Received my TC50 today. Wow
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Deadpool_25
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Dondante said:
Awesome! Congrats and welcome to the family! I've been using 6L6s lately but want to try the EL34s again too. I also want to check out the 6V6s in there. Regardless, it's an amazing amp.
I love the TC-50. Sweet amp for a 50W.
Trick for some awesome 70's hard rock, use clean channel set to drive, max the gain almost all the way and adjust the channel volume to taste. You may need to run the bass below noon.
For alternates to the Mesa EL34 STR447, the Mesa 6V6 STR417 are the bomb, it allows you to really get it saturated without killing your ears. The Mesa NOS Siemens EL34 are similar but a bit smoother. Also recommended in the 6L6 variety are the Mesa 5881 STR425 (you would have to get them from the Mesa store as they are not available else where, same would apply for the NOS Siemens tubes). The Mesa 5881 offer a full tone compared to the Mesa 6L6GC STR440. Both are essentially 6L6 tubes.
Trick for some awesome 70's hard rock, use clean channel set to drive, max the gain almost all the way and adjust the channel volume to taste. You may need to run the bass below noon.
For alternates to the Mesa EL34 STR447, the Mesa 6V6 STR417 are the bomb, it allows you to really get it saturated without killing your ears. The Mesa NOS Siemens EL34 are similar but a bit smoother. Also recommended in the 6L6 variety are the Mesa 5881 STR425 (you would have to get them from the Mesa store as they are not available else where, same would apply for the NOS Siemens tubes). The Mesa 5881 offer a full tone compared to the Mesa 6L6GC STR440. Both are essentially 6L6 tubes.
nault.jama
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How do you guys find the amp on the clean? Right now im after eric clapton solo tone, but i want to keep the famous distortion that mesa is known for. Would you say that EC is achievable with this amp?
Depends on what guitar you are using.... For a strat that would work well. I find the clean channel quite nice for many styles of playing. You can get clean as clean can be and driven with the gain for some dirt, or use the drive switch to get an early plexi crunch.
I have used the clean channel with a Piezo bridge and it sounds really good. I would say it is on par with the Mark V clean but just a bit different due to the design of the preamp section and tone from the power tubes. EL34 have a distinctive tone where as the 6L6 or 5881 are quite different. 6V6 will have more grit but can be run quite clean with bold bottom end. If I wanted a true (as true to acoustic tone can be) the Mark V tops however for magnetic pickups, single coils to humbuckers the TC-50 has more character to it. I am amazed that the EL34 actually can sound that good for a clean channel, as it seems when you opt to use the EL34 on the other amps (geared towards the 6L6) they loose that clarity. For tonal balance on all channels actually, the TC-50 does quite well. Clean is my favorite with the TC-50 and I love it just as much as I do my RA100 and Roadster. The amp excels with the other flavors of gain structure too.
I have used the clean channel with a Piezo bridge and it sounds really good. I would say it is on par with the Mark V clean but just a bit different due to the design of the preamp section and tone from the power tubes. EL34 have a distinctive tone where as the 6L6 or 5881 are quite different. 6V6 will have more grit but can be run quite clean with bold bottom end. If I wanted a true (as true to acoustic tone can be) the Mark V tops however for magnetic pickups, single coils to humbuckers the TC-50 has more character to it. I am amazed that the EL34 actually can sound that good for a clean channel, as it seems when you opt to use the EL34 on the other amps (geared towards the 6L6) they loose that clarity. For tonal balance on all channels actually, the TC-50 does quite well. Clean is my favorite with the TC-50 and I love it just as much as I do my RA100 and Roadster. The amp excels with the other flavors of gain structure too.
jnoel64
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Currently, I've been using my TC50 for clean tones only. I also currently use 6V6 power tubes. My clean tone is absolutely amazing, especially through my EVM 12L single 12" cab. I only use the clean mode. It is exactly as it says: Clean. Massive headroom, shimmering, and FULL. If I want a touch of grit, I flip the switch to Drive. But, that honestly never happens with the current band I am in. I do have to dial the highs down a touch, especially for using the Cab Clone, but it definitely rivals my Mark V and RK1 for cleans. The V and RK have more diversity in their clean channels, but my TC gives me exactly what I need. For this band, I primarily use a Strat or Tele with single coils. One Tele has 2 tapped humbuckers that I occasionally use, and it's just as beautiful with that guitar, too.
I have never tried to get a Clapton tone out of any amp I have, but when it comes to Mesa, you can pretty much get any tone you want with any of their amps that have multiple modes per channel. It's all in the tweaking of the knobs and time. There are no shortcuts. The more dials there are, the more time it will take. The RK is almost a life-long quest for tone! My Electra Dyne was easier, with only 6 knobs and 3 modes. But, many have struggled with that amp, too, because of the shared EQ. I guess I just got lucky.
On the TC, believe it or not, all my knobs are set within 10:00 to 2:00; not a ton of variance. Most of my pickups are Seymour Duncan passive pups. I have one EMG packed Strat, and the available tones there are almost limitless due to the SP1 pot. I also use an Emerson blender pot on one Strat that lets me blend in either the neck pickup or bridge pickup in all but the center selector switch setting. My Strat will sound like a Tele if I want it to.
