Mesa through a Marshall

[barryswanson]

For the last couple of months I have had my Mark V head running through a Marshall JCM 900-Lead 1960 cab I have had for about 16 years. The sound I get out of this thing is incredible and once I started running EL34's in the V I just can't get enough of this fantastic super crunchy tone. I think from memory the cab has Celestion GT-75's or something in it, not sure if that the correct model of speaker but it's close. I seem to run it IIC+ mode mostly with the 80hz slider about neutral and with a slight scoop of the mids and its just producing multi-able ear-gasms. I also just bought a dual rectifier but find myself going back to the Mark V all the time. I also have a Klon KTR for just a slight clean boost. Man, I could go on about this all day but you gotta try it for yourself. I'm not sure if the cab being voiced for EL34 Marshalls has much to do it wit it but it just rocks!

 

[dlpasco]

You seem to have forgotten to include the link to your audio clip.

WANT.

 

[barryswanson]

Dude, I have no recording equipment sorry. Something I would like to get into but it sounds like another expensive hobby!

 

[Chester]

+1

I run all my Mesa's through Marshall cabs, with either 6L6's and EL34's depending on my mood. The G12T - 75's are my base sound, and can dial most amps in more easily through these cabs. The Roadster is excellent with 34's, but I tend to flit between both in the MKV

Great that we have the option to change tube types on our favourite Mesa amps ... not many other manufacturers give us that level of flexibility :mrgreen:

 

[Zlofengir]

Hey Barry, since changing to EL-34's, do the higher gain modes (Tweed, Mk I, Extreme) seem louder than the others to you? I put some 6CA7's in my combo with a vintage EV-12L, and now, it is an absolute BEAST. Not that it wasn't before, but it seems there's noticeably more output in those modes.

I've also plugged into a vintage Marshall 4x12, and yes, it is a beautylicious tone that emanates forth. Same thing with my Mk II; there's something about the tone of a half stack cab.

 

[thunder100]

You can go a step further

Mesa into a JCM800 poweramp into Marshall 1960 75s or 65s-->Then you are Hetfield



Roland

 

[Zlofengir]

You can go a step further

Mesa into a JCM800 poweramp into Marshall 1960 75s or 65s-->Then you are Hetfield



Roland

Ouch!! Yer talkin' KILLER tone now, Thunder!!! But, I'll one up ya; Mark V into Mk II power amp... Or vice versa. :twisted:

 

[4406cuda]

I use to play a Mesa Boogie Studio Preamp through a pair of JCM 800's in stereo with a pair of Marshall 4 x 12'a.

I bought a pair of these little boxes from Kasha that had a 12AX7 tube in it and had a cable that plugged in to a empty 12AX7 socket in the Marshall. I would plug my guitar signal in to the Kasha box and it would bypass the Marshall preamp section. In my rack I had a TC Electronics 2290, Quadraverb, Rocktron Hush IIC, etc. That was around 1990.

Those were the days!

 

[barryswanson]

Hey Barry, since changing to EL-34's, do the higher gain modes (Tweed, Mk I, Extreme) seem louder than the others to you? I put some 6CA7's in my combo with a vintage EV-12L, and now, it is an absolute BEAST. Not that it wasn't before, but it seems there's noticeably more output in those modes.

I've also plugged into a vintage Marshall 4x12, and yes, it is a beautylicious tone that emanates forth. Same thing with my Mk II; there's something about the tone of a half stack cab.

Yes I have noticed this! Extreme mode has a massive volume boost from memory. I will have to check out the other modes you mentioned tonight.

 

[Zlofengir]

Yes I have noticed this! Extreme mode has a massive volume boost from memory. I will have to check out the other modes you mentioned tonight.

For sh!ts and giggles. I put my old Mesa 6L6's back in, and I noticed that it does it with those also, just not as much as with 6CA7's; I like the Tweed mode sounds with them, but I prefer the Mk I, and all of Channel 3 with 6L6's, for that classic Boogie mojo.

 

[Jedro]

There's something about the EL34s that I love. Some of my favorite tones are classic Marshall, so maybe that's why I lean that way. I was never content with my tone when I used 6L6s, though I had a Triaxis/395 at the time.

And there doesn't seem to be a classic Mesa speaker. Marshall had the Celestion Greenback, or in this case the GT75. So if you wanted to go for a certain tone, that was something you could identify. Mesa cabs were always a gray area for me.

 

[Zlofengir]

There's something about the EL34s that I love. Some of my favorite tones are classic Marshall, so maybe that's why I lean that way. I was never content with my tone when I used 6L6s, though I had a Triaxis/395 at the time.

And there doesn't seem to be a classic Mesa speaker. Marshall had the Celestion Greenback, or in this case the GT75. So if you wanted to go for a certain tone, that was something you could identify. Mesa cabs were always a gray area for me.

Being a long time Marshall guy, I love the tones produced by EL-34's; but, I have always appreciated the 6L6 vibe of Mesa amps too. Earlier this year I retubed my Mk V with 6CA7's just to see what the difference was, and it changed my amp into a different kind of monster.

As far as classic Mesa speakers go, back in the late 70's / early 80's, Eminence MS-12's were the stock speaker, EVM-12, and Celestion MC90 were offered as options. IMHO, the EV is the quintessential Boogie speaker; tons of clean headroom, crisp breakup, and can take every watt you throw at it, then laugh at you when your eardrums collapse from the sheer loudness... :twisted: