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

[nickt]

Uconn Jack

 

how are you getting on with your XTL?

I'm thinking of getting one to pair up with my F50. Not sure if I'd use it in the loop for FX or out front. I know there's some great models in there, but the other half of me tells me it's sacriledge to use a modeller in front of a tone machine like the F50!

 

Also thinking of offloading my Hotplate in favour of Andy and others "volume pedal in loop idea", by the looks of it this worls great, and would free up a bit of cash for the XTL!!

 

regards to all

 

Nick

[UconnJack]

Hey Nick,

 

Returned the XTL to MF for the refund after about a month of tweaking. Even bought a Tech 21 PE to give it a more neutral power supply (Sent that back also). I don't think it matched up well with the F-50. Too much coloration in front and/or in the loop IMO. I did get used to tweaking the XTL and actually liked it a bit after a while, I just could never get a great feel from it. Might try another one in the fall for some smaller gigs I've got lined up. Will go direct and/or use an Atomic amp (or other tube amp), as a monitor.

 

Also, I sold my Hotplate attenuator. I felt it changed the feel of the F-50 too much. I'm getting good tones at reasonable volumes without it.

 

My latest configuration is the F-50 into an Avatar 2x12 (Wizard and Governor) for the dirt and a Carr Rambler for my clean channel, plus OD pedals to taste! I'm lovin it, but it's alot to carry.

 

UJ

[nickt]

I haven't pulled the trigger yet..some more thinking needed methinks..I've got a Yamaha magicstomp and may just keep that for a while.

 

The other thing that was pulling me towards an XTL is that I've just got a Variax (amazing, esp with workbench) and thought they would pair up well..

 

the search continues...

 

cheers

[UconnJack]

I think the XTL and a Variax are a great combination. I also think the XTL would sound best configured as a preamp into a tube poweramp into a speaker cabinet. All IMO of course, based on my experience. Musicians Friend has a generous 45 day return policy which is how I experimented with mine. I just felt the XTL and the F-50 weren't a great match, good luck.

[Dann'sTheMan]

Originally posted by nickt Uconn Jack how are you getting on with your XTL? I'm thinking of getting one to pair up with my F50. Not sure if I'd use it in the loop for FX or out front. I know there's some great models in there, but the other half of me tells me it's sacriledge to use a modeller in front of a tone machine like the F50! Also thinking of offloading my Hotplate in favour of Andy and others "volume pedal in loop idea", by the looks of it this worls great, and would free up a bit of cash for the XTL!! regards to all Nick

 

Hi Nick,

 

You should be able to try the "volume pedal in loop" trick with your Magic Stomp, and thus see if you like the results. Simply put the Magic Stomp in the loop; turn the mix knob to maximum (90%); turn up the amp's Master Volume; and turn down the overall volume using the Magic Stomp - probably some Global or Patch level parameter - be careful to keep any Input sensitivity control as high as possible without clipping so that the maximum dynamic range of the effects unit can be used.

 

Regarding compatibility, I've found that my Variax is particularly happy when paired with a Line6 device - the models sounded more authentic imo when I've plugged it into my POD and a Flextone III.

 

Another option you might wish to consider - I picked up a new TC Electronics G-Major recently at a great price (~

[nickt]

thanks Andy I'll give that a whirl.

The MS has a global master volume, so I think you're saying have that as high as possible?

(I dimed it by accident once and got all sorts of Dr Who noises..overloaded the input I spose..)

 

Thay G-Major is indeed a great price, although I'd have to allow for a controller of some sort. How are you controlling yours?

[Dann'sTheMan]

Originally posted by nickt thanks Andy I'll give that a whirl. The MS has a global master volume, so I think you're saying have that as high as possible? (I dimed it by accident once and got all sorts of Dr Who noises..overloaded the input I spose..) Thay G-Major is indeed a great price, although I'd have to allow for a controller of some sort. How are you controlling yours?

 

Hi Nick,

 

The global master volume on the MS is probably on the output side - if this is the case, then you want to use this to govern the overal volume level of your amp (the amp's own master volume will be higher than usual), so the MS global master volume may well be LOW.

 

Some effects units (but not all) have an additional control to adjust the Input level/sensitivity - it's this control you want to have as high as possible without clipping.

 

Regarding foot controllers - I use the Behringer FCB1010. Inexpensive yet powerful. Highly recommended.

 

Big smiles,

 

Andy.

[nickt]

many thanks!

I see what you mean now, there's a switch called "input" that says high/low. Thanks for the advice.

 

[jrc6]

Hey guys,

 

Just wanted to give an update with my speaker experimentation.

 

I have been swapping out speakers with my F50 combo. I have been working with the eminence speakers. I tried the black powder, screaming eagle, and governor.

