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

[snakum]

Originally posted by rakester
Hey snakum, what were your exact setting on the amp and both bad monkey please? I am interested in trying that out, let me know please :)

I found my settings sticky-note from the other night. I also tried it with my V30 cab, which is what I'm hoked up to now, and it ain't mid-scooped chunk at all. Either the worn Tonker in my small cab made a huge difference, or I had way too much to drink. It isn't close to Recto scooped chunk, but here's what I was using with the JB JR humbucker bridge p'up on my cherryburst G&L ...

F-100 -------------------------
Gain=3:00
Hi=10:00
Mid=OFF
Bass=12:00
Reverb=always off ... it's useless :D
Master=9:00

Bad Monkus ----------------
Vol=9:00
Lo=3:00
Hi=9:00
Gain=3:00

As I said, upon sober reflection, with the Recto cab and the Vintage 30s, these settings just don't yield that scooped-mid chunk like a Dual Recto or a Peavey Ultra/XXX with the mids rolled off. The old Tonker cab and Corona cerveza made it sound like it the other night.

Sorry 'bout dat. :(

[musicdog400]

Any truth to the buzz about the F-Series being discontinued ?

[snakum]

Originally posted by musicdog400
Any truth to the buzz about the F-Series being discontinued ?

I can't see that happening. According to the Mesa rep I talked to in Raleigh, NC last year, the F-series, as a group, is Mesa's second best-selling amp. The only model consistently moving more units is the Recto series, with the Mark IV coming in third. I was surprised the Lone Star Classic wasn't second or third.

Ya' never know though. The F-series is relatively old, in 'amp years', so a redesign/rename may be in the works. I'd imagine Mesa Engineering would keep that kind of info under wraps for as long as possible. Who knows.

[Natek]

Originally posted by Torh
DD-20 is excelent in many ways. You'll have tons of possibilities, and most of it is very good sounding. However, the twist-function is horrible, no use for that one. Good idea, but the volume three-folds, and brings destruction to your home. But that's just one of the many functions.. However, I can't get the smooth- nor dual- or the the warp-functions to work without getting weird sounds, when using the unit in the loop (one exception though, which might turn out to not being an exception, eventually ;) -- using smooth works now as I have set the output mode to A: dir, B: efx, having fx send -> input DD-20 -> output B (efx) -> fx return. Haven't tried the warp- or the dual-functions yet....

Hmm, interesting........so what you're saying then is that some of the different delays simply don't work in your loop?

I was drawn to the DD20 over the DD-6 because of the fact (correct me if I'm wrong) that you can use the hold function to record a repeating lick for up to 23 seconds............which means a perfect improv practice tool. I think the DD-6 only has 4-5 seconds on the hold function. Also, you can store 4 presets on the DD-20 which could be very handy. Although, if there's even a hint of worse tonal quality on the DD20 or some of the effects don't work (like you were saying)....i may just go towards the DD-6

[jcoggins7]

Has anybody tried running a really good transparent clean booster through the effects loop as a solo boost? I'm interested to see if this would work as an alternative to boosting the dirt channel, which can make the sound more gainy and not as boosted.

[Natek]

By the way, I'll also be getting a Bad Monkey in within the next week or so......I'll definately post my opinion on it as a boost for the F-50. For $35 and a 9.2 sound quality rating here on harmony central......hah, what can i lose? I fiugred I'd give this a try before I dove in and got a Keeley/Analogman Tubescreamer or boost.

As of now i'm just using an MXR dynacomp to boost the signal by maxing the output with the intensity around 11:00........which works pretty well....minus the annoying hiss associated with compression pedals. As long as the BM surpasses the tone of the Dynacomp, I'll be one happy camper:)

[jcoggins7]

Oh yeah, and I also forgot, Nobel makes some good and inexpensive Tubescreamer-type pedals. A lot of people use them here in Nashville. They're not quite as midrange heavy (read more transparent or more balanced) though they still sound like a Tubescreamer pretty much.

[Surfcaster]

Originally posted by jcoggins7
Has anybody tried running a really good transparent clean booster through the effects loop as a solo boost? I'm interested to see if this would work as an alternative to boosting the dirt channel, which can make the sound more gainy and not as boosted.

I used my Zoom PowerDrive for that, and currently have my EQ pedal set for a solo boost, with a bit of a mid boost as well. Works great!

[VoodooChild24]

Originally posted by Natek
By the way, I'll also be getting a Bad Monkey in within the next week or so......I'll definately post my opinion on it as a boost for the F-50. For $35 and a 9.2 sound quality rating here on harmony central......hah, what can i lose? I fiugred I'd give this a try before I dove in and got a Keeley/Analogman Tubescreamer or boost.

As of now i'm just using an MXR dynacomp to boost the signal by maxing the output with the intensity around 11:00........which works pretty well....minus the annoying hiss associated with compression pedals. As long as the BM surpasses the tone of the Dynacomp, I'll be one happy camper:)

Hey Natek,

The Bad Monkey is a great inexpensive pedal. I actually liked it boosting my amps. You might also want to try the Maxon 808. Try those first. I also use a treble booster (Java Boost) to add a little spank to my tone - this is inspired by Hal9000.

As for MXR dynacomp, it's a great clean boost IMO. I use my compressor to boost my clean signal - got this from Andy.

Let us know man!

:thu:

[VoodooChild24]

Hey Neil,

Can you give me the settings to your CoC clips? I'm totally digging it man. I know you used a TB here right?

:thu:

[Natek]

Originally posted by VoodooChild24
I also use a treble booster (Java Boost) to add a little spank to my tone - this is inspired by Hal9000.

As for MXR dynacomp, it's a great clean boost IMO. I use my compressor to boost my clean signal - got this from Andy.

Let us know man!

:thu:

Haha, yeah i'm not sure where everyone would be right now if it wasn't for Hal9000, Andy, and Tommy. Well I have one guess......probably getting a crappy tone:p just kidden....but seriously you guys rock.

[Torh]

Originally posted by Natek
[B]Hmm, interesting........so what you're saying then is that some of the different delays simply don't work in your loop?

Yep. Although I must emphasize, the smooth delay (which is the one I love the most) is currently working with the method I described. I'm afraid the weird sounds will come again, though........
A simple mod turning the parallel loop into a serial one might be the ticket, and is something I still consider.. I'm glad I purchased the DD-20, but be aware that some delays might not work properly....

[Dann'sTheMan]

Originally posted by Surfcaster
I've been thinking about getting a compressor pedal and am wondering what people would recommend for under $100. I know Andy uses a MXR Dynacomp, but I believe it's an older version which I hear is preferred over the current production models. Are the current production models still good pedals? And what about the MXR Super Comp, which is advertised as an "Improved" Dynacomp?

Of course, I've heard wonderful things about the Keeley Compressor, but am not quite ready to lay down $220 for one, so if the MXRs are decent pedals, I'd probably go with one...I like the $70 price tag!

Hey Surfcaster,

Have you considered buying an old Dynacomp - it may well come in under budget. The ones that command a serious wedge of money are the early 70s Script logo ones, but the block logo ones from the late 70s are reasonably priced, and reportedly sound very similar...

When I bought mine, I knew nothing about the collectability of the various models. All I knew was that my guitar hero, Dann Huff, used an old Dynacomp as a staple part of his studio session set-up - sometimes, the only pedal used in front of the amp. I tried a few current versions of the MXR Dynacomps, I tried the Keeeley compressor, and I was left pretty unmoved. However, when I tried the old Dynacomp, I could immediately hear the Dann connection - it was warm, and characterful, and turned the clean channel of the Marshall I was playing through into a thing of beauty.

The input sockets were unacceptably noisy, but the shop assistant, having checked that I didn't mind him opening the pedal up, took the back off, and blew away 25 years worth of detritis that had built up (the original foam internal padding had completely disintegrated). The shop assistant told me the pots dated from 1978 - not being a collector, this meant nothing to me. ;) All I was concerned about was whether the noise could be brought sufficiently under control to use the pedal in anger. Thankfully it could, and I pulled the trigger.

The pedal has been rock solid, and I can't imagine a new pedal being more reliable. Most importantly, it sounds fantastic, and if there is some additional mojo dust sprinkled on the older Dynacomps (I hear one of the obvious differences is that the older ones had considerably more output), then it's available for similar money to a new pedal. I paid around £70 for mine in Japan, which is pretty similar to the new price of a Dynacomp in the UK. A mojo-filled Dynacomp may well be within reach of your budget. :p

Big smiles,

Andy.

[Lt_Core]

Hey Surfcaster,

Thanks for the clips and comments. I ordered the Crunch Box today. Can't wait to try it out. I'm also going to try and put those Eurotubes in tonight. We have gigs on Friday and Saturday night so I might get a chance to let 'er rip.

I'll post some comments about the CB once I get it. Later!

[hal9000]

Originally posted by VoodooChild24
Hey Neil,

Can you give me the settings to your CoC clips? I'm totally digging it man. I know you used a TB here right?

:thu: http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y34/afraiddave/hal9000F-100SettingsSludgeInifinite.jpg

For my latest recording COC - It is that way I just went straight in with my ESP H-1000 (JB in the bridge) with these settings:
Gain 2:00, Treble 1:00, Mids 3:00, Bass 9:00, Master 9:00.

[markmann]

Originally posted by Natek
Hey guys.......I, again, Have some more questions for you all.

First off, I decided to go pedals and as far as delay goes, I'm kind've stuck. It'd be great to go analog because of the quality but that means a very pricey pedal which doesn't allow things such as the hold option and reverse. On the other hand.....digital.....the last thing I want is something to color my tone something horrid when on or off. Also, I wanted a delay with some decent delay times......quite a bit more than just 300ms. I have about $200 max to spend on a delay new OR used. Any takes on the Maxon/Ibanez/Memory Man Analog pedals? Any digital delays from the boss line like the DD-5, DD-6, or DD-20?

Next off, I'm failry sure about the T.C. Electronic Chorus/flanger/pitch modulator used mainly for my chorus effect. I'm really just going for that lush sound on the clean channel and maybe a tad added to the lead channel. comments on this?

As for phaser.......I just feel I need to go for the EVH MXR Phase 90. simple, sounds good, and I'd use it mostly with leads.

Boost/Gain pedal. Here's where the other half of the headache starts. I'm sold on the Xotic BB preamp clips that i've seen as NOTHING i've heard sounds like this pedal. lets count the reasons this rocks. True Bypass. Trebble/Bass controls. Use as either a clean boost or Gain pedal. Every setting I've heard is amazing. Smooooooth tone for days over both the clean and drive channels. and lastly "Xotic effects" is a great brand. My question???? Why the HECK is this thing not as pupular as the famous tubescreamer. am I missing something? I want a pedal for both smooth creamy leads and also something to "juice up" the lead channel.



Sorry for the delayed response but I have some experience with what you're asking about so I'll chime in.

Delay: Analog is awesome but there are a few things to consider. First off I've owned many different delay units and my 2 fav's were my Roland Space Echo and Deluxe Memory Man. I sold the Roland 2 years ago but I still have the DMM. My fav digital delay is the DD-20 and Boss PS-2 and still have both as well as a DD-3.

OK, here's the thing to consider: analog sounds warm and clear which IMO is great if you're playing solo or part of a non-busy mix, but in most instances I feel that a digital delay's harsher tone cuts through a mix better and hence seemingly sounds better in that situation. The DD-20 is what currently resides on my pedalboard.

Chorus: I've owned a few and tried many but I've always stuck with my Keeley-modded CE-2. Awesome.

Phaser: I've never really been into the phaser effect but if you're looking for a phase 90 you might want to check into a unit made by Carl's Custom Guitars. Carl is a custom pedalmaker who makes a phaser/univibe combo pedal that supposedly uses the same electronics as the old phase 90 and uses the same small box. You can find these pedals at the Carl's Ebay store.

Boost/gain: I recently bought a Bad monkey and seems to fit that bill quite nicely.

Mark

[hal9000]

Originally posted by Goldwing
Hi everyone

I'm also in the process of getting a good overdrive unit for overdrive the clean channel and to boost a little the channel two of my F50

I have a stock Boss SD1 right now and is good for getting more gain from the channel two but it doesn't raise the volume enough as a booster.

Has anyone tried the BD-2 modified by Keleey? I'm thinking in getting one. It has a better low end response than the stock model AFAIK.

In the other hand, I have the honor to lend my F50 this past weekend to several of the best bluesman of Spain for a little gig in the Hard Rock Café and for the first time I could have a very good glance of what my amp can do played in the right hands jejejje.. In short, I think now that many overdrive sounds can be achieved just by tweaking the settings, the thing is that a good overdrive could really help to get the right sound but I don't know if it's really worthy to pay for the overdrive pedal or should I try more tweakings with my amp.

what do you think?

thnks!! Isn't it interesting to hear your amp played by someone else, especially if they are good?

You're not going to get a true volume boost with a distorted preamp because the tubes are already near their limit as far as amplification. A boost simply compresses the signal more. Now, there are some tricks you can do with EQ, like dropping some bass to get a tighter low end, or emphasizing the mids to cut through better, but that's not a true volume boost. The only way to get a true boost is to use the FX loop which is after the preamp. Any pedal that can handle the level will work, but it's best not to use too much gain here. In fact, I like to use a drop in level as my standard volume, and true bypass as a solo boost.

[John Denver]

Well, i took my amp in to the tech.....this is in regards to an earlier post about smoke coming out the back of the amp. It was a faulty power tube that blew the screen grid resistor. So now the parts are on the way....sweet! One weird thing i discovered was before i took my amp in, the reverb did nothing....i heard the reverb is a bit weak on the F50, so i just chalked it up to that. Well when i took it in i figured i'd have the tech check that out too.....the tank was completely dead, according to him. I don't use reverb really at all, but i thought that was an interesting find. Mesa has sent my tubes and tank.....i'm wondering how in the hell that happened to a new amp. Had it for 4 months.....oh well, i just can't wait to make my baby scream again.

[hal9000]

Originally posted by John Denver
Well, i took my amp in to the tech.....this is in regards to an earlier post about smoke coming out the back of the amp. It was a faulty power tube that blew the screen grid resistor. So now the parts are on the way....sweet! One weird thing i discovered was before i took my amp in, the reverb did nothing....i heard the reverb is a bit weak on the F50, so i just chalked it up to that. Well when i took it in i figured i'd have the tech check that out too.....the tank was completely dead, according to him. I don't use reverb really at all, but i thought that was an interesting find. Mesa has sent my tubes and tank.....i'm wondering how in the hell that happened to a new amp. Had it for 4 months.....oh well, i just can't wait to make my baby scream again. Well, reverb tanks can get hosed via shipping or rough handling very easily so it's not surprising that the tank probably had a bad spring. I've had two tanks fail in a Rivera I used to have (also Accutroincs, but not as well protected as on my Mesa). Also, blowing a screen grid resistor is not uncommon for a particularly bad power tube failure. So, I'm sorry to hear that you've had some problems, but hopefully you'll get it back in perfect shape. :)

[Daeveed]

Two things.

1. For the booster questions above. I recently bought an LPB-1 from Electro Harmonix, and it works great on both channels of my F-50, but particularly on the clean one, with the amp gain set at about 3:00 (3/4 of total gain), the LPB boost at 12:00, and played through a Strat...mmmm sweeet.

2. My lower back wants to put casters on my F-50. Does anyone have any particular types I should get? I'm most concerned about diameter and thickness of the wheel. Also, any installation tips?


thanks!

[VoodooChild24]

Originally posted by hal9000
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y34/afraiddave/hal9000F-100SettingsSludgeInifinite.jpg

For my latest recording COC - It is that way I just went straight in with my ESP H-1000 (JB in the bridge) with these settings:
Gain 2:00, Treble 1:00, Mids 3:00, Bass 9:00, Master 9:00.

Thanks Neil. I will try those tonight when i get home. Talk about stunning graphics! :love:

[jcoggins7]

2. My lower back wants to put casters on my F-50. Does anyone have any particular types I should get? I'm most concerned about diameter and thickness of the wheel. Also, any installation tips?

Check out these:

http://mesa.stores.yahoo.net/44tracremcas.html

http://mesa.stores.yahoo.net/43tracremcas.html

[jcoggins7]

As for phaser.......I just feel I need to go for the EVH MXR Phase 90. simple, sounds good, and I'd use it mostly with leads.

You should check out the Cusack Tap-a-Phase first. It's the only tap tempo phaser I've seen/heard about, and they make good products.

[Carvinendorser]

Have you guys ever had any unwanted feedback from your amp? I have an F-50 combo. It seems I used to get some feedback with the gain around 10 o'clock or so, no contour, but it was a little more controllable. Not very much gain really. I put some new pups in, which are a little more mellow and it seems to be worse. I rechecked my ground connections per some advice and I'm gonna give it another go tonight. I tried a buddies guitar and cable last week, it still did it but not as bad.

I'm using a solid body guitar with humbuckers btw.

:confused:

Maybe I'll try some new tubes later. I'm starting to think it has something to do with the room we jam in.

:freak:

[Lt_Core]

Originally posted by Carvinendorser
Have you guys ever had any unwanted feedback from your amp? I have an F-50 combo. It seems I used to get some feedback with the gain around 10 o'clock or so, no contour, but it was a little more controllable. Not very much gain really. I put some new pups in, which are a little more mellow and it seems to be worse. I rechecked my ground connections per some advice and I'm gonna give it another go tonight. I tried a buddies guitar and cable last week, it still did it but not as bad.

I'm using a solid body guitar with humbuckers btw.

:confused:

Maybe I'll try some new tubes later. I'm starting to think it has something to do with the room we jam in.

:freak:

Not sure what's going on there. I use Seymour Duncan Jazz & JB pups, as well as American Tele pups and my F-50 combo is super quiet, even with a variety of pedals turned on. Good luck, wish I had some good advice for you.

[Antti Loponen]

I went to my guitar store and asked about replacing the tubes for my F-30. The clerk says I shouldn't replace my tubes if the amp is working fine, and said tubes don't really affect the tone. I've had my amp now for a year, played 50 gigs with it and recorded a full-length album, and also played countless hours of practice. I wonder if any of you disagree with him? :cool:

[snakum]

When I was playing Peavey Classics exclusively I always replaced mine every two years, and sometimes I could hear a bit of a difference after doing so. In some amps (Peavey Classics especially) the tone will start to sound 'spongey' and you'll lose some top end sparkle when the tubes are old. But in many other amps - Fender, Marshall - I really couldn't tell much difference unless it had become noisy and I didn't want to track down the noisy tube.

My old Peavey Mace combo (1974) had the original 6L6s still in it when it finally died. Twenty plus years on one set. And I gigged an old Fender Dual Showman Reverb for six years with the same tubes that were installed at the factory in 1976, and the guy I sold it to hadn't replaced them either in 1992.

With Mesa I don't have enough experience yet to tell if they are suseptible to 'old tube tiredness' or not. In some amps there just isn't much difference in tone among among different brands of power amp tubes, or between old and newer tubes (pre amp tubes make a noticeable difference in most all amps).

So I guess I want to know, too. Do Mesa amps generally exhibit 'tired tube syndrome' or do they keep on pumping till the amp gets noisy, or till a tube starts squealing?

[plumptone]

Originally posted by Daeveed
Two things.

...2. My lower back wants to put casters on my F-50. Does anyone have any particular types I should get? I'm most concerned about diameter and thickness of the wheel. Also, any installation tips?


thanks!

On the casters issue: be careful. If you want to preserve the value of the unit, you really don't want to start drilling holes into it. The mesa casters, at $120, are not cheap. Consider this as an option (which is actually what I did): buy a road case with wheels. For only slightly more than the price of a set of casters from mesa, you can get a pretty decent road case (not ATA - but definitely a good deal of protection) that has the wheels you are looking for, and that will protect the amp when you're moving it around. Let me know if you'd like the details on this. I did a LOT of research on these cases, and was able to hook myself up with a pretty decent one at a fraction of the cost of the anvils. I paid $160 and that included the shipping and handling. For $40 more than a simple set of wheels, I think it's probably good to at least consider this option.

[hal9000]

Originally posted by Daeveed
Two things.

<snip>

2. My lower back wants to put casters on my F-50. Does anyone have any particular types I should get? I'm most concerned about diameter and thickness of the wheel. Also, any installation tips?


thanks! Have you thought about a dolly? You won't have to modify your amp, and dollies are better suited to rough terrain instead of hard casters: http://www.musiciansfriend.com/product/Road-Ready-RRWAD-Heavy-Duty-Caster-Kit?sku=541196

[Daeveed]

Thanks guys.

The thing is, where I work, i can get a set of good heavy duty casters for about $40, or maybe less.

So I was considering that option. A case would be nice, but it is too much for what i need. Not necessarily pricewise, but in terms of overall size, protection and weight.

The dolly option looks good for what i need, but it's still double the price of the casters...is it that bad to instal casters (i.e. drill holes) at the bottom of the amp?

[eSoTeRiK]

Originally posted by Daeveed
Thanks guys.

The thing is, where I work, i can get a set of good heavy duty casters for about $40, or maybe less.

So I was considering that option. A case would be nice, but it is too much for what i need. Not necessarily pricewise, but in terms of overall size, protection and weight.

The dolly option looks good for what i need, but it's still double the price of the casters...is it that bad to instal casters (i.e. drill holes) at the bottom of the amp?

It's not inherently bad; but the amp will lose value if you ever decide to sell it.

If you intend on keeping it forever, by all means go ahead! :thu:

[markmann]

Originally posted by Daeveed
Thanks guys.

The thing is, where I work, i can get a set of good heavy duty casters for about $40, or maybe less.

So I was considering that option. A case would be nice, but it is too much for what i need. Not necessarily pricewise, but in terms of overall size, protection and weight.

The dolly option looks good for what i need, but it's still double the price of the casters...is it that bad to instal casters (i.e. drill holes) at the bottom of the amp? I noticed that Home Depot carries carpeted dollies that look like they could work. Check the area where they sell the 2-wheel hand trucks, I remember them being inexpensive.

Also, I made a dolly similar to the MF unit. I basically cut a 3/4" piece of plywood a little larger that the footprint of my cab and scewed 4 heavy-duty casters to the bottom. I added 4 "L" brackets on the top where the rubber feet sit as a retention feature so that the amp can't slide off and I painted the whole thing black. Looks good and works great and was almost as easy as just mounting casters to the cab.

[jcoggins7]

A guy I know that's extremely familiar with Mesas because he sold them and plays them and mods them said that if you add the Mesa wheels, it shouldn't devalue your amp at all. Also, if you use them, when you remove them, your amp still sits on its rubber feet, which is good, instead of the metal slides that the casters slide into.

[hal9000]

Originally posted by Daeveed
Thanks guys.

The thing is, where I work, i can get a set of good heavy duty casters for about $40, or maybe less.

So I was considering that option. A case would be nice, but it is too much for what i need. Not necessarily pricewise, but in terms of overall size, protection and weight.

The dolly option looks good for what i need, but it's still double the price of the casters...is it that bad to instal casters (i.e. drill holes) at the bottom of the amp? Like Mark said, if you can get good casters for $40, build your own dolly to fit the amp perfectly. All the DIY stores can do the cutting for you if you don't have a saw.

[Surfcaster]

I also built my own dolly. I built a 2x4 frame with a 3/4" plywood top (all out of wood scraps I had laying around), so it's really more of a platform than a dolly. I just bought some casters at Lowes or Home Depot or someplace like that. It didn't take more than a couple hours...including the trip to the store. I really built mine to keep it off the basement floor because we have had water in the basement before and i just wanted to make sure it never got to my amp.

[Joeytpg]

Guys this is the time i've been waiting for!...after reading the F-series lounge for a lot of months and asking all types of question regarding Mesa amps, specially F-series i'm about to buy an F-Series!

i'm sooooo thrilled! i recently moved to Spain and i was looking for a Cheap Mesa F-30 or F-50....and i found a used one....the owner is asking me 850 Euros which i think is a GREAT price (he's selling because he doesn't use iut anymore).....he says there's nothing wrong with the amp, nor the tubes, or anything...i saw pics of the amp and it looks great.....i'll be going over to his town (40 min. from where i am) to try it out and if i like what i see and hear BUY IT right there.....

I'm taking Hal's Audition Settings with me so i can get the Max. out of this quick audition...... THANKS FOR THAT Hal!

I hope from tomorrow onward i'll become an F-series owner!


ONE LAST THING......... can anyone tell me what kind of things should i look for when auditioning this amp? it's my first Tube amp so i don't know much about bad tubes and how do they sound and stuff.....or anything else....beside cosmetic damages, what else should i look for?

thanks a lot guys!

[Joeytpg]

alright boys! i'm officially an F-series Brother! :D :D

i bought an F-50 Combo today...i'm SOO excited! can't play it untill i pick my guitar up (going home for x-mass) so it's gonna be a months before i can play again...but it's ok....at least it's here and SAFE!

hehehe

[Dann'sTheMan]

Originally posted by Joeytpg
alright boys! i'm officially an F-series Brother! :D :D

i bought an F-50 Combo today...i'm SOO excited! can't play it untill i pick my guitar up (going home for x-mass) so it's gonna be a months before i can play again...but it's ok....at least it's here and SAFE!

hehehe

YAY! Welcome at long last Joeytpg! I hope it puts as big a smile on your face as mine does mine! :p I know you've investigated the F-series quite thoroughly, and you probably already know pretty much everything you need to get started. Do check out the loop attentuation methods to get the F-50's volume under control for home practising - hal9000's Mix pot mod is a quick and simple approach to this out. There's loads of example settings and clips for ideas, and I'm sure you'll have your own contributions to make in time. :thu:

Big smiles,

Andy.

P.S. BTW, €850 is a great price here in Europe. :cool:

[snakum]

Originally posted by Joeytpg
alright boys! i'm officially an F-series Brother! :D :D

i bought an F-50 Combo today...i'm SOO excited! can't play it untill i pick my guitar up (going home for x-mass) so it's gonna be a months before i can play again...but it's ok....at least it's here and SAFE!

hehehe

Congrats ... and welcome. I love my F-100 more and more each week, and I don't see myself ever selling it. It'll be like my trusty old Peavey Classic 30s. Dragged all over the state ... gigged forever and a day ... never missing a beat. I'd like to add an F-50 combo to my stable, too, for a quick grab-and-go practice amp. I love my Laney LC-50 combo, but it'd be cool to have the same tone as my F-100 in a smaller package for quickie gigs.

The only change I want to make is to get the 3/4 back, widebody 1x12 cabinet. Anybody have one they'd like to trade for a Recto 2x12? :D

[Joeytpg]

Thanks a lot Andy!! oh boy i shure asked a lot and bothered a lot of you guys!

I have some special thanks to Andy, Neil, Tommi, and his guy i don't remember his nickname, but he has a band called Fran Go Heep.......he posts here too......damn those guitars really made me fall for the F-series!

Andy: i will do the Neil's Mod so i can get better low volume tones!

a quick question Andy....this amp is 4 years old and was unplayed for almost a year....should i change de tubes?

which tubes do you recommend....i play Rock from Pop, to Heavy Metal......so what do you recommend??

[guitarrero]

hi,everyone! i'm from FRANCE and i think i'll find authorized answer to my research;
I 've got a MARSHALL head 30th anniversary on a 1960A cabinet(with 4x12 g12.75).I've decided to sell this head to buy either a MESA f30 combo,or a ROCKERVERB from ORANGE...
First,which one do you prefer...and why?
Second, I keep on the cabinet 1960 and I do think,it could be a good association to improve sound of these amps!
I 've tried to find any response ....but i dind't
Can you help me ...it's better to ask to who knows!!
MANY THANKS!!!!:confused:

[Rodimus Prime]

hey guitarrero. hope we can help.

i started typing in broken french but it was far too embarassing. i've forgotten how to phrase!

the only time i'ev played through a rockerverb was in a bass cab so my results weren't the best. Depending on what you want to change your tone into, you might not find great difference between your marshall and the rockerverb. I personally have not been blown away by the rockerverb combos clips that i've heard. there seems to be a severe lack of bass, but a head or combo into your cab would change that.

the f30 is a great amp, i don't have many bad things to say about it. Other than maybe go for an F50 combo. Either of those into your marshall amp would be gold.

[guitarrero]

Thank you RODIMUS,I keep your answer in mind and I still expect some more advices about that.
I've just forgotten to talk about my two delicious friends:
STRATO US 1976 and PRS CE 1995 to get really different types of sound .....in so attractive amps...
And go for the gusto!!!

[Lt_Core]

Has anyone tried the Little Big Muff into an F-50? Good, bad, indifferent? Opinions please.....I have zero experience with fuzz pedals and have read good things about this pedal, for the price. Thanks!

[Lt_Core]

I've been using a Boss GE-7 EQ pedal in the effects loop to help attenuate my F-50's volume. It's a stock GE-7 and there seems to be some tone changes when it's on. Would I get better results with a Weber Mini Mass? I can't use the effects loop attenuation mod because I have chorus, delay & tremolo pedals in the loop as well. I used to use it before I got these pedal.

Looks like this is a newer Mini Mass?

https://taweber.powweb.com/weber/minimass.htm

I know this has been talked to death in this thread but I really need to find a better solution that doesn't break the bank. Thanks!

[saos|n45]

I just thought I'd let you guys know I bought an f-50 today! Well, more like my parents bought me one but I worked for some of the money to buy it. I did a lot of research on it before I bought it and this thread helped a lot. My trademark 60 is good, but this thing fukin slays. no more pedals to get a metal or good lead sound. i only got to play it at low volumes tonight, but tomorrow ill crank it. however from my previous experience testing out the amp, I don't think i could turn the master volume past 9:00 or my house would blow up cuz this thing is fuckin loud.

[hal9000]

Originally posted by guitarrero
hi,everyone! i'm from FRANCE and i think i'll find authorized answer to my research;
I 've got a MARSHALL head 30th anniversary on a 1960A cabinet(with 4x12 g12.75).I've decided to sell this head to buy either a MESA f30 combo,or a ROCKERVERB from ORANGE...
First,which one do you prefer...and why?
Second, I keep on the cabinet 1960 and I do think,it could be a good association to improve sound of these amps!
I 've tried to find any response ....but i dind't
Can you help me ...it's better to ask to who knows!!
MANY THANKS!!!!:confused: Bonjour, bienvenue au forum et le salon de F-séries!

Okay, enough broken francais for now. :)

I think your decision about the amp will come down to which voicing you prefer. IIRC, the Rocker 30 doesn't have an FX loop and only had a volume control for the clean channel. So, compared to the F-30, it's a lot less versatile. If you're considering the Rockerverb 50 or 100, then the feature sets line up a lot better to the F-series.

I'm sure the F-series will sound good with the 1960 cab. I've played my F-100 through my singer's 1960 and it sounded very good.

[hal9000]

Originally posted by saos|n45
I just thought I'd let you guys know I bought an f-50 today! Well, more like my parents bought me one but I worked for some of the money to buy it. I did a lot of research on it before I bought it and this thread helped a lot. My trademark 60 is good, but this thing fukin slays. no more pedals to get a metal or good lead sound. i only got to play it at low volumes tonight, but tomorrow ill crank it. however from my previous experience testing out the amp, I don't think i could turn the master volume past 9:00 or my house would blow up cuz this thing is fuckin loud. Congrats on the new amp and welcome to the F-series Brotherhood!

Tell us more about the rest of your rig and what kind of music you play.

If you'd like to get the master a little higher to squeeze some more great tone out of the amp, I have a quick setup tip in my sig titled, "FX LOOP MASTER VOLUME." I like to run the Mix pot at around 2:00.

[Flannery]

Originally posted by Lt_Core
Has anyone tried the Little Big Muff into an F-50? Good, bad, indifferent? Opinions please.....I have zero experience with fuzz pedals and have read good things about this pedal, for the price. Thanks!

I have a Russian made Big Muff (the black one) and it sounds unbelievable through my F-50. I'm into bands like Nebula, Fu Manchu and Kyuss so I bought it on a lark (best $70 I've ever spent) on the off chance it had some mojo. Well it has mojo and then some. As my friend said after hearing it...you don't use one of those...... it's more like you deploy it. And that is a very good analogy...it's an aggressive but very usable type of distortion. So if that's what you are looking for I think you'd be very pleased with what you hear.

[hal9000]

Originally posted by Lt_Core
I've been using a Boss GE-7 EQ pedal in the effects loop to help attenuate my F-50's volume. It's a stock GE-7 and there seems to be some tone changes when it's on. Would I get better results with a Weber Mini Mass? I can't use the effects loop attenuation mod because I have chorus, delay & tremolo pedals in the loop as well. I used to use it before I got these pedal.

Looks like this is a newer Mini Mass?

https://taweber.powweb.com/weber/minimass.htm

I know this has been talked to death in this thread but I really need to find a better solution that doesn't break the bank. Thanks! Lt_Core, the reason you're hearing changes with the tone when the GE-7 is in the loop is because the F-series loop (and all Mesas) were designed with pro-line levels (rack devices) in mind. That's not to say that a stomp box won't work, just that you have to try them out before buying to make sure it works for you. I notice a bit of tone sucking with my DOD FX-40B stomp EQ in the loop as well. Ultimately, the loop is for line level (0 dBu), low impedance (600-10 k Ohms), and stomp boxes are designed for instrument level (very low) and high impedance (1,000,000 Ohms). I hear that the MXR 10-band is supposed to be sweet in most loops, so perhaps that might do the trick. While you're at it, go ahead and try the Dano Fish and Chips to see if that works too, since it's so inexpensive.

As far as attenuation and low volumes, I don't find power attenuators to really excel at that function. I personally think that my F-100 sounds better at very low volume with the FX Loop mix master turned to about 2:00 and the overdrive volume around 9:30, than with the Hot Plate on -12 dB for roughly the same output level. I think attenuators are really good for getting a screaming amp down to practice and gig levels when you want the tonal contribution of a pushed power section.

[Iliketapping]

I like more darker tones with a aggressive touch and brutal low-end. Last time I tried the F-30 it had this nice sound and it was exactly what I'm looking for. But at the same time it seems to be a hell to EQ. Right now Im leaning towards the F-30 becouse it hase the right kind of tone that I like. What do you think?Also, were can I get good settings for it!?

[hal9000]

Originally posted by Iliketapping
I like more darker tones with a aggressive touch and brutal low-end. Last time I tried the F-30 it had this nice sound and it was exactly what I'm looking for. But at the same time it seems to be a hell to EQ. Right now Im leaning towards the F-30 becouse it hase the right kind of tone that I like. What do you think?Also, were can I get good settings for it!? I'm partial to the settings in my sig. If you like a really heavy low end, you might want to put an EQ in the loop since EL-84s are kind of bass-lite. The F-50 and 100 will have a lot more bass, but won't have the crunchy mids that the EL-84s have.

[Goldwing]

Originally posted by hal9000
Isn't it interesting to hear your amp played by someone else, especially if they are good?

You're not going to get a true volume boost with a distorted preamp because the tubes are already near their limit as far as amplification. A boost simply compresses the signal more. Now, there are some tricks you can do with EQ, like dropping some bass to get a tighter low end, or emphasizing the mids to cut through better, but that's not a true volume boost. The only way to get a true boost is to use the FX loop which is after the preamp. Any pedal that can handle the level will work, but it's best not to use too much gain here. In fact, I like to use a drop in level as my standard volume, and true bypass as a solo boost.

Hi hal.. thnks for the answer.

As you said its very very interesting to see someone really really good playing with your amp or guitar. Then you realize that there are sounds withing the possibilities of your actual gear that you've never think of. Quite amazing I must say....

I'm playin now with my GAIN knobs in the F50. So Far the best answer for me is that I have to tweak and adjust them for different songs (I play in a cover band). It's more complicated that what I wanted but its better in the end.

I use the BluesDriver emulation of my Boss GT8 and I think it works great mos of the time.. I will most likely buy the pedal in the end...

The SD-1 of BOss is a great overdrive but somehow it doesn't works fine with my gear just by itself.

Originally posted by Lt_Core
Has anyone tried the Little Big Muff into an F-50? Good, bad, indifferent? Opinions please.....I have zero experience with fuzz pedals and have read good things about this pedal, for the price. Thanks!

I have a USA BIg MUFF and altough its more muddy than what I like it to be it's an oustanding pedal. I use it with Floyd's cover songs mostly.

But... it's not an "easy" pedal.. it takes time to find the sweet spot. I find that the sweet spot with my F50 and my Jimmie Vaughan Strat with Tex-Mex pickups is with the volume knob at 11 o'clock and the tone and sustains knob arround the 1 o'clock. I should try to change my pickups for the cs'54 ...

Oh yes, and it works much better with an overdrive pedal before it and a little of mid boost in the eq.

The Little Big Muff its supposed to have a different tone that the russian and the american (something in between..) but I haven't hear it

[Tommi Inkila]

Hello brotherhood and welcome all new members!

I've been busy with my studies, work and Scenery Channel... we are preparing to record some new songs on January. Hopefully I'll have time to do some new clips then... meanwhile check this thread for a song that was left out from the single/ep we're going to make... probably it will be on our next full cd.

http://acapella.harmony-central.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=1467962

[rakester]

hey anyone using an eq in there f-series setup? good results?

[hal9000]

Originally posted by rakester
hey anyone using an eq in there f-series setup? good results? I use the Parametric EQ in my G-Major and it works excellently. I can pump the bass up, scoop the mids, compensate for bright speakers, etc.

[Natek]

Originally posted by hal9000
I use the Parametric EQ in my G-Major and it works excellently. I can pump the bass up, scoop the mids, compensate for bright speakers, etc.

How do you compensate for the over-brightness in the speakers?? I'm hoping to accomplish that when i get my MXR 10-band in.

[Tommi Inkila]

Originally posted by Natek
How do you compensate for the over-brightness in the speakers?? I'm hoping to accomplish that when i get my MXR 10-band in.
I also use my G-Major as an extra EQ... although I have it on only on my lead sound with slight 650-800Hz boost.

