B-52 at100

[Spivonious]

Got a great deal on one of these used last week.

I must admit that I am impressed. Played it through a Peavey VTM 4x12 at a gig on Saturday and if I didn't know what it was I would have assumed it was a dual rec.

Clean channel is super clean, and dirty channel is total metal. After a little tweaking, I've found that the resonance knob is the one to play with. The EQ knobs don't do a whole lot. It could be that I'm just used to the active EQ on my Genz Benz, but the range of adjustment with the EQ knobs is very small. The assignable contour knob is neat but I left it off as I find it sucks too much of the mids out for a band situation. One thing I'm not looking forward to is retubing this beast. It's got 12 (4 6L6 in the power section, 5 12AX7 in the preamp, 1 12AX7 PI, 1 12AT7 reverb, and 1 5AR4 rectifier).

The cabinet is also very impressive. It seems a little oversized, but I don't have a standard 4x12 to compare it too. It's loaded with Celestion G12K-85s, which to my ears sound like Vintage 30s without the annoying upper mid honk. Apparently they're the same speaker as the current G12K-100.

My one complaint is that the amp can get a bit noisy at high volumes. Does anyone have any recommendations on a noise gate that won't suck tone? I have a very quiet setup, so I wouldn't need much of a gate. Just something that can turn on/off quickly and will block out any unwanted feedback/buzz.

edit: quick addendum - I don't mean 60 cycle hum or hiss. Just buzz, like when you hold your guitar up to a flourescent light or computer monitor.

[cornstar70]

Yeah man, they're good amps. I had one a couple of years ago as a backup. The only reason I bought it was because some guy had it listed on c-list for $150 w/ a cheap, beat up marshall cab. After a while the tubes started to get microphonic and I didn't have the money at the time to replace them. I actually turned around and sold it for $350. Pretty good little turn around. The amp is basically a triple rectifier. And, from what I understand, they're out of production because Mesa sued them over design infringement, though I don't know how valid that story is. So, in other words, you can call it a true poor man's mesa.

[Spivonious]

Yeah man, they're good amps. I had one a couple of years ago as a backup. The only reason I bought it was because some guy had it listed on c-list for $150 w/ a cheap, beat up marshall cab. After a while the tubes started to get microphonic and I didn't have the money at the time to replace them. I actually turned around and sold it for $350. Pretty good little turn around. The amp is basically a triple rectifier. And, from what I understand, they're out of production because Mesa sued them over design infringement, though I don't know how valid that story is. So, in other words, you can call it a true poor man's mesa.

Interesting. I had read that they were designed by the same guy who designed the rectifier series for Mesa, but never found solid proof.

edit: just did some googling, and apparently they're designed by Bruce Egnater, and that the tourmaster is essentially a 4 channel AT-100. Again though, no solid proof.

[Hellbat]

My one complaint is that the amp can get a bit noisy at high volumes. Does anyone have any recommendations on a noise gate that won't suck tone? I have a very quiet setup, so I wouldn't need much of a gate. Just something that can turn on/off quickly and will block out any unwanted feedback/buzz.

edit: quick addendum - I don't mean 60 cycle hum or hiss. Just buzz, like when you hold your guitar up to a flourescent light or computer monitor.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VbdtS_SNqvY

I have an ISP decimator noise gate and it's perfect for feedback and baseline hiss, but not so good at eliminating hum when the gate is open. The hum debugger is all about hum so I don't think it would affect feedback.

[zeegler]

I actually turned around and sold it for $350. Pretty good little turn around. The amp is basically a triple rectifier. And, from what I understand, they're out of production because Mesa sued them over design infringement, though I don't know how valid that story is. So, in other words, you can call it a true poor man's mesa.

Completely false. The AT-100 is nothing at all like a triple rectifier, and Mesa did not sue B-52. The only reason the AT-100 is compared to the Mesa is because it has tri-mode rectification. The similarity ends there. The amp was designed by Bruce Egnater, and the circuit isn't even remotely similar to the Mesa. The amp doesn't even sound much like a rectifier. Yeah, you can tweak it, and get it close, but it's really much more Marshall sounding that Mesa.

[zeegler]

Spiv, I had the exact same setup for a couple of years (same head and cab), and the AT-100 seemed to really fit well with the Butcher/VTM cab. I used a ISP Decimator for a noisegate, and it worked well.

[Spivonious]

I hear good things about the Decimator. I'll keep my eyes open for a used one.

I disagree about it sounding more Marshall than Mesa though. The 6L6 tubes prevent that IMO.

It's fun reading for sale ads where people say things like "I've only ever used it on solid state, so the tubes are brand new!". I don't think people know what a rectifier is.

[zeegler]

I hear good things about the Decimator. I'll keep my eyes open for a used one.

I disagree about it sounding more Marshall than Mesa though. The 6L6 tubes prevent that IMO.

It's fun reading for sale ads where people say things like "I've only ever used it on solid state, so the tubes are brand new!". I don't think people know what a rectifier is.

I had a Peavey Butcher many years ago too. It also had 6L6s. I believe the VTMs had 6L6s too. They both are very much like a Marshall JCM800. IMO the circuit makes far more difference than the tubes.

Yeah, the SS rectifier setting just means that it's not making use of the 5AR4 rectifier tube.

[Sinistas]

My guitarist has one of these, and it sounds great. It's broken down a bunch of times while he's had it though.

[kmanick]

I had one for a couple of years (the 2x12 combo) this is thru a Marshall 1960AX cab with Greenbacks. didn't sound very Recto-ish to me.
Luckily mine never broke down, but I had to run a fan behind it constantly or it probably would've caught on fire.
good entry level tube amp (the clean channel is just outstanding)

http://www.netmusicians.org/index.php?section=id&value=1444

[Spivonious]

Yeah I hear the combos run very hot. The rumor was that they were biased too hot from the factory. Luckily my head runs pretty cool (well as cool as it can for having 12 tubes inside).

It also seems like this amp can sound like Marshall or Mesa, judging from the clips on netmusician. But the 6L6 tubes give it a lowend that a JCM Marshall can never have.