Maverick On Its Way To Me! What Speaker?

[soundchaser59]

Got a Maverick 1x12 combo on its way to me, all looked over and cleaned up buy one of our respected resident Mesa gurus. But I bought it with no speaker, wanted to use my own speaker. But man I can't decide. The choosing is gonna drive me bonkers! I Love buying speakers! So many speakers, so little $$$$. :lol:

I'll start by telling you up front I don't do Celestions. Just can't bond with them.......unless somebody has a 12 inch Gold they can part with for less than $100 bucks shipped! LOL!! :mrgreen:

Sounds are classic rock, jazz rock, funk with horns, blues rock, lite fusion, lots of clean sustain and smooth over drive leads, no metal, no other worldly effects. Fender Strat and G&L Tele are the guitars.

I really drool over the Amsterdam I found for sale, but it's an alnico, which means the price will probably go up out of my reach before it's all done. Nobody is selling used Tone Tubbys lately, can't afford a new one. Then there is the CRex or maybe a Texas Heat for a smooth Patriot sound that I like. I must confess I really like the low efficiency sound of the Peavey Scorpions, but they have no resale value. If I buy one I'll probably be stuck with it, but it would probably sound good. I guess it's nice to have choices!

In the end, I'm sure I will really like the Maverick, as long as I put the right speaker in it. What would you guys do? One of the above? Or is there some magic Fane or something I'm overlooking? :shock: 8)

 

[RR]

I would chime in since I own a Maverick but you are a member of Weber board and you say you don't like Celestions and you likely have more experience in speakers than me since you post a lot at the Weber board so ... :wink:


Currently I'm using Silver Bell and Blue Dog combo (yes, your's a 1-12" combo). It has a sweet blues tone. But dang, what if I need some dynamics? One amp repair person said : "Try a Tubby Tone Ceramic and Tubby Tone Alnico."

This repair amp person actually gigs with one amp but two different speaker system claiming its actually like having two different amps.

 

[soundchaser59]

Thanks for the info RR.

That's ironic, because I have two different Weber speakers for my Rivera, one hemp cone ceramic and one paper cone alnico, and I can't tell them apart. :lol: I was very surprised doing side by side compare when I realized they both sound exactly the same.

I like the Tone Tubby idea. I've been hearing that one a lot with respect to the Maverick, so I'm getting a very strong draw in that direction. I also have prior experience with Tone Tubby, all good. I'll keep you posted.

 

[RR]

Hmmm kind of interesting about your comparison of hemp cone / ceramic -vs- paper cone / alnico ...

... that means to get a sound of alnico speaker, I should go for hemp cone / ceramic because there's a big saving!!! :lol:

I find the Maverick almost perfect for a gigging amp for my criteria. I say almost perfect because I would like the stack tone to be different than the MESA's rectifier interacting tone controls. Sure the interacting tone controls makes the amp more versatile but I want a more passive tone controls like Black Cats or Vox tube amps or Dr. Z amps.

... anyway, hope you find your amp to your liking. If you like clean, warm clean, chime clean, fine break up to hair-band 80's drive (sorry no metal without a pedal, that rhymes) and anything in-between, Maverick does all this!

p.s. I tried a Lonestar Special. Great amp, but for me I don't need multi-watt / rectifier switching thing. I rather have 33 watt and get to select either silicon or tube rectifier.

 

[soundchaser59]

I find I have settled into the tube rectified sound with the rhythm switch on bright. The ss rectifier is slightly different, and it is a tighter sound, but the tube rec seems a bit warmer and more bluesy like. I imagine a non-musician would say they sound the same, but they really do not.

Someone said I would really like the "Fat" mode, and I really do like it, but the Bright mode is better for clean rhythm playing me thinks. The Fat mode makes the rhythm channel into a nice clean lead channel, if it's cranked up enough to sustain.

I assume I should put it in Standby before I switch the rectifier?

I did go with the Tone Tubby, and I am very impressed with it in this amp.

 

[RR]

Isn't that amp sweet or what?

Yeah, for me having the option of silicon or tube rectifier switch is a great option. I think Randall Smith has, or had a patent on it. I think I saw Bad Cat or Matchless having this option too or decided to go with tube rectifier only.

I know most Boogie owners here leaves the silicon rectifier on. But I'm like you, in tube rectifier mode, there some subtly-ness that you feel in your fingers fretting notes or chords compared to silicon. I like silicon for the heavier stuff (higher gain) or other end headroom clean. Tube rectifier for warm clean".

I think the Tone Tubby 40/40 ceramic kind of gives you both world of ceramic and alnico tone. I have one and may get another (local Craiglist).

I'm planning to put a video clip up playing a LP Deluxe (mini-humbuckers) with the preamp gain high on the lead channel. This amp sound so Dumble-ques because the mini-humbuckers don't mush up like standard size humbuckers. They stay well detailed.

later, Roland

 

[MrMarkIII]

I find I have settled into the tube rectified sound with the rhythm switch on bright. The ss rectifier is slightly different, and it is a tighter sound, but the tube rec seems a bit warmer and more bluesy like. I imagine a non-musician would say they sound the same, but they really do not.

Someone said I would really like the "Fat" mode, and I really do like it, but the Bright mode is better for clean rhythm playing me thinks. The Fat mode makes the rhythm channel into a nice clean lead channel, if it's cranked up enough to sustain.

I assume I should put it in Standby before I switch the rectifier?

I did go with the Tone Tubby, and I am very impressed with it in this amp.

I no longer have a Mav, but as far as I recall, the rectifier tube is *ALWAYS* in circuit, the switch just changes which rectifier is used for the EL-84's, so I would caution against changing the rectifier tube with the power on. If the tube is lit up, there's high-volts running into it, standby or not.

Is the Tubby Alnico, or ceramic?

 

[soundchaser59]

Tubby is ceramic.

 

[soundchaser59]

Actually settled on having the alnico Weber Michigan in the Maverick, and I put the Tubby in an empty DC3 cab I had sitting here.

It was hard to decide between the Michigan or the Amsterdam in the amp, but the hemp cone was just a hair too dark for the Maverick. The Maverick doesn't seem to have the over the top treble end like some of the newer Mesa amps have. The Michigan has been described as dark, too, but it's not dark if it's cranked up and pushed.

 

[RR]

I think the Maverick by design is a bit of dark among the amps of quartet of EL84s (Vox AC30, Matchless DC30, Bad Cat something, Dr. Z's, Bruno).

For me I'm going with ceramics Celestions (or Celestion-copies) for my Maverick*

* I just bought an Vox AC30CC2. Great with Weber Alnico Blues and Silver Bells! Now the Maverick full-fill the higher gain stuff. :wink:

 

[Monsta-Tone]

:mrgreen: :mrgreen: :mrgreen: Glad you like the amp! I kinda miss it, but am headed toward buying another Roadster.......
I always wanted to try a Cannabis Rex or Tone Tubby in it.

On a side note.....the DC-3 is probably going up for sale soon.....just in case the Mav is feeling lonely and needs another Mesa brother to keep it company.....