Transatlantic - 1st Post-Gig Impressions

[mdortona]

Hi All!

I thought I'd share my impressions after gigging last night with the TransAtlantic. I play lead in a 2 gtr/bass/drums/keys classic rock band (late 60s-80s). We run a basic modest PA and monitor set-up and do not mic any of the instruments. I used the TA with a 1x12 EV thiele and a 1x12 closed-back cab with an Fender Eminence OEM Legend in it, separately and together. Guitar-wise, I'm using an '89 Les Paul Custom and a newer Mexican Strat, along with a mixture of true-bypass and buffered pedals. Was it loud enough? YES, I ran both sides in the 15 watt setting and cut through the band fine.

Alone, the Thiele sounded "too bassy", but when combined with the Fender cab, it sounded well-balanced. The Fender cab alone sounded fine overall, but lacked some bottom.
Depending on the song, dictated which voicing(s) I used. The channel 2, classic mesa voicing was perfect for the lead parts of Black Magic Woman, with the normal channel one VOX setting handling the clean parts. The channel 2 Marshall setting worked great for Two Tickets To Paradise, Gimme All Your Lovin', and Bad Case of Loving You (using the Les Paul). The top boosted Vox setting on channel one, with the Strat, added just enough dirt for tunes like Jenny (867-5309), Needle & the Spoon, and The Break-up Song. It also sounded good with the Les Paul for There Goes Another Love Song. The Channel 2 Tweed channel got nice and funky for Feelin' Alright and Mustang Sally (with the Strat).

The only problem I have had with the amp since getting it on May 13th, is what appears to be, power tube problems. The audio started cutting in and out over the Memorial Day week-end. The guys from Sweetwater were A++ and sent me out new tubes, gratis, in two days, so I had them for the gig. Sure enough, after briefly powering down to switch cabs, the power tubes would not come back on. Put the new ones in and voila! all was good for the rest of the gig.

I have another gig this coming Friday, and plan to use a Boss Fender Reverb Pedal with it and see how it sounds.

Sooooo.... the verdict is A for sound, A+ for cool looks (the guys loved the blue light), and A++ for ease of use. Reliability TBA, since El84s reportedly are a very tempermental/unreliable species of tubes. We'll see how the new tubes hold up. I really really like this amp!

Any questions, fire away. 8)

Matt

 

[Scary]

Nice description of the modes, it sounds like a blast to play on. On the MkV I mostly use the 10watt mode and the TA could be a nice little change of pace with it's low wattage options.

Also, double check your cabs, and make sure you don't have a mismatch. I know that stresses the output transformer, and certain mismatches shorten tube life considerably.

 

[GmanJeff]

Great review - many thanks. I do many of the same tunes with a band set up like yours, and have been wondering if the TA-15 had enough oomph to handle the job without being mic'd. I have two 1-12" Boogie cabs that I'd use with it, one open back with a EV speaker, and a Thiele, and it sounds like I'd be fine in the smaller rooms we tend to play (with my Mark IV in reserve for larger venues). Your impressions are very helpful, and I'll be interested to see if you (and others) have any recurring problems with the tubes.

 

[sted]

Interesting review mate, I say this because your band and music sound exactly like mine! Im using the MV at the moment and its not even ticking over at most gigs where I use it un-mic'd on the 45w setting (10w is too squashed for my liking!) do you run it flat out to cut through the drummer and what size venues are you doing?

 

[mdortona]

Sted,
We're playing your basic small to medium size bars (a hundred people or so max). Saturday was an outdoor gig (average backyard size). Haven't need to run the TA's channel volumes past 12 Noon, if even that high.

Gman,

Keep your fingers and toes crossed for me with the tubes!

Matt

 

[Rkorn]

It seems like a very nice amp, I haven't had the chance to tryout the Mark V, let alone the Transatlantic... I thought this would be a great amp to play at bedroom level, but it seems like it's more cutout to be portable and gig...
Really nice review!

 

[mdortona]

Thanks for the compliment! Well, since I wrote the original review, I gigged with it again. Here's my impressions quoted from another TA thread.....

"......So I gigged again with the TA-15 last night (both channels at 15 watts) in a small bar. I replaced the OEM Fender Eminence Legend speaker in my 1x12 cab with an Eminence Swamp Thang and it was freaking LOUD !! I was running the Vox channel in MV mode at about 9:30AM and Channel two between 10-Noon depending on the voicing (higher for Tweed, much lower for H1, and in between for H2). This gig, I also tried running a Boss '63 Fender Reverb pedal, with all controls at about 9AM, and unfortunately, it did not sound good, especially when any OD was kicked in (from a pedal or the amp).

