Mesa F-series Lounge. Come on in and share your secrets. [Archive] - Page 8 - Harmony Central Musician Community Forums

markmann

05-03-2006, 01:39 PM

Originally posted by Gazz
Markamnn

you know, there is something attractive about a simple set up.

How you have it seems uncluttered and adjustable on the fly. I am tempted to go back to my old board set up, if nothing else to reduce the spag bol of wires running back and forth.

Do you attenuate the F50? if so how? are you using the simple volume control idea which was discussed before? Yes, at home I use a Hot Plate and for playing out I use the home made volume box.

Another thing about a board is that I really am fickle about effects and like to change things around quite a bit. Multi-effects units are nice and sound great but you're limited to what they offer. I always seem to find a pedal that I like better than the rack unit counterpart. For example, the Intellifex has a great chorus but it's no match for my Keeley CE-2. I have a collection of pedals and I apply them as needed for every playing situation so that I generally have 5-7 pedals on the board at any given time.

At one point I was using my intellifex with foot controller along with my pedal board but I generally don't have the luxury of time for setup and it was also too much stuff to haul. In the end I had to make a decision and now I have a nice neat package. I'm actually going to be constructing a new board soon and I'll post pic's when it's done.

woodylong

05-03-2006, 10:10 PM

Hi everyone

I'm the proud owner of a new Mesa F-50 Amp. All I can say is that I fell in love with this amp at first time I played through it. I still believe they are over priced somewhat but you get what you pay fore. I play classic rock and the sounds I get out of this amp is unbelievable. I playing with LP Custom & Gibson SG, G&L Comanche Also this amp is loud! How do they get this little cabinet with one 12 speaker sound like that? What are any tips if any to save tube life and how often should they be changed

acoustiholic

05-03-2006, 10:43 PM

Hey Guys,
Where is the best place to post an ad selling my F50 and vertical 2x12 Recto cab?

Thanks.

markmann

05-04-2006, 05:46 AM

Originally posted by woodylong
Hi everyone

I'm the proud owner of a new Mesa F-50 Amp. All I can say is that I fell in love with this amp at first time I played through it. I still believe they are over priced somewhat but you get what you pay fore. I play classic rock and the sounds I get out of this amp is unbelievable. I playing with LP Custom & Gibson SG, G&L Comanche Also this amp is loud! How do they get this little cabinet with one 12 speaker sound like that? What are any tips if any to save tube life and how often should they be changed Hey Woody, Let me be the first to welcome you to the f50 brotherhood. How long have you had your amp? Nice guitars.

Eight years ago I bought a Mesa 50/50 power amp and two 1x12 cab's that were highly recommended by the dealer. When I first hooked them up I could hardly believe the wall of sound and incredible volume they produced. I sold the 50/50 last year but kept the 1x12's and now I power them with an f50 head.

I've had my amp for over a year and I hear no evidence of tube wear. That said I don't push my amp like a metal player does so I assume my tubes will last longer, but how long I have no idea. I won't change them until I hear noticable sonic degradation.

Mark

hal9000

05-04-2006, 06:15 AM

Originally posted by schlongdongsilver
Hi everyone

I'm the proud owner of a new Mesa F-50 Amp. All I can say is that I fell in love with this amp at first time I played through it. I still believe they are over priced somewhat but you get what you pay fore. I play classic rock and the sounds I get out of this amp is unbelievable. I playing with LP Custom & Gibson SG, G&L Comanche Also this amp is loud! How do they get this little cabinet with one 12 speaker sound like that? What are any tips if any to save tube life and how often should they be changed Welcome to the forum and the brotherhood (amusing moniker BTW)!

I would venture that you do in fact get what you pay for, so the Mesa F-series amplification is one of the best bang for the buck available, save for the prices in Europe. :(

Have a look at the audition settings, FX loop master, and setup in my sig and let me know if you have any questions.

hal9000

05-04-2006, 06:22 AM

Originally posted by acoustiholic
Hey Guys,
Where is the best place to post an ad selling my F50 and vertical 2x12 Recto cab?

Thanks. You can start a SPAM thread on HCAF, post a sale in the HC classifieds, post an ad on Craigslist, or bust out the eBay.

Honestly, selling/buying on HCAF has been kind to a lot of people (me included) because for the most part people understand how to pack and ship gear and know its value.

Why are you selling the rig?

Gazz

05-04-2006, 09:36 AM

Hey Hal

a big thank you to you again!

I have just used an old short patch cord, cut it open and cut the wires. Shortened the wires then soldered them together., on one side then left the other open( making sure they cant short out)

Another version of your' using the mix control as a volume control'

It works really well

I now have so many ways to use this amp

Volume pedal in the loop
Eq pedal in the loop
multi Effects pedal in the loop
Home made vol in the loop
Jumpered lead in the loop

Plenty of fall back situations if something goes wrong at a gig

I also had a go at your different settings for the clean channel
I prefer a crunchy berrang sound so I woulnd the pre amp to 3/4 and with your eq settings sounds great to me . I like to have it hot then play gentle so that sometimes if I dig in I can get different sound.

You are a great guy, thanks again.

Gazz

hal9000

05-04-2006, 09:41 AM

Gazz, you're welcome. I'm glad I could help.

Dave M

05-05-2006, 02:53 AM

Hello

Just wondered to know why some F50's have the Mesa Boogie decal on the grill cloth and some dont ? I'm looking at and hopefully buying a used F50 tomorrow (without decal) which is supposedly 2 years old. Is there a manufacturing year when the decal appeared (I think I the early production models didn't have the decal). I not too worried about the decal just trying to date the amp I guess.

thanks
Dave

Ogi-wan

05-05-2006, 02:53 AM

I've been playing around with an ECC81 for V2 in my F-30.

It seems to me that compared with the ECC83, the 81 gives me less gain but the same amount of volume (for a given position of the "gain" dial).

For those of you who know how these things actually work under the hood, is this correct? Or do my ears deceive me?

Surfcaster

05-05-2006, 07:34 AM

Originally posted by Dave M
Hello

Just wondered to know why some F50's have the Mesa Boogie decal on the grill cloth and some dont ? I'm looking at and hopefully buying a used F50 tomorrow (without decal) which is supposedly 2 years old. Is there a manufacturing year when the decal appeared (I think I the early production models didn't have the decal). I not too worried about the decal just trying to date the amp I guess.

thanks
Dave

I'm not sure when they started putting the logo on the grille, but I know they did not for the first while. I've got one of the early narrow panel models and do not have the logo on the front of my grille...but I've had mine for 2.5 years, and I would guess it was on the floor of the music store for 6-12 months because mine does not have the LEDs on the faceplate either, and I think the current production models when I bought it did. I'm guessing mine was a 2003 model...possibly 2002. To be honest, though, I can't remember when they started production on the F-Series. Maybe Andy knows and will chime in here.

Surfcaster

05-05-2006, 07:38 AM

Originally posted by Ogi-wan
I've been playing around with an ECC81 for V2 in my F-30.

It seems to me that compared with the ECC83, the 81 gives me less gain but the same amount of volume (for a given position of the "gain" dial).

For those of you who know how these things actually work under the hood, is this correct? Or do my ears deceive me?

I put a 5751 in V2 in my amp, which is supposed to have 70% of the gain of a 12ax7 and I hardly noticed any difference in either volume or gain...maybe ever-so-slightly less gain, but it was VERY slight. But the 81 is less still than the 5751, so what you're saying makes sense. Besides, you're not really getting much volume from the preamp...that's coming from your power amp, so yeah, that sounds about right. Maybe I'll have to try an 81.

Iced Tea

05-05-2006, 11:30 AM

:wave: Hello all. Am on the verge of purchasing my first Boogie, either an F-30 or F-50. Have a line on a used F-30 but the foot switch may be missing the cable. I assume it comes with a proprietary cable? True, or what kind of cable do I need? Thanks for any help. BTW this thread has been great in learning about these amps and I can't wait to get mine and open her up (with my guitar that is)! Thanks for any help you can provide.

hal9000

05-05-2006, 12:33 PM

Originally posted by Iced Tea
:wave: Hello all. Am on the verge of purchasing my first Boogie, either an F-30 or F-50. Have a line on a used F-30 but the foot switch may be missing the cable. I assume it comes with a proprietary cable? True, or what kind of cable do I need? Thanks for any help. BTW this thread has been great in learning about these amps and I can't wait to get mine and open her up (with my guitar that is)! Thanks for any help you can provide. Welcome to the forum Iced Tea! I assume you're from Northern Virginia? I'm from outside of Richmond originally.

The Mesa F-series cable is a standard 5-Pin DIN male-male cable also called a MIDI cable.

Here is a similar version (15ft. cable Neutrik connectors $17):
http://www.ramelectronics.net/html/midi_cables.html

I used CBI/Neutrik cables to make my G-Major/F-series channel switching interface cable and I was extremely impressed with their build quality. It's a little more expensive than regular MIDI patches, but you don't want to skimp on a cable that's going to live on the ground. :)

mr. tickles

05-05-2006, 02:10 PM

Hello my F-50 brothers!

I read all about Gazz and his G2 and the success he and everyone else seems to have with these little guys and just wanted to let you guys know that if you bought the basic G2 and not the G2.1u, you can use a stereo Y cable into a volume pedal and use it as an expression pedal.

The stereo end goes in the G2 and the Y end plugs into the IN and OUT jacks of the volume pedal, I've found this out with my ernie ball passive volume pedal and it works really well.

Cam

Iced Tea

05-05-2006, 02:27 PM

Originally posted by hal9000
Welcome to the forum Iced Tea! I assume you're from Northern Virginia? I'm from outside of Richmond originally.

The Mesa F-series cable is a standard 5-Pin DIN male-male cable also called a MIDI cable.

Here is a similar version (15ft. cable Neutrik connectors $17):
http://www.ramelectronics.net/html/midi_cables.html

I used CBI/Neutrik cables to make my G-Major/F-series channel switching interface cable and I was extremely impressed with their build quality. It's a little more expensive than regular MIDI patches, but you don't want to skimp on a cable that's going to live on the ground. :)

Thanks very much Hal9000! Yes actually I am in Springfield VA (but originally form Pittsburgh Pa). Well I have now switched gears though and think I am going to go for the F-50. Just played one again and was extremely impressed, especially w/ the bass response vs the F-30. Next I am going to A/B them at Guitar Center (in the quiet room of course!) and make my final decision, tomorrow I hope. BTW I also use a G System that I hope to incorporate w/ the F-50 so expect me to bug you all with numerous questions on the best way(s) of doing that. Once again thanks very much and rock on!

Surfcaster

05-05-2006, 02:49 PM

Welcome, Iced Tea. I'm also in Virginia...in the Shenandoah Valley...Harrisonburg to be exact...a couple hours SW of DC (though I'm originally from Wichita, KS).

Nice collection of gear....I have to say the Dr Z caught my eye! Just played a Maz Sr. briefly in a Richmond music store a couple years ago, but I was smitten almost immediately...maybe one day! Some pretty sweet guitars in there, too.

I've got an F50 and am very pleased with the amp 2.5 years later. Chose it over the F30 after playing them side by side. Either one is a great amp and I'm sure you'll be happy with either! Keep us posted!

Divot

05-05-2006, 04:15 PM

I just wanted to write in saying how much I love my F-50. Playing my ibanez artcore through yields a near perfect jazz tone and I couldnt be happier. Ive used it for numerous shows over the past couple months and its never failed me. Now i just wish I was a better rock player so I could better make use of its amazing distortion channel, as well as the clean.

Gazz

05-06-2006, 03:40 AM

Cam

thats really useful to know! When I boought the G2 I pondered whether to go for the one with the pedal, but thought just in case in didnt work out I would go for the basic one. Now with your help I can use it fully functioned. Just had a look at the manual, if I use a volume pedal in the way you suggest I cannot use the tap tempo function, it seems to be either or.

Unless anyone has other ideas.

Cheers again Cam

Iced Tea

05-06-2006, 07:57 AM

Originally posted by Surfcaster
Welcome, Iced Tea. I'm also in Virginia...in the Shenandoah Valley...Harrisonburg to be exact...a couple hours SW of DC (though I'm originally from Wichita, KS).

Nice collection of gear....I have to say the Dr Z caught my eye! Just played a Maz Sr. briefly in a Richmond music store a couple years ago, but I was smitten almost immediately...maybe one day! Some pretty sweet guitars in there, too.

I've got an F50 and am very pleased with the amp 2.5 years later. Chose it over the F30 after playing them side by side. Either one is a great amp and I'm sure you'll be happy with either! Keep us posted!

Thanks Surf! Like I said, way too much gear but like most of us I have GAS out the *ss! Nice to talk to a fellow Virginian. Yes the Maz Jr is a sweet class A amp. However I may sell it as it is very close to all of the other amps I have. I have no A/B amp hence my search for a Boogie (though I did once own a VHT Pitbull 45 which is quite similar to the Mesa F series IMHO). I plan on doing a side-by-side w/ the F-30 and F-50 today at GC with one of my guitars in the quiet room and will leave with one. Am almost already 100% solds on the F-50 but am concerned about the volume. My band plays a lot of clubs that aren't super large and want to have an amp I can turn up to get it's potential and am afraid the 50 will be too loud. But when I played it last is was SO SWEET sounding compared to the F-30 (especially the full sound/bass response compared to the 30) I had played at another store I was almost 100% sold. Anyway - today is D-day. We'll see. BTW I forgot to mention in my profile that I also have a Carr Mercury, the sweetest bedroom amp there is! 8 to 2 to 1/2 to 1/10 a watt built in attenuator means I can get full tube saturation (1 EL34) at 3:00 AM levels. Anyway thanks so much for the hospitality and I'll let you know what I end up with.

liquid

05-06-2006, 09:39 AM

Hi everyone. I just purchased the f50 and went straight to a 3 set gig, didn't test it out before going (didn't have time, went from work to gig). Never the less, I love the amp, amazing what really good equipment can do for you. I play funk, jazz, hip hop, afro/latin/soul stuff and was wasn't sure if I needed all that gain but I got channel two to sound with just enough subtlety and edge for my liking. We'll see what happens as time goes by, I did get it from GC just cause of the 15 month pay off time /30 day return policy they gave me although I do prefer supporting more mom/pop stores.

Iced Tea

05-07-2006, 08:12 AM

Well I did the deal and am now the proud owner of a new F-50. :thu: Man is that sucker LOUD!! One thing I think I do see a lot of folks at times in HC reviews complaining about the distortion channel but I think that is because they do not turn the amp up enuff. When the master is low yes the distortion is buzzy and not nice but I find that if the Master is at 9:00 or more it sounds much better. And of course that is when she becomes quite loud. She also sounds a bit harsh but I think the speaker needs broken in - no problem I'll just have to play the heck our of it at high volumes for a while (lol)!! Also - wanted to advise I pulled the trigger on an order of a full set of F-50 tubes from Bob at Eurotubes. Anyone tried these in their F-50? I ordered the "High-gain" set (a pair of JJ 6L6GC's for the power section & for the front end, 2 hand picked high gain JJ ECC83S's for V1 and V2, a standard ECC83S for V3 and a balanced ECC83S for V4) for $69 (heck of a deal compared to what Mesa charges). Wondering if any of you have tried them and what you thought? I plan on putting them in immediately and pulling the originals and keeping as spares.

nifty50

05-07-2006, 10:53 AM

Hey guys,
I don't post much; but I have to let you know of a F-50 combo for sale at a dang nice price!! www.forum.grailtone.com, under 'Boogie Classifieds'. I have the combo and head version, so no need for another. Sounds like the seller lives around Connecticut

I have no knowledge of condition. Just passing on the info.

Nifty50, Mike

hal9000

05-07-2006, 12:23 PM

Originally posted by Iced Tea
Well I did the deal and am now the proud owner of a new F-50. :thu: Man is that sucker LOUD!! One thing I think I do see a lot of folks at times in HC reviews complaining about the distortion channel but I think that is because they do not turn the amp up enuff. When the master is low yes the distortion is buzzy and not nice but I find that if the Master is at 9:00 or more it sounds much better. And of course that is when she becomes quite loud. She also sounds a bit harsh but I think the speaker needs broken in - no problem I'll just have to play the heck our of it at high volumes for a while (lol)!! Also - wanted to advise I pulled the trigger on an order of a full set of F-50 tubes from Bob at Eurotubes. Anyone tried these in their F-50? I ordered the "High-gain" set (a pair of JJ 6L6GC's for the power section & for the front end, 2 hand picked high gain JJ ECC83S's for V1 and V2, a standard ECC83S for V3 and a balanced ECC83S for V4) for $69 (heck of a deal compared to what Mesa charges). Wondering if any of you have tried them and what you thought? I plan on putting them in immediately and pulling the originals and keeping as spares. Congrats on the amp Iced Tea! I'm sure you'll have a great time with her.

As for volume control, a simple passive volume, almost any rack device, or if you're feeling handy, my special FX mix pot master detailed in my sig will all be able to attenuate the loop. That way you can use what you already have or with minimal expense get great low volume tone.

hal9000

05-07-2006, 12:25 PM

Originally posted by liquid
Hi everyone. I just purchased the f50 and went straight to a 3 set gig, didn't test it out before going (didn't have time, went from work to gig). Never the less, I love the amp, amazing what really good equipment can do for you. I play funk, jazz, hip hop, afro/latin/soul stuff and was wasn't sure if I needed all that gain but I got channel two to sound with just enough subtlety and edge for my liking. We'll see what happens as time goes by, I did get it from GC just cause of the 15 month pay off time /30 day return policy they gave me although I do prefer supporting more mom/pop stores. Congrats on the new amp liquid! You're braver than I am taking a brand spankin' new amp to a gig! I hope you were able to dial in a good tone in such short notice?

nifty50

05-07-2006, 12:51 PM

yes, I don't post much and I have bad manners!!!

Congratulations liquid and Iced Tea. The Mesa F-series is one of the most simple/versatile amps that Mesa has come out with. Out of the 5 Boogies amps I've owned the F-50 just sounds the best to me!

(spell-check)

Iced Tea

05-07-2006, 01:29 PM

Originally posted by hal9000
Congrats on the new amp liquid! You're braver than I am taking a brand spankin' new amp to a gig! I hope you were able to dial in a good tone in such short notice?

Thanks Nifty 50 (like that name - being 50 also, I assume that is your age :D ) and Hal9000. That 2 plug solution looks pretty simple to do so I think I will give that a whirl and see if it delivers some lower volume bliss for some of the smaller venues we play as I really want my F-50 to be my main go-to amp. Will let you know.

VoodooChild24

05-07-2006, 01:30 PM

Originally posted by Iced Tea
Well I did the deal and am now the proud owner of a new F-50. :thu: Man is that sucker LOUD!! One thing I think I do see a lot of folks at times in HC reviews complaining about the distortion channel but I think that is because they do not turn the amp up enuff. When the master is low yes the distortion is buzzy and not nice but I find that if the Master is at 9:00 or more it sounds much better. And of course that is when she becomes quite loud. She also sounds a bit harsh but I think the speaker needs broken in - no problem I'll just have to play the heck our of it at high volumes for a while (lol)!! Also - wanted to advise I pulled the trigger on an order of a full set of F-50 tubes from Bob at Eurotubes. Anyone tried these in their F-50? I ordered the "High-gain" set (a pair of JJ 6L6GC's for the power section & for the front end, 2 hand picked high gain JJ ECC83S's for V1 and V2, a standard ECC83S for V3 and a balanced ECC83S for V4) for $69 (heck of a deal compared to what Mesa charges). Wondering if any of you have tried them and what you thought? I plan on putting them in immediately and pulling the originals and keeping as spares.

Hey Iced Tea, Welcome to the brotherhood,. I am pretty positive that you would enjoy your new amp. I hope you can post some clips soon. Good luck,:thu:

Dann'sTheMan

05-07-2006, 05:03 PM

Hey brothers,

Just a quick check in. I'm currently in Germany, where I played for an old friend's wedding (playing "Cavatina" as a classical solo piece on a steel strung acoustic is challenging work :p ). I'm staying for another couple of days, and will likely check out my old haunts, probably including where I bought my F-50 from three years ago. :D

Congratulations to the new F-series brothers: woodylong (tell us more about the name change from schlongdongsilver ), Divot, liquid and Iced Tea. I, for one, love hanging out here and makind such good friends - even when I'm vacationing in Berlin. :wave:

Big smiles,

Andy.

liquid

05-08-2006, 02:06 AM

Originally posted by hal9000
Congrats on the new amp liquid! You're braver than I am taking a brand spankin' new amp to a gig! I hope you were able to dial in a good tone in such short notice?

Yeah I was. This forum was very helpful to my decision making. What I did before I bought the amp was read the online manual as someone had suggested on this forum, tried a few of the settings in the manual and hal9000's, then tweeked it to my liking until I could get the 2 or 3 sounds I could definitely play with while in the store. Then I took the "'personal settings" section of the manual and filled in my preferences, that way I could bring it to the gig and set it up without lots of tweaking. I did bring a backup (my solid state yamaha 112) just in case but didn't need it. Yeah, first time I heard my amp was onstage but was digging it.

markmann

05-08-2006, 06:28 AM

Originally posted by liquid

Yeah I was. This forum was very helpful to my decision making. What I did before I bought the amp was read the online manual as someone had suggested on this forum, tried a few of the settings in the manual and hal9000's, then tweeked it to my liking until I could get the 2 or 3 sounds I could definitely play with while in the store. Then I took the "'personal settings" section of the manual and filled in my preferences, that way I could bring it to the gig and set it up without lots of tweaking. I did bring a backup (my solid state yamaha 112) just in case but didn't need it. Yeah, first time I heard my amp was onstage but was digging it. That''s awesome, liquid... great story. It was a bold move for sure plugging in an amp for the first time on stage. IMO though, it's not hard to find great tones from an f-series amp if you have any amp teaking experience at all. I auditioned an f30 and f50 in the quiet room of GC before ever seeing any documented settings and had them singing within seconds of plugging in. Hal900's settings just confirmed that I was on the right track. That said, my goal now is to uncover the harder to find alternate tones that my f50 has to offer.