Depending on the speaker type the over-brightness can be about anywhere at 5kHz-10kHz and it can be compensated with wide or narrow EQ. In recording situations narrow can be used to remove certain area that's annoying, like some digitality resides around 8kHz normally... so put narrow Q 0,30 with drastic cut. It actually needs a lot of experimenting.

[hal9000]

Originally posted by Natek
How do you compensate for the over-brightness in the speakers?? I'm hoping to accomplish that when i get my MXR 10-band in. As Tommi said, you'll have to experiment to find the offending frequencies, especially if you like to listen to the amp in the center beam of speaker. Most likely, you're getting a bunch of treble in the 4-5 kHz which is about the top end of what a guitar speaker reproduces with any authority. For around the same price as the MXR there are a couple of rack units made to run at line level that will provide more control for you like the DOD EQ 31-band mono (http://www.musiciansfriend.com/product/DOD-SR431QXLR-31Band-EQ?sku=180106) DOD 15-Band Stereo (http://www.musiciansfriend.com/product/DOD-SR430QXLR-Graphic-EQ?sku=180104) or dbx 31-Band EQ mono (http://www.musiciansfriend.com/product/dbx-131-Single-31Band-Graphic-EQ?sku=183525)

[snakum]

We're going into the studio to re-record a very crappily recorded CD and add a couple new songs to it. But before we go, I'm going to put together a small home studio just to help us work out the new stuff. I'm still using my old PC and haven't gotten the new card yet, but I'm already experimenting with recorded tones for the F-100.

Would some kind soul go the following URL and check out the two songs at the bottom of the menu (Face On Furnace ... a private joke) and tell me which works, if any, and why? If neither ... what does it need?

http://www.soundclick.com/bands/pagemusic.cfm?bandID=638062

Danke schon!

[CAC]

Hey guys I need some help. I'm very impressed with all of the recordings here, and now I am trying to make a short demo CD with my band. This is the first time I've ever tried to do any serious recording. So far, I am very unhappy with the dirty tones I'm getting from my F-50 combo. Here's the thing, live and jamming with the band in the practice space it sounds awesome. I'm going for AC/DC meets ZZ Top dirty tones and those are pretty easy to dial in. So I went in last week to work on my sound before we started recording. The soundman miked up my amp. He put the amp through some large speakers and it still sounded great. However, when I put on headphones to record some demo tracks the sound immediately turned to weak fizz. It sounds like a totally different amp through the headphones. I ask the soundguy what the deal is, and he says,"That's how the amp sounds." So I take the headphones off, and listen to tha amp again cranked and it sounds fine. I say to him,"Don't you hear that it's different now, how do we capture that sound?" He tells me the sound I'm hearing through the headphones is what the recording will sound like. Needless to say I'm starting to get nervous at that point. Then I put the headphones back on and try it again and get more fizz. So for like an hour we try different mikes, different mike placement, etc, but I can't dial out the weak sounding fizz through the headphones. So if you guys have suggestions for recording I would greatly appreciate it. We record with the band tonight, and to tell you the truth I'm really worried how this is going to turn out.

[plumptone]

I'm sure there are others here who can chime in on this, and who have lots of experience, but you should know that recording electric guitar isn't as easy as you'd think. When you listen to the amp in the room, you're getting the sound from the front of the speaker, the back of the speaker, and radiating off all the flat surfaces in the room. It's not easy to truly capture that sound. First, and most obviously, you need high quality microphones - condenser-types usually. You can go nuts with this stuff, but it mostly all boils down to mic placement and understanding phase cancellation. Your engineer should have a thorough understanding of all the issues involved.

Here's how I usually do it: one mic up close to the speaker - almost touching the grille, but not angled dead center on the speaker. Usually I place it slightly off-axis from the center of the cone, but angled straight on. Then I use a second mic, probably about 4 feet off the floor about three to four feet in front of the amp. If the phase is adjusted correctly, by blending the sound from both mics you can get (i) a great stereo spread, and (ii) a very full sound. You can get a VERY different sound depending on how far away you place the second mic, and/or how you angle the first mic. It takes time and patience.

Also, I've found that I don't need to dial in quite as much gain when I'm recording as I do when I play live.

Other guys put one mic on the speaker, and one behind the cab, or use one mic pretty far back from the cab, but driving the cab hard. It all depends on what you like and what works for you.

The sounds you've heard here are a testament to what the F-series can do in a recording environment. Don't give up on it yet, and be patient.

Just my $0.02.

[mrfreeze]

Originally posted by CAC
Hey guys I need some help. I'm very impressed with all of the recordings here, and now I am trying to make a short demo CD with my band. This is the first time I've ever tried to do any serious recording. So far, I am very unhappy with the dirty tones I'm getting from my F-50 combo. Here's the thing, live and jamming with the band in the practice space it sounds awesome. I'm going for AC/DC meets ZZ Top dirty tones and those are pretty easy to dial in. So I went in last week to work on my sound before we started recording. The soundman miked up my amp. He put the amp through some large speakers and it still sounded great. However, when I put on headphones to record some demo tracks the sound immediately turned to weak fizz. It sounds like a totally different amp through the headphones. I ask the soundguy what the deal is, and he says,"That's how the amp sounds." So I take the headphones off, and listen to tha amp again cranked and it sounds fine. I say to him,"Don't you hear that it's different now, how do we capture that sound?" He tells me the sound I'm hearing through the headphones is what the recording will sound like. Needless to say I'm starting to get nervous at that point. Then I put the headphones back on and try it again and get more fizz. So for like an hour we try different mikes, different mike placement, etc, but I can't dial out the weak sounding fizz through the headphones. So if you guys have suggestions for recording I would greatly appreciate it. We record with the band tonight, and to tell you the truth I'm really worried how this is going to turn out.


sounds like your engineer is a d-bag. the guy who posted above me had some very good points. patience is key when it comes to recording. you can't just throw a mic in front of your amp, and expect it to capture the sound you are getting. your engineer should be a little more lenient though when it comes to this, and he should have a pretty good knowledge of it. just stick it to him man, go in with your own ideas on how to make things better, and make him do it.

plumptone: i've tried doing the same placement you were talking about, with the one mic to the side of the cone, and the 2nd mic about 3 feet away. the first time i did it, i used a 57 for the front and tried catching the 4 foot with my drummers condenser mic. sounded horrible, than i pulled a switch, and had the 57 in the back, and the condenser in the front, holy crap, i don't know if the 57 did much, (i couldn't hear much of a difference in the mix) but the condenser was sweet! it was the first time i ever tried micing an amp with a condenser

[plumptone]

... i've tried doing the same placement you were talking about, with the one mic to the side of the cone, and the 2nd mic about 3 feet away. the first time i did it, i used a 57 for the front and tried catching the 4 foot with my drummers condenser mic. sounded horrible, than i pulled a switch, and had the 57 in the back, and the condenser in the front, holy crap, i don't know if the 57 did much, (i couldn't hear much of a difference in the mix) but the condenser was sweet! it was the first time i ever tried micing an amp with a condenser

Yeah - a condenser will do good things for you if the engineer knows what he's doing. They sound very "airy" and open to me, and I love the way they capture an open sound. Try it with 2 condensers and things get real big sounding.

[CAC]

Originally posted by plumptone
I'm sure there are others here who can chime in on this, and who have lots of experience, but you should know that recording electric guitar isn't as easy as you'd think. When you listen to the amp in the room, you're getting the sound from the front of the speaker, the back of the speaker, and radiating off all the flat surfaces in the room. It's not easy to truly capture that sound. First, and most obviously, you need high quality microphones - condenser-types usually. You can go nuts with this stuff, but it mostly all boils down to mic placement and understanding phase cancellation. Your engineer should have a thorough understanding of all the issues involved.

Here's how I usually do it: one mic up close to the speaker - almost touching the grille, but not angled dead center on the speaker. Usually I place it slightly off-axis from the center of the cone, but angled straight on. Then I use a second mic, probably about 4 feet off the floor about three to four feet in front of the amp. If the phase is adjusted correctly, by blending the sound from both mics you can get (i) a great stereo spread, and (ii) a very full sound. You can get a VERY different sound depending on how far away you place the second mic, and/or how you angle the first mic. It takes time and patience.

Also, I've found that I don't need to dial in quite as much gain when I'm recording as I do when I play live.

Other guys put one mic on the speaker, and one behind the cab, or use one mic pretty far back from the cab, but driving the cab hard. It all depends on what you like and what works for you.

The sounds you've heard here are a testament to what the F-series can do in a recording environment. Don't give up on it yet, and be patient.


Thanks for the response, I'll try using two mikes. We were going to have everyone going in the room at the same time to record live due to time constraints. I'm not sure how that would work if we are not recording in isolation. I'll definitely try it though. Thanks again!
Just my $0.02.

[Adam Poland]

I'm sure I'll be needing this last bit of information very soon since my band is going to record sometime in January. We did rough recordings and they turned out iffy because the input volumes were way too high.

[CAC]

Sorry, I guess it didn't reply under the quote. Anyways, I'll try using two different mikes tonight and placing them in some other positions besides rightin front of the amp. It seems like I'm losing all of the thickness of the amp. Anyways, thanks for the replies!

[plumptone]

Originally posted by CAC
Sorry, I guess it didn't reply under the quote. Anyways, I'll try using two different mikes tonight and placing them in some other positions besides rightin front of the amp. It seems like I'm losing all of the thickness of the amp. Anyways, thanks for the replies!

Good luck with that. I've been doing this close to 30 years now, and the quality of recording you're going to get without isolation or tracking separately is going to be akin to taking a feed right off a sound board at a gig. If you're going to spend the beans on recording, I'd do it right. Unfortunately, tracking the whole band live without isolation (although inexpensive) will not yield pro-quality results. If you're using the 2-mic approach, your problems are going to be magnified because you'll have one mic up close getting mostly your guitar, but the other mic's going to be picking up bass and drums too. Probably not a good approach under those circumstances.

[hal9000]

Originally posted by CAC
<mic'ing an amplifier is hard> Yeah, mic'ing a guitar amplifier is probably one of the hardest tasks for a studio engineer. I don't claim to be an expert by any means, but I have found there are two generally acceptable methods for getting good sounds from dynamic microphones close to a speaker:

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y34/afraiddave/Micing%20Techniques/hal9000MicingDiagramLateralStyle.jpg

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y34/afraiddave/Micing%20Techniques/hal9000MicingDiagramRotationalStyle.jpg

You'll notice that the highest concentration of treble is at the very center of the speaker, while the bass is usually on the outer edge. So, as you either rotate the mic or move it latterally, you're changing the balance of frequencies to arrive at the best tone. The other piece of the puzzle is to use two close dissimilar mics at the same time. Most of the combinations I've heard are SM-57/e609, SM-57/Audix i5, SM-57/SM-58, so you get the picture. As long as you place them exactly the same distance from the speaker you shouldn't have any phase problems and they should mix very well.

I'm not a big fan of condenser mics up close to a speaker because they have such a broad frequency response and will capture high treble that doesn't sound so great with distortion. I do, however, really like a condenser mic a good distance away from the amp (e.g., 6-10 feet in distance and height) where every foot needs 1 ms of time correction. So, if you have two tracks where one is a close SM-57 on the speaker and the other is a condenser at 10 feet away, the condenser track should be moved 10 ms toward the beginning of the track.

I found this really cool idea when I was thinking about your questions:

"ED CHERNEY, engineer for the Rolling Stones and Bonnie Raitt, knows a thing or two about a thing or two. In this instance: guitar amps.

'For guitar amps, to find the sweetest spot to place the microphone — Shure 57s are usually the classic choice when close miking, although I have really been digging the Royer Ribbon 121 — then plug the guitar cable into the input, but don’t plug in the guitar. On the jack that you would plug into the guitar, hold it and put your thumb against the tip of the jack so it hums. Then get down on your hands and knees in front of the amp speaker, cup your other hand behind your ear and listen from about a foot away from the speaker. Move your ear around until you hear the spot where the hum is the fullest and richest — that’s where to aim the microphone.'" EQ Magazine - THE OBLIGATORY GENIUS GUIDE TO STUNNING MIC TACTICS… (http://www.eqmag.com/story.asp?sectioncode=36&storycode=10573&featurecode=39)

[CAC]

Originally posted by plumptone
Good luck with that. I've been doing this close to 30 years now, and the quality of recording you're going to get without isolation or tracking separately is going to be akin to taking a feed right off a sound board at a gig. If you're going to spend the beans on recording, I'd do it right. Unfortunately, tracking the whole band live without isolation (although inexpensive) will not yield pro-quality results. If you're using the 2-mic approach, your problems are going to be magnified because you'll have one mic up close getting mostly your guitar, but the other mic's going to be picking up bass and drums too. Probably not a good approach under those circumstances.

Yeah, I know it's not ideal to record this way, and we are not shopping it to labels or looking for a deal or anything. It's just a brief sample of a couple of songs to give to a couple of bar/club owners. I originally wanted to record everything in isolation and do one track at a time, but this will not hapen yet due to time constraints. Still, I would like to make it sound as good as possible.

[CAC]

Hal9000, thanks a million man. I'll print this out and bring it this evening. Maybe it will help. I actually sent some clips of your playing as well as Andy's to our soundman to proove that the F-series can sound great recorded.

[Samoan tiikeri]

How do you snakum boost your leads on gig? I just thinked it out and realized that you dont have any boosting pedals, do you?

[jds22]

I'm going to try some different speakers in my 212 cab. I'm using an F50 head. What "ohm" speakers should I get?

16ohm and wire the cab for 8?

8ohm and wire the cab for 4?

Does it matter either way?

I won't be hooking up any additional cabs, only this one.

Thanks,
Jerry

[Muzikazoo]

Great mic'ing tips, folks!


I've been in the market for a new amp for some time. I had played the TSL 601 and had come to the conclusion that I was getting the TSL 60, but the lag when footswitching channels is a bitch. I need INSTANT switchability. That's what my music calls for.

I play a Les Paul custom. I go for tones like Queens of the Stone Age, Tool, and some Lamb of God type stuff.

I'm in a small town out in the country and there isn't an F-50 anywhere near that I could try.

Also, I read somewhere earlier in the post that Contour mode now comes with a +3db switch. Are is that just hardwiring? And....how would my Boss digital Reverb, and Line6 DL4 delay sound in the FX loop?

I'm really hoping hard that this is the right amp for me. I'm moving to meet the rest of my band in about 7 months in Austin, so I have that much time to get my sound situated, and we're really looking to hit the ground running over there. All suggestions are much appreciated! I love this fucking site!

-Trey

[hal9000]

Originally posted by CAC
Hal9000, thanks a million man. I'll print this out and bring it this evening. Maybe it will help. I actually sent some clips of your playing as well as Andy's to our soundman to proove that the F-series can sound great recorded. You're welcome and I hope our advice here helps you get what you're looking for. I'm humbled to think that you used some of my recordings as an example of what the F-series can sound like, so, thanks! :)

If you have the gear, perhaps my silent recording rig may be useful as well:

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

You basically just need a line level tap and speaker sim to go direct to a recording interface. I used what I had lying around, but this setup could easily be replaced with a Behringer Ultra-G or H&K Red Box Pro (line level taps with cab sims). You can still record with mics this way, but you'll also have another option. I don't suggest using the recording output on the amp for distorted sounds, but give it a try as well.

[hal9000]

Originally posted by jds22
I'm going to try some different speakers in my 212 cab. I'm using an F50 head. What "ohm" speakers should I get?

16ohm and wire the cab for 8?

8ohm and wire the cab for 4?

Does it matter either way?

I won't be hooking up any additional cabs, only this one.

Thanks,
Jerry I would wire up two 16 ohm speakers in parallel for an 8 Ohm total load, just like my F-100 2x12 combo. That way, if you ever decide to run another 8 Ohm cab, plug each into one of the F-50's 4 Ohm outputs.

Have you decided on a set or combo of speakers yet? Speakers must be the most difficult choice out there when it comes to tone, because it's almost impossible to find a place that has more than a few to try.

[jds22]

Have you decided on a set or combo of speakers yet?

I'm really leaning towards Eminence Private Jacks or Man O Wars.

I've been using your classic settings and am really diggin' the pseudo Marshall vibe. So I was thinking PJs or MOWs might be a good choice.

I'll most likely go thru Musician's Friend so I can return them if they don't work out.

[hal9000]

Originally posted by Muzikazoo
Great mic'ing tips, folks!


I've been in the market for a new amp for some time. I had played the TSL 601 and had come to the conclusion that I was getting the TSL 60, but the lag when footswitching channels is a bitch. I need INSTANT switchability. That's what my music calls for.

I play a Les Paul custom. I go for tones like Queens of the Stone Age, Tool, and some Lamb of God type stuff.

I'm in a small town out in the country and there isn't an F-50 anywhere near that I could try.

Also, I read somewhere earlier in the post that Contour mode now comes with a +3db switch. Are is that just hardwiring? And....how would my Boss digital Reverb, and Line6 DL4 delay sound in the FX loop?

I'm really hoping hard that this is the right amp for me. I'm moving to meet the rest of my band in about 7 months in Austin, so I have that much time to get my sound situated, and we're really looking to hit the ground running over there. All suggestions are much appreciated! I love this fucking site!

-Trey Trey, the Contour mode is a fixed volume boost of about 3 dB. I'm not aware of an adjustment available on any new F-series amps. Perhaps the F-series replacement model coming out at NAMM will have one?

Concerning stomp boxes in the loop, all I can say is bring them with you when you on an F-50 audition if you can. The F-series (as are all Mesas) is designed with rack FX gear in mind, so stomp boxes may or may not work properly. I certainly don't have a problem with my G-Major in the FX Loop of my F-100.

BTW, welcome to the forum! :)

[hal9000]

Originally posted by jds22
I'm really leaning towards Eminence Private Jacks or Man O Wars.

I've been using your classic settings and am really diggin' the pseudo Marshall vibe. So I was thinking PJs or MOWs might be a good choice.

I'll most likely go thru Musician's Friend so I can return them if they don't work out. Hmm... I'm pretty sure you can't return speakers to MF after they've been opened. When I got my Century Vintage speakers from MF, they were very clear that they can't be returned after you've removed the packaging. Perhaps then, www.avatarspeakers.com will have the best price?

Musician’s Friend Return Policy

"If you are not completely satisfied with any product1, you can return it for a full refund or credit (of the product purchase price) toward a different product. We give you 45 days from the shipping date to make your decision. That’s the best guarantee in the music industry.

1. The following items are returnable only if defective OR unopened or unused: strings, reeds, tubes, earbuds, earplugs, recorders, tin whistles, flutophones, "world" wind instruments, harmonicas, raw-frame speakers, drumheads, drumsticks, turntable cartridges, fog fluid, clothing/footwear, body jewelry, cleaners, polishes, and polishing cloths. Software/soundware, cassettes, CDs, DVDs, and videos may be returned for credit only if they are in their original, sealed packaging. If defective, these items will only be exchanged for the same product."

[plumptone]

Originally posted by hal9000
... Perhaps the F-series replacement model coming out at NAMM will have one?

