URGENT!!! HELP--MAVERICK QUESTION/ADVICE

[jake2105]

Hey guys...I'm about to buy a maverick head (I think at least). This is what I'm looking for it to do. I've always played through single channel amps: i.e. fender twins--and have used o.d. pedals for my lead tones. I'm not a high gain guy at all...so this has served me well. But I'm wanting to get away from that super bright clean tone of a twin, and I am also looking for a 2 channell amp in which I don't need to use o.d. pedals to acheive a good o.d. tone. Also I don't have a need really for 100 watts anymore...I play mostly at home or very small rooms at the occasional gig. Basically looking for an amp that can provide some good cleans along w/ some good overdriven classic rock type tones i.e.--santana, hendrix, etc.--Via footswitch and not needing o.d. pedals to do so.

The Maverick I'm looking at is not in great cosmetic shape...but I can get the head w/ a non-matching 2x12 cab w/ celestions for $450...which I think is a great deal.

Advice/Comments please! As always, thanks guys.

 

[ibanez4life SZ!]

A Mesa at that price can't be a bad deal.

And from what I know of the maverick, it will do what you want it to.

 

[jake2105]

thanks ibanez4life...i thought it was a great deal too.

Any MAVERICK OWNERS care to comment about tones they can get from the two channels?

 

[Barry]

thanks ibanez4life...i thought it was a great deal too.

Any MAVERICK OWNERS care to comment about tones they can get from the two channels?

I know of a combo Maverick for sale in a local shop except its NOS .

 

[jake2105]

barry...any idea how much it is? i'm sure they want much more than $450. Where at in South Carolina...I live in Augusta, GA.

 

[RR]

At that price, you don't buy it, I'll buy it :wink:

I'm probably one of the few members on this board that prefer moderate gain and I know Maverick will cover what I needed to do and then some.

 

[jake2105]

RR--Have you personally ever tried out a Maverick? If so, anything you could elaborate on would be great. Thanks.

 

[RR]

Here's my take:

In '94 or so, I wanted to keep up with this shred guitarist so at the time I bought MESA's top-of-the line Trem-o-Verb.

Ironically my background was 60s rock 'n' roll, 70s classic rock, Blues and some glamour hair-band type music.

Then I find the Trem-o-Verb easily covering these styles. But this amp introduce me to using the "rectifier tubes" and the "spongy" switch which somewhat emulate vintage amps (well sort of).

But the freaking ToV is 100 watts and TOO Loud to get the power tubes cooking (saturation).

So I said to myself: "This ToV is great, but I don't use the the Red Channel / modern high gain mode much. I wish MESA build something like the ToV but at lower wattage."

Now look at a Maverick, the layout is so similiar to ToV. The power section is Class w/ EL84s. Now if you played a Bad Cat, Matchless or AC30 you know you could get a sweet tone without killing your ears.

Personally I haven't played Maverick, I did play a Blue Angel which is somewhat in the same category (sort of but no really) although the Blue Angel was sweet, I needed more gain options and versatilies and I never like using stomp boxes.

I'm about to fork out the $ for a LoneStar Special but something is telling me that I might not sure I need all those options of a LSS.

Its like I have an ancient Mark II that I'm happy with. I tried out a Mark IV, a sensational amp by the way, but I find myself trying to duplicate my Mark II tone than trying out different tone. The Mark IV was just too much for me.

So that's why I want a Maverick, especially at that price.

Bumping up your post, maybe other has takes on it.

 

[jake2105]

Thanks RR...I don't really think I can go wrong w/ this deal. As I said, it's not in great cosmetic shape: needs retolexing and needs a cuople corners replaced and a couple knobs replaced....The cabs just an old Peavey cab...but it's loaded w/ Celestions. So at $450 I think I've got to get it. And I can help out a friend by taking it off his hands. I appreciate the feedback.

Anybody else got anything to add?

 

[songrider]

I had 2 Maverick 2-12 combos & they sounded great. (First Mesa amps I ever owned) I prefer a touch more dirty then they got. Dont get me wrong, they got plenty dirty but not that over the top recto sound.

I guess I got used to them because I now miss them. The 35 watt class A watts was plenty for jamming with the band. Kept up with a Marshall 100 watt combo just fine.

The clean channel was full of soul and tone. not a tinny bright clean but full and rich sounding.

The dirty on mine got right up to the Ted Nugent and Skynyrd level with ease and sounded fantastic. When I opted for more dirt I put some JJ ECC803's in the preamp and it got nice and dirty. But never that over the top grind the rectos have.

I would buy again for sure. I regret selling both of the ones I had but had to have the cash to get the Mesa'a I really wanted to try.

You wont be disappointed with it. Great amp!

 

[RR]

Good for you if you get. :wink:

member LPClassic has two Mavericks and seems like a person that could fill you in even more (I hope).