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Roadie
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I don't know if this is interesting, or just a little too OCD, but it interested me, so I decided to post it. Some things seem to age gracefully. Among those things are leather and cane/wicker.
Ordinarily I'm one of those 'keep it new-looking' folks. I have a late 2015 Mesa Lone Star with embossed leather (Ostrich) and cane grille. I got it new, and haven't done anything to artificially age it. The only thing I've done to maintain the amp is change the tubes (to NOS) and keep it clean; i.e., no leather cleaner or polish, no tint to the cane.
It hasn't sat in sunlight; it's seen a relatively small amount of light coming into my studio's 4x6 basement window, that over the years has had blinds. It's seen artificial light in the studio, obviously, both the old incandescent lights and for several years, LEDs.
The new Mark VII has a cane grille that's very light in color. I wondered if my Lone Star's grille had been light, or darker brown as it is now. I found an old pic, and put it side by side with a shot of the amp as it is now. Sure enough, the grille has darkened quite a bit, and so did the leather corner protectors. They did so all on their own, most likely from exposure to light (I haven't used a cover except to take it places). The original finished leather covering hasn't changed at all.
I've always known that a leather covering on an amp would age well - It holds up way better than vinyl (imagine how bad Tolex shoes would look after a very short time). But I wondered about the cane grille's robustness when I ordered the amp. I figured I'd take my chances and get that classic Mesa look.
I actually like the older version of the amp more than the new. Old is on the left, new is on the right. If only I'd aged this well!
Ordinarily I'm one of those 'keep it new-looking' folks. I have a late 2015 Mesa Lone Star with embossed leather (Ostrich) and cane grille. I got it new, and haven't done anything to artificially age it. The only thing I've done to maintain the amp is change the tubes (to NOS) and keep it clean; i.e., no leather cleaner or polish, no tint to the cane.
It hasn't sat in sunlight; it's seen a relatively small amount of light coming into my studio's 4x6 basement window, that over the years has had blinds. It's seen artificial light in the studio, obviously, both the old incandescent lights and for several years, LEDs.
The new Mark VII has a cane grille that's very light in color. I wondered if my Lone Star's grille had been light, or darker brown as it is now. I found an old pic, and put it side by side with a shot of the amp as it is now. Sure enough, the grille has darkened quite a bit, and so did the leather corner protectors. They did so all on their own, most likely from exposure to light (I haven't used a cover except to take it places). The original finished leather covering hasn't changed at all.
I've always known that a leather covering on an amp would age well - It holds up way better than vinyl (imagine how bad Tolex shoes would look after a very short time). But I wondered about the cane grille's robustness when I ordered the amp. I figured I'd take my chances and get that classic Mesa look.
I actually like the older version of the amp more than the new. Old is on the left, new is on the right. If only I'd aged this well!