Have fun.

mr. tickles

05-08-2006, 07:51 AM

Originally posted by Gazz
Cam

thats really useful to know! When I boought the G2 I pondered whether to go for the one with the pedal, but thought just in case in didnt work out I would go for the basic one. Now with your help I can use it fully functioned. Just had a look at the manual, if I use a volume pedal in the way you suggest I cannot use the tap tempo function, it seems to be either or.

Unless anyone has other ideas.

Cheers again Cam

I believe that if you insert a stereo cable that it will activate the volume pedal as an expression pedal, where as if you insert a mono cable, it will work as the "Footswitch" function.

I have my doubts if both will work at the sametime, but give it a go and let me know what you find out.

Cam

Alchemist

05-08-2006, 09:21 AM

Wow, its been 6 months already. Here are some of my thoughts. This amp has a wonderfully responsive clean. The top end gets brighter and sparkles as I vary my attack. The crunch is very thick, smooth, and has that fuzzy warm sound most mesas have, which I happen to like. While it was hard to dial in just right at first, I now have it where I like it, and think its great.
Today was also the first day I ran the amp with my full pedal setup, delay in the loop, boost up front, etc. I have been too busy with school to have the time to do so up until now. I must say, I was beyond surprised at how nice it sounded. Instant cliffs of dover tone, would have made EJ himself proud. Overall I am incredibly pleased with this amp, and I must say this is certainly a keeper. :)

Daeveed

05-09-2006, 09:48 AM

Hi, I'm glad to announce that I've joined the brotherhood (along with this forum)

I bought an F-50 over the weekend, and I'm dying to crank it tonight at my band's practice.

Over the past few days, I've tirelessly read most of this thread, and there are great tips!! not only you made me love the amp even before i've fully tried it, but also you have made me want to spend thousands of dollars on other equipment!!!:mad: but that's a good thing in the end...

OK, so here's the deal. I play a semi-hollow with PRS Santana 3 pups. I didn't know Santana used Mesas on his rig, so I guess I'll get a pretty decent tone for what i want (I play Latin Rock).

I'll post some comments tomorrow and maybe I can add to the encyclopedia of F-series that has been built over the past year here.

cheers!

Dann'sTheMan

05-09-2006, 10:05 AM

Originally posted by Daeveed
Hi, I'm glad to announce that I've joined the brotherhood (along with this forum)

I bought an F-50 over the weekend, and I'm dying to crank it tonight at my band's practice.

Over the past few days, I've tirelessly read most of this thread, and there are great tips!! not only you made me love the amp even before i've fully tried it, but also you have made me want to spend thousands of dollars on other equipment!!!:mad: but that's a good thing in the end...

OK, so here's the deal. I play a semi-hollow with PRS Santana 3 pups. I didn't know Santana used Mesas on his rig, so I guess I'll get a pretty decent tone for what i want (I play Latin Rock).

I'll post some comments tomorrow and maybe I can add to the encyclopedia of F-series that has been built over the past year here.

cheers!

Welcome Daeveed,

to the F-series brotherhood. It's cool that you're making your first at HCAF here in the Lounge. I hope you're Boogie puts as big as smile on your face as it does mine! :cool:

For those Santana-esque moments, try Ch.2 withOUT Contour, and try to get the channel volume up past 10 o'clock. I suspect you'll find a host of sweet and usable tones in your F-50 for this purpose, both with and without Contour. :) So where abouts are you located, and where do you indulge those Latin Rock moments? :thu:

Big smiles,

Andy.

phyrexia

05-09-2006, 10:18 AM

If anybody wants to help out an F Brother, you can buy it off me ;)

Gotta pay the bills...

Daeveed

05-09-2006, 10:47 AM

Originally posted by Dann'sTheMan

Welcome Daeveed,

to the F-series brotherhood. It's cool that you're making your first at HCAF here in the Lounge. I hope you're Boogie puts as big as smile on your face as it does mine! :cool:

For those Santana-esque moments, try Ch.2 withOUT Contour, and try to get the channel volume up past 10 o'clock. I suspect you'll find a host of sweet and usable tones in your F-50 for this purpose, both with and without Contour. :) So where abouts are you located, and where do you indulge those Latin Rock moments? :thu:

Big smiles,

Andy.

Thanks man, I'll try it!!!

I'm in Toronto (i'll update my profile), and you can find some of our music here (http://www.gardenias.ca)

markmann

05-09-2006, 12:54 PM

Originally posted by Daeveed
Hi, I'm glad to announce that I've joined the brotherhood (along with this forum)

I bought an F-50 over the weekend, and I'm dying to crank it tonight at my band's practice.

Over the past few days, I've tirelessly read most of this thread, and there are great tips!! not only you made me love the amp even before i've fully tried it, but also you have made me want to spend thousands of dollars on other equipment!!!:mad: but that's a good thing in the end...

OK, so here's the deal. I play a semi-hollow with PRS Santana 3 pups. I didn't know Santana used Mesas on his rig, so I guess I'll get a pretty decent tone for what i want (I play Latin Rock).

I'll post some comments tomorrow and maybe I can add to the encyclopedia of F-series that has been built over the past year here.

cheers! Welcome Daeveed. I think you will LOVE the f50 for latin rock, especially if you're a Santana fan. Carlos has had an infuence on my playing for a long time and I actually have to consciously try to NOT sound like I'm copying him at times.

Andy is correct, channel II with no contour.

Have fun.

Tommi Inkila

05-09-2006, 01:23 PM

Hi guys!

Check this out: http://acapella.harmony-central.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=1241339

Sorry for not participating into discussions lately, I've been so busy with my studies and our album release. :)

Daeveed

05-09-2006, 02:39 PM

Originally posted by markmann
Welcome Daeveed. I think you will LOVE the f50 for latin rock, especially if you're a Santana fan. Carlos has had an infuence on my playing for a long time and I actually have to consciously try to NOT sound like I'm copying him at times.

Andy is correct, channel II with no contour.

Have fun.

Thanks man. I've spent most of my day here at work, printing and writing down all the settings mentioned here... :p

The other guitarist plays a LP through a Marshall TSL601. I think I'm gonna blow him away. hehehe
I'll update you guys later.

Dave M

05-10-2006, 04:12 AM

Hello

Another new recruit, I picked up my F50 at the weekend. I've spent most of limited time (young baby in the house) exploring Channel 1 so far. I can't believe how many great tones are in this channel. I'm looking forward to getting this amp in the rehearsal room.

best wishes
David

Dann'sTheMan

05-10-2006, 06:16 AM

Originally posted by Dave M
Hello

Another new recruit, I picked up my F50 at the weekend. I've spent most of limited time (young baby in the house) exploring Channel 1 so far. I can't believe how many great tones are in this channel. I'm looking forward to getting this amp in the rehearsal room.

best wishes
David

Congratulations David,

and welcome to the brotherhood! So you decided to pull the trigger on the amp. :) You're absolutely right about there being a wealth of gorgeous tones in Channel 1. I was playing a Lonestar Classic side by side with an F-50 in Berlin earlier this week, and I was pleased that I could dial the F-50's cleans to sound very similar - in spite of the Lonestar's luxuriant reverb. The F-50's dirties are in another league for my tastes. When exploring the Channel 2 tones, I highly recommend using some kind of loop attenuation, or using the simple approach that hal9000 has highlighted for making use of the back panel Mix control as a loop attenuator. Should make sweet Channel 2 sounds available at much more modest volume levels. :thu:

Where abouts in the UK are you located, and where do you play?

Big smiles,

Andy.

Dave M

05-10-2006, 06:42 AM

Hi Andy

Thanks for the warm welcome. I've had F50 GAS for some time now and have been an avid reader of this thread. I managed to find a mint used F50 from a guy emigrating to Oz.

Thanks for the tip on attenuation. I've got my trusty volume pedal in the effects loop already :) I've used this technique successfully with other amps I have to get the master volume up where it should be.

My current project is Soul/Pop/Gospel/RB music. For the past few years I've been involved in worship leading and playing in a variety of secular bands.

I wanted to ask where you bought your flightcase from.

I'm also SE England based.

cheers
David :thu:

Iced Tea

05-10-2006, 07:06 AM

Dave M

05-10-2006, 08:34 AM

Thanks Iced Tea,

I found my volume pedal worked well in the effects loop. I also reduced the level on my compressor pedal and use this for extra attenuation - very useful when playing in the house :) I'm going to enjoy getting to know this amp.

David

VoodooChild24

05-10-2006, 08:53 AM

Iced Tea

05-10-2006, 08:56 AM

Originally posted by Dave M
Thanks Iced Tea,

I found my volume pedal worked well in the effects loop. I also reduced the level on my compressor pedal and use this for extra attenuation - very useful when playing in the house :) I'm going to enjoy getting to know this amp.

David

Cool Dave, me too! :thu: Gotta try my Ernie Ball Volume Pedal there too, thanks for the idea. Also will try that compressor trick and let you know! Want to try all this stuff for my next gig that I plan on using it on, June 3rd.

Daeveed

05-10-2006, 09:02 AM

Wow!
I tried my F-50 last night at my band's practice, and IT ROCKED!!

Thanks for the settings!!! I started using one of Hal's, and then I tweaked it to my guitar's liking. I'm sure I'll have some more tweaking to do, but the tones i got last night were pretty impressive.

I'd love to install an LED on the reverb switch though...:( Has anybody tried this? is it doable?

I found that with my semi hollow, the clean channel sounds better (to me) with the pull/bright knob pulled out. It gives my guitar a really nice sparkle, without losing its body.

The dirty channel was really powerful. I found that my guitar likes to be played with a relatively low gain setting (10:00-12:00), and contour on. I tubescreamed/compressed my solos.

Any ideas on the life of the stock tubes? power and preamp?? this is my first tube amp, and since I bought it used, I'd like to be prepared for when i have to change them.
Also, any ideas on what are the best power tubes for it?

Thanks.

Tommi Inkila

05-11-2006, 01:14 AM

Originally posted by Daeveed
Wow!
I tried my F-50 last night at my band's practice, and IT ROCKED!!

Thanks for the settings!!! I started using one of Hal's, and then I tweaked it to my guitar's liking. I'm sure I'll have some more tweaking to do, but the tones i got last night were pretty impressive.

I'd love to install an LED on the reverb switch though...:( Has anybody tried this? is it doable?

I found that with my semi hollow, the clean channel sounds better (to me) with the pull/bright knob pulled out. It gives my guitar a really nice sparkle, without losing its body.

The dirty channel was really powerful. I found that my guitar likes to be played with a relatively low gain setting (10:00-12:00), and contour on. I tubescreamed/compressed my solos.

Any ideas on the life of the stock tubes? power and preamp?? this is my first tube amp, and since I bought it used, I'd like to be prepared for when i have to change them.
Also, any ideas on what are the best power tubes for it?

Thanks.
Good to hear that the F delivers :)

The power tubes wears out depending on how much you use them. Normally it's about 6-12 months. Could be more of course. Preamp tubes lasts for few years. In normal case you change them if one goes microphonic (damage during transport) or you want to change the overall tone slightly.

Dave M

05-11-2006, 01:37 AM

Originally posted by VoodooChild24

Hi David

Welcome to the brotherhood. It's really amazing how awesome the clean channel is on this amp. It's almost "fenderish" in the sense. I know very well that you will enjoy your new amp and it'll be a keeper.

Don't take too long to explore ch.2....she screams!!

Thanks for the welcome VoodooChild24.

I'm sure this amp will be a keeper. I will check out Channel 2 very soon.:p

pep

05-11-2006, 01:40 AM

Hi guys! I just got an f-50 the other day and am pretty happy with it. I had a couple questions however.

Do you guys get a bit of a pop when switching channels with the footswitch? Mine seems to do this sometimes, especially if I haven't footswitched channels for awhile.

Also, when you engage the contour switch, I hear the eq immediately change but it seems like it takes about 1/4 of a second or so for the additional gain to kick completely in. Not that big of a deal but does anyone else notice that?

It was a floor model and I am wondering if I should have the stoor order a new one for me to exchange with.

Thanks to all who have posted! This thread is ultimately what inspired me to get this great sounding amp. I had tried one previously but thought it was lousy sounding. I went back with some of the settings posted here and it blew me away!

FYI, playing a Hamer Daytona (strat) through it for the most part.

-Pep

Gazz

05-11-2006, 02:31 AM

Hi Pep

and welcome ot the board

I had the same pop when I used my footswtich to change channels, I mentioned it on here a couple of months ago and another member commented he had the same thing.

What I have found is that after a while it seems to dissapear ! dont know why, but its fine now, maybe the switch needs to bed in !

Havnt noticed a slight delay in gain though, perhaps its all linked.

I dont think its a prob though, I think its like a new speaker, you need to break in a new amp like you need to break in a new guitar, wear down the sharp corners so to speak !

Good luck with it. I would strongly recommend you read the whole thread, ( if you can find the time) there is a ton of great advice about this amp and it will probably save you time to read it rather than doing what I did and ask questions as things crop up.

Have fun!

Dave M

05-11-2006, 04:08 AM

Hi Pep, from another new F50 recruit...

welcome.

Surfcaster

05-11-2006, 06:13 AM

Originally posted by Daeveed
Wow!
I tried my F-50 last night at my band's practice, and IT ROCKED!!

Thanks for the settings!!! I started using one of Hal's, and then I tweaked it to my guitar's liking. I'm sure I'll have some more tweaking to do, but the tones i got last night were pretty impressive.

I'd love to install an LED on the reverb switch though...:( Has anybody tried this? is it doable?

I found that with my semi hollow, the clean channel sounds better (to me) with the pull/bright knob pulled out. It gives my guitar a really nice sparkle, without losing its body.

The dirty channel was really powerful. I found that my guitar likes to be played with a relatively low gain setting (10:00-12:00), and contour on. I tubescreamed/compressed my solos.

Any ideas on the life of the stock tubes? power and preamp?? this is my first tube amp, and since I bought it used, I'd like to be prepared for when i have to change them.
Also, any ideas on what are the best power tubes for it?

Thanks.

I've had my F-50 2.5 years now and am still on original tubes...though it doesn't get played everyday. It probably did get played for an hour or so everyday in my house (so at reasonable volumes) for the first year or so that I had it. Having a couple of kids has changed all that...it probably gets fired up a couple hours on the weekend now and that's about it. But I think I've still got lots of life left in my tubes.

When it comes time to change my tubes, I will very likely go with JJs from Eurotubes...lots of people seem to like them and say Bob is a great guy. But I've also bought tubes from The Tube Store before and been pretty happy with them and I think they'd give you some good tubes if you told them what amp you have.

Surfcaster

05-11-2006, 06:14 AM

Iced Tea

05-11-2006, 06:24 AM

Originally posted by Surfcaster

Mine pops occasionally...but I've often wondered if it had anything to do with some of my home brew switcher pedals...may need to look into that further.

Just bought mine new in the box last weekend. Have not noticed any pop or delay in distortion kicking in w/ contour (only worked her out once good however) but when I fire her up this weekend I will pay particular attention to that and let you all know. Also, I just orderd a set of JJs which I plan on swapping out as soon as they arrive (and keep the originals as spares) so I will also advise my impressions of them compared w/ Mesa stock tubes. I expect good things as I have had JJs in previous amps and they were real nice (and yes Bob delivers superb service, hand-picking and testing every tube he ships I understand).

Also, welcome Dave M and Pep from another newbie! :wave:

Dave M

05-11-2006, 06:53 AM

Originally posted by Iced Tea

Just bought mine new in the box last weekend. Have not noticed any pop or delay in distortion kicking in w/ contour (only worked her out once good however) but when I fire her up this weekend I will pay particular attention to that and let you all know. Also, I just orderd a set of JJs which I plan on swapping out as soon as they arrive (and keep the originals as spares) so I will also advise my impressions of them compared w/ Mesa stock tubes. I expect good things as I have had JJs in previous amps and they were real nice (and yes Bob delivers superb service, hand-picking and testing every tube he ships I understand).

Also, welcome Dave M and Pep from another newbie! :wave:

Iced Tea, thanks fior the welcome .... are you putting in JJ power amp tubes ? If so what rating tubes are you going for. I want to buy a spare set of tubes. I've used JJ's before in other amps they're normally great!

Surfcaster

05-11-2006, 07:05 AM

I forgot to add that I've not noticed any delay when switching on the contour either...but then I generally leave the contour engaged. And on the rare occasion I use channel 2 without contour, I still wouldn't switch on the contour on the fly in the middle of a song, so there could be a delay and I might not notice.

Iced Tea

05-11-2006, 07:39 AM

Originally posted by Dave M

Iced Tea, thanks fior the welcome .... are you putting in JJ power amp tubes ? If so what rating tubes are you going for. I want to buy a spare set of tubes. I've used JJ's before in other amps they're normally great!

Hey Dave M - you're welcome! yes I am getting the full set of F-50 tubes that Bob sells on his site (www.Eurotubes.com). I chose the set he advertises only as "Mesa F50 High Gain Option Retube Kit" (he also sells a standard re-tube kit which I assume has lesser gain pre-amp tubes) and states: "DESC: A pair of JJ 6L6GC's for the power section. For the front end 2 hand picked high gain JJ ECC83S's for V1 and V2, a standard ECC83S for V3 and a balanced ECC83S for V4."

I will be glad to post more details when they arrive or if you email or call Bob I am sure he will supply the specs you seek. He is very responsive. Will also post with my impressions of the new tubes after I install and test them (thoroughly at very high volume!) :eek:

Dumo

05-11-2006, 12:23 PM

Hey Guys. My F30 pops too when switching channels. I'm pretty sure my power tubes are about done. I got some new Mesa EL84s a couple days ago and I'll see if that helps at all when I change them out this weekend. Speaking of changing tubes. How do you take the tube retainers off? Do you just pull them back off the tip? No rebias too? The F30s fixed bias? Thanks.

pep

05-11-2006, 12:29 PM

Thanks for the warm welcome and the responses guys. I have been slowly making my way through this huge thread. Some great suggestions I might add. I will give my f-50 a little time to break in to see if these problems sort themselves out.

Next on the list is a volume pedal for the loop.

Oh, BTW, I tried out my Keeley modded Boss Blues Driver in front of the clean channel and it sounds REALLY good. Previously I was playing a '59 Bassman LTD Reissue and this pedal sounded HORRIBLE through it. I just can't say enough good things about the sound quality of the Boogie.

musicdog400

05-11-2006, 02:45 PM

So why is it that a volume device in the loop works better than having the master volume really low ?

I'd love to see an F-50 schematic and investigate.

Dave M

05-12-2006, 02:54 AM

Originally posted by Iced Tea

Hey Dave M - you're welcome! yes I am getting the full set of F-50 tubes that Bob sells on his site (www.Eurotubes.com). I chose the set he advertises only as "Mesa F50 High Gain Option Retube Kit" (he also sells a standard re-tube kit which I assume has lesser gain pre-amp tubes) and states: "DESC: A pair of JJ 6L6GC's for the power section. For the front end 2 hand picked high gain JJ ECC83S's for V1 and V2, a standard ECC83S for V3 and a balanced ECC83S for V4."

I will be glad to post more details when they arrive or if you email or call Bob I am sure he will supply the specs you seek. He is very responsive. Will also post with my impressions of the new tubes after I install and test them (thoroughly at very high volume!) :eek:

Thanks for the info. Iced Tea
Just checked out the website - I'm probaably going to go for a standard kit but will e-mail Bob with my requirements.

Torh

05-12-2006, 04:19 AM

Hi. This may be discussed before in this thread, but I simply do not have the time for reading through 90 pages right now, so sorry if you have been finished discussing what I ask now.

I was sort of certain to buy the F-50, because from what I've heard I liked the F-50 sound the best. However, I wanted to purchase used (I'm not that of a player, and Mesas are terribly expensive where I come from, so I don't wanna wander around with a brand new Mesa while my playing should suggest something else.... erhm). Anyways, I have the opportunity to get a great deal with an F-30 (recall, Mesas are expensive here, and the F-series is one rare trading object in the used market), and I think I just have to buy it. From different folks, it gets nice reports.

However, as mentioned, I like the F-50 sound, so my question is therefore; would a change of speaker to the Black Shadow - Celestion 12" Custom 90 do it for me? (I assume it is the 8 ohms I want then..?). Will the speaker make significant difference, in favor of a more American tone?
And I guess the different electricity-nets from country to another doesn't have an impact here?
At last, is the Yahoo store the best bet to purchase the speaker from?

Many questions, but I'd appreciate anyone taking the time to read this :)

Daeveed

05-12-2006, 06:50 AM

Dave M

05-12-2006, 07:21 AM

I think THD do some tube convertors.

Daeveed

05-12-2006, 08:07 AM

Originally posted by Dave M
I think THD do some tube convertors.

Yes, the Yellow Jackets.
Unfortunately, these adaptors are made for fitting EL84's on 6L6 driven amps.

What Torh needs is exactly the opposite. Something that would allow him to fit 6L6 tubes in a EL84 driven amp.

Iced Tea

05-12-2006, 08:46 AM

Originally posted by Dave M

Thanks for the info. Iced Tea
Just checked out the website - I'm probaably going to go for a standard kit but will e-mail Bob with my requirements.

Cool Dave M, you're welcome and I'll certainly let you know how mine sound when they arrive.

Surfcaster

05-12-2006, 08:58 AM

Originally posted by Torh
Hi. This may be discussed before in this thread, but I simply do not have the time for reading through 90 pages right now, so sorry if you have been finished discussing what I ask now.

I was sort of certain to buy the F-50, because from what I've heard I liked the F-50 sound the best. However, I wanted to purchase used (I'm not that of a player, and Mesas are terribly expensive where I come from, so I don't wanna wander around with a brand new Mesa while my playing should suggest something else.... erhm). Anyways, I have the opportunity to get a great deal with an F-30 (recall, Mesas are expensive here, and the F-series is one rare trading object in the used market), and I think I just have to buy it. From different folks, it gets nice reports.