What's up with this - I've heard the F-series discontinuation rumor in a couple of different places now? What's the story/source for this info?

[hal9000]

Originally posted by plumptone
What's up with this - I've heard the F-series discontinuation rumor in a couple of different places now? What's the story/source for this info? I probably shouldn't have said anything since it's all hearsay at the moment. However, a few dealers around here have verified that you can get a hefty GC discount on the F-series right now. Of course the only way that happens is when Mesa has discontinued a model like the series I Stiletto, or Mark IV short head.

So far, the hearsay is basically that Mesa is releasing a model to replace the F-series at winter NAMM that has more power switching options like the Lone Star Special and other unnamed features.

[snakum]

Originally posted by Samoan tiikeri
How do you snakum boost your leads on gig? I just thinked it out and realized that you dont have any boosting pedals, do you?

I use my volume knob. I keep the Bad Monkey on all the time, because it really beefs up the tone, but I roll the volume off to clean it up a little and to take off a bit of volume, then I just roll it up for leads. For the F-100 recordings on the SoundClick site I didn't roll the volume back on one of the guitar tracks on both of the songs, and to me it was a bit too muddy for chords. Much better if rolled back to about 7.

[Rodimus Prime]

hey guys, i'm starting to have some troubles having my pedals in the fx loop.

I have 2 delay pedals (line6 dl4 and ibanez de7), a tremolo and an eq pedal in the fx loop and whenever i engage one my volume gets boosted. why is that? is there anyway to just have the volume be evened out and no boost when an effect is engaged?

ALSO, i normally have my amp on the floor next to my 2x12 cab for practices but i find that i have to really turn my volume pretty loud to be heard and that drowns out my drummer and singer. i tried sticking the amp on the 2x12 and lowered the volume because the cone is pointing right at me but i don't like this option much because the amp sounds too thin without decent volume but turned up the highs are just searing.
Any recommendations for this problem... cheaper the better. Thinking about plugging it into a 4x12 slant cab as a potential solution. anybody have experience with the f50 combo powering a 4x12 cab? i might just use the amp as a head disengaging its house speaker.

thanks all

[Surfcaster]

Originally posted by jds22
I'm really leaning towards Eminence Private Jacks or Man O Wars.

I've been using your classic settings and am really diggin' the pseudo Marshall vibe. So I was thinking PJs or MOWs might be a good choice.

I'll most likely go thru Musician's Friend so I can return them if they don't work out.

+1 to what Hal9000 said. I have not found any dealers that will accept returns on raw frame speakers once they've been opened. Avatar will accept returns on their cab/speaker combinations within 14 days, but NOT on raw frame speakers. See their site for more info.

Basically, you have to do your research the best you can and hope that what you buy suits you. If not, you can keep it around for in hopes that it might work well with another amp, or try to sell it yourself.

[snakum]

If you have an EQ in the loop, the volume/settings on the EQ may be causing the volume increase when it's kick on. Some folks do this on purpose.

Nice pics, Max ... thanks. Prepare to be banned, however, because someone will narc you out, for sure. :wave:

[swwilkinson]

Well I heard from a few sources and got this confirmed from Mesa in Hollywood that the F series will not be made any more. I got a fantastic deal on a new F-50 last night at Guitar Center- Over $200 off their tagged price! I couldn't believe it. It was even less than what I got quoted over the phone. I compared with a used unit I was looking at on Ebay that was 4 years old- I paid just $25 more for a brand spanking new unit.:thu:

I'm new to the Mesa Boogie world but have been an admirer for many years. I really look forward to participating in this forum and so far the info on here is great- I've not found this much detail and good info anywhere else. Thanks guys. Steve.

P.S. If you want to know what I paid and where drop me a personal note and I'll give you details.;)

[hal9000]

Originally posted by Rodimus Prime
hey guys, i'm starting to have some troubles having my pedals in the fx loop.

I have 2 delay pedals (line6 dl4 and ibanez de7), a tremolo and an eq pedal in the fx loop and whenever i engage one my volume gets boosted. why is that? is there anyway to just have the volume be evened out and no boost when an effect is engaged?

ALSO, i normally have my amp on the floor next to my 2x12 cab for practices but i find that i have to really turn my volume pretty loud to be heard and that drowns out my drummer and singer. i tried sticking the amp on the 2x12 and lowered the volume because the cone is pointing right at me but i don't like this option much because the amp sounds too thin without decent volume but turned up the highs are just searing.
Any recommendations for this problem... cheaper the better. Thinking about plugging it into a 4x12 slant cab as a potential solution. anybody have experience with the f50 combo powering a 4x12 cab? i might just use the amp as a head disengaging its house speaker.

thanks all FX Loop: There must be something about how you have the levels set that is disturbing the overall volume. If you can try to take each box at a time in the loop, and adjust its level controls to make sure on and off are the same level. If one of the pedals has a big change in volume when switching from bypass to on, it's probably not suitable for the pro-line level loop.

Volume wars: IMO you'd be best off to place the amp so it's on top of the 2x12 such that you can hear it better. Then, use the EQ in the FX loop to drop down the offending frequency(ies) Generally, the 2-5k band is where the icepick lives. Adjust your EQ levels at practice/gig volume without earplugs in, such that anyone in the bore-sight of the speakers won't get their heads cut off. Then, put your earplugs back in and take solace in the fact that you have well-tailored tone. As for getting more bass, you can back up your combo to a wall with just a few inches of clearance for ventilation and you'll notice a low end improvement. If your cab is on casters, take them off so it's directly coupled to the floor.

[hal9000]

Originally posted by swwilkinson
Well I heard from a few sources and got this confirmed from Mesa in Hollywood that the F series will not be made any more. I got a fantastic deal on a new F-50 last night at Guitar Center- Over $200 off their tagged price! I couldn't believe it. It was even less than what I got quoted over the phone. I compared with a used unit I was looking at on Ebay that was 4 years old- I paid just $25 more for a brand spanking new unit.:thu:

I'm new to the Mesa Boogie world but have been an admirer for many years. I really look forward to participating in this forum and so far the info on here is great- I've not found this much detail and good info anywhere else. Thanks guys. Steve.

P.S. If you want to know what I paid and where drop me a personal note and I'll give you details.;) That's excellent and sad at the same time, but in any event, welcome to the F-series brotherhood!

I'm just a little curious what Randall Smith has up his sleeve for the F-series replacement. Perhaps he's seen some of the suggestions in this thread?

[Rodimus Prime]

i'll check out the levels. but i'm even talking about engaging my delay pedal (line6 dl4, plenty of pros use this). when i put it on it throws the volume into high gear. I noticed the same thing with my boss phaser and my eq pedal even when the input level is well below flat, i get a volume boost. i guess i'll have to spend some more time tinkering.

is there a preamp tube that affects the fxloop? maybe something is screwy with it?

thanks for the tip on practice levels. i'll take a look.

[hal9000]

Originally posted by Rodimus Prime
i'll check out the levels. but i'm even talking about engaging my delay pedal (line6 dl4, plenty of pros use this). when i put it on it throws the volume into high gear. I noticed the same thing with my boss phaser and my eq pedal even when the input level is well below flat, i get a volume boost. i guess i'll have to spend some more time tinkering.

is there a preamp tube that affects the fxloop? maybe something is screwy with it?

thanks for the tip on practice levels. i'll take a look. The V3 tube is both for send and recovery of the FX loop, but since it's never disengaged, it can't be the problem. I think you're simply hearing the difference between each stomp's buffer vs. actual circuit. Since all stomp boxes are designed to go between a guitar and amplifier, they don't always play so well with line level loops. It's mostly a question of impedance and voltage level. I'm not sure what you can do if your stomps don't work other than to get a buffer of some sort, or use other boxes that will do the trick. :(

[swwilkinson]

Yeah it is kinda sad :(

But on the flip side the F Series should become more valuable over time.:)

I really had a hard time choosing between the F-30's crunch and the F-50's clean channel. Loved both so maybe Randall will be combining both into one amp? :)

Has anyone found a way to get a smoother distortion out of the 6L6s, similar to the EL84s?

[swwilkinson]

I need to improve my lead technique and overall playing ability. Can anyone out there recommend a book or tape system that has worked for them? I've been playing a long time but have plateaued. I find that the coordination of my left hand and right hand is a little off. I'm into old school rock from CCR to Led Zep, Boston etc.... Any help would be appreciated. Thanks.:wave:

[snakum]

'Speed Mechanics for Lead Guitar' has a number of exercises in it for stretching and working out the digits, as well as a little theory stuff.

About beefing up the 6L6 crunch tone, any good transparent OD/boost will do exactly that, but a 6L6 amp ain't ever gonna sound like a fully cranking set of EL84s. That is, indeed, a magic sound. I love a Peavey Classic 30 with a Greenback turned wide open. Nothing like it.

But the Bad Monkus fattens my F-100 right up. I have two of them just in case one breaks. :thu:

[Torh]

Originally posted by swwilkinson
Has anyone found a way to get a smoother distortion out of the 6L6s, similar to the EL84s? [/B]
Get a pair of yellow jackets (http://www.musiciansfriend.com/product/THD-YJSD-Yellow-Jacket-Standard-Duet?sku=210390), and I believe you're set. ;)

[jds22]

You may be onto something with the Yellow Jacket suggestion.

I have an F50 but think I prefer the sound of the F30. I got such a great price on the 50 though I had to jump on it.

Has anybody tried YJs in an F50 or 100?

I'm really interested in what the effect was. I'm not so much looking for the reduced volume and these amps sound great at low volume. I'm more interested in how they make the amp sound and feel. Will it cop the F30 tone and feel?

Thanks,
jerry

[Surfcaster]

I've not tried YJs myself (though was tempted to at one time, and still might someday, but it's not a priority for me right now), but the other difference between the F50 and F30 is that the F30 has a Vintage 30 speaker in it, so my guess is that the YJs will only get you part way there.

[jds22]

but the other difference between the F50 and F30 is that the F30 has a Vintage 30 speaker in it

Not for me, I have the head. :p

[PC Biz]

Originally posted by swwilkinson
Yeah it is kinda sad :(

But on the flip side the F Series should become more valuable over time.:)

I really had a hard time choosing between the F-30's crunch and the F-50's clean channel. Loved both so maybe Randall will be combining both into one amp? :)

Has anyone found a way to get a smoother distortion out of the 6L6s, similar to the EL84s?

Maybe you can substitute 6V6s for the 6L6 tubes. Works in the Mark IV. That will definitely get you smoother distortion.

[swwilkinson]

Wow! I never heard of this conversion. I will try to find my sweet tone with my F50 and if I just can't get it then I will get the yellow jackets. Does anyone have direct experience with putting these into a F50??:confused:

[jds22]

Does anyone have direct experience with putting these into a F50??

I'm waiting for that answer too.

[snakum]

I've played them in a friend's Peavey Valve King combo (but I didn't put them in mine, when I owned one), but not in a Mesa 6L6 amp. I do know that in the Peavey it changed the sound, but not radically so. The main difference was that you could now crank the ValveKing's clean channel till you got power tube break up. However, the ValveKing, unlke most tube amps, didn't sound better and better as you turn it up.

In tube amps, generally speaking, I prefer power tube break up to pre amp distortion. The dynamics and the feel are totally different. Natural power tube compression and grit is beefy and full. I gigged Peavey Classic 30s for years, even in larger clubs, because I could put a Greenback and JJs in it and crank the clean channel past 6, and it yielded the most gorgeous cranked tone you could imagine. Very dynamic and full ... think 'cranked Vox AC15'.

That said though, I bought my F-100 because the clean tone was just so damn gorgeous, and I knew channel 2 was at least workable. And now I think I have found a good crunch and lead tone, as well. Any good OD really helps beef up the Mesa 6L6s.

If someone tries the YellowJackets in the Mesas it'll certainly be interesting to hear the result. It should work a lot better than in the Peaveys.

[Goldwing]

Originally posted by hal9000
...
I'm just a little curious what Randall Smith has up his sleeve for the F-series replacement. Perhaps he's seen some of the suggestions in this thread?

Its in the end sad. I guess that the replacement series will be better in many ways, maybe the Fender Supersonic amp was seen as competence for the F series and Mesa is trying to diferenciate from the market wit a new series.

Any interest in try to guess how will it be?

[red|dragon]

I JUST GOT AN F50!!!!!!!

BEST AMP IVE EVER PLAYED THROUGH OMG OMG

TELL ME THE SECRETS

[Natek]

As to everyone's question about the yellowjackets.......depending on how much I get back when selling my college books back :) , I'll probably end up buying a pair for my F-50 head. They sound very promissing. I'll keep everyone informed

[Flannery]

Could one of the wise veterans of the F Series Lounge give me a brief description of how to post soundclips. I have some demo's played with my F-50 and I was pretty happy with the tone I got, so I figured I'd throw them up with an explanation of what I did....but I don't have the first clue on how to go about doing this (and believe it or not I'm pretty literate on a computer, so I'm a little embarrassed to ask).

If anyone can point me in the right direction I'd appreciate it. :)

[musicdog400]

Hi. Assuming you're using evil Microsoft Windows, a good way to go is download a free program called Audacity, or the free demo of N-Track. Hopefully these programs will detect your sound card and you press record.

Typically these files are stored on your drive in wav format which is large and slow to download, so you might want to convert them to mp3 by downloading an encoder like Lame or Blade lame (http://lame.sourceforge.net/index.php)

I think Audacity will actually use lame as a plugin so you can export to mp3 from inside Audacity.

I recently switched everything including audio recording over to Linux. If you have questions about this, I may be able to help.

To host them there is myspace, soundclick, etc. You need to host them somewhere, then post links in the forum. I have my own little web space.

[vanlo]

i'm planning to buy an F50 early in the new year, does anyone have any idea on what the risk of missing out on getting an F50 is? or where i should go to get a good deal??

i live in santa barbara, although i'm travelling over christmas, and plan to buy my amp in LA early january...

[swwilkinson]

I did a lot of shopping around and ended up at the GC in Rancho Cucamomga. I bought mine well below the ticketed price and according to another GC I was $50 below their cost..... Mine was a little dusty but brand new with all tags etc... Send me a PM if you want to know the salesman's name etc.... They only had one F50 left and one F30. Both are being discounted now by Mesa. Mesa's Hollywood store will offer 10% off list and they believe that will move all their inventory and I think they are right, so you may not want to wait until January. You might be too late for a new unit.

[Natek]

So I just got the Bad Monkey in

Good lord........$35 for this little beast? I decided I couldn't lose and wanted to see what all the hype was about and wasn't expecting too much. Got it for my F-50 head. It did take some tweaking but as long as the Low and High are set correctly, this thing SHINES over the clean channel and boosts the gain channel VERY well (when gain is near zero and level is max).........and I HATE most digitech products too. My fav setting now is over the F-50's clean: On the BM --> the bass a tad before 12:00, High before 9:00, level max, gain near or at max, adding a tad of compression and delay, all while playin through the neck Air Norton. Holy creamy tone! I actually started laughing when I hit that tone cause the ease of attaining it and the price......

[Lt_Core]

Originally posted by Natek
So I just got the Bad Monkey in

Good lord........$35 for this little beast? I decided I couldn't lose and wanted to see what all the hype was about and wasn't expecting too much. Got it for my F-50 head. It did take some tweaking but as long as the Low and High are set correctly, this thing SHINES over the clean channel and boosts the gain channel VERY well (when gain is near zero and level is max).........and I HATE most digitech products too. My fav setting now is over the F-50's clean: On the BM --> the bass a tad before 12:00, High before 9:00, level max, gain near or at max, adding a tad of compression and delay, all while playin through the neck Air Norton. Holy creamy tone! I actually started laughing when I hit that tone cause the ease of attaining it and the price......

Amen to that! I love that darn pedal and so cheap, too. Can't go wrong. I haven't maxed out both the level and gain. I should try that.

[vanlo]

Originally posted by swwilkinson
I did a lot of shopping around and ended up at the GC in Rancho Cucamomga. I bought mine well below the ticketed price and according to another GC I was $50 below their cost..... Mine was a little dusty but brand new with all tags etc... Send me a PM if you want to know the salesman's name etc.... They only had one F50 left and one F30. Both are being discounted now by Mesa. Mesa's Hollywood store will offer 10% off list and they believe that will move all their inventory and I think they are right, so you may not want to wait until January. You might be too late for a new unit.

i hope it isn't, i've got no way of getting to a store until january due to travel plans... i hope i can get my hands on one...

and PM sent !

[Lt_Core]

So, I spent a couple of hours last night with the Crunch Box version 2. Keep in mind that I do not record and only play live. There was a little bit of tone difference, obviously, between the CB and the F-50's OD channel but not enough to warrant keeping the pedal.

I can see how this pedal would sound awesome on a Fender-type amp that does not have a modern OD channel but it seems redundant on the Mesa amp. Especially since I only play live I feel the slight differences would be lost in a live setting. Thoughts on this? Am I higher than a kite?

I've never had a fuzz pedal. Maybe I should add that tone to my board or a Barber Tone Press. I don't have a compressor. Just not sure....Thanks for your 2 cents! (gear listed in sig)

[Samoan tiikeri]

Well hello!

What distortion pedal would you guys recommend to pantera type of sound? I play versatile music and now i desire to play some rip off rhythm tones, just like dimebag had back in the days.
Im very satisfied at the moment to those crunchy DreamTheater/Creed rhythm tones, i just thinked that i want to try something different.

Tiikeri

[jcoggins7]

Its in the end sad. I guess that the replacement series will be better in many ways, maybe the Fender Supersonic amp was seen as competence for the F series and Mesa is trying to diferenciate from the market wit a new series.

I've tried the Supersonic personally, and it's dirt channel, while a huge step up in high gain sound from Fender and being a good sound, is not, in my opinion, in the same league or of the same quality. It sounded much less hi-fi.

As for the successor to the F-Series, my inside contact says that it's being called a series 2/second-generation Dual Caliber. I'm interested in hearing it already. Mesa's old Dual Caliber series, while still sounding pretty good, sounded like their budget model amp. However, the F-Series was a drastic improvement. I think that the new Dual Calibers will either be like the F-Series with some new little add-ons like Mesa always does, or maybe it will mix the sounds of the older Dual Calibers with the F-Series. Idk though. I just know I'll miss the F-Series.

On a side note, I'm going to play a Dumble on Thursday. I'm so jacked. I'll finally be able to answer the question, "when's the last time you played a $20K amp?" lol.

[Adam Poland]

Yeah I'm wondering how this new amp will sound compared to the F Series. I JUST basically got the sound I've been sort of looking for with my F now and I'm on the way to getting a new cab to make it sound a little more beastly and tighter. Then it'll be my ideal sound. I went out on a whim after seeing The Human Abstract last night and seeing them boost their Framus Dragons with TS9's. So I took out my SD-1 with the settings almost similar to theirs and got a really close sound with it and I'm pretty happy. A new cab and I'll for sure really love it.