The biggest tricks with the TA-15 (thus far) seem to be having the "correct" order of the pedals and being conservative with the effects levels on the time-based effects (i.e. chorus and delay). This worked reasonably well ("good enough") with the TA-15 when I have used it, but it was "a second banana" option compared to having an efx loop. I also had contacted Monsta-Tone (Andy Turner) and the Boogie guys to inquire about the possibility of adding a simple insert loop, but it was a no-go due to 1. lack of space to put it and 2. the need to add a tube stage to run it. So, no dice there. The only crazy idea that came to mind was to run a sort of stereo set-up (say using a stereo DDL or chorus pedal) with a dry feed going to the TA-15 and a wet feed going to a powered cab or a second amp. This has PIA++ written all over it and mega overkill for playing bars! :lol:

Anyway, as much as I like the TA-15 and it's variety of great tones, the lack of an effects loop/reverb is starting to look like a deal breaker for me. Nonetheless, I stand by my previous praises of the TA-15's sounds across the board. You may find that in a live situation, and as I discovered last night, depending on the speaker one uses, that you might need to tweak levels between songs, for example, if you had been using the Tweed voicing on one song, but needed the Marshall voicing on the next one. Also, FWIW, to my ears, the Swamp Thang sounded pretty close to the EVM12L in my Thiele, but did not have the projected bottom end, which I chalk up to the properties of the Thiele cab design vs. a more traditional rectangular closed back cab. Nonetheless, the TA-15 is a GREAT sounding little amp and the "grab and go" quality is perfect. Feel free to drop me a line if you have any other questions...... "

Here's my final verdict of it (again from another TA thread......)

Well, after having a pair of TA-15s (one was defective, the 2nd AOK) for close to a month and using it for several gigs, I found that the lack of reverb and an EFX loop were deal breakers for me, so back it is going to Sweetwater. I tried a Boss FRV Fender Reverb Pedal and an EH nano Holy Grail in front and it just didn't work well when any of the OD voices were used. Clean it was OK. Despite this, I think that it is a killer little amp with great sounding tones! Perfect for recording work. Live, it was fairly good, but I found myself switching channel voicings multiple times depending on the song that we were playing (ex. AC15 TB for Tom Petty stuff, Classic Mesa HG for Santana, etc.).

So it's back to the drawing board to find the "perfect gigging amp" (yeah right :roll: :lol: ). Maybe an F-30 or a DC-3; then again, the idea of a Blue Angel/Subway Blues or even (heaven forbid) a Fender Deluxe Reverb with a few good OD pedals might be in the cards. Who knows? Maybe I just need some good psychotherapy......... :mrgreen:


I sincerely hope that my two cents helps!

Matt

 

[djw]

Wow Matt, thanks for the intel!

I can't tell if this is helping me with my Transatlantic GAS or not. I find that I still want one of these pretty badly -- partly because it looks so damned cool, and partly because when I tried one at GC it sounded friggin' killer. I also like idea of a sweet little amp that has low wattage out of the box (instead of jumping through all these hoops I do to get my LSC to cook at less than wall-smashing levels). And I really, really liked the AC15 channel at just about every setting I landed on... the Vox thing is the one amp "type" I'm missing in my corral. With that channel alone I felt like I could just ride my guitar controls all night, and be happy coaxing sounds out of it without a tweak.

I don't use my LSC's FX loop, and though I use my reverb quite a bit, it's not a must-have -- I'm just used to it now, but for most of my professional life I didn't have onboard reverb and I think I'd be ok without it in situations where the TA was the amp in question. In other words I use it if I have it, but if not then no big deal... As for the need to switch voicings between songs, that's also a context/preferential thing; I reckon if you're in the type of band that wants faithfully-rendered tones for a variety of specific songs, then you need an amp that has these tones ready to go with a footswitch.

So Matt, you're saying that if it weren't for the lack of loop/reverb and the need to switch voicings between songs, you'd have kept it?

Boy, I wish I had some more stuff I could sell... :roll:

 

[mdortona]

DJW,

Yep, that's pretty much the case - if it only had reverb and/or an efx loop, I would have kept it hands down. The between song tweaking and voice switching wasn't that big of a deal (i.e. not a deal breaker), and the sonic results were worth it (at least to me, but I'm a bit neurotic in that regard - just ask my drummer!). I can appreciate trying to tame the Lonestar's output (been there). How about an attenuator like one of the Weber Mass series? Yes, it is probably a tonal compromise in some respects, but might get you the result you're looking for. Just an idea :wink:

Matt

 

[screamingdaisy]

How are the TA's Marshall type sounds?

 

[mdortona]

IMO, it's sonically flavored somewhere between a JTM45 and a Plexi depending on the setting, has the characteristic Marshall midrange bite, but no one will "confuse it" with either of these models in a head to head competition. If you're a Marshall connoisseur, I would check it out in person to see if it's "good enough".

