I have heard that it really improves the versatility of the amp and makes getting different tones much easier.

[Rodimus Prime]

why would there need to be an eq before AND after? would a simple boss ge-7 in the fx add versatility and fix the problem or does it have to be some crazy-assed rackmount eq?

[eSoTeRiK]

Well, no it wouldn't have to be both before and after. A GE-7 in the loop would probably work wonders. :)

[duncan]

when i get my next f-100, i think i'm gonna get a rackmount 15band EQ (rackmount because i'm going to be running other rackmount stuff, like power conditioner, tuner, etc).

of the tubes i listed before, which tubes would you guys use, and where?

scott.

[Joeytpg]

Originally posted by RonniePentatonic
Hey guys, been hearing all this talk about Suhrs and Strats with the F-series.

Heres a short VERY informal video clip of my Suhr with the F-30combo. Just jamming with some old friends, nothing impressive but you can hear the tones at least.

http://members.cox.net/ronnie_ward/F30_Suhr_vidclips.wmv


hey ronnie, loved the clip......would you be so kind to make a "rythm" clip....the dif. rythm types (clean, brit rock, alternative, hard rock, META) would it be too much to ask? :)

i like your videos because te sound great.....no audio quality loss :wave:

[Surfcaster]

Originally posted by Rodimus Prime
why would there need to be an eq before AND after? would a simple boss ge-7 in the fx add versatility and fix the problem or does it have to be some crazy-assed rackmount eq?

There is value in having an EQ pedal in both places. And pedals are fine...I have a GE-7 and a Dano Fish & Chips (which is basically the GE-7 for a fraction of the price, it really is a good pedal). You will acheive different things with the EQ in different places. For example, if you want to tighten up the bottom end of the F50, pulling out some of the bass frequencies before the preamp will have a greater impact than trying to do that in the loop, or trying to get something of a treble boost has to be done before the preamp, too. I didn't understand that until I actually tried it.

I've actually stopped doing that, though. I picked up a MI Audio Crunch Box to give me that tight Plexi-style distortion, then I have the lead channel on the F50 set for higher gain and just let it be itself. Then I use the GE-7 in the loop with a mid-boost and volume boost for solos.

[Surfcaster]

Originally posted by plumptone
Thought I'd pass on this little story - it speaks volumes about Mesa/Boogie. I've played Boogies since the 80's - always wanted one in wood and wicker. Well, earlier this year my wife and I had our second child - a son. I treated my wife to a beautiful necklace, and myself to an F-50 in wood & wicker. When the amp finally arrived I was stunned by it's physical beauty, and the sound was more than I ever could have asked for. I felt compelled to write a letter to Randal Smith - thanking him for the years of bliss I've had with all my Boogies, and specifically for this one which hopefully one day will be with me for the rest of my life and hopefully go to my son, should he play.

I had forgotten I even wrote the letter until this morning when I received a handwritten note from Mr. Smith himself thanking me for the letter I wrote. Here's the text of his note:

"Thank you so kindly for your terrific letter! It's gratifying for us to hear that we've achieved all we strive for in producing instruments & connecting with their owner/musician. Congrats to you, your wife & your family! Cheers & very best regards."

And he signed it. I can't beleive he actually took the time to respond to my letter. This is the type of thing that puts Mesa at the top of the proverbial charts as far as I'm concerned. In most companies I think it's highly unlikely the head guy would ever even get to see a letter from a customer basically saying thank you for making such wonderful products. It's virtually unheard of to get a handwritten note of appreciation. I feel so honored!

Cool story...and congrats on being a father for the second time. My wife and I had our second child in April and she's a real blessing...she's really getting to be a lot of fun these days. And who knows...maybe one day she and/or her older sister will take an interest in the old man's F50, too!

[Dann'sTheMan]

Originally posted by RonniePentatonic
Hey guys, been hearing all this talk about Suhrs and Strats with the F-series.

Heres a short VERY informal video clip of my Suhr with the F-30combo. Just jamming with some old friends, nothing impressive but you can hear the tones at least.

http://members.cox.net/ronnie_ward/F30_Suhr_vidclips.wmv

Totally Sweet - both tone and playing. You seemed to be having a blast. :D

I finally got around to updating the Clip Library today, and I included this new one along with the others I'd been meaning to link to - thanks for sharing! :thu:

Big smiles,

Andy.

[msk011]

Originally posted by hal9000
Interesting. Did they say what they thought the noize was from? I've certainly seen my fair share of buzzy power transformers in other equipment, but they're usually just really old.

Hi folks,

thought I would give you the latest on my hum problem.

Had my F50 into the repair guy last week for the hum. The repair guys opinion was that it was simply the magnetic field created by the main transformer being picked up by the sm57 and was normal. Well we went round and round (We both kept our cools :D ) and in the end the tech and I agreed to disagree. He did replace a microphonic preamp tube for me so it didn’t cost me anything for a NPF, which was good.

So now I’m trying to figure out if I’m just crazy, so I have two fairly simple questions for everyone:

When you use a microphone into a PA with your F series and you place the amp in standby, do you get ANY noise/hum/hiss/other out of the amp?

and

With your amp in standby can you put your ear right in front of the grill cloth and hear a low hum? On mine you can and this vibration is what is getting picked up by the microphone.

For what it’s worth I called the GC where I purchased it today and I’m going to see if they will exchange it for a new/different one. I have had this one for 5 months so I’m not sure how it’s going to work out. If nothing else I can go in there with mine and A/B it with another F-50 through one of the PA’s there and prove to myself I’m not nuts.

Thanks everyone,

Mike

[Canuck_22]

ok so i have a few quetions about the mesa f-30 for you guyz. i think some of my tubes are on their last legs ( even though it has only been a few months since i bought it). i believe it is the power tubes :confused: because there is sometimes some 'crackling' and 'popping' sounds. i have also noticed that i have to turn the master volume up more than when i first had it to get the same level of sound ( or i'm starting to lose my hearing:( ). so here are my few questions.

1. what are all the tubes called ( el-84? and 12ax7 something i don't know)
2. should i replace just the power tubes or should i replace them all.
3. are there any prefured tubes manufacures out there (assuming there a different kinds i can use) . if so what is the sound outcome for each tube.
***4***. can i replace the tubes myself? i have never done anythign like this, if so How?? could i screw my amp up??... or should i take it into a shop.*****

thx guys ( focus on #4 plz)

[eSoTeRiK]

That definitely sounds like it could be a tube problem. Although, if there is popping sounds, it sounds like it might be a bad preamp tube.

Maybe try replacing the preamp tubes first. If you don't have a spare preamp tube lying around, you can go pick up a new one (they're cheaper than power tubes) and try switching it out with each preamp tube to see if the problem goes away. If it does, you've found the bad tube.

If that doesn't work, then try swapping out the power tubes.

Yes, the power tubes are EL-84's and preamp tubes 12AX7.

I can't comment on different tube manufacturers as I have only had my F-50 for a few weeks, I have not experimented yet.

You can definitely replace tubes yourself. It is dead easy. The preamp tubes are a little harder to reach than the power tubes; you may want to take the chassis out of the cabinet. I have heard people have found it's easier to turn the amp upside down to get at the tubes.

The preamp tubes have a metal shield around them; this is to prevent RF interference. Turn the tube shield counter-clockwise and then pull it, it should come right off.

To remove the tube, just gently rock it back and forth in the socket while pulling on it. Should come out no problem. Just reverse these steps when replacing one.

:) Let me know if you need any more help. :cool:

[Rodimus Prime]

yeah, both of you guys. EL84's are known to have issues of rattling and stuff. Doesn't necessarily mean they're old, or shot but there is a lot if vibration that comes from the amp that rattles the EL84's. Get JJ's or TAD's to replace them. And yes you can replace them yourself without harming your amp. If you can change a light bulb you can change a pre/power amp tube

[hal9000]

I'm dropping 13.5 lbs off my F-100 2x12 combo with a new 16 Ohm set of these:

http://professional.celestion.com/guitar/products/speakers/g12_century_vintage.jpg

They're voiced like a V30, but with more bass, smoother highs, and less of a mid-hump. They also only weigh 3.65 lbs a piece compared to the 10.4 lb Mesa V30s in there now.

It'll take a week or so for the turn around of delivery and install, but I'm hoping for a slight tonal improvement.

It's funny, because the weight (81 lbs.) doesn't really bother me, but I'm always a fan of making everything as efficient as possible. Now, my F-100 will weigh 67.5 lbs or roughly 17% lighter.

[Rodimus Prime]

i hope that works out for you. :thu:

Personally, bigger bass, smoother highs and less mids doesn't sound like what i would want my amp to have.

[hal9000]

Originally posted by Rodimus Prime
i hope that works out for you. :thu:

Personally, bigger bass, smoother highs and less mids doesn't sound like what i would want my amp to have. Well, that's in comparison to a regular V30. So, compared to other speakers, it's still got lots of mids.

The Century Vintage uses all the soft parts from the V30, but with the Neo magnet. I've heard it described as a tighter V30 with less of a mid spike. :)

[Rodimus Prime]

i hear good things about the neo magnet

[hinrich]

Originally posted by Canuck_22
ok so i have a few quetions about the mesa f-30 for you guyz. i think some of my tubes are on their last legs ( even though it has only been a few months since i bought it). i believe it is the power tubes :confused: because there is sometimes some 'crackling' and 'popping' sounds. i have also noticed that i have to turn the master volume up more than when i first had it to get the same level of sound ( or i'm starting to lose my hearing:( ). so here are my few questions.

1. what are all the tubes called ( el-84? and 12ax7 something i don't know)
2. should i replace just the power tubes or should i replace them all.
3. are there any prefured tubes manufacures out there (assuming there a different kinds i can use) . if so what is the sound outcome for each tube.
***4***. can i replace the tubes myself? i have never done anythign like this, if so How?? could i screw my amp up??... or should i take it into a shop.*****

thx guys ( focus on #4 plz)

Yeah about 7 months after I got my F-30, I was getting soft crackling and hissing. I replaced the rear right tube (the toughest one to replace) and that solved the problem.

[hinrich]

Originally posted by hal9000
Well, that's in comparison to a regular V30. So, compared to other speakers, it's still got lots of mids.

The Century Vintage uses all the soft parts from the V30, but with the Neo magnet. I've heard it described as a tighter V30 with less of a mid spike. :)

Do you think replacing the speaker in teh combo with one of these will reduce the mid spike or are you guys talking about cabinets?

[Blittzkrieg]

Finally got a recording of my f-30! It's with a crappy computer mic tho, no mixing, jsut straight into the recording program:

http://www.mp3lizard.com/download.cfm?id=22492

[Ogi-wan]

Hal,

"Before" and "After" recordings would be terrific. Have you already sent in your amp? Is it too late to do a "Before" recording? I'm sure many would love to hear the differences between the speakers.

[hal9000]

Originally posted by hinrich


Do you think replacing the speaker in teh combo with one of these will reduce the mid spike or are you guys talking about cabinets? It's a speaker, and according to the reviews I've heard it should reduce the V30's mid spike. A lot of people have said that the Century Vintage has all the qualities they like about the V30, but none of the bad ones.

Of course, I won't be able to tell for sure until I do the mod. I'll make sure to keep you guys informed.

[hal9000]

Originally posted by Blittzkrieg
Finally got a recording of my f-30! It's with a crappy computer mic tho, no mixing, jsut straight into the recording program:

http://www.mp3lizard.com/download.cfm?id=22492 That sounds really good, and I especially like the reverb tone you captured. :)

Maybe we can persuade you to get some good recording gear so you can wow us with some studio-quality tones.

[hal9000]

Originally posted by Ogi-wan
Hal,

"Before" and "After" recordings would be terrific. Have you already sent in your amp? Is it too late to do a "Before" recording? I'm sure many would love to hear the differences between the speakers. I'm going to change the speakers myself, so it's not too late. However, I'm still going to run my amp with a 2x12 V30 cab so I can record both a V30 and CV at the same time and pan them hard left/right. I guess there isn't any scientific way to really compare speakers when recording, so I suppose it's best to adjust the mic for the best tone on each speaker.

If you guys have any suggestions as to how to go about making the fairest comparison, I'm all ears.

[Natek]

FINALLY I got my first clean clip of my F-50 onto my computer!

Hah, and i know, I'm very well aware most of you are light years ahead of my playing. The lead track was completely improvised so from 1:15 to 1:30, the lead is very "unsure" and trust me, I know there are plenty of flat notes in the first half of the lead. But since this is a completely raw track, everything will be fixed.

Now that thats outa the way , i simply wanted to hopefully give people who are interested in the F-50 a chance to hear the cleans. I used the Piezo option on my EBMM JP guitar and went through a G-major and the clean (pull bright pushed in) channel on my F-50. Also, a open back 2x12 V30 cab was used.

http://www.verzend.be/v/4218940/River_Road.mp3.html

edit: i gotta say that the recording still doesn't do justice to what the cleans really sound like

[mrfreeze]

Originally posted by Natek
FINALLY I got my first clean clip of my F-50 onto my computer!

Hah, and i know, I'm very well aware most of you are light years ahead of my playing. The lead track was completely improvised so from 1:15 to 1:30, the lead is very "unsure" and trust me, I know there are plenty of flat notes in the first half of the lead. But since this is a completely raw track, everything will be fixed.

