Not liking my new Royal Atlantic - speakers/tubes to blame?

[ThatDamnSG]

I've had my RA-100 for a week now and I'm sad to say, its just not doing it for me. After watching/hearing demos I was really excited about it, then left kinda deflated. I'm wondering if my cab/speakers are part of the problem. I already had a Mesa 2X12 3/4 back with C90's. The RA however seems to be usually paired with V30's...the RA cabs, the combo, all have V30's. Overall, mine doesn't sound like a "big" amp should IMO.

One problem I'm having is its way too smooth sounding. Usually with Brit/EL34 based amps I'm used to a more "urgent" and percussive tone and fast pick attack response. The RA, to my ears, at least with my cab, seems to sound slow, for lack of a better term.

Another issue is with the master volume taper on my amp. The volume doesn't actually start to doing anything and getting loud at full wattage until the volume knob is almost a 3rd of the way up, around 10-11 o'clock. Anything below that is weak or sounds muted/fuzzy/blanketed. Power tube issue? I got the amp through Sweetwater. Spoke to my sales person last week who said someone from their "techinical dept" would be contacting me.....never happened. Thinking I may have gotten a dud.

 

[Cory]

Could be the speakers...or even your open back cab - I have zero experience with C90's, but I have a closed back 2x12 recto cab loaded with V30's and I do not have the same complaints. Not sure how C90's are voiced, but V30's are great for that mid-range punch normally found in Marshalls, etc. I feel like I get a nice tight response from my recto cab with the RA too (not like death metal chugging tight, but if you want that you might want to change amps, haha). Also, are you running it in 100 watt or 50 watt mode? The RA is definitely has more "grit" to it in 100 watt mode - it is more on the smoother side running at 50 watts (which I prefer). As for the volume issue - there's definitely a point on my RA where it goes from no volume to "on" - it's not a very smooth transition - anything in between those two points does not sound good - but I run my masters around 9 (if I have the multi-soak option off) and it sounds great - nice and full (as full as running a tube amp at low volumes can be anyways). I usually use the multi-soak for all three channels, even it it's just one click over, it still thickens everything up and allows you to warm up your tubes a little more. I think if you're looking for a noisy/squealy/raunchy amp then the RA may not be for you. I used to have a JVM410h and I just couldn't deal with the bright/brittle top end and all of the noise. The RA is way more refined - that's one of the main reasons I switched. Sweetwater's customer service is normally pretty top notch - I'd give them a few days to get back to you, but anything longer than that I'd be giving them a call back. You might want to contact Mesa directly too and explain you issues, this may help your case in getting Sweetwater to swap your amp for a new one (if that's ultimately what you're looking to do). Hope this helps you out man!

 

[ThatDamnSG]

Thanks Cory. I was thinking of trying some V30's in my cab to see if that helped liven and tighten things up, but at this point I don't feel like spending more money "just to see". Speakers aren't returnable, and last time I bought used speakers they arrived with bent frames.

Maybe its just not the amp for me. I previously had an F50 and also a Marshall JVM205. Both could get very gnarly and in your face. Honestly, the F50's gain channel sounded more Brit than typical Boogie to me. I always said the gain knob had two settings....rude, and ruder Lol. The JVM was more versatile, but could be an obnoxious punk as well if needed. I just had a lot of noise problems with it. I sold both of them to get the RA and now I kinda miss them. The RA is definitely more refined sounding. I'm using SG's loaded with Dimarzio Super D's. The RA actually manages to somehow tame that pickup where as it usually kicks most amps in the ass. I'm going to give my guy at Sweetwater another call tomorrow. I've waited since Weds. The RA just may have to go back.

 

[Cory]

I did a quick google search of "Mesa C90 voicing" and basically a lot of people were saying they are warm/smooth sounding with a darker voicing (voiced more in the mid/low range). Again, I have no experience with them so I can only go by what I've read. How do you have your RA eq'd? Maybe try cranking your gain a little more and backing off on the bass (so things don't get too flubby) - maybe even try bumping up the mids up a bit (to mimic more of a V30 voicing). Also, are you using the multi-soak at all? Try bumping it back just a click or two so that you can crank your master volume a little more - that will heat up your tubes and get it rockin' a little more. Not sure how long you've had your RA, but it's not as simple as it looks - I've read that a lot of people weren't crazy about it at first until the learned to dial it in and now they love it. Good luck man!