[snakum]

Dual Caliber Series 2, huh? That'd make sense. They already have the Rectoverb Series 2 (one bad ass amp, too, by the way). Guess I know where my tax refund is going this year. :D

[markmann]

If what we're hearing about the F series going away is true it will be interesting to see how our amp's will be percieved in the future. Will the F-series be a forgotten sidenote in Mesa's list of past products or will it gain legendary status and become a highly sought after amp that gains cult status as time goes on?

[markmann]

Oh yeah, keep this in mind,

... some of you may remember around two years ago when Guitar Center was blowing out F-series amp's, supposedly because Mesa was discontinuing the line. I was lucky enough to be one of the fortunate to snag an F-50 for $700.00 (bran-spankin-new). If memory serves me right that lasted a month or two before the prices shot back up.

I'm not saying that the rumblings aren't true this time but...

[Ange]

Hey, I have just joined the club - bought one of the last F-30 in my country...;)

Receiving it in January, but happy right now :D

[Surfcaster]

Originally posted by Lt_Core
So, I spent a couple of hours last night with the Crunch Box version 2. Keep in mind that I do not record and only play live. There was a little bit of tone difference, obviously, between the CB and the F-50's OD channel but not enough to warrant keeping the pedal.

I can see how this pedal would sound awesome on a Fender-type amp that does not have a modern OD channel but it seems redundant on the Mesa amp. Especially since I only play live I feel the slight differences would be lost in a live setting. Thoughts on this? Am I higher than a kite?

I've never had a fuzz pedal. Maybe I should add that tone to my board or a Barber Tone Press. I don't have a compressor. Just not sure....Thanks for your 2 cents! (gear listed in sig)

LT. Core, You are right in that the overall tone of the Crunch Box is not radically different than the F50's OD channel (which I think speaks pretty well of the pedal!). For me, the difference was enough for my purposes, in addition to the fact the pedal essentially gives me a third channel at the tap of a foot.

Of course, I have another amp that I use the pedal with, too. A vintage style, low wattage tube amp that isn't a high gain amp, so the pedal expands my options with that amp as well, so it's a keeper for me.

As for you, I would see it having value if set at a different gain level than the OD channel on the amp, just for a third footswitchable tone/gain option. But if you don't need that, then it's probably not worth keeping.

[Surfcaster]

The other day I was playing around with the Bright Switch on the F50's clean channel. I usually always just have it on, but I thought I'd explore the tone with the bright switch off. However, I could not hear any difference when I switched it on and off. So I'm wondering if something's broken on my amp. So help me out here...how obvious the difference on your amp? Does the difference really jump out at you when switch it on and off, or is it very subtle?

[hal9000]

Originally posted by Surfcaster
The other day I was playing around with the Bright Switch on the F50's clean channel. I usually always just have it on, but I thought I'd explore the tone with the bright switch off. However, I could not hear any difference when I switched it on and off. So I'm wondering if something's broken on my amp. So help me out here...how obvious the difference on your amp? Does the difference really jump out at you when switch it on and off, or is it very subtle? As you would suspect, the bright switch makes things quite a bit brighter. With my Strat, the bright gets a little ice-picky, where without it's just glassy. So, yes, there is a noticeable difference. If you're really curious, listen in the very center of the speaker. You should definitely hear a difference. Provided that nothing else is wrong a new pot should only be a few bucks.

[Lt_Core]

Originally posted by Surfcaster
The other day I was playing around with the Bright Switch on the F50's clean channel. I usually always just have it on, but I thought I'd explore the tone with the bright switch off. However, I could not hear any difference when I switched it on and off. So I'm wondering if something's broken on my amp. So help me out here...how obvious the difference on your amp? Does the difference really jump out at you when switch it on and off, or is it very subtle?

I hear an audible difference just like Neil said above me. With all three of my guitars: Tele, Ibanez & Agile AL-3000. The bright switch with my Agile and Ibanez sounds great!!!

[Surfcaster]

Originally posted by hal9000
As you would suspect, the bright switch makes things quite a bit brighter. With my Strat, the bright gets a little ice-picky, where without it's just glassy. So, yes, there is a noticeable difference. If you're really curious, listen in the very center of the speaker. You should definitely hear a difference. Provided that nothing else is wrong a new pot should only be a few bucks.

Yeah, I'm hoping it's just the pot. I think I'll call Mesa...I'm guessing they'll send me a new pot if they think that's the issue...I've still got 2 years left on my warranty.

[parsku]

Hello everyone!


First of all, I'd like to thank Andy, Tommi, Neil and others for sharing lots of valuable information about F- series amps.

I actually bought F-50 combo at the end of 2004. I love the clean sounds but I had trouble to find a good rock/ hardrock/ lead sound from the channel 2 although I could find the smooth and right on the edge Scofield-ish sound quite easily. Channel 2 sounded way too harsh to me. I bought myself a Tonebone Hot British pedal to get some rock out of this combo. Now it worked well. I actually didn't understand why this amp had had so good reviews. Little did I know.

Well, I renewed my setup this summer and got a G-system to build a small rack. I searched the net for a cable that could help me switch channels on my F-50 and stumbled into this thread. I found the instructions, bought parts, soldered the cable and presto! It worked, but I couldn't get G-system to work in the effects loop of my amp. Maybe it's the parallel effects loop, I thought, and didn't try again.

Later this autumn, I was searching for information about tubes to use in my F-50 to tame the high frequencies a little. Surprise, I stumbled here again! I started to seriously read the thread from the beginning, because obviously I could learn pretty much everything I needed to know from these pages. I was right.

Now I feel I have a completely new amp. I got the G-system working in the loop, new jj's in the preamp and I learned the BIG difference between pre and post EQ. I use the G-system's (post) EQ to nail the tones I need. It's better this way around, actually: to have a bright amp and cut out some frequencies than to have it the other way around. Channel 2 is very dynamic. You can have many different colours just by using the volume knob of your guitar, and the sound stays focused, articulate and bright (not harsh). It's got all the tones I need.
It works like a dream! :D

So, thanks again for your help!!!
:)

[Lt_Core]

Originally posted by parsku
Hello everyone!


First of all, I'd like to thank Andy, Tommi, Neil and others for sharing lots of valuable information about F- series amps.

I actually bought F-50 combo at the end of 2004. I love the clean sounds but I had trouble to find a good rock/ hardrock/ lead sound from the channel 2 although I could find the smooth and right on the edge Scofield-ish sound quite easily. Channel 2 sounded way too harsh to me. I bought myself a Tonebone Hot British pedal to get some rock out of this combo. Now it worked well. I actually didn't understand why this amp had had so good reviews. Little did I know.

Well, I renewed my setup this summer and got a G-system to build a small rack. I searched the net for a cable that could help me switch channels on my F-50 and stumbled into this thread. I found the instructions, bought parts, soldered the cable and presto! It worked, but I couldn't get G-system to work in the effects loop of my amp. Maybe it's the parallel effects loop, I thought, and didn't try again.

Later this autumn, I was searching for information about tubes to use in my F-50 to tame the high frequencies a little. Surprise, I stumbled here again! I started to seriously read the thread from the beginning, because obviously I could learn pretty much everything I needed to know from these pages. I was right.

Now I feel I have a completely new amp. I got the G-system working in the loop, new jj's in the preamp and I learned the BIG difference between pre and post EQ. I use the G-system's (post) EQ to nail the tones I need. It's better this way around, actually: to have a bright amp and cut out some frequencies than to have it the other way around. Channel 2 is very dynamic. You can have many different colours just by using the volume knob of your guitar, and the sound stays focused, articulate and bright (not harsh). It's got all the tones I need.
It works like a dream! :D

So, thanks again for your help!!!
:)

We couldn't agree more :) I don't have a G-system, just 8-10 pedals but I get so many tones out of this amp. I have a Tonefactor Huckleberry fuzz on the way. My first fuzz pedal so I'm excited to add that tone to my arsenal.

[parsku]

Hello, Lt_Core!

Do you happen to have a clip of bad monkey and F-50? That seems to be an affordable and intresting pedal.

[Lt_Core]

Originally posted by parsku
Hello, Lt_Core!

Do you happen to have a clip of bad monkey and F-50? That seems to be an affordable and intresting pedal.

Sorry, parsku....I don't record. I only play live in my band. Anyone else have any clips?

[mynameistaken]

Newest member of the F Club! WOOT!:cool: :D :cool: :D :cool:

Lovin this amp!

[snakum]

I just finished another rough cut of a song - sans vocals - running my Legacy with the JB Jr bridge thru the Bad Monkey into the F-100 and recto cab. It's the first one in the link below, called 'She's On A Bender'.

Recording Tests (http://www.soundclick.com/bands/pagemusic.cfm?bandID=638062)

The left side is the Duncan JB Jr with the Fat control rolled all the way off, clean channel on the F-100 with the Bad Monkey gain set at noon. The right side is the Duncan with the G&L's Fat control all the way up, channel 2 on the F-100 and the gain at 9:00, with the Bad Monkey's gain set at noon again, but with the guitar's volume backed off a bit to clean it up. The lead tone is the same set up with the Legacy's volume knob on ten.

Any suggestions on the guitar tones or the guitar mix?

[Surfcaster]

Okay, I keep hearing rave reviews about the new Tung Sol 12ax7s and IIRC Andy has at least one Tung Sol in his amp...am I right or is it something else? Well, I'm thinking I may be ready to invest in a new set of tubes for my F50...preamp and poweramp. I'm thinking I'll probably get most of my tubes from Eurotubes, BUT I'm wondering if I should try Tung Sol. My question is one or two? It seems a lot of people are just putting one in V1...is there any significant benefit to putting one in V2 as well? I know all this is subjective and there are really no rules...but I'm just curious as to people experiences and thoughts.

BTW, Snakum, that's some great tone you're getting. I don't know that I'd change much of anything!

[snakum]

Thanks.

About tube positions ... it's best to find out which V-position affects which channel. Usually there is a pre amp tube for the clean channel, one or two (Mesa and Laney) for the OD channel, and a phase splitter near the power tubes. I haven't jacked with mine yet, so I don't know the positions on the F-series. I will soon, though. Likely, you'll only change the one/two pre amp tubes for the OD channel (channel 2)? From right to left, looking from the rear of the amp, V1 is usually first, then V2/V3, then the phase splitter near the power section.

Mesa is a different animal than my PV Classics ... so I have a lot to learn on them, too.

[Surfcaster]

Well, according to the manual, V1 A is input stage for both channels and V1 B is the gain stage for channel 1 and V2 A and B are the input stage and gain stage for channel two respectively, so that part I know. So now it's a question about whether to put Tung Sols in both, or just V1?

[mynameistaken]

Originally posted by Surfcaster
Okay, I keep hearing rave reviews about the new Tung Sol 12ax7s and IIRC Andy has at least one Tung Sol in his amp...am I right or is it something else? Well, I'm thinking I may be ready to invest in a new set of tubes for my F50...preamp and poweramp. I'm thinking I'll probably get most of my tubes from Eurotubes, BUT I'm wondering if I should try Tung Sol. My question is one or two? It seems a lot of people are just putting one in V1...is there any significant benefit to putting one in V2 as well? I know all this is subjective and there are really no rules...but I'm just curious as to people experiences and thoughts.

BTW, Snakum, that's some great tone you're getting. I don't know that I'd change much of anything!

you might want to check with doug.Doug's Tubes (http://www.dougstubes.com/)

[snakum]

Originally posted by Surfcaster
Well, according to the manual, V1 A is input stage for both channels and V1 B is the gain stage for channel 1 and V2 A and B are the input stage and gain stage for channel two respectively, so that part I know. So now it's a question about whether to put Tung Sols in both, or just V1?

Ahhh ... figures Mesa would be different, and with multiple gain stages - I think Randall pioneered multiple gain stages, come to think of it.

[mynameistaken]

Foot switch question.... I just bought a f-50 combo last night. When the clean channel is on their is a green light on the footswitch. There is no light on when i have the overdrive channel on. should there be an orange light on?

[hal9000]

Originally posted by mynameistaken
Foot switch question.... I just bought a f-50 combo last night. When the clean channel is on their is a green light on the footswitch. There is no light on when i have the overdrive channel on. should there be an orange light on? Nope. Left LED > Green = Clean, Off = Channel 2, Right LED > Red = Contour on, Off = Contour off.

[parsku]

Originally posted by snakum
I just finished another rough cut of a song - sans vocals - running my Legacy with the JB Jr bridge thru the Bad Monkey into the F-100 and recto cab. It's the first one in the link below, called 'She's On A Bender'.

Recording Tests (http://www.soundclick.com/bands/pagemusic.cfm?bandID=638062)

The left side is the Duncan JB Jr with the Fat control rolled all the way off, clean channel on the F-100 with the Bad Monkey gain set at noon. The right side is the Duncan with the G&L's Fat control all the way up, channel 2 on the F-100 and the gain at 9:00, with the Bad Monkey's gain set at noon again, but with the guitar's volume backed off a bit to clean it up. The lead tone is the same set up with the Legacy's volume knob on ten.

Any suggestions on the guitar tones or the guitar mix?

Snakum, thanks for the clip! I hear the bad monkey sounds good through F50.

Your guitar tones are very, should I say, crunchy! The sound is full bodied and balanced. It's hard to say more before you have the full mix with the vocals, though. Keep up the good work!!

[mynameistaken]

yeaht that was a cool clip snakum. good tones, nice playing.

[Dann'sTheMan]

Originally posted by saos|n45
I just thought I'd let you guys know I bought an f-50 today! Well, more like my parents bought me one but I worked for some of the money to buy it. I did a lot of research on it before I bought it and this thread helped a lot. My trademark 60 is good, but this thing fukin slays. no more pedals to get a metal or good lead sound. i only got to play it at low volumes tonight, but tomorrow ill crank it. however from my previous experience testing out the amp, I don't think i could turn the master volume past 9:00 or my house would blow up cuz this thing is fuckin loud.

Hi saos|n45,

and welcome to the brotherhood! :) You have generous parents, and I hope your F-50's put a smile so big on your face that your parents are thrilled. :thu: I look forward to hearing how you're getting on,

Big smiles,

Andy.

[Dann'sTheMan]

Originally posted by snakum
We're going into the studio to re-record a very crappily recorded CD and add a couple new songs to it. But before we go, I'm going to put together a small home studio just to help us work out the new stuff. I'm still using my old PC and haven't gotten the new card yet, but I'm already experimenting with recorded tones for the F-100.

Would some kind soul go the following URL and check out the two songs at the bottom of the menu (Face On Furnace ... a private joke) and tell me which works, if any, and why? If neither ... what does it need?

http://www.soundclick.com/bands/pagemusic.cfm?bandID=638062

Danke schon!

Hi snakum,

I've really enjoyed all of the clips you've shared - great job! I liked the clean sounds and the pushed sounds in particular, and the tones in She's A Bender were sweet - and nicely played too.

Indeed, you've got me seriously thinking about picking up a Bad Monkey, as it seems to play so nicely with the F-series. I've compared the Bad Monkey with a Tubescreamer (I forget which model), but it wasn't with a Boogie, and I preferred the Ibanez at that time. Your clips have me GASsing again. :p

Big smiles,

Andy.

[Dann'sTheMan]

Originally posted by CAC
Hal9000, thanks a million man. I'll print this out and bring it this evening. Maybe it will help. I actually sent some clips of your playing as well as Andy's to our soundman to proove that the F-series can sound great recorded.

Hi CAC,

I hope you made progress with your recording. When you first made your post, I had planned to respond with a video clip that demonstrates the miking technique I tend to use when I'm after a balanced sound. It's similar to the Rotational style that hal9000 depicted, however in step 1, I position the mic at the edge of the cone, and in step 3, I adjust the angle back towards the centre of the cone so that it's aimed at the intersection of the dust cap and the cone.

Unfortunately, I ran into some snags, but I finally got around to posting the clip today. If your interested in how this miking technique works for a live recording, you can find the clip in this thread (http://acapella.harmony-central.com/forums/showthread.php?threadid=1481154), :)

Big smiles,

Andy.

[Dann'sTheMan]

Originally posted by swwilkinson
Well I heard from a few sources and got this confirmed from Mesa in Hollywood that the F series will not be made any more. I got a fantastic deal on a new F-50 last night at Guitar Center- Over $200 off their tagged price! I couldn't believe it. It was even less than what I got quoted over the phone. I compared with a used unit I was looking at on Ebay that was 4 years old- I paid just $25 more for a brand spanking new unit.:thu:

I'm new to the Mesa Boogie world but have been an admirer for many years. I really look forward to participating in this forum and so far the info on here is great- I've not found this much detail and good info anywhere else. Thanks guys. Steve.

P.S. If you want to know what I paid and where drop me a personal note and I'll give you details.;)


Welcome to the brotherhood, swwilkinson,

Sounds like you found a fantastic deal on your F-50. Hope it delivers the tones you've been looking for from Boogie. What kind of music do you play? :)

Big smiles,

Andy.

[Dann'sTheMan]

Originally posted by hal9000
That's excellent and sad at the same time, but in any event, welcome to the F-series brotherhood!

I'm just a little curious what Randall Smith has up his sleeve for the F-series replacement. Perhaps he's seen some of the suggestions in this thread?

+1. :D

Big smiles,

Andy.

[Dann'sTheMan]

Originally posted by swwilkinson
Wow! I never heard of this conversion. I will try to find my sweet tone with my F50 and if I just can't get it then I will get the yellow jackets. Does anyone have direct experience with putting these into a F50??:confused:

Regarding the Yellow Jackets, an old F-series owner once sent me a bunch of clips comparing his amp running both 6L6s and EL84s (courtesy of the Yellow Jackets). One day I'll get around to digging them out, and hosting them somewhere so that the whole brotherhood can compare. :thu:

Big smiles,

Andy.

[Dann'sTheMan]

Originally posted by red|dragon
I JUST GOT AN F50!!!!!!!

BEST AMP IVE EVER PLAYED THROUGH OMG OMG

TELL ME THE SECRETS

Hi red|dragon,

It's great to see your so enthused - I hope your honeymoon period lasts as long as mine (3.5 years and counting). :) Regarding secrets, this thread is a great place to start. :p

Big smiles,

Andy.

[Dann'sTheMan]

Originally posted by Flannery
Could one of the wise veterans of the F Series Lounge give me a brief description of how to post soundclips. I have some demo's played with my F-50 and I was pretty happy with the tone I got, so I figured I'd throw them up with an explanation of what I did....but I don't have the first clue on how to go about doing this (and believe it or not I'm pretty literate on a computer, so I'm a little embarrassed to ask).

If anyone can point me in the right direction I'd appreciate it. :)

Hi Flannery,

Assuming you already have the clips recorded on your computer (as MP3s), the next step is to upload them onto the web to a site where they can be hosted, and downloaded by others. (If you don't already have your demos in MP3 form, then please explain how they are currently stored, and I'll try to help). :cool:

Check to see if your Internet Service Provider gives you free web space - because if they do, then all you have to do is upload the files (MP3s) to their specified location, and then share the links to that location here.

Alternatively, you can always upload your MP3s to free hosting sites like MP3Lizard.com, SoundClick et al.

Big smiles,

Andy.

