New Mesa F-50 Head sounds like Shite

[mnewb1]

Probably heard this a hundred times: I just brought home a used F-50 head and it sounds nothing like I want it to or how it sounded in the store.

 

Used f-50 head mated to a Thiele 1X12 cabinet and instead of singing.. its sounds very punchy and dead. I want buttery smooth cream filling!

 

I do not really have it cranked yet, but I really don't want to crank it too much in the house.

 

When I tried it in GC, it was hooked to a Marshall 4 x 12 and seemed to sound better than this... and I really didn't crank it in the store either.

 

Do I need time, lesser watts, or an attenuator?

[Kymaera23]

Did you buy the same one you played through in the store?

If you bought a different one, it could have different, or old tubes. Every Tube brand gives a slightly different sound. Experiment if you have the cash.

 

One large factor is definitely the cab. A 1x12 as opposed to the 4x12 you were playing through will drastically change the sound. Try plugging yours into a 4x12 and see how you like the sound.

 

Every amp tends to sound a little different.

[code_blue]

1x12 cabs do not have the same low end or warmth of a 4x12.

[hecticone]

Never cared for that head. Sorry

[mnewb1]

Bought the same head that I tried a week ago.

 

I also tried the express 5:50 in the 1X12 combo and on the 50 watt setting that seemed to sing well ( good buttery cream) at low amp volumes???

[Kelly]

Never cared for that head. Sorry

Never cared for the F series at all. The clean is pretty decent, though.

[Marshallmel]

 

Never cared for the F series at all. The clean is pretty decent, though.

 

 

I just got an F-100 2x12 combo and the thing is amazing. Clips will be up soon.

[xtchc1978]

Not a fan of the f series mesa amps either.

[HoboMan]

I think you need the F-30.

[newholland]

is it the thiele with an EV?

 

if so, there's your problem. that speaker ISN'T creamy at all, it's very clean and granular.

 

try a different cab, or swap the EV out for a cl80. mesas don't seem to shine in that big cuddly gooey sort of way with EV's.. but tend to sound super exact... i always felt that way with my .50 cal and a thiele with an EV!

[mnewb1]

Forgive my ignorance, but what is EV?

 

I'm not sure it is but that would certainly make sense- clean and granular sem to be what I am getting

[Gnt1856]

1. Learn to EQ.

2. Learn to distinguish the difference in sound between a 1x12 and a 4x12.

3. ???

4. Profit!

[v_c]

Turn it up. If you bought an amp to play at home uncranked, you just got the wrong amp. The F-50 is an awesome amp, but its no good at low volumes.

[mnewb1]

can I put an attenuator on it at home without damaging the amp?

[newholland]

 

Forgive my ignorance, but what is EV? I'm not sure it is but that would certainly make sense- clean and granular sem to be what I am getting

 

 

it's the speaker in your cabinet, called an EVM.

 

is it RIDICULOUSLY heavy for what it is? does your speaker have 8 screws instead of 4?

 

remove the 4 screws on the corners of your grille cloth. remove the grille. lay the cabinet on its back, speaker up. remove the screws from the actual driver. lift it out carefully. if it weighs about 16 pounds and has a big old magnet saying "Electrovoice" on it.. it's an EVM.

 

you can also get that cabinet with a mesa c90 speaker. it's softer sounding. that might be a better bet for what you're looking for.. it was for me. you CAN'T eq out the sound of that speaker, because it's just not capable of the gushiness you're looking for.. it's impossible to drive into cone breakup.

 

the problem with a thiele cabinet is that it's made for a certain speaker. the mesa c90 works, the celestion cl80 works. the emi gb128 works. the g12t75 works ok. but a LOT of speakers won't, serviceably. you might just want to get yourself a different cab, or try one of those others-- i personally recommend the cl80. you could certainly try and trade an EVM-- a lot of guys love 'em and they draw around $100 used.. so you could outright sell it and buy a celestion. it won't have the low end, but they're great sounding speaks nonetheless, and i think'd get you a far site closer to what you want!

[stompboxfreak72]

I never understood the F series. I get flamed everytime I post that the amp is not very good and cannot do metal.

 

So here it goes.....

 

The F series has good clean sounds but cannot do metal very well.