Now that thats outa the way , i simply wanted to hopefully give people who are interested in the F-50 a chance to hear the cleans. I used the Piezo option on my EBMM JP guitar and went through a G-major and the clean (pull bright pushed in) channel on my F-50. Also, a open back 2x12 V30 cab was used.

http://www.verzend.be/v/4218940/River_Road.mp3.html

edit: i gotta say that the recording still doesn't do justice to what the cleans really sound like



Senor Modesto your clip is good. I liked it anyways:thu:
i've only listened to it about a bazillion times:p

mrfreeze

[Rodimus Prime]

hey, i have a question for you guys.
My F50's on its way. i'm so excited. I plan on plugging it into the avatar 2x12 V30 special thats rated at 8ohms. I've noticed that the speaker output from the mesa is 4ohms.

Will i have any problems or sill something blow sooner or later?

[hal9000]

Originally posted by Rodimus Prime
hey, i have a question for you guys.
My F50's on its way. i'm so excited. I plan on plugging it into the avatar 2x12 V30 special thats rated at 8ohms. I've noticed that the speaker output from the mesa is 4ohms.

Will i have any problems or sill something blow sooner or later? The F-50 has one output at 8 Ohms and two @ 4 Ohms. 8 Ohm cab = 8 Ohm jack.

[jds22]

I've got an Avatar 212 also loaded with Emi Tonespotters, supposed to be a G1265 clone.

Any idea how the F50 would sound with those speakers?

I'm really considering one of these amps.

Just not sure about the speakers in my current cab.

[Rodimus Prime]

Originally posted by Natek
FINALLY I got my first clean clip of my F-50 onto my computer!

Hah, and i know, I'm very well aware most of you are light years ahead of my playing. The lead track was completely improvised so from 1:15 to 1:30, the lead is very "unsure" and trust me, I know there are plenty of flat notes in the first half of the lead. But since this is a completely raw track, everything will be fixed.

Now that thats outa the way , i simply wanted to hopefully give people who are interested in the F-50 a chance to hear the cleans. I used the Piezo option on my EBMM JP guitar and went through a G-major and the clean (pull bright pushed in) channel on my F-50. Also, a open back 2x12 V30 cab was used.

http://www.verzend.be/v/4218940/River_Road.mp3.html

edit: i gotta say that the recording still doesn't do justice to what the cleans really sound like

"excuse me mrs. busybody..."

sounds good. Not much a fan of the piezo but the clean on the amp is very nice and your playing is as well

[Rodimus Prime]

Originally posted by hal9000
The F-50 has one output at 8 Ohms and two @ 4 Ohms. 8 Ohm cab = 8 Ohm jack.

what would happen, though, if i were to use the 4ohm output for the speaker cab? would something blow. I know there's some leeway of compatibility, like there doesn't have to be an exact match especially with a low watt rating of 50.

I should talk to my sound guy i guess

[hal9000]

Originally posted by Rodimus Prime


what would happen, though, if i were to use the 4ohm output for the speaker cab? would something blow. I know there's some leeway of compatibility, like there doesn't have to be an exact match especially with a low watt rating of 50.

I should talk to my sound guy i guess Perhaps I'm missing something, but why would you want to use the 4 Ohm output for an 8 Ohm cab, if the 8 Ohm jack is available?

If you mismatch one step (8 down to 4) nothing bad will happen because Mesas are overbuilt. The tone will be darker and you'll have less clean headroom, but not much. The tubes will also wear faster.

[Rodimus Prime]

i'd want to use the 4ohm because if i used the 8 ohm wouldn't i have to unplug the onboard speaker? or do i just not have a clue?

[Natek]

Originally posted by Rodimus Prime


"excuse me mrs. busybody..."

sounds good. Not much a fan of the piezo but the clean on the amp is very nice and your playing is as well

haha, you got it! Actaully i learned that song a LONG time ago and as you can see, i basically forgot most of it accept the basic chords and improvised off of it. And thanks for the comment!

[hal9000]

Originally posted by Rodimus Prime
i'd want to use the 4ohm because if i used the 8 ohm wouldn't i have to unplug the onboard speaker? or do i just not have a clue? LOL! You didn't specify it was a combo, so I gave you the standard line about matching impedance.

You're in luck, since I do the exact same thing with my Avatar cab. Both the combo speaker cable and Extension cab go into a 4 Ohm jack. Since 8||8 = 4 Ohms you have a matched impedance and everybody's happy. ("||" means in parallel)

Do NOT leave the combo attached to the 8 Ohm jack, and plug the cab into the 4 Ohm jack under any circumstances.

[Rodimus Prime]

cool, okay thanks for the info hal. nice graphics btw

[Lt_Core]

Originally posted by hal9000
...Do NOT leave the combo attached to the 8 Ohm jack, and plug the cab into the 4 Ohm jack under any circumstances.

So if I ever get a 212 cab, I would plug the 212 into the 4 Ohm and the combo into the other 4 Ohm, taking it out of the original 8 Ohm?

[Dann'sTheMan]

Originally posted by Lt_Core


So if I ever get a 212 cab, I would plug the 212 into the 4 Ohm and the combo into the other 4 Ohm, taking it out of the original 8 Ohm?

That's right. If you get a 2x12 cab that's rated at 8 Ohms, and if you want to use it along with your combo's speaker, simply unplug the combo speaker from the 8 Ohm socket, and plug it back into one of the 4 Ohm sockets, whilst plugging the 2x12 cab into the other 4 Ohm socket. You may then proceed to rock! :thu:

Big smiles,

Andy.

[Rodimus Prime]

oooh, cool. good to know. i didn't. I know hal was trying to explain it to me but i have a rule... i can't say "what" or "huh" more than twice.

[Lt_Core]

Originally posted by Rodimus Prime
oooh, cool. good to know. i didn't. I know hal was trying to explain it to me but i have a rule... i can't say "what" or "huh" more than twice.

LOL! :D

[Fl00]

I think I might as well get in on this and ask some questions.

I've been shopping for a Mark IV for a while. I've always been intrigued by the F-series, mainly the F-50. I played through the combo when I bought my last guitar, and I was quite impressed. I've also been quite impressed by the clips that I've heard.

My question is this: I want an amp that has a footswitchable clean (the F-50 impresses me more than the Mark IV in this aspect), crunch and lead. I like that the lead channel is more recto-inspired, but I absolutely love the Mark IV's lead. Sounding good at lower volume is also a benefit, since I can only crank it at certain times.

Speaking to people who own one (or the F-30 or F-100--if those are better for me, speak up), is the F-50 for me? Also keep in mind I like my gain non-woofy.

I could get the F-50 for quite a considerable amount cheaper, and locally to boot. Help me in my decision, please. :)

EDIT: I should probably also add that this amp will mainly be used for jazz, fusion and church stuff. I'd only like to be able to do metal (I know, probably a stretch) if possible, but I'm already fading out of that phase...

[Rodimus Prime]

how are you able to get an F50 locally for cheap in Winnipeg? Man, i'm in Sask and i had to get one shipped to me! Long & McCrap is so friggen' expensive!

[Fl00]

Originally posted by Rodimus Prime
how are you able to get an F50 locally for cheap in Winnipeg? Man, i'm in Sask and i had to get one shipped to me! Long & McCrap is so friggen' expensive!

Last time I checked it was around that price. It's used, of course.

Then again, I could be mentally blocking the actual price and made myself believe that this is the proper price... :(

In any case, I'm going to L&M today to check if it's still there.

[Rodimus Prime]

get it. you won't have any regrets

[hal9000]

Originally posted by Fl00
I think I might as well get in on this and ask some questions.

I've been shopping for a Mark IV for a while. I've always been intrigued by the F-series, mainly the F-50. I played through the combo when I bought my last guitar, and I was quite impressed. I've also been quite impressed by the clips that I've heard.

My question is this: I want an amp that has a footswitchable clean (the F-50 impresses me more than the Mark IV in this aspect), crunch and lead. I like that the lead channel is more recto-inspired, but I absolutely love the Mark IV's lead. Sounding good at lower volume is also a benefit, since I can only crank it at certain times.

Speaking to people who own one (or the F-30 or F-100--if those are better for me, speak up), is the F-50 for me? Also keep in mind I like my gain non-woofy.

I could get the F-50 for quite a considerable amount cheaper, and locally to boot. Help me in my decision, please. :)

EDIT: I should probably also add that this amp will mainly be used for jazz, fusion and church stuff. I'd only like to be able to do metal (I know, probably a stretch) if possible, but I'm already fading out of that phase... I think the F-series and F-50 in particular compares favorably with the Mark IV for similar tones. I also prefer the F-series cleans over the Mark IV for a couple of reasons, but mostly it’s just the great dynamics, deep piano-like bass and Blackface voicing. The bright switch is also nice for humbuckers or if you’re running a piezo-equipped bridge. The reverb is comparable in both, which is kind of strange since the Mark IV’s is tube-driven and the F-series is SS.

For overdrive tones, the F-50’s regular channel 2 is pretty Mark-series inspired and has some really fat and liquid solo tones on tap. In addition, with an EQ in the loop, I can get very similar and almost as tight heavy drive as my singer’s Mark IV. This channel also cleans-up beautifully by dropping the gain to around 8:30 and cranking the master. Since the overdrive is based on a Tweed Bassman, you can get really nice woody clean tones as Dann’sTheMan has demonstrated in his sig.

For heavy tones, I like the contour channel as it engages the Boogie graphic EQ “V” just like a Mark IV, but it’s not as drastic as a full mid cut.

Low volume with the F-series isn’t a problem since the master is very good. If you’re not using the loop, I have a simple trick in my sig called “FX Loop Master Volume” that will give you a final master after both channels just like the Recto and Mark series have.

Since my rig is based around a G-Major, I have full control over all three modes independently so I use it as a three channel amp. Essentially, I just reduce the Contour channel’s level by about 3 dB to equalize it with Channel 2. Then, I get solo boosts simply by changing patch volume. In this way, I actually prefer the 2-channel 3-mode setup on the F-series compared to the real 3-channel setup on the Mark IV. While R2 can be sweet on its own, I’ve not gotten along with it as well when I need clean too.

Mark Series Strengths: I think the Mark IV is a fantastic amp that can play in any genre of music and not just get by, but bust out tone with authority. It also has a great low volume capability with all its power switching and master volumes. The lead channel when properly dialed is about as tight an amp as you’ll find. The F-series isn’t as tight, although it’s no slouch. I can play Master of Puppets no problem in my setup for example.

So, to summarize IMO, the F-series has better cleans, equally liquid and fat solo tones, and less built-in live capability. But, it’s easy to dial-in and get back to “home base” as it were. Both the F-series and Mark IV has good low volume performance and with my simple mod or something in the loop, their equal. The Mark IV is tighter and if you’re into old school Metallica, really performs excellently. I used to want a Mark IV since it’s my second favorite Mesa, but after playing with my singer’s side-by-side to my F-100, I can’t justify the purchase since they’re so similar.

I have audition settings that are printable with blanks in my sig for the F-series. If you try out a Mark IV, try out these settings:

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y34/afraiddave/hal9000MarkIVSettingsGainfreakRevB.jpg

BTW, I’ve modified mine a bit since I got it, and it’s going to get a new set of speakers (Celestion Century Vintage) next week which should be fun:

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y34/afraiddave/F-100%20Cosmetic%20Mod/F-100Finishedobliqueright.jpg

[Rodimus Prime]

DANG!!!!!! that is one PRETTY AMP!!!! did you do that or did it come like that? Thats something i'll definately look into doing. whew!!

[Rodimus Prime]

where did you get the materials for the wonderful wonderful lovely cosmetic job. omg!!!! thats so hot.

[hal9000]

Originally posted by Rodimus Prime
DANG!!!!!! that is one PRETTY AMP!!!! did you do that or did it come like that? Thats something i'll definately look into doing. whew!!

where did you get the materials for the wonderful wonderful lovely cosmetic job. omg!!!! thats so hot. Thanks. All your answers are in this thread: http://acapella.harmony-central.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=1182222

I always liked the combination of black and tan, so I found what I needed and braved the unknown. This kind of mod is also a great way to calm the GAS when you're really just looking for a simple upgrade.

[hinrich]

Hal

Nice job on the cosmetic mod! Quick dumb question, does changing the grill cloth screw up the warranty?

Mike

[hinrich]

Hal

Nice job on the cosmetic mod! Quick dumb question, does changing the grill cloth screw up the warranty?

Mike

[Fl00]

Well, I just got back from playing the F-30. The used F-50 wasn't there, but the F-30 was sitting in the cute-as-a-button short head, so I plugged it in for about 15 minutes.

The clean is great, no question of a doubt. I was using a Les Paul Studio (since both my mains are mahogany-based) and just couldn't dial the woofyness out until I switched on the contour. This sounded awesome and I have no complain. The master was at 8:30-ish, so that may or may not have something to do with it.

All in all, I'd probably have to try the F-50 before I gather too much opinion on it. Hopefully it will be better.

[hal9000]

Originally posted by hinrich
Hal

Nice job on the cosmetic mod! Quick dumb question, does changing the grill cloth screw up the warranty?

Mike Thanks.

I'm not sure about the warranty, but you certainly can't make a case that the electronics were modified. Whenever I've talked to Mesa about anything, they've always been very helpful, so I think we can count on them to do the right thing. Besides, I could simply order a new grill from them to replace my custom should the need arise. IIRC, the grill costs $250.

The tan jute grill is Mesa standard grill cloth that I ordered through www.vibroworld.com. You can't get them to do the knobs or piping though.

