New to Boogie's and need help! 2X12 MESA Roadster owner.

[metalhd77]

Hey guys!

I am a new MESA owner and need some help as far as trying to figure out how to dial in sounds and hook everything up the correct way. I just got a Roadster 2X12 combo a couple months ago for its versatility (or so I thought). Does anyone out there even remotely like channel 2? I think it sounds like crap! I wanted to dial in a low gain rhythm sound, (Petty, old Aerosmith, Stones, etc) for channel 2, and only use channel one for the cleans. Has anyone tried some better preamp tubes that give a little more gain for the channel two preamp? It seems like the tube gets over driven way too quick before it can get a decent low gain sound. I am using it in vintage mode.

Also, I am having trouble with the solo boost feature. It seems like more of a treble/volume boost, as people are covering their ears from the icepick highs it produces. Would it be better to use a tubescreamer for leads and just use the solo boost feature to compensate for the volume change when switching to the modern mode in channel 3 and 4? The amp seems very solid and well built, but I am not feeling good about my purchase so far. Maybe I need to just change all the tubes to something better? I heard that MESA tubes are chinese, and when they pass MESA's specs, they then print their name on them. Anyone have any experience with better tubes to make the whole amp sound better?

I think I am just not used to tube amps anymore. Or MESA's are just a different animal when it comes to dialing them in? I've had Marshall and Peavey tube amps before and never had much of a problem getting my sound. I then wanted to make my rig simpler to set up and tear down, and also eliminate "tap dancing" so for a couple years I was running line 6 modeling gear. Didn't have the patience or the time to sit all night and try to navigate through all the menus to find my tone, so I got sick of the modeling crap after a bad experience with Line 6's Bogner tube powered Spider amp. JUNK!

So here I am again, with another new tube amp, and back to tap dancing on pedals. I am just having problems when it comes to where and how to run my effects chain. I have a noise suppressor, pedal that is supposed to quiet the front end and also has the loop connections to connect to the loop to quiet the preamp section before it hits the power tubes. Is it better to have a separate noise gate specifically for the loop and just use the NS-2 for the front end? Another problem is I don't have the sustain that I would expect from a high end tube amp. I tried a compressor and it is better, but the amp squeels bad when the strings are muted. Here is my chain. Epi Les Paul Custom--Line 6 G50 wireless--TU-2 tuner--Morpheus droptune (junk, and will probably be taken out of my signal soon as I get another guitar) VP Junior--Dunlop wah--Sonic Stomp--NS-2--Front end of amp. Should the Sonic stomp be in the loop only? Also, I have a TC Nova delay, and was wondering if I should try running it through the front end or keep it in the loop. I heard that loops should only be used for high end rack units, but I think the delay sounds good in the loop. If any of you have any suggestions, please let me know. I use the amp for mainly classic rock, 80's metal, Modern hard rock, and a splash of country. Thanks

-Jason

 

[screamingdaisy]

Hey guys!

I am a new MESA owner and need some help as far as trying to figure out how to dial in sounds and hook everything up the correct way. I just got a Roadster 2X12 combo a couple months ago for its versatility (or so I thought). Does anyone out there even remotely like channel 2? I think it sounds like crap! I wanted to dial in a low gain rhythm sound, (Petty, old Aerosmith, Stones, etc) for channel 2, and only use channel one for the cleans. Has anyone tried some better preamp tubes that give a little more gain for the channel two preamp? It seems like the tube gets over driven way too quick before it can get a decent low gain sound. I am using it in vintage mode.

Vintage mode is a high gain channel. The original Rectos had two modes... Vintage High Gain and Modern High Gain. The idea was that Modern was a little more powerful and great for riffing, where Vintage had more midrange and was great for soloing.... although people were free to use either however they wanted. The gist is that both had equal gain.

If you're looking for low gain sounds try Brit, Tweed, or Raw modes.

Also, I am having trouble with the solo boost feature. It seems like more of a treble/volume boost, as people are covering their ears from the icepick highs it produces. Would it be better to use a tubescreamer for leads and just use the solo boost feature to compensate for the volume change when switching to the modern mode in channel 3 and 4?

