Simul-Satellite as a strictly clean amp?

[EleventhHour2139]

Ok, so I'm in the process of trying to decide if I want to run a A/B clean/dirty setup, rather than try to coax two GREAT tones simultaneously from my Mk III.

I would really rather have the 2nd amp not be solid state, but there aren't exactly a whole plethora of tube amps that will fit into my projected budget (~$500), hence the simul-satellite. Does anyone have any experience running such a setup with the s-s?

 

[hugsy41]

Hey EleventhHour2139,

I am currently using my Simul-Satellite as strictly a clean amp, with a BB Preamp in front for all the dirt I need and a delay in the loop. The Simul has some stellar cleans - real round, warm and fat clean sounds that I think are great. In your case, I would go for the Simul and run your Mark III for all your dirty sounds; as I am aware, the Simul's power section is akin to Mark III's, and it uses the Mark III circuit board (with it's own basic preamp) so you should be able to get some clean tones out of it that you'd like (although I haven't played a Mark III). All the best.


chris.

 

[zebpedersen]

It's a pretty popular setup, actually - that would work absolutely fine.

 

[EleventhHour2139]

Hey EleventhHour2139,

I am currently using my Simul-Satellite as strictly a clean amp, with a BB Preamp in front for all the dirt I need and a delay in the loop. The Simul has some stellar cleans - real round, warm and fat clean sounds that I think are great. In your case, I would go for the Simul and run your Mark III for all your dirty sounds; as I am aware, the Simul's power section is akin to Mark III's, and it uses the Mark III circuit board (with it's own basic preamp) so you should be able to get some clean tones out of it that you'd like (although I haven't played a Mark III). All the best.


chris.

I LOVE the cleans on my Mk III, but I love the distortion even more, so the Simul-Sat sounds like the perfect answer!

One last question though, actually wish I could start a new thread on this. Does anyone run their Simulclass (Satellite or otherwise) with only 6L6GC's? The more headroom the better, so I figure the 6L6's would work better for big bell, Fender like cleans. I know there is supposedly some problem with running the 6L6's in the outside sockets, but I figured I would ask. Thanks guys!

 

[sixtonoize]

From the Mark III manual:

NOTE: In the past, MESA/Boogie advertised the "interchangeable power tubes" feature of the Mark III Simul-Class. We told players
that they could use either EL-34's or 6L6's in the outer (Class A) power sockets. However, in recent years we've observed a much
greater reliability factor with the use of EL-34's in these outer sockets, with much fewer incidents of tube failure. Therefore, today we
strongly recommend using EL-34's in the outer sockets and 6L6's in the inner sockets of your Simul-Class Boogie.

They say that the Mark IV can use either, but their stance seems to be that EL34s work better in the Mark III power section.

 

[EleventhHour2139]

From the Mark III manual:

NOTE: In the past, MESA/Boogie advertised the "interchangeable power tubes" feature of the Mark III Simul-Class. We told players
that they could use either EL-34's or 6L6's in the outer (Class A) power sockets. However, in recent years we've observed a much
greater reliability factor with the use of EL-34's in these outer sockets, with much fewer incidents of tube failure. Therefore, today we
strongly recommend using EL-34's in the outer sockets and 6L6's in the inner sockets of your Simul-Class Boogie.

They say that the Mark IV can use either, but their stance seems to be that EL34s work better in the Mark III power section.

Yea that's what I had read in the manual, but I was hoping for some first-hand accounts. Not that Boogie would be wrong, not at all, but that maybe the tube failure wasn't as widespread or likely as they thought. Either way, just curious. :wink:

 

[Boltino]

The Simul-Satellite is a killer stand-a-lone amp. I use it as a pedal platform with great results. Very underrated amp IMHO.

 

[hugsy41]

The Simul-Satellite is a killer stand-a-lone amp. I use it as a pedal platform with great results. Very underrated amp IMHO.

+1

 

[edward]

Just an FYI as per solid state:

Roland JC120, the Cube 60, or an old Yamaha G100. All of these are killer clean-tone amps. I mean truly nice tone, not "nice for a SS" tone, but honestly nice clean tone. I especially like the Yamaha for its sweep EQ which is very handy to have for shaping the final tone. I have long since parted ways with these amps, but I remember their thick, chimey cleans very well, and the JC's big voice and solid bottom. Just food for thought as these can be had pretty cheap when they come up on the bay.


