F-50 owners?

[nickt]

Hi
just signed up. A decent Mesa board is long overdue!
I'd be interested in catching up with any F50 owners and your settings, particularly if you've any experience using a hotplate, as I'm thinking of getting one!

 

[puppetzmaster]

Bloody hell, theres a stroke of luck! I am an F50 owner myself, and I live in West London! No Hotplate though...

Greetings!

 

[InvernessJerry]

My vocalist has a F-100 (runs it on 60watts) and I could get the settings from him if you want.

Jizzy

 

[puppetzmaster]

That would be sweet, thanks.

 

[Grandor]

I dont own one (markIV), however if I didnt have my mark, an F-series would be what I'd have.
Their killer amps. Actually the guy I bought my MarkIV off said that he was selling it because he bought an F-50 and liked it better!
What variant do you have (combo, head)? and what speakers are you using?

 

[puppetzmaster]

Ironically, I am not completely satisfied with the F50, and am always on the lookout for a MKIV to try out, because I think it will be more up my street. Im very happy with the cleans, but I need more gain!

The F50 only comes as a combo. Mine is completely standard, with the black shadow speaker. Its my first real amp, and Ive decided it will do, but one day I would like to 'move up the ladder' so to speak. Its great because when I go to places to jam, rehearse (Im not in a band or anything yet ) its plently loud enough and is not a hassle like a head and cab would be, I also couldnt keep something so big in my house.

Thats why I am insterested in a MKIV combo. Keep any questions coming. I will post my settings later on.

 

[nickt]

You can actually get the F50 as a head configuration, but mine is a standard combo as well.
I've been through loads of amps, including Line 6 , Engl, Tech 21, but have always lusted after a boogie.
I love the simplicity of the front panel, but, it's so loud, even at rehearsals, you can't crank the power stage, hence the reason for considering a hotplate.
Either that or maybe converting the power tubes to EL84 with some yellowjackets. That'd bring the power output down to about 20W.

 

[puppetzmaster]

Sounds interesting. I know what you mean, I can never get the amp working, its just too powerful. If I play with a drummer, I hardly need to take the gain master past 9:00, else we would just get thrown out of the rehearsal rooms.

Here are the settings I am currently using.

Clean
Gain 12:00
Treble 1230
Mid 1200
Basss 1100
Rev 1030

Gain
Gain 2:30
Treble 1:30
Mid 1:30
Basss 9:00
Rev 9:00

These would probably change were I able to crank it further, but because I live at home, this is not very often right now. I bought this amp with a view to the future, because as of now, I rarely can use any of its potential. I find that before I get to the stage where the amp is 'starting to work' its very bassy, but once you get it cranked into that stage its fine.

I never turn the contour off, because it just doesnt sound good to me. I have the FX mix running about 45% on the back.

I just got my guitar back yesterday with my new pickups, and the cleans are lovely, but I need to change them so that the gain is more dominant. I have them in parallel right now, but am going to change to see how they sound in series.

Anyone got any experience of differences between the two?

 

[puppetzmaster]

You can actually get the F50 as a head configuration, but mine is a standard combo as well.
I've been through loads of amps, including Line 6 , Engl, Tech 21, but have always lusted after a boogie.
I love the simplicity of the front panel, but, it's so loud, even at rehearsals, you can't crank the power stage, hence the reason for considering a hotplate.
Either that or maybe converting the power tubes to EL84 with some yellowjackets. That'd bring the power output down to about 20W.

So you going to share your settings then?

 

[CudBucket]

I had an F50 combo. Sold that to go to a Mark IV combo and then sold that to get the Mark IV short head/recto cab I have now.

I had the same experience with the F50. I loved the cleans but wanted more gain. I almost bought another F50 on clearance from Guitar Center because I thought I could get my tone out of it if I spent more time with it but in the end I passed.

They're excellent amps. They look great too.

 

[nickt]

I'll deffo share my settings when I've worked out what they are!
I've only rehearsed it once, and will give it another work out this Friday.
still trying to get a decent "Sandman" tone without resorting to pedals..

 

[puppetzmaster]

I had an F50 combo. Sold that to go to a Mark IV combo and then sold that to get the Mark IV short head/recto cab I have now.

I had the same experience with the F50. I loved the cleans but wanted more gain. I almost bought another F50 on clearance from Guitar Center because I thought I could get my tone out of it if I spent more time with it but in the end I passed.

They're excellent amps. They look great too.

Wow, so you were in the same position as me. Tell me ALL about it!!! Please, what did you find the differences to be? Is it true that mk4's have to be loud, or is it the same as with any other amp?

 

[Sunrise]

Hey! I have a F-50 Combo on order, should arrive in couple of weeks.

Have you used any overdrive pedals to fuel your F-50?