[Dann'sTheMan]

Originally posted by Natek
So I just got the Bad Monkey in

Good lord........$35 for this little beast? I decided I couldn't lose and wanted to see what all the hype was about and wasn't expecting too much. Got it for my F-50 head. It did take some tweaking but as long as the Low and High are set correctly, this thing SHINES over the clean channel and boosts the gain channel VERY well (when gain is near zero and level is max).........and I HATE most digitech products too. My fav setting now is over the F-50's clean: On the BM --> the bass a tad before 12:00, High before 9:00, level max, gain near or at max, adding a tad of compression and delay, all while playin through the neck Air Norton. Holy creamy tone! I actually started laughing when I hit that tone cause the ease of attaining it and the price......

You're NOT helping my GAS! :p :D

Big smiles,

Andy.

[Dann'sTheMan]

Originally posted by Ange
Hey, I have just joined the club - bought one of the last F-30 in my country...;)

Receiving it in January, but happy right now :D

Hi Ange,

Congratulations, and welcome to the F-series brotherhood. Where abouts do you live, and what kind of music do you play,

Big smiles,

Andy.

[Dann'sTheMan]

Originally posted by parsku
Hello everyone!


First of all, I'd like to thank Andy, Tommi, Neil and others for sharing lots of valuable information about F- series amps.

I actually bought F-50 combo at the end of 2004. I love the clean sounds but I had trouble to find a good rock/ hardrock/ lead sound from the channel 2 although I could find the smooth and right on the edge Scofield-ish sound quite easily. Channel 2 sounded way too harsh to me. I bought myself a Tonebone Hot British pedal to get some rock out of this combo. Now it worked well. I actually didn't understand why this amp had had so good reviews. Little did I know.

Well, I renewed my setup this summer and got a G-system to build a small rack. I searched the net for a cable that could help me switch channels on my F-50 and stumbled into this thread. I found the instructions, bought parts, soldered the cable and presto! It worked, but I couldn't get G-system to work in the effects loop of my amp. Maybe it's the parallel effects loop, I thought, and didn't try again.

Later this autumn, I was searching for information about tubes to use in my F-50 to tame the high frequencies a little. Surprise, I stumbled here again! I started to seriously read the thread from the beginning, because obviously I could learn pretty much everything I needed to know from these pages. I was right.

Now I feel I have a completely new amp. I got the G-system working in the loop, new jj's in the preamp and I learned the BIG difference between pre and post EQ. I use the G-system's (post) EQ to nail the tones I need. It's better this way around, actually: to have a bright amp and cut out some frequencies than to have it the other way around. Channel 2 is very dynamic. You can have many different colours just by using the volume knob of your guitar, and the sound stays focused, articulate and bright (not harsh). It's got all the tones I need.
It works like a dream! :D

So, thanks again for your help!!!
:)

Hey parsku,

Welcome to the Lounge, and it's great to hear that all of the advice here has helped in getting your F-50 to deliver the tones you need. It must be an awesome rig with the G-System - I was sorely tempted when the unit came out, and I thought it sounded great when I got to try it. :)

Tell us more about the kind of music you play. :cool:

Big smiles,

Andy.

[Dann'sTheMan]

Originally posted by mynameistaken
Newest member of the F Club! WOOT!:cool: :D :cool: :D :cool:

Lovin this amp!

Welcome to the brotherhood, mynameistaken!

It's great to hear the amp is making you smile. Which model did you get? and what kind of music do you play? :)

Big smiles,

Andy.

[Dann'sTheMan]

Originally posted by Surfcaster
Okay, I keep hearing rave reviews about the new Tung Sol 12ax7s and IIRC Andy has at least one Tung Sol in his amp...am I right or is it something else? Well, I'm thinking I may be ready to invest in a new set of tubes for my F50...preamp and poweramp. I'm thinking I'll probably get most of my tubes from Eurotubes, BUT I'm wondering if I should try Tung Sol. My question is one or two? It seems a lot of people are just putting one in V1...is there any significant benefit to putting one in V2 as well? I know all this is subjective and there are really no rules...but I'm just curious as to people experiences and thoughts.

BTW, Snakum, that's some great tone you're getting. I don't know that I'd change much of anything!

Hi Surfcaster,

It's actually TADs that I run in my amp's power section. I run a mix of JJs and Mesas in the preamp. Let us know how you get on with the Tung Sols. :)

Big smiles,

Andy.

[xlxtrevorxlx]

I'm prolly gonna be picking up an F-50 in the next week or so. Tried it out in the store. I loved it. But can it do a good tech metal or prog tone, like Cynic, Between The Buried And Me, Death, Byzantine, Dream Theater, or pain of salvation?

[jcoggins7]

I'm prolly gonna be picking up an F-50 in the next week or so. Tried it out in the store. I loved it. But can it do a good tech metal or prog tone, like Cynic, Between The Buried And Me, Death, Byzantine, Dream Theater, or pain of salvation?

I think it can. Check out Inkila's clips at scenerychannel.com to see if you like it. All I know is that my F-50 into a 4x12 Recto cab will freaking tear heads off and then stick them on stakes.

On another note, I just got a Teese Wizard Wah and a Menatone Ms. Foxy Brown, and they both sound freaking incredible. If anybody is looking for a wah, I STRONGLY suggest getting a Teese. My bro also got one of their RMC3s also, and it's even more unbelievable because it's about fully customizable. Forget Morley, Vox, Budda, and Dunlop. It's worth the 200-250 bucks. Also, if you want an incredible 18W Marshall cranked tone, get the Foxy Brown. I can't get over how great it is. Adds a whole new tonal color to my sound.

[mynameistaken]

Originally posted by Dann'sTheMan
Welcome to the brotherhood, mynameistaken!

It's great to hear the amp is making you smile. Which model did you get? and what kind of music do you play? :)

Big smiles,

Andy.

F-50 combo although i have been playing it through a 2x12 cab.

little bit of everything.

cool thread!:cool:

[parsku]

Originally posted by Dann'sTheMan
Hey parsku,

Welcome to the Lounge, and it's great to hear that all of the advice here has helped in getting your F-50 to deliver the tones you need. It must be an awesome rig with the G-System - I was sorely tempted when the unit came out, and I thought it sounded great when I got to try it. :)

Tell us more about the kind of music you play. :cool:

Big smiles,

Andy.


Thanks for the welcome, Andy!

The G-System is a very good effects processor, indeed. It adds great effects while maintaining the original tone, just like an effect processor should! I like the idea of having a simple compact rig with the sound of a big rig. G-system and F-50 does just that.

I have a band called Bleu Metron. The music is progressive rock with soul and jazz flavour. (Couldn't find a more accurate description :))Compositions are made by me, and I'm also the lead singer of the band. My brother and I have also a band that plays at all kinds of parties.

:) - parsku

[willrock]

hello everyone! its my first post! i just got myself a used f30 for christmas, and i was tweaking it, i stumbled on a mark iv tone! ain't this great? they said f-series amps are mark/recto hybrid??

[willrock]

hello again, can you guys educate me on how to post some audio clips with my NEW F-30? :) i'll be so glad to contribute to this forum which did a gret help to me

[hal9000]

Here's some silliness:
T-10 Honky - Undertaker (http://www.64graphics.com/clips/F-100_T-10_Honky.mp3)
T-10 Sludge (http://www.64graphics.com/clips/F-100_T-10_Sludge.mp3)

I was playing with my wife's camera and recorded a few video clips. However, since the video is simply my F-100, I ripped the audio out of the video as posted above. I was surprised that it sounded decent, but it's mostly midrange because of the design of the mic. So, I just thought I'd share.

[hal9000]

Originally posted by willrock
hello everyone! its my first post! i just got myself a used f30 for christmas, and i was tweaking it, i stumbled on a mark iv tone! ain't this great? they said f-series amps are mark/recto hybrid?? Welcome to the forum and the F-series brotherhood willrock! I've also dialed in some Mark-series inspired tones, especially with my G-Major scooping a bit of mids.

To answer your question about posting clips, you'll need to convert them to 128 k MP3 files and sign up for an account at www.sounclick.com , www.mp3lizard.com or a few more I can't think of at the moment. Then, upload your recordings and you'll get a url to post here. Simply copy and paste the url into a post and we'll be able to hear your work.

[gwarner]

Originally posted by hal9000
Here's some silliness:
T-10 Honky - Undertaker (http://www.64graphics.com/clips/F-100_T-10_Honky.mp3)
T-10 Sludge (http://www.64graphics.com/clips/F-100_T-10_Sludge.mp3)

I was playing with my wife's camera and recorded a few video clips. However, since the video is simply my F-100, I ripped the audio out of the video as posted above. I was surprised that it sounded decent, but it's mostly midrange because of the design of the mic. So, I just thought I'd share.

What aare you settings/guitar/pickups used for that?

[Alchemist]

Quick question. Anyone ever run a BBE sonic maximizer in the loop of an F series... results? I typically dont like their effect on tube amps, but I am curious how it would fare with the Mesa with respect to getting the more processed tighter metal rhythm and lead tones.

[eSoTeRiK]

Originally posted by Alchemist
Quick question. Anyone ever run a BBE sonic maximizer in the loop of an F series... results? I typically dont like their effect on tube amps, but I am curious how it would fare with the Mesa with respect to getting the more processed tighter metal rhythm and lead tones.

No clue about a sonic maximizer, but I am running a parametric EQ in the loop of my F-50 with great results for tighter metal tones (rhythm and lead). Might be worth checking out if that's what you're after. :cool:

[Alchemist]

Originally posted by eSoTeRiK
No clue about a sonic maximizer, but I am running a parametric EQ in the loop of my F-50 with great results for tighter metal tones (rhythm and lead). Might be worth checking out if that's what you're after. :cool:

I'm just playing around with different options. What I'm running now is a Korg DTR-1000 and Boss GT8 as processor in the loop. The GT8 allows me to program different EQ settings etc and it works pretty well. I've used the BBE way back in the day with SS setups and it works well for that, I typically dont like its effect on tube amps, but I try to keep an open mind since I've never used one with this amp.

[eSoTeRiK]

Originally posted by Alchemist
I'm just playing around with different options. What I'm running now is a Korg DTR-1000 and Boss GT8 as processor in the loop. The GT8 allows me to program different EQ settings etc and it works pretty well. I've used the BBE way back in the day with SS setups and it works well for that, I typically dont like its effect on tube amps, but I try to keep an open mind since I've never used one with this amp.

I would be curious too. I know a lot of people like to bag on the sonic maximizer, but I've never used one so I have no idea really what they sound like when they're used.

FWIW, the F-50 takes external devices (effects before the input, EQ's, rack effects, etc. in the loop) much better than any amp I remember. Might be worth trying. :thu:

[eSoTeRiK]

.

[eSoTeRiK]

Oops. I meant to "edit" not "quote" my previous post. :o

[Alchemist]

Yep these amps are pretty flexible, right now, the way I have it setup with boosts I can go from Satriani Always With Me, Always With You tones, to Petrucci tones, to pretty much death metal gain :D ... I just want to explore what more I can do with the amps natural tone without altering it, just enhancing certain aspects.

[hal9000]

Originally posted by gwarner
What aare you settings/guitar/pickups used for that? LOL! You're serious?

Guitar: Fernandes Ravelle Limited with an SD Custom in the bridge. If you're not familiar with the Ravelle, it's like a Funky Les Paul.

F-100 - Contour: G 1:00, T 11:00, M 3:00, B: 9:00, Master 11:00 (with FX mix pot configured as final master set to 2:00).

[eSoTeRiK]

Originally posted by Alchemist
Yep these amps are pretty flexible, right now, the way I have it setup with boosts I can go from Satriani Always With Me, Always With You tones, to Petrucci tones, to pretty much death metal gain :D ... I just want to explore what more I can do with the amps natural tone without altering it, just enhancing certain aspects.

I know what you mean. I love the core tone of these little amps, and their versatility.

For anything up to high-gain metal, I pretty much run straight into the amp. To cover tighter metal tones, I run the preamp gain lower, boost the front end with a graphic eq (with a little mid boost as well) and then run the parametric in the loop. Might seem like overkill but sounds pretty good to me, and certainly tightens it up.

Should be making some clips of my F-50 soon, I'll post them in here when I'm done. :cool:

[jcoggins7]

Quick question. Anyone ever run a BBE sonic maximizer in the loop of an F series... results? I typically dont like their effect on tube amps, but I am curious how it would fare with the Mesa with respect to getting the more processed tighter metal rhythm and lead tones.

I haven't tried it with the F-50 yet, but I have tried that pedal with a DC-5 combo and a super-modded Nomad 4x10 combo. I loved it with the DC-5, but its effect with the Nomad was negligible. I had it in front of both of the amps instead of in the loop. I want one though. A whole lot of pros use the rack version of them back by the soundboard in live situations and they also get a lot of studio usage too. With the DC-5 it was like taking a warm towel off the amp I thought. My best suggestion is to go to a Guitar Center (I know they're an evil empire, but still) and take your amp and guitar and see if you like it. They're not bad for under a 100 bucks. I would have one by now if I didn't have other priorities on my list, like the 2x12 extension cab I want and the pickups I want to put in my guitar.

[Alchemist]

Originally posted by jcoggins7
I haven't tried it with the F-50 yet, but I have tried that pedal with a DC-5 combo and a super-modded Nomad 4x10 combo. I loved it with the DC-5, but its effect with the Nomad was negligible. I had it in front of both of the amps instead of in the loop. I want one though. A whole lot of pros use the rack version of them back by the soundboard in live situations and they also get a lot of studio usage too. With the DC-5 it was like taking a warm towel off the amp I thought. My best suggestion is to go to a Guitar Center (I know they're an evil empire, but still) and take your amp and guitar and see if you like it. They're not bad for under a 100 bucks. I would have one by now if I didn't have other priorities on my list, like the 2x12 extension cab I want and the pickups I want to put in my guitar.

I'm talking about the rack unit, is it the same as the pedal? I wish I could just take my rig with me. But it weighs like 140lbs... they'll think I'm crazy wheeling my F-30 halfstack and minirack in there:D

[markmann]

Originally posted by Alchemist
Quick question. Anyone ever run a BBE sonic maximizer in the loop of an F series... results? I typically dont like their effect on tube amps, but I am curious how it would fare with the Mesa with respect to getting the more processed tighter metal rhythm and lead tones. No, but I have one that I've used on recordings many times and it works great for brightening up a stereo mix. I like the tone I get from my f50 and it needs no brightening IMO so I've never had the desire to try it in the loop. I can't imagine it would be better than a good eq but I could be wrong. What I'll do when I get a chance is to run my Sonic Maximizer AND rack eq in my f50 loop and compare. I've never used either with my f50 so it'll be fun. I'll post after I do it.

I'd do it now but I just got finished testing a new pup that I installed.

[guitardude24]

Started a new thread, but maybe it's best to ask here...

I really want a small but powerful rig and I've decided that once the funds are there, I'll be buying a used Mesa F-50 Combo!

The only concern is that I want to be able to have one stomp channel/effects switching with my pedalboard. I've considered the G-Major/FCB1010 option and the POD XTLive option for effects/pedalboard.

I know the XTLive has Midi in and out, but the F-50 isn't Midi switching, so is there a cheap and easy solution to make it possible to switch the channels on the F-50 by using the XTLive?

Also, what about if I went the G-Major/FCB1010 route?

Thanks!

[eSoTeRiK]

Hey man,

Check out the first couple pages of this thread - I believe there is a guide to making a custom cable that will allow your G-Major or XTLive to switch channels on the F-50.

[Dann'sTheMan]

Hi guitardude 24,

eSoTeRiK is right - check out the second post in this thread for the info you'll need to make a custom switching cable for the F-series. There's also loads of info in the G-Major Tips thread (link in sig).

Feel free to ask if you have any questions, a number of us have made up the custom cable, and enjoy a MIDI switched rig. :)

Big smiles,

Andy.

[guitardude24]

Ok great!

Nice little family you guys have here, hopefully I'll be able to join you guys soon!

[bowen71]

Originally posted by Alchemist
Quick question. Anyone ever run a BBE sonic maximizer in the loop of an F series... results? I typically dont like their effect on tube amps, but I am curious how it would fare with the Mesa with respect to getting the more processed tighter metal rhythm and lead tones.

I ran a rack mount maximizer for a while and thought it sounded nice. I liked the way it sounded like it chorused up my cleans and harmonics seem to jump out a little better with it. I just got tired of hauling a rack around along with a half stack, a multi effects, and wah on the floor.

I adjusted the knobs on the maximizer to not change my tone at all when it was on. I play classic type rock. But I let a buddy try it out who plays harder stuff on a rectifier half stack and he liked to boost up the bass on the maximizer and he said he got a great low end chug out of it. He is thinking about buying one for himself now.

[Alchemist]

Originally posted by bowen71
I ran a rack mount maximizer for a while and thought it sounded nice. I liked the way it sounded like it chorused up my cleans and harmonics seem to jump out a little better with it. I just got tired of hauling a rack around along with a half stack, a multi effects, and wah on the floor.

I adjusted the knobs on the maximizer to not change my tone at all when it was on. I play classic type rock. But I let a buddy try it out who plays harder stuff on a rectifier half stack and he liked to boost up the bass on the maximizer and he said he got a great low end chug out of it. He is thinking about buying one for himself now.

Thanks:)

I'll try to find a way to test one without committing to it.

[jcoggins7]

I'm talking about the rack unit, is it the same as the pedal?

I'm not sure they're exactly the same, but it does the same thing that their 482i rack does except with just one processor. All they do is the low contour adds depth to the sound and the process adds clarity/brilliance to it.

[musicdog400]

I turned on BET Studio Jams this morning and there was an electric violin player (Tracy Silverman I think) using an F-50.

[solitarycheese]

I played an F30 combo for the first time yesterday, and I have to say I was a bit disappointed. The cleans were very, very good, but I couldn't really get a very good sound out of the gain channel. Perhaps it was the way it was EQ'd?

[Alchemist]

Originally posted by solitarycheese
I played an F30 combo for the first time yesterday, and I have to say I was a bit disappointed. The cleans were very, very good, but I couldn't really get a very good sound out of the gain channel. Perhaps it was the way it was EQ'd?

Well I'm not big on the colour purple.... can anyone help me with that?

..... different strokes for different folks, one amp isnt going to appeal to everyone.... or you could like I dunno EQ the amp to your needs:idea::p

[Dann'sTheMan]

Originally posted by solitarycheese
I played an F30 combo for the first time yesterday, and I have to say I was a bit disappointed. The cleans were very, very good, but I couldn't really get a very good sound out of the gain channel. Perhaps it was the way it was EQ'd?

How was it EQ'd? And what guitar(s) did you try it with? The EQ settings for the F-series can be rather unconventional - I'd suggest printing off hal9000's audition settings and taking them with you if you get another chance to try one. :cool:

Big smiles,

Andy.

[MKCL]

Hi all,

I just bought a used Mesa/Boogie F-30 and also a pair of new power tubes just in case. I think the clean channel is really nice and I was just playing with some of the factory settings. It's an awesome amp. The other channel has a lot of gain. I rolled the gain to about 9 o'clock for a bit of mid-gain. I also used the guitar volume to reduce a bit of gain.