If the amp is correctly dialled in there should be no volume change unless you specifically want one (it's common to dial in distortion tones to be slightly higher in volume).

As for icepick highs, what speakers are you using?

The amp seems very solid and well built, but I am not feeling good about my purchase so far. Maybe I need to just change all the tubes to something better? I heard that MESA tubes are chinese, and when they pass MESA's specs, they then print their name on them. Anyone have any experience with better tubes to make the whole amp sound better?

Typically, I really like the New Sensor Tung-Sol RI. The problem is that none of the Russian tubes are built to spec anymore and they don't survive use in cathode follower positions. Since the Chinese tubes are the only ones that are built reliable enough to use in cathode follower circuits it kind of limits your options. I believe JJs are also usable, but they typically suffer from loss of gain and a duller sound compared to other tubes (although some people like this effect).

Long story short, in the Roadster the cathode followers are the V3 and V5 positions. So, make sure you're using a Chinese tube in those positions. The other ones are a free for all.

I haven't had any issues with Mesa's current 6L6s, although if you want to drop the money I recommend the Winged =C= 6L6... as will probably 3/4 of this forum.

I think I am just not used to tube amps anymore. Or MESA's are just a different animal when it comes to dialing them in? I've had Marshall and Peavey tube amps before and never had much of a problem getting my sound.

Marshalls are pretty simple amps to dial in. It's hard to get a bad sound out of them unless you really try... the trade off is that they don't have a lot of flexibility in terms of being able to sound different.

So here I am again, with another new tube amp, and back to tap dancing on pedals. I am just having problems when it comes to where and how to run my effects chain. I have a noise suppressor, pedal that is supposed to quiet the front end and also has the loop connections to connect to the loop to quiet the preamp section before it hits the power tubes. Is it better to have a separate noise gate specifically for the loop and just use the NS-2 for the front end?

I'd only run a noise gate if you're having issues with feedback, and even then I'd limit it to use in front of the preamp so that it works correct across all channels since it'll be triggered by clean guitar volume. Recto's typically run very quiet, and even at relatively high gain settings there shouldn't be a lot of excess noise added by the preamp that needs to be gated in the effects loop to keep the amp quiet.

Another problem is I don't have the sustain that I would expect from a high end tube amp.

This may seem obvious, but you have two noise gates on your amp. Noise gates typically cut sustain, particularly if you have them dialled in to aggressively tame feedback.

Also, don't be surprised if you need to boost for soloing. I know a lot of people get there face in a knot about having to boost an expensive high gain amp, but it's a fact of life that Tubescreamers add compression and compression is good for solos.

I tried a compressor and it is better, but the amp squeels bad when the strings are muted.

How high are the gain levels on your amp?

Epi Les Paul Custom

Cheap pickups have a habit of being microphonic and feeding back easily. I'd upgrade them to a set of wax potted pickups (the potting keeps the coil winding from being vibrated by the amp at high volume levels). Should cut down on both noise and squealing.

I have a TC Nova delay, and was wondering if I should try running it through the front end or keep it in the loop.

Use it in the loop.

 

[ibanez4life SZ!]

^Most of what I was about to say was covered right above.

The Roadster is an amazing amp. I've tried numerous times to move it, but it keeps bumping everything right off (Bogners, other Mesas, Splawns).....take some time to work with it, and I'm sure you'll be rewarded.

You definitely shouldn't be having so many noise problems with the amp. I've considered getting an ISP Prorack G for my setup, but the amp is so quiet it would just be a waste of money (I'm talking channel 4 modern, LOUD).

For mid gain tones, channel 2 is where you want to be. It sounds like you're trying to use channel 3 or 4 (only they have vintage modes), and those modes are WAY high gain. I like overdriving the clean mode, but the other ones sound great too.

On to your problem with sustain...how loud are you playing the amp? The only way you'll get any sort of sustain at a low volume tube amp is with A LOT of preamp gain. It's not what the amps were made for though, and will not sound quite right.

Let us know!