However, as mentioned, I like the F-50 sound, so my question is therefore; would a change of speaker to the Black Shadow - Celestion 12" Custom 90 do it for me? (I assume it is the 8 ohms I want then..?). Will the speaker make significant difference, in favor of a more American tone?
And I guess the different electricity-nets from country to another doesn't have an impact here?
At last, is the Yahoo store the best bet to purchase the speaker from?

Many questions, but I'd appreciate anyone taking the time to read this :)

Well, if you ask different people you'll get different opinions. Of course, both the tubes and the speaker are going to affect the tone of an amp, so changing one without changing the other will not completely get you where you want to go.

Having said that, I have found the tonal differences between tube types to be pretty subtle. I have a small single-ended amp that I can swap out tubes at will. I have tried 6L6, EL34 and 6V6. The difference between the 6L6 and EL34 are very small...in fact, I almost can't hear the difference. I can hear the difference with the 6V6, but it's still very small. Now I've not tried and EL84 in it because I would need an adapter that I don't have, but based on my other experiences, I would not expect a huge difference. No matter what tube I put in the amp, the basic essence of the amp's tone is the same...maybe a bit more bass, a bit less high end...that kind of thing, but not a radical change to the amps tone.

My experience is that changing the speaker is going to impact your tone more than changing tubes, there is a big difference in the Custom 90 and Vintage 30 (I have one of both and have run my F50 through both), so I would think that would get you pretty close. But it won't be identical.

One more thing...some people feel that the V30 is well suited to EL84 tubes...these people would probably tell you NOT to change the speaker. My opinion is, if you are willing to spend the money, try it and see for yourself. Tone is a very personal thing and the only real way to know is to try it yourself.

Edit: Oh yeah...when I bought my F50, I tried it side by side with an F30 and I really didn't notice a huge difference in tone. So based on that, swapping out the speaker might be worth a shot.

VoodooChild24

05-12-2006, 09:09 AM

Originally posted by pep
Hi guys! I just got an f-50 the other day and am pretty happy with it. I had a couple questions however.

Do you guys get a bit of a pop when switching channels with the footswitch? Mine seems to do this sometimes, especially if I haven't footswitched channels for awhile.

Also, when you engage the contour switch, I hear the eq immediately change but it seems like it takes about 1/4 of a second or so for the additional gain to kick completely in. Not that big of a deal but does anyone else notice that?

It was a floor model and I am wondering if I should have the stoor order a new one for me to exchange with.

Thanks to all who have posted! This thread is ultimately what inspired me to get this great sounding amp. I had tried one previously but thought it was lousy sounding. I went back with some of the settings posted here and it blew me away!

FYI, playing a Hamer Daytona (strat) through it for the most part.

-Pep

Hi Pep, welcome to the brotherhood! to answer your questions, mine doesn't have a popping noise whenever i switch channels. Remember though that this may be brought about by bad tubes.

Regarding the contour channel, i don't really notice any delay whenever i switch. But in your case, i think it might be normal to have a 1/4 of a second delay (maybe im not observing mine really). But generally, i don't think anything is wrong with yours. But if you feel like you can exchange it for another one, then go with your gut instincts.

Don't think to much. Play and enjoy your new amp!

markmann

05-12-2006, 11:40 AM

Originally posted by Surfcaster

Well, if you ask different people you'll get different opinions. Of course, both the tubes and the speaker are going to affect the tone of an amp, so changing one without changing the other will not completely get you where you want to go.

Having said that, I have found the tonal differences between tube types to be pretty subtle. I have a small single-ended amp that I can swap out tubes at will. I have tried 6L6, EL34 and 6V6. The difference between the 6L6 and EL34 are very small...in fact, I almost can't hear the difference. I can hear the difference with the 6V6, but it's still very small. Now I've not tried and EL84 in it because I would need an adapter that I don't have, but based on my other experiences, I would not expect a huge difference. No matter what tube I put in the amp, the basic essence of the amp's tone is the same...maybe a bit more bass, a bit less high end...that kind of thing, but not a radical change to the amps tone.

My experience is that changing the speaker is going to impact your tone more than changing tubes, there is a big difference in the Custom 90 and Vintage 30 (I have one of both and have run my F50 through both), so I would think that would get you pretty close. But it won't be identical.

One more thing...some people feel that the V30 is well suited to EL84 tubes...these people would probably tell you NOT to change the speaker. My opinion is, if you are willing to spend the money, try it and see for yourself. Tone is a very personal thing and the only real way to know is to try it yourself.

Edit: Oh yeah...when I bought my F50, I tried it side by side with an F30 and I really didn't notice a huge difference in tone. So based on that, swapping out the speaker might be worth a shot. That's great info, Surf. Your comment about your experience with the f30 vs f50 makes me wonder about consistancy between f-series amp's because when I did the same side by side comparison I noticed a substantial difference in tone. So then the question is was I hearing a difference in the speakers, the tubes or both. I think there are other differences between the two models as well, and if I remember correctly one of our more knowledgeable brothers have detailed this subject at some point.

Surfcaster

05-12-2006, 12:05 PM

Originally posted by markmann
That's great info, Surf. Your comment about your experience with the f30 vs f50 makes me wonder about consistancy between f-series amp's because when I did the same side by side comparison I noticed a substantial difference in tone. So then the question is was I hearing a difference in the speakers, the tubes or both. I think there are other differences between the two models as well, and if I remember correctly one of our more knowledgeable brothers have detailed this subject at some point.

It may also make a difference that my F50 is one of the narrow body models...and I've heard that there were some modifications made to the circuit when they went to the widebody version, so the differences could be more pronounced now than they were then.

It does seem odd to me that they didn't sound any more different that I remember (and the friend who was with me remembers them sounding very similar as well). It would seem that even just the different speakers should have made a noticeable effect. The one thing we both remember was that the F50 had more low end and a little less midrange bite which would be characteristic of both the Custom 90 vs. the Vintage 30, and the 6L6 tubes vs the EL84s.

You know, now that I know my F50 as well as I do, I should do the comparison with the F30 again sometime. I'd probably walk away with an entirely different set of conclusions!! :D

Dann'sTheMan

05-12-2006, 12:58 PM

Originally posted by Dave M
Hi Andy

Thanks for the warm welcome. I've had F50 GAS for some time now and have been an avid reader of this thread. I managed to find a mint used F50 from a guy emigrating to Oz.

Thanks for the tip on attenuation. I've got my trusty volume pedal in the effects loop already :) I've used this technique successfully with other amps I have to get the master volume up where it should be.

My current project is Soul/Pop/Gospel/RB music. For the past few years I've been involved in worship leading and playing in a variety of secular bands.

I wanted to ask where you bought your flightcase from.

I'm also SE England based.

cheers
David :thu:

Hi Dave,

I think we may have some similar tastes - I played in a secular funk/soul/rock band for many years, and I've been playing on the Gospel scene for well over a decade. I'm based in Wokingham, Berkshire and I still gig in London quite regularly. Next Friday, I start playing for a new event just off Oxford St - should be good fun. Let me know if you ever think there might be an opportunity to cross paths. I'd love to come out and hear you. :thu:

Regarding the roadcase, I bought it from http://www.flightcasewarehouse.co.uk/basscabsamphead/ - great people. I actually found a new shop soiled case in their Used section that was the perfect dimensions for the F-50. They FOC supplied the foam for getting the perfect fit (the original foam was a little too snug), and were very professional to deal with. Highly recommended! :cool:

Big smiles,

Andy.

Dann'sTheMan

05-12-2006, 01:32 PM

Originally posted by Daeveed
Wow!
I tried my F-50 last night at my band's practice, and IT ROCKED!!

Thanks for the settings!!! I started using one of Hal's, and then I tweaked it to my guitar's liking. I'm sure I'll have some more tweaking to do, but the tones i got last night were pretty impressive.

I'd love to install an LED on the reverb switch though...:( Has anybody tried this? is it doable?

I found that with my semi hollow, the clean channel sounds better (to me) with the pull/bright knob pulled out. It gives my guitar a really nice sparkle, without losing its body.

The dirty channel was really powerful. I found that my guitar likes to be played with a relatively low gain setting (10:00-12:00), and contour on. I tubescreamed/compressed my solos.

Any ideas on the life of the stock tubes? power and preamp?? this is my first tube amp, and since I bought it used, I'd like to be prepared for when i have to change them.
Also, any ideas on what are the best power tubes for it?

Thanks.

Hi Daeveed,

Regarding putting on a Reverb LED, it should be straight forward to try. Have a look at the footswitch schematic here: http://acapella.harmony-central.com/forums/attachment.php?postid=12175630

You should be able to try putting an LED between the Reverb footswitch and the common ground, and then check to see if there is enough current to light the LED, without unduly loading the reverb circuit. :)

Big smiles,

Andy.

Dann'sTheMan

05-12-2006, 01:55 PM

Originally posted by Torh
Hi. This may be discussed before in this thread, but I simply do not have the time for reading through 90 pages right now, so sorry if you have been finished discussing what I ask now.

I was sort of certain to buy the F-50, because from what I've heard I liked the F-50 sound the best. However, I wanted to purchase used (I'm not that of a player, and Mesas are terribly expensive where I come from, so I don't wanna wander around with a brand new Mesa while my playing should suggest something else.... erhm). Anyways, I have the opportunity to get a great deal with an F-30 (recall, Mesas are expensive here, and the F-series is one rare trading object in the used market), and I think I just have to buy it. From different folks, it gets nice reports.

However, as mentioned, I like the F-50 sound, so my question is therefore; would a change of speaker to the Black Shadow - Celestion 12" Custom 90 do it for me? (I assume it is the 8 ohms I want then..?). Will the speaker make significant difference, in favor of a more American tone?
And I guess the different electricity-nets from country to another doesn't have an impact here?
At last, is the Yahoo store the best bet to purchase the speaker from?

Many questions, but I'd appreciate anyone taking the time to read this :)

Hi Torh,

If you're buying a Boogie within Europe, then it will come fitted with an Export transformer. The Export transformer has taps for 240, 230 and 220 V, so that it can be used anywhere in the EU. A simple resolder of a wire is all that is needed to make the change - I did this solder job when I brought my German bought F-50 to the UK, changing from the 230V tap to the 240V tap.

Regarding the differences in tone between the F-30 and the F-50, I certainly think the speaker is a big part of the equation - however, I think the F-100 sounds more similar to the F-50 than the F-30, even though both the F-100 and the F-30 use Celestion V30 drivers.

To my ears, I certainly think the different power tubes make a noticeable difference.: EL84s, and EL34s especially, have a different character to the way the notes break up - especially in the mid range. The break up happens with less pick attack, and is a "stiffer" sound - great for overdrive and crunch tones. To my ears, 6L6s on the other hand have a glassier, sometimes harsher, break up, but the notes retain clarity with a strong pick attack - great for both clean, and high gain lead tones. I hear these defining characteristics when comparing the F-30 with the F-50 and F-100.

The other big difference, that Surfcaster touched on is in the cab design. The F-30 uses Mesa's narrow body format, and whilst it makes for a very compact, innocuous design, I've always felt that the combos sound a little boxy - even in the MkIII and MkIV amps. I really like Mesa's widebody format, as it gives many of Boogie's 1x12 combos, including the F-50 a big amp sound. The F-100 is indeed a bigger amp, and also shifts air with authority.

I think all three of these factors contribute to the differences between the F-30 and the F-50 combos. It's also worth mentioning that the F-50 has a different output transformer, which will further add to the differences. On the other hand, all of the F-series have the same pre-amp design, and like most Mesas, are based around a pre-amp voicing. Will a speaker swap narrow the gap? Absolutely - but don't expect it to entirely close the gap. :thu:

Finally, do ask SuperStrat for his opinion. I believe he actually put a C90 in his F-30, and thought it was a really good match for the amp. He now owns an F-50, so he's in a great position to make a comparison. :cool:

Big smiles,

Andy.

Dann'sTheMan

05-12-2006, 02:07 PM

Originally posted by pep
Hi guys! I just got an f-50 the other day and am pretty happy with it. I had a couple questions however.

Do you guys get a bit of a pop when switching channels with the footswitch? Mine seems to do this sometimes, especially if I haven't footswitched channels for awhile.

Also, when you engage the contour switch, I hear the eq immediately change but it seems like it takes about 1/4 of a second or so for the additional gain to kick completely in. Not that big of a deal but does anyone else notice that?

It was a floor model and I am wondering if I should have the stoor order a new one for me to exchange with.

Thanks to all who have posted! This thread is ultimately what inspired me to get this great sounding amp. I had tried one previously but thought it was lousy sounding. I went back with some of the settings posted here and it blew me away!

FYI, playing a Hamer Daytona (strat) through it for the most part.

-Pep

Hi Pep,

and welcome to the F-series brotherhood! :cool:

If I were you, I'd give the store an opportunity to retube your new Boogie - say that you'd like to give that a try to see if it resolves your issues. If it doesn't, then reserve the right to get the amp swapped out.

Regarding the popping, I've noted some owners remarking that they sometimes hear a pop the first time the footswitch is used, and then it's fine. Having said that, I don't recall noticing any obvious popping issues with my F-50.

Regarding the slow rise time when switching to the Contour channel - are switching from Channel 1 or Channel 2? The first things I'd suggest checking are: are you using good quality guitar leads in front of the amp? Are you using a compressor in your signal chain?

Big smiles,

Andy.

Torh

05-12-2006, 02:15 PM

Uhm, thanks for great and thorough replies! :) The amp will be bought within my own country, so it won't pose any trouble for me.
Yeah, even though the speaker swap won't do it all, it might be good enough for me - I guess I "hope" I do not have that sensitive ear for the differences that still remain if I choose to drop in the C-90 ;) Lastly, thanks for the tip of contacting SuperStrat!

Daeveed

05-12-2006, 02:41 PM

Originally posted by Dann'sTheMan

Hi Daeveed,

Regarding putting on a Reverb LED, it should be straight forward to try. Have a look at the footswitch schematic here: http://acapella.harmony-central.com/forums/attachment.php?postid=12175630

You should be able to try putting an LED between the Reverb footswitch and the common ground, and then check to see if there is enough current to light the LED, without unduly loading the reverb circuit. :)

Big smiles,

Andy.

Thanks a lot Andy!

I'll let you know how it goes...

BTW...what is an LED???

just kidding:D

Dumo

05-12-2006, 02:46 PM

So I changed out the power tubes in my F30 last night and the popping noise from channel switching is gone now. FWIW

Dann'sTheMan

05-12-2006, 03:04 PM

Originally posted by Daeveed

Thanks a lot Andy!

I'll let you know how it goes...

BTW...what is an LED???

just kidding:D

Had me going for a second! LOL! :D

Dann'sTheMan

05-12-2006, 03:06 PM

Originally posted by Dumo
So I changed out the power tubes in my F30 last night and the popping noise from channel switching is gone now. FWIW

Great to know! Thanks for sharing with everyone! :thu:

Big smiles,

Andy.

pep

05-13-2006, 02:39 AM

Hi VoodooChild24 and Dan'sTheMan! Thanks for the welcome and the responses to my newbie questions. This has to be the friendliest thread on HC!

I am not stressing too badly about the stuff I mentioned. Overall the f50 is great and I am loving its tone. Luckily, I have a friend who works at Guitar Center (where I purchased the amp) and he has another one coming to the store this next week. This weekend I am going to swap in some new tubes and see if it makes any difference. If not, I am just going to trade mine for the new one. I think it would be cool to get one that nobody but me has gotten to put their hot little hands on, lol.

Here's something interesting I found out while purchasing this amp. Mesa/Boogie will not let their retailers lower the price of their products! Usually I get "pro" discounts from GC because of my friend, but he couldn't touch the price of my f50. Do you guys think that it is related to the warranty that Boogie provides? The only other company I know of that has this policy is Monster Cables.

Regarding speaker swaps to change the sound of an amp...

I've owned quite a few amps over the years and in my experience a speaker swap can either be rewarding or expensive and frustrating. The thing that I have come to realize is that if you don't like the overall vibe of an amp to begin with, you won't like it regardless of what speakers you use with it. That being said, speakers are a good way to fine tune the sound. I think that the best way to choose speakers is to look for the ones that will enhance the qualities of your amp that you like, rather than to choose one that you think will tone down the qualities that you don't care for. Just my .02

RE tube swap: Unfortuantely there are not many new production choices for el84's. Some of the NOS ones sound great, but el84's tend to go microphonic sooner than other types of power tubes. For that reason I don't think NOS are the best choice for guitar amps due to their price. Personally I find JJ/Tesla's to be the best new production el84's available at the moment. They sound pretty darn close to the old ones and are relatively inexpensive. They also seem to have a fuller low end than any others I've tried (new production). For even more low end and sizzle, try a chinese 12AX7 in V1. I recomend the GrooveTubes 12AX7-C, despite my negative opinion of Aspen Pitman. To get some high end chime in there, try a NOS GE 12AX7 in some of the other locations, probably V2 and/or V4. Luckily the GE's are still reasonable compared to the Telefunkens and Mullards. Note: I've not tried these tubes in a Boogie before however I have put them in the same relative positions in another el84 amp of mine and they do wonders. :thu:

I appologize for the long post. I just wanted to help where I could. g'night all and thanks again for your responses and the great reception.

ashjn

05-13-2006, 09:54 AM

I don't know why they do it, but they do. Of course the dealer could always lower the price on it, but they stand a chance at loosing their liscense to sell Boogies. I got Guitar Center to knock off a couple hundred on my F-100, but that was because they fucked me over big time on a previous amp sale/repair, and didn't want to loose me as a customer.

Iced Tea

05-13-2006, 10:55 AM

Did something really stupid! :cry: Got new high-gain JJ tubes set for my brand new F-50 and swapped out the full set. After consulting the thread and laying the amp on it's face I found it relatively easy to swap out all the pre-amp tubes. Then I got to the 6L6 power tubes and in my excitement did not notice the stub on the left hand side of the tube (the black plastic insert that goes into the middle of the tube socket), started inserted the tube wrong, and cracked the black plastic insert in the center of the tube. I now have plastic stuck in the center hole that I cannot seem to fully remove (it keeps breaking into pieces as I try to remove it w/ needle-nose pliers). Since there is no electronic connections in the center insert I find I am able to reinsert the broken JJ 6L6 tube fine and it works/plays w/ no problem BUT until I can fully remove the plastic from the center hole I will never be able to use a different replacement tube. Anyone have any experience with the error I just made? Can I just continue to try and remove the plastic piece by piece perhaps w/ tweezers until I (hopefully) get it all out? Or must I take it somewhere to replace it w/ a brand new tube-socket (or send the chassie back to Mesa)? The new JJ tubes btw sound really good. Yes they seem to have a little less bass response and the distortion appears a bit creamier but w/ all the bite and aggressiveness I want still there. This along w/ Hal9000's loop master volume mod has given me almost infinte tweakability on the gain structure and volume and it seems to work wonderfully at lower volumes (THANKS HAL9000!!). Anyway, any help/suggestions for my dilemna are VERY MUCH appreciated!

pep

05-13-2006, 12:56 PM

Iced Tea,

There are a couple of ways to get the stub out. The first would be to remove the chasis and push it out from the inside. The other way is to get a q-tip, cut the cotton off one of the ends, dab a little super glue on it then glue it to the broken part on the underside that keeps breaking into bits. Once it is set, gently pull it out. Be careful not to get any glue on the tube socket. Good luck.

-Pep

Alchemist

05-13-2006, 12:59 PM

Quick question guys. Trying to finalize my pedal board. Wondering if my F-30 would benefit from a treble booster? The reason I ask is because the only store that carries them around here is not a mesa dealer, so I dont have the opportunity to experiment with one. As well treble boosters cost around $300+ so I dont feel like laying down that kind of cash to find out it doesnt do much for this particular kind of amp. Thanks for any input:)

Tommi Inkila

05-13-2006, 01:45 PM

Originally posted by Alchemist
Quick question guys. Trying to finalize my pedal board. Wondering if my F-30 would benefit from a treble booster? The reason I ask is because the only store that carries them around here is not a mesa dealer, so I dont have the opportunity to experiment with one. As well treble boosters cost around $300+ so I dont feel like laying down that kind of cash to find out it doesnt do much for this particular kind of amp. Thanks for any input:)
Well, I don't find the high end of the F lacking and EL84 gives it even greater definition. I'm not sure what's your goal :/

How about a compressor? It would be more versatile solution. Digitech Main Squeeze http://www.digitech.com/products/mainsqueeze.htm is great and Marshall's Ed is also nice. They both have the EQ knob for changing the area of where the compression affects.

VoodooChild24

05-13-2006, 01:50 PM

VoodooChild24

05-13-2006, 01:53 PM

Originally posted by Iced Tea
Did something really stupid! :cry: Got new high-gain JJ tubes set for my brand new F-50 and swapped out the full set. After consulting the thread and laying the amp on it's face I found it relatively easy to swap out all the pre-amp tubes. Then I got to the 6L6 power tubes and in my excitement did not notice the stub on the left hand side of the tube (the black plastic insert that goes into the middle of the tube socket), started inserted the tube wrong, and cracked the black plastic insert in the center of the tube. I now have plastic stuck in the center hole that I cannot seem to fully remove (it keeps breaking into pieces as I try to remove it w/ needle-nose pliers). Since there is no electronic connections in the center insert I find I am able to reinsert the broken JJ 6L6 tube fine and it works/plays w/ no problem BUT until I can fully remove the plastic from the center hole I will never be able to use a different replacement tube. Anyone have any experience with the error I just made? Can I just continue to try and remove the plastic piece by piece perhaps w/ tweezers until I (hopefully) get it all out? Or must I take it somewhere to replace it w/ a brand new tube-socket (or send the chassie back to Mesa)? The new JJ tubes btw sound really good. Yes they seem to have a little less bass response and the distortion appears a bit creamier but w/ all the bite and aggressiveness I want still there. This along w/ Hal9000's loop master volume mod has given me almost infinte tweakability on the gain structure and volume and it seems to work wonderfully at lower volumes (THANKS HAL9000!!). Anyway, any help/suggestions for my dilemna are VERY MUCH appreciated!