The amp also came with the manual and a footswitch, though the footswitch is labeled as a 'Single Rectifier Solohead'. At least it changes channels. I think I'm going to try out some of the settings in this lounge sometime.

Just to make sure I know the amp I am using, this is a Class A/B, right?

How often do you guys change power tubes?

[hal9000]

Originally posted by MKCL
Hi all,

I just bought a used Mesa/Boogie F-30 and also a pair of new power tubes just in case. I think the clean channel is really nice and I was just playing with some of the factory settings. It's an awesome amp. The other channel has a lot of gain. I rolled the gain to about 9 o'clock for a bit of mid-gain. I also used the guitar volume to reduce a bit of gain.

The amp also came with the manual and a footswitch, though the footswitch is labeled as a 'Single Rectifier Solohead'. At least it changes channels. I think I'm going to try out some of the settings in this lounge sometime.

Just to make sure I know the amp I am using, this is a Class A/B, right?

How often do you guys change power tubes? MKCL, welcome to the forum and the F-series brotherhood! :) If you get a chance, check out my recommended settings (sig).

Yes, the F-30 is Class AB and is actually rated for 22 W. However, because of Mesa's patented Dyna-watt power section, it has much more powerful transients, which make it seem louder than its 22 Watt would indicate.

I'm not sure why you got the Recto footswitch, but you should have gotten an F-30 switch instead. The F-series footswitch will toggle CH1/CH2, Contour On/Off, and Reverb On/Off.

[MKCL]

Originally posted by hal9000
MKCL, welcome to the forum and the F-series brotherhood! :) If you get a chance, check out my recommended settings (sig).

Yes, the F-30 is Class AB and is actually rated for 22 W. However, because of Mesa's patented Dyna-watt power section, it has much more powerful transients, which make it seem louder than its 22 Watt would indicate.

I'm not sure why you got the Recto footswitch, but you should have gotten an F-30 switch instead. The F-series footswitch will toggle CH1/CH2, Contour On/Off, and Reverb On/Off.

Hey thanks! I've actually been on this forum before, but decided to get a new account for a fresh new start. And a new year as well with my Mesa! :)

I like what you've done with the settings. The artwork is very attractive and nice. I'm pretty excited to use your settings and give it another go. I'm just happy that a lot of the settings dialed in are nice. I hope it is loud enough because I am in a 4-piece band, but I didn't want such a huge amp like the F-50 and F-100. Portability and convenience is really important to me as well.

Since it's used, I guess they just threw in whatever footswitch was in the store. Am I missing out on a lot? What does the contour do exactly? I hope I can work around this without the F30 footswitch...

Anyways, I always enjoyed playing through this amp. I hope it's a keeper! :thu:

[MKCL]

Just back from the gig. Tonight's show featured five bands with an admission price. We were the first band up. It was the first time I used the F30 and it was incredible. I didn't suffer from feedback issues like I did with a PodXT Live + Power Engine. I didn't get a bad tone tonight like I did with my other SS amp a few gigs ago. Basically, the gig went pretty smooth, except for a few errors I did because of nervousness.

Anyways, I guess it was a smaller set. We played about 5-6 songs, but I used the same distortion channel throughout. The dynamics were good. I got nice cleans by picking lightly and got a very mean distortion when I strummed harder.

So far so good! Eh, just wanted to give a little report on my first gig with the F30.

Keep rocking!

[postmanpat]

hey guys,

first of all, awesome lounge,

such a wealth of knowledge here, and many fun loving guitarists to boot!

i'm pleased as punch, i'm taking a year off before a bacholar degree in music performance and i decided to......(hold your breath)....get a loan and spend all this year gigging and enjoying some stella near gear,

on the top of the list is a new amp and cabinet,

(drum roll)
enter the mesa boogie f-50 head!
but as far as cabinet's go, i'm still unsure, i'm a big fan of oversized 2x12's

and i'm currently thinking either a THD 2x12, http://thdelectronics.com/pdf/212cab.pdf

or a fender super sonic 2x12, http://www.fender.com/products/search.php?partno=2161200000

i've played the THD a few times and it is very nice, but i haven't seen one in 6 months and there's a big chance if i order one it will take a few months to order in (that's a few months i don't have)

i haven't played the fender on the other hand, and i haven't heard anything about it, i will be playing through one on the final day but i just wanted to ask has anyone played one? or a super sonic 1x12 combo?

[zer0psi]

I just picked up my F50 today and my biggest advice is BE CAREFUL with the bass knob. I was disgusted by how loose it felt on high palm mutes until I read Hal's recommendations and turn the bass down. Now I am VERY happy. :D

AND, I'm running in stereo into my Recto cab. Sounds so hi-fi

[zer0psi]

Originally posted by postmanpat
hey guys,

first of all, awesome lounge,

such a wealth of knowledge here, and many fun loving guitarists to boot!

i'm pleased as punch, i'm taking a year off before a bacholar degree in music performance and i decided to......(hold your breath)....get a loan and spend all this year gigging and enjoying some stella near gear,

on the top of the list is a new amp and cabinet,

(drum roll)
enter the mesa boogie f-50 head!
but as far as cabinet's go, i'm still unsure, i'm a big fan of oversized 2x12's

and i'm currently thinking either a THD 2x12, http://thdelectronics.com/pdf/212cab.pdf

or a fender super sonic 2x12, http://www.fender.com/products/search.php?partno=2161200000

i've played the THD a few times and it is very nice, but i haven't seen one in 6 months and there's a big chance if i order one it will take a few months to order in (that's a few months i don't have)

i haven't played the fender on the other hand, and i haven't heard anything about it, i will be playing through one on the final day but i just wanted to ask has anyone played one? or a super sonic 1x12 combo?

Why not an Avatar or VHT 212?

[postmanpat]

like i mentioned before i don't want to spend a few months waiting for a cab,
or even weeks, i can always upgrade later, but for my first 2x12 i'm going for either a THD, fender super sonic, or genz benz 2x12,

aka one that i can play through and pick up on the day,

anyone have experiences with these cab's before i decide?

[CAC]

I have heard nothing but god things about THD cabs man, so I would lean towards one of those. If you are willing to buy used there is one up on the Bay right now. Not to hijack your 2x12 question, but yesterday I went to one of he bigger music stores I've ever been in and tried about 10 different amps and cabs out for a couple of hours. I played Dr. Z amps, a couple of Oranges, Top Hat, a Vox AC 30 to name a few. I wasn't overly impressed with any of them. Especially for the price. Just before I left I saw a Mesa F-50 head plugged into a Peavey 6505 slanted 4x12. I plugged in and wailed away and it kicked ass over everything else I tried. To be fair though a guy came up and tried some o the Oranges and got them to sound much better than I did, so what do I know? Now to be fair since I am used to the Mesa I got it eq'd quickly and fired up and sounding great immediately. I own the 1x12 F-50 and was amazed at how thick and tight the distrotion sounded for AC/DC type stuff playing through a closed 4x12 cab. Now I am thinking I should sell my combo and get a head and play it through a closed 2x12 (no way Im lugging aroung a 4x12!), or I might just get a 1x12 or 2x12 extension for my combo. Anyays, if anyone has any experiences using the combo through a 1x12 or 2x12 let me know what you have used. I'm esecially interested in the Mesa 1x12 widebody with the 3/4 closed back. Thanks!

[zer0psi]

I briefly plated the combo through the 212 Recto cab. It sounded nice and thick but I'm warning you, it's a LOT darker than the combo by itself.

[MKCL]

By the way, if you connect a 1x12 wide-body cabinet or another 2x12 cabinet to your Mesa F-30 combo (for example), does the combo's speaker get muted or do you hear both the speaker from your combo and the other connected cabinet?

[andershoeg]

Originally posted by CAC
Anyays, if anyone has any experiences using the combo through a 1x12 or 2x12 let me know what you have used. I'm esecially interested in the Mesa 1x12 widebody with the 3/4 closed back. Thanks!

I have the f30 combo, and i have got a 2x12" mesa 3/4-back for my single rectifier. I have tried the f30 with the cab also, and it sounds just beautiful! Alot "thicker" and "bassy". Haven't tried the 1x12", but i think it will have pretty much the same effect as i have had with my cab. I recommend it.
b.r. andershoeg

[andershoeg]

Originally posted by MKCL
By the way, if you connect a 1x12 wide-body cabinet or another 2x12 cabinet to your Mesa F-30 combo (for example), does the combo's speaker get muted or do you hear both the speaker from your combo and the other connected cabinet?

You can plug both the cab and the combo speaker in a 4 ohm output each. Then both work. Or you can just use the cab. then just pull the combo speaker cable out, and insert the cab in the 8 ohm output.
B.r. andershoeg

[breakingstring]

Sorry if this has already been answered - I've read a lot of the thread and used the search but couldn't find an answer.

Simple question, does anyone know the exact weight of the F50 combo?

Thanks if anyone can help.

[eSoTeRiK]

I believe it is 55 pounds IIRC.

[Lt_Core]

Originally posted by CAC
I own the 1x12 F-50 and was amazed at how thick and tight the distrotion sounded for AC/DC type stuff playing through a closed 4x12 cab. Now I am thinking I should sell my combo and get a head and play it through a closed 2x12 (no way Im lugging aroung a 4x12!), or I might just get a 1x12 or 2x12 extension for my combo. Anyays, if anyone has any experiences using the combo through a 1x12 or 2x12 let me know what you have used. I'm esecially interested in the Mesa 1x12 widebody with the 3/4 closed back. Thanks!

So was it a night and day difference? I find the 1x12 combo to be a bit loose and flabby in the bass at times. I've always dreamed of getting a 2x12 cab, closed back for my F-50. I've never play through an external cab before. Might have to check that out.

[zer0psi]

My rig w the Ibanez...odd guitar but I love it.

http://i145.photobucket.com/albums/r222/zer0psi/P1010314-1.jpg

http://i145.photobucket.com/albums/r222/zer0psi/P1010315.jpg

http://i145.photobucket.com/albums/r222/zer0psi/P1010317.jpg

[snakum]

Originally posted by Lt_Core
So was it a night and day difference? I find the 1x12 combo to be a bit loose and flabby in the bass at times. I've always dreamed of getting a 2x12 cab, closed back for my F-50. I've never play through an external cab before. Might have to check that out.

The F-100 thru the closed-back 2x12 with Vintage 30s is the epitome of tight, to my ears. Among the 'fastest' and tightest responses I've ever heard from an amp. Ever. The difference between using the F-100 with the Recto cab or using it with my homemade open-backed Classic 30 extension cab with the Tonker is night and day. I happen to like both sounds, though.

[MKCL]

Originally posted by andershoeg
You can plug both the cab and the combo speaker in a 4 ohm output each. Then both work. Or you can just use the cab. then just pull the combo speaker cable out, and insert the cab in the 8 ohm output.
B.r. andershoeg

So if I have a cabinet, I can plug that into the 4ohm output and my combo speaker into the other 4ohm output to power both the cabinet and the combo's original speaker. Alright, now I have a few questions.

1) My F30 combo is currently plugged into the 8ohm output. If I only use the combo's speaker (with no cabinet), can I plug it into the 4ohm output or does it have to be the 8ohm output? If you can, what differences does it make? If you can't, I assume something goes wrong.

2) Does the amount of speakers and/or speaker size (1x12, 2x12, 4x12, 4x10, etc) affect the ohm in any way?

3) Is an F30 combo (which already has a 1x12 Vintage30) + a 1x12 widebody cabinet equivalent to a F30 head + a 2x12 cabinet despite speaker types?

Sorry, I'm a bit new to the ohm stuff. Appreciate the help!

Oh and Happy New Year guys!

[rockon1000]

Just got back from checking out some Mesa's with a friend. Plugged into a F-50 and we both really liked what we heard. He walked out with one! I think I found my next combo too!;)

[Dann'sTheMan]

Originally posted by willrock
hello everyone! its my first post! i just got myself a used f30 for christmas, and i was tweaking it, i stumbled on a mark iv tone! ain't this great? they said f-series amps are mark/recto hybrid??

Hi willrock,

and welcome to the F-series brotherhood - here's to a bunch of good times with your new amp! :thu: What kind of music do you play? The F-series is stunningly versatile, and you may surprise yourself on how just how long you continue to find new tones - for me, I was finding new tones years after purchase thanks to the wider brotherhood! What settings did you use for the MkIV tone? :cool:

Regarding posting audio clips - it's a two stage process. The first is getting the audio clip itself prepared which involves creating the original sound recording, and converting it into an MP3 file (for maximum compatibility). The second stage is uploading the MP3 file onto the world wide web so that it can be downloaded at leisure - this involves uploading the file onto your own personal webspace (that might have been provided by your Internet Service Provider), or using webspace provided by some of the free services on the internet such as soundclick, mp3lizard or even myspace. Let us know if you need more help with any of these steps. :)

Big smiles,

Andy.

[Dann'sTheMan]

Originally posted by musicdog400
I turned on BET Studio Jams this morning and there was an electric violin player (Tracy Silverman I think) using an F-50.

Cool! I've never heard of him, but a quick trawl and I found his impressive web site: http://www.tracysilverman.com/ - talented guy! :thu:

Big smiles,

Andy.

[Dann'sTheMan]

Originally posted by MKCL
Hi all,

I just bought a used Mesa/Boogie F-30 and also a pair of new power tubes just in case. I think the clean channel is really nice and I was just playing with some of the factory settings. It's an awesome amp. The other channel has a lot of gain. I rolled the gain to about 9 o'clock for a bit of mid-gain. I also used the guitar volume to reduce a bit of gain.

The amp also came with the manual and a footswitch, though the footswitch is labeled as a 'Single Rectifier Solohead'. At least it changes channels. I think I'm going to try out some of the settings in this lounge sometime.

Just to make sure I know the amp I am using, this is a Class A/B, right?

How often do you guys change power tubes?

Hi MKCL,

and welcome to the F-series brotherhood! Great to hear your F-30 is delivering at gigs - what kind of music do you play? :)

Regarding the footswitch, if your Single Rec unit has three footswitches, you could probably wire them up to access all three of the F-series' footswitchable functions: Ch 1/2; Contour On/Off; Reverb On/Off. To hear how the Contour mode sounds, simply manually move the small silver toggle switch on the front panel of your amp to the down position. There are certainly some great sounds in the Contour mode. :thu:

Big smiles,

Andy.

[Dann'sTheMan]

Originally posted by zer0psi
I just picked up my F50 today and my biggest advice is BE CAREFUL with the bass knob. I was disgusted by how loose it felt on high palm mutes until I read Hal's recommendations and turn the bass down. Now I am VERY happy. :D

AND, I'm running in stereo into my Recto cab. Sounds so hi-fi

Hi zer0psi,

and welcome to the F-series Lounge! Great to hear that the brotherhood has already helped you get more from your amp. :) Yes the bass knob is really powerful, and has to be used with care with high gain. Conversely, for lower gain tones, and with low powered/single coils pick ups, there are some gorgeous and more vintage tones with the bass knob abused a little more. :p

What kind of music do you play? :)

Big smiles,

Andy.

[Dann'sTheMan]

Originally posted by breakingstring
Sorry if this has already been answered - I've read a lot of the thread and used the search but couldn't find an answer.

Simple question, does anyone know the exact weight of the F50 combo?

Thanks if anyone can help.

esoterik is right - well 54lbs actually. :p Check out page 8 of the Mesa Product guide (http://www.mesaboogie.com/Product_Info/Product_Guide/ProdRef_0206.pdf), :)

Big smiles,

Andy.

[Dann'sTheMan]

Hi Guys,

Regarding combining an F-series Combo with an external cab, you may be interested in checking out my experiences of an F-50 combo with a 4x12 Trad Recto cab (posted 19 May 2005), and a F-30 with a 1x12 Thiele (posted 30 June 2006). :)

Big smiles,

Andy.

[Dann'sTheMan]

Originally posted by MKCL
So if I have a cabinet, I can plug that into the 4ohm output and my combo speaker into the other 4ohm output to power both the cabinet and the combo's original speaker. Alright, now I have a few questions.

1) My F30 combo is currently plugged into the 8ohm output. If I only use the combo's speaker (with no cabinet), can I plug it into the 4ohm output or does it have to be the 8ohm output? If you can, what differences does it make? If you can't, I assume something goes wrong.

2) Does the amount of speakers and/or speaker size (1x12, 2x12, 4x12, 4x10, etc) affect the ohm in any way?

3) Is an F30 combo (which already has a 1x12 Vintage30) + a 1x12 widebody cabinet equivalent to a F30 head + a 2x12 cabinet despite speaker types?

Sorry, I'm a bit new to the ohm stuff. Appreciate the help!

Oh and Happy New Year guys!

Hi MKCL,

The thing to watch with Tube amps and their speaker loads is something called "impedance matching". Tube amps will list what impedance they support on the back panel. On the F-series, it is 8 Ohms, or 4 Ohms.

Next, you have to match this with a load from an individual speaker, or a speaker cab, that has the same rating. If you match it to a load with a different rating, it is called a "mismatch", and it might be "safe", but there is an increased risk of damage to your amp, and "unsafe mismatches" should be totally avoided. Similarly, a speaker load must always be left connected when a tube amp is powered on, otherwise there is a risk of damaging the amp.

The good thing is that individual speakers, and speaker cabs, also give their ratings. If you are buying a speaker cab, the rating for the combined load is given (so that you don't have to care what the individual speakers are). This is true for 1x12s, 2x12s, 4x10s, 4x12s etc.

Finally speaker cabs come in two main types - closed back and open back. A 2x12 open back cab will sound very different to a 2x12 closed back cab, even if the cab dimensions are identical, and the same model speakers are used. Closed backs generally give a tighter more authoritative low end that is great for dirty tones, whilst open backs have an airier high end that flatters clean sounds. Combining the benefits of both is possible using "semi-open/semi-closed back cabs) or mixing both open and closed back designs in your rig. e.g. combo + extension cab. :cool:

Big smiles,

Andy.

[Dann'sTheMan]

Originally posted by rockon1000
Just got back from checking out some Mesa's with a friend. Plugged into a F-50 and we both really liked what we heard. He walked out with one! I think I found my next combo too!;)

Hi rockon1000,

Do point your friend in the direction of the F-series brotherhood, and hopefully you'll be joining us soon too. :)

Big smiles,

Andy.

[Dann'sTheMan]

Happy New Year to the entire F-series brotherhood! :D

Big smiles,

Andy.

[andershoeg]

Originally posted by MKCL
So if I have a cabinet, I can plug that into the 4ohm output and my combo speaker into the other 4ohm output to power both the cabinet and the combo's original speaker. Alright, now I have a few questions.

1) My F30 combo is currently plugged into the 8ohm output. If I only use the combo's speaker (with no cabinet), can I plug it into the 4ohm output or does it have to be the 8ohm output? If you can, what differences does it make? If you can't, I assume something goes wrong.

2) Does the amount of speakers and/or speaker size (1x12, 2x12, 4x12, 4x10, etc) affect the ohm in any way?

