I had a cat named Toonses. He’s buried in my back yard lolHappy ending to my modded MkV saga. Atomic took the amp back today for a full refund, with zero hassles, as promised. They have an amp tech there who used to work for Mesa, and he's going to go over the amp and get it back to stock. They said if I wanted to buy it after that, they'd ship it to me. (I didn't inquire about shipping charges. Still have cold feet, and will probably take a break from this particular gear diversion for a while.) But anyway, great bunch of guys down there, as per their reputation.
Special shout-out to my wife for actually running this errand on my behalf - driving 300 miles to drop the amp at Atomic, then visit her sister for one night, and then drive all the way back the very next day.
View attachment 58336
TGF Official Amp Mesa Boogie Mark series. Join the fun and get one today!
- Thread starter CorrosiveMatter
- Start date
The line that always gets me is “they were a part of your life, you were their whole life” thingEmoji paralysis, what with the burial reference. I've got a few in my back yard, as well.
I cried like a baby when I had to put my dog down, like Niagara Falls sitting in my truck lolFuck.
EOengineer
Rock Star
- Messages
- 4,569
- Messages
- 7,858
Dude, we were having a moment here.
CorrosiveMatter
Roadie
- Messages
- 570
Crazy Cat lady moments.Dude, we were having a moment here.
Allexi
Roadie
- Messages
- 162
I’m feeling good for humanity that you have such a wonderful wife. Mine is the same. At least blessing me to drive for 10h+ to buy an amp.Happy ending to my modded MkV saga. Atomic took the amp back today for a full refund, with zero hassles, as promised. They have an amp tech there who used to work for Mesa, and he's going to go over the amp and get it back to stock. They said if I wanted to buy it after that, they'd ship it to me. (I didn't inquire about shipping charges. Still have cold feet, and will probably take a break from this particular gear diversion for a while.) But anyway, great bunch of guys down there, as per their reputation.
Special shout-out to my wife for actually running this errand on my behalf - driving 300 miles to drop the amp at Atomic, then visit her sister for one night, and then drive all the way back the very next morning.(All this to beat the stupid snow storm that cancelled what was supposed to be a week-long visit.)
View attachment 58336
newholland
Roadie
- Messages
- 975
Happy ending to my modded MkV saga. Atomic took the amp back today for a full refund, with zero hassles, as promised. They have an amp tech there who used to work for Mesa, and he's going to go over the amp and get it back to stock. They said if I wanted to buy it after that, they'd ship it to me. (I didn't inquire about shipping charges. Still have cold feet, and will probably take a break from this particular gear diversion for a while.) But anyway, great bunch of guys down there, as per their reputation.
Special shout-out to my wife for actually running this errand on my behalf - driving 300 miles to drop the amp at Atomic, then visit her sister for one night, and then drive all the way back the very next morning.
View attachment 58336
a) your wife is definitely a keeper! (first and foremost)
b) atomic rules (and have proven so for at least three decades by my watch)
c) you'll be back to the mesa fold
just call and have them ship you the amp now.
László
Roadie
- Messages
- 466
I did something a little bit crazy; I'd ordered a Mesa Split Back vertical 212 cab to match my Mark VII, and to use with other amps via the amp switcher, but I already have an open back 212 Lone Star combo with the Black Shadow C90s. So I decided to have Mesa load it with Celestion Alnico Cream 90s. My dealer called Mesa and they're gonna do it.
They're great sounding speakers in demos I've heard (at least, I like the tones) though I don't know how they'll work out in that cab. But I figure WTF. I just f'in did it. If it doesn't work out I'll load the speakers into the Lone Star, or maybe mix and match them.
However, I think they'll be really good, given the 'edge of breakup' tones I usually go for.
They're great sounding speakers in demos I've heard (at least, I like the tones) though I don't know how they'll work out in that cab. But I figure WTF. I just f'in did it. If it doesn't work out I'll load the speakers into the Lone Star, or maybe mix and match them.
However, I think they'll be really good, given the 'edge of breakup' tones I usually go for.
newholland
Roadie
- Messages
- 975
is that the cab with the thiele bottom?
only thing i can think if it IS... use that creamback on top and mebbe put the c90 in the ported part. porteds are wierd and dont work well with some speakers. course.. evms are the preferred weapon of choice- but i know people who do great with the 90s.
László
Roadie
- Messages
- 466
Yes, it's ported, and looks a lot like a Thiele.
