F50 cranked?

[pau_leader]

Who has been able to get full tube breakup/saturation?

With the F50? Its so hard!

 

[phyrexia]

Turn the gain on the second channel all the way down, and turn the master volume all the way up and you get some really cool sounding distortion.

What do you mean, it's hard to do? It's just a matter of turning the amp up enough.

 

[pau_leader]

YEAH, very hard!

Ill try to turn the gain down and volume up.

 

[Surfcaster]

I've done it a couple of times...that is, crank both gain and master. Of course I used a long cord with the amp in one room and me in another just to try to keep the feedback at manageable levels. But to be honest, the sound was waaaaayyyyy too compressed for my tastes. I find I like it best with master volume between 1 and 2 o'clock...good power tube contribution but not too much compression. Of course, it's still freakin' loud...so a Weber Mass attenuator is on my to-buy list.

But one nice thing about Mesa's is that the pre-amp distortion sounds pretty good, even without the power tube breakup.

Jonathan

 

[phyrexia]

that is, crank both gain and master. ... But to be honest, the sound was waaaaayyyyy too compressed for my tastes.

Jonathan

What'd you have the gain set at?

 

[Surfcaster]

I was playing around with it, so I was playing with the gain at different settings. Granted, it was less compressed with low gain settings...even the preamp stage starts compressing at high gain settings, regardless of the master...but to be honest, I don't recall exactly how it was at lower gain settings...I'll just have to play around with it some more!!

 

[Surfcaster]

Okay, I tried it this evening with the gain all the way down and the master pegged. Not too bad, though it sounds better with the gain up just a little...at least to the point it actually engages, but then it's starting to get pretty loud without an attenuator. Then I pulled out my cheap homemade L-pad attenuator and played around with the gain and master a little more. I still maintain that the preamp distortion sounds pretty good on this amp. For the most part I don't think it sounds enough better when you're pushing the power tubes to make it worth the extra wear on them...at least not on a regular basis. Now, this is defintely not true of all amps, but I feel that way about my F-50.

 

[pau_leader]

I think ill try that.

 

[cliff hetfield]

when my amps master is at 9 o clock or greater it starts sounding good. this is with my gain at aound 1 or 2 oclock.

 

[pau_leader]

quote="cliff hetfield"]when my amps master is at 9 o clock or greater it starts sounding good. this is with my gain at aound 1 or 2 oclock.[/quote]

Cool, I need to try it out. i usually have my gain@ 11:00.
And my master @ 8:00.


it sounds good...but I want that edge.

 

[Surfcaster]

Yeah, my 'normal' basement setup is with the master around 9 o'clock and the gain generally at 12 o'clock with 'buckers (but sometimes as low as 8 o'clock and as high as 2 o'clock)...a little higher with SCs. But it's really too loud for basement levels even then...I hope to get a Weber Mini Mass here before to long to help tame it a bit.

 

[j37nm]

The master volume is very sensitive on the F50. I don't hear too much of a difference in volume when comparing 9 o clock & 11:30. However, when it is at 11:30, watch out! The tone fills out perfectly. You can get that singing, smooth santana lead tone. It is incredible. After 11:30 on the volume, I don't hear any more increase in volume. Just more power distortion.

I agree, if you don't have the place to crank the f50, it can be difficult to get power tube distortion. You will definitely wake the family & the neighbors. The attenuator is a good idea. Always remember to get good hear plugs when cranking the volumes!