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Picked up a 1986 Mesa/Boogie Mark III head a couple of weeks ago. It's one of the Simul-Class versions which means it can switch between only using a pair of EL34s in Class-A mode for ~15W of output or using those as well as an additional pair of 6L6 tubes in push-pull mode for a combined ~85W total. This thing oozes 'metal'.  
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Mar 13, 2008 21:27
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This may be cheating since it isn't the LAST thing I purchased but it is a recent purchase.. You may never see one of these again. If you don't know the story of Matamp you may want to read this story. From what I'm told, only 21 Matamp Roadsters made it to the USA and most of those were combo versions of the amp instead of these head versions. All hand-made from start to finish, 120W, single channel, EL34 based. It's kind of a higher gain version of the Matamp GTL you hear on.. well, pretty much every stoner/doom metal album ever. The only other one I've ever seen for sale was the one the guitarist from Electric Wizard sold recently. Anyway:   
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Mar 14, 2008 03:08
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The Dark Wind posted:Oh god that thing is amazing. Please post clips when you can It's not really skillful playing (and it seems to clip a bit) but I recorded this for a friend of mine a few weeks back... Playing a section of Sunn O)))'s "Orthodox Caveman" through it: http://www.soundclick.com/bands/page_songInfo.cfm?bandID=801013&songID=6230168
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Mar 14, 2008 03:52
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This is MINE as soon as my Matamp Roadster 120 sells.
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May 13, 2008 17:26
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Juaguocio posted:Nice! How old is that one? Not sure. I'd guess mid-late 90s.
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May 14, 2008 14:57
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I currently have this on its way to me. It's an Electric Amps MV120 head. EL34 120W version. I FINALLY have something to replace that Matamp Roadster I sold last year. (My host. Don't freak out. hah)
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Jan 17, 2009 16:35
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the wizards beard posted:I'm fukcin jealous. What's the story with Electric, I know they go for the Orange/Matamp sound, but are they an off-shoot or are they just independently making clones? Ok I'm going to try and tell the story to the best of my memory.. The guys at Electric Amp used to be Matamp USA. They were the shop Matamp shipped to as their front for Matamp sales in the United States. They were also the repair and warranty shop for them. After a while, it became apparent to them that Matamp UK was cutting corners in a few ways after Matamp USA started getting a lot of returns or even amps DOA new out of the box. There's bad blood between the two shops because of things like amps ordered and paid for not showing up over here. The Matamp USA guys got so familiar with the inside of the Matamp amps after so many repairs that, one day, they realized they could build their own design instead. They went for all point-to-point internal construction instead of Matamp's circuit boards, hand wound Mercury Magnetics transformers, and a thick steel chassis instead of the flimsy Ashdown chassis Matamp now uses. In the end, the sound improvements over the Matamp sound they mimic are probably minimal but Electric Amps ARE built very, very well. There's a reason the guys from Yob/Middian, Sleep, High on Fire, and Om ditched all their Matamp gear and bought Electric Amps. They just broke down too often. In the end, Electric Amps sound like this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oeoj8HGatYk Thanks Hank III playing his Electric Amp with a custom front plate. His was #51 made by them. Mine is #32. Catastrophe fucked around with this message at 16:58 on Jan 17, 2009 |
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Jan 17, 2009 16:54
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the wizards beard posted:That's only like 2 people Yeah it's 3 guys spread across multiple bands. Catastrophe fucked around with this message at 03:34 on Jan 18, 2009 |
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Jan 17, 2009 17:06
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(plus Matt Pike is playing Soldanos and Laneys these days)
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Dr. Faustus posted:Welcoming home my newest axe: this is a 1992 Ibanez model UCEWFMTB (USA Custom Exotic Wood Flame Maple Translucent Blue). One owner, kept in the case and rarely played, no scratches or dings other than some light swirling in the finish. Whoa man. That is so similar to mine but I got the non-tremolo fixed bridge on mine. Mine is, I think, from 1995 or 96 just before the USA Custom shop shut down. It's a USRG10. My neck pickup is a PAF Pro as well and the bridge pickup is Tone Zone. I hate both. Compared to my ESP, this guitar is VERY dark and muddy sounding. I attribute it to the pickups being direct mount and miles away from the strings compared to the EMG pickups on the ESP. I have been trying to think of a way to raise the pickups on that thing for years now. The Tone Zone pickup also has this weird sound where it kind of sounds like there's a wah pedal hooked up to the guitar, slightly cocked. It does play well, though, and works really well for certain types of music. I picked it up used back in 96 at a little shop in central Wisconsin. It was so barely used and in like-new condition that it still had the from-the-factory protective plastic on the back of it. Still, it was only $600 back then so I feel like I got a deal. (posting this photo again.. sorry for all the extra stuff in the photo)  EDIT: Nevermind. I guess I should have utilized Google earlier.  ... Turns out there's a piece of foam behind the pickups and you just use the screws to adjust height. After years of being screwed all the way down, the foam behind mine is most likely completely compressed and won't recover though so I'd have to find some kind of replacement.