Good advice. I figure if I don't love the Creamback in both spots, I'll take your advice and grab a C90. Unfortunately I can't try it out first. I might love it, might not. I'll give it a shot and see.
newholland
Roadie
- Messages
- 975
probably about 2004, my ONLY cab was a mesa thiele, and previous to that for years i used a t75 412 (which basically i equated with the sound of rock guitar). at one point.. my band was so damn loud, in a fit of pique, i bought that cabinet as a monitor i could face at myself. it worked so well that nobody could hear anything but me
anyhow. when i stopped banding as much i kept it and jettisoned the 412. when i started banding again- i started using it and never really learned to dial it in as it wasnt FOR that, and i mistakenly thought i hated evms, cause duh, they dont sound like celestions. so i tried celestions. LOTS of them. they mostly sounded bloaty and weird except the cl80. so i kept that in there until i found another evm. which... duh.. sounded right.
ev designed that cab for that speaker. don't be like dan.
its more fun to play than to be soldering terminals and adding/removing screws. that said- i never tried creambacks because they didnt exist yet! but a tl606 is a cruel mistress!
AlbertA
Shredder
- Messages
- 1,923
I know these two are sprinkled in their respective Mesa Badlands, rectifier threads but for sake of continuity...
And todays' entry:
László
Roadie
- Messages
- 466
Here's my current problem: I have five amps. That's not a lot compared to many, if not most, folks here. All of them are fantastic, top-line, costly amps loaded with NOS tubes.
But I wind up spending most of my playing time now with the Mark VII. I got it 3 or so months ago. The honeymoon period is over. Yet I hardly ever want to play through the other amps! I don't even have NOS glass in the Mark VII; it seems to be voiced perfectly for the tubes it came with, and that's also surprising to me.
The damn tubes I have in all of my other amps are worth more than I'd ever get selling them. So they aren't going anywhere; selling would be foolish. Nonetheless, I have weird feelings about hanging onto the other stuff.
"Freaks ya out a little, doesn't it, Laz?"
"A lot, actually."
But I wind up spending most of my playing time now with the Mark VII. I got it 3 or so months ago. The honeymoon period is over. Yet I hardly ever want to play through the other amps! I don't even have NOS glass in the Mark VII; it seems to be voiced perfectly for the tubes it came with, and that's also surprising to me.
The damn tubes I have in all of my other amps are worth more than I'd ever get selling them. So they aren't going anywhere; selling would be foolish. Nonetheless, I have weird feelings about hanging onto the other stuff.
"Freaks ya out a little, doesn't it, Laz?"
"A lot, actually."
Last edited:
CorrosiveMatter
Roadie
- Messages
- 570
I spend more time looking or getting than playing so just be happy where you are sir. It's a good spot to be in.
László
Roadie
- Messages
- 466
- Messages
- 308
Damn, I used to own a Thiele 1x12, but foolishly sold it. My Recto 2x12 scratches that itch, but there was something magical about that 200W EZM12L and that cab, such a tight, focused tone.
László
Roadie
- Messages
- 466
I had something of a revelation today. It surprised me quite a bit.
Ever since 2003, when I got my first one, I had sort of a thing for Dumble style amps. I had a half-dozen iterations of Two-Rock models until my tastes changed in 2014 and I wanted something more '60s oriented, thus the PRS HXDA, a Plexi style amp cloned from Duane Allman's actual "Live at the Fillmore" amplifier (the Allmans were PRS amp endorsers and got Paul Smith the amp to clone for obvious reasons).
Nevertheless, I always wondered if I should have also kept the T-R, and have said maybe I'd get one down the road.
Today I started listening to some clips of a Dumble style amp on another forum, and then went down the Dumble tone rabbit hole.
The surprise was that other than the stellar clean tones, I thought the overdrive tones were too mid-focused, and too compressed for my taste. The dynamic range, the rawness, the low frequency heft of a great amp were (speaking only for myself) missing. In short, I wouldn't want to use the classic Dumble tones any more, and while they all sound a bit different, there's a strong family resemblance in Dumble-land.
I began thinking that in a one-to-one comparison, I prefer my Mark VII (and other amps) more. In fact, quite a bit more. If someone said to me, "Hey, I've got a new Dumble style amp here by [insert name of favorite Dumble cloner], it cost me $5100. But I'll trade you for your Mark VII straight up," I'd say no way.
I'd turn him down for my least expensive amp, Mesa's Fillmore 50, too. Clearly my tastes have come full circle to pre-2003 days.
Too bad I can't be living in 2003 again, because I'd be a heck of a lot younger and better looking, but...so it goes.
++++++++++++++++++++
The other thing that happened:
I switched a couple of my PRS electrics from the pure nickel strings I've been using for about a decade to D'Addario's XS strings. I couldn't find my brand and faves, the manufacturer was out of stock, and I needed a string change. I like the XS Bluegrass set I have on my acoustic, so I figured, WTF, cheap thrills - I'll try these nickel-plated steel strings just for grins.
They're good strings, and I like them, but they forced me set up my amps differently. Not just the Mark VII; all the amps!
They're hotter than the pure nickels; they're a lot brighter too. I thought I'd need to turn down the gain on my amps, but that made things worse! These strings needed MORE gain!