I have never tried to get a Clapton tone out of any amp I have, but when it comes to Mesa, you can pretty much get any tone you want with any of their amps that have multiple modes per channel. It's all in the tweaking of the knobs and time. There are no shortcuts. The more dials there are, the more time it will take. The RK is almost a life-long quest for tone! My Electra Dyne was easier, with only 6 knobs and 3 modes. But, many have struggled with that amp, too, because of the shared EQ. I guess I just got lucky.
On the TC, believe it or not, all my knobs are set within 10:00 to 2:00; not a ton of variance. Most of my pickups are Seymour Duncan passive pups. I have one EMG packed Strat, and the available tones there are almost limitless due to the SP1 pot. I also use an Emerson blender pot on one Strat that lets me blend in either the neck pickup or bridge pickup in all but the center selector switch setting. My Strat will sound like a Tele if I want it to.
I am a Clean Snob. Its amazing! I still haven't made huge adjustments to my knobs. Its just the best amp i have ever played through in every way. It does clean and it does it well. Crank it and it stays clean. Punchy or light and smooth.. everything in between. I am about to order some Eurotubes or mesa 6V6 tubes.
I would recommend the Mesa 6V6 (at least it keeps your Warranty in check). Actually both the 6L6 and 5881 tubes sound great. I have noticed that the 6V6 has a nice bottom end to it, a bit more than the 6L6.
jnoel64
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I believe Eurotubes only sells JJs. So any preamp tubes you get will be the same as what Mesa offers, in theory. The JJ 6V6S tube is a little unique, though. It is designed to handle higher plate voltages than standard 6V6. I have a set of those in my Granger V20 Nitro, which requires the higher voltage. For that amp, I don't have too many options, either JJ or TAD. I've run both in my Granger, and they sound fairly similar to each other in that amp. I only run the Mesa 6V6s in my TC50 to keep from voiding my warranty. At some point, I want to get a pair of Genalex Gold Lion 6V6GTs. I still have a set of Tung-Sols to try as well as another set of TADs. So far, all stock Mesa tubes have really made my amp shine, with the exception of the Mesa 6L6 STR 440. To my ears, they were just flat. I should have my 5881s any time now, though, and those are supposed to be awesome. For now, I just can't stop using the 6V6s. Much easier to push the power section into full bloom and not make my ears bleed.
jnoel64
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I just spent a couple minutes looking at Eurotubes' Mesa re-tube kits. They only seem concerned with having balanced triodes in the phase inverter slot. Since most of Mesa's preamp tube positions often serve multiple functions, I always assumed I should use balanced triodes in ALL preamp sockets.
jnoel64
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That's hard to say. When I order tubes from tubedepot.com or thetubestore.com, I always specify what amp the tubes are for. Both those places know what range of specs Mesa uses (I would assume the same for Eurotubes) and, hopefully, send tubes that fall within that range. So far, so good for me and my online purchases anyway. What I like about the other sellers is their diversity in product offerings; other brands and tube types, etc. For instance, I really like EH 6CA7 tubes in some amps, but I do not care for the JJ 6CA7. Actually, that's not an honest statement. I have never tried the JJs and I probably never will based on all the reviews I've read on them. The EH tubes have always delivered exactly what I expected.
I've read many posts from people who have bought from Eurotubes, and all have been happy. I just refer more variety in product offerings. And, I can get JJs from any seller, cheaper. I've even bought tubes from tubesforamps.com and haven't had a bad experience yet. I tend to use thetubestore.com as a reference point since they have done reviews on the tubes they sell. I have used dougstubes.com a couple times, but after looking at their tube cocktails, I found them to be somewhat generic. They break the cocktail sets down to how many tubes you have in your preamp section. When I asked them about a cocktail for my Electra Dyne, They pretty much suggested the same kit as for a Mark V. Neither of those preamps have the same tube task for the same position. So, I have pretty much ignored their "help" after that. But, they have some really cool tubes that I've purchased deliberately, such as some NOS Chinese tubes.
I've read many posts from people who have bought from Eurotubes, and all have been happy. I just refer more variety in product offerings. And, I can get JJs from any seller, cheaper. I've even bought tubes from tubesforamps.com and haven't had a bad experience yet. I tend to use thetubestore.com as a reference point since they have done reviews on the tubes they sell. I have used dougstubes.com a couple times, but after looking at their tube cocktails, I found them to be somewhat generic. They break the cocktail sets down to how many tubes you have in your preamp section. When I asked them about a cocktail for my Electra Dyne, They pretty much suggested the same kit as for a Mark V. Neither of those preamps have the same tube task for the same position. So, I have pretty much ignored their "help" after that. But, they have some really cool tubes that I've purchased deliberately, such as some NOS Chinese tubes.
jnoel64
Well-known member
Also, if you bought power tubes, no, they won't be what Mesa sells. Mesa's preamp tubes are JJs, but their power tubes are from different sources. If you ordered preamp tubes, I would really wonder why, since those take the longest to wear out and your amp should just be getting broken in.