Catastrophe fucked around with this message at 15:53 on Jan 20, 2009 |
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Jan 20, 2009 15:21
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GLC posted:I normally find a pickup height I like and then put a piece of wood behind them to sort of "lock" the whole thing in place. But honestly, anything will do. Cut a piece of foam or whatever and just go to town. I did exactly that just minutes ago and I feel like an IDIOT for owning this thing for the last 13 years with the pickups mashed as far as they can possibly be set away from the strings. That guitar has been transformed! Everyone told me it should be bright and articulate and I laughed and called them crazy because my ESP KILLS it in that regard but, now, it's a different story.
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Jan 21, 2009 02:32
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Dr. Faustus posted:HAH man that's great. Well I had considered picking up a set of Bare Knuckle Warpig or Nailbomb pickups for mine but was never too thrilled with its sound in the first place so I dreaded spending money on it. Maybe I'll look into replacing them, eventually. As it sits right now, the PAF Pro in the neck position, raised slightly, is working great for the playing and sound I'm going for (Sleep, Electric Wizard, High on Fire, etc) so I'll see if that sticks when my new amp shows up today. I can't figure out why (and maybe you'll know) but the sound I get from overdriven amps with the ESP is noticeably smoother while the Ibanez gives more of a raspy buzzsaw like color to the gain, only when playing chords. I'm not complaining because both sound good. Just odd to me.
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Jan 21, 2009 14:49
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esq posted:Waffle's down, and I don't have another host at the moment, but just purchased were a Zvex Fuzz Factory and a MXR Carbon Copy delay. The pedal rig is just about done now, does anyone have any recommendations on a good pedal board? I was leaning towards the DIY method myself, but more than willing to save the hassle if the price was right. I would design it after a pedaltrain jr. anyway I think. Do you already have the Fuzz Factory or is it on its way to you yet? It seems much maligned online as being impossible to tame and unpredictable. What I personally found with mine after receiving it is that you can't think in "clock terms" and just generally set the knob to "1 o'clock" or "9 o'clock". You have to think in terms of degrees, because a 2 degree change in some of those knobs make a huge difference. You just cannot be ham-fisted with it. I've dialed in some really great sounds out of the thing. I also noticed that it sounded like crap on the clean channel of my amp and only stopped sounding thin and harsh when I ran it on the "crunch" channel. HUGE difference and I think more should try running it that way.
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Jan 21, 2009 21:47
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ME again. It showed up, today. Here's a photo I just took: It is... beastly. It has power and volume I have not ever encountered in a guitar amp before. The closest I've played is a late 60s / early 70s non master volume Ampeg V-4. I've only been able to play with it for a little while so far but it has a surprising number of tones buried in those knobs. The "Deep" knob is a 4-way click-switch that completely alters the voicing. Amazing piece of equipment. I've also emailed the Electric Amps guys a couple times today with questions and received near immediate friendly and helpful responses. Impressive. I HIGHLY recommend these amps if you like the thick, burly sound of Matamp or old Orange amps. It slaughters their sound to death.
