| Author | Message | ||
| jacko
Senior Member Username: jacko Post Number: 3124 Registered: 10-2002 |
Anyone on the forum using Mesa Boogie kit? I'm thinking very seriously about moving on from my 'seperates' rig ( fender tbp1, QSC plx2402 and two EBS neo 212s) to an amp / cab setup and the Mesa M9 carbine has caught my eye. I'm thinking of getting the amp first then maybe later in the year (when the wedding season has paid dividends) swapping the EBS cabs for mesa PH 212 and PH210 cabs. Anyone using anything similar that can comment on how the Mesa gear sounds? Graeme | ||
| jazzyvee
Senior Member Username: jazzyvee Post Number: 2814 Registered: 6-2002 |
I have all mesa cabs 2x10, 4x10 & 1x15. I use either a mesa walkabout 300w head or my f1-x and same qsc as you. I think the sound of the mesa is great with alembics but ive never had any other bass rig so am not able to be objective with comparing to anything else. But if you are down my part of the country you are welcome to try the cabs out. Jazzyvee | ||
| jcdlc72
Intermediate Member Username: jcdlc72 Post Number: 142 Registered: 11-2009 |
Mesa/Boogie RoadReady 210 cab owner here. I use it generally on a biamp setup with the crossover at 800hz, along with (either) an "almost/Mesa" 2x15' original EV cab (identical to the Mesa one, but EV's) or a custom made 1x15' with an Eminence Kappa on it. Have used it "alone" a couple times for very small venues. Sounds like heaven, weighs like hell. | ||
| tbrannon
Senior Member Username: tbrannon Post Number: 1460 Registered: 11-2004 |
Graeme, FC should be weighing in soon- I know he has all Mesa gear. Personally, I like Gallien-Kreuger amps. They've never let me down and although the EQ section on them takes some getting used to, but I find them pretty useful. Also- before you commit to cabs, take a look at the fEarful cabs. I know that at least one or two folks here use them and swear by them and there is a TON of speaker design knowledge put into their design. There is a fEarful website and several megathreads over at Talkbass on them. I wouldn't be surprised if you found that a single lightweight cab would be all you need for your application. | ||
| fc_spoiler
Senior Member Username: fc_spoiler Post Number: 1344 Registered: 5-2006 |
I play their older stuff; Bass 400 (not 400+) Strategy 400 (full tube heads) and the old Diesel 2x10 and 1x15 cabs. Sounds awesome and is quite able to make you deaf :-) Great stuff! They will be releasing two new all tube amp shortly (I think they're available from may) The Bass Strategy (12x6L6) and the Bass Prodigy (4x6L6) | ||
| sonicus
Senior Member Username: sonicus Post Number: 2395 Registered: 5-2009 |
Graeme I own a Mesa/Boogie 4x10 RoadReady & two 2X10 RoadReady cabs . They are all loaded with EV 10's. I have to say that I am very happy with the results that I get with them in various amplification combinations. I sometimes use Alembic rack gear in a variety of ways with either Crest(FA-9 /VS900) or Yamaha power amps(P-2200) and sometimes GK Amps such as the 800RB /400RB etc ... The Mesa's that I have sound GREAT on their own ; however I have also been known to add other speakers such as Alembic A15's loaded with Gauss 4580's into the mix. I used to bi-amp but lately I have preferred to play stereo full range without crossovers but I often use an Alembic SF-2 or my old vintage "green face "pair of Furman PQ-3's to modify and shape my sound. Wolf | ||
| xlrogue6
Advanced Member Username: xlrogue6 Post Number: 207 Registered: 8-2002 |
My Walkabout Scout 12" combo is my primary gigging amp these days. My "big rig" is a M-Pulse 600 into a GenzBenz Neo 212, but it only gets to come out and play a couple of times a year, and at least one of those times I'm guaranteed to think "Dammit, I could have just brought the Scout!". I've also got a GK800RB that I bought to repair and sell, but when it was fixed it sounded so nice I've kept it. So far I've only used it as a small rig, running the high amp through a 112 Thiele cab with an Eminence neo driver, but one of these days I've got to try it in biamp mode with the GenzBenz on the bottom and the Thiele on top. | ||
| jacko
Senior Member Username: jacko Post Number: 3127 Registered: 10-2002 |