Eric

 

[metalhd77]

Thanks for both of your responses! I really haven't had much time into tweaking the amp too much. My problem is mostly I just want to plug in and it will sound good without doing a little work. My own ignorance.

My biggest ***** is the low gain sounds. I know I said I was using "vintage mode" on channel 2 in my last post, but what I meant was the "Brit" mode. No matter what wattage I have it set on, the gain just isn't there on that mode. It gets real thin sounding the higher your turn the gain up.

As for the solo boost, I think I might just set that up to only set the level difference between the "vintage/raw" and "modern" modes since modern is quite a bit higher. For solos, I will just add a tube screamer as suggested. Guess I really just need to spend like a couple weeks just tweaking my sound. I think MESA is like the "Macintosh of amps", and it takes a little getting used to, and things work a little differently than all the other competition. (Windows, Linux, etc.)

I heard of people putting donut shaped foam inserts inside the baffle opening and gluing them to the back side of the grill cloth. The center has a hole about 3" in diameter. The concept is to change the speaker directivity angle so it doesn't seem as beamy. Typically the angle of sound reaches about 10 degrees from the center of the cone. This modification is supposed to change that angle to 40 degrees. This will probably help me since I never have the amp set up in the same spot for different gigs. Sometimes it will be on a stand pointed up at me, and sometimes it will be in the back of me with the rear casters removed to angle it up.

Have any of you guys tried a speaker attenuator to get more of the cranked amp sound? Does it work? Even on 50 watts, this amp is LOUD!!! I can't even get the master up to half way. I wish it had the ability to get down to 18 watts like the Lonestar. Then you can actually crank it a little more to get some power tube saturation.

I think one of my first things on the list is to try some different tube combinations. Like screamingdaisy said, I'll try some tung sols in the cathode follower positions, and maybe some JJ's for the rest. As for the power tubes, Eurotubes also recommened the "Winged C's." What is the real difference, and how is the reliability? I basically want nice thick low end chunk without getting flubby, and smoother highs. Of course, the Vintage 30's don't help the high end situation as they are a middle of the road speaker. I may try some G12K100's or some Eminance "Swamp Thangs."

The Les Paul is an Epiphone, but it has genuine Gibson pickups in it from a Gibson Studio. They are wax potted pickups.

As far as the noise gate, some of it may be coming from the effects, but not much. Maybe the issue is dirty power? I run the amp directly into the wall wherever we have been playing. I really need to be using a power conditioner for my whole rig. Don't have a rack so, maybe a floor one? Any suggestions? I'd like to get one of those power units specifically for tube amps, but they are like $500!!! I think I can clean up a lot of my issues with just a conditioner.

Thanks again guys, for the suggestions!

-Jason

 

[screamingdaisy]

My biggest ***** is the low gain sounds. I know I said I was using "vintage mode" on channel 2 in my last post, but what I meant was the "Brit" mode. No matter what wattage I have it set on, the gain just isn't there on that mode. It gets real thin sounding the higher your turn the gain up.

Brit was never my favourite mode. Have you tried it in 50w with the tube rectifier on? Should add some nice sag/compression and make it sound a little more natural.

I heard of people putting donut shaped foam inserts inside the baffle opening and gluing them to the back side of the grill cloth. The center has a hole about 3" in diameter. The concept is to change the speaker directivity angle so it doesn't seem as beamy. Typically the angle of sound reaches about 10 degrees from the center of the cone. This modification is supposed to change that angle to 40 degrees. This will probably help me since I never have the amp set up in the same spot for different gigs. Sometimes it will be on a stand pointed up at me, and sometimes it will be in the back of me with the rear casters removed to angle it up.

From what I've read a lot of the people who've tried the donuts eventually remove them. My suggestion is to try dropping the treble knob down on your guitar. It should reduce the sizzle without affecting the overall response of the amp. I typically run mine down around 7... I find it cleans up the signal in a good way.... less fizz.

