Music Man RD's & HDs

[OlinMusic]

It's been covered before but...

What do you think of the Solid State Pre? Does it still have Mojo? Are there more desirable speakers that go with these amps? How do you think the amp sounds faily cranked with a good OD pedal? If so, which pedals?

2x12 or 2x10? 50 watters or 100+ watters?

 

[Benjy_26]

Re: Music Man RD's & HDs

I love my singer's HD65. It has a 1x15" speaker that we replaced with an old Altec Lansing.

The cleans are great and it sounds pretty good cranked into OD too. It also takes pedals well, including Tubescreamers and an old Metalzone.

 

[HamerPlyr]

Re: Music Man RD's & HDs

Hey, O.

I have an 112RD-100-EVM (1 12" EVM speaker, 100 watts, reverb and distortion). It's been great for one thing- loud and clean. The distortion would get you by in a pinch, but I wouldn't use it if I had an alternative. The reverb is good- not mind-blowingly great, but not bad.

IMO, they are weak exactly where you would expect them to be weak- in the break-up of the preamp when pushed. When I gigged with the amp, I A/B'ed between a Boogie for solo and dirty rhythm tones and the MM for cleans.

One thing that I hear over and over is that they take a lickin' and keep on tickin'. That's true in my experience, too. The amp was beaten to death and still kept on doing its thing the same as the day that I bought it. These days, you can find them dirt cheap.

 

[firebirdVII]

Re: Music Man RD's & HDs

Hey, O.

I have an 112RD-100-EVM (1 12" EVM speaker, 100 watts, reverb and distortion). It's been great for one thing- loud and clean. The distortion would get you by in a pinch, but I wouldn't use it if I had an alternative. The reverb is good- not mind-blowingly great, but not bad.

IMO, they are weak exactly where you would expect them to be weak- in the break-up of the preamp when pushed. When I gigged with the amp, I A/B'ed between a Boogie for solo and dirty rhythm tones and the MM for cleans.

One thing that I hear over and over is that they take a lickin' and keep on tickin'. That's true in my experience, too. The amp was beaten to death and still kept on doing its thing the same as the day that I bought it. These days, you can find them dirt cheap.

Better cleans than a Boogie (mark series?)?

 

[HamerPlyr]

Re: Music Man RD's & HDs

Better cleans than a Boogie (mark series?)?

"Different" would be a better description. The MM gets way loud, and it seemed to sit better in a live mix. Sitting and playing through the amps alone in a room, I would choose the Boogie. In a band setting, though, I liked the MM better. It would get louder and stay more clean.

 

[firebirdVII]

Re: Music Man RD's & HDs

"Different" would be a better description. The MM gets way loud, and it seemed to sit better in a live mix. Sitting and playing through the amps alone in a room, I would choose the Boogie. In a band setting, though, I liked the MM better. It would get louder and stay more clean.

I see, I was just wondering because my dad has a mark 2c and the cleans sound wonderfull. Makes sense though.

 

[OlinMusic]

Re: Music Man RD's & HDs

My fascination is that a friend of mine uses one, and while I haven't heard him thru it as yet - he says its his jam amp - not too heavy - and it is a giant killer. He says he can take on Marshalls with the 2x10 130 watt model!

 

[Stratman]

Re: Music Man RD's & HDs

I gave away a HD212 because while it is a powerful amp, it's too clean loud, even with that (Fake , it's just a capacitor) half power switch on.

 

[Boogie Bill]

Re: Music Man RD's & HDs

The cool set up for Music Mans always has been, and always will be--the 210-130. Great sounding, small, powerful, takes pedals well, reliable. I prefer the channel switching capabilities of my Mark III and Mark IV Mesas, but If I were looking for a great clean amp--Music Man would be very close to the top of my list. And for the prices these go for, they really are a bargain.

Bill

 

[OlinMusic]

Re: Music Man RD's & HDs

Bill, that's what my friend uses
He raves 2x10 can take on a Marshall half stack

I have trouble believing this, but you also confirm these things are beasts

 

[rockinangus]

Re: Music Man RD's & HDs

I have a 210HD Music Man with 2 EVM10M speakers that were put in it. This thing cranks and is super loud. It will hurt your ears but it is a suoer clean amp that is good for jazz or blues but it doesn't sound that good through pedals IMO. It will hang with the big boys but my TSL100 Marshall through my 1960AV cabinet still sounds better I think. But I bought the MM for $300 and it's worth every penny. It's 130 watts of brute power but weighs 90 lbs. It's a tank.
I believe my amp is all tubes. No solid stat pre-amp on mine.

 

[Monty-Jay]

Re: Music Man RD's & HDs

Andy Fuchs says they work VERY well for his ODS mod

mJ

 

[OlinMusic]

Re: Music Man RD's & HDs

2x10 model eh?

Doesn't take OD pedals well?

My fear is that I didn't realize they weigh 90lbs. I thought these models were lighter.

 

[AdmiralB]

Re: Music Man RD's & HDs

even with that (Fake , it's just a capacitor) half power switch on.

Nothing 'fake' about it, it drops the plate voltage on the power tubes to half the normal value. It may not be (isn't, in fact) significantly less loud, but it is definitely lower-power by about half.

For tube-PI MM tones, listen to the late '70s Blue Oyster Cult stuff. Buck Dharma used 130s up until about '81 when he added a Boogie MkII for leads.

 

[rockinangus]

Re: Music Man RD's & HDs

Yeah the amp is so clean that pedals don't seem to do much for it. It's got seroius balls though. LOL! It is heavy but you should see the size of the EVM10M speakers in the thing. They had to take the reverb out of the amp and one of the transformers was remounted down in the bottom of the amp.