Edward

 

[EleventhHour2139]

Just an FYI as per solid state:

Roland JC120, the Cube 60, or an old Yamaha G100. All of these are killer clean-tone amps. I mean truly nice tone, not "nice for a SS" tone, but honestly nice clean tone. I especially like the Yamaha for its sweep EQ which is very handy to have for shaping the final tone. I have long since parted ways with these amps, but I remember their thick, chimey cleans very well, and the JC's big voice and solid bottom. Just food for thought as these can be had pretty cheap when they come up on the bay.


Edward

Haha, you know, the JC-120 was the one solid state amp that I was actually considering, and they're right up my alley price wise. I still haven't decided if it's worth the extra scratch to go dual amp, or just use a boost in front and set my V1 relatively low. Decisions decisions...

 

[hugsy41]

Haha, you know, the JC-120 was the one solid state amp that I was actually considering, and they're right up my alley price wise. I still haven't decided if it's worth the extra scratch to go dual amp, or just use a boost in front and set my V1 relatively low. Decisions decisions...

Or, alternatively, set your Mark III with the input gain ideal for your distortion, and when you switch to your clean sound have a boost pedal cut the volume to clean up the sound - in affect just like rolling down the volume on your guitar.

 

[dmt]

I actually run all KT66's in my Simul-Satellite and I really like how those sound. I could hear no real difference in tone between having all KT66 or a mix with EL34's. Maybe the JJ EL34's I tried weren't that great. I've had more problems with the EL34's in Class A mode red plating than not.

 

[EleventhHour2139]

Haha, you know, the JC-120 was the one solid state amp that I was actually considering, and they're right up my alley price wise. I still haven't decided if it's worth the extra scratch to go dual amp, or just use a boost in front and set my V1 relatively low. Decisions decisions...

Or, alternatively, set your Mark III with the input gain ideal for your distortion, and when you switch to your clean sound have a boost pedal cut the volume to clean up the sound - in affect just like rolling down the volume on your guitar.

Wow, I like that idea a whole helluva lot better! I'm mostly concerned that whatever boost I would run would negatively affect my distortion tone, but one that affects my clean is fine, as long as it's still crystal clean. However, I don't know of any pedals that will cut input volume, perhaps an eq or voulme pedal would work best? Whatever tone or volume differences the cut before the amp made could be rectified by my loop eq, so that might just work!

 

[hugsy41]

Wow, I like that idea a whole helluva lot better! I'm mostly concerned that whatever boost I would run would negatively affect my distortion tone, but one that affects my clean is fine, as long as it's still crystal clean. However, I don't know of any pedals that will cut input volume, perhaps an eq or voulme pedal would work best? Whatever tone or volume differences the cut before the amp made could be rectified by my loop eq, so that might just work!

Something like an RC Booster from Xotic may do the trick. The good thing about using a pedal to take the volume from the guitar down instead of rolling down the guitars volume is that it's more like a balanced volume drop, whereas if you roll down the guitar's volume it won't be the same tone. My BB does that fine when I put it into the lead channel of my DC-5 for a nice low gain sound, then click it off for my heavy sounds.

 

[rvschulz]

as far as 6L6 in Mark III goes, I run 4 ... matched outer set and inner set. i generally am in class A, which is what I like. I have no issues - running SED Winged C in the outers.

i am just not into the EL-34 sound ... ignorance of this was my screwup when i got rid of my 1st Mark III - then I put 4 EL-34 in my LSC and that lasted all of about 2 hours, put the 6L6 back in there (Winged C ... a pattern here !) and then started searching to recover another Mark III.

So ... my class A cleans make Fenders sound ... just okay. Really. check the tube rating - call Mesa, then call Doug @ Doug's tubes and ask him to get you a pair for the outer as "cold as a witches tit" ... Mike B told me go ahead - it works fine.

the two pairs are biased a little differently ... some 6L6 wont last as long in the outers.