[hal9000]

Originally posted by Fl00
Well, I just got back from playing the F-30. The used F-50 wasn't there, but the F-30 was sitting in the cute-as-a-button short head, so I plugged it in for about 15 minutes.

The clean is great, no question of a doubt. I was using a Les Paul Studio (since both my mains are mahogany-based) and just couldn't dial the woofyness out until I switched on the contour. This sounded awesome and I have no complain. The master was at 8:30-ish, so that may or may not have something to do with it.

All in all, I'd probably have to try the F-50 before I gather too much opinion on it. Hopefully it will be better. Yeah, the master needs to be at least to 9:00 for an audition, and I would recommend 10:00 if they'll let you. The regular overdrive channel shouldn't be woofy with some volume, provided we have the same definition of the word. :)

[jds22]

Anybody have an idea on how one of the F-50 heads would sound with a Celestion G1265 type speaker? I say G1265 type because I'm using an Avatar 212 with Eminence Tonespotters which are supposed to be similar to Celestion's G1265.

To my ears the tonespotters seem to be kind of loose on the low end with smooth highs. I'm wondering if that might not be a good match for the F-50.

Also most of my playing will be at lower, in house volumes.


Thanks,
Jerry

[Surfcaster]

Originally posted by Fl00
Well, I just got back from playing the F-30. The used F-50 wasn't there, but the F-30 was sitting in the cute-as-a-button short head, so I plugged it in for about 15 minutes.

The clean is great, no question of a doubt. I was using a Les Paul Studio (since both my mains are mahogany-based) and just couldn't dial the woofyness out until I switched on the contour. This sounded awesome and I have no complain. The master was at 8:30-ish, so that may or may not have something to do with it.

All in all, I'd probably have to try the F-50 before I gather too much opinion on it. Hopefully it will be better.

Personally I pretty much always have the contour switched on...in fact, if it weren't for the contour switch, I probably wouldn't have purchased the amp as the lead channel without it is only "OK" IMHO, and not great. But with the contour it simply rocks. The only time I'm not using the contour is at really low gain levels...even then it's rare.

But Hal is right, the amp really comes into it's own at 9:00 or higher and looses some of that flubbyness.

Also, if you played a head, what kind of speakers were you using. While I like the Black Shadows overall, they don't have the tightest low end. I've got a 2x12 cab with a G12H30 and a V30 in it and I get a much deeper and tighter low end with that cab (that sounds really cool!!:thu:)...though there is a tradeoff in that the H30 has a lot more high end and it emphasizes the fizzy top end much more than the Black Shadow...though again with enough volume it blends in pretty nicely.

[Fl00]

I have a Mesa 2x12 Recto cab with V30's in it at home, but had it plugged into a Soldano 4x12 cab of some sort, not sure what speakers were in it though.

I may have to go back and try the F-50 (as opposed to the F-30) with a 2x12 V30 cab.

[barneyc4]

The F-50 is my first tube amp. I noticed that when idle (nothing connected to the amp) and the master volume at gig level volume, the hissing is louder than in most solid state amps. No crackling noise or anything, just simple hiss. Is it supposed to be like this?

The amp has always been like this, since new. Im just double checking hehe.
I also slightly tapped the tubes and NO noise or crackling sounds.

How do you handle the hiss when recording?

im new at tube amps.

[PJohn]

Originally posted by barneyc4
The F-50 is my first tube amp. I noticed that when idle (nothing connected to the amp) and the master volume at gig level volume, the hissing is louder than in most solid state amps. No crackling noise or anything, just simple hiss. Is it supposed to be like this?

The amp has always been like this, since new. Im just double checking hehe.
I also slightly tapped the tubes and NO noise or crackling sounds.

How do you handle the hiss when recording?

im new at tube amps.

I'm in the same situation as you in terms of the F-30 being my first tube amp, I just bought one last week. Mine also seems to make a lot of hissing noise at volumes past about 8 or 9 o'clock, even with the volume of the guitar rolled all the way off. With the guitar volume on it's even worse, especially with my second guitar which has active EMG's.

Like you I've tapped all the tubes and heard no noticeable noise. So, same question as above really, is this amount of noise normal for the F series? It's worth noting that the noise is present, though not as bad, on the clean channel as well as the dirty.

[barneyc4]

Yeah, my clean channel isn't as bad. Its the dirty channel.

Andy? Help us out.

[Adam Poland]

My dirty channel hisses a hell of a lot less after I took out my JJ High Gain set and put in a more better, toneful tube arrangement.

Are the tubes in there right now the original tubes?

When I had my original ones that came with the amp, I noticed a slight hiss, but with the gain lowered, I didn't notice it as much.

[barneyc4]

Yes, both tubes in my F-50 are original stock and I also tried the demo channel settings mesa recommends.

[Ogi-wan]

The F-30 is my first tube amp, also. I've called Mesa about the hiss, and they said that it is normal for a high gain amp such as the F-30. The man I spoke with suggested replacing the first pre-amp tube with a 12AT7 and thought that this might quiet the hiss down a little.

[barneyc4]

Did you replace them? or are you just dealing with the hiss?
If this is the way F-series are, then I might as well deal with the hiss.

[eSoTeRiK]

Originally posted by barneyc4
Did you replace them? or are you just dealing with the hiss?
If this is the way F-series are, then I might as well deal with the hiss.

This is the nature of a high-gain amplifier. FWIW, the F series has some of the lowest hiss I've ever heard from a hi-gainer.

Ever played a 5150? Man those things hiss like a bag full of rabid cats when you're not playing. But you get used to it.

If it really bothers you, you might look into some kind of a noise gate.

[Dann'sTheMan]

Originally posted by barneyc4
Yeah, my clean channel isn't as bad. Its the dirty channel.

Andy? Help us out.

Hi barneyc4,

The F-series reuses a particularly sensitive front end, which is certainly a factor in its wonderfully touch sensitive response, however you should be aware that its earlier incarnations were notoriously noisy - check out the interview with Randall Smith here (http://www.mesaboogie.com/Reviews/guitarist-F-50/Designing_f-50.htm).

So with the F-series, Randall Smith has found a way to keep the noise levels down , so it shouldn't be particularly high, but it may be higher than some other tube designs. Like all tube designs, the noise floor is affected by the particular tubes that are being used (and individual tubes from any brand, including Mesa, can be noisy). Many brothers have reported noise problems improving following a tube change.

I'd suggest that this might be a good route forward - perhaps you can take your F-50 to a tube shop and experiment with some different tubes in the preamp. Alternatively, you can try swapping the order of the tubes in V1 through to V4, and see if the noise issue improves.

I should also say that my F-50 is a little noisy, but it hasn't been enough of an issue to get in the way of recording or live work. I have a noise gate on my G-major, but I don't regularly use it. :p

Big smiles,

Andy.

[boonhogganbeck]

Originally posted by jds22
Anybody have an idea on how one of the F-50 heads would sound with a Celestion G1265 type speaker? I say G1265 type because I'm using an Avatar 212 with Eminence Tonespotters which are supposed to be similar to Celestion's G1265.

To my ears the tonespotters seem to be kind of loose on the low end with smooth highs. I'm wondering if that might not be a good match for the F-50.

Also most of my playing will be at lower, in house volumes.


Thanks,
Jerry

I've got a Tonespotter in my F-50 right now. I like it. It is looser than the C90, but I think it sounds nice and warm. I like it.

[stheeg]

ok, so i recieved and tried my 2 new hellatone 60s. and i have to say thanks to hal for bringing these speakers to my attention.
i have 2 2x12s. i replaced 2 of my 4 celestion 12m70s and im extremely pleased. the 2 new hellatone 60s sound incredibly warm top to bottom. they are rich and articulate and beautifully balanced. after using the two different 2x12s together, i compared them side by side. (one cab has 2 hellatone 60s and the other with the 2 celestion 12m70s). my old celestions suddenly sounded harsh next to the hellatones. the hellatones were well balanced and seemed to have a pretty full and tight low end...even though these two were in the top cabinet.
i wonder how the 60Ls compare to the 60s. im gonna replace the 2 old celestions, so i may try for two 60Ls.
anyway, yaeh the hellatone 60s sound friggin sweet. thanks again!!

[Surfcaster]

Well, I made a couple more clips over the weekend...I think these are the best quality clips I've recorded from my F50 yet, which I attribute mostly to spending some time and trials on mic placement. Follow the link to my Soundclick page and the F50 clips are the 4th and 6th from the top called "F50 vs Crunch Box 1a (F50)" and "F50 vs Crunch Box 2a (F50)"

I was actually comparing the F50's distortion to an MI Audio Crunch Box I got a couple months ago. Settings are: Lead Channel, Contour engaged, Gain - 11:00, Treble 1:00, Mids 3:00, Bass 10:30, Master 9:00+, Reverb 9:30.

The first three clips on the page are demoing the Crunch Box through the F50's clean channel by request of a guy on another forum. I'm really very happy with the pedal and feel it complements the F50 very nicely.

Here's the link:

Soundclick (http://www.soundclick.com/bands/pagemusic.cfm?bandID=381358)

[barneyc4]

Do any of you get any popping noises when switching channels with the footswitch? Also from high gain to contour?

[Adam Poland]

Yeah I've noticed it really bad when we play shows. It gets really really loud and then quiet as soon as you switch from Contour to Clean.

I was actually going to ask the same question before you said something.

[barneyc4]

adam, are you talking about the popping?

[barneyc4]

Do any of you get any popping noises when switching channels with the footswitch? Also from high gain to contour?

[TheBoogieMan]

Proud new owner of an F-30. First post here. I've been reading this thread for a few days now. Great info!
I've been playing guitar since 1976 and this is hands down the best tube amp I have ever owned (or played through).
I swapped out the stock preamp tubes for some lower gain 12ay7's and the hiss mentioned a few posts up is almost completely gone. The gain knob is now usefull for the whole range of knob adjustement. I can't do the peal your face off gain stuff with these pre tubes but if I need too for recording I can just pop the 12ax7's back in.

I've only had it a week now but after two band practices I'm hooked. The biggest factor for me is how versitile this amp is. The band I'm in plays stuff from the 50's to the present. Motown, country, blues, classic rock, pop, and some heavey stuff. I thought my Peavey Classic 50 was a versitile amp until I tried the F-30.

When I bought the amp I was at my local Mesa dealer, had no intention of buying an amp that day really. I was just browsing and the fellow I know behind the counter said I really should hear these Mesa F series amps. We fired up the F-30 and I was floored. I went home packed up my Peavey classic 50 (mint condition/original owner) took it in for consignment and walked out with the F-30. I tried the F-50 as well but I've always liked the sound of EL84's and the size/portability/weight of the F-30 was also a factor. The F-30 is LOUD, as loud as the classic 50 was I'm pretty sure.

So to make a long rambling post even longer, ... great thread/forum here & Lots of knowledgable helpfull people.

I'll post again as soon as I get finished reading the rest of the thread and have spent some more quality time with the F-30.

I'm jumping back to page 100 to continue my reading.
:)

PS. I can't believe no one registered as TheBoogieMan yet!

(edited to correct 1 million spelling errors)

[Dann'sTheMan]

Originally posted by stheeg
ok, so i recieved and tried my 2 new hellatone 60s. and i have to say thanks to hal for bringing these speakers to my attention.
i have 2 2x12s. i replaced 2 of my 4 celestion 12m70s and im extremely pleased. the 2 new hellatone 60s sound incredibly warm top to bottom. they are rich and articulate and beautifully balanced. after using the two different 2x12s together, i compared them side by side. (one cab has 2 hellatone 60s and the other with the 2 celestion 12m70s). my old celestions suddenly sounded harsh next to the hellatones. the hellatones were well balanced and seemed to have a pretty full and tight low end...even though these two were in the top cabinet.
i wonder how the 60Ls compare to the 60s. im gonna replace the 2 old celestions, so i may try for two 60Ls.
anyway, yaeh the hellatone 60s sound friggin sweet. thanks again!!

Cool info! :thu:

Big smiles,

Andy.

[Dann'sTheMan]

Originally posted by Surfcaster
Well, I made a couple more clips over the weekend...I think these are the best quality clips I've recorded from my F50 yet, which I attribute mostly to spending some time and trials on mic placement. Follow the link to my Soundclick page and the F50 clips are the 4th and 6th from the top called "F50 vs Crunch Box 1a (F50)" and "F50 vs Crunch Box 2a (F50)"

I was actually comparing the F50's distortion to an MI Audio Crunch Box I got a couple months ago. Settings are: Lead Channel, Contour engaged, Gain - 11:00, Treble 1:00, Mids 3:00, Bass 10:30, Master 9:00+, Reverb 9:30.

The first three clips on the page are demoing the Crunch Box through the F50's clean channel by request of a guy on another forum. I'm really very happy with the pedal and feel it complements the F50 very nicely.

Here's the link:

Soundclick (http://www.soundclick.com/bands/pagemusic.cfm?bandID=381358)

Hi Surfcaster,

I agree, the recordings sound sweet. :thu: Have you tried running your Crunch Box on the Mesa's Lead channel (gain at 9.00 o'clock for cleanish voicing)? If you can get away with it, try running the Master volume at 1.00 or more as well. No idea how well it will work with your stomp box, but I have a lot of fun boosting my F-50 in this way. :)

Big smiles,

Andy.

[Dann'sTheMan]

Originally posted by barneyc4
Do any of you get any popping noises when switching channels with the footswitch? Also from high gain to contour?

Hi barneyc4,

I've noticed some of the brotherhood noting that they sometimes get a pop the first time they footswitch channels after switching on, but it's fine after that.

