2:90 and Triaxis

[mrcomputer]

I'm currently on the hunt for a clean, used, Triaxis and I was wondering how "necessary" the 2:90 amp was to the overall sound. I have a 20/20 I'm using with a Marshall JMP-1 and Mesa Thieles - the Triaxis looks like it will provide a wider range of tones.

Your opinions welcome.

jbw

 

[masque]

dude the 290 is awesome and it does add some additional versatility to the triaxis.....but the 290 is ungodly loud and heavy. i would not recommend it if you are going to be playing out alot unless you want a good workout each time you move your rig. I would also tell you that unless you buy a couple of hotplates you will never get the 290 loud enough to actually push the power tubes. I know this from experience of my best friend having a 290 and being around his gear almost daily for 10 years.

i have a 20/20 with my triaxis and i freaking love it. I am not going to tell you that it is any better or worse than the 290...they are both great amps....the 20/20 has more edge and bite to it....the 290 is a little more warm sounding....has more of a round sound to it.

I have literally done sid by side test with the 290 and 20/20 and love them both so I would not see the reason to go buy a 290 when you already own a 20/20 unless you have extra cash laying around that you dont care to part with just so you can have both.

 

[mrcomputer]

I have literally done sid by side test with the 290 and 20/20 and love them both so I would not see the reason to go buy a 290 when you already own a 20/20 unless you have extra cash laying around that you dont care to part with just so you can have both

Money? I don't use money, I have a credit card .

I'm glad to hear that the 20/20 finds so much favor. I'd rather spend the money (sorry - use my credit card) buying other toys or at the very least, SPARES. (I'd love to have a backup 20/20).

My aching back thanks you for your input...

jbw

 

[Paul Secondino]

The 20/20 actually pairs with the triaxis really well. And in my opinion, it pairs better with the tri than the 290 does . I say that because with tone, I look for the best balance for whatever situation. So seeing how the triaxis is alreayd very bass heavy, a better way to balance that is with the EL84's in the 20/20 power amp.

However, many bedroom players love the boom box sound of a huge power amp like the 290. Plus the deep mode just makes the sound go "boom" For me, that's an unusable sound as it turns to mud when you turn it up on stage.So when I palm mute my strings, I want the amp to chug , not boom and I think the 20/20 will make that happen easily with the triaxis where the 290 will get out of control quickly if you let it.

I've actually found that the 290 pairs a lot better with the JMP-1 than it does with the triaxis. it also pairs well with the CAE 3+ preamp and Bogner Fish. I definitely feel the 20/20 and 50/50 are easier power amps to get a tight and dynamic sound with.

 

[lionel69]

dont buy a triaxis without the 2:90 ...you are losing 70% of the matched features

 

[masque]

The 20/20 actually pairs with the triaxis really well. And in my opinion, it pairs better with the tri than the 290 does . I say that because with tone, I look for the best balance for whatever situation. So seeing how the triaxis is alreayd very bass heavy, a better way to balance that is with the EL84's in the 20/20 power amp.

However, many bedroom players love the boom box sound of a huge power amp like the 290. Plus the deep mode just makes the sound go "boom" For me, that's an unusable sound as it turns to mud when you turn it up on stage.So when I palm mute my strings, I want the amp to chug , not boom and I think the 20/20 will make that happen easily with the triaxis where the 290 will get out of control quickly if you let it.

I've actually found that the 290 pairs a lot better with the JMP-1 than it does with the triaxis. it also pairs well with the CAE 3+ preamp and Bogner Fish. I definitely feel the 20/20 and 50/50 are easier power amps to get a tight and dynamic sound with.

i agree with your assessment.

 

[jaquetapus]

I personally love my 2:ninety. I've run my TriAxis through a couple of different amps and none had the sweetness the 2:ninety did. I can see how it could be boomy with certain settings and pickups and whatnot, but I haven't had a problem cutting that out. It is super heavy though. I'm cursing myself on the way in, loving the singing tones while playing, then cursing myself on the way back out again.

-dave

 

[Dead Moon Rising]

The 2:90 is heavy as hell but you get loads of headroom, so you can place clean at high levels. i tried my Triaxis with a 20/20 at the store and it sounded great but i went with the 2:90 because i played metal with a loud drummer. I stopped giging with it about 1 yr ago and i can't believe i used to carry that thing around. I'd love to get a 20/20 someday and have a nice light FX rig.

 

[scottkahn]

I have owned many Boogie rigs including a few Triaxis rigs (still do).

Both the Stereo 2:Fifty and 2:Ninety sound significantly "bigger" with the Triaxis than the 20:20... EL84 tubes don't have the same presence as you get from 6L6 power tubes. I'm not saying you won't have a great sound, but with the 6L6 power amps you'll have a better sound.

The 2:Fifty is a nice middle ground -- not as heavy as the 2:Ninety, and not as loud. That said, all of these amps, even the 20:20, are more than loud enough to drive one or two 412 cabinets.