Also, since I'm assuming this amp is new it may be worth waiting awhile before doing any major mods to it. To date I've broken in a number of V30 loaded cabs and I find they don't sound right until they have about 7 to 10 hours of loud playing on them, at which point they start to sound better and continue to mellow out for another 40 or so hours. They'll keep getting better for years, but that's the period of time I typically notice the largest changes over.

Have any of you guys tried a speaker attenuator to get more of the cranked amp sound? Does it work? Even on 50 watts, this amp is LOUD!!! I can't even get the master up to half way. I wish it had the ability to get down to 18 watts like the Lonestar. Then you can actually crank it a little more to get some power tube saturation.

Me personally, I find I get better results with the master volume than an attenuator. I've tried one numourous times and I always prefer the unattenuated tone better. The trick is to compensate for the reduction in volume by shifting your EQ settings slightly.

I think one of my first things on the list is to try some different tube combinations. Like screamingdaisy said, I'll try some tung sols in the cathode follower positions, and maybe some JJ's for the rest.

JJs in the cathode follower (V3 and V5) and TungSol elsewhere.

As for the power tubes, Eurotubes also recommened the "Winged C's." What is the real difference, and how is the reliability?

I'm not sure what the Winged Cs are like with other amps, but with Mesas they just plain sound good. Reliability has been good for me, and I don't remember seeing any complaints about them.

I basically want nice thick low end chunk without getting flubby, and smoother highs.

EL34s. I don't like the extreme top end I get out of 6L6s.

As far as the noise gate, some of it may be coming from the effects, but not much. Maybe the issue is dirty power? I run the amp directly into the wall wherever we have been playing. I really need to be using a power conditioner for my whole rig. Don't have a rack so, maybe a floor one? Any suggestions? I'd like to get one of those power units specifically for tube amps, but they are like $500!!! I think I can clean up a lot of my issues with just a conditioner.

It's possible. I use a Furman rackmount, but I don't find it makes or breaks the tone. I don't use a gate with my Recto, but I typically have the gain below 11:00 on both the vintage and modern high gain channels.

 

[Bruno Petrucci]

My biggest ***** is the low gain sounds. I know I said I was using "vintage mode" on channel 2 in my last post, but what I meant was the "Brit" mode. No matter what wattage I have it set on, the gain just isn't there on that mode. It gets real thin sounding the higher your turn the gain up.

I had exactly the same problem. Some say to crank the treble but it sounds even worse. You know, when it comes to amps, the tastes vary so much. What is a great sound for some it's not to others.

I tried so hard to like my Roadster, tried all possible eq's, putted an overdrive in front, etc. and I couldn't be happy with this amp, no matter what. I guess that it has an amazing clean, a great rythm sound and a poor british sound and a 'not enough' lead sound for soloing.
But this is true for ME, my playing style, ears and tastes!!! The Roadster is the "last amp" for many and I can really understand. For me, I guess I'm more a Mark series guy and not a Rectifier one.

So, my advice is: Use this forum; there are many people here that can help you to achieve your sound. Use an overdrive in front. It will help a bit. Try an EQ in the loop and spend some time with it. Let your ears guide you, not preconceived ideas

 

[roadster_1]

Try an EQ in the loop and spend some time with it. Let your ears guide you, not preconceived ideas

this.
Mesa's are not "plug-n-play" amps, you have to spend some time tweaking. Usually, it's worth it!

 

[Daxman73]

My biggest ***** is the low gain sounds. I know I said I was using "vintage mode" on channel 2 in my last post, but what I meant was the "Brit" mode. No matter what wattage I have it set on, the gain just isn't there on that mode. It gets real thin sounding the higher your turn the gain up.

-Jason

For my personal taste, use the Brit mode with tube rectifier and 50 watts...If you want gain, crank the gain and mids, while keeping the treble rather high (not cranked) and presence low...Use the bass to round it out...Cranking the mids also gives you gain, but I don't always need it...How old are your tubes?...I know this, when I first got mine, I had the same problem, but as my tubes "broke in", everything settled in nicely, including more gain in the Brit mode...Hope this helps.

 

[Heritage Softail]

You have the amp I lust over every time I go in Guitar Center. Lucky!!!