Have you tried using the long nose pliers? I think that would be better instead of using tweezers.

Sorry to hear your trouble dude. But just a word of caution, don't force anything when pulling the plastic out of the socket. Do it gently. :thu:

Iced Tea

05-13-2006, 02:06 PM

Originally posted by VoodooChild24

Have you tried using the long nose pliers? I think that would be better instead of using tweezers.

Sorry to hear your trouble dude. But just a word of caution, don't force anything when pulling the plastic out of the socket. Do it gently. :thu:

Thanks Pep and Voodoo for the suggestions! :idea: I am sure one or the other may do the trick. I really don't have a real long, thin set of needle-nose so I'm gonna try that first, then try either the que-tip or remove chassis suggestion if the needle-nose don't do the trick (being very careful of course). And I've learned my lesson (i hope) and won't force the tube ever again! I'll let you all know. Thanks!!

Alchemist

05-13-2006, 02:08 PM

To Tommi and Voodoo

What I'm trying to achieve is just adding more dimension to my sound. Not that its lacking, but lots of guys recommend treble boosters, I've just never been able to try one with this particular amp. I know they sound great with quite a few other el84 driven amps though.

I'm currently boosting with a Maxon OD808, I've tried a few others including an OCD, most of the boss ones, a TS-9..etc. The OD808 is my favourite. As far as compressors, I've had one for a while (boss CS-3), but am actualy selling it, I dont really think my F-30 benefits much from it. I may replace it down the line with a maxon though, just to give that a shot.

pep

05-13-2006, 02:50 PM

Alchemist, I have been doing a lot of experimenting since I just got my f50. I ended up trying out my Keeley modded blues driver, vol up, tone a little past 12:00, and low drive. It sounded VERY similiar to my buddies treble booster. Through the clean channel it added some high end chime + a little hair. Through the gain channel, it had the effect of fattening the distortion while also adding more high end definition. Clean channel was awsome with my strat. I didn't like the lead channel with the BD boost until I tried my friends LP. That tone sounded awsome for medium and higher gain stuff. Thought you might be interested since the modded BD is a great transparent pedal for about 1/2 the price of the TB's you are looking at.

-Pep

NiCkMiLnE

05-13-2006, 03:41 PM

alchemist, how does the f-30's dirty channel compare to the f-50s?
ive tired the f-30 and it sounded very gravelly and ..well..evil!
is it similar to the f-50?

Alchemist

05-13-2006, 04:08 PM

I personaly prefer the F-30. Its got grit, and a little more mid presence and chime because of those el84's. I think the F-50 is a bit smoother. I already have a very nice 6l6 driven amp though (a modded limited traynor ycv40). I also run my F30 with a V30 loaded 4*12 cab, so I have more mid emphasis again with those speakers. I think it sounds great for my needs.

It comes down to your personal preference though. I think they both sound great.

NiCkMiLnE

05-13-2006, 04:28 PM

well, im after somthing that will sound different to my laney (el34).
i tried the f-30 and loved it! will it get over a band well?
also, will it provide 'that' mesa tone...the 'usa' gritty, petrucci type tones?

cheers
nick:thu:

Alchemist

05-13-2006, 04:33 PM

I think mine does those things just fine. Go and try some. While you are out there, give the F-50, the single recto and the mark I reissue a try. I think all of those including the F-30 are great Mesa amps capable of giving that signature smooth mesa tone.

NiCkMiLnE

05-13-2006, 04:35 PM

well the f-30 and f-50 are the only ones im interested in..mainly due to them being combo's , and cheaper over here

cheers mate
nick

are there any gainy f-30 clips about btw?

Alchemist

05-13-2006, 04:38 PM

Those other ones are available as combos too, just so you know (the single rec is the tremoverb combo).

But back to the F series. The F-30 combo is smaller (ie the size of the combo) than the F-50. That affects the sound a bit, though I dont find it to be negative. Idealy I prefer the combination of F-30 head + cab. You can also hook up the F-30 combo to a cab.
I dont know if there are any high gain F-30 clips, I'll try to get some as soon as I can though (may be a few weeks as I gotta get some stuff sorted out first before I can setup my full recording gear, my homestudio was flooded this winter)

NiCkMiLnE

05-13-2006, 04:42 PM

cheers mate
i know all those are as combos ,but tried the rectoverb and i like dit..but the f 30 had 'that' sound! how will a, f30 compete with a band, is it loud enough..and will a 1x12 cab make a bigg difference sonically?
and im sure they charge huge amounts of money for a MK1 here:(
forry to hear about your studio, hope its sorted soon and look forward to the clips!
cheers
nick

Alchemist

05-13-2006, 04:46 PM

The F-30 should sound great in a band situation. Mine is a monster, but it drives a big cab as well. I think the best match for the F-30 would be a Mesa Thiele 1*12 cab if you can get one. It should sound huge that way.:thu:

NiCkMiLnE

05-13-2006, 05:12 PM

hmm
i was thinking of getting a laney cab and putting a v30 in there..itll end up 1/3 of the price that way

hal9000

05-15-2006, 06:31 AM

Originally posted by Iced Tea
<snip>This along w/ Hal9000's loop master volume mod has given me almost infinte tweakability on the gain structure and volume and it seems to work wonderfully at lower volumes (THANKS HAL9000!!). Anyway, any help/suggestions for my dilemna are VERY MUCH appreciated! Iced Tea, I'm glad I could help and you're welcome.

markmann

05-15-2006, 07:12 AM

Originally posted by NiCkMiLnE
alchemist, how does the f-30's dirty channel compare to the f-50s?
ive tired the f-30 and it sounded very gravelly and ..well..evil!
is it similar to the f-50? Nick, in case you missed it dannstheman wrote a great summary of the differences between the f30, 50 and 100 on 5-12-06. I'll add to that by saying that in general the f30 sounded darker overall with less clean headroom on ch1. Both models are awesome but you really need to try both because I almost bought the f30 until I heard the f50. The f50 just fsuited me better.

woodylong

05-15-2006, 11:48 AM

I have a mesa f-50 on top of my crate 4x12 cab. it sounds great. Works well

Originally posted by NiCkMiLnE
hmm
i was thinking of getting a laney cab and putting a v30 in there..itll end up 1/3 of the price that way

Tommi Inkila

05-16-2006, 11:44 AM

Originally posted by Alchemist
To Tommi and Voodoo

What I'm trying to achieve is just adding more dimension to my sound. Not that its lacking, but lots of guys recommend treble boosters, I've just never been able to try one with this particular amp. I know they sound great with quite a few other el84 driven amps though.

I'm currently boosting with a Maxon OD808, I've tried a few others including an OCD, most of the boss ones, a TS-9..etc. The OD808 is my favourite. As far as compressors, I've had one for a while (boss CS-3), but am actualy selling it, I dont really think my F-30 benefits much from it. I may replace it down the line with a maxon though, just to give that a shot.
Hi there, sorry for late reply and then also for somewhat unhelpful answer.

You could try that treble booster. When I look for change in sound I think of changing the pickups. This way the amps settings stays almost the same, but the pickups brings up different kind of clarity, depth or character.

Alchemist

05-16-2006, 12:17 PM

Originally posted by Tommi Inkila

Hi there, sorry for late reply and then also for somewhat unhelpful answer.

You could try that treble booster. When I look for change in sound I think of changing the pickups. This way the amps settings stays almost the same, but the pickups brings up different kind of clarity, depth or character.

I'll try a few things. I will hold out on new pickups for my shred guitars. My Gibsons sound great. I am getting a nice new shredder soon, so I want to see how those pickups interact with the amp. So I guess I will wait a while then go from there. Thanks for the help :)

Also another question. How do these amps interact when you put a preamp in the loop?... and say leave the clean channel with a flat EQ. I was thinking of trying a separate preamp for certain songs, like an ENGL, or another MESA. This will be mainly for recording purposes.

hal9000

05-16-2006, 12:24 PM

Originally posted by Alchemist

I'll try a few things. I will hold out on new pickups for my shred guitars. My Gibsons sound great. I am getting a nice new shredder soon, so I want to see how those pickups interact with the amp. So I guess I will wait a while then go from there. Thanks for the help :)

Also another question. How do these amps interact when you put a preamp in the loop?... and say leave the clean channel with a flat EQ. I was thinking of trying a separate preamp for certain songs, like an ENGL, or another MESA. This will be mainly for recording purposes. I've run my PODxt Live into the FX return of my F-100 with good results. Make sure to use a dummy cable into the FX send jack to remove the parallel mix path, and turn the FX mix pot all the way to 90%.

Alchemist

05-16-2006, 12:27 PM

Originally posted by hal9000
I've run my PODxt Live into the FX return of my F-100 with good results. Make sure to use a dummy cable into the FX send jack to remove the parallel mix path, and turn the FX mix pot all the way to 90%.

Thank you, glad to know it works. For the dummy cable, should I just leave a patch cable dangling from there? Is that alright? Just making sure, in all my years I have not dabbled much with FX loops:(

hal9000

05-16-2006, 12:29 PM

Originally posted by Alchemist

Thank you, glad to know it works. For the dummy cable, should I just leave a patch cable dangling from there? Is that alright? Just making sure, in all my years I have not dabbled much with FX loops:( You could use a cable dangling, or better a 1/4" jack from Radio Shack so it doesn't stick out too far from the back of the amp.

Alchemist

05-16-2006, 12:32 PM

Originally posted by hal9000
You could use a cable dangling, or better a 1/4" jack from Radio Shack so it doesn't stick out too far from the back of the amp.

Great idea, thank you:idea:

My initial idea was to build a small rack for recording with a Mesa 20/20.... but then I figured I really like the way the power section sounds on my amp. So I might as well keep it and have a few preamps around that I can record with.

markmann

05-16-2006, 01:47 PM

Originally posted by Alchemist

Great idea, thank you:idea:

My initial idea was to build a small rack for recording with a Mesa 20/20.... but then I figured I really like the way the power section sounds on my amp. So I might as well keep it and have a few preamps around that I can record with. I have a Rocktron Piranha that I use on occasion but I go straight to the board with it. I never thought to try it in my f50 loop so I'll have to give that a go sometime. The Piranha has seperate xlr's out for recording and works well as is but now I'm curious.

pep

05-16-2006, 07:10 PM

Hi guys. Some of you may consider this blasphemy, but I was considering replacing the resistor that sets the bias with a trim pot so as to make experimenting with different 6L6's possible, as well as to bring the power stage out of crossover distortion when pushed. I took a bias reading the other day and was surprised to see that my f50 was only set to give a hair under 60% disapation from the p-tubes. Not that I am complaining about the tone, in fact it is great, but I am curious to hear what else this amp can do. Has anyone hear ever modded their f-series to have adjustable bias?

-Pep

Daeveed

05-17-2006, 10:01 AM

Last night at my band's practice, i used Hal9000's Master loop solution, using a patch cord with one modified end.

It worked perfectly!! One piece of advice for your ears though.
When you do it, keep in mind that the Loop Volume set at 90% will give you the MINIMUM overall volume, and as you roll it back, the volume will increase. Trust me, i almost made my bandmates' ears bleed ....haha.

A bit off topic: I just got this really cool pedal, it's called Trinity, and it's made by Jacques Stompboxes. Check it out (http://www.ts808.com/trinity.htm).

G2034

05-19-2006, 04:59 PM

Hi all,

I have been using my F-30 for over 2 years, and I believe it is the most versatile amp I have ever owned (and I currently own a couple of other well very respected amps, and have had many of the classics come and go over the years). Being able to I can dial up most of the voices I use on a single amp is no small feat.

The F-30 sounds good at low volumes, but really come into it's own at higher volumes (>11:00 on the master). I play the many flavors of 60's & 70's music, but mostly just work on originals these days. Haven't gigged in many years, but still enjoy recording. I use several older G&L guitars (Skyhawks, Asats, etc) along with a Gibby L6-S Custom, a Strat, and a G&L L2000 Bass.

I am very impressed with level of knowledge in this thread, and general camaraderie. I have learned a few things from reading this whole thread this week, and you guys have given me a couple of new ideas to try out.

The F-Series ARE Mesa's stealth amps. They will sneak up on you and take your head clean off!

Just wanted to stop in and say Thanks!!

Gary

hal9000

05-19-2006, 05:05 PM

woodylong

05-19-2006, 09:50 PM

I'm looking for a good distortion box that will work well with my mesa f-50. What are you using with your mesa

Alchemist

05-19-2006, 09:52 PM

The F-series overdrive channels are better than any distortion pedal (and better than most other amps) that I have ever played, why would you want to stick a little pedal in front of a great amp like that:freak:

KingDiamond

05-19-2006, 11:17 PM

Hey guys, I'm looking for a good amp for studio recording. I want a tone that sort of like dave mustaine's and dimebag's. I'm looking for a high gain distortion that is also tight and clean (if you know what I mean). I was looking at a Mesa/Boogie F-30 today and I was blown away. What a great amp. What's a reasonable price to buy one of these for new or used?

I would like an F-50 but I can't afford one of those so I guess the F-30 is what I'm looking at getting.

Also if you compare the Vox AD50VT to the F-30 which one is better?

I'm going to be recording with an Audix i5 microphone. This is what I have used to record my Crate Blue Voodoo and Mesa Boogie 4x12 traditional cab with and it sounded reasonably good with some mixing. Will the F-30 have enough low end for a metal mix?

No Soul

05-20-2006, 03:23 AM

No Soul

05-20-2006, 03:25 AM

No Soul

05-20-2006, 03:25 AM

Originally posted by woodylong
I'm looking for a good distortion box that will work well with my mesa f-50. What are you using with your mesa

just stick a BBE sonic stomp in front, it will make EVERYTHING sound better and you wont have to worry about extra feedback etc etc

Alchemist

05-20-2006, 01:29 PM

Originally posted by KingDiamond
Hey guys, I'm looking for a good amp for studio recording. I want a tone that sort of like dave mustaine's and dimebag's. I'm looking for a high gain distortion that is also tight and clean (if you know what I mean). I was looking at a Mesa/Boogie F-30 today and I was blown away. What a great amp. What's a reasonable price to buy one of these for new or used?

I would like an F-50 but I can't afford one of those so I guess the F-30 is what I'm looking at getting.

Also if you compare the Vox AD50VT to the F-30 which one is better?

I'm going to be recording with an Audix i5 microphone. This is what I have used to record my Crate Blue Voodoo and Mesa Boogie 4x12 traditional cab with and it sounded reasonably good with some mixing. Will the F-30 have enough low end for a metal mix?

The F-30 and F-50 are different amps, with different sounds. Neither is better, it just depends what you want, the price difference is not much either.. around $120 or so. They have similar preamps, but they have different power amps with different tubes, and the F-50 also comes in a wider combo and wider head.

As well, why are you comparing a marginally mediocre chinese modeling amp to a high quality american tube amp:freak:

cacheek

05-20-2006, 03:42 PM

I've heard a lot of you say the F-100 and F-50 can almost hang with a dual rect. Soundwise with the contour on on ch.2, how do they compare? I hear the clips on the forum which are killer, but I want to know for sure. Thanks!

marrrtinez

05-21-2006, 11:33 AM

Hello!
I´m a proud new owner of F-50 and want to say hello to the forum :wave:
I´m writing from Catalonia and hope that i can help as much as the forum helps my decission to buy this awesome amp.
I play a lot of styles (two bands of ´80s rock covers, one of pop-rock, another one from my own stuff, a la shredding way (that i hope lord´s help me and this year can record our first C.D....), and some colaborations gig´s, substitutions, etc.... and yes, my wife is very happy too with aaaall that work :D
I´m using Mesa Boogie stuff since ´93, when i bought my Dual Rectifier, nowadays i own a Triaxis with 2:90, 2:20 (for small gig´s and rehersalls) being the Dual the most used in the last years.
O.K. man, with this amount of stuff, Why the hell do you want one F-50? (as asked my wife too :D )
Well, the answer to this question is: SOUND, wattage, and can move to all this "rock´n´roll circus" with only one amp (LIGHT amp, very important for me...), a guitar, and a couple of pedals...

Alchemist

05-21-2006, 11:37 AM

Originally posted by cacheek
I've heard a lot of you say the F-100 and F-50 can almost hang with a dual rect. Soundwise with the contour on on ch.2, how do they compare? I hear the clips on the forum which are killer, but I want to know for sure. Thanks!

Even my F-30 with the little el84's can hang with a recto being used normaly (by that I mean just aggressive drive). The only thing the F series cant really do, that the recto can is that huge really scooped heavy sound, like used in most nu metal. But for most distortion applications, the F can more than hang. Actualy I was ready to add a recto to my rig, but I actualy prefer the clarity of the F series contour more.

cacheek

05-21-2006, 07:55 PM

Anybody answer this one please. I'm still planning on getting an F-100, hopefully after the first of June. I've heard several people saying they hiss and pop. Is this the average hiss/pop or is it worse than say the average Fender or Marshall? Also, is there a way to fix it with a mod?

No Soul

05-22-2006, 02:26 AM

Iced Tea

05-22-2006, 07:17 AM

Just wanted to drop another line to you all and say how much I am LOVING my new F-50 more and more every day!! :love: Especially now that I have added a THD 2X12 Ported Extension Cab, the sound just has me creaming my jeans!! The cab has made the wide-body combo even more bottomy and full and made an already fabulous sounding amp, exquisite! This coupled w/ Hal 9000's effects loop master volume mod (2 1/4" jacks) has allowed me to dial in ass-kicking distorted tones at reasonable volumes for everything from dirty blues to hard classic and modern rock, to classic metal (Ozzy to Judas Priest type sounds, not necessarily nu metal, but I don't need that). Allows me to cover everything I need for our cover band (classic to modern rock) for both small and large venues. I can't wait to let her rip at our next gig in June (outdoors w/ 4 other bands). One quesiton though. The extention cab is 8 ohms and the 2 ext jacks on the amp only accomodate 4 ohms. I know the manual says this is not a problem other than perhaps shortening tube life somewhat, but I wonder if any of you have had any experience with this type of mismatch on these amps for any extended periods of time. Do I have anything to worry about??

Thanks much, and welcome to Marrrtinez from one recent newbie to another! Everyone keep rockin!!

Surfcaster

05-22-2006, 07:25 AM

Originally posted by Iced Tea
One quesiton though. The extention cab is 8 ohms and the 2 ext jacks on the amp only accomodate 4 ohms. I know the manual says this is not a problem other than perhaps shortening tube life somewhat, but I wonder if any of you have had any experience with this type of mismatch on these amps for any extended periods of time. Do I have anything to worry about??

Thanks much, and welcome to Marrrtinez from one recent newbie to another! Everyone keep rockin!!

No worries, Iced Tea. You just want to make sure that the speaker's impedance is rated EQUAL TO OR HIGHER than the amps output impedance. So there's no problem plugging an 8 ohm cabinet into a 4 ohm output.

hal9000

05-22-2006, 08:03 AM

Originally posted by Iced Tea
<snip>One quesiton though. The extention cab is 8 ohms and the 2 ext jacks on the amp only accomodate 4 ohms. I know the manual says this is not a problem other than perhaps shortening tube life somewhat, but I wonder if any of you have had any experience with this type of mismatch on these amps for any extended periods of time. Do I have anything to worry about??

Thanks much, and welcome to Marrrtinez from one recent newbie to another! Everyone keep rockin!! Iced Tea, if you're using both the combo's 8 Ohm speaker and the ext cab @ 8 Ohms, both plugged into a 4 Ohm jack, then you're matching impedance. 8 Ohms in parallel with 8 Ohms = 4 Ohms, which is what those two jacks are for. You could also plug in a single 4 Ohm cab to either 4 Ohm jack.

Iced Tea

05-22-2006, 09:22 AM

Originally posted by hal9000
Iced Tea, if you're using both the combo's 8 Ohm speaker and the ext cab @ 8 Ohms, both plugged into a 4 Ohm jack, then you're matching impedance. 8 Ohms in parallel with 8 Ohms = 4 Ohms, which is what those two jacks are for. You could also plug in a single 4 Ohm cab to either 4 Ohm jack.

Oh cool! Thanks Surf and Hal. So I could leave it as it is and be ok (new 8 ohm cab into one of the 4 ohm jacks, stock speaker in the 8 ohm jack), or I could unplug the combo's stock speaker from the 8 ohm jack, and put it into the remaining 4 ohm jack and I'm golden? I confess to have never understood how all that impedance matching stuff works, thank God there are great guys like you all to help morons like me (lol)!

hal9000

05-22-2006, 09:32 AM

Originally posted by Iced Tea

Oh cool! Thanks Surf and Hal. So I could leave it as it is and be ok (new 8 ohm cab into one of the 4 ohm jacks, stock speaker in the 8 ohm jack), or I could unplug the combo's stock speaker from the 8 ohm jack, and put it into the remaining 4 ohm jack and I'm golden? I confess to have never understood how all that impedance matching stuff works, thank God there are great guys like you all to help morons like me (lol)! No, use a 4 Ohm jack for each 8 Ohm cab. OR, for the combo, use the 8 Ohm jack for the 8 Ohm speaker.

Iced Tea

05-22-2006, 10:03 AM

Originally posted by hal9000
No, use a 4 Ohm jack for each 8 Ohm cab. OR, for the combo, use the 8 Ohm jack for the 8 Ohm speaker.

OK thanks. That's what I am doing now (I only have 1 one 8 ohm ext cab into 1 4 ohm jack) and the stock combo speaker into the 8 ohm jack. So I think I am good to go.

hal9000

05-22-2006, 10:10 AM

Originally posted by Iced Tea

OK thanks. That's what I am doing now (I only have 1 one 8 ohm ext cab into 1 4 ohm jack) and the stock combo speaker into the 8 ohm jack. So I think I am good to go. No, I must not be making myself clear. If you have (2) 8 Ohm cabs, plug each one into a 4 Ohm Jack. NEVER use both the 4 Ohm Jacks and 8 Ohm jack at the same time.

