Which Blue Angel?

[Crowbar]

Hey Folks,

I am in the market for a Blue Angel. I will probebly take the first one I feel priced right, but I will ask for opinions.

Have you heard the 2x10 as well as the 1x12 ? Any preferance? I play a LesPaul on the neck pickup most of the time.

I think I will rule out a 4x10, just too heavey. Maybe if it was cheap. A head would be nice, I already have a 4x10 cab.

Seems the head is the odd one to find, I've seen them with high asking prices. For the combos I've seen people asking between 600 and 1000 whacks. I'm taking my time.

Thanx.

 

[Analog Kid]

I really like the 2x10, but I think it's harder to find.

 

[igfraso]

Analog Kid,
I see that, for some reason, people tend to prefer the 2 x 10" over the 4 x 10" and the 4 x 10" over the 1 x 12".

Do you like the 2 x 10" cabinet with all the different power tube settings or with any of them in particular?

Regards,

 

[piggyboy]

I've had a blue angel 4x10 for about 18 months, absolutely brilliant amp. havent played any other blue angels, put though a 2x12 closed back cab it sounds different (as youd expect), personally i prefer the open back of the combo.
Couldnt be happier with mine.
Ps i reckon the 4x10 combo is alot lighter than a 2x12 maverick combo.
best wishes finding one.

 

[Crowbar]

Hmm... could the 4x10 really weigh less than my Maverick 2x12? There is a BA 4x10 nearby here. Decisions decisions.................

 

[piggyboy]

i just popped it on the bathroom scales, its about 30kg.
not sure how much the 2x10 would weigh.

 

[Crowbar]

O.K. had to go weigh the 2x12 Maverick, just for the record. 68.5 lbs on the bathroom scale. About 31kg. No practical difference with a 4x10.

 

[Analog Kid]

Analog Kid,
I see that, for some reason, people tend to prefer the 2 x 10" over the 4 x 10" and the 4 x 10" over the 1 x 12".

Do you like the 2 x 10" cabinet with all the different power tube settings or with any of them in particular?

Regards,

I do like it with all tube settings. I did not really like the original speakers though.

 

[django49]

Newbie here.......Long time admirer/user of various Mesa products.

Recently stumbled onto a Blue Angel 2 x 10 (Celestion) combo with the custom snake leather. Still exploring, but a few questions for those with experience.

I do have a BA 1 x12 (Vintage 30) and a BA 4 x 10 (Eminence, I think, # 762525) to compare it to. I have made no changes yet. My questions....

The 1 x 12 sounds great and is the only one that I am confident has newer tubes. The 4 x 10 sounds better (IMO) except that it has more noise (hum). Despite sounding great, it has some noise from the speakers (not sure if it is all of them yet) that make me think they could stand replacing. Seems like a little extra "hair" (I dunno----fuzzy, rattle(?) I cannot easily find anything loose). Not a BAD sound at all, but.....

Now, to the 2 x 10........It sounds quite a bit different than the others. Largely, the output is less.(I suppose part of it is moving less air than the 4 x 10). If I turn it up louder (say noon instead of 10 o'clock) AND set the mid higher, I get into the same territory as the others. So, would the best thing be to start by replacing the power tubes on that amp?

If anyone has an opinion from their experience, as to where I start with speaker and tubes, that would be much appreciated.

PS.......I find myself using only the 6v6 option most of the time.

Thanks.

 

[Crowbar]

Rattling speakers can drive you nuts. If you can't find anything loose to tighten I think you'll just have to rig up the speakers one at a time and see how they sound. Somtimes you can tell a bum speaker by gently pushing on the back, you may feel a bad one drag or rub a bit. Still may be a tube.

Your in luck to have more of the same amps around. For starters I would swap the tubes from one to the other and see if theres a differance. Also get cable and a coupler and plug them into each others speakers. Could be fun.

 

[Tommy_G]

What are some of the EL84 and 6v6 brands that work the best together in this amp?

For spanky country cleans? For greasy bluesy cleans?

With pedals for Marshall-style drive tones?

 

[Casper]

Watching this post intently as my new (to me) BA 112arrives shortly...

 

[Tommy_G]

LOL! I've bee watching my unanswered post in this thread for over a week now, so don't get too excited.

Have fun with ur new amp!

 

[Analog Kid]

I wish I had more to say about it... I've never used pedals with the Blue Angel and I like nos american tubes mostly. I don't fiddle with the preamp stack as much as some people.
I have the dual ten BA sitting on a four ten cab, both cabs with independent dr z attenuators. By far my favorite Boogie.

 

[django49]

I have not experimented with different tubes. I did a complete retube with JJs from Eurotube. It sounds great and is quieter than before. For cleaner sounds, I would use the second input.....The BA does not have gobs of headroom, at least with my HB pups. I get plenty greasy blues tones with nothing other than the first input, but boosting the mids can take it even farther down that road.

What I love as a (single) pedal going into it is the Ethos Overdrive. Effectively gives three added sounds. The first compensates for the amp and actually does make it sound cleaner. The second takes it right into a more classical "Boogie" tone. Stepping on the boost function can thicken it up more into Marshall territory (IMO)----It is a kick, and a challenge, to have a single pedal with something like 19 separate knobs/switches (without being a "multi-efx box"). Lots of fun.

And, naturally, choosing between 6v6s, el84s or both at once, gives even more sonic options.