I have tossed the Tung Sol RI in my Rec and MKV. Tried the EL34's JJ and Tesla NOS. All good, variety is nice. Still the Roadster and active EMG's is 'that' sound.

Can't tell you anything on how to dail it in. I just annoy the staff at GC playing it for an hour every other Saturday!! :lol: :lol: :lol: It is easy to get a great metal tone with about 10 secs of dialing. Someday it will ride home with me.

I can say I am jealous. Good luck on your tone quest.

 

[metalhd77]

You know, for metal, I can say the amp is pretty good. If that is what you are totally into. I like metal, and grew up listening to Metallica, GNR, Crue, Megadeth, Ozzy, etc. However, I thought this amp was supposed to almost be the jack of all trades, so that is why I got it. My Sweetwater rep said that for a cover band, this amp will sound "amazing!." I'd have to disagree!! At least stock anyway. The cleans are pretty fantastic, except on channel 2. I wanted to get sort of a low gain rhythm sound and it will not do it. It's okay if you have it on the diode rectifier, but still seems like the preamp tube can't handle what I want to get out of that channel for gain. The two dirty channels are HORRIBLE!! At least for what I like. They are way too compressed sounding, and really really harsh. No warmth at all. I either need to find some different tubes to add some warmth, or send this thing down the line and check out some other amps. Never thought I would ever have this many troubles with this expensive of an amp. There are many options, but I just think there need to be some modifications to fit my taste.

What do some of you guys do to get a lead sound with your dual and triple recs? If I just use the solo function of the amp, it sounds like crap. Like when the amp is behind me at a show, I'll hit solo, and I will notice a slight boost in volume, but to me it seems like only the frequency changes, and most of the sound is blowing right past me, even when I have the amp on a stand directed at me. But, the amp was killing people in the crowd from the icepick highs. Apparently some acoustics issues? I am going to try this method of putting foam inside the speaker baffle that I heard about. You cut out some acoustic absorbing foam to the shape of your baffle, and put a 3 inch hole in the center. Apparently, it will make it so you hear the same thing anywhere in the room? I seen some other posts on this forum about other guys doing it. Some Jay guy that owns his own loudspeaker company.

Anyway, the solo function is a joke on this amp. Especially if you have the master volume low. If you crank the master into the second gain stage, then the solo will really get loud. I picked up a digitech "bad monkey" hoping that it will be similar to the more expensive tube screamer. Then for solos I can just use that to make it a bit hotter.

One thing is definitely for sure, I really hate being a guitarist right now! Problem after problem, and tons of money invested (not as much as some of you I'm sure) and the wife already is getting pissed at my spending habits. I keep losing money on all this gear that I buy and then have to sell it to take a loss. Wish we had some decent guitar shops in my area. I have to drive at least 90 minutes to get to a guitar center or a musicgoround.

I am open to suggestions at this point. Basically I want this amp to be good at more than just metal. I want to be able to get a classic british type crunch sound as well. I haven't tried an eq yet. Still trying to get used to the ridiculously touchy eq on each channel. Maybe I'm not a MESA guy? Sorry for my bitchin' guys, but I am at the breaking point with this stuff right now.

 

[screamingdaisy]

My Sweetwater rep said that for a cover band, this amp will sound "amazing!."

It would if your goal was to cover modern stuff. It seems like just about everything recorded in the last 15 years has had a Recto in it somewhere. Still, if you're after classic British crunch you're rocking the wrong amp. I could give you a list of things to try that can smooth out the top end and bring out more mids, but they won't change the basic character of the amp... it will always sound like a Dual Recto.

There comes a time and place where you have to think about whether it's worth sinking more money into an amp that isn't what you need.

I am open to suggestions at this point.

5 of the 5 bands you listed use Marshall (albeit Metallica is more closely identified with the Mark IIC+ and Mark IV tone). Totally different sound from the Recto. If you want to stick within the Mesa family you should check out the ElectraDyne. If you like your Roadster's clean channel you like the cleans on the ED. Channel 2 is more Plexi-ish and channel 3 is up into JCM800 territory.