3) Is an F30 combo (which already has a 1x12 Vintage30) + a 1x12 widebody cabinet equivalent to a F30 head + a 2x12 cabinet despite speaker types?

Sorry, I'm a bit new to the ohm stuff. Appreciate the help!

Oh and Happy New Year guys!

Yes: happy new year to all of you and your f-amps :)
The internal speaker of the f30 should be connected to the 8 ohm output.
The "AMOUNT" of speakers does not in itself affect the ohm-thing. that depends on what ohms the speakers you want to connect are rated at. the internal speaker of a f30 combo is 8 ohm. if you connect another 8 ohm SPEAKER they both should be connected to the tw0 4 ohm outputs. but if you connect, say a 2x12" cab, the wiring of the two cab-speakers should be 8 ohm to be able to use it together with the internal speaker of the f30. that is 3 speakers in total. The two cab-speakers then will be wired in series, and each be rated at 16 ohm. ....correct me if im wrong guys...not THAT good at the ohm-thing :)
To your last question, the two setups will sound a little different from each other. It depends on the cabinet, the speaker-type, etc. but with e.g. a f30 head and a half-back mesa 1x12" with a v30 speaker in it, you will get ABOUT the same tone.
As Andy has written, try a mesa thiele 1x12"cab if you can. haven't tried myself, but some day.... i definitely will! The tones i get from the f30 combo and my 2x12 cab is fantastic! But i would love to have a thiele underneath the f30.... it have to be the perfect setup :cool:

this is what it looks like now :)

http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i145/andershoeg/cabf30.jpg

B.r. andershoeg

[Dann'sTheMan]

Originally posted by andershoeg
The two cab-speakers then will be wired in series, and each be rated at 16 ohm. ....correct me if im wrong guys...not THAT good at the ohm-thing :)


Just a quick correction to anders' post - everything else was spot on, including that a connected external cab should also be rated at 8 Ohms if you wish to run it in combination with the combo's internal 8 Ohm speaker.

There are two ways of creating an 8 Ohm 2x12 cab:

* Two 16 Ohm speakers wired in parallel.
* Two 4 Ohm speakers wired in series.

Hope that helps. :)

Big smiles,

Andy.

[zer0psi]

Originally posted by Dann'sTheMan
Hi zer0psi,

and welcome to the F-series Lounge! Great to hear that the brotherhood has already helped you get more from your amp. :) Yes the bass knob is really powerful, and has to be used with care with high gain. Conversely, for lower gain tones, and with low powered/single coils pick ups, there are some gorgeous and more vintage tones with the bass knob abused a little more. :p

What kind of music do you play? :)

Big smiles,

Andy.

I play mainly indie rock, with a LOT of my roots in classic rock, and sometimes I have to get the metal and thrash demons out too. My main influences (that are probably audible in my playing/writing) are At The Drive-In, the Mars Volta, the Stones, Guns N Roses, Aerosmith, and Queens of the Stone Age. I also dip into jazz @ times too. This amp is my favorite of all so far.

[Surfcaster]

Well, I decided to invest in some new tubes with some of my Christmas money. My amp has been sounding different to me the past few weeks and I've had it 3 years now...and don't know how long it sat on the showroom floor, but it must have been a while as it was somewhat dusty when I bought it. Anyway, those stock tubes have seen some use, so I figured it's time.

I placed an order with Doug's Tubes for a matched pair of the TAD 6L6GC-STR...based initially on Andy's recommendation and further corroborated by some research on-line and finally suggestions from Doug. Then I also ordered two of the new Tung Sol 12AX7A tubes for V1 and V2. At this point I plan to leave V3 and V4 as they are.

I'll let you know what I think once they get here.

[CAC]

Originally posted by Lt_Core
So was it a night and day difference? I find the 1x12 combo to be a bit loose and flabby in the bass at times. I've always dreamed of getting a 2x12 cab, closed back for my F-50. I've never play through an external cab before. Might have to check that out.

Yeah i was pretty amazing really. I mean, everything sounded fuller and tighter. Moreso than I have ever heard. The head through a 4x12 cab had a much greater tightness to it than just through the 1x12 combo. I think I'm going to look into a 1x12 3/4 back extension cab. I'm guessing that will be pretty sweet.

[Lt_Core]

Originally posted by CAC
Yeah i was pretty amazing really. I mean, everything sounded fuller and tighter. Moreso than I have ever heard. The head through a 4x12 cab had a much greater tightness to it than just through the 1x12 combo. I think I'm going to look into a 1x12 3/4 back extension cab. I'm guessing that will be pretty sweet.

Can't wait to try an external cab sometime. Recently I've been thinking that my F-50 is so darn bright. Been using an EQ to dial it back a bit. Still have to put the JJ tubes in, keep forgetting to try that. Hopefully this week.

Oh, and Happy New Year to my F-series, brothers!

[zer0psi]

Yeah, when I was playing w the F50 in stores, the combo was indeed very bright. I plugged into into their Rectifier 212, and it darkened up considerably, and get very tight and punchy.

[John Denver]

Not sure if anyone remembers my earlier post on my smoking F50, but here is an update. Got my amp back a couple days ago from the shop. It had a blown screen grid resisor, both of which were replaced. I got a new set of power tubes as well. The tech also replaced my reverb tank, which was completely dead. So now i can finally get back to using my baby. I also just got a hotplate that i have been using at practice. Does anyone else use theirs all the time? Even gigs? I really like the way it sounds once you adjust for the lack of brightness. It seems to make the amp sound a little tighter.....might just be my ears. Anyway.....it's good to be back.

[jds22]

Zer0psi, that is one nice looking F50. :D

BTW, I used to have that same model Ibanez too. I had the black cherry one that I ran thru a Tremoverb. :thu:

Glad you like it.

Jerry

[MKCL]

Thanks Dan for the explanations! Hope I didn't miss anything. Lots of information was shown and I should review it and ask you if there's anything I don't understand.

My 4-peice band plays indie/punk/rock. We have a few gigs coming up this week, so hopefully the F30 combo continues to cut through like it did previously. Last time, it was basically a 2nd appearance in the same venue. The soundguy was actually happy with the sound that time and came all the way to the front to watch us with a smile. The first time we performed there, I used an SS amp and the same soundguy kept complaining about our tone, sound, or something.

And andershoeg, do you use the F30's combo speaker or do you mute it when you connect your combo to your 2x12?

[andershoeg]

Hi MKCL. I do use both the f30's speaker and the cab.
b.r. andershoeg

[zer0psi]

Originally posted by jds22
Zer0psi, that is one nice looking F50. :D

BTW, I used to have that same model Ibanez too. I had the black cherry one that I ran thru a Tremoverb. :thu:

Glad you like it.

Jerry

Thank you sir. It took me a minute to really get to know Mesa's EQ, but I got it down now. The amp seriously looks brand new, I am very happy with it. :D

[jds22]

The amp seriously looks brand new, I am very happy with it.

Glad you like it, I was sorry to see it go.

I am no longer part of the F series brotherhood.

:(

[MKCL]

Originally posted by andershoeg
Hi MKCL. I do use both the f30's speaker and the cab.
b.r. andershoeg

Oh, so do you have 3 speakers producing volume like a 3x12?

[MKCL]

I'm not sure if this has been mentioned before, but there's seriously a lot of pages in this thread. For those who are using effects with the F-series, what kind of delay are you using? I am currently considering a Boss DD-3, but would like to expand my options if possible.

Thing is, I really like the tone on my amp and would prefer a delay pedal that does not suck the tone from the amp. Right now my setup is really simple (which I like), guitar straight into amp and it's quite quiet. A delay seems to be pretty important though, which is why I am considering it.

I would say my budget is roughly around the $100cad mark, new or used.

[Lt_Core]

Originally posted by MKCL
I'm not sure if this has been mentioned before, but there's seriously a lot of pages in this thread. For those who are using effects with the F-series, what kind of delay are you using? I am currently considering a Boss DD-3, but would like to expand my options if possible.

Thing is, I really like the tone on my amp and would prefer a delay pedal that does not suck the tone from the amp. Right now my setup is really simple (which I like), guitar straight into amp and it's quite quiet. A delay seems to be pretty important though, which is why I am considering it.

I would say my budget is roughly around the $100cad mark, new or used.

I use the DD-20 into my effects loop with the output set at +4db, instead of the default -20db. However, the DD-20 is around $170+ new. Try to find a used one. The DD-20 is fantastic. I use the dual delay to nail the Edge's delay, like the one used on With Or Without You. Good luck!

[Surfcaster]

Originally posted by MKCL
I'm not sure if this has been mentioned before, but there's seriously a lot of pages in this thread. For those who are using effects with the F-series, what kind of delay are you using? I am currently considering a Boss DD-3, but would like to expand my options if possible.

Thing is, I really like the tone on my amp and would prefer a delay pedal that does not suck the tone from the amp. Right now my setup is really simple (which I like), guitar straight into amp and it's quite quiet. A delay seems to be pretty important though, which is why I am considering it.

I would say my budget is roughly around the $100cad mark, new or used.

I use a Boss DD-5 with my F50 and really like it, it does not suck much tone at all, if any...personally I can't tell any difference with or without it. You should pretty easily be able to find a used one in the range you're looking for. However, with the DD-5 you need a separate pedal to use the tap tempo function. The newer DD-6 has the tap tempo built-in. I'm sure the DD-20 is a great unit, too, but have never used one.

[snakum]

I use a DigiDely in my loop, with the pedal maxed and the mix at about 15%. Zero tone suckage. :)

[mynameistaken]

Originally posted by MKCL
For those who are using effects with the F-series, what kind of delay are you using?

I just got my F-50 and have been using the 4 cable method with a Boss GT-8. I haven't noticed any tone loss. Lots of tone options. I much prefer a digital reverb to the spring reverb that comes with the amp.

However I don't use any of the pre-amps. Only the occasional stomp box models. Its a little out of your price range but you may be able to get a used one for around 300.

[andershoeg]

Originally posted by MKCL
Oh, so do you have 3 speakers producing volume like a 3x12?

yep :)

[markmann]

Originally posted by MKCL
I'm not sure if this has been mentioned before, but there's seriously a lot of pages in this thread. For those who are using effects with the F-series, what kind of delay are you using? I am currently considering a Boss DD-3, but would like to expand my options if possible.

Thing is, I really like the tone on my amp and would prefer a delay pedal that does not suck the tone from the amp. Right now my setup is really simple (which I like), guitar straight into amp and it's quite quiet. A delay seems to be pretty important though, which is why I am considering it.

I would say my budget is roughly around the $100cad mark, new or used. I'm currently using a dd-20 but I also have a dd-3. The dd-3 is a good simple delay if that's what you're looking for and you can find them on ebay pretty cheap. The main benifit of the dd-20 is that you can program several different delays that you can access by cycling through the presets via one of the pedals. Other bells and whistles include tap tempo and a basic loop feature. The trade-off is that the dd-20 is bigger, heavier and more expensive but well worth it if it's what you need.

[Torh]

Originally posted by Lt_Core
I use the DD-20 into my effects loop with the output set at +4db, instead of the default -20db. However, the DD-20 is around $170+ new. Try to find a used one. The DD-20 is fantastic. I use the dual delay to nail the Edge's delay, like the one used on With Or Without You. Good luck!
I tried with +4db once, but it got really noisy. Not pleasant. Have you never had problems with a boat sounding steady pulse with your DD-20?

I am also a dedicated fan of the DD-20 (not taking my from-time-to-time boat pulse sounds into account... I have not noticed this recently...). If you can afford it, take it -- personally, I think it is worth it...

[jcoggins7]

I'm not sure if this has been mentioned before, but there's seriously a lot of pages in this thread. For those who are using effects with the F-series, what kind of delay are you using? I am currently considering a Boss DD-3, but would like to expand my options if possible.

I would recommend the DD-20 or Line 6 Tonecore Echo Park as a minimum. However, here in Nashville, just about everybody uses a Line 6 DL4 on their pedal board. The Echo Park you can get for 150 new (less used) and I like mine a lot and use it heavily (but not in the effects loop because of how I run it; it sounds better out front). The Echo Park is like a one footswitch version of the DL4 with slightly more possible combinations. The DD-20 will only give you digital delay, while the Line 6 stuff will give you digital as well as analog and tape simulators, which sound really believable. The DL4 is true bypass as well, but it also costs the most (I think around 200).

[Goldwing]

Originally posted by MKCL
For those who are using effects with the F-series, what kind of delay are you using? I am currently considering a Boss DD-3, but would like to expand my options if possible........
.......I would say my budget is roughly around the $100cad mark, new or used.

Here is a link to a very good review of delays.

http://www.musicplayers.com/reviews/guitars/2006/1006_DelayPedals.php

For me, a Delay unit must have many memories banks because almost every song have different delay settings, but its only matter of what kind of music you are playing...

hope it works...

[andershoeg]

i use a carl martin delayla XL with mine. works perfectly in the loop.

[Lt_Core]

Weird question: has anyone ever used a beam blocker on their F-50 combo? I've had troubles getting rid of the icepick sound recently. I've heard good things about these. Anyone ever built their own? Thanks!

[Lt_Core]

Originally posted by Torh
I tried with +4db once, but it got really noisy. Not pleasant. Have you never had problems with a boat sounding steady pulse with your DD-20?

I am also a dedicated fan of the DD-20 (not taking my from-time-to-time boat pulse sounds into account... I have not noticed this recently...). If you can afford it, take it -- personally, I think it is worth it...

I've never heard any boat pulse, or any noise/gain issues when using the DD-20 in the F-50's effects loop. When I first bought it I tried it in the input chain. Added too much gain and the delay was not as noticeable. Try your effects loop if you haven't already.

[hal9000]

Originally posted by Lt_Core
Weird question: has anyone ever used a beam blocker on their F-50 combo? I've had troubles getting rid of the icepick sound recently. I've heard good things about these. Anyone ever built their own? Thanks! I've not used an actual Beam blocker, but I have placed some thickly folded paper over the center of each speaker in my F-100 and that does the trick for knocking down the treble beam. Sordid1 suggested that using duct tape on the inside of a grill cloth did wonders for one of his cabs. With the F-50 combo, it's a piece of cake to take the grill off since it's just held on with the four screws in the front.

[Lt_Core]

Originally posted by hal9000
I've not used an actual Beam blocker, but I have placed some thickly folded paper over the center of each speaker in my F-100 and that does the trick for knocking down the treble beam. Sordid1 suggested that using duct tape on the inside of a grill cloth did wonders for one of his cabs. With the F-50 combo, it's a piece of cake to take the grill off since it's just held on with the four screws in the front.

Thanks, Neil. How big was your folder paper over the 12" speaker? Does it then redirect the treble to the outside of the speaker? Seems like a cheap way to try it.

[hal9000]

Originally posted by Lt_Core
Thanks, Neil. How big was your folder paper over the 12" speaker? Does it then redirect the treble to the outside of the speaker? Seems like a cheap way to try it. It was about 4"x6". I've actually thought about a product that would be a clamp-on beam blocker made of plexi.

Just to try it out, the paper is a good indicator that it will do what you want. I used some regular scotch tape to attach it to the front of the grill since it doesn't leave any residue and is easy to remove. With duct tape on the inside of the grill, the amp would appear stock, but not have a treble beam. The paper I used spread the frequencies out pretty well so that across the sound stage everything was much more balanced.

[Lt_Core]

Originally posted by hal9000
It was about 4"x6". I've actually thought about a product that would be a clamp-on beam blocker made of plexi.

Just to try it out, the paper is a good indicator that it will do what you want. I used some regular scotch tape to attach it to the front of the grill since it doesn't leave any residue and is easy to remove. With duct tape on the inside of the grill, the amp would appear stock, but not have a treble beam. The paper I used spread the frequencies out pretty well so that across the sound stage everything was much more balanced.

So, like some heavy construction paper folded? I'll rob the kids' supply tonight ;)

I'm guessing 6" in the width?

[hal9000]

Originally posted by Lt_Core
So, like some heavy construction paper folded? I'll rob the kids' supply tonight ;)

I'm guessing 6" in the width? Actually, I used a folded up credit card ad that I was going to shred. Any paper of appreciable thickness like construction paper will do the trick. I had the paper oriented vertically for the 6" dimension, but it's probably best to play around with it until works for you. I suppose if you're going to put together a beam blocker from duct tape, it should be about a 4" - 6" diameter disk.

[Surfcaster]

Originally posted by Lt_Core
Weird question: has anyone ever used a beam blocker on their F-50 combo? I've had troubles getting rid of the icepick sound recently. I've heard good things about these. Anyone ever built their own? Thanks!

I stuck a piece of duct tape on the front of the grille cloth one time just to experiment. It did have some effect, but when the tape fell off I never put it back on...I dunno, maybe I'll play around with it a little more sometime.

[Torh]

Originally posted by Lt_Core
I've never heard any boat pulse, or any noise/gain issues when using the DD-20 in the F-50's effects loop. When I first bought it I tried it in the input chain. Added too much gain and the delay was not as noticeable. Try your effects loop if you haven't already.

Yeah, I placed it in the loop... Well, it works for now (-20db), so I'll leave it until it messes up again..

[MKCL]

Thanks for the suggestions! Looks like some people are fond with the Boss delay pedals. I guess that's good insurance for me. I'll check some out when I have time.

Keep rocking! :thu:

[woodylong]

Hi mesa owners! I have been looking for a good effect unit to complement my F-50. It sounds like the G-Major is the way to go. But is seems very completed. I don’t think I could program it. How hard is it too program.

[hal9000]

Originally posted by woodylong
Hi mesa owners! I have been looking for a good effect unit to complement my F-50. It sounds like the G-Major is the way to go. But is seems very completed. I don’t think I could program it. How hard is it too program. Hi woodylong, I think the G-Major is actually quite easy to program since it is laid out logically and each FX type has its own button. Even with relatively complicated setups like mine, Tommi's and Dann'sTheMan's, overall programming isn't that hard at all, and the G-Major does a whole lot of cool stuff.

In my rig, the G-Major is setup so that channel 2 and contour are equalized to the same level such that I now use the amp as if it had three channels (-2 dB on contour). That's worth the price of admission by itself. Then, I made a cable to switch channels on my F-100 via the relays on the back panel of the G-Major. Finally, I have the patches setup for my basic clean, overdrive and heavy tones plus FX on some patches, solo boosts, EQ, etc. as I deem appropriate. Ultimately, the G-Major has become the brain of my rig, and the FCB 1010 controls it very well. Now, the FCB is a whole other story as far as programming. :)

What it comes down to, for me, is that you have to write down what exactly you'd like your rig to do as far as channels, FX, EQ, boosts, etc. and then make patches to reflect your desired setup. As long as you read the manual and methodically approach the programming, you shouldn't have any trouble. Plus Andy and I can help you along as well.

Here is the G-Major's manual: http://www.tcelectronic.com/media/G_Major_US_rev71.pdf

This is the G-Major tips thread: http://acapella.harmony-central.com/forums/showthread.php?threadid=975902&perpage=20&highlight=&pagenumber=1