Members hal9000 Posted March 23, 2005 Members Share Posted March 23, 2005 Originally posted by UconnJack Hal9000, I'm considering a POD XT Live, to use in front as an effects processor. Have you tried that configuration? And also, I'm looking for a stand that can put the F-50 as low as possible while facing it almost straight up, similar to a monitor. Can the Quick-Lock stand do that? Thanks GuysUJ 1) Sweet custom F-50!2) The PODxt Live is very good for live effects, but I prefer to use time-based stuff in the loop. If your aim is to use the stomp boxes out front for OD, compression, etc, then you Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members hal9000 Posted March 23, 2005 Members Share Posted March 23, 2005 Originally posted by markmann Hal, Doesn't the Hotplate have a line out? If so is it not good enough for recording purposes? I was hoping that if I was to buy a Hotplate that it could be set for a dummy load with speaker off and send an output to the mixer for silent practice or recording. I've tried the F-50 record out to headphones and found it was OK for practice and programming effects but not good for recording although I have not run it through my H&K Redbox yet. Yes, the Hot Plate has a line out, but you'll still need cab emulation. In using the Hot Plate as a load with my Behringer Ultra-G as the speaker sim, the amp sounds pretty good. However, I prefer to open up the amp to ridiculous levels when we record for real so I don't use the Hot Plate in that situation. If you're going to use the Hot Plate as a dummy load, make sure to put the DI before the Hot Plate because I've found that it sounds better that way. BTW, the Ultra-G can take speaker level inputs and pass through to the load. This setup will sound better than the recording out since it is post power amp. Maybe I should try running the Ultra-G sans Hot Plate for another line level option, hmmm... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members JeffB Posted March 23, 2005 Members Share Posted March 23, 2005 I don't really have any secrets per-se, but I would like to reiterate some things that prospective F series buyers should know that have been mentioned in past threads.Being that the F series amps are MESA's least expensive, I believe it's the "Gateway drug" for those who want a MESA but have never owned one before and/or cannot afford the Recto's, Marks, etc. If you are coming from a Marshall, Peavey, Laney, Fender or other similar amp it's VERY important to note that ALL the controls on the F series (and MESAs in general) are MUCH more interdependant on each other than you may be used to.The amp requires tweaking. You cannot run all the tone controls 3/4 to full and expect it to sound decent like you can with a Marshall. It will sound like @$$. Flubby low end, harsh fuzzy top. Its best to set everything at 11-12 o'clock (including gain), and the Master at 8-11 o'clock and tweak from there. If you are thinking about buying an F-series, chances are the manual will not be readily available when you are playing at the store. Download it for free from the MESA site beforehand and read it. There's alot of really useful info in there how everything interacts (unlike most amp user manuals).As a longtime Marshall fanatic, I had some difficulty when I first got home with the amp because I was control happy (spinal tap mentality I guess). Once I read the manual and understood exactly how interactive they were, I started getting some absolutely incredible sounds out the amp.Also don't ignore the Channel 2 plus contour and the gain set very low (8-10 o'clock). You can get some very nice vintage Marshall crunch type sounds with proper mid/treble/bass tweaking.The F series are voiced a bit "dark" on the gain channels. A somewhat bright guitar and/or somewhat bright pups help.Oh and finally. If you are looking at an F-30 combo. I would recommend a speaker swap, or jes get a head and 1x12 cab. The V-30 speaker in the half-open cab in a F30 combo makes the amp sound quite nasily and somewhat harsh. Of course tone is subjective. But thats the general concensus I hear re: the 30, so I must not be the only one. I intitially dismissed the 30 because of that. But once I played a head version through a closed cab with Black Shadow 90's, it was a totally different animal. Brutal if need be, smooth and sweet if thats your thing.Great thread Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members markmann Posted March 23, 2005 Members Share Posted March 23, 2005 Originally posted by hal9000 If you're going to use the Hot Plate as a dummy load, make sure to put the DI before the Hot Plate because I've found that it sounds better that way. BTW, the Ultra-G can take speaker level inputs and pass through to the load. This setup will sound better than the recording out since it is post power amp. Maybe I should try running the Ultra-G sans Hot Plate for another line level option, hmmm... ...is why I asked. My H&K can also handle amp level so please let me know what you find out. Mark Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members markmann Posted March 23, 2005 Members Share Posted March 23, 2005 This might be a usful tip: When I need or want to dial in a new sound, or many sounds as I'm doing now with my new F-50, it helps to have a second reference amp to compare to. Before I bought the F-50 I went to several stores and always had two amps set up. It's amazing what I hear when I do that and is how I zero'd in on the F-50 in particular. Now that I have it at home and immersed in tone tweaking, I'm using my old familiar Hiwatt Custom 50 as a benchmark for comparison. It might just be me but I tend to get tone deaf after listening to the same amp for long periods of time and it helps a lot to have something different to reference. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members thriftyshirt Posted March 23, 2005 Members Share Posted March 23, 2005 Hey guys, I'm not an F-series owner, but i've got a relevant experience. I'm planning on going on a month or two long tour this summer, and I'm looking for a backup for my main amp, an Orange AD30TC and 2x12 Orange cab w/V30's. I wanted something with two channels, EL84's, big sound, takes up little room, and doesn't weigh too much (since it would be a backup). Poking around yesterday at GC in West Palm I saw that they had just gotten in a bunch of Lonestars (like 6 of them), a couple of tridents, and one F-30 combo. Now, i had played the Trident before, and knew it wasn't for me at all, but from what i had heard, i was really interested in playing the lonestar. But when i saw the F-30 sitting there i plugged into that first. I hadn't even considered the F-30 despite the fact that it pretty much fits all the criteria that i wanted for a backup amp. Long story short, I sat there and played the F-30 for an hour straight, and never plugged into anything else. Man that little amp was killer. I love the simplicity of the controls (other than the reverb, the control setup is the same as my Orange, although from what i've read the knobs interact differently, maybe). I love the versatility of the amp. So many sounds were available from just two channels. I like to set my Orange up live with one channel being a lightly overdriven clean, and the other being a fuller overdriven sound. That capability was there in the F-30. The addition of the contour boost was even better. I can imagine as a solo boost or as a slightly different voicing option, there are very few sounds that wouldn't be available in this amp. My only complaint (which is not a big one by any means) was that, as i turned the gain knob up, the overdrive became more "compressed" at higher levels. I think this is mainly due to the fact that the F-series is mean't to do much higher gain than my Orange. With the Orange, the gain stays very open sounding and uncompressed, even at high volume and gain settings, but the gain from the F-30 was almost twice the level of what my Orange is capable of. Either way, I think i've found my backup/next amp. If the sounds that i was getting out of it semi-cranked in the loud room at GC, and through the 1x12 V30 in the combo are any indication, this amp will absolutely destroy running through my Orange 2x12 V30 loaded cab. I've got half a mind to drag my cab and guitar back down to GC, just to check it out. *rant* I had to use some Hum-equipped LP standard, because for some reason, that GC doesn't have ANY P-90 equipped guitars at all. Nor do they have ANY sets of guitar strings from ANY brand with a wound G string. *rant* Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members markmann Posted March 23, 2005 Members Share Posted March 23, 2005 Originally posted by thriftyshirt I've got half a mind to drag my cab and guitar back down to GC, just to check it out. *rant* I had to use some Hum-equipped LP standard, because for some reason, that GC doesn't have ANY P-90 equipped guitars at all. Nor do they have ANY sets of guitar strings from ANY brand with a wound G string. *rant* I'm running my F-50 head through two 1x12 cab's with celestion 90's and sounds wonderful. No speaker distortion. I don't know what these would sound like with the F-30 seeing that it has different tubes but might be worth a try. I like the head and dual cab setup because it give me options. For some instances all I need is the head and one cab but for others I have the option of running the prefered two. Also this is very portable which is something you might really like, plus the head version of the F-30 is even smaller than the F-50 head. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members thriftyshirt Posted March 23, 2005 Members Share Posted March 23, 2005 Originally posted by markmann I'm running my F-50 head through two 1x12 cab's with celestion 90's and sounds wonderful. No speaker distortion. I don't know what these would sound like with the F-30 seeing that it has different tubes but might be worth a try. I like the head and dual cab setup because it give me options. For some instances all I need is the head and one cab but for others I have the option of running the prefered two. Also this is very portable which is something you might really like, plus the head version of the F-30 is even smaller than the F-50 head. I used to use a similar setup, and i ran an Egnater TOL50 into two Mesa Theile cabs with EV 200 watt speakers in them. It was nice and versatile, but I've found that closed back 1x12 cabs are way too directional for my taste, as i play smaller venues and rarely mic the guitar. Also, i prefer the closed back sound, so an open back 1x12 isn't really an option. I didn't even know there was an F-30 head available. Do you know a street price on one of these? And possibly a reputable dealer? (I know i could google this myself, but it might be nice info to have in this thread.