 

[metalhd77]

So I am thinking of ditching this amp and going for the Egnater Tourmaster, as it is still a 4 channel amp and is also switchable to go all the way down to 10 watts per channel. However, I still haven't tried a few things that might help?

I haven't used the amp in Spongy mode yet. Would this give me a warmer tone by putting all the dirties down to 50 watts and using the tube rectifiers? Also, I haven't used it in raw mode on the two dirty channels. Will this give me that Van Halen brown sound? I still think they made a bad choice in preamp tubes.

I just want to get rid of the tight compressed sound it has. To me it is just really weird. It seems like it's really not that gainy of an amp as dual recs are known for, because the sustain and harmonics are horrible. I can't even do pinch harmonics or get natural harmonics very well on it. It is just really scooped sounding no matter where the eq's are set. I want to be able to play AC/DC, Skynard, GNR, etc. To me, channels 3 and 4 are just way too harsh. Would a complete tube change to warmer tubes help? I'd like to try everything possible before getting rid of this amp and taking a huge loss on a trade at Guitar Center.

I have heard sound clips on youtube, that didn't sound too bad, but I don't know if the amps are all stock or if they have made a bunch of mods (power transformer? tubes? speakers?) or what.

It's just really cramping my style right now. My playing is really suffering right now because I have so much concentration on trying to get this thing sounding good. I would rather spend a little more money on this ($100-$200) on different tubes that may fit my needs better, than take a huge loss by trading it! Guitar Center will only give me like 60% of what I paid with 10% off on the new amp. That is not worth it!! This MESA is brand new! Are my expectations just too high? Should I give the amp another couple months before making a decision?

Thanks in advance for any suggestions


-Jason

 

[jetdriver]

How loud are you playing it? You've got to open it up to see it's true potential. Most 100W high gain amps sound like *** at bedroom levels - they're just not made for that.

 

[jbird]

Either before or after (since) your acqusition, have you entertained yourself with the video demo of the Roadster on the Mesa sight? It's quite a versatile instrument! It can cover all genres with proper attention! :idea:

 

[volatileNoise]

Ch2 vintage takes totally different tweaking IMO.

Less gain, more bass, less mids, more treble, a bit of presence etc. compared with ch3 modern anyway...

I gave you some settings to try on ch3 with your last thread you posted, anyway have fun.

*edit - and yeah you have to try spongy!

 

[Rocker]

Dude,

Change all of the preamp tubes. The original Mesa's are pure garbage. Here's how I have Min set up, and it made a HUGE difference!

V1= Mid 1950's RCA vintage long black plate with D getter. (This one is where 90% of your tone comes from, and the RCA's are pure magic.)
V2 = RFT NOS (Very important for proper gain in all channels. The RFT is a very high gain bottle and other tubes sound weak in comparison in this position.)
V3 = Penta Labs Select Shuguang (Chinese tubes are necessary n V3 and V5 -- Cathode follower positions)
V4 = Tung Sol RI
V5 = Penta Labs Select Shuguang
V6 = Tung Sol RI with balanced triodes

Dog's Tubes is a great source for the new tubes. Believe it or not, eBay is best for the vintage tubes. All in, this should cost you around $180.

You won't believe your ears when you hear (or should I say feel) the difference. I also use a hot plate attenuator to push the power tubes without blowing the windows out of my house. It works.

Be Patient! The sounds are in there, but the Roadster is a living, breathing beast that requires attention and care. It is NOT a plug-n-play amp, but once you get the beast tamed, it is indeed The Last Amp that you'll ever need.

Craig

 

[volatileNoise]

Dude,

Change all of the preamp tubes. The original Mesa's are pure garbage.
Craig

Man I can't understand these sorts of statements, maybe some people own some dead toneless guitars! :lol:

Only thing I have changed in my Recto is the power tubes to Winged C's and that has filled out the sound just nicely, and the tone with tweaked settings is killer. And everyone complains about the cleans... Why? My clean channel is sweet, with good sustain and a warm tone. It is ALL in the settings.