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Jan 22, 2009 00:34
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Minto Took posted:I read through Electric's web site. They really need a good web designer to rewrite that site, badly. But they DO make great products. I read on another site that someone ordered one of their 120W EL34 based ones like mine and took it to a shop to have the power output tested. His "120W" amp was putting out 155W in reality. Every one is hand built and wired point-to-point inside instead of using circuit boards. I have a feeling it outputs every note with such authority because of its HUGE power and output transformers that are the size of your head, each. I am really proud to own one of these. I don't think any amps are built to this standard anymore outside of the Orange Custom Shop. Al Cisneros from Sleep and OM had one of the 3-knob 180W versions made after he left Sleep and ditched his Matamp "Green" amps. Electric Amp's sister site, PlanetOfTheAmps.com has pictures detailing its buildup in the Photos section (they also have photos of mine under a link that says something like "supporting our troops" since mine was originally ordered by a guy in iraq a couple years ago). You can get an idea what these amps sound like when the gain is dimed for a bass by clicking on the song "On the Mountain at Dawn" here: http://www.myspace.com/variationsontheme .. It's very "late 60s or early 70s amp overdriven to the moon and back" sounding in person. Catastrophe fucked around with this message at 13:28 on Jan 22, 2009 |
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Jan 22, 2009 13:11
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scuz posted:That is gorgeous! Any chances on getting some high-res pictures of the guts? I need a new desktop photo If I get time tonight or tomorrow, I will. I kind of wanted to check it out myself anyway. From what I've seen, they're pretty boring inside though. hah. What resolution do you want?
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Jan 22, 2009 18:19
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scuz posted:That is gorgeous! Any chances on getting some high-res pictures of the guts? I need a new desktop photo Well here you go. Sorry but the amp is a lot wider than it is tall so it's not a perfect 1280x1024. Larger version at the link below the image:  BIGGER IMAGE HERE Catastrophe fucked around with this message at 05:02 on Jan 23, 2009 |
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Jan 23, 2009 04:56
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Zakalwe posted:Seriously though, if you're going to lay out strips like that, why not use a proper turret board? Less stress on components. It just looks weird like that. apert from that it looks nice and clean. hwhat? I thought those were turret boards.   EDIT: I guess it's just another way to accomplish it other than having solid boards. DOUBLE EDIT: Forgot this last photo of mine  Nice laaaaarge chassis allows for everything to be spaced out. Those transformers are larger than they appear here. Catastrophe fucked around with this message at 15:19 on Jan 23, 2009 |
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Jan 23, 2009 15:04
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the wizards beard posted:Isn't the mag in Japanese? I really want one of those, don't really know why. I spent a day looking up all the ways people modify those things, once. They look like a really fun piece of relatively inexpensive kit.
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Jan 23, 2009 15:40
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qball posted:I'm just posting this as a reference for turret boards. Plus as a teaser to the amp I should be getting in a few weeks. Yessssssssssss
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Jan 24, 2009 00:49
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I SO want an Electro Harmonix Voice Box as my next gear purchase. This looks insanely fun to play with: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_0BDQ2s28iE
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Jan 26, 2009 05:27
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Risky posted:I'm so happy I stopped by the local Cash America pawn shop. Walked out today with a practically brand new Boss MT-2 for 40 bucks. It was 50 bucks but I talked them down to 40. It even had the guitar center receipt in the box. Oh man send that in for modification or modify it yourself DIY or with a kit. Those things CAN sound really good.
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Jan 28, 2009 15:12
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The Stizzle posted:
Ohhh myyyy gooddddd. That is ridiculous. What kind of music do you play?
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Jan 30, 2009 12:59
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Wang Broom posted:jesus, dude. way to poo poo on that dude's setup. The part he put in quotes gives away the fact he was just joking/jealous. Anyway, reissue or not, two 4x12s driven by a Model T is going to be LOUD.
