1st post, 1st boogie(1x12 Maverick), 1st impression and q's.

[Kapn.K]

I wanted something a little lighter than my all tube 2x12 crate combo(circa 1996). The maverick is a '96 model as well. It came to me in FL via Honolulu for $750 shipped. I saw some slightly cheaper(not any 1x12's) but I'm glad I spent a little more. This thing is showroom new, cover, pedal, manual and any boogie schwag he had laying around. Thanks, Kelvin! Additionally it is all black(except for the brown control panel). I think I really wanted a creme or wine tolex model but after plugging in, I don't think I care at all. I wanted something more portable that didn't need to be at hearing-damage level to deliver the ear candy(i still LOVE the sound of the crate TV6212). The crate weighs 62lbs. The mav weighs 59lbs(according to shipping label). It is physically smaller but my back says it's the same. I love the clean but at keep-up-with-HEAVY-drummer levels, it has ALOT of distortion. Could I change v1 and v4(I think) to 12at7's(or y's or u's) to clean it up? Backing off guitar volume helps at the expense of loosing alot of volume. I avoid the lead channel because my duncan'd SG begs me to start a metal band. I've heard this channel described as weird. Don't believe it. Compared to other boogies, maybe. It has a very evil, compressed, controlled, articulate sound. I've been staying on the SS rectifier as well. The first night I got it, I stayed up 'til 2:30am playing. I called in sick the next day and played some more. I thought about buying something cheaper but these boogies really seem to hold their value well so I've got a real quality piece/savings account as I'm sure I could sell it for what I paid.

 

[plan-x]

Sounds fantastic! I'm glad you don't work for me! What speaker is in that Mav?

 

[Moot]

Welcome to the Mesa world!

The Mavericks are great amps - very versatile, lovely tones.

Perhaps consider a neodynium magnet based speaker (all the speaker manufacturers make one now.) They're great speakers, sound great, and weigh a heck-of-a-lot less than traditional speakers.

Have fun!

 

[MrMarkIII]

I have this exact same amp. Sounds great, huh? Mine has the Vintage 30.
Unbelievably, this 35 watt puppy weighs as much as a Mark III with a C-90.

Changing 12AX7s for any other will clean up the sound, but at the expense of some (slight) volume. Some folks like the 5751, which is 30% less gain than the 12AX7 ("T" is 40% less. etc.). Get a "JAN GE 5751" if you can.
See if using the lead channel at low gain but cranked master gives you an acceptable "clean".

Also consider some 7189 power tubes. These are military-grade equivalents to the EL-84 and should yield a tad more clean headroom.
Guys from Russia sell these all the time on eBay. They're Russian military surplus.

 

[212Mavguy]

Hey Kapn.k,

If you don't want breakup on the clean channel don't use the fat side of the fat/bright switch, the bright side is the one designed for max headroom on the clean channel, per the manual, available online. The fat side is for dirtier tones in the clean channel. Amazing blues tones there. Also, the mid control on the clean channel is a gain control as well, anything over 9:00 starts adding gain.

As far as the lead channel goes, it responds well to tube rolling with vintage preamp tubes, a vintage old stock Siemens e83cc in v2 and Tesla e83cc in V3 pleases my ears and others as well. Spendy but worth every penny. There is plenty of gain at less than 10:00 on the gain knob. The amp was not designed for metal, it is described as a medium gain amp in Mesa Literature. One can use a pedal for that, it responds well to them.

Hope this helps, best of luck!

 

[Kapn.K]

It's got the celestion c-90. It's a little dark sounding. I actually have the original manual and I think I fully grasp the tone behavior. For my clean sound I'm using: bright, volume(gain) between 9 and 12 o'clock, treble 12, mid backed all the way off, bass about 12, reverb 12, volume 12 and output was about 12-1 at practice level. At home alone levels it sounds sugary sweet. Practicing with the band, it just breaks up alot. This sg doesn't help that at all, either. I'm thinking about adding a tele. I can control alot via pick attack which my buddy can't do(heavy handed/breaks lots of strings). I'm thinking about a different speaker and some of your tube recommendations. This thing has the original factory tubes.

 

[212Mavguy]

Send me a pm, I'd be happy to do what I can bit by bit to help. With your channel and overall master knobs' settings your band must practice very loudly. :wink: Or send a PM to sixveesix, he has a 1/12 Mav and knows his stuff on that amp, vintage speakers and tubes very well indeed.

 

[lyman]

This thing has the original factory tubes.

absolutely look into changing the preamp and power tubes. you said it's from '96, right? they're probably about due!

 

[Kapn.K]

This thing has the original factory tubes.

absolutely look into changing the preamp and power tubes. you said it's from '96, right? they're probably about due!

That's sorta why I made the post. I definitely want to replace the tubes but I also want to get closer to the tone I'm looking for while doing it. Great recommendations, so far, guys. They actually might not be due. I think this one has probably sat in a closet under cover for most of its life.

 

[lyman]

This thing has the original factory tubes.

absolutely look into changing the preamp and power tubes. you said it's from '96, right? they're probably about due!