For your combo, it should normally be plugged into the 8 Ohm jack (since it has an 8 Ohm speaker). When you plug in the 8 Ohm ext. cab to the 4 Ohm jack, move the combo's speaker plug into a 4 Ohm jack also.

Does that make sense?

Iced Tea

05-22-2006, 10:37 AM

Originally posted by hal9000
No, I must not be making myself clear. If you have (2) 8 Ohm cabs, plug each one into a 4 Ohm Jack. NEVER use both the 4 Ohm Jacks and 8 Ohm jack at the same time.

For your combo, it should normally be plugged into the 8 Ohm jack (since it has an 8 Ohm speaker). When you plug in the 8 Ohm ext. cab to the 4 Ohm jack, move the combo's speaker plug into a 4 Ohm jack also.

Does that make sense?

OK got it Hal. Yes it does and that's what I was proposing the first time so I think I was the one that was not clear (sorry). So I will move the combo's speaker plug into the remaining 4 Ohm jack also. Thanks for your patience and willingness to help.

hal9000

05-22-2006, 11:02 AM

Originally posted by Iced Tea

OK got it Hal. Yes it does and that's what I was proposing the first time so I think I was the one that was not clear (sorry). So I will move the combo's speaker plug into the remaining 4 Ohm jack also. Thanks for your patience and willingness to help. Sweet! I'm glad I could help. When you get a chance, check out the back of the F-series manual, because it explains all about the speaker connections.

Alchemist

05-22-2006, 11:30 AM

Hal, I've got a request if you have the time:)

Would it be possible for you to make me a rendering (as you have done on previous pages way back) of the front panel with my settings so I can have it saved for future reference? Would be much appreciated, thank you.

:)

http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a219/Alchemist88/Picture155.jpg

hal9000

05-22-2006, 01:48 PM

Originally posted by Alchemist
Hal, I've got a request if you have the time:)

Would it be possible for you to make me a rendering (as you have done on previous pages way back) of the front panel with my settings so I can have it saved for future reference? Would be much appreciated, thank you.

:)http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y34/afraiddave/hal9000AlchemistsF-30Settings.jpg

Alchemist

05-22-2006, 03:56 PM

Thank you very much:)

stevew14

05-22-2006, 09:15 PM

Another new guy here! I bought an F-30 combo about six weeks ago after years and years of not playing. I had a Mark 1 back in the 70s and when I decided to pick it up again, I figured I'd stick with a Boogie. I love the tones I am getting very much, but I was wondering if others with these combo amps are experiencing similar problems with tube noise. It started with just one frequency, but very quickly became more than that. Mesa CS sent me a new set of power tubes. At first, I thought that took care of it, but within an hour or so of use, they too started to rattle. If I touched them while they were rattling, it seemed to stop, or at least decrease. Suddenly, I lost bass response,and the sound started to really breakup. When I went to turn it off, I noticed that one of the new tubes was glowing red hot from top to bottom. After it cooled down, I put the original tubes in and turned it back on. It seemed OK again for a few minutes but then the same thing happened with the original tubes. It was the same socket each time. I called Mesa again and they told me to take it the shop.

The tech repaired something internally. I'm still not quite sure exactly what though. He also put a new power tube in. So now I have it back with one original and one new EL 84 and it doesn't glow red hot any more, but certqain notes still cause the rattle and at low volumes actually produce sort of a dirty overtone through the speaker. Now Mesa and others have told me that to some degree, noisy tubes are a fact of life with combo amps.

Mesa CS said they would send me another set of power tubes, and I am cautiously optimistic that this might fix me up. At the same time however, I am wondering now if I should have gone with a head/cabinet instead of the combo.

Have any of you experienced this and if so, have you been able to tame it somehow?

By the way, I think this is a great forum and have enjoyed browsing through the many pages here. Lots of good info. If anyone has any suggestions, I'd really appreciate it.

Alchemist

05-22-2006, 09:21 PM

Combo amps will have some rattle, it is just a fact of life, the vibrating chasis and speaker are joined together so its unavoidable to a degree. I have an F-30, but its a head I run into a halfstack and I dont have any of these problems.

How loud are you playing? If the problem persists, you can always take the amp back and simply get the head version and a 1*12 cab, the problem will completely go away then.

stevew14

05-22-2006, 09:37 PM

Channel 1- Gain is around 11:00 T11 M9 B11 and master at 10 to 12. I really don't notice it much when I'm playing in channel 2, as the distortion tends to kind of hide it. It is really as the note begins to decay that it becomes more obvious. It was pointed out to me that in a mix with other players I probably would not notice it as much,but sitting in my living room, it drives me nuts!

I actually thought of returning it for head and shelling out a bit more for a cabinet, but I have had it almost two months now and I am sure I would take a pretty big loss on trade at this point. I have been thinking of adding a 1x12 Thiele anyway right from the start. I suppose I could just use it that way or maybe I'll get used to it to some degree.

Dann'sTheMan

05-23-2006, 10:20 AM

Originally posted by Alchemist
Quick question guys. Trying to finalize my pedal board. Wondering if my F-30 would benefit from a treble booster? The reason I ask is because the only store that carries them around here is not a mesa dealer, so I dont have the opportunity to experiment with one. As well treble boosters cost around $300+ so I dont feel like laying down that kind of cash to find out it doesnt do much for this particular kind of amp. Thanks for any input:)

Hi Alchemist,

I think it depends on where you run the gain. With the gain at 9-10 o'clock, I find the F-series is very responsive to drive pedals on both channels. I'm not really a stomp box kind of guy, but I really like how my F-50 reacts to my old Dynacomp pedal. If you can, then certainly do try out the treble booster, and let us know how it works out. :p

For those interested, there's a huge amount of knowledge on how to use pedals wisely to tweak the sound of a great sounding amp at http://www.prosoundcommunications.com/english/video/index.html :cool:

Big smiles,

Andy.

Dann'sTheMan

05-23-2006, 10:27 AM

Originally posted by pep
Hi guys. Some of you may consider this blasphemy, but I was considering replacing the resistor that sets the bias with a trim pot so as to make experimenting with different 6L6's possible, as well as to bring the power stage out of crossover distortion when pushed. I took a bias reading the other day and was surprised to see that my f50 was only set to give a hair under 60% disapation from the p-tubes. Not that I am complaining about the tone, in fact it is great, but I am curious to hear what else this amp can do. Has anyone hear ever modded their f-series to have adjustable bias?

-Pep

Hi Pep,

Not blasphemy at all - many Mesa owners go that route. I've not been particularly interested in that route because I'm happy with the tone of the amp, and I'd personally be more inclined to experiment with pre-amp tubes.

Nevertheless, if you do go down this road, let us know how you get on. If you can record clips before and after, that would be very cool. :)

Big smiles,

Andy.

Dann'sTheMan

05-23-2006, 10:36 AM

Originally posted by G2034
Hi all,

I have been using my F-30 for over 2 years, and I believe it is the most versatile amp I have ever owned (and I currently own a couple of other well very respected amps, and have had many of the classics come and go over the years). Being able to I can dial up most of the voices I use on a single amp is no small feat.

The F-30 sounds good at low volumes, but really come into it's own at higher volumes (>11:00 on the master). I play the many flavors of 60's & 70's music, but mostly just work on originals these days. Haven't gigged in many years, but still enjoy recording. I use several older G&L guitars (Skyhawks, Asats, etc) along with a Gibby L6-S Custom, a Strat, and a G&L L2000 Bass.

I am very impressed with level of knowledge in this thread, and general camaraderie. I have learned a few things from reading this whole thread this week, and you guys have given me a couple of new ideas to try out.

The F-Series ARE Mesa's stealth amps. They will sneak up on you and take your head clean off!

Just wanted to stop in and say Thanks!!

Gary

Hi Gary,

and welcome to the F-series brotherhood at HCAF! Knowledge is so freely shared here by both the old guard and the more recent arrivals, and this is just one of the reasons why I enjoy the lounge so much. I hope you have a huge amount of fun here too and I look forward to hearing more about your music. :D

Big smiles,

Andy.

Dann'sTheMan

05-23-2006, 10:42 AM

Originally posted by woodylong
I'm looking for a good distortion box that will work well with my mesa f-50. What are you using with your mesa

I personally prefer overdrive and boost type pedals, that push that Mesa voicing even more.

I have thought about using a pedal to bring out a different type of voicing - Plexi for example.

However, I must admit that I have never felt that the F-series was not delivering enough distortion. If you are struggling to get enough saturation at low volume levels, and this has made you think about a distortion box, I'd encourage you to try the Mix Master technique that hal9000 has beautifully detailed in his sig. :thu:

Big smiles,

Andy.

Dann'sTheMan

05-23-2006, 10:50 AM

Originally posted by KingDiamond
Hey guys, I'm looking for a good amp for studio recording. I want a tone that sort of like dave mustaine's and dimebag's. I'm looking for a high gain distortion that is also tight and clean (if you know what I mean). I was looking at a Mesa/Boogie F-30 today and I was blown away. What a great amp. What's a reasonable price to buy one of these for new or used?

I would like an F-50 but I can't afford one of those so I guess the F-30 is what I'm looking at getting.

Also if you compare the Vox AD50VT to the F-30 which one is better?

I'm going to be recording with an Audix i5 microphone. This is what I have used to record my Crate Blue Voodoo and Mesa Boogie 4x12 traditional cab with and it sounded reasonably good with some mixing. Will the F-30 have enough low end for a metal mix?

Hi KingDiamond,

I suspect that you wouldn't be surprised that you'd get views very much in favour of the F-series here. :p

Nevertheless, modellers do have their place, and Tommi Inkila has recorded some beautiful tones with his Valvetronix. Superstrat is another brother with lots of experience with the Valvetronix line.

Nevertheless, I agree with the sentiment that the better tones will be found in the world class F-series amps. It might be harder work getting them to tape, but if you don't want to compromise on your tone, then this is the obvious answer. If speed of recording is a more valuable strength to you - and with it, potentially much less interruption in the flow of ideas during the creative process, then you might be happier with a modeller. :)

Big smiles,

Andy.

P.S. Low end control when recording will likely be easier with the F-30 than a big stack... :eek:

Dann'sTheMan

05-23-2006, 10:56 AM

Originally posted by marrrtinez
Hello!
I´m a proud new owner of F-50 and want to say hello to the forum :wave:
I´m writing from Catalonia and hope that i can help as much as the forum helps my decission to buy this awesome amp.
I play a lot of styles (two bands of ´80s rock covers, one of pop-rock, another one from my own stuff, a la shredding way (that i hope lord´s help me and this year can record our first C.D....), and some colaborations gig´s, substitutions, etc.... and yes, my wife is very happy too with aaaall that work :D
I´m using Mesa Boogie stuff since ´93, when i bought my Dual Rectifier, nowadays i own a Triaxis with 2:90, 2:20 (for small gig´s and rehersalls) being the Dual the most used in the last years.
O.K. man, with this amount of stuff, Why the hell do you want one F-50? (as asked my wife too :D )
Well, the answer to this question is: SOUND, wattage, and can move to all this "rock´n´roll circus" with only one amp (LIGHT amp, very important for me...), a guitar, and a couple of pedals...

Hi marrrtinez,

and a warm welcome to the F-series brotherhood. You seem to have a wonderful and understanding wife - I hope she won't mind you spending a lot of time on HCAF (it gets very addictive!) :D

Do tell us more about the CD project! Do you have any clips yet? :cool:

Big smiles

Andy.

Dann'sTheMan

05-23-2006, 10:59 AM

Originally posted by cacheek
Anybody answer this one please. I'm still planning on getting an F-100, hopefully after the first of June. I've heard several people saying they hiss and pop. Is this the average hiss/pop or is it worse than say the average Fender or Marshall? Also, is there a way to fix it with a mod?

Hi cacheek,

Have you had a chance to play both the F-100 and the Rectos? I certainly agree that the F-series can hang with Rectos in terms of aggression - but they are voiced differently (I personally prefer the F-series). If you're really after the Recto sound, then only a Recto will do imo! :cool:

Big smiles,

Andy.

P.S. If the noise really bothers you, then pre-amp hiss can be fixed by using a noise gate in the loop...

Dann'sTheMan

05-23-2006, 11:03 AM

Originally posted by Iced Tea
Just wanted to drop another line to you all and say how much I am LOVING my new F-50 more and more every day!! :love: Especially now that I have added a THD 2X12 Ported Extension Cab, the sound just has me creaming my jeans!! The cab has made the wide-body combo even more bottomy and full and made an already fabulous sounding amp, exquisite! This coupled w/ Hal 9000's effects loop master volume mod (2 1/4" jacks) has allowed me to dial in ass-kicking distorted tones at reasonable volumes for everything from dirty blues to hard classic and modern rock, to classic metal (Ozzy to Judas Priest type sounds, not necessarily nu metal, but I don't need that). Allows me to cover everything I need for our cover band (classic to modern rock) for both small and large venues. I can't wait to let her rip at our next gig in June (outdoors w/ 4 other bands). One quesiton though. The extention cab is 8 ohms and the 2 ext jacks on the amp only accomodate 4 ohms. I know the manual says this is not a problem other than perhaps shortening tube life somewhat, but I wonder if any of you have had any experience with this type of mismatch on these amps for any extended periods of time. Do I have anything to worry about??

Thanks much, and welcome to Marrrtinez from one recent newbie to another! Everyone keep rockin!!

Hi Iced Tea,

You've got some lovely amps in your stable - it's good to know that the F-50 is making its presence felt. :thu:

I've been tempted for a long time to run a 2x12 closed back with my widebody combo. The THD 2x12 is one of the most respected out there of course, I'd likely be looking at the 2x12 vertical Recot. I'm gonna have to try out the combination soon (I loved what I heard when I ran an F-50 combo with a Mesa Recto Trad 4x12). You're really fueling the GAS! :D

Big smiles,

Andy.

Dann'sTheMan

05-23-2006, 11:13 AM

Originally posted by stevew14
Another new guy here! I bought an F-30 combo about six weeks ago after years and years of not playing. I had a Mark 1 back in the 70s and when I decided to pick it up again, I figured I'd stick with a Boogie. I love the tones I am getting very much, but I was wondering if others with these combo amps are experiencing similar problems with tube noise. It started with just one frequency, but very quickly became more than that. Mesa CS sent me a new set of power tubes. At first, I thought that took care of it, but within an hour or so of use, they too started to rattle. If I touched them while they were rattling, it seemed to stop, or at least decrease. Suddenly, I lost bass response,and the sound started to really breakup. When I went to turn it off, I noticed that one of the new tubes was glowing red hot from top to bottom. After it cooled down, I put the original tubes in and turned it back on. It seemed OK again for a few minutes but then the same thing happened with the original tubes. It was the same socket each time. I called Mesa again and they told me to take it the shop.

The tech repaired something internally. I'm still not quite sure exactly what though. He also put a new power tube in. So now I have it back with one original and one new EL 84 and it doesn't glow red hot any more, but certqain notes still cause the rattle and at low volumes actually produce sort of a dirty overtone through the speaker. Now Mesa and others have told me that to some degree, noisy tubes are a fact of life with combo amps.

Mesa CS said they would send me another set of power tubes, and I am cautiously optimistic that this might fix me up. At the same time however, I am wondering now if I should have gone with a head/cabinet instead of the combo.

Have any of you experienced this and if so, have you been able to tame it somehow?

By the way, I think this is a great forum and have enjoyed browsing through the many pages here. Lots of good info. If anyone has any suggestions, I'd really appreciate it.

Hi stevew14,

and welcome to HCAF and the F-series brotherhood. :)

It does sound as if you've had more than your fair share of problems with this amp. I hope it behaves itself now. I own the F-50 combo, and it has been rock solid. I did notice a quiet rattle when playing a specific note a few days ago at a gig, but I didn't get a chance to properly trace it - first check didn't suggest it was a rattling tube, and it may even be something in my rack drawer. I can't say for certain if it's something in my F-50 combo, but it has been pretty much rattle free in the three years that I've gigged it. :)

Big smiles,

Andy.

marrrtinez

05-23-2006, 12:20 PM

Hi Andy!
Thanks for your wellcome and for the Iced tea too!!!,
now i´m just starting to put some ideas to the paper, rehershalls with the band... but i don´t want delay it for more, and this year with the help of god i hope i can record it. In fact, the new adquisition of the combo F-50 injected me some adrenalin to the project, it´s kind of curious, the way that new sounds can make the inspiration comes up :thu:
You´re right Andy! my wife have a big amount of patience with me...
It´s incredible all this topic about the F series, i enjoyed very much reading all of the experiencies from the brotherhood...
Long live to this forum!!!:D

Surfcaster

05-23-2006, 12:29 PM

Originally posted by KingDiamond
Hey guys, I'm looking for a good amp for studio recording. I want a tone that sort of like dave mustaine's and dimebag's. I'm looking for a high gain distortion that is also tight and clean (if you know what I mean). I was looking at a Mesa/Boogie F-30 today and I was blown away. What a great amp. What's a reasonable price to buy one of these for new or used?

I would like an F-50 but I can't afford one of those so I guess the F-30 is what I'm looking at getting.

Also if you compare the Vox AD50VT to the F-30 which one is better?

I'm going to be recording with an Audix i5 microphone. This is what I have used to record my Crate Blue Voodoo and Mesa Boogie 4x12 traditional cab with and it sounded reasonably good with some mixing. Will the F-30 have enough low end for a metal mix?

I had a Vox AD30VT last year and while I really liked it pretty well, the quality of tone was nowhere near my F50. The Vox is certainly more versatile, but plugging into my F50 blew it away...in so many ways. Not only does it sound better, it's made from better materials (from the cabinet to the componenets to the speaker) and is more solidly built, and awesome tech support is only a phone call away.

As for low end, you'll find more low end with the F50 than the F30...due to the tubes as well as the speaker. I've seen used F50s going for as low as $600 and up to $800 on e-bay, with used F30s not much cheaper.

Iced Tea

05-23-2006, 01:39 PM

Originally posted by Dann'sTheMan

Hi Iced Tea,

You've got some lovely amps in your stable - it's good to know that the F-50 is making its presence felt. :thu:

I've been tempted for a long time to run a 2x12 closed back with my widebody combo. The THD 2x12 is one of the most respected out there of course, I'd likely be looking at the 2x12 vertical Recot. I'm gonna have to try out the combination soon (I loved what I heard when I ran an F-50 combo with a Mesa Recto Trad 4x12). You're really fueling the GAS! :D

Big smiles,

Andy.

Hey Andy!

Thanks much and yes the F-50 is more than holding it's own! The THD does not quite = a 4x12 but it is all I need for what I do, and sounds great. My plan is to make ithe F-50 my main gigging amp, except for perhaps the smallest of venues. However with Hal 9000's Mix Master option it may just go everywhere. So if you're interested (due to your GAS attack!) I may be selling a few of those amps!! ;) What I am also loving is getting back to an amp that has really all the built in distortion I need. In the past I have been relying on pedals to add extra gain for super-heavy stuff, or in the case of my GoldTones, all of my low volume distortion needs. But with the F-50 and Mix Master I just adjust and hit the footswitch between Channel 2 and Contour and get all I need (and use a Compressor for some lead boost at times).

Rock on!!

Surfcaster

05-24-2006, 11:20 AM

Oh...one more consideration for the F50 vs. AD50VT is the fact that digital modelers just don't hold their value like a tube amp. So from an investment standpoint, you'd be better off with the F50. As soon as Vox comes out with their next generation of modelers the current lineup won't be worth much.

Gazz

05-28-2006, 03:57 PM

I havnt got anything new to say, but I thought I would check the forum was still working !

Dave M

05-30-2006, 03:51 AM

I put a cable together yesterday and tried it in the effects loop as a master volume control. I found that this approach added a lot of extra high frequency hiss into amp. Is this typical ?

I've also tried a volume pedal before in the loop and that was noise free so I'll probably just stick to using this.

Cheers
Dave

hal9000

05-30-2006, 07:03 AM

Originally posted by Dave M
I put a cable together yesterday and tried it in the effects loop as a master volume control. I found that this approach added a lot of extra high frequency hiss into amp. Is this typical ?

I've also tried a volume pedal before in the loop and that was noise free so I'll probably just stick to using this.

Cheers
Dave No, extra noise is not typical because if you used the FX loop before with no problems, it should be the same with a simple cable. Are you sure you made the cable properly? For a quick test, insert a known-good cable from FX send to FX return with FX mix pot @ 90%. You should hear no extra noise with the mix pot in either direction (0 or 90%).

Iced Tea

05-30-2006, 07:29 AM

Originally posted by hal9000
No, extra noise is not typical because if you used the FX loop before with no problems, it should be the same with a simple cable. Are you sure you made the cable properly? For a quick test, insert a known-good cable from FX send to FX return with FX mix pot @ 90%. You should hear no extra noise with the mix pot in either direction (0 or 90%).

And I will add that I use the 2 Jack option and have no extra hiss at all. It works quite well. Really helped tame the 50 watts and still allow a nice full sound for home use at lower volumes

Antti Loponen

05-30-2006, 07:31 AM

Hey guys! I've been busy gigging and recording Jermaine's album but I gotta say that the F-30 has never let me down.

Go to Jermaine's Myspace page (http://www.myspace.com/jermainerocks) to hear my F-30 in action in the song "The Snipers". I played my PRS Santana SE and had my POD XT Live inbetween though I don't think I used any effects, all the little stuff was added in mixing. I believe there was two mics on the speaker. One SM57 and I don't know what the other was, perhaps a small-diaphragm condenser mic. The other guitarist played his power chords with an Ibanez Jet King through a Laney LC50 combo.

Iced Tea

05-30-2006, 07:53 AM

Originally posted by Antti Loponen
Hey guys! I've been busy gigging and recording Jermaine's album but I gotta say that the F-30 has never let me down.

Go to Jermaine's Myspace page (http://www.myspace.com/jermainerocks) to hear my F-30 in action in the song "The Snipers". I played my PRS Santana SE and had my POD XT Live inbetween though I don't think I used any effects, all the little stuff was added in mixing. I believe there was two mics on the speaker. One SM57 and I don't know what the other was, perhaps a small-diaphragm condenser mic. The other guitarist played his power chords with an Ibanez Jet King through a Laney LC50 combo.

