HELP! Important rig decisions!

[metalchurch79]

Re: HELP! Important rig decisions!

I'm running Electro Harmonix 6L6 with tung-sol pre tubes in my Engl and the 9200. I still highly suggest that you get a 15 band rack eq or a Boss GE7.
BBE Sonic maximizers are OK, I used a 462 for a while, but it wasn't a long term solution.

[ToastyMagician]

Re: HELP! Important rig decisions!

I'm running Electro Harmonix 6L6 with tung-sol pre tubes in my Engl and the 9200. I still highly suggest that you get a 15 band rack eq or a Boss GE7.
BBE Sonic maximizers are OK, I used a 462 for a while, but it wasn't a long term solution.

Any recommendations on a rack EQ? Actually are there any rack systems that have that and more? i was thinking of using rack gear for my whole fx loop and using the pedals that are there at the moment for a bedroom rig.

Also how would i go about changing my output tubes to 6L6? i know it would need re-biasing but it that all?

[metalchurch79]

Re: HELP! Important rig decisions!

Any 15 band rack eq will be fine really. Mine isn't nothing special at all, but it does the trick.
As far as going from EL34's to 6L6's, you should be ok with just rebiasing and giving it a once over.

[chadd]

Re: HELP! Important rig decisions!

I'm a Mesa guy, you really need to open them up a bit to get the growl. Because of that, I'm not really a fan of the triple. The 2:90 power amp is fantastic, though.

[dystrust]

Re: HELP! Important rig decisions!

I'm running Electro Harmonix 6L6 with tung-sol pre tubes in my Engl and the 9200. I still highly suggest that you get a 15 band rack eq or a Boss GE7.
BBE Sonic maximizers are OK, I used a 462 for a while, but it wasn't a long term solution.

+1 for a rack EQ if you feel that you need one. I tried a Boss GE7 after my Soldano SP-77 and could hardly believe the tone suck. Sounded fine in front though.

Any recommendations on a rack EQ? Actually are there any rack systems that have that and more? i was thinking of using rack gear for my whole fx loop and using the pedals that are there at the moment for a bedroom rig.

Also how would i go about changing my output tubes to 6L6? i know it would need re-biasing but it that all?

The EL34 100/100 isn't designed to run both EL-34s and 6L6s. The Carvin mentioned elsewhere in the thread can run either, and most of Mesa's Simulclass power amps can run EL-34s in the class A sockets.

The Simul 395 that I enjoy so much is supposed to run all 6L6s, but it can run EL-34s in the class A sockets if they're not too tall (3U power amp). All 6L6s resulted in the cleanest tone, but a 6L6/EL-34 mix sounded much more lively and amp-like. All rack systems have a somewhat disconnected feel compared to playing through a head, but the 395 with a 6L6/EL-34 mix sounded the closest.

[Sirion]

Re: HELP! Important rig decisions!

Slightly off topic, but is the Marshall really that bad? I've used a 9100, modded for EL34s, for quite a few years. What can I expect by 'upgrading' to something else?

(Getting to try high-end power amps without buying it just won't happen around my parts.)

[metalchurch79]

Re: HELP! Important rig decisions!

Slightly off topic, but is the Marshall really that bad? I've used a 9100, modded for EL34s, for quite a few years. What can I expect by 'upgrading' to something else?

(Getting to try high-end power amps without buying it just won't happen around my parts.)

Nothing to be ashamed of, you're doing great so keep up the good work.

https://youtu.be/CuAYYu9Y6VU

[Sirion]

Re: HELP! Important rig decisions!

Don't worry, I'm not jumping into anything (to be honest I mostly use a solid state power amp these days), but it is always curious to hear what makes people have as strong opinions as have been voiced here.

[metalchurch79]

Re: HELP! Important rig decisions!

Absolutely, I understand what you meant! I'm always open ears as well, especially when it comes to rack gear because there's already a limited number of us, so Im always down for learning something new.

[dystrust]

Re: HELP! Important rig decisions!

Slightly off topic, but is the Marshall really that bad? I've used a 9100, modded for EL34s, for quite a few years. What can I expect by 'upgrading' to something else?

(Getting to try high-end power amps without buying it just won't happen around my parts.)

TL;DR: Not really. It isn't bad, but there are definitely better power amps out there.