If you're getting it all the time, it may be worth checking whether you have any tubes that are going microphonic, and are consequently picking up the switching of the relays,

Big smiles,

Andy.

[Dann'sTheMan]

Originally posted by TheBoogieMan
Proud new owner of an F-30. First post here. I've been reading this thread for a few days now. Great info!
I've been playing guitar since 1976 and this is hands down the best tube amp I have ever owned (or played through).
I swapped out the stock preamp tubes for some lower gain 12ay7's and the hiss mentioned a few posts up is almost completely gone. The gain knob is now usefull for the whole range of knob adjustement. I can't do the peal your face off gain stuff with these pre tubes but if I need too for recording I can just pop the 12ax7's back in.

I've only had it a week now but after two band practices I'm hooked. The biggest factor for me is how versitile this amp is. The band I'm in plays stuff from the 50's to the present. Motown, country, blues, classic rock, pop, and some heavey stuff. I thought my Peavey Classic 50 was a versitile amp until I tried the F-30.

When I bought the amp I was at my local Mesa dealer, had no intention of buying an amp that day really. I was just browsing and the fellow I know behind the counter said I really should hear these Mesa F series amps. We fired up the F-30 and I was floored. I went home packed up my Peavey classic 50 (mint condition/original owner) took it in for consignment and walked out with the F-30. I tried the F-50 as well but I've always liked the sound of EL84's and the size/portability/weight of the F-30 was also a factor. The F-30 is LOUD, as loud as the classic 50 was I'm pretty sure.

So to make a long rambling post even longer, ... great thread/forum here & Lots of knowledgable helpfull people.

I'll post again as soon as I get finished reading the rest of the thread and have spent some more quality time with the F-30.

I'm jumping back to page 100 to continue my reading.
:)

PS. I can't believe no one registered as TheBoogieMan yet!

(edited to correct 1 million spelling errors)

Hi TheBoogieMan,

Cool user name, and welcome to both HCAF and the F-series Lounge and brotherhood. I hope you have as much fun here as me, and it sounds as if your new F-30 is rocking your world.

I'm thrilled it's proving a good replacement for your Classic 50 (an amp that gets major props from me - not least because my guitar hero Dann Huff used to use one in sessions). I have no doubt that you will find some good info in the Lounge - thanks for taking the time to read it.

I'm a huge fan of the F-30 combo too, and you'll read about how I was recently blown away by a F-30 combo/Thiele 1x12 rig. Be warned not to take your wallet with you if you ever try that combination! :p Welcome once again, TheBoogieMan! :)

Big smiles,

Andy.

[barneyc4]

Originally posted by Dann'sTheMan
Hi barneyc4,

I've noticed some of the brotherhood noting that they sometimes get a pop the first time they footswitch channels after switching on, but it's fine after that.

If you're getting it all the time, it may be worth checking whether you have any tubes that are going microphonic, and are consequently picking up the switching of the relays,

Big smiles,

Andy.

Andy, which tubes? Both EL6?

[Surfcaster]

Originally posted by barneyc4
Do any of you get any popping noises when switching channels with the footswitch? Also from high gain to contour?

It happens very rarely for me. Like Andy said, you might want to check your tubes if it's always happening...and that would be the preamp tubes...the 12ax7s. The best way is to swap them out one at a time to isolate the culprit tube.

[Surfcaster]

Originally posted by TheBoogieMan
Proud new owner of an F-30. First post here. I've been reading this thread for a few days now. Great info!
I've been playing guitar since 1976 and this is hands down the best tube amp I have ever owned (or played through).
I swapped out the stock preamp tubes for some lower gain 12ay7's and the hiss mentioned a few posts up is almost completely gone. The gain knob is now usefull for the whole range of knob adjustement. I can't do the peal your face off gain stuff with these pre tubes but if I need too for recording I can just pop the 12ax7's back in.

I've only had it a week now but after two band practices I'm hooked. The biggest factor for me is how versitile this amp is. The band I'm in plays stuff from the 50's to the present. Motown, country, blues, classic rock, pop, and some heavey stuff. I thought my Peavey Classic 50 was a versitile amp until I tried the F-30.

When I bought the amp I was at my local Mesa dealer, had no intention of buying an amp that day really. I was just browsing and the fellow I know behind the counter said I really should hear these Mesa F series amps. We fired up the F-30 and I was floored. I went home packed up my Peavey classic 50 (mint condition/original owner) took it in for consignment and walked out with the F-30. I tried the F-50 as well but I've always liked the sound of EL84's and the size/portability/weight of the F-30 was also a factor. The F-30 is LOUD, as loud as the classic 50 was I'm pretty sure.

So to make a long rambling post even longer, ... great thread/forum here & Lots of knowledgable helpfull people.

I'll post again as soon as I get finished reading the rest of the thread and have spent some more quality time with the F-30.

I'm jumping back to page 100 to continue my reading.
:)

PS. I can't believe no one registered as TheBoogieMan yet!

(edited to correct 1 million spelling errors)

Welcome, TheBoogieMan (which I agree is a great user name and find it hard to believe no one took yet...kudos!!).

Interesting take, to replace all the preamp amp tubes with 12ay7s. I have toyed around with replacing V1 and V2 with both a 5751 and a 12at7...specifically trying to loose some of the flubbiness in the low end. Didn't notice much difference with the 5751. There was a noticeable difference in gain level with the 12at7, so I had to turn the gain up higher to acheive the same levels as with the 12ax7s (no surprise there) and once I did the flubbiness was the same, so I just went back to the 12ax7s and bought the Crunch Box to get my tighter more Marshall-like gain sounds.

I've been wanting to see what happens if I replace both V1 and V2, just for kicks if nothing else, but haven't gotten around to it yet.

[Surfcaster]

Originally posted by Dann'sTheMan
Hi Surfcaster,

I agree, the recordings sound sweet. :thu: Have you tried running your Crunch Box on the Mesa's Lead channel (gain at 9.00 o'clock for cleanish voicing)? If you can get away with it, try running the Master volume at 1.00 or more as well. No idea how well it will work with your stomp box, but I have a lot of fun boosting my F-50 in this way. :)

Big smiles,

Andy.

Interesting idea, Andy. I'll give that a try when I get a chance....though I pretty much used up my wife's leniency for loud playing trying to get these clips this weekend. I'll either have to wait for my next day off or hold off another couple of weekends!!

[Meatbeard]

I fell in love with these amps this weekend. I want one BAAADDD!!!

Questions...
I know that the F-30 is going for around 900 new. The F-50 is about 1050 new. How much is the F-100 combo??? They didint have one where I was. The F-50 was LOUD!!! Would I really need an F-100?? Are they that much more full sounding??

[ashjn]

Originally posted by Meatbeard
I fell in love with these amps this weekend. I want one BAAADDD!!!

Questions...
I know that the F-30 is going for around 900 new. The F-50 is about 1050 new. How much is the F-100 combo??? They didint have one where I was. The F-50 was LOUD!!! Would I really need an F-100?? Are they that much more full sounding??

The F-100 does have a tad more headroom if you use it on the 100 watt setting. You really have to crank it though

[Meatbeard]

Originally posted by ashjn
The F-100 does have a tad more headroom if you use it on the 100 watt setting. You really have to crank it though

So there's not that much a of difference???
The reason I was asking is because I didnt get a chance to really crank the F-50. Im still left wondering how full it would sound with just the one speaker.

[hal9000]

Originally posted by Meatbeard
So there's not that much a of difference???
The reason I was asking is because I didnt get a chance to really crank the F-50. Im still left wondering how full it would sound with just the one speaker. It sounds very full since 1) The C90 is a good speaker, and 2) The Mesa widebody cab helps a lot.

I really enjoy my F-100 2x12 combo, but I don't need all that power. :)

BTW, the F-100 2x12 combo is $1399 new.

[Torh]

"Happy-post":
I was out playing four songs this weekend, and I tried the Marshall Mod'ed Tone setting (varying degrees of gain, though).. and the tone was soo good! Really enjoyable. I have had another setting for weeks, but I decided to give an entirely different setting a shot now, and this just confirms my amp choice. And the potential volume in this amp just amazes me! :eek: Expensive amp, but it's worth it. Cliché? Yes, but I can't help for it. ;)
I haven't been playing too much guitar this fall, so I haven't brought myself to post here alot, but I felt the need to put out a happy-post now.

[ashjn]

Originally posted by hal9000
It sounds very full since 1) The C90 is a good speaker, and 2) The Mesa widebody cab helps a lot.

I really enjoy my F-100 2x12 combo, but I don't need all that power. :)

BTW, the F-100 2x12 combo is $1399 new.

+1, The F-50 should be enough

[Surfcaster]

Originally posted by Meatbeard
So there's not that much a of difference???
The reason I was asking is because I didnt get a chance to really crank the F-50. Im still left wondering how full it would sound with just the one speaker.

I think you'll be pretty happy with the 1x12...it will not sound quite as full, this is true, but I find the difference is only subtle. Besides, you can always add a 1x12 cab later and have a mini-stack. I did that for a while and really liked it...made my own cab modeled after the 1x12 Recto cab. Of course, that's two pieces of gear to haul around, but then a 2x12 combo is a heavy beast, so two pieces may not be such a bad alternative.

[Lt_Core]

Originally posted by Torh
"Happy-post":
I was out playing four songs this weekend, and I tried the Marshall Mod'ed Tone setting (varying degrees of gain, though).. and the tone was soo good! Really enjoyable. I have had another setting for weeks, but I decided to give an entirely different setting a shot now, and this just confirms my amp choice. And the potential volume in this amp just amazes me! :eek: Expensive amp, but it's worth it. Cliché? Yes, but I can't help for it. ;)
I haven't been playing too much guitar this fall, so I haven't brought myself to post here alot, but I felt the need to put out a happy-post now.

What is the Marshall Mod'ed tone setting? Thanks!

[Meatbeard]

are there many tonal differences between the 30 and the 50???

[hal9000]

Originally posted by Lt_Core
What is the Marshall Mod'ed tone setting? Thanks! http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y34/afraiddave/hal9000AndysModedMarshallTone.jpg

[hal9000]

Originally posted by Meatbeard
are there many tonal differences between the 30 and the 50??? The preamps are identical, but the output stages are different. Since the F-30 has 2xEL-84s, it has more chime and upper mids, but less bass than the F-50's 2x6L6s. The F-30 also has less clean headroom as you would suspect since it's technically rated at 22 W RMS.

[Lt_Core]

Originally posted by hal9000
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y34/afraiddave/hal9000AndysModedMarshallTone.jpg

Oops...same thing I asked about last week via email ;) Sorry about that! I was going to try the settings this weekend during our shows but forgot the darn printout.

[Adam Poland]

It's kind of weird how I use almost the same settings as that Marshall mod tone or whatever.

I use a bit less gain, little more treble, tiny tiny bit less mids and I very in the bass area.

Sounds good and smooth and not flabby.

[Rodimus Prime]

another tube question... what is the consensus for tube replacements here?

[jcoggins7]

I just want to say that I love bringing my little F-50 into a room full of Bad Cats, Matchless, Divided by 13, Orange, Marshall, Dr. Z, and several minor boutique brand amplifiers, and completely stealing the spotlight from those amps.

[jcoggins7]

Do any of you get any popping noises when switching channels with the footswitch? Also from high gain to contour?

I just noticed that question, and my answer is yes, I experience that when switching the first time after powered on from clean to dirt, but not from dirt to contour. I think I'll try swapping the 12ax7s with some new ones I have to see if that's it, but Idk what to do.

[barneyc4]

All of the 12ax7s?

[Surfcaster]

I would just do one at a time, as it's most likely one specific tube. Buy a new tube and swap it out with V1 first (the one at the edge of the chassis...which consequently is the hardest one to get to becuase it's behind the transformer). Make sure the amp is off (all the way off, not just standby) when you're switching the tubes. Then turn the amp on and see if it makes any difference. If so, then you're done. If not, turn the amp back off, put the original tube back into V1 then move to V2, which is the next one in, turn the amp on and try it. Just keep doing that with V3 and V4 until you've either found the bad tube, or (and hopefully this doesn't happen) you've gone through all the tubes with no improvement. If that happens your best bet is to probably call Mesa Tech Support and see if they can help you.

Or you could try the power tubes. The manual says it's safe to run the amp with only one tube in for a short time, so you can pull out one power tube, switch the amp on just long enough to see if that makes a difference or not and if not turn the amp off, put the one tube back in, pull the other one out and try it again.

Actually, the manual has some good info for diagnosing tube problems...if you've not read it you might want to...it's on page 15 of the manual you can download from the Mesa website.

One thing to keep in mind when swapping out the 12ax7 tubes...when you pull the first tube out make note of how the pins are oriented...there is a gap in the pins on one side...make sure you put the replacement tube in with the same orientation (with the gap in the same position...some tube sockets are made so that you can only put them in one way, but others are not and I'm not sure what type Mesa uses. But this isn't an issue with the power tubes, they can only go in one way). Also, it can be pretty tricky to get the tubes in, especially V1 and V2 which are right behind the transformer so you have to do it by feel since you can't see back there (unless you pull the chassis out...but that's almost more trouble than its worth.) So just be patient and methodical.

[barneyc4]

Thanks surfcaster, I will try this as soon as I get my new tubes from mesa.

Which other brands do you recommend to get tubes from?