Sounds really good Antti! :thu: Did you use any distortion settings from the POD or is that all the F-30 distortion? It sounds surprisingly modern rock/recto-ish, so was wondering. Nice song too.

Dave M

05-30-2006, 08:58 AM

Originally posted by hal9000
No, extra noise is not typical because if you used the FX loop before with no problems, it should be the same with a simple cable. Are you sure you made the cable properly? For a quick test, insert a known-good cable from FX send to FX return with FX mix pot @ 90%. You should hear no extra noise with the mix pot in either direction (0 or 90%).

Thanks Hal, I didn't expect extra noise to be typical. I'll double check the cable and do a test with a known good cable.

Antti Loponen

05-30-2006, 10:16 AM

Originally posted by Iced Tea

Sounds really good Antti! :thu: Did you use any distortion settings from the POD or is that all the F-30 distortion? It sounds surprisingly modern rock/recto-ish, so was wondering. Nice song too.

No, just the distortion from F-30. I didn't even use any stompbox modelings from the POD XT, but the output of it may boost the input of the F-30 a bit. But hey, thanks! :)

GTM

05-31-2006, 12:43 PM

stevew14
I used to own a Mesa Nomad 45 which used (4) EL84's. I learned my lesson with that amp that those small EL84's in a combo are going to rattle. I'm sorry to say you'll have to get use to it. I used the Nomad for about 6 years (gigs) and it serverd me well but in the end I sold it and bought an F-50 which I am very happy with. Good luck!

GTM

05-31-2006, 12:49 PM

Originally posted by Dann'sTheMan
I've been tempted for a long time to run a 2x12 closed back with my widebody combo. The THD 2x12 is one of the most respected out there of course, I'd likely be looking at the 2x12 vertical Recot. I'm gonna have to try out the combination soon (I loved what I heard when I ran an F-50 combo with a Mesa Recto Trad 4x12). You're really fueling the GAS! :D
Andy.

I jus finished playing two big outdoor beach gigs last weekend. At both gigs I played straight thru the F-50 wide-body combo, no extra bottoms, no mic's. The thing sounded great , I got lots of compliments. It really felt good, the funny thing was that even though we were right on the beach (ocean side), I didn't need to turn up more than 3:00 on the master and didn't use the contour at all! :)

Iced Tea

05-31-2006, 01:56 PM

Originally posted by GTM

I just finished playing two big outdoor beach gigs last weekend. At both gigs I played straight thru the F-50 wide-body combo, no extra bottoms, no mic's. The thing sounded great , I got lots of compliments. It really felt good, the funny thing was that even though we were right on the beach (ocean side), I didn't need to turn up more than 3:00 on the master and didn't use the contour at all! :)

Interesting. 3:00 is quite loud though (at least indoors), but good to know it held up to the surf! I have an outdoor gig this weekend myself (in a farm-field on a large flat-bed) and was wondering how loud I may need to go with the THD 2x12 (will be my first gig w/ the F-50, only practiced with it so far). Not sure if I will be mic'd as the sound is being provided by the sponsors. Good to know I may not need to worry about it!

GTM

05-31-2006, 02:02 PM

Originally posted by Iced Tea

Interesting. 3:00 is quite loud though (at least indoors), but good to know it held up to the surf! I have an outdoor gig this weekend myself (in a farm-field on a large flat-bed) and was wondering how loud I may need to go with the THD 2x12 (will be my first gig w/ the F-50, only practiced with it so far). Not sure if I will be mic'd as the sound is being provided by the sponsors. Good to know I may not need to worry about it!

I wouldn't worry about it. At 3:00 on the master I still had plenty of reserve. I was also extremely impressed with the clean channel (outside). This amp has a reputation for its clean channel and it definitely lives up to it!

Gazz

06-03-2006, 03:45 AM

Question for the techies !

I want to connect my F50 combo to a 4 x 12, it may be a marshall or boogie.

Thing is do I run it as 2 lots of 4 ohms and therefore will have the
4 x 12 and combo speaker running or can i just switch the combo speaker lead over to the 4 x 12 or could I do both ?

Cheers

hal9000

06-03-2006, 05:37 AM

Originally posted by Gazz
Question for the techies !

I want to connect my F50 combo to a 4 x 12, it may be a marshall or boogie.

Thing is do I run it as 2 lots of 4 ohms and therefore will have the
4 x 12 and combo speaker running or can i just switch the combo speaker lead over to the 4 x 12 or could I do both ?

Cheers Since all Mesa cabs are by default wired to 8 Ohms mono as is your combo, it's just a matter of plugging each cab into a 4 Ohm jack. (2x8 Ohms in parallel = 4 Ohms).

The Marshall 4x12 is a little different however. Since they usually have 16 Ohms/4 Ohms mono or 8 Ohms per side stereo you have to make a compromise if you're going to match impedance. Since the F-50 doesn't have a 16 Ohm output, it's best to use the Marshall 4x12 set to 4 Ohms mono into either of the F-50's 4 Ohm jacks. If you wanted to run both the F-50's combo speaker and the 4x12, then you could run the 4x12 in stereo 8 Ohm mode, and only use one side plugged into the F-50's 4 Ohm jack (combo speaker in 4 Ohm jack as well). Finally, if you wanted to run the combo speaker and 4x12 and be as close as possible to matched impedance, set the 4x12 for 16 Ohms mono, and plug both the 4x12 and combo speaker into a 4 Ohm jack. The resulting impedance is (16*4)/(16+4) = 5.3 Ohms which is close enough not to worry about. You may notice a change of tone and a bit less headroom, but it's always a compromise.

Gazz

06-03-2006, 01:20 PM

Thanks Hal

as usual you seem to know the right answer. Thanks very much.

I 'll let the lounge know how it works out.

Cheers !

liquid

06-04-2006, 01:52 PM

Can anyone explain to me how to properly use a volume pedal in the fx loop (i've never used fx loop before...this "technology" thing is a new thing for me) ? I'm testing out this ernie ball jr vol pedal here instead of between amp/guitar to see if this doesn't change tone as much, I may try another pedal in this setup if anyone has better suggestions (debating between active versus passive, I read a good review about the george dennis g20 and size seems good? ). When I tried it I get lots of noise in the midrange of the pedal but not so much when its fully up or down. Not sure if this is the pedal itself or something I'm doing. I basically have pedal in to fx send, then return to pedal out. I like this whole idea of controlling volume through fx loop though....

markmann

06-05-2006, 09:35 AM

Dann'sTheMan

06-05-2006, 09:47 AM

Originally posted by liquid
Can anyone explain to me how to properly use a volume pedal in the fx loop (i've never used fx loop before...this "technology" thing is a new thing for me) ? I'm testing out this ernie ball jr vol pedal here instead of between amp/guitar to see if this doesn't change tone as much, I may try another pedal in this setup if anyone has better suggestions (debating between active versus passive, I read a good review about the george dennis g20 and size seems good? ). When I tried it I get lots of noise in the midrange of the pedal but not so much when its fully up or down. Not sure if this is the pedal itself or something I'm doing. I basically have pedal in to fx send, then return to pedal out. I like this whole idea of controlling volume through fx loop though....

Hi liquid,

All you need is a simple passive volume pedal. I'm not familiar with the Ernie Ball Jnr unit, but all you're really seeking to do is have a big variable resistor in the circuit to curtail the volume.

The signal flow is FX Send -> Pedal In -> Pedal Out -> FX Return.

Simply turn the Mix control to maximum (90%), and turn the Channel Volumes up beyond 9 o'clock. The pedal shouldn't introduce additional noise (check that you're using good quality shielded cables).

If you struggle to get this to work, perhaps try the Mix pot approach that hal9000 has documented (see his signature for a diagram). All you will need is a couple of 1/4" jacks (salvaged from an old cable perhap) and little bit of time. This approach should also introduce no additional noise, :)

Big smiles,

Andy.

liquid

06-05-2006, 11:34 PM

thanks dann's the man! I'll check my connections maybe get some new cables. I am looking at that visual sounds volume pedal, hoping it comes out soon so I can calibrate my volume adjustments.

Goldwing

06-06-2006, 03:41 PM

Hi Everyone. Just finished of reading all 97 pages.. what a lot of information.

I too have an awesome F-50 combo. I think its the narrower version because the only MESA-BOOGIE sign is in the controls section. I buy it used last year and I think that I'm just discovering all that this amp can do.

I'm now experimenting with several advices that I read here, I put my Me-33 in the loop and put the mix to 3'00 o clock (must be near to 75%). I use the expression pedal as a volume and I think it will work but only the next rehersal will tell.

Cheers
(sorry about my english...is quite not well but I'll improve it with time jej)

Dann'sTheMan

06-06-2006, 04:54 PM

Originally posted by Goldwing
Hi Everyone. Just finished of reading all 97 pages.. what a lot of information.

I too have an awesome F-50 combo. I think its the narrower version because the only MESA-BOOGIE sign is in the controls section. I buy it used last year and I think that I'm just discovering all that this amp can do.

I'm now experimenting with several advices that I red here, I put my Me-33 in the loop and put the mix to 3'00 o clock (must be near to 75%). I use the expression pedal as a volume and I think it will work but only the next rehersal will tell.

Cheers
(sorry about my english...is quite not well but I'll improve it with time jej)

Welcome to the brotherhood, Goldwing,

and thank you for posting your first HCAF post in the Lounge. I'm glad you've found the info here useful - it's a fantastic resource. :)

By the way, all of the early F-50s didn't have the Mesa-Boogie logo on the grill, neither the narrow body nor the widebody model. You can tell if you have the narrow body model, as it doesn't have the LED indicators left of the Gain controls - indeed it looks very much like the F-30 combo (http://www.mesaboogie.com/Product_Info/F-Series/F-30/F-30CloseUp/F-30-Lg.html), :cool:

Big smiles,

Andy.

digi

06-07-2006, 01:11 AM

Hey everyone!

This is my 1st reply just wanted to join in just purchased a few goodies....

I just bought a Mesa F-50 head and a vertical 2x12 recto cab w/ celestion centurys. Also purchased me some NOS telefunkens (12ax7) and a pair of NOS RCA blackplates (6L6GC) My BOSS GT-8 is used for FX like delay, chorus, EQ, OD...hooked up w the 4CM and I also bought a THD hotplate after reading all the posts because I play in my bedroom. My guitar is a LP Goth w/ EMG 81/85.

Second, there is a ton of info in this thread that has helped me out I'm having a hard time reading 92 pages worth of replies so forgive my stupid ?....

Here's the ? though I am a complete novice when it comes to FX (sorta) and I am trying to achieve that modern "rectifier" DS sound (tool, sevendust, chevelle, disturbed...kinda sounds) on my contour channel and I have achieved a kinda "recto-ish' sound but it needs more tweaking. Any suggestions on my settings to help me out....I have the master at like 2 or 3. I use a booster on the GT-8 (drive at 100, level at 0) and have a EQ in the loop set to the Metal setting on the GT-8 which is like the "V" setting I guess.

What should my settings for bass, mids, and treble be set at w/ my setup and what should the EQ in the loop be set out to achieve what I'm lookin for? Is it a good idea to use a booster like I am to get more gain?

Currently I am on the contour channel and have the bass cut slightly, mids boosted a little, treble a tad boosted and the FX I mentioned above long w/ the hotplate so I can crank the master. I have seen so many different settings and have gone crazy w/ all these settings and EQ....jk

Also what should I set them at I were to run a Distortion pedal through the loop into the clean ch. Currently I have the treble boosted to 1, mids at 10~11ish, bass at 1. EQ in the loop set to a V. MT-2 pedal in the loop and I set it low and use the gain on the amp to adjust the amount of distortion I want. Am I on the right track? I'll keep searching the forums.

Thanks oh and by the way Tommi that one sound clip had an awesome crunch (dann and hal9000 have some tight shiz too)

Another ? do you guys think VooDoo wil ever do mods to the F series like they do for the recto?

Forgive my stupidity I'm a novice guitar player....

hal9000

06-07-2006, 07:03 AM

Originally posted by digi
Hey everyone!

This is my 1st reply just wanted to join in just purchased a few goodies....

I just bought a Mesa F-50 head and a vertical 2x12 recto cab w/ celestion centurys. Also purchased me some NOS telefunkens (12ax7) and a pair of NOS RCA blackplates (6L6GC) My BOSS GT-8 is used for FX like delay, chorus, EQ, OD...hooked up w the 4CM and I also bought a THD hotplate after reading all the posts because I play in my bedroom. My guitar is a LP Goth w/ EMG 81/85.

...words...

Forgive my stupidity I'm a novice guitar player.... Digi, welcome to the forum and the brotherhood! :) I’m glad you decided to make this your first post.

Nice setup, BTW, Tom Nooijen has the same F-50 Head/Vertical Recto 2x12 which looks sweet.

When I’m playing metal by myself, I like this setting:

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y34/afraiddave/hal9000HumbuckerMetalRhythmCH2Contour.jpg

When I’m with the band, I usually run the mids up around 1:30 to cut through better.

On my G-Major, I use the Parametric EQ set for:

EQ1:
Frequency = ~100 Hz
Gain = +12 dB
Width = 1.0 Octave

EQ2:
Frequency = ~750 Hz
Gain = -12 dB
Width = 1.0 Octave

EQ3:
Frequency = ~5.1 kHz
Gain = +5 dB
Width = 1.0 Octave

If you look at the Mark IV’s on-board EQ you can also get a good idea of frequencies to use.

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y34/afraiddave/hal9000MarkIVEQ.jpg

As far as boosting the amp, or running an EQ into the input, I recommend this setup for tightening the bass:

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y34/afraiddave/hal9000TightBassInputEQ.jpg

A boost pedal should be set the same way in that you’re not introducing a lot of bass which will mush-out the distortion. Then, you add bass after the preamp as you’re already doing in the loop. If you really want to run a boost, the best way is to reduce the amp’s gain to around 10:00 and use the virtual pedal like you already are. IMO, adding more gain to an over-compressed preamp (Gain @ 1:00 or above) kills the dynamics. Also, while we’re on the subject, I’m not a big fan of the 4-cable method because I think it robs the amp of its great organic feel, but I’ve not tried the GT-8 in this way so my experience might not apply. I chose to use a G-Major in the loop of my F-100 because it is the most transparent piece of equipment I’ve used, and it actually improves the sound since I attenuate the loop a bit.

I’m pretty sure I know what you meant, but you definitely don’t want to run a distortion pedal in the loop, it should be out front as I suspect you meant. But, try it anyway so you’ll know why it’s not a good idea. Honestly, I’d try all the distortion and amp models in the clean channel. SuperStrat has had very good luck using his ToneLab SE into the front of his F-50 for superlative low volume performance.

Finally, Voodoo will mod just about anything and since the F-series is so similar to the rectifiers, I’m sure it wouldn’t take Trace much time to work up a few tweaks. If I had my druthers, the F-series amps would have these features added:

1) Parallel/Series loop switch (Mix pot would have a positive latch @ 100%)
2) Gain control on contour (Perhaps a dual concentric pot on the OD’s gain control)
3) Volume control on contour (Perhaps a dual concentric pot on the OD’s master control)
4) Solo/Output Masters (Solo replacing Reverb as third footswitch, knobs would probably have to be on the back panel or dual concentric with other front panel knobs.)

digi

06-09-2006, 12:49 PM

Originally posted by hal9000
Digi, welcome to the forum and the brotherhood! :) I’m glad you decided to make this your first post.

.....words......

Finally, Voodoo will mod just about anything and since the F-series is so similar to the rectifiers, I’m sure it wouldn’t take Trace much time to work up a few tweaks. If I had my druthers, the F-series amps would have these features added:

1) Parallel/Series loop switch (Mix pot would have a positive latch @ 100%)
2) Gain control on contour (Perhaps a dual concentric pot on the OD’s gain control)
3) Volume control on contour (Perhaps a dual concentric pot on the OD’s master control)
4) Solo/Output Masters (Solo replacing Reverb as third footswitch, knobs would probably have to be on the back panel or dual concentric with other front panel knobs.)

I got your email, I totally have a better understanding of things.......I'll post pics of the setup when I can....Thx again man

Tommi Inkila

06-09-2006, 01:07 PM

Hello brothers and welcome new members of the brotherhood!

Our album is finally out... checkout this thread http://acapella.harmony-central.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=1271708 and our site too :D

DBALL

06-09-2006, 01:51 PM

I have an F100 that has suited me well for about 6 months. One day I noticed that it was beginning to sound really thin and trebly. At practice volumes (master @ 9 oclock, gain @12) the lead channel ( both regular and contour) is very piercing, and the treble, mid and bass controls don't seem to change a thing. I guess it could be time to cahnge the 6L6s but I always thought your sound got dull and lifeless (trebly) when a tube was old. Anyone else has this problem?

BTW I just bought the Roadster 2-12! It is now my soulmate!

Goldwing

06-10-2006, 09:52 PM

Hi, Thnks for the welcome.

I have one doubt about using my F50 with a midi controller. I've been reading this forum and I'm not quit sure of the answer so, altough this issue has been treated before here we go again:

I love the sound of the F50 and to preserve the sound a year ago I take decission to use Individual pedals instead of Digital Multifx, except for the Delay and chorus. Why? because I play in a cover band and I need a lot of presets for delay mostly. With a single pedal I can't have more than 5 presets and I need more. So, I use my old BOSS ME-33 in the loop.

Then I read here about the midi controllers and the posibility of channel control and efects with just one tap, that sound great to me and I started to think how I manage to obtain the best of both worlds at a very low price jejej. This is what I think:

I plan to trade my Me-33 and buy a used Boss GT3, an CFX4 and the GRX4 of Axess Electronics . I think that with these equipment I could use my individual pedals, change my amp's channels and send other modulation effects and delays to my signal.

What do you think? Does anybody have tried this?

regards!

hal9000

06-11-2006, 05:21 AM

Originally posted by Goldwing
Hi, Thnks for the welcome.

I have one doubt about using my F50 with a midi controller. I've been reading this forum and I'm not quit sure of the answer so, altough this issue has been treated before here we go again:

I love the sound of the F50 and to preserve the sound a year ago I take decission to use Individual pedals instead of Digital Multifx, except for the Delay and chorus. Why? because I play in a cover band and I need a lot of presets for delay mostly. With a single pedal I can't have more than 5 presets and I need more. So, I use my old BOSS ME-33 in the loop.

Then I read here about the midi controllers and the posibility of channel control and efects with just one tap, that sound great to me and I started to think how I manage to obtain the best of both worlds at a very low price jejej. This is what I think:

I plan to trade my Me-33 and buy a used Boss GT3, an CFX4 and the GRX4 of Axess Electronics . I think that with these equipment I could use my individual pedals, change my amp's channels and send other modulation effects and delays to my signal.

What do you think? Does anybody have tried this?

regards! Goldwing, you've got a good plan there with the GT-3, CFX4 and GRX4. However, unless you really want to bypass the GT-3 or you want to use a couple of stomp boxes, I don't think you need the GRX4. With the GT-3, you can just run the 4-cable method and have FX before the amp and in the loop. Or you could run the GT-3 in the loop only.

The CFX4 is a nice choice for changing channels since you'll be able to switch CH1/CH2, Contour, and Reverb. Axess sells a custom cable for the F-50, but I would suggest having a go at it on your own. Andy, Tommi, and I have all built our own cables and there is a lot of information here to help you.

I cooked up this crazy schematic with the GRX4 a while ago when I was thinking about its uses. In this configuration, you can have stomp boxes before the amp, FX in the loop, or a modeler direct into the FX return bypassing the F-50 preamp:

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y34/afraiddave/hal9000GRX4ModelerSetup.jpg

NiCkMiLnE

06-11-2006, 11:22 AM

i know some of you guys use the rack fx.so

i was wondering about hte g sharp. the mini g-major .
it has delay, flange phase etc.
i would like to havea variety of delay. a few flange and phasesrs and was wondering how they are?
also, what CHEAP mid f/switch would you recommend?
cheers

Goldwing

06-11-2006, 02:06 PM

Thnks Hal, hey that's a very cool design, I haven't see it that way.

So, if I understand correctly: the SND/NC and OUT/NO in the 4th loop, could be used (with a custom cable like yours) to switch my F50 channels and contour?

Other issue: What do you guys think of using a Boss GT3 instead a POD XT Live? Since I'm gonna use it only for delay and modulation effects I think that maybe the POD its too much, but in the other hand, the GT3 only have one type of delay and modulation or in other words: no simulation of these effects. Also a POD XT live, altough new, could be much more easy to find here in Mexico than a used GT3. What dou you think will work best?

Sorry I don't want to desvirtuate the Forum of the F50 with a discussion about multifx, just want to know if anybody have something to say about it. thnks :)

cheers.

hal9000

06-11-2006, 02:29 PM

Originally posted by Goldwing
Thnks Hal, hey that's a very cool design, I haven't see it that way.

So, if I understand correctly: the SND/NC and OUT/NO in the 4th loop, could be used (with a custom cable like yours) to switch my F50 channels and contour?

Other issue: What do you guys think of using a Boss GT3 instead a POD XT Live? Since I'm gonna use it only for delay and modulation effects I think that maybe the POD its too much, but in the other hand, the GT3 only have one type of delay and modulation or in other words: no simulation of these effects. Also a POD XT live, altough new, could be much more easy to find here in Mexico than a used GT3. What dou you think will work best?

Sorry I don't want to desvirtuate the Forum of the F50 with a discussion about multifx, just want to know if anybody have something to say about it. thnks :)

cheers. As far as I know, Loop 4 can only be used to switch one function, but provides complementary outputs with the NO/NC jacks. So, either a CC or PC command will enable/disable loop 4, but I don't think you have control over each Jack. You'd have to call Axess to find out for sure. If you really want control by MIDI, the CFX4 is the way to go. It gives you four switching functions so you could control CH1/CH2, Contour, Reverb, and something else.