The full answer:
I don't know if I'd say "that bad", but they're certainly nothing special. Back in 2004 or so I was running an ADA MP-1 into a Marshall 9005 and it sounded pretty good but not exactly amazing. I first tried a 9100, but ended up passing on it because it didn't really sound significantly different than the 9005. Slightly later I tried an early 90s Mesa 50/50, and the difference was night and day. The Mesa was a lot louder and deeper than the 9005 or 9100 in addition to having more punch and a more connected feel. I passed on that one too, but mostly because the rack was no longer my primary rig at that point.

Fast forward to late 2007/2008 and I was using an MP-1 again, though modified by Voodoo Amps. I remembered how great the Mesa had sounded, so I immediately went searching in that direction. I found a great deal on a Simul 395 (essentially a mini Strategy 500), so I snapped it up mostly due to rarity and its reputation. With the stock 6L6s it was another step forward from the 50/50, but I wanted to see if it was capable of 'more'. I happened to have a spare quad of EL-34s lying around, so I installed them in the class A sockets. The overall tone wasn't quite as deep and the cleans weren't so Fender-y, but the increased harmonic richness was absolutely worth it.

The other thing I really liked was the "switch track" feature. The Simul 2:90 has modern, half-drive, and deep switches in addition to volume & presence, while the 395 has two complete sets of controls. For example you could run the A track on Simul-class and have the B track set to class A for better cleans. I used to set up my rhythm sound on the A track while I'd set 'deep' on the B track with a slight volume boost for fatter leads. If I ever built another rack, I'd have to track down a 395 for the power amp because it's just that good.

I've sold most of my rack gear and I'm looking to move the MP-1 because it never sounded as good as my Jubilee and I got tired of carrying that much hardware around.

[metalchurch79]

Re: HELP! Important rig decisions!

That was a good explanation of your experience with it and I also liked reading about your Mesa's, particularly the 2:90 because I want one so I can rest my 9200 because I've had it for a long time and its just something that I like and I want to preserve it as much as I can because I plan to keep it for nostalgia's sake.
I'm kinda leaning toward a Triaxis/2:90 or a Dual Racktifier/2:90 rig? I have no experience of any sort with the preamps, but my friend is running a SansAmp thru a 2:90 so I can at least hear that, but its not the same as my rig, so its pointless to scrutinize it further because I'd literally be imagining schit.

[ToastyMagician]

Re: HELP! Important rig decisions!

I think what I might do then is put 6l6 tubes in the B channel and then A/B the results? I only ever use one side of the thing so even if it's better for different applications? I can think of a lot of situations where more headroom would be nice

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[metalchurch79]

Re: HELP! Important rig decisions!

That's essentially what I did on my Side:B by pulling two power tubes. Basically,I just made another amp entirely because it's literally night and day.
Prior to me pulling those tubes, I would rotate from Side:A to Side:B about every two weeks. I did that to age the tubes the same and just to keep both sides up and running as opposed to working only one side.
But then again, I'm wearing both sides of mine at once and you're wearing them one at a time, so I guess it evens out really.

Something else u can do is get other cab with different speakers specifically for one side or the other. Once you get an eq, and do those other mods, your tonal pallet will be so diverse and versatile, all from the same rig. That's one unique benefit from running a dual monobloc poweramp.

[ToastyMagician]

Re: HELP! Important rig decisions!

That's essentially what I did on my Side:B by pulling two power tubes. Basically,I just made another amp entirely because it's literally night and day.
Prior to me pulling those tubes, I would rotate from Side:A to Side:B about every two weeks. I did that to age the tubes the same and just to keep both sides up and running as opposed to working only one side.
But then again, I'm wearing both sides of mine at once and you're wearing them one at a time, so I guess it evens out really.

Something else u can do is get other cab with different speakers specifically for one side or the other. Once you get an eq, and do those other mods, your tonal pallet will be so diverse and versatile, all from the same rig. That's one unique benefit from running a dual monobloc poweramp.

Haha yeah if thought about that, one of the ideas I had as well was to get an A/B switch to go between a micro terror and a micro dark then out the headphone out of the terror and the send of the dark in to the power amp, the only reason I haven't tried it yet is because I only have one cab and I'm not sure how I'd go about joining the sides of the power amp together (splitter maybe?)

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[metalchurch79]

Re: HELP! Important rig decisions!

If I'm following you correctly, what you'd want to do is run the micro terror into side-a and the other into side-b, with a cab for each channel, then you'd want to split your guitar with an A/B going to either side at a time, or an A/B/Y box to use them both at once, or use one side for lead...there's a lot of options, none of which I fully explored, so I'm only trying to help give you ideas here, so please research all of this fully, especially the ohms and mono/stereo....
I run 16ohm mono...