Matt

 

[djw]

I can appreciate trying to tame the Lonestar's output (been there). How about an attenuator like one of the Weber Mass series? Yes, it is probably a tonal compromise in some respects, but might get you the result you're looking for. Just an idea :wink:

Thanks, yeah, I actually took a tip from a friend and built a little dummy-load box -- sort of like an attenuator, but simpler... it acts as a 2nd speaker, running in parallel with a real speaker, and cuts the output basically in half and the output volume by 3db. Not bad, actually, and cheap and easy to make. It helps, but I'm still at effectively 25 audible watts with this and 6L6s on the 50 watt setting. And it doesn't sound like that AC15 channel... so I continue to GAS. :lol:

 

[screamingdaisy]

IMO, it's sonically flavored somewhere between a JTM45 and a Plexi depending on the setting, has the characteristic Marshall midrange bite, but no one will "confuse it" with either of these models in a head to head competition. If you're a Marshall connoisseur, I would check it out in person to see if it's "good enough".

Matt

I'm not much of a Marshall connoisseur. I've only actually played through them a few times in my life. If I buy a TA it'll be for the AC30 vibe... but I wouldn't mind a good second channel... preferably one that doesn't sound 'Mesa' as I've already got enough of that.

 

[mdortona]

If that's, the case, then you may indeed like the H1 setting. Definitely in the Marshall ballpark. I'd give it a test drive for sure. 8)


Matt

 

[fredp322]

I'm a bit late to the discussion, but, I thought I'd share my experience, for what it's worth. I've been gigging the past four weekends with the TA-15 and I'm at a point where, if it were a woman, I'd marry it...no joke! It's the sound I've been hearing in my head for years. I run my Les Paul into a Fulltone Clyde Deluxe Wah into a Vox Cooltron Brit Boost overdrive (just for a lead boost) into an Eventide Pitchfactor to the TA-15 and that's it. My sound guy puts a little "gakk" on it out front, but, all I hear is amp tone and, so far, it has rocked! We've played small to slightly larger than average clubs and it hasn't even broke a sweat. My biggest concern was that my bassist plays through a Mesa Titan V-12 with a Powerhouse cab and stands next to me onstage. I was afraid the TA might get swallowed up. Mister...was I wrong! Not only was it plenty loud enough (25 watt setting on both channels) it cut through the mix so well I actually had to turn it down. It stood up to the Titan like a chihuahua tripping acid! I would still love to have an effects loop, but hey, that's a small sacrifice for that kind of tone. I usually run my Road King II head, but, I'm getting spoiled on the tone and portability of the TA-15. That's all I have to say about that...thanks for reading!

 

[KH Guitar Freak]

IMO, it's sonically flavored somewhere between a JTM45 and a Plexi depending on the setting, has the characteristic Marshall midrange bite, but no one will "confuse it" with either of these models in a head to head competition. If you're a Marshall connoisseur, I would check it out in person to see if it's "good enough".

Matt

I'm not much of a Marshall connoisseur. I've only actually played through them a few times in my life. If I buy a TA it'll be for the AC30 vibe... but I wouldn't mind a good second channel... preferably one that doesn't sound 'Mesa' as I've already got enough of that.

The top boost mode sounds more like an AC15, for the lack of better comparisons. Channel 2 is more like your Mesa Boogie tones, tweed being like more like your typical tweed tones, H1 being more Marshall like due to the trimmed lows and more emphasise on the upper midrange, and H2 definitely sounds more of a modern Boogie tone, now with more lows and lower midrange...

 

[jbright44]

Great review man, I'm seriously considering one of these!

 

[mdortona]

Just make sure you can live without reverb and an effects loop. I speak from experience. :wink:

Matt

 

[BoogieJem]

I worried I would miss the loop/verb on the TA but honestly I haven't and after getting used to leaving the verb on all the time on my other boogies it's made me realise how much verb can get in the way in a band mix! For when i need verb I picked up a pedal (Marshall reflector) that works great for the TA cleans and ahead of an OCD for dirt.

 

[Born2boogie2]

Thanks for your impressions!
I have had my TA 15 for 4 months now and I must say it is my favorite Boogie, I just LOVE it- SO easy to dial in and just incredible for practicing and giging clubs as well as recording!
All the modes are usable and very musical, The boogie mode is still boogie, but with some marshall thrown it. At 50% volume and anywhere from 35% tp 60% gain all the modes start to really happen, so sweet! If you are on the fence I urge you to get one, Blows a vox ac15 away! Leaves it in the dust and after all its an american made amp, Boogie rules!
Just my two cents!
Peace
Mark