BUT... with the 2:Ninety, you get additional features that significantly impact your tone -- the Deep and Modern voicings in the POWER AMP are only achieved if you've got the 2:Ninety. ALSO, the 2:Ninety has a half-power mode of operation, which the 2:Fifty does not. NOTE: The OLD 50:50 power amp had a half-power mode, but it's not as good sounding as the 2:Fifty that replaced it.

So... no, you don't need a different power amp, and I'm envious of the super light weight of a 20:20, but there is a significant tone difference. And you don't have to have the power amp cranked to hear it.

Scott

 

[photios]

I've only had my TA and 2:90 for a few weeks now, but I really like the feel and voicing of the 2:90...its nice also that the TA relays control the amps tone shaping features. Mesa made the TA and 2:90 to work together...if I were getting a TA, I'd get the 2:90 too just so that you have a good baseline on what the tone and feel were intended to be.

Personally, I love 100 watt amps and have no issue with the 2:90 volume wise or weight wise (my 100 watt ENGL 850/100 power amp is heavier).

 

[dmpc]

I had the marshall 100/100 and it weighed a ton...2:90 is much lighter.. I can't believe so many people complain about the weight of it...I tried the 2:50 and it didn't have the headroom..2:90 with triaxis is a perfect combination.

 

[chris.goth]

I have a Triaxis with a 50/50 (the old one) and had the chance to gig with
it in a huge auditorium and crank the beast. My PA was on hi=power at 7
for eache side.

I find that the Triaxis sounds awesome with the 50/50 for any vintage sounds. The magic really happens for old school rock ala ACDC or LedZep, avec even lead tones with P-90's for John Mayer songs. I am in love with
the PA for anything that's vintage, but when I want to get heavier sounds,
ala rectifier, I can get close but there's always missing a little something. At high volumes it chugs, but it lacks grind, punch, and that bad attitude.

Still the 50/50 works for heavy sounds, but if you're into covering all styles,
then I think it would be a good compromise since it has a lo-power switch.

What I'm wondering is if the 2:90 is good with old school sounds. I know it would give me what I want out of the TA for the real heavy sounds, but can it be smooth and vintage?

And by the way... if you put that much money into equipment then you should probably be gigging often... simply to make it a good investment, and bands that have those setups usually have caddies... 'cause us guitarists often have enough with our back problems from playing.

 

[Razor]

I have aquestion regarding the 50/50

Why is it equipped with 6l6s and 12ax7s. What is the point of the preamp tubes in a poweramp?
I see that the 2:90 also has 12ax7s, so does this mean that the 50/50 is a lower wattage simulclass poweramp, or am I just bs-ing here?

 

[chris.goth]

All tube power amps use preamp tubes to drive the signal and as a phase inverter function.

 

[Razor]

Okay so I guess I WAS full of crap after all. Thanks for clearing this up.

 

[lionel69]

I have owned many Boogie rigs including a few Triaxis rigs (still do).

Both the Stereo 2:Fifty and 2:Ninety sound significantly "bigger" with the Triaxis than the 20:20... EL84 tubes don't have the same presence as you get from 6L6 power tubes. I'm not saying you won't have a great sound, but with the 6L6 power amps you'll have a better sound.

The 2:Fifty is a nice middle ground -- not as heavy as the 2:Ninety, and not as loud. That said, all of these amps, even the 20:20, are more than loud enough to drive one or two 412 cabinets.

BUT... with the 2:Ninety, you get additional features that significantly impact your tone -- the Deep and Modern voicings in the POWER AMP are only achieved if you've got the 2:Ninety. ALSO, the 2:Ninety has a half-power mode of operation, which the 2:Fifty does not. NOTE: The OLD 50:50 power amp had a half-power mode, but it's not as good sounding as the 2:Fifty that replaced it.

So... no, you don't need a different power amp, and I'm envious of the super light weight of a 20:20, but there is a significant tone difference. And you don't have to have the power amp cranked to hear it.

Scott

are you serious the 50/50 doesn't sound as good as the 2:50 or is this a misprint the 2:50 sucks sorry check the reviews

 

[scottkahn]

are you serious the 50/50 doesn't sound as good as the 2:50 or is this a misprint the 2:50 sucks sorry check the reviews

The 2:Fifty was re-voiced (compared with the older 50/50) to better pair with the Rectifier Recording Preamp and the Triaxis when it came out. If you have a 50/50 there's no reason to sell it to get the 2:Fifty -- there isn't enough of a sonic difference that anyone will notice, and I must admit that I really missed the half-power option when I owned the 2:Fifty (I've owned the 50/50 and 2:Fifty, but now have a 2:Ninety in my possession).

But if you were just now in the market, I'd skip the older 50/50 in favor of the 2:Fifty... unless you could spend a few hundred more for the 2:Ninety, which has other sounds (Deep/Modern) and more headroom for clean tones. But I never said the 50/50 sucks -- it sounds great. The 2:Fifty just has a very tiny edge -- maybe it's just a bit tighter feeling and slightly lower noise, but it's been almost 4-5 years since I had the old 50/50 in my rig.