 

If you think the F50 is too bright, you might have to check out the black powder. It is very, very warm. Especially in the mids. It is actually dark compared to the black shadow custom 90. In a close back, the black powder is even darker. It has a ton of bass. It actually will scoop the tone (aggressive lows & highs, and reserved mids). If you are a metal guy, you will love the black powder in a close back.

 

The screaming eagle is finally broken in. It was too bright, but now that it is broken it, it is not as bright as I thought it would be. In fact, it is just a tad less highs than the black shadow custom 90's. It is much warmer in the mid section than the custom 90's. If you like the highs of the custom 90, but want warmer mids, you should check out the screaming eagle. Oh, it has tons of low end, more than the custom 90. It is a tight low end, similar to the custom 90. The cleans are warm, but don't cut as well as the custom 90. If playing solo, the cleans work well.

 

I just broke in a governor. It is a sweet sounding speaker. I actually prefer much midrange to my tone. The governor delivers!!! It opens up the F50's midrange. There is nice some speaker break up. When cranked, this thing sounds like your typical "rectifier," tone on the albums you have heard, but so much warmer. The tone is incredibly clear. It has more low end thump when compared to a vintage 30. The highs are tamed, not as aggressive as the black shadow custom 90. The governor doesn't sound as open compared to the vintage 30. There is this nasal thing that lurks in the midrange. Maybe my speaker isn't broken in. I will have to work with it.

 

If you like midrange in your tone, stick with either the eminence british speakers, or celestion speakers. If you like or want warmer mids or darker tone, check out eminence american speakers.

 

Does anyone know where i can post clips of these speakers? My computer doesn't accept cookies, and therefore, I can't post on digital sound planet anymore. I have tried sound click, but they do not allow cover tunes. If anyone has any suggestions, please let me know.

[Dann'sTheMan]

Originally posted by LithiumZero I did a complete retube of my F-50 Head last night and the resulting tone was AMAZING! Called Doug at Doug's Tubes and he hooked me up with a balanced JJ ECC803S for V1, a high gain JJ ECC83S for V2, a Shuguang 12AX7C for V3 and a balanced EH 12AX7A for V4. Also got a set of SED 6L6's. Of course I had to redial the entire amp but in the end I am extremely happy with the tones I am getting. The amp sounds less compressed and more alive and the high end is back but not harsh like it was with the stock preamp tubes. I has previously put JJ6L6's in to tame the highs but found that with the new combination of preamp tubes that the SED's sound more open than the JJ's. I also used to run an EQ in the loop but now find it unnecessary. Overall tone is better because I can turn the mix down to around 25% on the loop instead of cranking it to use the EQ. The loop sucks A LOT of tone with higher mix settings. P.S. Don't listen to the boneheads that tell you not to put the ECC803S in V1 because it's a long plate tube and subject to microphonics. I wouldn't use in in V2 but it works flawlessly in V1

 

Excellent post! I'm still running the stock tubes after two years, so I definitely need to retube my amp sooner rather than later. LithiumZero, you have me itching to try out the exact combination that is working so well for you! I may well have to investigate and find out if I can source all of these tubes here in Europe - can anyone recommend where?

 

I'd love to hear more about everyone's experiences and recommendations with different tubes in the F-series.

 

Big smiles,

 

Andy.

[Dann'sTheMan]

Originally posted by nickt many thanks! I see what you mean now, there's a switch called "input" that says high/low. Thanks for the advice.

 

Hi Nick,

 

I suspect the high/low setting on your Magic Stomp is to switch its Input between instrument level and line level. This means that you will have to use one or the other setting dependent on whether you plug your MS in front of your amp (instrument level) or in your amp's loop (line level),

 

Big smiles,

 

Andy.

[Dann'sTheMan]

