101b owner needing advice!

[TheMagicEight]

I've run into a bit of cash recently and am looking for a new amp. I just picked up a Mesa Mark V from Guitar Center last week, but I've since returned it. Not only was mine a defective unit, but I can't help but feel like I'd spend hours pushing knobs and sliders and very little time playing. I've heard too many mixed reviews to have much confidence in it, and too few sound clips that make me want the amp. Put simply, if I wanted a Mark, I'd get a IIC+ from ebay.

Because I'm looking for something with 3 channels, the IIC+ is pretty much out. I was looking yesterday at some Fryette amps, and they seem pretty cool! But it wasn't until yesterday when I was playing on my 101b that I realized how damn difficult it would be to get an amp to sound better than this one.

Now here's what I'm thinking: XTC Classic or XTC 20th Anniversary! A bit long-winded, but my question is as a 101b owner: is the 101b closer to the Classic or the 20th? Which would you own in conjunction with the 101b?

Thanks!

 

[billm408]

I've got a 101B and I'm saving for a 20th Anni. I've had the chance to play the 2 side by side pretty extensively and, while there's certainly some overlap, they're very different amps. The Anniversary is more open, less compressed, is voiced with a touch more upper mids (more in the Marshall camp) and more gain on tap than a 101B. Add a vastly improved green channel and it's an even more versatile beast than the 101B. Personally, I've never really bonded with the Classics that I've tried. YMMV.

 

[glassjaw7]

I know you said you want 3 channels, but I would take a look at Dave Freidman's Marsha. It has seperate inputs for the Brown Eye and Hairy Brown Eye sounds, but he now can also include a saturation switch.

They blend amazingly well with Bogners too. Jerry from AIC has been using them together live and when I saw them, the tone KILLED
But you can't go wrong with another XTC either

 

[Tone Merchant]

Go with the 20th Anniversary all the way. thats the easy decision. the hard decision is on wether to go with el34s or 6l6s.

 

[mattTHERIPPERsanchez]

I can't tell ya about the XTC, but I agree 100% with the Mark V. Mesa heads are generally extremely touchy and difficult to dial in anyways, but I feel like the Mark series is even worse. My buddy has a Mark IV, and it took him several weeks to get it to a tone he liked. I've played the Mark V three times at GC in the loud room for about an hour each time, and I still have yet to find even a usable sound out of it. Whoever gets good sound out of it must have the patience of Christ and golden fingers because for the life of me, I can't figure it out. I DEFINITELY spent way more time trying to dial it in than actually playing it.

 

[just42dave]

I've run into a bit of cash recently and am looking for a new amp. I just picked up a Mesa Mark V from Guitar Center last week, but I've since returned it. Not only was mine a defective unit, but I can't help but feel like I'd spend hours pushing knobs and sliders and very little time playing. I've heard too many mixed reviews to have much confidence in it, and too few sound clips that make me want the amp. Put simply, if I wanted a Mark, I'd get a IIC+ from ebay.

Because I'm looking for something with 3 channels, the IIC+ is pretty much out. I was looking yesterday at some Fryette amps, and they seem pretty cool! But it wasn't until yesterday when I was playing on my 101b that I realized how damn difficult it would be to get an amp to sound better than this one.

Now here's what I'm thinking: XTC Classic or XTC 20th Anniversary! A bit long-winded, but my question is as a 101b owner: is the 101b closer to the Classic or the 20th? Which would you own in conjunction with the 101b?

Thanks!

Closer to 20th..

 

[TheMagicEight]

I can't tell ya about the XTC, but I agree 100% with the Mark V. Mesa heads are generally extremely touchy and difficult to dial in anyways, but I feel like the Mark series is even worse. My buddy has a Mark IV, and it took him several weeks to get it to a tone he liked. I've played the Mark V three times at GC in the loud room for about an hour each time, and I still have yet to find even a usable sound out of it. Whoever gets good sound out of it must have the patience of Christ and golden fingers because for the life of me, I can't figure it out. I DEFINITELY spent way more time trying to dial it in than actually playing it.

I've about had it with Mesa products. I've owned Mesa gear for years, and while I believe they're a great company that makes innovative products and genuinely cares about their customers, nothing they're putting out sounds - to me - as good as my Bogners.

One thing that leaves me wondering though, is that the two times I checked it out before finally buying it, I really liked the V. As I posted earlier, I believe mine was a defective unit, but still; like you said, they're extremely touchy and for me, that means endless tweaking and little playing. No good.

I must say though; it took me a good month to figure out my Ecstasy, and even after a year of owning it, I'm finding better ways to set it up. I think I've hit a wall as far as setting it up goes, but that still leaves tubes and speakers and such for play! I love the 101b, and even though it took me a little bit of time to learn, it's taught me some invaluable information that I will be able to apply to every other amp I play.

BTW, where did you try the Mark V? Oh and one more thing; when I hear a sound clip of a Mark V that sounds as good as some people claim it does, I'll consider giving it another shot. Until then, not a chance!

 

[mattTHERIPPERsanchez]

I can't tell ya about the XTC, but I agree 100% with the Mark V. Mesa heads are generally extremely touchy and difficult to dial in anyways, but I feel like the Mark series is even worse. My buddy has a Mark IV, and it took him several weeks to get it to a tone he liked. I've played the Mark V three times at GC in the loud room for about an hour each time, and I still have yet to find even a usable sound out of it. Whoever gets good sound out of it must have the patience of Christ and golden fingers because for the life of me, I can't figure it out. I DEFINITELY spent way more time trying to dial it in than actually playing it.