[jcoggins7]

reply to last post:

Tube Amp Doctor

[Meatbeard]

I have been reading alot of bad reviews concerning noise issues from the F-100 combos, but, the F-50 combo reviews have all been sparkling. Im sure this has allready been addressed in the 1097407244 previous replies before this ha, but, I figured I would ask if this is true or not anyway.

[Natek]

A little update about the clean clip on my F-50 (using piezo on my EB MusicMan JP) I posted earlier. I think it was a bad link so here's my Myspace page with the same track on it:

http://www.myspace.com/natek7


*Like i said earlier I know there's alotta flat notes and "unsure" lead phrasing.......and i know most of you blow my playing out of the water........but it's just an idea of the F-50's clean channel :)

Enjoy:D

[plumptone]

I'm looking for a decent quality road case for my F-50. All the major makers (Calzone, Anvil, etc.) are very expensive - like $400 or more. E-bay seems to provide alternatives. Anyone have any experience with Island Cases from E-bay? It looks like I can get a foam lined box with recessed handles and wheels for just under $200 with s+h (which is basically all I'm willing to spend right now).

What I'm looking for is a decent box to protect my unit - it's hardwood and wicker. I don't need a box that will handle the rigors of heavy touring or international airtravel - just something to prevent those inevitable dings during load in and load out, and I know from experience that the padded studio slips - although nice and good at protecting from scratches - really won't prevent dings in the wood. Some of the cases available on e-bay are clearly useless, but these seem like a decent alternative.

Any feedback would be much appreciated brothers.

[barneyc4]

Ive been looking for a case for my F-50 too. I was looking at the ebay ones but I dont know... lets wait for some answers.

[Rodimus Prime]

my F50 arrived today. i got to play it for about 30 minutes during my lunch break now i'm back at work... crap!
whata beautiful amp. the clean is simply amazing, i'll post some SRV/Mayer type blues clips soon.

the gain seems more brittle than i remember but i was playing really low. I find the eq for both dirty and contour to be quite effective. turn the gain down, treble and bass up and i have full on texas tea tone. the tubes suck, i can hear the fillament rattling even at low volumes. those are going out asap.

[hinrich]

hey everyone - I have an opportunity to get a 1 year old 2x12 Mesa Recto Cab. The guy is selling it for $350 US ($400 Canadian), do you know if that's a good deal?

[eSoTeRiK]

I'm pretty sure you can get a 2x12 recto for close to 400 CAD new?

[Fl00]

Originally posted by eSoTeRiK
I'm pretty sure you can get a 2x12 recto for close to 400 CAD new?

Mine was $650 + taxes new from L&M.

[eSoTeRiK]

Originally posted by Fl00
Mine was $650 + taxes new from L&M.

Holy crap. I thought I remembered seeing them for much less... I'm probably remembering incorrectly then. :eek:

In that case, $400 is probably a good deal.

[Rodimus Prime]

yup, its a steal! go for it!

Man, i'm totally in the honeymoon stage with my new F50 and its so sweet. I get all the tones that i've heard in my head coming out of that box, and then some. It has this deep woody character to it that i'm addicted to hearing. Its so sweet.

I'm not a picky guy, give me a good amp with good tone and i'm happy. So given that, i'm utterly exctatic right now. This amp makes my Deville seem like a toy. This is a REAL FREAKING AMP!!!!! mm :eek:

Can't wait for band practice tomorrow, so i can turn it up for an extended period of time and plug her into my 2x12 cab!

[jds22]

plug her into my 2x12 cab!

What kind of cab and what speakers?

I'm thinking about getting some different speakers for my 212 but not sure what to go with yet.

I don't have an F-50 yet but hopefully will in the next few months.

[Rodimus Prime]

avatar 2x12 closed back with celestion V30 speakers. Alot of people don't like these speakers but they are great for what i do... everything! :thu:

I'd love to check out hellatones but i don't care enough to do anything about it. Good tone and good fingers goes a long way.

[jds22]

I have an Avatar 212 also. It's got Emi Tonespotters in it, supposed to be a G1265 clone. While they are really big, warm sounding speakers I think I want the low end to be a bit tighter and the highs a bit more pronounced.

I'm anxious to hear Hal's review of his new Celestion Century's.

Thanks,
jerry

[Gtrchavo]

Originally posted by markmann
Sounds like a sweet setup, Gtrchavo. I went through a similar transformation a couple years ago from monster rack to old school rig. I now have nice small pieces that don't require roadies and a van to haul.

Anyway, I have two different pedal compressors, one is a vintage MXR Dynocomp and the other is a Barber Tone Press. The Dynocomp adds what I believe Andy refers to as a "woody" tone along with compression and the Barber is very transparent and only changes the envelope of the signal. Both are very cool but a bit different. Check both out if you get a chance.

I went for the Barber Tone Press and man it sounds great. Very transparant and musical. Thank You Markman for steering me that way.:thu:

[Gtrchavo]

Hey Hal900, I just wanted to thank you for the micing technique you posted. I tried one the other day and it sounded great. I stuck my F50 in the closet and miced it the way you showed in your graphics and I was amazed by the sound. They don't sound as great as some of the ones I have heard here but I thought it sounded great for my first try at micing at home just directly into my Roland VS2480.
Any way now I need some help on how to post some clips, so if any one can help I am all ears or eyes in this case.

[snakum]

Just picked up the F-100 head and a Recto 2x12. The owner (a former session and touring pro, now a minister) bought it a little over a year ago and gigged it a few times and it's been sitting in the church most of the year while he plays his Dr. Z and 67 Twin. The guy SMOKES a Strat, too. Awesome player. The amp looks brand new and I got it for a steal. I'm sending the warranty card in next week.

I wasn't impressed with the F-50 combo, but this guy knows how to tweak a Mesa and he had it screaming. Everything I need seems to be hiding in there. Hal9000 has sent a bunch of settings, which I'll try next week. I'm playing tonight (blues band) and tomorrow night (top forty and metal) so I'm just going to wing it.

Going to be fun. :D

[hal9000]

Originally posted by Gtrchavo
Hey Hal900, I just wanted to thank you for the micing technique you posted. I tried one the other day and it sounded great. I stuck my F50 in the closet and miced it the way you showed in your graphics and I was amazed by the sound. They don't sound as great as some of the ones I have heard here but I thought it sounded great for my first try at micing at home just directly into my Roland VS2480.
Any way now I need some help on how to post some clips, so if any one can help I am all ears or eyes in this case. I'm glad I could help. Which method did you use?

As far as getting good recorded sounds, that's an art in and of itself. I think you'll find that as time goes on, you'll be able to position a mic to where you need it quickly, and the recording process will be easier.

[jds22]

I spent some time today with an F-50 combo and my PRS CE22. I really liked it. My first impression is that I will spend more time with the contour engaged than not.

I'm still going to wait to hear the new Marshalls but if I had to buy today it would be the F50.

Your most likely new member,
Jerry

[Rodimus Prime]

wait till you are able to turn the regular gain channel up to about 4, then you will see that you will have to make a dificult decision between with contour and without ;)
its nice to have too many options of good tone

[Tonestack]

Originally posted by JeffB
Curious if anyone has run a MESA bottle Rocket into an F-series amp?

I don't use channel 2 by itself, instead preferring CH2+Contour with the gain backed off as my crunch sound, so I'm looking for a lead bost. I don't really care for the sound of my TS or SOD with it since it makes the amp take on a more british character, so I thought the Bottle Rocket may be a good idea to keep it sounding "mesa-ish"

Anyone?

Roll the guitar volume down to get your crunch sound instead of backing off on the gain. If you roll the guitar volume knob down to between 3 and 6, you can roll it up to 10 for solos. IMHO, a rolled-down guitar sounds better for rhythm work, it melts into the band better.

[hal9000]

Originally posted by Tonestack
Roll the guitar volume down to get your crunch sound instead of backing off on the gain. If you roll the guitar volume knob down to between 3 and 6, you can roll it up to 10 for solos. IMHO, a rolled-down guitar sounds better for rhythm work, it melts into the band better. I'd just like to add that I run my amp with the gain around 10:00 for my crunch sounds and use a clean boost to get up to metal territory.

[Tonestack]

Originally posted by hal9000
I'd just like to add that I run my amp with the gain around 10:00 for my crunch sounds and use a clean boost to get up to metal territory.

That basically accomplishes the same thing, but requires an additional pedal. Using guitar volume to control amp volume and distortion is a time honored technique that originated in the days of single channel amps. Heck, I only use the drive channel on the F-50 to play clean and overdriven sounds. If I want clean, I roll the guitar volume down to 2. One can milk a thousand shades of distortion out of the F-50 just through judicious use of guitar volume and picking dynamics.

[UsrName]

Originally posted by hal9000
I'd just like to add that I run my amp with the gain around 10:00 for my crunch sounds and use a clean boost to get up to metal territory.

Former F-30 user here. I recently sold the F-30 in favor of a Mark IV, mainly for the sake of versatility. It's a great amp and I'm still fiddling with it. Anyway, I went to my local shop today and plugged into an F-50 head through a 212 recto cab and I fell in love with the tone all over again. However, I still could not get the metal tone I was after. The tone was a little too "round" if you know what I mean. I had the bass at 0, the mid at 9:00 and the gain and treble at 1:00 with the master at 9:00.

My question is: Can I use a boost or overdrive pedal to get it to sound the way I want it too, i.e. take out the "roundness"?

Let me know if you don't understand what I'm talking about.

[cacheek]

Well, after much debating, I'm letting these two amps go. If any is interested, please let me know. It's sorta' spam, but I know people on this forum might be interested. Pm if you are. The Maverick is in excellent shape aside from handle wear and the F100 is 9.5/10 plus has new power tubes. By the way, I am willing work a deal if you have any of the following:

Laney TT50 or TT100 Head (really want one of these)
Crate V30H
Traynor Custom Valve 80 (2x12 or 4x10)

A friend of mine also has a few things for sell or trade:

Fender Concert Reverb 4x10 - 10/10
Peavey Wolfgang Special, black, very little fretwear - 9.5/10 (has case)
Peavey Classic 2x12, black tweed, footswitch - 10/10

[Natek]

Okay okay, so this pic is to give you light-hearted out there a couple chuckles

I had an assignment in Graphic Apps to make the most realistic magzine cover from scratch that we could and I had NO idea what to do. So, I slapped myself beside Andy Timmons, added some rediculous articles, and called it good. Gotta love photoshop :D

http://img270.imageshack.us/img270/1268/1vh5.jpg

[TheBoogieMan]

".........." - Myung

I love It!:D

[Rodimus Prime]

hey guys. So i took the back off of my amp just to see inside it a bit, though i'm too afraid to sneak a peak at its guts for fear that i would break something... you're talking to a guy who has to take all his clothes off and stand on wooden floors to change ram.
I notice that there is a screw that sticks waaay out. Its right behind the 6l6's. Is this normal or is it supposed to screw in all the way. I would assume, yes it is, but it doesn't seem to go any further and i don't want to force it for fear that i would have to take my clothes off and look at its guts.
Also, what is that bag all about? does anyone use it?
beautiful amp. so much better than my deville!

[UsrName]

Originally posted by Rodimus Prime
I notice that there is a screw that sticks waaay out. Its right behind the 6l6's. Is this normal or is it supposed to screw in all the way. I would assume, yes it is, but it doesn't seem to go any further and i don't want to force it for fear that i would have to take my clothes off and look at its guts.


Not quite sure why it's there, but I had the same screw on my F-30. I think it's there to help stabilize vibration. :confused:

[Roosevelt]

Originally posted by UsrName
Not quite sure why it's there, but I had the same screw on my F-30. I think it's there to help stabilize vibration. :confused:


I'm pretty sure that it is a grounding screw. All the F-Series have them, I dunno if my Rectoverb does or not. :)

[hal9000]

http://acapella.harmony-central.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=1428051

Copy from the thread:

Since I rarely have all my gear in the same place, I decided to make a clip. This clip is from Corrosion of Conformity's newest disc In the Arms of God.

Clip: COC - It is that way (http://www.64graphics.com/clips/hal9000_COC_It_is_that_way_F-100_Xilisoft_%20Rev_%20B.mp3)

Here's my recording method:

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y34/afraiddave/hal9000SilenDirectRecordingtRigF-10.jpg

[Rodimus Prime]

nice stuff Hal! How come you use a hotplate for silent recording? can't you just flip the silent recording switch and crank the amp?

I just came back from my first jam sesison with the amp. wow. nice stuff. Still just getting to know her... my ears are ringing they hurt so good.
turns out for my band i like the regular gain channel as its more organic, i would say, and you can hear the guitars' natural characteristics very clearly, and its still big warm and not fuzzy. I have everything on the gain channel set roughly to 12:00 but the treble is a bit higher. I use the contour for most leads. really fluid tone, soupy and veluptious. best amp i've had to date, even better than my JCM2000 100 watt head. Still in my honeymood stage but i can see myself falling more and more in love with this amp. Need to change the tubes. I'm pretty sure my amp is a 2003 model and 3 year old tubes just doesn't cut it for me.

[Ogi-wan]

Deep Fry Butter! ROFL

Originally posted by Natek
Okay okay, so this pic is to give you light-hearted out there a couple chuckles

I had an assignment in Graphic Apps to make the most realistic magzine cover from scratch that we could and I had NO idea what to do. So, I slapped myself beside Andy Timmons, added some rediculous articles, and called it good. Gotta love photoshop :D

[Soulcrusher_X]

Just swapped my Stiletto for an F-100 to try for a while. Who knows, it might be a permanent thing if it works out. :D What kinds of pickups and speakers do you guys use? I hear these amps have a good amount of mids. I am looking for something crunchy, something similar to COC type tones. Has anyone tried Greenbacks with an F-series?