Thanks guys. It's a lt of money to spend so I'm going to think very carefully and try out the amps and cabs before I jump. By a strange coincidence, our rhythm guitarist has killed his Bognor and while it's away getting fixed he's been loaned a 50 watt Mesa express 5.50 1x12 combo that sounded superb at last night's rehearsal. Mind you, my rig sounded great last night too :-( The main thing making me think about changing is the Neo speakers. At first they sounded tight and punchy and obviously the lighter weight made them an obvious choice but lately they've been sounding a bit 'loose' for want of a better word. Apparently this isn't unusual for NEOs. graeme | ||
| jcdlc72
Intermediate Member Username: jcdlc72 Post Number: 143 Registered: 11-2009 |
Woa, woa, woa... can you add a little more to that? Just when I was considering changing some of the speakers (not on the Mesa rig) for NEOs... now that could be a major dealbreaker on my plans, and something "they" don't tell you in the brochures or catalogs... Anyone else with experience on NEOs to add to it? Please? | ||
| jos
Member Username: jos Post Number: 51 Registered: 4-2009 |
Hi Graeme! Mesa/Boogie makes great stuff I use sometimes Strategy 400 power amp and Alembic F1-X pre-amp… the sound is amazing (but they are heavy)! Before you buy any speakers please check out the Ampeg Pro Neo 410 together with Ampeg Pro Neo 115 (U.S.A) I think they are about the best speakers I have ever had! They have a great balance between the 4x10 and 15 and the tweeter have the right frequency, sounds really great together! I also like the fact that they are 8ohms……… I use sometimes (actually quite often) the TC RH750 head together with them and they sound great! RH750 is most likely the quietest amp on the market and really great sounding! I did try almost every lightweight head but this seems to be the best sounding, at least for me! Ampeg Pro 4 head is also quite interesting because of the crossover possibility! Its great to use it sometimes, but again its heavy! J-O-S | ||
| jacko
Senior Member Username: jacko Post Number: 3128 Registered: 10-2002 |
Juan carlos. just my experience and limited to my EBS cabs.... I have a neo 410 that needed 2 new drivers last year - they had both started to sound a bit 'saggy' then developed a buzz that could be felt as 'scratching' when pushing the cones in and out. I replaced one with a genuine EBS driver that cost a small fortune and the other with a Faital. However, I found the 410 was sounding too harsh for my needs so I've been using a pair of 212s since. Just lately, they sound like the speakers have deteriorated somehow. The upper end still has a nice round punch but the bottom end just sounds overblown - almost 'farty' but not quite how a blown driver would sound. I've tried adding some compression but it doesn't seem to take away the perceived 'looseness'. As i said, this is purely my own experience. I've had these cabs since 2005 so it may just be an age thing but a friends slightly older XSTs sound as tight now as they did back then. There was some discussion on the eden forum around 2003 /4 when eden were planning to bring out neo cabs. They delayed the release because they weren't happy with the longevity of Neodymium magnets at that time. However, they since brought out a range of neo's so presumably they sorted their issues. If you look through the talkbass forum, there is some discussion about NEO vs Ferrite. Like I say, it may just be that my cabs are at least 8 years old and would quite likely have been some of the earliest neo drivers available to the public.. The other thing is, The EBS cabs are carpet covered - an ideal scratching material for my small herd of cats :-( Hi Jan-Olof. Great to have your input. I'm trying not to go for a huge stack - remember I'm playing pubs and weddings nowadays and size is important at most of our venues so I'm currently thinking about a 2x12 and a 2x10. The Mesa 212 has wheels which makes it even more desirable given it's twice as heavy as the equivalent EBS neo :-) Also, having re-read what I opened the thread with, I think I may hang on to my amp / preamp for now and change out the speakers sooner rather than later. Time will tell. Graeme | ||
| jcdlc72
Intermediate Member Username: jcdlc72 Post Number: 144 Registered: 11-2009 |