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members JeffB Posted March 23, 2005 Members Share Posted March 23, 2005 F-30 head I believe was either $800 or $850 on the 2004 price sheet. I don't think you can buy them online really. But my local store is www.eastcoastmusic.com Great store. Ask for Sandy. They may ship? I don't know. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members UconnJack Posted March 23, 2005 Members Share Posted March 23, 2005 I work right near East Coast Music. Let me know if you guys ever need me to go in there and check on something. Sandy is the Man! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members musicdog400 Posted March 23, 2005 Members Share Posted March 23, 2005 I have only had my F-50 a couple of weeks but here is what I have learned so far: -every knob on there affects the tone in ways I did not expect, for example the master volume. Mids become more pronounced as you pass 11 o clock -I run mine thru an attenutator, a Weber Mass, so I can open it up a bit. Otherwise it is a bit loud for my apartment. It really doesn't sound great with the master volume at extremely low settings -My guitar goes thru a Maxon compressor then into the amp. The compressor obviously gives me more sustain but also does something nice to the treble frequencies, makes them much smoother. -Occasionally the reverb seems to not work on the lead channel -I usually run an EQ in the loop boosting the bass a bit. It lessens the mid range honk and make the sound so full and warm. It is awesome for overdrive jazz leads. Amazingly the EQ seems to work fairly well in the parallel loop. But I did just receive the mod instructions to make it serial and I might do that. -I love the clean. I was debating a Mark IV (and will probably get one in the future) but I didn't think the clean would be as good as the F-50. -The biggest mental adjustment for me is having the tone stack pre-distortion stage. The tone controls lessen their effect as gain is increased. For me this means needing an EQ in the FX loop. But since I rarely use really hi gain this isn't an issue for me -I get a better hi gain sound out of this amp by reducing the bass on my EQ pedal before the input, then boosting the bass in the EQ in the loop, post-distorion. That gives me a tighter low end, less flub. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Tommi Inkila Posted March 23, 2005 Members Share Posted March 23, 2005 I'm really happy that this thread is becoming alive and kickin'! There's a lot of good information exchange here... so keep it coming guys.I don't have anything spectacular to add at the moment.What comes to tone controls of the F: Surely there is some Mesaisms on those knobs, but I think F is their easiest amp to work with... actually, the amp sounds really good if everything is set to 12 o'clock... can any other amp do that? PS. Thanks hal for your offer... if I want to see some combinations that do not exist I'll contact you... keep up the good work... those pics are excellent. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members JeffB Posted March 23, 2005 Members Share Posted March 23, 2005 Originally posted by Tommi Inkila What comes to tone controls of the F: Surely there is some Mesaisms on those knobs, but I think F is their easiest amp to work with... actually, the amp sounds really good if everything is set to 12 o'clock... can any other amp do that? Oh yes I agree It IS easy to dial in a great sound on the amp (like you said, everythin at 12 is pretty damn good). I just meant that if you start to dial everything pretty high (especially gain/mids/bass), like you would/could on a non-MV Marshall, the F series will not sound very good. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members markmann Posted March 23, 2005 Members Share Posted March 23, 2005 Originally posted by JeffB F-30 head I believe was either $800 or $850 on the 2004 price sheet. I don't think you can buy them online really. But my local store is www.eastcoastmusic.com Great store. Ask for Sandy. They may ship? I don't know. I paid $700 US for my F-50 head last week and was quoted a price of $650.00 for a F-30. Quite a value if you ask me, especially since I already had cabinets... I couldn't pass it up!