[Torh]

Originally posted by hal9000
http://acapella.harmony-central.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=1428051
Nice! Like that deep, heavy tone. :thu: Btw, I think I can hear a difference, and I'd say the last one sounds in a way more fluid and more defined, the first one is more crisp.. I don't know exactly how to describe it, so I might use wrong terms here, but.. I like the last one better. It could be my mind tricking me to believe I hear a difference, though. ;)

[rakester]

hey i'm aware a lot of you guys are using bad monkeys to boost the f series, anyone want to share the settings they use on it (preferbaly on ch2 w/contour? Thanks,:)

[snakum]

Wrung out the F-100 with my Tonker cab Friday night and again Saturday. With a Bad Monkey and my G&L I can NAIL an SRV tone with it, as well as early ZZ Top Fender sounds (Jesus Just Left Chicago) and modern hi-gain a la Stone Temple Pilots. All I'm missing is a vintage Marshal clank, and Hall9000 has given me some ideas on that already. I just haven't had time to try them.

I'm still in the honeymoon stage ... but so far ... I love it. Today I'm at home tweaking and trying stuff. The owner was correct ... there's a little bit of everything hiding in this amp. Hugely versatile.

[hal9000]

Originally posted by Rodimus Prime
nice stuff Hal! How come you use a hotplate for silent recording? can't you just flip the silent recording switch and crank the amp? <snip snippy>I use the seemingly elaborate silent rig because I don't care for the way the recording output sounds on the F-series. It's OK for practicing quietly or warm up before a show, but the signal is tapped right after the FX loop, so there is no tonal contribution for the power stage which I think is crucial. Some of the other Mesa amps have a Slave output that's tapped right off the speaker which would be suitable for what I'm doing. Of course, you'd still have the amp blaring away without a load. :)

[Rodimus Prime]

so, tubes... what tubes do you guys have loaded in your amp. Pre and power.

[snakum]

I've been experimenting with HAL's Mod'd Marshall settings, and with my humbucker-equipped FrankenTele thru the Mesa Recto cab with Vintage 30s it is very close to late-model Marshall grind. Very close indeed. I'm liking the F-100 more and more, and this is the first amp I've owned that I actually like V30s in. They seem to work well in the Rectifier cab with the F-100 head.

Now I have a sparkling/deep 6L6 clean for jazz with buckers or clean twang with single coils ... a driven blues tone that covers everything from early Clapton thru a humbucker to SRV thru a neck single coil and an OD to early ZZ Top in the bridge/mid on SC p'ups ... and now a hot-rodded slightly British-sounding high gain tone.

Really digging the amp and the Mesa cab. :wave:

I can't stop playing it. I've gotten nothing accomplished all weekend. I played with a band Friday night and Saturday night and all day today I've been playing almost nonstop. My fingers look like hamburger. I should be doing something constructive. :(

[Soulcrusher_X]

Originally posted by snakum
I can't stop playing it. I've gotten nothing accomplished all weekend. I played with a band Friday night and Saturday night and all day today I've been playing almost nonstop. My fingers look like hamburger. I should be doing something constructive. :(

That's totally productive, dude. Finding your tone is hard work sometimes. :) So, I finally got the F-100 that I borrowed fired up. I modified a small combo amp to allow plugging in of a head, like it was a small 1x12 cab. It had NO gain and was hissing like a bastard. Took the preamp tubes out and swapped in my Personal favorite of a Tung-Sol in V1, Sovtek LPS in V2 and the rest being Tung-Sols. Sounds good in my MKIV and also sounds great in the F-100. Played it with a Century Vintage and a G12T-75 clone. I'm not sure which one I like more, but I can't wait to crank it up at practice. :D

[snakum]

Originally posted by rakester
hey i'm aware a lot of you guys are using bad monkeys to boost the f series, anyone want to share the settings they use on it (preferbaly on ch2 w/contour? Thanks,:)

I'm afraid I only use it to goose the clean channel into SRV land, or to punch up/smooth out the gain for single coils using channel 2. I don't use it on the contour channel, rather I use it merely as a 'clean boost'. Sorry. :(

But for 'goosing' a channel, I'm running maybe one notch over unity on the Level ... Lo at 3:00 ... High at 4:00 ... Gain from 10:00 thru 12:00, depending on the song.

[hal9000]

I had a chance to really get the new Century Vintages cooking yesterday and I'm pleased with the results. Obviously they need to get broken-in, but I can already tell that they will work for me. First, they sound like Vintage 30s, and since I already liked the V30s in my F-100, that's a good thing. I think there is a little more bass with the CVs and a bit smoother mids. The top end will mellow with time of course, but they'll take your head off in the bore-sight of the speaker right now. :) With the CVs I seem to hear less of a spike in the high-mids that people usually call harsh. There are still a whole lot of mids, they're just more even across the band. Finally, the CVs are a bit faster with the low end, so they tightened my amp just a bit. Once I get a good 20 hours on them, I'll report back with my findings.

[jds22]

Cool, thanks Hal. I'm really thinking an F-50 combo will be my next amp.

Do you find much difference in tone between the F50 vs. F100?

I'm just wondering how much the extra speaker adds. Also wondering if it would be a good idea to swap speakers for a Century or something else. I think I like the idea of a tighter bottom, smoother mids and highs that the Century will provide over a V30.

Thanks,
Jerry

[hal9000]

Originally posted by jds22
Cool, thanks Hal. I'm really thinking an F-50 combo will be my next amp.

Do you find much difference in tone between the F50 vs. F100?

I'm just wondering how much the extra speaker adds. Also wondering if it would be a good idea to swap speakers for a Century or something else. I think I like the idea of a tighter bottom, smoother mids and highs that the Century will provide over a V30.

Thanks,
Jerry Jerry, of course the preamps are the same on the F-50/100, so the only difference in tone is from the F-100's larger transformers and two V30 speakers. The F-50 comes with a Mesa Custom 90. I don't find them that different at all, other than a little more bass from the F-100 and of course more clean headroom. They are both so loud that I doubt anyone will every run out of headroom, so I wouldn't worry about power.

Since the F-50 already comes with a C90, I don't think you'll have a problem with the low end or mids, because it's more neutral sounding than the V30.

[jds22]

Great thanks. I'm in the process of selling some gear to help pay for the new amp so it may be a while. :(

[snakum]

Originally posted by jds22
Great thanks. I'm in the process of selling some gear to help pay for the new amp so it may be a while. :(

jd ... you never got the LC-50 to work for you? I've kept mine along with the Mesa for a back up. I really still like it with the JJs and the Stonehenge speaker.

[Rodimus Prime]

so snakum, you're using JJ's for your tubes? is that both power and pre-amp? My amp is like 3 years old and i think the tubes are kinda shot because it seemed a bit muddy when turned up. I was thinking i'd go with TAD's for power tubes and EH 12ax7's. I'd love tung sol's but i can't afford it. I've never used JJ's. What do you other people use?

[Soulcrusher_X]

Originally posted by Rodimus Prime
so snakum, you're using JJ's for your tubes? is that both power and pre-amp? My amp is like 3 years old and i think the tubes are kinda shot because it seemed a bit muddy when turned up. I was thinking i'd go with TAD's for power tubes and EH 12ax7's. I'd love tung sol's but i can't afford it. I've never used JJ's. What do you other people use?

The F-100 that I am borrowing had a problem with one of the preamp tubes, so I took them out and popped in a few of my own. If you can't get a whole preamp of Tung-Sols, just get one for V1. It does wonders for warming and fattening the tone while keeping it punchy and clear. Then I put a Sovtek LPS in V2, which is pretty clear and powerful, then two JJ ECC83s to follow up in V3-V4, because that's what I had lying around. It has the Stock Mesa/Sovtek 6L6s, but it sounds great. I'd imagine it to sound pretty badass with some Ruby/TAD or SED 6L6s.

Yeah, I said Ruby/TAD because the two tube look identical, and if I'm correct, they are modelled after the same tube.

[snakum]

I've used JJs in all my Peaveys and in the Laney, but I haven't replaced the tubes in the Mesa yet. It is still using the stock Mesa/Sovteks. To be honest, I'd hate to change ANYTHING about the F-100 right now, so I'll be experimenting down the road, possibly.

I love this amp more and more every day. There's not much it can't do, so far. I'm usually very skeptical about amp hype, and I tend to stick with what works - I played Peavey Classics for over ten years. But this F-100 and the Recto cab is pretty awesome. I may be a convert. :D

[Adam Poland]

I've got JJ 6L6's for my power tubes, a JJ for V1, Sovtek for V2, Stock Mesa for V3, and a JJ for V4. Sounds good right now but there could be improvements I guess.

[Rodimus Prime]

thanks Soulcrusher_X, i'll give that a shot.

[rakester]

yo, i made up the cable to do the master volume mod to my F-30 by Hal. Worked wonders being able to crank the amp more without the volume, the amp now sound even better :), x

[Dann'sTheMan]

Torh, Rodimus Prime, snakum and rakester - great to hear that you are having great times with your F-series. Me too! :thu:

Big smiles,

Andy.

[Soulcrusher_X]

Originally posted by Dann'sTheMan
Torh, Rodimus Prime, snakum and rakester - great to hear that you are having great times with your F-series. Me too! :thu:

Big smiles,

Andy.

I'm having fun with someone ELSE'S F-series. :D It's a fun amp :thu:

[oggy]

Do f-30s have a seperate reverb tank?

[Dann'sTheMan]

Originally posted by Soulcrusher_X
I'm having fun with someone ELSE'S F-series. :D It's a fun amp :thu:

:D :thu:

Big smiles,

Andy.

[Dann'sTheMan]

Originally posted by oggy
Do f-30s have a seperate reverb tank?

Hi oggy,

Yes, the F-30s (and indeed all of the F-series) have a built in reverb tank. :)

Big smiles,

Andy.

[oggy]

Originally posted by Dann'sTheMan
Hi oggy,

Yes, the F-30s (and indeed all of the F-series) have a built in reverb tank. :)

Big smiles,

Andy.

You mean it's built into the chassis? Or, do they have separate tank mounted inside the combo or head?

[Dann'sTheMan]

Originally posted by oggy
You mean it's built into the chassis? Or, do they have separate tank mounted inside the combo or head?

Hi oggy,

Apologies for not being clear. The F-series uses a Accutronics reverb tank mounted inside the combo/head, but separately to the amp chassis.

I suppose it's theoretically feasible to place reverb springs within an amp's chassis, but it seems like a recipe for a whole world of technical problems and pain. Are you aware of any manufacturers that actually do this?

Big smiles,

Andy.

[hal9000]

Originally posted by rakester
yo, i made up the cable to do the master volume mod to my F-30 by Hal. Worked wonders being able to crank the amp more without the volume, the amp now sound even better :), x Sweet! I'm glad it works for you. It's nice to have a final master isn't it?

[hal9000]

Originally posted by Dann'sTheMan
Hi oggy,

Apologies for not being clear. The F-series uses a Accutronics reverb tank mounted inside the combo/head, but separately to the amp chassis.

I suppose it's theoretically feasible to place reverb springs within an amp's chassis, but it seems like a recipe for a whole world of technical problems and pain. Are you aware of any manufacturers that actually do this?

Big smiles,

Andy. Andy, the closest I've ever seen a reverb tank to the amp chassis is in the Tremoverb head. It sits just back from the tubes on the left side of the back attached to the top.

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y34/afraiddave/hal9000_Blonde_Tremoverb_Head_Back.jpg

BTW, if you have a chance, please add my newest clip (COC - It is that way from my sig) to the archive. Thanks. :)

[John Denver]

Quick question.....what are the advantages of a Hot Plate over the FX loop Master Volume mod for the F50......other than it looking prettier. Is it worth looking into? I just noticed a lot of people use these things. Also, i just ordered a Keeley compressor....wondering if anyone has used one of these before....it really sounds amazing!!!

[Rodimus Prime]

i would guess that the biggest difference is the price. I don't wanna pay 300 for a hot plate. I'd much rather solder a couple of wires and get the same result.

[hal9000]

Originally posted by John Denver
Quick question.....what are the advantages of a Hot Plate over the FX loop Master Volume mod for the F50......other than it looking prettier. Is it worth looking into? I just noticed a lot of people use these things. Also, i just ordered a Keeley compressor....wondering if anyone has used one of these before....it really sounds amazing!!! They both have their place, and perform different functions. My FX Loop master gives the amp an overall master. Since the F-series preamp sounds better turned-up, with a bit a level drop in the loop, the FX loop master is very useful for getting bedroom volumes and having more control over the amp in general. Of course, the FX loop master has nothing to do with the power tubes, which is where the Hot Plate comes in.

If your main tone is preamp based with a clean power section, the FX loop master will probably be perfect for you (it is for me). However, if you like a mix of both preamp and power tube saturation, then the Hot Plate (or equiv.) is the only game in town. I'd like to stress that most attenuators are good to great for taming a roaring beast down to practice and gig levels, but not very good at getting super low volumes, unless they are used as a load. If you look a few posts back to my silent recording rig, you can see how useful a Hot Plate can be.

In summary, if you use the amp as a preamp gain beast with a clean power section, the FX Mix master is certainly worth trying out. If you need to play with zero amp volume or want power tube saturation in your tone an attenuator is recommended.