Thanks a lot for the info, Jacko, will definitely do more research before getting into those... I have speakers almost my age (40) on some equipment and performing nicely, I don't think it would be that fair for an '"only" 8 years old speaker to "loose the grip", but then again YMMV I guess... Oh, and am also owner of some nice sounding but "cat distressed" carpet covered cabs. I could complain, but again, they (all 4 of them cats) own the house, not me, I'm just their kindly welcomed guest  | ||
| jos
Member Username: jos Post Number: 52 Registered: 4-2009 |
Hi Graeme! If you are looking for something that is easy to carry then my recommendation is definitely TC RH750 head with RS 210 and RS 212 speakers I think you will like them! I do also play in small clubs quite much and need to carry the stuff myself! I my opinion the TC fit the Alembic basses really well, the sound is in balance! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Is2V7Tl1vWM J-O-S | ||
| rustyg61
Senior Member Username: rustyg61 Post Number: 471 Registered: 2-2011 |
Awesome Jan-Olof! Great sound & playing! | ||
| briant
Senior Member Username: briant Post Number: 610 Registered: 12-2004 |
My practice/small rig is a Mesa Walkabout Scout combo amp (1x12). It's portable and lightweight. The tone is extremely versatile. It can do the disco smile slap tone, dirty overdriven rock, nice round/warm jazz, etc... a jack of all trades if you will. My big rig is a Mesa 400+ and two Mesa Diesel 2x15 cabs. It's absurdly heavy and obscenely loud. It makes The Rock go in fantastic ways. I use input #2 and always have an overdriven sort of Entwistle affair going on. I get nothing but compliments/high praise at gigs so I guess people aside from me also think it sounds fabulous. This is all discontinued stuff but readily available used. Typically I see the cabs for ~$500USD and the 400+ for ~$900USD. | ||
| murray
Intermediate Member Username: murray Post Number: 116 Registered: 7-2007 |
Another recommendation from me for the new Bergantino HD12 cabs with a small sized amp (mine is Genz Benz Sreamliner 900). Good on looking after your back. | ||
| byoung
Senior Member Username: byoung Post Number: 1350 Registered: 12-2004 |
I've heard Brian's 2x15 cabs at war volume, and they are indeed impressive. Bradley | ||
| jacko
Senior Member Username: jacko Post Number: 3147 Registered: 10-2002 |
Update. A couple of weeks ago I ordered a pair of 300watt eminence deltas and managed to get hold of a gallien krueger 210 blx cab to put them in. At my last gig I used this cab and one of my EBS 212 neo cabs and I was very impressed with the range - loads of bottom but also plenty mid and top end and the deltas give a really solid punch. The really low end from the 212 still sounded a little flabby but so I'd really like to try the Gk with a ferrite equiped 212. As far as the Mesa cabs go, I'm still slightly concerned about weight.. the GK cab now weighs just slightly less than the equivalent Mesa 210 and I'm just about happy lifting that. The Mesa 212 has wheels so I'm not too worried about getting that one from the car to the stage so all in all I think weight may be a non issue. This morning I asked my local guitar shop to try to get a 212 and a 210 powerhouse cabinet in for me to try out. If I like them enough they'll be my silver wedding anniversary present from my better half. Watch this space. Graeme | ||
| jacko
Senior Member Username: jacko Post Number: 3157 Registered: 10-2002 |
Strange how things pan out. I scored a Mesa Big block Titan v12 on ebay yesterday for around half the new price (means I'm no longer looking at the scorpion on the other thread). Hopefully that'll arrive by the weekend so I can give it a really good workout. Still waiting for GuitarGuitar to get the cabs in for me to try. Graeme | ||
| jacko
Senior Member Username: jacko Post Number: 3188 Registered: 10-2002 |