 

[CudBucket]

Puppetz,

We all know that tube amps sound better louder. Given that, we're always looking for our tube amps to sound better at lower volumes. I found that my Mark IV combo (widebody) never quite got where I wanted it. I just chalked it up to being a Mark IV and you know how much time you have to spend with them to find the tone. That started wearing thin on me and got very discouraged with it.

Then, one night, I walked into Guitar Center after XMas and as I'm about to leave, I see a Mark IV short head sitting on top of a vertical 2x12 recto cab. First, I admire it and then I do a double take because I see a price tag that reads:

"New Mark IV Head $1229. Get Free Cabinet!". They were having a clearance sale and had just marked it up before I arrived. Otherwise, it wouldn't have lasted at that price. $2200 worth of Mesa gear for $1000 off!!!

Despite my shock, I walk out, get in my truck and freeze. I call my wife, explain how great a deal it is and promise to sell my combo, Carvin head and Avatar cab to have this.

I go back in to the store, and plug in with a Schecter. Immediately, I notice 3 important things. Three things that confirmed for me, why I love Mark IVs.

1) Tight, punchy, projected bottom end!!! Thanks to the recto cab.
2) Hey! Sounds GREAT at low volume. Probably due to several things but the cabinet came into play again.
3) I can get great tones out of this amp in 5 seconds!

So there you have it. For me, the open combo cab and Black Shadow 90 just weren't working. For me, it's gotta be a head and recto cab. Or at least, a closed cab with V30s. Doesn't necessarily have to be a Mesa.

I'll add one more thing and then shut up. The head had Mesa tubes in it of course. Tubes that probably had been broken in real well since it was a floor model. When I got it home, I swapped them with the new JJ tubes that were in my combo. These tubes might not have had 3 hours on them. And at this point, I'm not sure if I prefer them over the stock Mesa tubes. I'm sticking with them though because I feel I should at least break them in and then decide. I've just picked up a Hotplate and I know this will speed up the break in period for the tubes.

Good luck.

Dave

 

[CudBucket]

Hey! I have a F-50 Combo on order, should arrive in couple of weeks.

Have you used any overdrive pedals to fuel your F-50?

I used the Fulltone Full Drive 2. Great pedal. There are others too: Tonebone, Bottle Rocket, V-Twin, etc.

 

[puppetzmaster]

Thanks for the detailed reply! Was just thinking, how long is it until you would consider tubes broken in..? I know volume etc and drive would have an effect...

 

[nickt]

I just got round to ordering a hotplate, so I'll report back next week when I've cranked the power!

 

[yawner]

Alrighty then.....this is a very nice looking board.

I've had a short head for about a year and a half. As everyone knows, it's a ferociously loud beast, so I do run it with an 8ohm hotplate. I've never tried any other attenuater so I could'nt comment. I currently blow through a homebuilt 2x12 with Eminence Swamp Thangs. I currently play an SG standard, lespaul classic & prs se with P94s.

At first I could'nt get a higher gain sound I liked without cranking it till the windows broke and the cops came so I got the hotplate. Everyone knows the clean side is magnificent. The hotplate works wery well except at very low settings where alot of definition is lost and it gets fizzy...but I guess it's still useful for practice but at gig and rehearsal levels..ya gotta turn it up.

I've also used a number of stomps in front. I don't use effects through the loop. I'm not a big consumer of 'boo-teek' ODs but do at least own a zvex sho and a 2in1 superduper. I've tried an mxr zakk wylde and now a digitech screamin' blues....highly recommended...a very 'open' & transparent OD that really kicks the amp's rearend....careful on the treble tho.

Speakers, stomps, tubes....all these things make difference of course and it's been worth my while to tinker with them....especially speakers. I can't recommend the new Eminence line highly enough.

All in all, it's a great no frills amp that's pretty rugged and makes a good base to conduct that neverending tone search. But......ya gotta crank it. 8)

 

[nickt]

I've also used a number of stomps in front. I don't use effects through the loop. I'm not a big consumer of 'boo-teek' ODs but do at least own a zvex sho and a 2in1 superduper. I've tried an mxr zakk wylde and now a digitech screamin' blues....highly recommended...a very 'open' & transparent OD that really kicks the amp's rearend....careful on the treble tho.

Hey Yawner..interesting stuff, I'm thinking about a Zakk to go with the hotplate, so you'd recommend?

Nick

 

[yawner]

Oh yeah......Zakk W is a very good commercial OD. I've seen other players compare it to a boss SD1 and have said it's no different but to me it's got way more harmonics, a bit more gain and the eq has a wee bit more range.
Sounds good through the clean channel as a stand alone and boosts the lead channel like crazy...lots of sustain.
All this gain, by the way, is gonna boost the hum factor a bit so I run an ISP Decimator at the end of the chain. That and a tuner in the front is the extent of my pedal chain.