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Jan 30, 2009 14:39
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Stux posted:My 100w Engl with channel and master on 5 through an Orange 212 physically hurts my ears. I'm going to move down to a 60w 6505 I think. 100W vs 60W is like 2 or 3db of difference. It's not going to be like half the volume or anything. Around 20W would be half the maximum volume and you aren't even maxing out your Engl sooo... very little difference even then. A coworker of mine came over to my place to show off his new 120W solid-state Peavey amp head and check out my amps which were, at the time, a 120W Peavey 5150 and a 15W (max) THD Univalve. I put in a 6V6 power tube set to the amp's low-plate-voltage setting so it would put out around 4W. He was laughing at how silly it'd be to play a guitar amp with 'only' 4W. I turned the amp's attenuator off, turned the volume to around "4" and hit a chord and he jumped back and clapped his hands over his ears in shock.  Mainly, I bought a 120W Electric Amp amp because I want it to have complete confidence and authority with low-notes instead of having a 15W power section straining to keep up. More wattage is needed to push out those frequencies and while a lower wattage amp might get the same overall volume, it will be lacking the thunderous low-end that I want. I certainly don't need 120W for the decibels. I have my first band practice with the new amp tomorrow. We'll see how it works when cranked and how much of its volume I really use in that setting. EDIT: Which Engl do you have? Now that I have the one-trick-pony dream amp I've always wanted for the fuzzy doom/sludge/stoner metal sound, about the only amp in the world I still want so I can get both switchable cleans and a modern high-gain tight metal sound is an Engl Powerball. Mmmmmmm MMM! Catastrophe fucked around with this message at 15:18 on Jan 30, 2009 |
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Jan 30, 2009 15:14
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Wang Broom posted:gotcha. glad to see ML isn't the gear page. Just reading the thread titles here is a relief, knowing not EVERYONE on the site only wants a "Dumble", Dr Z, Germino, Matchless, or whatever other amp 60 year old wannabe blues players drool over because it has "tone for days". You can't post about a normal amplifier over there without some doofus stepping in to say it has too many knobs and every amp only needs a Tone and Volume knob and be 18W MAX.  My god, what a boring site over there.
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Jan 30, 2009 16:10
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Stux posted:Yeah I know but its still going to be a bit quieter. I'm also getting it for portablity (the 6505 112). Ohhh.... so you should probably let me know when you want to sell that....
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Jan 31, 2009 00:46
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What's with the AxeFX site simply saying the thing emulates "49 amps" but that's all they tell you? I want to know what models they have, even if its their thinly veiled amp knockoff names. I don't want 45 Fender and Marshall ripoffs and then a couple random other models to fill in the remaining models. Whatever..
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Feb 2, 2009 18:13
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the wizards beard posted:Rob Keeley does this. http://www.proguitarshop.com/product.php?ProductID=245&CategoryID= Speaking of pedals like that.. WHY doesn't the MXR Carbon Copy have a dry/direct output?? Huge failure in that pedal's design. It wouldn't have been THAT hard for them to add that. Maybe in the 2.0 version of it.
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Feb 4, 2009 16:18
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I didn't need anything new but I couldn't resist this when I saw this Ross Distortion pedal last night going for cheap on Ebay. Plus, the Ross Distortion + Electric Amp head combination works well for YOB and Middian (SAME GUITAR PLAYER) so it should work for me.. I hope. Catastrophe fucked around with this message at 00:50 on Feb 10, 2009 |
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Feb 10, 2009 00:12
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the wizards beard posted:thats the SAME GUY quit doing that Buuuuuut it's something used over multiple albums released under two band names so I don't want to leave one of the two out. I could just say Mike Scheidt but no one knows who that is. EDIT: Fixed the original post so no one else gets OCD about it 
Catastrophe fucked around with this message at 00:51 on Feb 10, 2009 |
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Feb 10, 2009 00:43
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scuz posted:I didn't know who the other two guys were, either Listen and learn  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C-DKz3nRqkU
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Feb 10, 2009 00:56
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Raze posted:Well, hrm. I wasn't expecting to "win" this auction on ebay, but it seems I now have a Mesa Dual Rectifier Solo head to my name. (seller's pic) For a power soak, you could pick up my THD Hot Plate I'm selling, just sayin..... http://www.thdelectronics.com/product_page_hotplate.html EDIT: I was beaten to the punch!
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Feb 11, 2009 17:03
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scuz posted:
Thanks! I need the money for a recording interface, darn it! And if my night vision goggles also sell, I'm buying a new delay pedal woohoo. 
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Feb 11, 2009 17:11
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Just tryin to help!