Completely unexpected! This still makes no sense to me, but to get that creamy tone I like and was getting at lower gain with the vintage style pure nickels, I needed to gain up the amps a bit. However, I did have to pull the treble and presence way down.
Just goes to show ya...every little thing results in a tone change, and often things are different from expectations.
Suddenly I find myself using the Mark VII mode on Channel 2. I've been messing around with the Mark III and IV modes on Channel 3, too. I still don't do Guzz....guzz-guzz-guzz Chugchug, Guzz....guzz-guzz-guzz Chugchug high gain metal, but it's pretty cool to have an amp that has tones I can make use of in every mode, without exception.
You're simply never out of good tone with the Mark VII, doesn't matter what you're playing. No, it won't do every single tone in the history of the world, but it has a pretty substantial variety on tap, and I don't find myself saying, "this amp just doesn't work for this song." On the contrary, it works in some way with everything I do.
Apologies for going on and on about this amp so often; I've simply become an enthusiast.
Ever since 2003, when I got my first one, I had sort of a thing for Dumble style amps. I had a half-dozen iterations of Two-Rock models until my tastes changed in 2014 and I wanted something more '60s oriented, thus the PRS HXDA, a Plexi style amp cloned from Duane Allman's actual "Live at the Fillmore" amplifier (the Allmans were PRS amp endorsers and got Paul Smith the amp to clone for obvious reasons).
Nevertheless, I always wondered if I should have also kept the T-R, and have said maybe I'd get one down the road.
Today I started listening to some clips of a Dumble style amp on another forum, and then went down the Dumble tone rabbit hole.
The surprise was that other than the stellar clean tones, I thought the overdrive tones were too mid-focused, and too compressed for my taste. The dynamic range, the rawness, the low frequency heft of a great amp were (speaking only for myself) missing. In short, I wouldn't want to use the classic Dumble tones any more, and while they all sound a bit different, there's a strong family resemblance in Dumble-land.
I began thinking that in a one-to-one comparison, I prefer my Mark VII (and other amps) more. In fact, quite a bit more. If someone said to me, "Hey, I've got a new Dumble style amp here by [insert name of favorite Dumble cloner], it cost me $5100. But I'll trade you for your Mark VII straight up," I'd say no way.
I'd turn him down for my least expensive amp, Mesa's Fillmore 50, too. Clearly my tastes have come full circle to pre-2003 days.
Too bad I can't be living in 2003 again, because I'd be a heck of a lot younger and better looking, but...so it goes.
++++++++++++++++++++
The other thing that happened:
I switched a couple of my PRS electrics from the pure nickel strings I've been using for about a decade to D'Addario's XS strings. I couldn't find my brand and faves, the manufacturer was out of stock, and I needed a string change. I like the XS Bluegrass set I have on my acoustic, so I figured, WTF, cheap thrills - I'll try these nickel-plated steel strings just for grins.
They're good strings, and I like them, but they forced me set up my amps differently. Not just the Mark VII; all the amps!
They're hotter than the pure nickels; they're a lot brighter too. I thought I'd need to turn down the gain on my amps, but that made things worse! These strings needed MORE gain!
Completely unexpected! This still makes no sense to me, but to get that creamy tone I like and was getting at lower gain with the vintage style pure nickels, I needed to gain up the amps a bit. However, I did have to pull the treble and presence way down.
Just goes to show ya...every little thing results in a tone change, and often things are different from expectations.
Suddenly I find myself using the Mark VII mode on Channel 2. I've been messing around with the Mark III and IV modes on Channel 3, too. I still don't do Guzz....guzz-guzz-guzz Chugchug, Guzz....guzz-guzz-guzz Chugchug high gain metal, but it's pretty cool to have an amp that has tones I can make use of in every mode, without exception.
You're simply never out of good tone with the Mark VII, doesn't matter what you're playing. No, it won't do every single tone in the history of the world, but it has a pretty substantial variety on tap, and I don't find myself saying, "this amp just doesn't work for this song." On the contrary, it works in some way with everything I do.
Apologies for going on and on about this amp so often; I've simply become an enthusiast.
Last edited:
EOengineer
Rock Star
- Messages
- 4,569
I share your enthusiasm. Mark series tones are the cream of the crop.
You can get everything from Fender Princeton Reverb on steroids, to tweedy breakup, Dumble liquid mid gains, and a whole bunch of high gain textures.
Also a huge fan of how they always seem to cut through so perfectly. I rarely find myself battling for space in a mix.
László
Roadie
- Messages
- 466
I gotta say, I really love the tones I'm getting!
Everything is on tap. And it's all GOOD stuff!
One big reason they're easy to record, as far as I can tell. They cut, and they 'fit right in' as well.
I'll add one thing: If you want a lot of clarity, you get i.
If ever there was a cork-sniffer-boomer in the world, I am that guy. Yet I love this f'in thing, just like a person who's actually normal would!
Last edited:
Similar threads