 

[ThatDamnSG]

Talked to Sweetwater today, not sure why, but their guy seems to think all my woes will be fixed by replacing the V1 pre amp tube. Not sure I follow his logic there, but I'm going to give a try.

 

[cradlefish]

change the power tubes...more times than not it's those not the preamp.

Don't get TAD. Get EH, JJ or Sovtek or Mullard reissue.

 

[ThatDamnSG]

Sweetwater sent me a single Mesa preamp tube and told me to swap out the V1. I wasn't expecting much but damn was I wrong. Completely woke the amp up and completely fixed what was bugging me about the amp. Oddly the V1 that shipped in the amp was an EHX, not a stock Mesa. I did buy it as a "demo" from Sweetwater so obviously someone swapped that tube out while it was in use prior to me getting it. Long story short....it sounds killer now and is definitely a keeper! I played with it cranked up in full 100 watt mode....my ears are ringing and my cat is hiding.

 

[bandit2013]

I thought I posted on this thread. Oh well, I am posting again.

V30's in a traditional sized 412 cabinet is a great marriage with the RA100. I have tried the RA100 in an EV equipped OS recto 412 cab, not bad but not spectacular either. The small 412 with the V30 on the other hand is what this amp really needs. I am using an Egnator cab with the original Mesa supplied V30's from my Recto cabinet. I am willing to bet that Jensen Black Bird AlNiCo speakers would probably be spectacular but they cost more than EV's. I have a WGS Black Hawk HP 100 which is similar, I will have to try it but may not be feasible considering what it is in at the moment. I will have to try it this weekend, so far I have yet to hear the RA100 through it.

Note: the RA100 has two independent channels. The primary tube for the Hi/Lo channel is V1, secondary is V2. For the clean channel, the primary is V4 and secondary is V5. You could literally remove V1 and V2 and only use the clean channel without any issue or signal loss. Same applies if you remove V4 and V5 (V1 and V2 need to be installed) and use only the Hi/Lo channel. There are only three preamp tubes that are shared between the two channels. V3, V6 and V7. Changing V3 to a different 12AT7 (or a new one) can make a world of difference. V6 is primarily the Reverb send and return. Similar effects can be obtained with a different tube here as well but use a 12AX7. Sometimes if things do not seem bright enough or lacking, it could be V7. I use a long plate Sovtek, but medium plate tubes like a Tung Sol will work great. You do not need a high gain tube for the PI (V7), however the tone will not change much with the PI tube as it will with the primary or secondary tubes in each channel.

Preamp tubes, the Mesa 12AX7A branded (JJ tubes) are almost the best for V4 and V5 (clean channel circuit). I actually prefer the vintage Mesa 12AX7A from the early 90's (square getter Shuguang tubes) which is what I have in V1, V2, V4, V5, and V6. They just can't be beat. I have experimented with Mullard reissue 12AX7 in V1 and V2, really wakes up the Hi/Lo gain channel. Since I only had 6 of these, I am currently using them in my Mark V. I have tried other tubes in the clean circuit (V4, V5) but to no avail, it just kept getting darker. As an alternate, and it sounded good, Tung Sol 12AX7 in all positions except V3 and V7. V3 works well with the Mesa 12AT7 (Shuguang) or any of the NOS 12AT7 that are available (JAN/Phillips, RFT) which actually cost less than some of the current ones. I have an RFT in V3. The phase inverter (V7) I generally use Sovtek LPS with matched triodes, more important for a Class A/B amplifier than a Simul Class type power section. The Sovtek LPS may look like the Mullard reissue, even looks identical to the Gold Lion B759 reissue, they are not the same tubes. I did not have much luck with the Gold Lion, the Mullard was a better tube at a more reasonable cost.

Power tubes, I would recommend SED =C= EL34. Very nice tubes in tone quality and gain structure. The EH EL34 are not bad, same as the Mesa EL34. I have quads of both. Gold Lion KT77 are not bad, they excel in the Mark V but I had them selected for a hot bias. I have tried other EL34 in the RA100, but kept returning to the SED tubes. Will have to try the Mullard EL34's one of these days, maybe EH6CA7 too.