(Although, on the odd occasion when I have plugged in my early 90's Epiphone, the tone does struggle)

 

[metalhd77]

Thanks for the info guys!

Yes, I was thinking about buying the 12AX7 Cocktail from Doug's Tubes just to see what kind of difference it makes. I have a LOT to learn when it comes to dialing in MESA's!! Played an hour set at a benefit last night, and the sound was just horrible! :evil:

It's like all I can get out of the amp is shrill high end no matter what I do. And forget about sustain! And no I don't play a toneless guitar, unless you guys think Les Paul's are toneless! I have a 2002 Epi LP black beauty with Gibson studio pickups. I've seen vids of dudes playing bone stock PRS SE customs and it sounded awesome.

My other guitar player in the band plays a lonestar, and that thing will kick the Roadster's *** into the ground, especially when driving the front end with a nice overdrive pedal. He runs a metal zone for most of the stuff that needs a little grit. Sounds pretty good, although even his sound was a little more twangy than usual last night, but I think it had to do with the acoustics of the hall we were playing in. Sound was bouncing all over.

One change I made to the amp was the Jay Mitchell speaker directivity mod........

Bought some acoustically absorbant foam and cut it to fit in the baffles inside the grill. Has a 3 inch hole in the center. It is supposed to help tame the highs and distribute the sound waves in a more omni directional way. Similar to a beam blocker but different. I think it sounds like a blanket over the speakers. Have to turn the presence up a bit.

-Is it really worth spending $140 on new glass for this thing if I'm not already 75-80% happy with the sound? Or should I be playing some other amps? I have to drive 3 hours round trip to get to the nearest guitar center. Anyway, I put my amp on ebay so maybe someone will buy it. It's a fine piece of work, but such a hard amp to get a good sound out of. I shouldn't have to spend 3 weeks with something and still not get a tone I can't cope with!

 

[domct203]

It's like all I can get out of the amp is shrill high end no matter what I do. And forget about sustain!

My '73 Custom is thick and singing through my Roadster. Have you tried rolling back your tone knob a bit?

One change I made to the amp was the Jay Mitchell speaker directivity mod........

Been there, done that (beam blockers as well). I ended up removing them.

-Is it really worth spending $140 on new glass for this thing if I'm not already 75-80% happy with the sound?

IMO, no.

Have you tried the amp with any other speakers/cabs? Speaker and cabinet choice will usually have more influence on tone than tubes. The V30 can be a shrill sounding speaker, you might like the C90 (or a mix of V30/C90) better.

My other guitar player in the band plays a lonestar, and that thing will kick the Roadster's *** into the ground, especially when driving the front end with a nice overdrive pedal.

Have you tried an o'drive with your Roadster? Also, does the other guitarist have a head or combo? If it's a head, maybe you can try his cabinet to see if anything changes for you.

Good Luck,

Dom

 

[Bruno Petrucci]

-Is it really worth spending $140 on new glass for this thing if I'm not already 75-80% happy with the sound? Or should I be playing some other amps? I have to drive 3 hours round trip to get to the nearest guitar center. Anyway, I put my amp on ebay so maybe someone will buy it. It's a fine piece of work, but such a hard amp to get a good sound out of. I shouldn't have to spend 3 weeks with something and still not get a tone I can't cope with!

I think not. Even if you buy new tubes what will happen is: Even though the new tubes will produce a noticeable change, this change will hardly meet your expectations right now. And you will spend $140+ and end up beeing not satisfied enough... again!

I've just sold my Roadster and although I know it is a great amp, it is not for me. And my problems were almost like yours (Channel 2- never found a great sound out of it; channel 3- never could get good enough lead sounds from it). In sum, it wasn't tight enough for my tastes.
Try other amps. Usually, guys who don't like 'loose' amps will like tight ones. Like a Rectifier vs Mark series sound. In my case, I'm leaning towards the EVH 5150 III which is more in the Mark series vein than Rectifier's.

If you will give another change on the Roadster, why not change from 6L6's to EL34's first?? This one is much more common and I believe will make the amp sound tighter and maybe towards your tastes.


Good luck