[John Denver]

Thanks Hal,

This may sound noobish, but how would i know if my tone is more pre-amp or power based? Are you saying that if the tone is pre-amp based, i would be using more master and less gain? I use your modded marshall setting as my dirty, and the single coil black face for clean. I am having trouble getting the two to be at similar levels. I don't have a problem with the volume of either of these settings(without an attenuator)....just wondering if a hot plate would make it easier to get similar levels.....or if in this scenario if it would be cheaper/easier to just use the master volume mod. I practice at gig volume.

[hal9000]

Originally posted by John Denver
Thanks Hal,

This may sound noobish, but how would i know if my tone is more pre-amp or power based? Are you saying that if the tone is pre-amp based, i would be using more master and less gain? I use your modded marshall setting as my dirty, and the single coil black face for clean. I am having trouble getting the two to be at similar levels. I don't have a problem with the volume of either of these settings(without an attenuator)....just wondering if a hot plate would make it easier to get similar levels.....or if in this scenario if it would be cheaper/easier to just use the master volume mod. I practice at gig volume. If you crank the master, and keep the gain low, then you're more of a power tube saturation kind of guy. If you're using my settings, then you're a preamp saturation, clean power amp kind of guy. Balancing the two channels has nothing to do with either the FX loop master or Hot Plate, and everything to do with the individual channel masters and their relationship to the gain controls. With the gain on both channels set to 12:00, using a single coil for clean and a humbucker for overdrive, I like to have the clean master to about 11:00, and the overdrive master to about 9:30 - 10:00. That's pretty well balanced. Make sense?

Both the FX loop master and Hot Plate affect the amp as a whole and do not favor one channel over another.

[John Denver]

Thanks for clearing that up! It makes total sense now. This thread saves my life!!!!

[Gtrchavo]

Originally posted by hal9000
I'm glad I could help. Which method did you use?

As far as getting good recorded sounds, that's an art in and of itself. I think you'll find that as time goes on, you'll be able to position a mic to where you need it quickly, and the recording process will be easier.

I used the method where you point the mic to the center of the speaker than turn it about 30 degrees.
I know what you mean about recording, I tried a different position with a Sennheiser E609 and it sounds totally different. Hopefully I will have some clips soon.

[snakum]

I've been integrating my Bad Monkey, Morley Wah, DigiDelay, and Turbo Flanger into the F-100. I have finally figured out that the Flanger works best out of the FX loop, with the Monkus and the Wah. I'm only using the DigiDelay in the loop now.

I've finally developed settings that will work across all the tones I need and across my G&L strat and my bucker-equipped FrankenTele, all without having to tweak and fudge between songs. A happy medium. It works. I'll be testing it again Friday and Saturday with the bands (one blues and classic rock ... one new rock and original metal).

[hal9000]

Originally posted by snakum
I've been integrating my Bad Monkey, Morley Wah, DigiDelay, and Turbo Flanger into the F-100. I have finally figured out that the Flanger works best out of the FX loop, with the Monkus and the Wah. I'm only using the DigiDelay in the loop now.

I've finally developed settings that will work across all the tones I need and across my G&L strat and my bucker-equipped FrankenTele, all without having to tweak and fudge between songs. A happy medium. It works. I'll be testing it again Friday and Saturday with the bands (one blues and classic rock ... one new rock and original metal). Sounds cool snakum. I leave my F-100 setup the same throughout our set (original stuff) and use my guitars/G-Major/pedals to get differences in gain, feel, voice, etc.

[snakum]

I almost always drop a bridge HB in my Strats and Teles, and though I've resisted it on my Cherryburst G&L Legacy, I think I'm going to have to put one in tonight. The neck p'up is perfect for a screaming, singing, clear SRV with the Bad Monkey and the cranked clean channel on the Mesa Boogie, but the bridge p'up is just too thin and bright, and changing to my FrankenTele with a Duncan HB in the bridge I have to roll the mids up, the bass back, and hit the contour switch for that Marshall Grind. With HBs in both guitars I can do everything I need with my feetuses.

:cry:

[hal9000]

Originally posted by snakum
I almost always drop a bridge HB in my Strats and Teles, and though I've resisted it on my Cherryburst G&L Legacy, I think I'm going to have to put one in tonight. The neck p'up is perfect for a screaming, singing, clear SRV with the Bad Monkey and the cranked clean channel on the Mesa Boogie, but the bridge p'up is just too thin and bright, and changing to my FrankenTele with a Duncan HB in the bridge I have to roll the mids up, the bass back, and hit the contour switch for that Marshall Grind. With HBs in both guitars I can do everything I need with my feetuses.

:cry: Yup, that's why have a Fat Strat and a dual-bucker guitar. :)

[snakum]

I'm trying to find another USA Legacy, which will get me straight, gear-wise. I like having a backup on a stand when I play out. Same guitar ... same pickups ... same tuning and setup ... break a string ... go to standby ... plug in the backup ... standby off ... back in business. I always thought guys changing strings in the middle of a set was unprofessional, but I've had to do it before.

My gear is almost set.


Till next GAS attack. :D

[Soulcrusher_X]

I just got in from practice where I got the chance to crank the F-100 that i am borrowing. I am very impressed. I may even like this amp more than my MKIV. I ran it through 4 Hellatone 60Ls and it had such a fat, wicked grind. It cut through so nicely, too. I would love to keep this amp. :)

[Dann'sTheMan]

Originally posted by hal9000
Andy, the closest I've ever seen a reverb tank to the amp chassis is in the Tremoverb head. It sits just back from the tubes on the left side of the back attached to the top.

<snip\>

BTW, if you have a chance, please add my newest clip (COC - It is that way from my sig) to the archive. Thanks. :)

Hi Neil,

Yep, that's fairly typical of how I usually expect to see reverb tanks squeezed into a head. :) Semantics I know, but oggy seemed to be making a distinction between the metal chassis of an amp, and the rest of the enclosure (be it a head or a combo). I was simply trying to clarify that the F-series' reverb tank is separate from the metal chassis, but is still mounted inside the head or combo. :p

Big smiles,

Andy.

P.S. Your new clip has been added! Sterling work! :thu: Was that through your silent recording chain once more? :cool:

[hal9000]

Originally posted by Dann'sTheMan
Hi Neil,

Yep, that's fairly typical of how I usually expect to see reverb tanks squeezed into a head. :) Semantics I know, but oggy seemed to be making a distinction between the metal chassis of an amp, and the rest of the enclosure (be it a head or a combo). I was simply trying to clarify that the F-series' reverb tank is separate from the metal chassis, but is still mounted inside the head or combo. :p

Big smiles,

Andy.

P.S. Your new clip has been added! Sterling work! :thu: Was that through your silent recording chain once more? :cool: Thanks for the compliment on my clip. It was recorded through the silent direct rig. This time, I didn't focus so much on the dark tones because I wanted it to sound more natural.

[Rodimus Prime]

hey, i spent some time with my f50 last night and it was alot of fun. My ears, i think, are still ringing. The loudest i pushed it was 5 and it just about killed me.
i plug my texas special sss strat into my f50 and plug my avatar 2x12 cab into it as well. As Hal recommended me to put both the amp and the cab in the 2 4ohm slots. I found that at higher volumes i had to be very careful where the bass setting was at because the speakers would fart so to speak. Then i experimented by plugging the cab directly into the 8ohm slot and i left the house speaker unplugged. Well, it was almost a completely different amp. i could be much more carefree with its settings and the tone overall seemed nicer, in a mean kind of way :love:

My question is, could this be an issue of old power tubes or does my amp/cab not like the split 4ohm speaker signal? I gather my amp is about 3 years old but i get the impression that he's never played it like i have. I actually might even be breaking in the speaker... Or amp i not used to playing with mesa's. Like i'm used to dialing in marshalls and fenders. This is my first mesa.

Other than that. This amp is very much giving me all the tones i've ever wanted. My strats single coils give me good punch and this amp adds warmth and HUGE bottom that just hits me in the chest when i hit drop d stuff. And the contour channel for lead is unbelievable. So articulate and smooth and very pick sensitive.

[hal9000]

Originally posted by Rodimus Prime
hey, i spent some time with my f50 last night and it was alot of fun. My ears, i think, are still ringing. The loudest i pushed it was 5 and it just about killed me.
i plug my texas special sss strat into my f50 and plug my avatar 2x12 cab into it as well. As Hal recommended me to put both the amp and the cab in the 2 4ohm slots. I found that at higher volumes i had to be very careful where the bass setting was at because the speakers would fart so to speak. Then i experimented by plugging the cab directly into the 8ohm slot and i left the house speaker unplugged. Well, it was almost a completely different amp. i could be much more carefree with its settings and the tone overall seemed nicer, in a mean kind of way :love:

My question is, could this be an issue of old power tubes or does my amp/cab not like the split 4ohm speaker signal? I gather my amp is about 3 years old but i get the impression that he's never played it like i have. I actually might even be breaking in the speaker... Or amp i not used to playing with mesa's. Like i'm used to dialing in marshalls and fenders. This is my first mesa.

Other than that. This amp is very much giving me all the tones i've ever wanted. My strats single coils give me good punch and this amp adds warmth and HUGE bottom that just hits me in the chest when i hit drop d stuff. And the contour channel for lead is unbelievable. So articulate and smooth and very pick sensitive. Rodimus, it's good to hear that the amp is performing up to your expectations.

There is nothing wrong with using your amp with a 4 Ohm total load (combo speaker + 2x12 cab). What you're probably experiencing is the difference between an open-back combo and closed-back cab. Open-backs are great for clean and crunch sounds, but don't have tightly controlled bass like a closed-back cab.

Also, when I play that loud, I like to have the bass around 9:00-10:00, so make sure you aren't using too much, especially with a bassy guitar. If you have a chance, tune your guitar to dropped-B, yeah that's what I said, and then try this setting: G: 1:30, T 1:00, M 3:00, B 9:00, Master to at least 9:00 with a Les Paul-type axe. That's what I recorded my latest clip with and boy does it speak to me.

[Rodimus Prime]

yay hal.
another question. i might just not be used to loud amps like this one, its been sooo long. when i play lead stuff there seems to be a swirling of high frequencies that tears my head off. what is that? is there anyway to smooth that out?

(i'm an idiot full of questions)
how loud to you crank your amp when recording?

[Rodimus Prime]

Originally posted by hal9000
What you're probably experiencing is the difference between an open-back combo and closed-back cab. Open-backs are great for clean and crunch sounds, but don't have tightly controlled bass like a closed-back cab.

Also, when I play that loud, I like to have the bass around 9:00-10:00, so make sure you aren't using too much, especially with a bassy guitar.

yeah, you're probably right. I'm glad i have that cab. I found that to controll the bass i had it around there too. It didn't loose any bass but it just took the "gnah-gnha-gnha" out of the speakers. Some people stopped by and were like, "whoa, thats a strat!?"

best amp i've ever had. It's been so long since i've had a real amp.

[hal9000]

Originally posted by Rodimus Prime
yay hal.
another question. i might just not be used to loud amps like this one, its been sooo long. when i play lead stuff there seems to be a swirling of high frequencies that tears my head off. what is that? is there anyway to smooth that out?

(i'm an idiot full of questions)
how loud to you crank your amp when recording? As the volume goes up, so does your ears' sensitivity to high end. Consequently, I drop treble, bass, and gain as the master is cranked. Also, try to position your cab so you can hear the center of the speaker which will have the most treble. Finally, if your speakers haven't been broken-in yet, it'll take a while 'til the top end mellows.

[hal9000]

Originally posted by Rodimus Prime
so snakum, you're using JJ's for your tubes? is that both power and pre-amp? My amp is like 3 years old and i think the tubes are kinda shot because it seemed a bit muddy when turned up. I was thinking i'd go with TAD's for power tubes and EH 12ax7's. I'd love tung sol's but i can't afford it. I've never used JJ's. What do you other people use? I just got an email from Doug at www.dougstubes.com, and I'm going with this setup:

V1 = Tung-Sol reissue 12ax7 for super low noise.
V2, V3 = JJ ECC83S.
V4 = A balanced EH 12AX7 for the phase inverter.
V5-8 = RUBY 6L6GCMSTR Matched Quad.

I'll let you know how I get on with the tubes when they are installed. Thats not bad for about the same price Mesa charges just of the power tubes. :)

[hal9000]

Originally posted by snakum
I<snip>
I love this amp more and more every day. There's not much it can't do, so far. I'm usually very skeptical about amp hype, and I tend to stick with what works - I played Peavey Classics for over ten years. But this F-100 and the Recto cab is pretty awesome. I may be a convert. :D I'd just like to comment that you are the first person to my knowledge that has said the F-series has any hype. :)

IMO, the F-series has earned its rightful place as a tone machine through most all of the gain spectrum. Back in the early days, I had a hard time convincing anyone that the F-series was not the precursor of Mesa's downward spiral to producing lower tier Chinese-built amps. People simply could not believe that I or anyone else for that matter, chose the F-series because of its tone and features over the Mark IV, Recto, Nomad, etc. It's even been said that people who own the F-series are just doing so because they really wanted the "Mesa" name, but couldn't afford the almighty Recto, so we're just nu-metal posers. It's quite funny actually, because as soon as Tommi Inkila posted his first heavy F-50 recordings, everyone wanted to know what the amp was and why they didn't know about it. They knew about it, but didn't want to hear. Like my personal Hero once said, "If they have ears, let them listen."