That's sorta why I made the post. I definitely want to replace the tubes but I also want to get closer to the tone I'm looking for while doing it. Great recommendations, so far, guys. They actually might not be due. I think this one has probably sat in a closet under cover for most of its life.

I see your point. It's such a great amp, I just assumed somebody would be playing it all those years!

for my maverick, i have jj power tubes. I really haven't experimented with other el84's, so I defer to 212mavguy and sixveesix as they know their stuff better.

i've got a nos GE 12ax7 in v1 and really like the range of tones i get in the rhythm channel. it seems to be brighter and more defined than the stock tubes, which I've found to be the case with other GE's.

I put a nos jan/phillips 5751 in v2 (first valve for the lead channel) as I'm not a huge gain junkie. i usually have the volume knob set 10-12 o'clock. it's a bit smoother than the stock 12ax7.

i prefer the tube rectifier on the rhythm channel and the solid state rec. on the lead channel.

I'm trying a mullard 12at7 in the phase inverter spot as well.

 

[Kapn.K]

Which is the phase inverter? Looking into the back, are the preamps v1-v6 from left to right? They might actually be labeled. I've still just been playing it and also trying to get my 1st guitar(late '80s Yamaha modded with S.D.'s individually switched with mini toggles) back on the road. It's got a 24 fret neck and an ibanez low-pro edge(original wilkinson broke which is why it was down). I got that guitar for $50 back in '90. It needed a jack. I modded it immediately after.
Thanks,
Steve

 

[212Mavguy]

I think V1-V6 do go left to right looking from the back. Which is wierd, because in most amps V1 is the tube closest to the instrument input jack. To make sure, remove the back baffle, open the preamp tube cover carefully, be careful with the clips on either end, turn the amp on like you are going to play it, select the rhythm (clean) channel, turn the gain ("volume" labeled) knob, the channel master, and main master volume until you get some decent amount of noise coming out of the speaker. then lightly tap the top of the tube with a fingernail or pencil eraser on either outside of the row. The one on the side that you hear the tapping the loudest will be your V1. V1 and V4 do the clean channel, V2 and V3 do the dirty channel, V5 is the reverb send and recieve, and V6 is the phase inverter.

 

[lyman]

I think V1-V6 do go left to right looking from the back. Which is wierd, because in most amps V1 is the tube closest to the instrument input jack.

I don't think this is correct. I believe that v1-v6 go right to left (when looking at the back) in the maverick, as is the case with most amps like you say. The phase inverter is the tube furthest from the input.

 

[212Mavguy]

Lyman, I might very well be wrong regarding left to right... That is exactly why I described the procedure in my previous post...what to do to know for sure if there is not a tube layout chart available. You can hear the tapping in V1 and/or V4 using that method. Beats a 50% probability guess as to which end to start from.

My Mav is temporarily in storage, and in the past I used that method to verify where V1 sits as a starting point to revoicing my preamp channels via tube rolling. At one time I had a schematic from Mesa but it got misplaced a long time ago during a move. Peace.

 

[Kapn.K]

The mention of schematic lit a bulb in my head. I've got one for the preamp(I found a site last week that had all of them. I thought I grabbed them all.). v1 is definitely closest to the input jack. doh! Thanks for the responses. I very much appreciate all of the input.
Steve

 

[RR]

...it is all black(except for the brown control panel).

This is a 1-12" combo? You might have a limit addition prototype. Only like 79 made (if I'm not mistaken).

 

[Kapn.K]

How can I tell? What does that mean to me if it is? Serial: MV-01469.
Thanks,
Steve

P.S. The original owner said that he ordered it in black.

 

[lyman]

Lyman, I might very well be wrong regarding left to right... That is exactly why I described the procedure in my previous post...what to do to know for sure if there is not a tube layout chart available. You can hear the tapping in V1 and/or V4 using that method. Beats a 50% probability guess as to which end to start from.

My Mav is temporarily in storage, and in the past I used that method to verify where V1 sits as a starting point to revoicing my preamp channels via tube rolling. At one time I had a schematic from Mesa but it got misplaced a long time ago during a move. Peace.

Yes, it's an effective way of testing it. Definitely smarter than taking one person's word for it on an internet forum.....lots of misinformation out there. I was just saying that in my tube rolling experience, backed up by a call to mesa support a while back, I've figured out that v1 is closest to the input. Just trying to help the original poster!

 

[RR]

...it is all black(except for the brown control panel).

This is a 1-12" combo? You might have a limit addition prototype. Only like 79 made (if I'm not mistaken).

How can I tell? What does that mean to me if it is? Serial: MV-01469.
Thanks,
Steve

P.S. The original owner said that he ordered it in black.

Nevermind, it probably not the limited edition prototype. I'm not sure what the prototype mean other than (my opinion) when MESA were desiging the Maverick in general, its purpose was to give all these boutique amp builder building "Blue" type amplifiers a run for their money.

The prototypes were build for limited numbers. These new owners would give feedback what they like and what additional features would be cool with these amps. With all these info from the owners, they could design and go into full production.