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Raze posted:Well, hrm. I wasn't expecting to "win" this auction on ebay, but it seems I now have a Mesa Dual Rectifier Solo head to my name. (seller's pic) Oh also, Avatar cabinets are good stuff. A 2x12 will be fine as long as the speakers you select can handle the wattage of the amp. They're available in 4, 8, and 16ohm configurations and aren't locked into a specific impedance like some pre-built manufacturer's cabinets are. Good speakers would be V30s or G12Hs, in my opinion. I can also personally recommend the Genz Benz GFlex 2x12. 150W handling, jacks for 4ohm mono, 16ohm mono, or two 8ohm stereo jacks as well as an output jack if you want to daisy-chain in a 2nd cabinet in the future. It's front ported for extended bass response and the wood baffle the speakers are mounted to angles the speakers slightly away from each other for expanded sound projection. They also claim this prevents "standing waves".. I dunno. It DOES sound 'big' though. My V30-loaded 4x12 cabinet, by comparison, is louder but is more "ice pick" sounding in the upper mids which can be harsh with some amps. I've seen the Genz Benz 2x12 used for $300-$350. MSRP on it is $850 so it's best to look used..
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Feb 11, 2009 17:21
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Stux posted:A 2x12 is still going to be loud as gently caress if you want it to. I run my Powerball through an Orange 212 and it gets to physical pain levels at 5 on the master and channel volumes. Yes, this. A 4x12 may be a bit louder but it definitely won't be twice as loud as a 2x12. My 2x12 produces sound levels that are literally pants-material-shaking loud at about 11 o'clock on my amp's master volume. It's "need earplugs" loud. In fact, just two days ago, I was playing at about 10 o'clock on the master volume with it and hear some loud bangs in the room and looked over at my dresser on the other side of the room and the noise had been so loud that it was actually shaking moderately heavy things off of the dresser onto the floor. The Dual Rectifier doesn't mess around. It's a 100W guitar amp. It's going to be L-O-U-D if you want it to and, like any powerful guitar amp, won't sound its best until you're playing it at those loud levels. You can still use it at speaking volumes in an apartment. Just know it won't sound its best and there will be more fizz in the sound than when its cranked. No worries! You could also maybe get a 1x12 cabinet with a high power handling speaker like a Celestion Hot-100 (100W handling) or Eminence Man-O-War (120W handling) or Eminence Tonker (150W handling) if you want to try and reduce sound levels a little further. Speaking of volume, don't give up on this amp if you don't like its sound, initially. Those Mesa/Boogies take some tweaking to hit their sweet spot, sometimes. It will also transform at very high volume levels. I had a Peavey 5150 for years that I typically played at apartment volume levels and just figured it as a cheap-ish, fizzy sounding amp head. Then, one day, I took it to a band practice and got to turn the master volume dial to 5.5. It sounded nothing like it did in my apartment! Huuuuuuge sound, huge improvement, 6000% less "fizz" in the sound. It sounded incredible at that volume.
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Feb 11, 2009 18:38
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Raze posted:Yeah, I posted in the gear trade thread asking how much you're looking for on it. Yes, impedance should match on each component. Plug a 16ohm Hot Plate the amp, set the amp to 16ohm, plug from the Hot Plate to the 16ohm connector on your cabinet. Tada! Looks like they typically go for ~$200-$250 used so.. $200? I think they're $330 new and mine is mint.
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Feb 11, 2009 18:55
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I think that works for Scarf's equation.
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Raze posted:OK, sweet. Does that include shipping? That's fine. Just let me know if or when you're ready.
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Feb 11, 2009 19:40
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Gramps posted:Actually you're driving the poo poo out of the first gain stage which adds nice musical compression and smooths out the raggedness that Rectos sometimes exhibit. Yeah. When I had my 5150, I found that I could get away with running the gain half as high on the dial with a boost pedal in front as I could without. There was less fizz to the sound and it was tighter sounding as well. I found the same thing with the Mesa Boogie Mark III that replaced it. It's just not the same as having hot pickups. I HAVE hot pickups. A clean boost is a totally different animal. You're almost able to change a 1-channel amp into a 2-channel amp with one, going from a crunch sound to lead sound with one.
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Feb 11, 2009 22:12
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Agreed posted:The LTDs are their import guitars, yeah. Well both are imported. ESPs are made in Japan and LTDs are Korean or Indonesian.
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Feb 13, 2009 19:29
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| # ¿ Apr 25, 2024 02:12 |
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Gene Ricman posted:
I love all the crazy pedals Boss has made over the years..
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Feb 14, 2009 17:22
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