My first Mesa Boogie, a MkIIb. Advice?

[janarn]

Hi, I'm new at the forum, and i have just bought my first Mesa Boogie.
It's a 60w '81 MkIIb with a mod done on the effect-loop.
Hard wood, reverb, and no EQ. Original speaker was damaged,
and is replaced with a Celestion Century 60w speaker.
What will be the best speaker for this amp?
Any good advises for a new MB user, and opinions on the amp?

Thanks

 

[JOEY B.]

The EVM-12L is a good speaker choice. Does the amp have a knob on the rear of the chassis that is marked "Post FX Level" ?

 

[janarn]

Yes, and the knob has a mark arond 8. It's written "POST FX LVL" vertical
on the left side of the knob.

 

[JOEY B.]

Ok, then read this post by Jim, if you still have problems, send me a PM.

http://forum.grailtone.com/viewtopic.php?f=27&t=35150&p=254612#p254612

 

[angelo]

I have some Mark advice that has nothing to do with speakers.

Don't dial in the knobs like your favorite Marshall or Fender. Start with open ears that don't include your eyes seeing certain knobs in certain areas.

 

[GD_NC]

This is probably going to get me in trouble with the Mark lovers but, I'm a big fan of low wattage Celestions a'la marshall and vox. I found the EVM's a bit too sterile and clean. I used to have a 60w MKIIb Head a few years back. I loved playing it through my friend's marshall 4x12.

 

[igfraso]

You can try an Eminence 150W (Black Shadow MS-12).

 

[janarn]

Thanks folks.
The amp is coming in this week, and I will start
out testing it based on tips here. (and my ears)
I'm using Plexi amps and 4x12"cabs, and I guess
this is a completely different amp.
Does a 60w amp really need a 150w speaker?
I'm also a fan of low watt speakers with my Marshalls,
because I love that speaker breakup sound.

 

[gonzo]

i run my 60 w boogie into a single celestion heritage G12, but i also use an attenuator to dial it about halfway down....

it's not a bad idea, to have a beefy speaker if you're going to run it at loud stage volume, when i use it for that, i use (2) 1x12 cabs, both with a 75 w driver...

when i first got the boogie, i used a 4x12 with EV SRO's in it, and good god, was it loud...
too loud...

so i went to multiple single cabs, and put a SRO into one of them, and that was plenty to handle anything...

so, it'd be very similar to the 150 w driver you're talking about...

but if you're using it for recording, you might want to re-think the setup.

 

[gonzo]

the avatar, has the heritage g12....
it's a closed back cab, so it gets that vintage sound pretty authentically....

it's low watts, so it breaks up pretty quick, when driven hard...
but i use the weber to find the sweetspot of the amp, and to protect the speaker to a degree...

 

[Drewtone]

I have some Mark advice that has nothing to do with speakers.

Don't dial in the knobs like your favorite Marshall or Fender. Start with open ears that don't include your eyes seeing certain knobs in certain areas.

+1 on this advice... these amps reward exploration without preconception.

 

[sbalderrama]

advice? turn it up.

 

[janarn]

Yeah, but with whitch of the five volume controls?

I use a boost for lead sound on my Marshalls. How does a boost work with a MkII?

Will a 60w M/B work well with a Celestion Heritage G12-65?

A single G12-65 can handle a 50w Marshall.

 

[JOEY B.]

Yeah, but with whitch of the five volume controls?

The overall volume is set with the rear "Post FX Level" control. If you are using anything in the effects loop, the Master (front panel) acts like the effects send level. I would start with Volume 1 set around 7-8 and Master around 3-4. Use the Lead Master (Lead Drive to taste) to equalize the volumes between the channels, and turn the Post FX Level to set the final volume. Depending on how you set the bass side of the EQ and how loud you play, the 65 watt Celestion could have a short lifespan. :shock:

 

[Janglin_Jack]

I liked the EV best with that amp. I also found settings that got me a nice pushed clean sound and that Santana singing sustain. I forgot the combination of settings, since it has been years. I didn't find the amp very versatile due to the shared controls, but what I did find, I loved.

Jack