Recovering Mesa Addict looking for What's Next

[GJgo]

For me the musical experience is a journey, not a destination. I have and have had some super amazing gear, and how I roll is keep my top 3 around & flip through the rest so I can experience new & different things. My top #1 will always be my loop modded IIB Coliseum. I have gigged it a number of times where the theater owner and sound guy tell me it's the best tone they've ever heard on stage, and they have a lot of bands come through. So am I just going to gig it forever? Hell no! I want to try new things NOT named Mesa since I've tried them all.

I don't have clips of all the amps I've gigged but here are a few of the best Mesas in age-order. I picked this song because I always kick the boost off for this one so it's all amp.

IIB+ Coli w/ 2001 V30s in a straight trad cab


IIC+ Coli w/ 2006 V30s in a straight trad cab


Dual Rec Rev C w/ 1999 G12T75 in a straight trad cab


Triple Rec Rev G w/ 2004 V30 in a slant OS cab


...and just for fun, here's a comparo jamming in the garage with a Five35 vs a IIC+ 60W vs Dual Rec MW vs Triple Rec G vs IIB+ coli.

 

[Nigel]

For me the musical experience is a journey, not a destination. I have and have had some super amazing gear, and how I roll is keep my top 3 around & flip through the rest so I can experience new & different things. My top #1 will always be my loop modded IIB Coliseum. I have gigged it a number of times where the theater owner and sound guy tell me it's the best tone they've ever heard on stage, and they have a lot of bands come through. So am I just going to gig it forever? Hell no! I want to try new things NOT named Mesa since I've tried them all.

I don't have clips of all the amps I've gigged but here are a few of the best Mesas in age-order. I picked this song because I always kick the boost off for this one so it's all amp.

IIB+ Coli w/ 2001 V30s in a straight trad cab


IIC+ Coli w/ 2006 V30s in a straight trad cab


Dual Rec Rev C w/ 1999 G12T75 in a straight trad cab


Triple Rec Rev G w/ 2004 V30 in a slant OS cab


...and just for fun, here's a comparo jamming in the garage with a Five35 vs a IIC+ 60W vs Dual Rec MW vs Triple Rec G vs IIB+ coli.

You need to try low plate voltage with high bias (under bias) or just sky high idle bias. Before the internet and Aspen Pitman, fixed bias kings like Eddie and cathode bias kings like Brian May understood that power tube crunch is where the rubber meets the road.

High idle with high voltage shortens life from months to weeks to hours. Low voltage/high bias solves this problem.

Basically, you like most have played with preamp dynamics your whole life and tubes at 70% or lower idle bias. Mark Cameron figure out the secret and profited.

Go play an Orange Rocker 30 ASAP.

 

[Nigel]

…or buy a Rivera M series and run it half power with the bias turned all the way up.

That’s what I do, and let it rip at 28 watts a tube for recording passes.

 

[GJgo]

You need to try low plate voltage with high bias (under bias) or just sky high idle bias. Before the internet and Aspen Pitman, fixed bias kings like Eddie and cathode bias kings like Brian May understood that power tube crunch is where the rubber meets the road.

High idle with high voltage shortens life from months to weeks to hours. Low voltage/high bias solves this problem.

Basically, you like most have played with preamp dynamics your whole life and tubes at 70% or lower idle bias. Mark Cameron figure out the secret and profited.

Go play an Orange Rocker 30 ASAP.

So then, the practical application is with a variac, where you torn the wall voltage down & watch the plate voltage? How low is low plate voltage for these purposes?

None of my amps have adjustable bias.

 

[311splawndude]

Mark Cameron figure out the secret and profited.

Easy to make a profit when you don't always deliver product

 

[Nigel]

So then, the practical application is with a variac, where you torn the wall voltage down & watch the plate voltage? How low is low plate voltage for these purposes?

None of my amps have adjustable bias.

Eh, not necessarily a variac. But you need something that allows for 100% dissipation at idle, whether cathode bias or fixed with low plate voltage. Rivera’s will still channel switch with one in my experience but it’s not necessary if lo power is used. It takes the B+ down to 220v. The Orange has a B+ of 325v like the SLO-30 but runs cathode bias around 22w a tube. That will give you some idea, or a Fender ProSonic in “Class A” mode, or any of the Orange Terror series. Fender Champ is a great example too, or. Guytron GT-100.

 

[Texhex]

$2500 you say? I’m sure you have plenty of Amps with a decent Return in the loop. If you lived close to Columbus, OH I’d bring one over and run it through a loop and see how close you could get to the Live sound you are after, if for no other reason than to see if it could be done.

 

[GJgo]

Eh, not necessarily a variac. But you need something that allows for 100% dissipation at idle, whether cathode bias or fixed with low plate voltage. Rivera’s will still channel switch with one in my experience but it’s not necessary if lo power is used. It takes the B+ down to 220v. The Orange has a B+ of 325v like the SLO-30 but runs cathode bias around 22w a tube. That will give you some idea, or a Fender ProSonic in “Class A” mode, or any of the Orange Terror series. Fender Champ is a great example too, or. Guytron GT-100.

I had an old Champ when I was a teenager. Been a minute! Thing sounded cool dimed, though.

I did wonder how (why?) the SLO30 was running 30W out of a pair of 6L6. That would explain it.

 

[GJgo]

$2500 you say? I’m sure you have plenty of Amps with a decent Return in the loop. If you lived close to Columbus, OH I’d bring one over and run it through a loop and see how close you could get to the Live sound you are after, if for no other reason than to see if it could be done.

I have tried a Helix into my M180 power amp and it was OK, but not great, on par with the Mark VII.

I have not tried an AxeFX in the same way, I suspect it would be a little better. I'm not against modelers for live work as long as I can get them to push air, which is why I tried the other one with a big power amp & a real cab. A lot of my feedback comes from my band guys- every time I have new gear I always ask them how well they can hear my parts when we're playing. Long story short after trying so many amps the top two qualities are that it moves a lot of air and has the right mids. From their seats the actual tone is secondary, so long as it doesn't fundamentally suck.