Quick update. here's a photo of the titan - can't get over how musical it sounds....  It did have a problem with the overheating cutout towards the end of a gig but that was with it set to a 2ohm load and having very limited ventilation - a known problem with this amp. To combat this I've rigged up a serial lead for my existing cabs to present an 8ohm load and I've also made a rather nifty external fan bracket for the back of the rack (photo later) and cut more slots in the top of the amp casing above the valves. Two wedding gigs later and no more problems. Sometime this weekend I'm expecting a call to say I can collect a new Mesa powerhouse 210 and both a 212 and 115 to try out. I've opted for silver grilles and the 8ohm versions to pull the most power from the amp (1200watts @ 4ohms). I was surprised to see the power drops to 850 watts when it's switched to 2ohms. Graeme | ||
| bassthang
Junior Username: bassthang Post Number: 38 Registered: 1-2011 |
Here is my Mesa rig, a M-190 tube power amp with 2 familiar units. A Dual Showman on steroids!  | ||
| jazzyvee
Senior Member Username: jazzyvee Post Number: 3089 Registered: 6-2002 |
Wow that titan looks mighty Jacko. Makes my walkabout look like a toy. Jazzyvee | ||
| jacko
Senior Member Username: jacko Post Number: 3230 Registered: 10-2002 |
I've just got the Titan back from Mesa. The overheating issue got to be too embarassing when it kept happening during long wedding gigs so I took it to the local distributer in Glasgow and they sent it off to Petaluma. They've dome some things to the circuits, replaced the transformer, added a second fan in the middle of the thing, moved some circuit boards around to improve airflow AND replaced the outer casing completely with one that looks like a collander. Looking forward to my gig next friday to really try it out. I'm amazed at the customer service though. The amp is at least 5 years old and I'm either the second or third owner yet Mesa carried out the repairs under warranty AND covered the shipping costs. maybe it's a californian thing? After all, they're just down the road from Alembic who as we all know are also renowned for their customer care. Graeme | ||
| jazzyvee
Senior Member Username: jazzyvee Post Number: 3090 Registered: 6-2002 |
If they had to do all that work to get things working properly, they maybe should consider a recall as it could be a generic problem. I hope it works properly now. Jazzyvee | ||
| jacko
Senior Member Username: jacko Post Number: 3231 Registered: 10-2002 |
Mine is the first iteration. I think they were inundated with complaints about the thermal trip so they redesigned the internals and re-issued it with a black face after a couple of years then ceased production around 2010. Their work over the past couple few weeks probably brings it up to the later spec. Graeme | ||
| terryc
Senior Member Username: terryc Post Number: 1941 Registered: 11-2004 |
Is that a PAT test sticker I see on your tuner jacko?? | ||
| jacko
Senior Member Username: jacko Post Number: 3233 Registered: 10-2002 |
That's right Terry but it's out of date. A couple of years ago we were booked to play a wedding in Blair Atholl and the venue called to say we had to have a current PAT sticker on all our equipment and to prove we had damage liability. We got the guitarist's mate to test everything the band use - PA, amps and lights for a pretty good price and I waved my liability cover certificate from Musicguard at them. Turned out the venue just wanted to be happy we wouldn't start a fire and damge their priceless heirlooms. they had one chair that would cost as much as a fully specc'd series 2 to replace. We haven't bothered to renew the PAT but I guess it owuldn't take much effort to get it all done again if needs be. Graeme p.s. For our transatlantic readers, Portable Appliance Testing is a health and Safety at work requirement to ensure the electrical safety of appliances. In our office, even desk fans have to display a sticker. | ||
| jazzyvee
Senior Member Username: jazzyvee Post Number: 3098 Registered: 6-2002 |
Also some places require it if you bring your own electrical stuff into work too. I remember a couple of years back when we had a gig at short notice for the city council and they wanted all our stuff to be pat tested. Well as fortune would have it, when we went to rehearsals just before the gig, we noticed that the equipment in there had recently been tested so we... those of use who's pat test sticker was overdue ahem borrowed their stickers and put them on our gear. No-one knew, we did the gig and the following week at rehearsal we just put them all back. Now theres a money saving tip. :-) Jazzyvee |
