New Amps Day

Jethro Rocker said:
Upon consideration here, I think @gball wins. The Mark 5 head makes more sense in the long run. The Eq etc etc. That preset contour for the EQ seems cool too. I think I will return rental when dealer gets one of the Taurus Grey models in!
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Yeah, seems a good choice. You can really do anything with a Mk 5. They've got cleans to embarrass a Fender, the Mk 1 and Crunch modes will have you leaving your Marshalls at home and then the various Mesa circuits are an encyclopedia of hard rock and metal tones from the last 30+ years.

I have the Mk 5:25 because it's more than all the power I need, but trust me, If I ever start up with a band again I will instantly be picking up the 90-watter or a JP-2C.
 
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ninjaking67 said:
Wow Jethro! Things must be going really well in Saskatoon!
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Well not on the live playing out yet. But it is getting there! I just had to do it! I think the TC100 will become the full meal Mark V.

gball said:
I concur 100%. They'll sound best and last longest with the house-brand tubes.
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I can see the advantage as Mesa does test their tubes but are they still not using JJs for their manufacture? The don't make their own.
 
Jethro Rocker said:
Well not on the live playing out yet. But it is getting there! I just had to do it! I think the TC100 will become the full meal Mark V.



I can see the advantage as Mesa does test their tubes but are they still not using JJs for their manufacture? The don't make their own.
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Y'know, I have no idea what the source is TBH. When I need them I just buy Mesa tubes and stick them in - I've experimented with a lot of different tubes in them over the years; NOS, different brands of new, etc, and I've found that nothing sounds better than just using their stock ones. They have a high-performance preamp tube that's nice in V1 if you are playing at high volume a lot (which obviously you are) or run the gain really high:

SPAX7 Preamp Tubes | MESA/Boogie® (mesaboogie.com)

I've put it in some of the amps but not in the Mk, since I am neither playing loudly that often anymore or running the gain past about 10-11 o'clock.
 
gball said:
Y'know, I have no idea what the source is TBH. When I need them I just buy Mesa tubes and stick them in - I've experimented with a lot of different tubes in them over the years; NOS, different brands of new, etc, and I've found that nothing sounds better than just using their stock ones. They have a high-performance preamp tube that's nice in V1 if you are playing at high volume a lot (which obviously you are) or run the gain really high:

SPAX7 Preamp Tubes | MESA/Boogie® (mesaboogie.com)

I've put it in some of the amps but not in the Mk, since I am neither playing loudly that often anymore or running the gain past about 10-11 o'clock.
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Well i know they test and label their tubes so they are in good range for the fixed bias they have. Granted that. Just wondered if a set of Winged C EL34s would sound every bit as good.
While I am playing high gain, not really high volume. Even our big event under the circus tent every year isn't really loud by many of today's standards - I heard one of the other bands in our jam space amd I honestly got ear fatigue in the few minutes I was there. Can't hear monitors, hard to mix FOH...
That said, I do wanna stick to the SP series pre tubes for these rather than my NOS becauee of microphonics. I have had the odd one of those in some of my other amps too. I like that they test em and sort them properly!!
 
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