Did Somebody mention . . . . MESA

ChasFred said:
well my friend take a look at this . . .

Mesa Boogie Triple Crown TC-50 3-Channel Tube Guitar Amp Head
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That's a very fair price for this type of an amp, which also seems to be in excellent condition too.

But yeah, I love the simplicity of the Triple Crown's front panel controls, even though it's a 3 channel amp.

I noticed that the amp has a toggled bias switch to operate either EL34's or 6L6's. I also noticed that you can install a pair of 6V6's, flip the bias switch to EL34, and the amp will now produce at half power! This makes me wonder: On any amp that is setup to operate on EL34's.... Is it as easy as installing some 6V6's, and expect the amp to produce half power without any hiccups?
 
syscokid said:
That's a very fair price for this type of an amp, which also seems to be in excellent condition too.

But yeah, I love the simplicity of the Triple Crown's front panel controls, even though it's a 3 channel amp.

I noticed that the amp has a toggled bias switch to operate either EL34's or 6L6's. I also noticed that you can install a pair of 6V6's, flip the bias switch to EL34, and the amp will now produce at half power! This makes me wonder: On any amp that is setup to operate on EL34's.... Is it as easy as installing some 6V6's, and expect the amp to produce half power without any hiccups?
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I’m gonna venture to say.......











Nope....probably not.
 
Thatbastarddon said:
I’m gonna venture to say.......


Nope....probably not.
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Yeah... You're probably right. But I'm wondering how Mesa does this type of voodoo? The TC-50 manual states: "6V6s can be used safely in the EL34 Setting with just a direct swap over, creating a “Half-Power” scenario that exudes a more bubbly,
vintage voice and creamier top end harmonic content." I MUST INVESTIGATE... :cool:

RVA said:
I think many would not consider that a simple front panel. I was thinking that the rear panel is more complicated than most front panels!
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Yes on your rear panel comment. But expanding on the front panel controls, the amp's 3 channels are represented by 3 boxed sections with 3 sets of identical controls... vewy intuwitive!
2019-08-20 06.11.17.jpg
 
syscokid said:
Yeah... You're probably right. But I'm wondering how Mesa does this type of voodoo? The TC-50 manual states: "6V6s can be used safely in the EL34 Setting with just a direct swap over, creating a “Half-Power” scenario that exudes a more bubbly,
vintage voice and creamier top end harmonic content." I MUST INVESTIGATE... :cool:


Yes on your rear panel comment. But expanding on the front panel controls, the amp's 3 channels are represented by 3 boxed sections with 3 sets of identical controls... vewy intuwitive!
View attachment 30141
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Agreed, for us gear heads. But in the average consumer world, not as much. For me, that is a slice of heaven!
 
The trickery that Mesa pulls of with the biasing is indeed very involved.
That is why you do not see all the Tube amp manufacturers doing the same thing.

The designers at Mesa, and especially Randal Smith, . . . well they are wizards I say . . . wizards.
They sold their souls for the magic beans that they eat for the inspiration to make these wonderful contraptions.
 
It's true, it's true!
Magic beans & sorcery...
I'm on my third Mesa now.
They've all been a progression up the tone ladder. Or as some may say, down the rabbit hole.
A 5:25 Express, one of the early ones. 10" speaker and no EQ.
An F30, and a the latest being a RectoVerb 25.
Funny how Mesa can be magic for so many, yet the haters all claim it's impossible to get a decent tone from one.
 
ChasFred said:
The trickery that Mesa pulls of with the biasing is indeed very involved.
That is why you do not see all the Tube amp manufacturers doing the same thing.

The designers at Mesa, and especially Randal Smith, . . . well they are wizards I say . . . wizards.
They sold their souls for the magic beans that they eat for the inspiration to make these wonderful contraptions.
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This is so true. What those guys pack into the amps, at the quality level they achieve, should shame most manufacturers. Factor in that the amps also dust pretty much everything out there for tone and versatility and they are really tough to beat. Best bargain in all of the amp world IMO.
 
Hackmaster said:
It's true, it's true!
Magic beans & sorcery...
I'm on my third Mesa now.
They've all been a progression up the tone ladder. Or as some may say, down the rabbit hole.
A 5:25 Express, one of the early ones. 10" speaker and no EQ.
An F30, and a the latest being a RectoVerb 25.
Funny how Mesa can be magic for so many, yet the haters all claim it's impossible to get a decent tone from one.
Click to expand...

The haters are people who refuse to learn a new way of dialing in an amp. They are so used to Fender/Marshall/oldschool tone stacks that really don't have much sweep or interactivity that when they encounter one like Mesa uses, where even tiny changes to the knobs make enormous changes to the sound, they shut down and revert to training instead of learning. If someone can't get killer tones out of a Mesa the problem is them, not the amp.
 
gball said:
The haters are people who refuse to learn a new way of dialing in an amp. They are so used to Fender/Marshall/oldschool tone stacks that really don't have much sweep or interactivity that when they encounter one like Mesa uses, where even tiny changes to the knobs make enormous changes to the sound, they shut down and revert to training instead of learning. If someone can't get killer tones out of a Mesa the problem is them, not the amp.
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When I had the Subway Reverb, my first Mesa, it took a LONG time to learn the ways of the tone stack. One I did I was amazed.
I am not a big Fender Tweed fan, but the Mesa California Tweed from what I have heard sounds mighty sweet.

Alas, I am just a bedroom noodler, and the Mini Rec serves me just FINE. I am in a constant state of AMP GAS though.
 
ChasFred said:
When I had the Subway Reverb, my first Mesa, it took a LONG time to learn the ways of the tone stack. One I did I was amazed.
I am not a big Fender Tweed fan, but the Mesa California Tweed from what I have heard sounds mighty sweet.

Alas, I am just a bedroom noodler, and the Mini Rec serves me just FINE. I am in a constant state of AMP GAS though.
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That just never seems to go away!
 
I get WONDERFUL tones from my Subway Blues (probably one of the simplest mesas--perfect fore me) it does cleans and blues/jazz dirt to perfection then
IF I want GAIN for days --- there is the F30 ------

If you cant get a good tone from a Mesa your holding it wrong or something
 
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