Needed to shy away from the internet for a few... months? So haven't been particularly active. In that time my rig has pretty much evolved into an entirely different rig from when I last posted I think 
I know on that other site I posted a lot last year about trying different amps whilst working on music in lockdown. I bounced around a lot. Kind of hit a bit of a wall. I felt like I've just been trying the same 3-4 amps over and over again for the last 5 years.
This popped up for sale on Reverb, and I just couldn't stop thinking about it. It was way out of my budget, even if I sold stuff, but I just had a gut feeling it was going to be some sort of magic sauce. There's absolutely zero buzz or hype around these amps besides a small pocket of people who actually own them and swear by them, and in this day and age that can only mean they're exactly up my street.
Let me just begin by saying I haven't even thought about playing through another amp since I got this.
I know Garrett always crows on about these any time someone even so much as looks at a Mesa/Boogie logo like the motherfucker that he is, but you know what? He wasn't wrong. All this time we really should have listened. It truly is a rectifier killer in every single way shape and form, from top to bottom.
Having said that, if you're a rectifier lover like I am, you WILL love this amp. It will feel somewhat familiar to you right off the bat. Huge (and I mean huge) low end, but I'd say it's a more "useable" low end than a rectifier's (inasmuch that you don't have to dial it 3/4 of the way off). It's less metallic in the top end too, and more powerful feeling. More refined, and much easier to dial in (though the tonestack is also similar in the way the B/M/T interract and influence one another).
Each pot's full range is useable. It's not like "oh this sounds like shit on 3", or "you can't push that past 7 or it sounds like ass". The gain pot especially. The FULL range is useful. Doesn't mush up, even on 10, but has infinite sustain.
This is a double-edged sword, however, because changing a dial by a factor of 1 can seriously change the tone of the amp. The mids especially.
I boost mine with a Boss SD-1 to tighten it up (because, like a recto, it does need tightening if you want any kind of modern attack), but if you want huge stoner rock, or doom fuzz, or literally anything, it will do it. Easily the best high gain amp for pedals. It's raw and open, so you can shape it to whatever you want depending on what you put through it. Tight and attacking, or loose and fuzzy.
Clean channel is godly. Proper Fender cleans. With the Mid dial push in it's a Fender Tweed circuit. When it's pulled out it's a Fender Blackface circuit. Best cleans of any high gain amp, period.
I also got a new cab:
Marshall 1960BV (V30s). And it sounds incredible with this amp. Perfect match. This amp is huge, zero fizz, and has a midrange bark that's the most angry sounding thing you've ever heard in your life.
Anyway, enough chit-chat, I shoved my white Charvel in drop C and this is how it all sounds-:
The mids on this thing sound so goddam thick. Even boosted, it's absolutely massive. Palm mutes feel fucking nuclear Huge huge huge tone. Love it.
I've done a lengthy youtube video demoing this beast in all its glory. Just trying to find the time to edit it down and put in all those jump-cuts the kids love (#DONTFORGETTOSMASHTHATLIKEBUTTON!!!)
I know on that other site I posted a lot last year about trying different amps whilst working on music in lockdown. I bounced around a lot. Kind of hit a bit of a wall. I felt like I've just been trying the same 3-4 amps over and over again for the last 5 years.
This popped up for sale on Reverb, and I just couldn't stop thinking about it. It was way out of my budget, even if I sold stuff, but I just had a gut feeling it was going to be some sort of magic sauce. There's absolutely zero buzz or hype around these amps besides a small pocket of people who actually own them and swear by them, and in this day and age that can only mean they're exactly up my street.
Let me just begin by saying I haven't even thought about playing through another amp since I got this.
I know Garrett always crows on about these any time someone even so much as looks at a Mesa/Boogie logo like the motherfucker that he is, but you know what? He wasn't wrong. All this time we really should have listened. It truly is a rectifier killer in every single way shape and form, from top to bottom.
Having said that, if you're a rectifier lover like I am, you WILL love this amp. It will feel somewhat familiar to you right off the bat. Huge (and I mean huge) low end, but I'd say it's a more "useable" low end than a rectifier's (inasmuch that you don't have to dial it 3/4 of the way off
). It's less metallic in the top end too, and more powerful feeling. More refined, and much easier to dial in (though the tonestack is also similar in the way the B/M/T interract and influence one another).Each pot's full range is useable. It's not like "oh this sounds like shit on 3", or "you can't push that past 7 or it sounds like ass". The gain pot especially. The FULL range is useful. Doesn't mush up, even on 10, but has infinite sustain.
This is a double-edged sword, however, because changing a dial by a factor of 1 can seriously change the tone of the amp. The mids especially.
I boost mine with a Boss SD-1 to tighten it up (because, like a recto, it does need tightening if you want any kind of modern attack), but if you want huge stoner rock, or doom fuzz, or literally anything, it will do it. Easily the best high gain amp for pedals. It's raw and open, so you can shape it to whatever you want depending on what you put through it. Tight and attacking, or loose and fuzzy.
Clean channel is godly. Proper Fender cleans. With the Mid dial push in it's a Fender Tweed circuit. When it's pulled out it's a Fender Blackface circuit. Best cleans of any high gain amp, period.
I also got a new cab:
Marshall 1960BV (V30s). And it sounds incredible with this amp. Perfect match. This amp is huge, zero fizz, and has a midrange bark that's the most angry sounding thing you've ever heard in your life.
Anyway, enough chit-chat, I shoved my white Charvel in drop C and this is how it all sounds-:
The mids on this thing sound so goddam thick. Even boosted, it's absolutely massive. Palm mutes feel fucking nuclear
Huge huge huge tone. Love it.I've done a lengthy youtube video demoing this beast in all its glory. Just trying to find the time to edit it down and put in all those jump-cuts the kids love (#DONTFORGETTOSMASHTHATLIKEBUTTON!!!)
Attached Files
I pined after a Mesa cab for so many years, but with some amps you just cannot beat a 1960B (not a huge fan of the angled ones though), especially the V30 model. It's a fantastic match for this head. It's a tight, punchy cab, and in tandem with a thumping monster of a head like this you can't lose. Palm muting feels like you're taking a wrecking ball to the chest.
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