Anyone here use/played a Music Man amp?

[dougsthang]

I had a 115HD for most of my college career in a blonde cabinet. Very Fender sounding (go figure), I had an old black face Band Master before that. The MusicMan had more drive to it than the Band Master yet each I still needed a distortion pedal to really make it sing. I wish I still had it but I sold it to buy my '84 Boogie Mark IIC+ back in 1986 (I still have it). I just remember that big 15" EV speaker.

[Bobby D]

a SWEET a near mint 115 just popped up on craigs down here, with original USA tubes, $400......nice deal!

[jorhay1]

I think implying they're some kind of secret weapon is stretching it a bit far.

 

 

well yes and no.

 

i agree with everything you are saying and understand that they're not everybody's cup of vente/grande but,,,

 

as far as secret weapons go,

it's funny you should say that.

imho it's very much 'beauty is in the eye of the beholder'

and

'one man's trash is another man's treasure'

etc, ad nauseam.

 

i am not surprised that some feel this amp is rather pedantic.

however, i would not be surprised that for some,

this amp is, in fact exactly, their secret weapon.

 

a very popular/successful fusion cat i work with uses this amp

and in fact calls it his 'secret weapon' (his words) for cleans.

 

idk.

to each his own.

 

(omg another horribly chiche quote! sorry)

[Reauchambeau]

well yes and no. i agree with everything you are saying and understand that they're not everybody's cup of vente/grande but,,, as far as secret weapons go, it's funny you should say that. imho it's very much 'beauty is in the eye of the beholder' and 'one man's trash is another man's treasure' etc, ad nauseam. i am not surprised that some feel this amp is rather pedantic. however, i would not be surprised that for some, this amp is, in fact exactly, their secret weapon. a very popular/successful fusion cat i work with uses this amp and in fact calls it his 'secret weapon' (his words) for cleans. idk. to each his own. (omg another horribly chiche quote! sorry)

 

 

you make some good points here. I re-read the original post and the op said he wants it as a clean platform amp, and for that I have to agree it's a great amp. if he asked what they were like in general (other than a clean platform amp) my comments might have made more sense.

on a side note I have a Legend 50 head in my basement that a friend left here years ago. it's a hybrid as well, reverse from the Musicman if memory serves, tube preamp solid state power amp. I should fix it one day.

[Matt Howell]

I have an HD130 that I replaced the output transformer with a Mercury magnetics, and did some mods to. Great amp for cleaner, and more vintage styled music. Takes pedals like a champ.

[jorhay1]

i used 'in fact' twice in the same post.



old age is a helluva drug

[Meriphew]

I have a Legend 50 head in my basement that a friend left here years ago. it's a hybrid as well, reverse from the Musicman if memory serves, tube preamp solid state power amp. I should fix it one day.

 

I used to have a little Legend combo as well (I don't remember the model #). Natural wood cabinet, and sounded preety nice as well.

[Reauchambeau]

I used to have a little Legend combo as well (I don't remember the model #). Natural wood cabinet, and sounded preety nice as well.

 

 

that's the one. I think they were made in Texas? Billy Gibbons did one the ZZ albums with a 50 apparently, I haven't heard it in years (the amp) but I remember is sounding pretty good.

[TheMercyRule]

Thanks for the info guys:thu:

I happened to walk into Music Go Round today, thinking they might have a music man amp, long shot, but maybe. Bingo...HD130 reverb head that they just got in today. They haven't priced it yet but I'm going to head back in a day or two and check it out.

[Mechanoized]

They sound {censored}ing fantastic. I've been using one at our practice space and started searching around the city to find one for sale. Unfortunately I was always 10 minutes too late in calling people, but they're definitely worth it. If I could find one I would sell my amp immediately to buy a MM.

[companyman]

that's the one. I think they were made in Texas? Billy Gibbons did one the ZZ albums with a 50 apparently, I haven't heard it in years (the amp) but I remember is sounding pretty good.

 

 

I had a 2x12 Legend 50 combo, loud and pretty good sounding...they were made in Syracuse NY, if I recall correctly. I had a Musicman RD50 combo, really solid gig amp, LOUD! I sold it to pick up an Ampeg Superjet.

[Ronsonic B]

Quote: Originally Posted by Ronsonic B View Post Extraordinarily well built, better build quality that Fenders of any era. please explain, actually don`t bother. pretty boring amps, any amp can give you clean, it`s the character of the overdrive that makes a guitar amp. Musicman amps overdrive sounds like a Fender with a Tubescreamer in front of it, not bad, not great either. solid state preamp too, no thanks.

 

 

I will bother. They are indeed very well built. Well finished, nickel plated chassis, very high quality circuit board, mounted for good access to both sides. There was not a student model, practice amp or cheap version anywhere in that product line. This was all pro gear. They started at the top and built accordingly.

 

A good clean tone is not a given. There is a world full of bad clean sounds. A lot of people do find the MMs to be uninspiring. I'm not that big a fan myself. But that sure don't make it bad and it doesn't change the build quality.

 

I'm not saying you've got to like the amp. But it deserves respect.

[Reauchambeau]

I will bother. They are indeed very well built. Well finished, nickel plated chassis, very high quality circuit board, mounted for good access to both sides. There was not a student model, practice amp or cheap version anywhere in that product line. This was all pro gear. They started at the top and built accordingly. A good clean tone is not a given. There is a world full of bad clean sounds. A lot of people do find the MMs to be uninspiring. I'm not that big a fan myself. But that sure don't make it bad and it doesn't change the build quality. I'm not saying you've got to like the amp. But it deserves respect.

 

 

I don't disagree that they're well built, I just don't agree with the statement that they're better built than anything Fender made, that's all. I do respect the amps.

[Bobby D]

i really liked the 1x12 musicman combos that had the built in phase shifter -- those phase shifters sounded GREAT, very much like an MXR phase 90. i used to get my EVH on with one of those amps back in the early 80s

[echodeluxe]

im patiently waiting for a music man head to pop up on craigslist near me. or a combo that isnt $800. i wanna have an extension cab.

[Saturnine10]

I almost picked up a head off of CL for $300 a few weeks back.. I passed on it though..

[Saturnine10]

http://sfbay.craigslist.org/sfc/msg/1795226458.html

[Mr.Grumpy]

People hate these amplifiers. I tried to sell mine a few months ago and couldn't. I guess they'd rather have a solid-state Peavey or a Crate stack. The amp's not completely original, but it's in pretty good shape and everything works. I placed for sale ads on HC and on my local craigslist. I priced it at what I thought was a more-than-fair price for a 2-channel, 150 watt combo amplifier with reverb and phaser - $380, then I reduced it to $325 and still no interest.

[Bobby D]

that 212 HD is NICE! love the ones with built in phaser and verb.



oh, and:

[magnolia20]

if anyone is interested i have a classic 65 reverb head with the original foot pedal (reverb and tremelo) foot switch for sale for 400. great condition small rip by metal corner. Responsive clean/dirty tones. Love this head but more interested in drumming. I live in chico ca . if your interested email me at mgarshasebi@live.com and ill send you some pics! jam on!

[hangwire]

Had a 130hd combo in grad school- it was very queens of the stone age popular single dirt...