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Tommi Inkila Posted March 23, 2005 Members Share Posted March 23, 2005 I agree with you Jeff completely... I just wanted to make a general note about those knobs. With Mesaisms I ment that "treble affects to other knobs" -thing. BTW, do you have more exact settings for those vintage Marshall sounds for the F? That would be cool to try out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members markmann Posted March 23, 2005 Members Share Posted March 23, 2005 Originally posted by musicdog400 -I get a better hi gain sound out of this amp by reducing the bass on my EQ pedal before the input, then boosting the bass in the EQ in the loop, post-distorion. That gives me a tighter low end, less flub. I've never heard of anyone using EQ pre and post... interesting, I'll have to give that a shot. One thing I don't want to do is mess with the treble or mids, my last rig was TOO smooth and creamy and I am now enjoying the more edgy upper range tone. I would like to clean up the bottom a little though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members hal9000 Posted March 23, 2005 Members Share Posted March 23, 2005 Originally posted by markmann I've never heard of anyone using EQ pre and post... interesting, I'll have to give that a shot. One thing I don't want to do is mess with the treble or mids, my last rig was TOO smooth and creamy and I am now enjoying the more edgy upper range tone. I would like to clean up the bottom a little though. I've run an EQ pre and post at the same time and you can get some massive sounds. Set the PreEQ for a treble/mid boost and lower the bass. Set the PostEQ to taste. Depending on how much mid you set you can get a real crunchy 80's metal sound, nu-metal scoop city, massive plexi midrange (if the gain is down), etc. The preEQ can be also be had by a boost pedal that removes some bass like an SD-1. IMO, pre/post EQ is the real secret weapon in generating your sound.Tommi, you can get a Marshall-esque sound by starting with my setting called Vintage High Gain. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Tommi Inkila Posted March 24, 2005 Members Share Posted March 24, 2005 Tommi, you can get a Marshall-esque sound by starting with my setting called Vintage High Gain. Thanks for pointing me that out... I'll try that in todays rehearsals. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members UconnJack Posted March 24, 2005 Members Share Posted March 24, 2005 Keep the thread alive! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Marshalldsl50 Posted March 24, 2005 Members Share Posted March 24, 2005 I switched from a Marshall DSL setup (as per user name) to F-30 and I am still happy I enjoy the sound of my favorite Kick Drum and Bass mic when recording Guitar Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Big Willy Posted March 24, 2005 Members Share Posted March 24, 2005 Nice thread! I am totally torn between an F-50 and a Marshall TSL601. I played the Marshall last weekend, and it sounded killer, but I dont think the new Marshall's are anywhere near the quality of Mesa/Boogie these days. They cost about the same, actually the Marshall is more. I was ready to buy the F-50 completely based on Dann's & Tommy's clips, as well as my good experience with Mesa amps. I'm still not sure. That Marshall made this OD sound that was unreal. I've never heard anything like that before and I really liked it. I dont see Marshall getting the solid reviews that Mesa does. Any tips would be cool, I'm not trying to jack the thread, just wondering what you F-50 owners have to say. Maybe some of you have A/B'ed it with the TSL601. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Marshalldsl50 Posted March 24, 2005 Members Share Posted March 24, 2005 They are completely different amps Both clean and dirty...I had a TSL 60 Head for a while ..then DSL50 and now the F-30 (I know not exactly the same as F-50)The Marshall has that fantastic "Mid" Honk that no other amp seems to have..... For me I just started using Clean sounds more so the great Marshall Dirty sound was not a priority.I really like the dirty on the F-30 but they are night and day different....F-30 is much darker and smoother.I also found the F-30 clean to be much more "responsive" to playing in general.. The amp actual scared me at first. You touch your guitar and BANG sound explodes out the front Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Big Willy Posted March 24, 2005 Members Share Posted March 24, 2005 I may just end up with both. The Marshall sounded excellent though a little pricey for what it is I thought. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members hal9000 Posted March 25, 2005 Members Share Posted March 25, 2005 I've been contemplating ditching my pedal board and amp footswitch in favor of using my PODxt Live in the FX Loop for effects, channel changing, solo boost, etc. One of the major improvements I can make to the F-100 is equalizing the volume of the OD and Contour essentially making the amp 3 channels. Then, I have super control over the sound using the parametric EQ of the XTL. I can get solo boost/mid hump/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members boonhogganbeck Posted March 25, 2005 Members Share Posted March 25, 2005 I really think this will be my next amp. I've spent a lot of time with one at my local dealer. My question for the brotherhood is how does the F-50 like attenuators? I'm thinking that I'd probably use one just so I don't disturb the neighbors. Also, which is the best attenuator for the amp? I see a lot of post praising the Hotplate. Thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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