Originally posted by jrc6 Hey guys, Just wanted to give an update with my speaker experimentation. I have been swapping out speakers with my F50 combo. I have been working with the eminence speakers. I tried the black powder, screaming eagle, and governor. If you think the F50 is too bright, you might have to check out the black powder. It is very, very warm. Especially in the mids. It is actually dark compared to the black shadow custom 90. In a close back, the black powder is even darker. It has a ton of bass. It actually will scoop the tone (aggressive lows & highs, and reserved mids). If you are a metal guy, you will love the black powder in a close back. The screaming eagle is finally broken in. It was too bright, but now that it is broken it, it is not as bright as I thought it would be. In fact, it is just a tad less highs than the black shadow custom 90's. It is much warmer in the mid section than the custom 90's. If you like the highs of the custom 90, but want warmer mids, you should check out the screaming eagle. Oh, it has tons of low end, more than the custom 90. It is a tight low end, similar to the custom 90. The cleans are warm, but don't cut as well as the custom 90. If playing solo, the cleans work well. I just broke in a governor. It is a sweet sounding speaker. I actually prefer much midrange to my tone. The governor delivers!!! It opens up the F50's midrange. There is nice some speaker break up. When cranked, this thing sounds like your typical "rectifier," tone on the albums you have heard, but so much warmer. The tone is incredibly clear. It has more low end thump when compared to a vintage 30. The highs are tamed, not as aggressive as the black shadow custom 90. The governor doesn't sound as open compared to the vintage 30. There is this nasal thing that lurks in the midrange. Maybe my speaker isn't broken in. I will have to work with it. If you like midrange in your tone, stick with either the eminence british speakers, or celestion speakers. If you like or want warmer mids or darker tone, check out eminence american speakers. Does anyone know where i can post clips of these speakers? My computer doesn't accept cookies, and therefore, I can't post on digital sound planet anymore. I have tried sound click, but they do not allow cover tunes. If anyone has any suggestions, please let me know.

 

Another Excellent post! Really useful information - I particularly liked your recommendations about what speaker might work in a closed/open-backed cab. Very cool stuff!

 

How long does it typically take to swap a speaker out? Any chance you made clips of your experiments?

 

Big smiles,

 

Andy.

[hal9000]

Originally posted by Locky ... I'm very curious as to how as F50 would sound through a 2x12 V30 loaded cab. I'm really looking for something that is closed backed with tight low end, soaring mids and an UNharsh top end.

Yeah, I have the F-100 2x12 combo with V30's 3/4 tuned back and an Avatar 2x12 closed back with vintage 30s. The V30s sure have a tight bass sound with the usual mid spike and nice highs (after break-in). I can't say enough good things about the Avatar cab. It's everything I wanted it to be for a ridiculously low price. I actually run both the combo and 2x12 together which gives me the best of both worlds, i.e. 3D enveloping sound from the 3/4 tuned-back and tight bass from the closed back. Is there anything in particular you want to know?

[phyrexia]

Originally posted by Locky I'm very curious as to how as F50 would sound through a 2x12 V30 loaded cab. I'm really looking for something that is closed backed with tight low end, soaring mids and an UNharsh top end.

 

I have a F50 head and a 2x12 Recto cab and I think it does what you are looking for. The mids are great and the high end cuts but it's not too harsh imho. I can't say much about the bass, I usually turn it down to 11:00 or 12:00 'cause it sounds kinda flubby to me any higher.

 

Has anybody played through an F series with a guitar tuned to, say, C? I did it a while ago, and it sounded...evil. Even with the gain turned down pretty low like I normally play.

 

Has anybody modded their amp or are they all still under warranty? I wonder what they'd sound like with EL34s. (Or some yellowjackets.)

[UconnJack]

Originally posted by phyrexia Has anybody modded their amp or are they all still under warranty? I wonder what they'd sound like with EL34s. (Or some yellowjackets.)

 

+1, I've been wondering about how the YellowJackets and EL84 tubes would sound in the F-50 also. Anyone ever try that?

[jrc6]

I did not like how my F50 sounded through my recto 2 x 12 cab. The F50 already has a lot of bass, and the oversized cab enchanced these frequencies. It made the amp sound darker, and the low end wasn't as tight. It sounded kinda flabby. I sold my recto cab. Otherwise, I think the F50 would sound pretty good with a smaller 2 x 12 cab.

I run mine through an ear candy sovereign 1 x 12 closed back. It is huge sounding! The low end thumps really well, but all the frequencies project through nicely. I am interested in their 2 x 12 cabs now.

As far as yellow jackets....so so. They will brighten your F50. The yellow jackets run in class A. So, you get a bit more sag on the low end. They break up at about 9 o clock on the master. The 6l6 break up at about 11:00 on the master. So, if you want power tube distortion at bedroom volumes, the yellow jackets will work.

They are actually fairly loud when cranked (master 11:30). I was surprised. Although, it really lacked the fullness, probably due to lack of low mids. The EL 84 have more upper mid chime & less low end thump. I though the yellow jackets lacked the class A/B "punch" of the F50 running 6l6's. I didn't think the amp sounded like an F30.

I have been looking for a site to post some clips of the yellow jackets & different speakers I have been testing. Anyone have some suggestions?

[Dann'sTheMan]

Originally posted by jrc6
Does anyone know where i can post clips of these speakers? My computer doesn't accept cookies, and therefore, I can't post on digital sound planet anymore. I have tried sound click, but they do not allow cover tunes. If anyone has any suggestions, please let me know.

Apologies for forgetting to comment on this question. I usually use DSP, but I've occasionally used Sound Click and MP3 Lizard - perhaps try this, but I remember the sign up procedure being somewhat convoluted.