So, if there is hype for the F-series, and surely I'm partly to blame, I'm glad it has so far lived up to your expectations and that we in the brotherhood will continue to support you in any way that we can.

[snakum]

Not F-series hype, specifically ... rather Mesa hype in general. They are relatively expensive amps, and most Mesa fans are pretty rabid about their Mesa amps. There is ... dare I say ... even a hint of Mesa snobbery from time to time in various clubs or studios where I've played with other guys.

I guess now I'm a Mesa snob.

So, if you see me playing little dive bars around Fayetteville, Raleigh, or Greensboro, I won't speak to you until I know what amp you use. So wear your Mesa tee-shirt always. :thu:

I will not, of course, so much as acknowledge a Peavey guy's existence. :D

[jds22]

Spent some more time with the F30 today, they just sold the F50 so I couldn't compare the two. I really like the voicing of the 30. Also if I go with the 30 I could probably keep my Avatar 212 to plug into. If I went with the 50, I'd have to sell the Avatar to help pay for it.

I'm just concerned that if I go with the 30 I'd start wondering if I was missing the low end that the 50 produces and start to regret my decision.

I'm pretty confident that I'd have no such worries or regrets if I went with the 50.

So F30 with Avatar 212 cab

or

F50 with no cab - at least for a while. :D

BTW I have also been considering a JSX but after playing both the JSX and F30 today the JSX is officially off the list of candidates.

[Rodimus Prime]

you probably would get more thump WITH the extra cab than the f50 alone. if you could get both the 50 and the cab that would be ideal

[Flannery]

I've tried out Dual Rec's, Nomads and Mark IV's and the only one that comes close to my F-50 is the Mark IV. The F-50 has jumped through every hoop I've asked it to (extreme metal, Kyuss type stoner metal, and a cover band that does everything from the Stereophonics to Queens of the Stone Age) and excelled while doing it. It may be the least expensive Boogie out there, but they have come up with amazing performance at this price point. My F-50 is the first "expensive" amp I've owned. I played Peavey Classic 50's before I got it, and after a side by side, the Peavey sounded like a transistor radio and got sold shortly after :). I recommend the F-50 to anyone I know who's looking for a new amp, but it seems like they always get sidetracked to something else. Their loss I guess....cause I'm hanging onto mine for life!!

[snakum]

I wouldn't mind having an F-50 head, myself. The F-100 is awesome, but I never use the 100 watt switch and the damn thing is heavy. :(

Anyone have an almost new F-50 head to trade for it's bigger brother? :D

I still love the Peavey Classic series, too, though. I have owned/gigged ten C30s and C50s in the last ten years. With a good speaker, the Classic 50 is a killer amp, as is the C30.

[jds22]

if you could get both the 50 and the cab that would be ideal

For that to happen I'd need to find the 50 for about 650-700.

I found a used 30 in a shop for $699, I'm sure I can get it for less.

I'm selling some pedals and a Laney combo right now and should end up with about $650. Not sure if the appropriations committee, aka wife, will allow me to go much over that, something about our vacation and Christmas coming up. :rolleyes: :D

[hal9000]

Originally posted by snakum
I wouldn't mind having an F-50 head, myself. The F-100 is awesome, but I never use the 100 watt switch and the damn thing is heavy. :(

Anyone have an almost new F-50 head to trade for it's bigger brother? :D

I still love the Peavey Classic series, too, though. I have owned/gigged ten C30s and C50s in the last ten years. With a good speaker, the Classic 50 is a killer amp, as is the C30. You can convert it to a head for about $250 by getting a head shell from Mesa. If you're lucky, you may find a used one on eBay.

[snakum]

My F-100 is already a head. I'm just old and broke down and hate carrying it up and down my steps. :D

I just missed out on a wide-body 1x12 recto cab for my head. The 1x12 is almost half the weight of my 2x12, oddly enough, and would have helped with the overall tote'n load. :D

[Lt_Core]

Has anyone played their F-50 through a Marshall 1960 4x12? A friend of mine just bought one at Guitar Center and saw a used 1960 4x12 for $350. Just curious how it sounds.

[snakum]

I've played my F-100 (similar sounding head) thru newer Greenbacks and Vintage 30s and theu an Emi Tonker. What speakers are the Marshall cab loaded with?

The Mesas love V30s like no other amp. That said, however ... the Tonker rules with the F-series, too. :thu: The Greenback G12Ms were rather 'nondescript' with the Mesa. And I'm a Greenback/GB12/Private Jack-luv'n mofo.

[jds22]

What are the Tonkers like?

[Lt_Core]

Originally posted by snakum
What speakers are the Marshall cab loaded with?

They are loaded with stock GT12-75-watt Celestion speakers. I have only experience with the Black Shadow stock speaker and Jensen NEO 100.

[snakum]

I've never played the GT12 Celestions. The Tonker is very tight, lotsa upper mid 'British', but very smooth and loud as hell. I think the STonehenge and the Tonker are very similar, so much so that when I swap them out I can't tell the difference between the two. Maybe a little better bass response on the Tonker. The F-100 sure does love that thing. I have one in a small homemade Classic 30 extension cab and I use that at practice.

I wish you'd been able to try a Tonker or Stonehenge with JJ tubes in your LC-50, jd. Totally different amp. :(

[jds22]

I wish you'd been able to try a Tonker or Stonehenge with JJ tubes in your LC-50, jd. Totally different amp.

Really?? Different how?

I put Svet 6L6s in and am running the amp thru an Avatar 212 with Tonespotters, similar to Celestion g1265s. I also disconnect the internal speaker.

I wonder how one of the Jensen Neos would sound?

[snakum]

Oh ... I didn't realize you had tried other tubes/speakers. If you tried Tonespotters in it you've seen what it can do. I still kinda' like mine. It's a do-it-all for me similar to the F-100. It just doesn't do it all near as nicely as the Mesa. :D

[jds22]

It just doesn't do it all near as nicely as the Mesa.

Agreed. I'm sure like most of us, it just comes down to voicing. I like the Mesa's better. I will admit that I like the Laney a lot more than the El Diablo that I had.

Still searching for "The Amp" in my price range of course. The F50 might be it.

:thu:

[plumptone]

Problem with my F-50 is as follows: when brought up to gig volume, in both clean and overdrive, the amp starts stuttering (sound coming in and out) like a hard tremolo, and NOT in a a good way. So basically it's as if there was an on/off switch and someone is randomly hitting on and off. Eliminated cables and guitar as the source of the problem. Pre-amp tubes all good.

Power tubes or something else?

Help/advice much appreciated. Thanks.

[snakum]

Originally posted by plumptone
Problem with my F-50 is as follows: when brought up to gig volume, in both clean and overdrive, the amp starts stuttering (sound coming in and out) like a hard tremolo, and NOT in a a good way. So basically it's as if there was an on/off switch and someone is randomly hitting on and off. Eliminated cables and guitar as the source of the problem. Pre-amp tubes all good.

Power tubes or something else?

Help/advice much appreciated. Thanks.

Spray contact cleaner in your FX in/out and run a 1/4" plug in and out, then repeat a few times. Then do all the other inputs. On Peaveys, this cures these symptoms 75% of the time. Might save a lot of money having a tech look at it.

[plumptone]

Originally posted by snakum
Spray contact cleaner in your FX in/out and run a 1/4" plug in and out, then repeat a few times. Then do all the other inputs. On Peaveys, this cures these symptoms 75% of the time. Might save a lot of money having a tech look at it.

I doubt that's the problem - the amp is less than 3 months old. But will try - thanks. The problem manifested itself with nothing but the guitar plugged in - no effects engaged either before the amp or in the loop.

[snakum]

On Peaveys, it has nothing to do with the FX loop being used or not. I don't know how Mesa FX loops are wired, but if it was a Peavey with those exact symptoms, I'd bet my paycheck you could cure it with this little trick.

If it's not a dirty plug, I'd swap out the power tubes next to see if that's it. Do you have an extra pair?

[hal9000]

Originally posted by snakum
On Peaveys, it has nothing to do with the FX loop being used or not. I don't know how Mesa FX loops are wired, but if it was a Peavey with those exact symptoms, I'd bet my paycheck you could cure it with this little trick.

If it's not a dirty plug, I'd swap out the power tubes next to see if that's it. Do you have an extra pair? The F-series loop is hard bypassed by the FX send jack's switching contact, which runs to the a point right after the FX mix pot. When a plug is inserted into the FX send jack, only the parallel mix path and FX paths are left.

I'm actually experiencing a similar tremolo volume sound with my F-100 and I'm quite sure it's the power tubes. So, as I said above, I went for a whole retube kit from www.dougstubes.com since I was due anyway, and I've heard excellent things about Doug's recommendations.


Plumptone, give a call to Mesa because your tubes are still under warranty. They'll send a new set right out. It's like changing a light bulb (just don't twist the tubes :)).

[plumptone]

Originally posted by snakum
...If it's not a dirty plug, I'd swap out the power tubes next to see if that's it. Do you have an extra pair?

I don't - I came here for initial feedback before I head out to the local guitar center to try and convonce them to give me a couple of new power tubes. Wanted to make sure I'm going there with sufficient ammo, if you know what I mean.

[plumptone]

Originally posted by hal9000
The F-series loop is hard bypassed by the FX send jack's switching contact, which runs to the a point right after the FX mix pot. When a plug is inserted into the FX send jack, only the parallel mix path and FX paths are left.

I'm actually experiencing a similar tremolo volume sound with my F-100 and I'm quite sure it's the power tubes. So, as I said above, I went for a whole retube kit from www.dougstubes.com since I was due anyway, and I've heard excellent things about Doug's recommendations.


Plumptone, give a call to Mesa because your tubes are still under warranty. They'll send a new set right out. It's like changing a light bulb (just don't twist the tubes :)).

Thanks Hal. Trust me - I know how to change tubes - I've been playing Boogies for close to 20 years. I will call Boogie - but my problem is that I have a gig Friday night. I'm hoping the GC will do the right thing.

[Rodimus Prime]

do you guys use the drive channel at all or do you mostly live in contour land? i was thinking that i was going to use the gain channel as my main rhythm but i'm finding it too dark and a bit flubby probably due largely to the volume we practice at. This amp is a loud mother! I keep my volume at 9:00, 10:00 is really nice but i just can't stay there.
just curious.

[hal9000]

Originally posted by Rodimus Prime
do you guys use the drive channel at all or do you mostly live in contour land? i was thinking that i was going to use the gain channel as my main rhythm but i'm finding it too dark and a bit flubby probably due largely to the volume we practice at. This amp is a loud mother! I keep my volume at 9:00, 10:00 is really nice but i just can't stay there.
just curious. I used both channels about equally. I use channel 2 for most of my rhythm playing on the less aggressive songs, and then kick into contour for the heavy stuff. Since my G-Major allows me to equalize contour and channel 2, I use the amp as if it had three channels.

If you are using anything in the loop with a volume control, you should be able to get the channel 2 master to 10:00 and reduce it in the loop.

Or, if you're not using anything, give my FX loop mod a try. It's easy to test with some aluminum foil and a rubber band, rather than soldering a plug.

Also, you can use an EQ in the loop to equalize the levels between channel 2 and contour, so you can then run the amp like I do as a three-channel beast. Contour would be reduced a few dB with the EQ on, and with it off play the regular channel 2. Then, when you switch to Contour without the EQ, that could be your solo boost. I used to do that all the time with my home brew switchable loop attenuator. It was good fun.

[Surfcaster]

Originally posted by Rodimus Prime
do you guys use the drive channel at all or do you mostly live in contour land? i was thinking that i was going to use the gain channel as my main rhythm but i'm finding it too dark and a bit flubby probably due largely to the volume we practice at. This amp is a loud mother! I keep my volume at 9:00, 10:00 is really nice but i just can't stay there.
just curious.

There are a number of guys here that use the lead channel without the contour, but personally, I have the contour on pretty much all the time. I doubt I would have purchased the amp if it didn't have the contour function because, as you stated, it sounds dark and muted and somewhat flubby to me without it. But it sounds wonderful with it on. About the only time I'll disengage the contour is for some very low gain vintagey sounds. As far as I'm concerned, the contour switch wouldn't have to be on the footswitch...in fact I'd really prefer it wasn't because I sometimes switch it off by accident.

[Rodimus Prime]

thats good to know surfcaster. whenever i tested it out in the store i always just used the contour switch and i bought it for THAT gain. now for some reason i don't want to use it... i dunno.
There's definately something to what hal is saying, i do want to get the most out of this amp. Unfortunately at this point i blew what was left on my budget on tubes which apparently i didn't need to do because they didn't make a difference. The tubes were pretty much new. The guy i bought it from seemed to barely play it! :thu:

[hal9000]

Originally posted by Rodimus Prime
thats good to know surfcaster. whenever i tested it out in the store i always just used the contour switch and i bought it for THAT gain. now for some reason i don't want to use it... i dunno.
There's definately something to what hal is saying, i do want to get the most out of this amp. Unfortunately at this point i blew what was left on my budget on tubes which apparently i didn't need to do because they didn't make a difference. The tubes were pretty much new. The guy i bought it from seemed to barely play it! :thu: It's always good to have backup tubes, so you certainly didn't waste your money. It's good that you are trying to get the most out of your amp by learning about the non-contour channel. I really love it for solos since it has a heavy mid voicing. Also, with my Germania treble booster, channel 2 screams. Any good boost will really kick it up a notch. I find channel 2 to be most Mark-series like and with a good scoop from an EQ in the FX loop, I can get Mark IV tones all day.