[mnewb1]

 

it's the speaker in your cabinet, called an EVM. is it RIDICULOUSLY heavy for what it is? does your speaker have 8 screws instead of 4? remove the 4 screws on the corners of your grille cloth. remove the grille. lay the cabinet on its back, speaker up. remove the screws from the actual driver. lift it out carefully. if it weighs about 16 pounds and has a big old magnet saying "Electrovoice" on it.. it's an EVM. you can also get that cabinet with a mesa c90 speaker. it's softer sounding. that might be a better bet for what you're looking for.. it was for me. you CAN'T eq out the sound of that speaker, because it's just not capable of the gushiness you're looking for.. it's impossible to drive into cone breakup. the problem with a thiele cabinet is that it's made for a certain speaker. the mesa c90 works, the celestion cl80 works. the emi gb128 works. the g12t75 works ok. but a LOT of speakers won't, serviceably. you might just want to get yourself a different cab, or try one of those others-- i personally recommend the cl80. you could certainly try and trade an EVM-- a lot of guys love 'em and they draw around $100 used.. so you could outright sell it and buy a celestion. it won't have the low end, but they're great sounding speaks nonetheless, and i think'd get you a far site closer to what you want!

 

 

Thank You

it does have the Mesa C90 speaker...it is a new cabinet it may just need some break in time and an attenuator to crank up the amp without my ears bleeding

[newholland]

ALSO... how DO you have it eq'd... mesas are kinda notorious for having anti-intuitive controls, and everybody fights with them to a certain extent.

 

start with all your eq's around 5, and tweak from there. default (e.g. 'flat') is 12 oclock. for 'creamy'.. you might want to roll your presence back as well. the manual's available at mesa's site too-- definitely give it a read, if you haven't!

 

good luck!

[Dann'sTheMan]

Hi mnewb1,

 

The best place to learn how to get the most out of your Mesa F-50 is in the F-series Lounge (link in sig). I'm one of the many owners on HCAF that love this amp - and there are owners who use their F-series in pretty much every musical genre: from gospel to metal.

 

Check out the many clips in the first post of the thread - I'm personally a fan of Tommi Inkila's clips, and he plays prog metal with his F-50 head.

Regarding the poor sound you're getting, are you running your Master Volumes below 9 o'clock? One tip to get your F-series singing at lower volumes is loop attenuation. Check out hal9000's Mix Pot Master Volume tip in the second post of the Lounge for a simple way of trying this out (you don't even need to solder, you can use some kitchen foil and a rubber band to make a temporary electrical connection).

 

I absolutely love my F-50. I've been gigging it solidly for 5 and half years from the smallest dives to television, and it always inspires - I can't ask for more. It's not an amp for everyone, but as the F-series Lounge attests, a significant number of players have found a tonal home with this Boogie,

 

Big smiles,

 

Andy.

[mrelusive]

i had a similar experience when i got my f-50... i played it through several cabs and it sounded terrible... then i realized that the speakers in those cabs (mostly peavey) were {censored}ty. Brought it to guitar cen6ter and tried it again through a recto cab and the tone was back.. so i bought an avatar 4x12 with vintage 30s and rocked it out ever since.

 

another thing is that i have tyo dial a lot of bass out on the eq if i don't have the volume up much. i don't think i ever have it up past 9:00 unless i'm crankin the volume a bit. i also usually play with a boost in front.

[AXEL276]

Don't waste you time or money with an attenuator. I had a F-50 combo, the clean is very good, the OD sucks. You will spend a life time tweaking, swaping tubes, speakers, EQ's, pedals, attenuators, and finally you'll sell it.

[Alchemist]

never had problems getting great tones out of my F-30...

[mseriously30]

Wasn't the F-50 one of the amps that Guitar World or some other magazine gave 5 stars...and they don't give amps 5 stars??

 

I could be wrong. Remember reading something like that. I just remember the F-50 I played at a GC in Chicago was the first REAL tube amp I ever played and I LOVED IT. Didn't have the money at the time though. It sounded awesome through it's matching Mesa 2x12.

[mnewb1]

 

Wasn't the F-50 one of the amps that Guitar World or some other magazine gave 5 stars...and they don't give amps 5 stars?? I could be wrong. Remember reading something like that. I just remember the F-50 I played at a GC in Chicago was the first REAL tube amp I ever played and I LOVED IT. Didn't have the money at the time though. It sounded awesome through it's matching Mesa 2x12.

 

 

Yes they did. I read the article before buying the amp.

 

I was hoping the attenuator would be the answer, but I don't want to drop an additional 300 on a Hot Plate if this is not going to help!!!

[mnewb1]

Also by bedroom volume, I don't need the volume so low that someone in the next room wouldn't hear it. I have a house with a finished basement where I have my gear set up. I don't think neighbors are going to be hearing it and complaining. I just want a sweet creamy tone without making my ears bleed.