Big smiles,

Andy.

[Locky]

After hearing Randy's clip with V30 and GreenBacks I am extremely interested in hearing an F50 through a greenback speakers. Anyone tried this?

[Tommi Inkila]

Hello!

The gig went great last night. Well, some hassle there and there but overall it was ok.

I've been reading these great posts with huge interest... unfortunately I don't have much to add, because I don't have enough experience on these topics.

Anyway, I just got my rig back to my studio... so clips are on the way quite soon. I'll first have to reinstall Windows and software + add some hard-drives for our upcoming album. Hopefully that goes smoothly. I also ordered Universal Audio UAD-1 for my DAW, so I'll be experimenting with quality plugins soon.

I'll try to make some clips, some for my own test purposes and then those preamp tube tests and some more "marshallish" tones as promised. Maybe I can combine these in a one clip, I'll see what I can do

[UconnJack]

Mesa F-XX Brothers. After much consideration, I think I'm bowing out of the club for a while. I've got a couple of big outdoor gigs booked this summer and am thinking about going with a 100W head. I'm considering the Stiletto, Dual Rectifier or a Genx Benz ElDiablo.

I cranked the F-50 this weekend, it really sings, I'm gonna miss it.
(Feel free to talk me out of it cause I'm still on the fence!)

Peace!

[jrc6]

Hey uconnjack,

sorry to hear that you are leaving the club. Consider a 4 x 12. The f50 can easily handle this. As you know, it is very loud, and can easily handle a 4 x 12. The down side is that you lose clean headroom. This is the advantage of the 100 watt amplifier.

I was cranking my F50 cleans the other day, and the power tubes were breaking up. I had a difficult time keeping it clean. I will have to experience with some cooler tubes (8-10) to prevent the early break up. Right now, I am running some 4 groove tubes.

Perhaps, running some cold tubes through an F50 cranked through a 4 x 12 might work for out door gigs. I know that you will regret leaving. After spending time with other amps, you will probably miss the F50 sound, and wonder why you left. You may want to get a separate 100 watt head.

jrc

[phyrexia]

Originally posted by UconnJack
Mesa F-XX Brothers. After much consideration, I think I'm bowing out of the club for a while. I've got a couple of big outdoor gigs booked this summer and am thinking about going with a 100W head. I'm considering the Stiletto, Dual Rectifier or a Genx Benz ElDiablo.

I cranked the F-50 this weekend, it really sings, I'm gonna miss it.
(Feel free to talk me out of it cause I'm still on the fence!)

Peace!

The F50 sounds better than any of the heads you're considering. I've played all three. The Stiletto is the only one I'd consider, but I still don't think anybody needs any more than 50 watts. The first channel does tend to chunk up when it's loud, though. Have you tried single coils pickups?

Victor

[UconnJack]

I owned an GB ElDiablo and loved it. I may just pick that up and keep the F-50. (Forcing me to sell my prized Carr Rambler). I prefer the sound of my LesPaul through my F-50, it's a great thick tone. My strat sounds kinda brittle in the F-50, to me.

I was playing the F-50 last night and really digging the tone. Too many decisions, not enough money! Time will tell.....

Thanks for the input guys.
UJ

[No Soul]

Originally posted by UconnJack
Mesa F-XX Brothers. After much consideration, I think I'm bowing out of the club for a while. I've got a couple of big outdoor gigs booked this summer and am thinking about going with a 100W head. I'm considering the Stiletto, Dual Rectifier or a Genx Benz ElDiablo.

I cranked the F-50 this weekend, it really sings, I'm gonna miss it.
(Feel free to talk me out of it cause I'm still on the fence!)

Peace!

You do know 100w isnt even remotely close to being signifigantly louder than 50w?

Nothing against 100w amps here, I have a F100...

[hal9000]

Originally posted by UconnJack
Mesa F-XX Brothers. After much consideration, I think I'm bowing out of the club for a while. I've got a couple of big outdoor gigs booked this summer and am thinking about going with a 100W head. I'm considering the Stiletto, Dual Rectifier or a Genx Benz ElDiablo.

I cranked the F-50 this weekend, it really sings, I'm gonna miss it.
(Feel free to talk me out of it cause I'm still on the fence!)

Peace!

Man, I just don't see the point where the F-50 isn't loud enough. In fact, I would say that the loud outdoor gig would be a great place to open up the F-50. Regardless, if you still need more clean headroom, you could grab an inexpensive SS PA and run that to a different cab for more volume, especially if you need a broader sound field sans FOH system. If you're concerned about hearing yourself while using the amp as a monitor, which is mic'ed through a FOH, you can always get a stand and point it at your head like I do with my Quick-Lok BS-317.