VoodooChild24

06-12-2006, 08:41 PM

My F-series brothers, let us help our very own Hal9000 to win the gearpage.net logo contest, Please vote! If you haven't register please do. (choice # 1)

VOTE HERE!!!!!!! (http://www.thegearpage.net/board/showthread.php?t=145782)

No Soul

06-12-2006, 08:59 PM

hey all, I was wondering if could ask for some diagnostic help before I take the trip up to Petaluma to Boogie HQ.

My F-100 has been acting up a bit.

It blew a fuse about a month ago. Ive been using my recto since, becuase Ive been too lasy to get some more fuses for her.

Well I finally got arround to it last night.
After playing for not even 5 minutes the amp completely
powers down. However, this time the fuse isnt blown or anything.

The tubes I have in her are maybe 6 months old.

Any idea what the culprit is here?

hal9000

06-13-2006, 06:51 AM

Originally posted by No Soul
hey all, I was wondering if could ask for some diagnostic help before I take the trip up to Petaluma to Boogie HQ.

My F-100 has been acting up a bit.

It blew a fuse about a month ago. Ive been using my recto since, becuase Ive been too lasy to get some more fuses for her.

Well I finally got arround to it last night.
After playing for not even 5 minutes the amp completely
powers down. However, this time the fuse isnt blown or anything.

The tubes I have in her are maybe 6 months old.

Any idea what the culprit is here? Are you sure the fuse isn't blown? The only way to tell for sure if it looks okay is by measuring it with a multi-meter. Usually blown fuses are the result of a power tube arcing intermittently, which can happen regardless of age.

So, take two (2) 6L6 tubes out of your recto and try them in the inner two slots of the F-100 with the 60 W switch activated. If the fuse is new and the tubes are known-good; everything should work fine. If something is still amiss, you may have blown one of the bias or screen resistors, which is an easy fix covered under warranty.

hal9000

06-13-2006, 06:53 AM

Originally posted by VoodooChild24
My F-series brothers, let us help our very own Hal9000 to win the gearpage.net logo contest, Please vote! If you haven't register please do. (choice # 1)

VOTE HERE!!!!!!! (http://www.thegearpage.net/board/showthread.php?t=145782) Desi, you didn't have to do that, but I really appreciate it!

For any of you that vote, just make sure you do so because it's your favorite. :)

cacheek

06-14-2006, 07:44 PM

Any idea how much it would cost to replace an F-100 grill. Also, I know I've asked this before but lost the link, what's the holy grail mesa boogie settings link?

No Soul

06-15-2006, 03:37 AM

Originally posted by hal9000
Are you sure the fuse isn't blown? The only way to tell for sure if it looks okay is by measuring it with a multi-meter. Usually blown fuses are the result of a power tube arcing intermittently, which can happen regardless of age.

So, take two (2) 6L6 tubes out of your recto and try them in the inner two slots of the F-100 with the 60 W switch activated. If the fuse is new and the tubes are known-good; everything should work fine. If something is still amiss, you may have blown one of the bias or screen resistors, which is an easy fix covered under warranty.

I played musical chairs with the existing powertubes, didnt think to check with the ones in my recto.
Good thinking though :thu:

In either case Im not worried about it.
This amp was given to me by a friend, so I dont have a warranty claim on it, however Ive dealt with Mesa a lot in the past, and I know that it wont even be a problem if I bring it up to them.
They have the best customer support bar-none.

hal9000

06-15-2006, 06:10 AM

Originally posted by cacheek
Any idea how much it would cost to replace an F-100 grill. Also, I know I've asked this before but lost the link, what's the holy grail mesa boogie settings link? I believe Mesa quoted me $250 for an F-100 2x12 combo grill with tan jute covering. The basic charge is $150 if I remember correctly, but give Mesa a call for a quote.

I made a new grill from my old one for $90: http://acapella.harmony-central.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=1182222

In the tutorial, you can see what a tan jute grill looks like without changing the knobs or adding white piping to an F-100.

This is the amp setting database for Mesa (you'll recognize some of the F-series names from the audition settings in my sig):
http://www.grailtone.com/tone-settings/mesa-boogie/mesa-boogie-amp-settings.html

Goldwing

06-16-2006, 02:04 PM

hal9000

06-16-2006, 02:12 PM

Originally posted by Goldwing

Thnks! Thats leave the POD out 'cause I want full control of everithing from the pedalboard.

I was checking for equipment and I found the G-System of T.C. Electronics...thats what I want!!! only..I can't afford the price so I'll check if my design with GT3 and Axess components
could do the same job. I don't know much about MIDI, but it seems that depends on the pedalboard the quantity of MIDI messages that's been send simultaneosly so I hope that the GT3 can do it.

cheers MIDI isn't a big deal at all. In fact, you'll only have one MIDI receiver in the rig (CFX4). If both the GT-3 and CFX4 are set to the same MIDI channel, changing patches (program change messages) on the GT-3 will tell the CFX4 what to do. Then, you just have to program the CFX4 for each program change message.

Torh

06-17-2006, 06:59 AM

I bought the F-50 yesterday, and man I love the amp! :love: Absolutely perfect, and I can't believe how versatile it is!

However, there are two things that strike me: it is quite difficult to get out the footswitch from the bag inside the amp, due to the protecting grill for the tubes. I had to use a screwdriver on the plate the bag was fastened to. How do you solve this? (it's an export F-50)..

Also, I will get a Weber MiniMass in the summer, and I wonder where to put this thing. I originally hoped for placing it inside the amp, so it would not pose any trouble when carrying the amp around.. Where do you put your attenuators?

Dann'sTheMan

06-17-2006, 01:51 PM

Originally posted by Torh
I bought the F-50 yesterday, and man I love the amp! :love: Absolutely perfect, and I can't believe how versatile it is!

However, there are two things that strike me: it is quite difficult to get out the footswitch from the bag inside the amp, due to the protecting grill for the tubes. I had to use a screwdriver on the plate the bag was fastened to. How do you solve this? (it's an export F-50)..

Also, I will get a Weber MiniMass in the summer, and I wonder where to put this thing. I originally hoped for placing it inside the amp, so it would not pose any trouble when carrying the amp around.. Where do you put your attenuators?

Welcome to the brotherhood, Torh,

Great to see you finally pulled the trigger on one! :cool: Hope it will bring a wealth of musical highs! :)

Regarding the footswitch, yep the protection grill on the Export models does make it impossible to store the footpedal in the amp's bag. The US models don't have this grill, and hence the bag becomes viable. I'd suggest either removing the grill, or carry around the footswitch separately (this is what I did - until I started switching the amp from my MIDI rig). :)

As for attenuators, I'm afraid I don't use one, and make do with the excellent results I get by reducing the volume in the loop. hal9000 has detailed (link to diagram in his sig) a very simple way of using the Mix control as a loop stage master volume. I'd recommend trying this, or a volume pedal or similar (I use an FX unit), and then decide if you still want an speaker level attenuator. :thu:

Big smiles,

Andy.

Torh

06-18-2006, 04:28 AM

Originally posted by Dann'sTheMan

Welcome to the brotherhood, Torh,

Great to see you finally pulled the trigger on one! :cool: Hope it will bring a wealth of musical highs! :)

Regarding the footswitch, yep the protection grill on the Export models does make it impossible to store the footpedal in the amp's bag. The US models don't have this grill, and hence the bag becomes viable. I'd suggest either removing the grill, or carry around the footswitch separately (this is what I did - until I started switching the amp from my MIDI rig). :)

As for attenuators, I'm afraid I don't use one, and make do with the excellent results I get by reducing the volume in the loop. hal9000 has detailed (link to diagram in his sig) a very simple way of using the Mix control as a loop stage master volume. I'd recommend trying this, or a volume pedal or similar (I use an FX unit), and then decide if you still want an speaker level attenuator. :thu:

Big smiles,

Andy.

Thanks for the welcome, Andy :) I think it was due time I purchased the Mesa now ;)

I think I will do what you do: carry the footswitch in a seperate bag or something. I don't really want to remove the grill..

As for the attenuation; if I have not misunderstood hal9000's method, I can't make use of pedals in the FX loop...? And I have ordered the MiniMass in any case, since it was so cheap in the States..

Dann'sTheMan

06-18-2006, 06:32 AM

Originally posted by Torh

Thanks for the welcome, Andy :) I think it was due time I purchased the Mesa now ;)

I think I will do what you do: carry the footswitch in a seperate bag or something. I don't really want to remove the grill..

As for the attenuation; if I have not misunderstood hal9000's method, I can't make use of pedals in the FX loop...? And I have ordered the MiniMass in any case, since it was so cheap in the States..

You're right, the method that hal9000 illustrates would prevent the use of pedals. I suggested it as a quick way of checking if the loop attenuation approach would be sufficient for your needs, before deciding to pull the trigger on a speaker level attenuator.

I also suggested a volume pedal (or an FX unit with Output level), in case you wanted to use pedals. I believe you have a Boss Delay pedal that may well do the job?

Nevertheless, the Weber Mass seems like a good deal, and some of the brotherhood have experience using them with the F-series. :cool:

Big smiles,

Andy.

Torh

06-18-2006, 09:41 AM

Originally posted by Dann'sTheMan

I also suggested a volume pedal (or an FX unit with Output level), in case you wanted to use pedals. I believe you have a Boss Delay pedal that may well do the job?

Your memory is impressive ;) Yes, I do have the DD-20. I haven't got it here right now, and since I just purchased the amp, I haven't tested this yet. But I suspect I will not make use of the pedal all the time, so..
A volume pedal is something I haven't thought too much about, considering a decent pedal equals the price for the MiniMass (in my country..).

Now I may sound a little negative, but I don't intend to! I appreciate greatly all the suggestions you've written here :)

Blittzkrieg

06-18-2006, 10:34 PM

I have a quick question for all you F-series experts. I need to get a small tube amp combo and the F-30 on paper sounds great. I need a great clean channel, and a heavy hard rock/metal tone for rhythm and singing leads. Is the F-30 going to cut it for me? I've also heard the F-50 may sound better, how does the V30 compare to the C90? thoughts? Suggestions? Thanks a bunch,

Dave

Ogi-wan

06-19-2006, 12:57 AM

The F-30 will do that job very well. I can't compare it to an F-50, as I've not had the pleasure of hearing one, but from what I've read here, both the F-30 and F-50 are equally up to the task. The difference would be in the flavor.

Originally posted by Blittzkrieg
I have a quick question for all you F-series experts. I need to get a small tube amp combo and the F-30 on paper sounds great. I need a great clean channel, and a heavy hard rock/metal tone for rhythm and singing leads. Is the F-30 going to cut it for me? I've also heard the F-50 may sound better, how does the V30 compare to the C90? thoughts? Suggestions? Thanks a bunch,

Dave

No Soul

06-19-2006, 02:50 AM

Originally posted by Blittzkrieg
I have a quick question for all you F-series experts. I need to get a small tube amp combo and the F-30 on paper sounds great. I need a great clean channel, and a heavy hard rock/metal tone for rhythm and singing leads. Is the F-30 going to cut it for me? I've also heard the F-50 may sound better, how does the V30 compare to the C90? thoughts? Suggestions? Thanks a bunch,

Dave

thats the trick there,
I like the v30 much better than the c90.
But I also like 6l6s a lot more than el34s..

however, if small is important then the F30 should fit your bill incredibly well.
The F-series is truly one of the most versatile tube amps out there.

markmann

06-19-2006, 05:25 AM

Originally posted by Torh

Your memory is impressive ;) Yes, I do have the DD-20. I haven't got it here right now, and since I just purchased the amp, I haven't tested this yet. But I suspect I will not make use of the pedal all the time, so..
A volume pedal is something I haven't thought too much about, considering a decent pedal equals the price for the MiniMass (in my country..).

Now I may sound a little negative, but I don't intend to! I appreciate greatly all the suggestions you've written here :) Hi Torth, FYI I don't think your DD-20 will attenuate volume because if I recall the Boss only controls delay volume and not overall volume like the smaller Boss delays.

Also, If you want an inexpensive volume control for the loop that will work with or without pedals check out this link: Here (http://acapella.harmony-central.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=885856&perpage=20&pagenumber=52)

Good luck and enjoy!

Surfcaster

06-22-2006, 12:05 PM

I picked up a Line 6 Toneport the other day for something to play around with. Overall it's a pretty cool little device...a great way to get in and out of your computer with very little latency...I don't notice any at all. And I like the graphics/controls and the models are pretty decent.

The other night I decided to take the Line Out signal from the F50 and run it into the Toneport and see how it sounded through the Toneport's cab sims and was pretty excited about the results. I did have to employ the 4-band parametric EQ, but in the end I got some very nice direct tones, both clean and overdriven. I ended up preferring the Marshall 4X12 with G12T75s for overdriven tones (though the V30s and Greenbacks were both pretty cool, too) and the Fender 1x12 Blackface for cleans (and the 2x12 Blackface was good, too).

I'll try to record some clips and get them posted.

hal9000

06-22-2006, 01:38 PM

Originally posted by Surfcaster
I picked up a Line 6 Toneport the other day for something to play around with. Overall it's a pretty cool little device...a great way to get in and out of your computer with very little latency...I don't notice any at all. And I like the graphics/controls and the models are pretty decent.

The other night I decided to take the Line Out signal from the F50 and run it into the Toneport and see how it sounded through the Toneport's cab sims and was pretty excited about the results. I did have to employ the 4-band parametric EQ, but in the end I got some very nice direct tones, both clean and overdriven. I ended up preferring the Marshall 4X12 with G12T75s for overdriven tones (though the V30s and Greenbacks were both pretty cool, too) and the Fender 1x12 Blackface for cleans (and the 2x12 Blackface was good, too).

I'll try to record some clips and get them posted. That sounds neat! I wish the F-series cab sim on the recording output was switchable. I use my Ultra-G with a Hot Plate set to load for DI to my computer and that sounds sweet. I've not thought about using my PODxt Live for cab sim until you brought this up. That would make an excellent low volume recoding rig. :)

Surfcaster

06-22-2006, 11:01 PM

Well, I've stayed up way too late working on this clip...mostly trying to figure out enough of Ableton Live Lite that comes with the Toneport to be able to do this. Anyway, I can't link directly to the clip, but here's my Soundclick page and it's the first song...F50 Line Out > Toneport > Ableton Lite. The first part is clean, the second part overdrive. The reverb is from the Toneport and the bit of delay towards the end was done on Ableton (which took a bit of figuring out and I'm still not entirely satisfied with the result, but at this hour it will have to do!)

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

hal9000

06-23-2006, 06:19 AM

Originally posted by Surfcaster
Well, I've stayed up way too late working on this clip...mostly trying to figure out enough of Ableton Live Lite that comes with the Toneport to be able to do this. Anyway, I can't link directly to the clip, but here's my Soundclick page and it's the first song...F50 Line Out > Toneport > Ableton Lite. The first part is clean, the second part overdrive. The reverb is from the Toneport and the bit of delay towards the end was done on Ableton (which took a bit of figuring out and I'm still not entirely satisfied with the result, but at this hour it will have to do!)

http://www.soundclick.com/bands/pagemusic.cfm?bandID=381358 WOW! That sounds really good direct or not. How much EQ did you have to add to the line out?

Surfcaster

06-23-2006, 07:31 AM

Thanks. Well, some EQ'ing, but not terribly drastic. I cut bass and low mids and added high mids and treble. I can check the settings when I'm at home tonight and post them. The curve is more or less a diagonal line with a couple smallish humps.

hal9000

06-23-2006, 07:59 AM

Originally posted by Surfcaster
Thanks. Well, some EQ'ing, but not terribly drastic. I cut bass and low mids and added high mids and treble. I can check the settings when I'm at home tonight and post them. The curve is more or less a diagonal line with a couple smallish humps. Yeah, when I've used the line out in the past, it was very bassy and lacked sparkle. You're probably equalizing the cab filter on the line out to about nominal. :)

cacheek

06-23-2006, 03:25 PM

I just got in my F-100. It's a monster! This thing will roar. It's a little hard to dial in, but I'm confident after a few hours playtime it'll be great. Any suggestions on settings? I need to find some petrucci-ish tones, and if possible some zz-top/nugent tones out of it.

Thanks!

musicdog400

06-23-2006, 03:40 PM

Master volume >= 9 o'clock
For hi gain tones, bass from 0 to 9 o'clock.

NashSG

06-23-2006, 10:08 PM

I've gotten kind of hooked on how my F50 combo sounds with my Marshall 1960V cab. The four vintage 30s add such a nice high end gloss to the sound and a bit more clarity. It makes me now wish I went with the head.

I hauled the cab and the combo over to a drummers house to do some practicing before doing some recording in a couple of weeks. It was a pain hauling that cab and the combo down into a basement, but it was a whole lot of fun once everything got going.

cacheek

06-24-2006, 06:39 AM

Guys, no one welcomed me to the brotherhood. I'd really like some settings and suggestions on a Petrucci-ish and nugent-ish settings. Also, a good Frampton setting would be nice. But no welcome? :( Alas . . .

hal9000

06-24-2006, 06:52 AM

Originally posted by cacheek
Guys, no one welcomed me to the brotherhood. I'd really like some settings and suggestions on a Petrucci-ish and nugent-ish settings. Also, a good Frampton setting would be nice. But no welcome? :( Alas . . . Welcome to the F-series Brotherhood cacheek! Is your F-100 a 2x12 combo like mine?

Check the settings in my sig to see if some of them will work for you. The Humbucker Metal Rhythm setting should be good for your Petrucci fix.

cacheek

06-24-2006, 07:09 AM

Thanks, Hal! Yes, it's a combo like yours. I like it a lot. It doesn't quite have the tone of my nomad, but definitely sounds good. I'm going to test it in a band setting today. Should be interesting. I like those settings in your sig. I tried them last night and will certainly use them some more. You have awesome tone. Thanks!

Dann'sTheMan

06-24-2006, 09:54 AM

Originally posted by cacheek
Guys, no one welcomed me to the brotherhood. I'd really like some settings and suggestions on a Petrucci-ish and nugent-ish settings. Also, a good Frampton setting would be nice. But no welcome? :( Alas . . .

Hey cacheek,

Sometimes the Lounge moves at a relaxed pace - and of course Fridays and Saturdays are a common opportunity to work out our F-series vocal chords (I, for one, was rehearsing, then recording last night), but rest assured you're sincerely welcomed into the brotherhood! :)

I'm glad you've discovered hal9000's excellent settings diagrams. The Humbucker Metal Rhythm setting is one of my faves for a modern metal tone - Tommi Inkila uses a similar setting IIRC. For a more classic rock tone, one of my faves (in o'clock) is T:9 M:3 B:9 with Gain to taste on the Lead channel (no contour). Do remember to pay attention to the Master Volume setting - it generally needs to be up above 9 or even 10 o'clock to get the amp singing. If this is too loud for your space, try one to the loop attenuation methods discussed at length in this thread (the Mix pot approach that hal9000 details in his sig is a quick and easy method to try out), :thu:

Oh, and once again, welcome brother cacheek! :D

Big smiles,

Andy.

Goldwing

06-24-2006, 11:46 PM

Originally posted by hal9000
As far as I know, Loop 4 can only be used to switch one function, but provides complementary outputs with the NO/NC jacks. So, either a CC or PC command will enable/disable loop 4, but I don't think you have control over each Jack. You'd have to call Axess to find out for sure. If you really want control by MIDI, the CFX4 is the way to go. It gives you four switching functions so you could control CH1/CH2, Contour, Reverb, and something else.

Hi everyone, I just want to share what I found about controlling a whole set of effects and amp's channels with the F-50.

The Gt3 only sends one PC command per Patch (I don't know if the POD XT LIVE do the same), so, if I understand correctly, I will have to have a memory bank for each change either of effects or channel... is an approach not economic in patches I think

So, I'm thinking now that maybe a better approach would be to buy a FCB1010 and the GRX4 (to put all the stompboxes and temporarly the Boss ME-33 in loops). Maybe later I could manage to change the Me-33 for a better effects processor like the G-major or the POD XT. I think that this approach construct a set with more future capabilities that what I originally designed with the GT3 as a Midi controller and modulation effects processor and also isn't much expensive.

My concern would be that the Behringer FCB1010 might have troubles when you change effects (or loops with the GRX4 of axess) but don't want to change the channel in the amp. I don't know if I'm right about this but I'm sure that must be a way to solve it.

what do you think?

cheers.

hal9000

06-26-2006, 07:39 AM

Originally posted by Goldwing

Hi everyone, I just want to share what I found about controlling a whole set of effects and amp's channels with the F-50.

The Gt3 only sends one PC command per Patch (I don't know if the POD XT LIVE do the same), so, if I understand correctly, I will have to have a memory bank for each change either of effects or channel... is an approach not economic in patches I think

So, I'm thinking now that maybe a better approach would be to buy a FCB1010 and the GRX4 (to put all the stompboxes and temporarly the Boss ME-33 in loops). Maybe later I could manage to change the Me-33 for a better effects processor like the G-major or the POD XT. I think that this approach construct a set with more future capabilities that what I originally designed with the GT3 as a Midi controller and modulation effects processor and also isn't much expensive.

My concern would be that the Behringer FCB1010 might have troubles when you change effects (or loops with the GRX4 of axess) but don't want to change the channel in the amp. I don't know if I'm right about this but I'm sure that must be a way to solve it.

what do you think?

cheers. All the modelers are limited in terms of their MIDI implementation. Yes, the PODxt Live can only send one PC message per patch.

The FCB 1010 works very well and can send up to five (5) program changes per patch, plus a CC message, and use two (2) expression pedals. I've been very happy with the FCB's performance in my rig and I would buy it again if necessary. IMO, it's one of the biggest bang-for-the-buck devices out there.

Does the ME-33 have MIDI?

Goldwing

06-26-2006, 09:16 AM

Hi Hal.

No, the Me-33 doesn't support MIDI, it has all the same effects and amp's simulators than the GT3 but doesn's support MIDI.

That is a problem because I know that I can't change patches in the ME-33 by MIDI, but what I can do its just select a effect in the Me-33 and then, if the song doesn't need it, I cand take it out from the signal via MIDI just with instruct to the GRX4 that I don't want the loop that contents the ME-33 in the signal.