I've about had it with Mesa products. I've owned Mesa gear for years, and while I believe they're a great company that makes innovative products and genuinely cares about their customers, nothing they're putting out sounds - to me - as good as my Bogners.

One thing that leaves me wondering though, is that the two times I checked it out before finally buying it, I really liked the V. As I posted earlier, I believe mine was a defective unit, but still; like you said, they're extremely touchy and for me, that means endless tweaking and little playing. No good.

I must say though; it took me a good month to figure out my Ecstasy, and even after a year of owning it, I'm finding better ways to set it up. I think I've hit a wall as far as setting it up goes, but that still leaves tubes and speakers and such for play! I love the 101b, and even though it took me a little bit of time to learn, it's taught me some invaluable information that I will be able to apply to every other amp I play.

BTW, where did you try the Mark V? Oh and one more thing; when I hear a sound clip of a Mark V that sounds as good as some people claim it does, I'll consider giving it another shot. Until then, not a chance!

I tried out the Mark V at the Guitar Center in Arlington. They have it set up in the loud room, and my buddy Dave is a manager there, so I had as much time as I needed. I had to come by after work, which was about 8pm, and he let me stay as long as he could past closing (which is 9) without him getting in trouble. So, I was in there for roughly an hour to an hour and a half 3 different times. The things I've learned about Mesa are they sound better the louder they get and they're tricky to dial in. Being in the loud room, I was able to rectify (no pun intended) the first detail by cranking it as loud as I wanted. Through all the sessions I was there, I still couldn't find a way to dial it in properly. The sliders drastically affect the tone, but I still couldn't get the ballsy tone that I had heard in my bud's Mark IV. It was then that I decided I too was done with Mesa heads. I still dig their cabs a whole lot, though, and I intend to have my oversized Recto cab forever. I'm trying to sell my Mesa head to buy an Uber, and had a Kazakhstanian fraud with 0 feedback not selected the Buy it Now option on my Dual Rec, I would've sold it. Grr...

Anyhow, about the Ecstacy. I'm very intrigued although I know absolutely nothing to very little about it. I'm going to get an Uber now, but someday in the future, I intend to get the Ecstacy. From what I gather, its far more versatile, but is it capable of delivering the punishing tones of the Uber? Also, I read that the white chassis Ecstacy's are to be avoided. Should I decide to go the route of the Ecstacy later on, which model should I look for?

 

[TheMagicEight]

I tried out the Mark V at the Guitar Center in Arlington. They have it set up in the loud room, and my buddy Dave is a manager there, so I had as much time as I needed. I had to come by after work, which was about 8pm, and he let me stay as long as he could past closing (which is 9) without him getting in trouble. So, I was in there for roughly an hour to an hour and a half 3 different times. The things I've learned about Mesa are they sound better the louder they get and they're tricky to dial in. Being in the loud room, I was able to rectify (no pun intended) the first detail by cranking it as loud as I wanted. Through all the sessions I was there, I still couldn't find a way to dial it in properly. The sliders drastically affect the tone, but I still couldn't get the ballsy tone that I had heard in my bud's Mark IV. It was then that I decided I too was done with Mesa heads. I still dig their cabs a whole lot, though, and I intend to have my oversized Recto cab forever. I'm trying to sell my Mesa head to buy an Uber, and had a Kazakhstanian fraud with 0 feedback not selected the Buy it Now option on my Dual Rec, I would've sold it. Grr...

Anyhow, about the Ecstacy. I'm very intrigued although I know absolutely nothing to very little about it. I'm going to get an Uber now, but someday in the future, I intend to get the Ecstacy. From what I gather, its far more versatile, but is it capable of delivering the punishing tones of the Uber? Also, I read that the white chassis Ecstacy's are to be avoided. Should I decide to go the route of the Ecstacy later on, which model should I look for?

Haha, get the fuck out of here!!! That's the exact Mark V I returned to that exact GC about a month ago! I told them i thought it was defective when I brought it back, but they listened to it and said "sounds alright to me". I spent a lot of time on that thing too. Swapped out all the tubes - preamp and power - tried every possible way to set it up, every mode, every EQ position, different guitar, different speakers, different room; nothing worked. You'd think that a month's time of sitting there with nobody buying it would indicate there's something wrong....

I think my favorite Ecstasy so far is a pre-2004 101b. I have yet to try out a 20th Anniversary, but from the clips I've heard, the 101b is voiced just a little more towards my taste; then again though, the pre '04 XTC is also what I happen to own, so I may be biased. The XTC has a different sonic spectrum from the Uber, so I wouldn't call it has punishing. It does metal with absolutely no problems, and is every bit as easy to play as the Uber, but it will do it in its own way. Specifically, where the Uber has a more prominent low midrange, the XTC is more focused on upper mids. The XTC is also smoother and maybe not quite as open as the Twin Jet. Actually, I've had more success setting up the Uber to sound like the XTC than the other way around; my understanding is that the presence knob on the Uber is actually a low midrange cut as it's turned up, so when that knob goes past 3:00, it gets pretty close to XTC territory, though with a slightly different voice.

I live in Arlington but I go to school at American University in DC, which is where I keep my amps. PM me if you'd like to hear one of them (or all!).

 

[mattTHERIPPERsanchez]

No fucking way! That's insane, bro. Pm coming your way!