It's pretty basic but I think that allows me to, in a future, have a more powerfull setup than my original idea. Also, with this I don't need to buy the CFX4 to change the F-50 channels.

hal9000

06-26-2006, 09:22 AM

Originally posted by Goldwing
Hi Hal.

No, the Me-33 doesn't support MIDI, it has all the same effects and amp's simulators than the GT3 but doesn's support MIDI.

That is a problem because I know that I can't change patches in the ME-33 by MIDI, but what I can do its just select a effect in the Me-33 and then, if the song doesn't need it, I cand take it out from the signal via MIDI just with instruct to the GRX4 that I don't want the loop that contents the ME-33 in the signal.

It's pretty basic but I think that allows me to, in a future, have a more powerfull setup than my original idea. Also, with this I don't need to buy the CFX4 to change the F-50 channels. The only problem with using a single relay to switch channels on the F-50 is that you're stuck with only two modes, when you could use all three. I use CH1/CH2 and Contour since my G-Major has two relays. With CH2 and Contour equalized in volume, that makes the F-series into a three-channel amp which is very addicting.

Goldwing

06-26-2006, 10:00 AM

Originally posted by hal9000
The only problem with using a single relay to switch channels on the F-50 is that you're stuck with only two modes, when you could use all three. I use CH1/CH2 and Contour since my G-Major has two relays. With CH2 and Contour equalized in volume, that makes the F-series into a three-channel amp which is very addicting.

A very good point for the G-Major. But doesn't the FCB1010 have two relays?

hal9000

06-26-2006, 10:05 AM

Originally posted by Goldwing

A very good point for the G-Major. But doesn't the FCB1010 have two relays? The FCB 1010 does have two relays and Andy (Dann'sTheMan) used to run his rig this way. Sorry, I was thinking about the GRX4 only.

garylawhon

06-27-2006, 09:43 PM

Well, I bought the F50 a few days back and have already giged with it. YOW! Nice tone, FREAKING LOUD! I mean, my master is at like 7 o'clock, just turned up a tad.

So, I'm wondering about taking it back and getting the F30, as it's smaller, and most likely too loud for my bar gigs as well, but a smaller footprint is big for me, as we play in small tight areas.

I ask you Boogie men, what would I be losing going to the 30?

On a side note, the F50 is so loud that my wife is threatening to kick me to the garage, no more in house play :-(

andershoeg

06-28-2006, 02:08 AM

Well, Garylawhon.
I've got the f-30. It can get pretty loud too! But definitely not as loud as the f-50! Sounds to me like you would be happier with the f-30. I tried my f-30 with my band (hardhitting drummer, rock!), and it was not loud enough. Almost, but just almost.
The f-30 is more midrange'y (spelling..?..well, doesn't matter...i'm a dane :D ), and at loud volume it has not got as much deep bottom as the f-50. But if you play your f-50 at 7 o'clock, I would actually think the f-30 would suit you a lot more. What kind of music are you playing?
BUT; by buying the f-30 I CAN NOT quarentee that your wife won't kick you to the garage! It's still a pretty loud amp! ;)
B.R. andershoeg

Dave M

06-28-2006, 03:36 AM

Hi guys

I've got a gig coming up soon where the organiser insists on me using a direct to PA signal for guitar. Has anyone used the "recording out" from there F in a live setting before. I'm tempted to give it a go as I'm quite pleased with the sounds straight to my digital recorder at home.

I've got a V-amp2 and Korg modelling units but I can never seem get a decent sound to PA using these units. I also like to hear your experiences of playing direct through PA systems and the tools used.

thanks
Dave

andershoeg

06-28-2006, 03:50 AM

Personally, I would NEVER accept that! Have never tried the rec. out option though. But I have tried a lot of that type of "cab-sim"-things, and none of them sounded good to me. And you have got a very, very fine and good sounding amp there. Why do he INSIST on going direct!!?? The sound coming from the f-50's speaker will always be alot more dynamic. I know a lot of metallers use their POD's and such. But that also suits the style much more, as 95 % of the time they are grinding and such.
Well, i would never do it. It will definitely not sound as what you are used to, as the speaker in your f-50 has a huge impact on you sound. Well, maybe not very helpfull here, just giving my opinion. Hope it's ok. :)
B.R. andershoeg

hal9000

06-28-2006, 04:47 AM

Originally posted by Dave M
Hi guys

I've got a gig coming up soon where the organiser insists on me using a direct to PA signal for guitar. Has anyone used the "recording out" from there F in a live setting before. I'm tempted to give it a go as I'm quite pleased with the sounds straight to my digital recorder at home.

I've got a V-amp2 and Korg modelling units but I can never seem get a decent sound to PA using these units. I also like to hear your experiences of playing direct through PA systems and the tools used.

thanks
Dave If you're allowed a normal stage volume, then pick up a Behringer Ultra-G. It can derive a line level signal from your speaker outputs and has its own 4x12 cab sim built-in. I've used the Ultra-G with my F-100 and it sounds almost as good as a perfect mic placement and a lot better than poor mic placement. They are $35 new, and you'll need another speaker cable.

The chain is like this:
Amp Speaker Out => Speaker Cable => Ultra-G* => Combo speaker cable (and speakers)

*Ultra-G output has a 4x12 cab sim and is phantom powered through XLR to the mixer.

If you decide to run the recording out, you should still have a DI (like the Ultra-G) in there to match the mixer's inputs and the mixer will need a bit of treble to correct for the over-damped F-series recording output.

hal9000

06-28-2006, 04:49 AM

markmann

06-28-2006, 05:15 AM

Originally posted by Dave M
Hi guys

I've got a gig coming up soon where the organiser insists on me using a direct to PA signal for guitar. Has anyone used the "recording out" from there F in a live setting before. I'm tempted to give it a go as I'm quite pleased with the sounds straight to my digital recorder at home.

I've got a V-amp2 and Korg modelling units but I can never seem get a decent sound to PA using these units. I also like to hear your experiences of playing direct through PA systems and the tools used.

thanks
Dave I run into that a lot, and sometimes I don't have the option of using my amp at all.

Here are three scenarios I encounter on a regular basis and are in the order of perference:

1. I have my amp but need to go direct to board. In this case I use the Hotplate line out with a cabinet sim. This method gets me as close to a mic'd tone as I've found to date.

2. Traveling light and don't have my amp. In this case I use a Roctron Piranha preamp and use the recording outputs to board. This method gets me great tone but doesn't have the f50 mojo.

3. Only have one or two songs to play, need only basic tones and need to get in and out quickly. In this case I'll use the Behringer GDI21 preamp pedal direct to board. The GDI21 can get a couple decent tones that are passable.

Obviously mic'ing the amp is best but volume, space and time generally will dictate which method I use to get my guitar signal to the PA system. FYI, I use the recording out of the F50 for practice but it sounds buzzy to me. I have yet to experiment eq'ing or using a cabinet sim with it yet.

Alligator

06-28-2006, 06:53 AM

Hello F-peeps!

What a great thread!! Packed with useful stuff!

I bought my F50 just over a year ago. I wasn't planning on buying an amp at the time - just looking for ideas and planning to get something secondhand. I played everything i could lay my hands on - including the fabled Fender Twin - but literally one chord played on the F50's clean channel and i new i had to have it!! God bless interest free credit!

I play an Epiphone 335 loaded with Bareknuckle Mules (check out the user reviews and believe what you read!) and i swear there's no tone i can't get out of that little combo. I have a 5 piece Jazz/Funk/HipHop act and also play lead in a country/folk/rock band. From creamy after-hours Jazz to full-on wailing feedback this has it all! It's been said on this thread before but, after 10 years, this amp has reminded me why I wanted to pick up the guitar in the first place. Anyway, i'm preaching to the converted here i'm sure.

The only thing i don't like is the reverb - firstly there's no LED on the footswitch for some reason, but also it just sounds too cold for me. Can anyone recommend a good reverb pedal? I'm thinking about a Line6 Verbzilla or a Holy Grail.

Anyway, thanks for the great thread - i'll be back to read the rest when my boss isn't looking!

Peace,

Alligator
:thu:

hal9000

06-28-2006, 07:00 AM

Originally posted by Alligator
Hello F-peeps!
<words>
Peace,

Alligator
:thu: Alligator, welcome to the forum and F-series Brotherhood! I always love to hear of people using the F-series is such a varied context, so if you have some clips to share, by all means give us a link.

About the reverb, it really depends on what you're looking for as far as tone, buy the Holy Grail sounds very sweet and Fender-like. If you're only using it in the clean channel, it can go out front, but if you want to use reverb for both clean and OD, you should think about putting the reverb in the loop. However, the loop was designed for pro-line level FX, so try the F-50/Holy Grail combo in a store to make sure it works for you.

Also take a look at the DigiTech DigiVerb Reverb pedal (http://www.musiciansfriend.com/product/DigiTech-DigiVerb-Digital-Reverb-Pedal?sku=150822). I've been very impressed with my DigiDelay and its warm analog sim. The DigiVerb is very versatile compared to the EH Holy Grail. The only caveat is that the DigiTech pedals eat batteries. So if you're going to use one, you should really have a power supply. I had my DigiDelay on my powered pedal board so it wasn't a problem.

Alligator

06-28-2006, 08:09 AM

Cheers for the advice Hal (and the welcome ) – I’ll check those out in a shop. I think you’re right about the whole “try before you buy” thing – gotta be done as I’m the only one that really knows what’s right for me. :)

Dann'sTheMan

06-28-2006, 10:17 AM

Originally posted by hal9000
The FCB 1010 does have two relays and Andy (Dann'sTheMan) used to run his rig this way. Sorry, I was thinking about the GRX4 only.

Thanks Neil. Goldwing, check out my post (http://acapella.harmony-central.com/forums/showthread.php?postid=12184999#post12184999) earlier in the Lounge regarding limitations with the FCB1010 relays.

If you have any further questions, then please don't hesitate to ask. This thread is all about getting the most out of your Boogie, and how to integrate your FX in the rig is very much a part of that! :thu:

Big smiles,

Andy.

Dann'sTheMan

06-28-2006, 10:24 AM

Originally posted by garylawhon
Well, I bought the F50 a few days back and have already giged with it. YOW! Nice tone, FREAKING LOUD! I mean, my master is at like 7 o'clock, just turned up a tad.

So, I'm wondering about taking it back and getting the F30, as it's smaller, and most likely too loud for my bar gigs as well, but a smaller footprint is big for me, as we play in small tight areas.

I ask you Boogie men, what would I be losing going to the 30?

On a side note, the F50 is so loud that my wife is threatening to kick me to the garage, no more in house play :-(

Hi Gary,

Welcome to the F-series brotherhood! You (and your wife) are absolutely right that the F-50 can be bone crunchingly loud. However, the F-30 can be ridiculously loud also.

There have been many discussions in this thread about how to tame the volume, and many of us have succeeded in getting tones we're pleased with at very modest volume levels. My favoured approach is to attenuate in the FX loop. Do try the method that hal9000 detailed, and see if gets your F-50 under control.

Like you, I had moments of doubt when I first bought my F-50 regarding whether I had done the right thing in buying such a loud amp. I luckily stumbled across Loop attenuation (using an FX processor in my case) early on, and have not looked back - using my F-50 from the bedroom to the auditorium, and all points in between. :)

Big smiles,

Andy.

Dann'sTheMan

06-28-2006, 10:39 AM

Originally posted by Dave M
Hi guys

I've got a gig coming up soon where the organiser insists on me using a direct to PA signal for guitar. Has anyone used the "recording out" from there F in a live setting before. I'm tempted to give it a go as I'm quite pleased with the sounds straight to my digital recorder at home.

I've got a V-amp2 and Korg modelling units but I can never seem get a decent sound to PA using these units. I also like to hear your experiences of playing direct through PA systems and the tools used.

thanks
Dave

Hi Dave,

Do you know what the organiser is seeking to achieve in making such a restriction? Is it to control stage volume? or to avoid miking? Do you expect to have to use your F-series' speaker mute feature as well, and depend on a stage monitor?

In the gigs that I play, the sound guys know that I see it as my job to deliver the best guitar tones that I possibly can. I work with them to keep stage volume to a minimum and thus make their lives easier. I also bring my own SM57, and look after the cab miking (leveraging my own experience) - so all they need to do is run a XLR cable from the junction box to my amp.

I have considered getting something like a Groove Tubes SEII so that I have the option of skipping the mike, however I wouldn't contemplate ever running my amp silent. The amp's sound after all is very much part of the instrument that we play. :)

Big smiles,

Andy.

Dann'sTheMan

06-28-2006, 10:44 AM

Originally posted by Alligator
Hello F-peeps!

What a great thread!! Packed with useful stuff!

I bought my F50 just over a year ago. I wasn't planning on buying an amp at the time - just looking for ideas and planning to get something secondhand. I played everything i could lay my hands on - including the fabled Fender Twin - but literally one chord played on the F50's clean channel and i new i had to have it!! God bless interest free credit!

I play an Epiphone 335 loaded with Bareknuckle Mules (check out the user reviews and believe what you read!) and i swear there's no tone i can't get out of that little combo. I have a 5 piece Jazz/Funk/HipHop act and also play lead in a country/folk/rock band. From creamy after-hours Jazz to full-on wailing feedback this has it all! It's been said on this thread before but, after 10 years, this amp has reminded me why I wanted to pick up the guitar in the first place. Anyway, i'm preaching to the converted here i'm sure.

The only thing i don't like is the reverb - firstly there's no LED on the footswitch for some reason, but also it just sounds too cold for me. Can anyone recommend a good reverb pedal? I'm thinking about a Line6 Verbzilla or a Holy Grail.

Anyway, thanks for the great thread - i'll be back to read the rest when my boss isn't looking!

Peace,

Alligator
:thu:

Hi Alligator,

and welcome to both the F-series Lounge and HCAF! I hope you have as much fun here as I do. You already seem to be having a blast with your F-50! :thu:

I like the eclectic mix of styles you play in your bands - tell us more! And of course, if you do have any clips, then please do share. :)

Big smiles,

Andy.

garylawhon

06-28-2006, 10:51 AM

Originally posted by Dann'sTheMan

Thanks Neil. Goldwing, check out my post (http://acapella.harmony-central.com/forums/showthread.php?postid=12184999#post12184999) earlier in the Lounge regarding limitations with the FCB1010 relays.

If you have any further questions, then please don't hesitate to ask. This thread is all about getting the most out of your Boogie, and how to integrate your FX in the rig is very much a part of that! :thu:

Big smiles,

Andy.

So I think I'm getting where I'm wanting to go. I'm using the Boss ME-50, only for Chorus, Delay, and Volume. Using it through the effects loop seems to be the key.

Thanks for all the feedback. I think I'm keeping the F50, as opposed to getting the F30. There are times when I play, usually set 3, that all hell breaks loose and we get loud. We had a famous rock star sit in with us Saturday and he played through it and loved it. Now it has a story ;-)

Thanks guys, I'll keep lurking here!

Dann'sTheMan

06-28-2006, 10:52 AM

Originally posted by NiCkMiLnE
i know some of you guys use the rack fx.so

i was wondering about hte g sharp. the mini g-major .
it has delay, flange phase etc.
i would like to havea variety of delay. a few flange and phasesrs and was wondering how they are?
also, what CHEAP mid f/switch would you recommend?
cheers

Hi NiCkMiLnE,

Sorry, but I haven't as yet had an opportunity to try the G-Sharp. Here's a bump for you just in case.

Regarding MIDI footswitches - I heartily recommend the Behringer FCB1010. It has more MIDI features that most users will ever need, and so you won't outgrow it in a hurry. Indeed, the only weakness in my experience is that it is rather overgrown (a physically big beast), and that the programming - albeit logical, is not the most user friendly (lots of help available though)! :)

Big smiles,

Andy.

Dann'sTheMan

06-28-2006, 10:54 AM

Originally posted by garylawhon

So I think I'm getting where I'm wanting to go. I'm using the Boss ME-50, only for Chorus, Delay, and Volume. Using it through the effects loop seems to be the key.

Thanks for all the feedback. I think I'm keeping the F50, as opposed to getting the F30. There are times when I play, usually set 3, that all hell breaks loose and we get loud. We had a famous rock star sit in with us Saturday and he played through it and loved it. Now it has a story ;-)

Thanks guys, I'll keep lurking here!

:cool: Now please share that story with the rest of the brotherhood! :p

Big smiles,

Andy.

Lt_Core

06-28-2006, 11:08 AM

Originally posted by hal9000
Welcome to the Brotherhood garylawhon!

Try this with your F-50 to see if your volume requirements can be met:

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y34/afraiddave/hal9000F-SeriesMixPotMasterRevB.jpg

Is this a poor man's attenuation? ;)

I'm looking at an F-50 but I don't want crushingly loud onstage tone. We hire out pro sound and try to keep our onstage volume down.

I don't want want to push the OD channel just to get a certain distorted tone and crush the onstage volume. I have never played with attenuation so I'm a complete noob.

Is the F-50 OD pedal friendly? I have a Fulltone OCD. No Mesa dealers anywhere around my area so I can't test one out :(

hal9000

06-28-2006, 11:17 AM

Originally posted by Lt_Core

Is this a poor man's attenuation? ;)

I'm looking at an F-50 but I don't want crushingly loud onstage tone. We hire out pro sound and try to keep our onstage volume down.

I don't want want to push the OD channel just to get a certain distorted tone and crush the onstage volume. I have never played with attenuation so I'm a complete noob.

Is the F-50 OD pedal friendly? I have a Fulltone OCD. No Mesa dealers anywhere around my area so I can't test one out :( No, it's a smart man's master volume. :) It is technically attenuation (voltage), but that term is usually is in reference to power attenuation (between amp output and speakers like a Hot Plate) so it gets a bit confusing. Anyway, the F-series amps all start to really sing at about the 9:00 level on the OD master, which is really loud. So, to tame the volume, you can make the simple mod I've outlined such that the OD master can get up and over 9:00, and the loop FX Mix pot will pull back down the overall volume. I used to use a Hot Plate, but now I rely solely on my G-Major to knock down the loop levels. BTW, having a programmable output from the G-Major makes equalizing the OD and Contour channels easy, and setting-up solo boosts a piece of cake.

So, you can use the method above if you have two jacks or a spare cable handy, or you can use a volume pedal, and finally you can use any FX loop device that has an output volume control (preferably programmable).

Lt_Core

06-28-2006, 11:58 AM

Should the volume pedal be used through the input or effects loop? I'm coming from the PODxt/Atomic amp/Line 6 shortboard world so real amp stuff is new to me.

I can put the PODxt into the effects loop and use some the XT's effects. Too bad there is no way to get around the XT's output/volume adjustment. No true bypass.

What is better: Hot Plate or the Weber Mini Mass?

I don't any effects units other than a few pedals and a PODxt.

hal9000

06-28-2006, 01:14 PM

Originally posted by Lt_Core
Should the volume pedal be used through the input or effects loop? I'm coming from the PODxt/Atomic amp/Line 6 shortboard world so real amp stuff is new to me.

I can put the PODxt into the effects loop and use some the XT's effects. Too bad there is no way to get around the XT's output/volume adjustment. No true bypass.

What is better: Hot Plate or the Weber Mini Mass?

I don't any effects units other than a few pedals and a PODxt. Volume control for maximizing tone should be placed in the loop. The reason is simple: Almost all of your tone is created between the guitar and preamp, so by dropping the loop level, you're only changing the output volume, not the tone.

The PODxt should work very well in the loop, and its patch-level volume control can do exactly what I'm talking about. You'll still have to manually change channels on the amp through since the PODxt doesn’t have any relays.

As far as power attenuators go, I've used a Hot Plate for quite a while. It sounds good and has a lot of useful features. Others have reported that the MiniMass also sounds good, so you'll probably be safe either way. I would, however, investigate simple loop attenuation first since it will probably get you what you want without spending any money.

Lt_Core

06-28-2006, 02:43 PM

Woohoo! I'm in the club! Just won a Mesa F-50 on eBay. Mint, barely used, never gigged, bought new in Feb. 2006 for less than $900.

So the PODxt can be used as an attenuator by just plugging it into the effects loop, turning off amp/cab sims and effects, right?

Now I need a bunch of settings. Rock on!

\m/_ _\m/

hal9000

06-28-2006, 02:46 PM

Originally posted by Lt_Core
Woohoo! I'm in the club! Just won a Mesa F-50 on eBay. Mint, barely used, never gigged, bought new in Feb. 2006 for less than $900.

So the PODxt can be used as an attenuator by just plugging it into the effects loop, turning off amp/cab sims and effects, right?

Now I need a bunch of settings. Rock on!

\m/_ _\m/ Congrats on the amp!

The PODxt can function in that manner, but why not throw some FX and EQ on that bad boy. Now you're talking!

My recommended settings are in my sig.

Lt_Core

06-28-2006, 02:52 PM

Originally posted by hal9000
Congrats on the amp!

The PODxt can function in that manner, but why not throw some FX and EQ on that bad boy. Now you're talking!

My recommended settings are in my sig.

I have the following pedals:

Fulltone OCD
Boss CE-5 chorus
Boss GE-7 EQ
Boss TU-2 tuner
Boss DS-1 distortion (which I won't use)

Might use some delay and modulaton effects on PODxt. Should work until I get some more pedals.

UsrName

06-28-2006, 03:18 PM

Hi guys,

I just played an F-30 112 combo and I thought it rocked! I've been searching for a good combo that had a Fenderish clean, Marshall crunch and something a little extra, and was considering a Rivera KH or VHT or something along those lines. I must say it was probably one of the most simple and strait-forward amps I've played that sounded that good. Impressive.

Anyway, I didn't get a chance to play the F-50 as they didn't have one in stock. My question is: Does the F-50 sound the same as the F-30? Is it better or worse or just different? How much difference in tone is there between the 6L6 version and the EL84? Also, does the F-50 sound just as good at low volumes?

I'd like to get the 50w version, but only if it sounds as good as the 30w.

Thanks for the help! :thu: