Poweramp chug, Marshall versus Mesa

[RandyRh]

I have a Marshall 9100. I´m not that great at the sound department but I want a very heavy chug sound and I wonder if switching to Mesa 50/50 will make a BIG difference. If not I´ll stick with the 9100. I´ve hear that the Marshalls are supposed to have a serious lack of low-end. Also, How do yoi think the Marshall 9100, replifex and a Rocktron piranha would sound?? I play brutal thrash/death metal so that´s the sound i´m after [img]graemlins/headbang.gif[/img]

[RandyRh]

Re: Poweramp chug, Marshall versus Mesa

and... piranha or psa-1 for the sound i´m after?? Some say that the psa-1 doesn´t sound good with tube poweramps but I hope I does with my 9100.

[jgcable]

Re: Poweramp chug, Marshall versus Mesa

The power amp will not give you the chunk. The preamp will.

[DerekB]

Re: Poweramp chug, Marshall versus Mesa

Originally posted by jgcable:
The power amp will not give you the chunk. The preamp will.

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">A Killer poweramp add's alot to the chunk factor in a very big way,


Derek

[eaeolian]

Re: Poweramp chug, Marshall versus Mesa

Is the Marshall an EL34 amp? (I think the 9100 is.) The Mesa 50/50, being a 6L6 amp, will most likely add some bottom end "thump". (EL34s tend to be more midrange focused, whereas 6L6s have more top and bottom end, from my experience.)

So, yeah, the power amp could make a huge difference. Your cab/speaker combination also effects this...

Mike

[RandyRh]

Re: Poweramp chug, Marshall versus Mesa

Okey... i´ve checked out the Peavey 60/60 and it has 6L& tubes. MAybe i´ll buy it. Anyway, can I change the EL34 tubes to 6L6 tubes when it´s time to change em??

[eaeolian]

Re: Poweramp chug, Marshall versus Mesa

You _can_ switch them, be I believe you have to have amp modified, too. (Pete (Twisteramps) can shed more light on this.) Least case, you need it rebaised for the 6L6s, which you should do anyway when changing tubes...

The Mesa will sound better than the Peavey - the Peavey's not a bad amp, mind you, and it's cheaper - but 50/50s aren't that expensive, anyway, if you go used. [img]images/icons/smile.gif[/img]

Mike

[jgcable]

Re: Poweramp chug, Marshall versus Mesa

Originally posted by DerekB:
</font><blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">quote:</font><hr /><font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Originally posted by jgcable:
The power amp will not give you the chunk. The preamp will.

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">A Killer poweramp add's alot to the chunk factor in a very big way,


Derek </font><hr /></blockquote><font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">I don't agree that switching from a 9100 to a 50/50 will add noticable "chunk". Please explain to me why it would. I have gone from SS power amps to tube and have only noticed a slight increase in "chunk" at reasonable stage volumes. At low volumes I notice no difference. At extremely high volumes there is a noticable difference but these were "arena loud" levels and I would guess that most players don't play 100w rack systems on 8. I am interested in hearing what the reason is. I really need to learn more about the amp side of things!!

[MSGfan]

Re: Poweramp chug, Marshall versus Mesa

Originally posted by Michael:
Is the Marshall an EL34 amp? (I think the 9100 is.) The Mesa 50/50, being a 6L6 amp, will most likely add some bottom end "thump". (EL34s tend to be more midrange focused, whereas 6L6s have more top and bottom end, from my experience.)

So, yeah, the power amp could make a huge difference. Your cab/speaker combination also effects this...

Mike

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">I agree that there are different tonal qualities between an EL34 and 6L6 but I don't necessarily agree that a 6L6 has more "Thump" in the low end than an EL34. I think it has more to do with the power amp it self rather than the tube.
I have plenty of "Thump" coming out of my EL34 equipted power amps!! [img]graemlins/images/icons/wink.gif[/img]
I totally agree that your cabinet and speaker combination also effects your low end Thump!!! [img]images/icons/grin.gif[/img] [img]images/icons/cool.gif[/img]

[data187]

Re: Poweramp chug, Marshall versus Mesa

not to dv8 from the power and preamp discussion.
but i feel that the guitar used and how its tuned can affect the chug factor. i know that a les paul can get more chug than a strat, not only because of single coil vs humbucker, but the tom bridge and the shorter scale adds to the chug)...
also lower tuning and thicker string gauges add to the chug factor.
i also think an eq would add to the chug.
so before upgrading all your amps and stuff, try an eq, downtuning, and using thicker strings.

just my 2¢

[Matt Crooks]

Re: Poweramp chug, Marshall versus Mesa

I have plenty of "Thump" coming out of my EL34 equipted power amps!!

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">But, you'd have more with 6l6s.

I have a Road King, and using the *exact* same preamp settings, and switching between a pair of 6l6s and a pair of el34s... the 6l6s have more bottom end. That's not to say that you can't get good bottom end out of the el34s (the Uberschall uses el34s and it has no lack of bottom end), but that with everything else the same, the 6l6s will have more bottom end.

Not that it matters for this topic... but I prefer to run the RK with just the 34s for my rhythm sound, I play in Bb and the 34s have no problem providing the low end thump, and I like the midrange better.

[ November 18, 2003, 11:19 AM: Message edited by: Matt Crooks ]

[eaeolian]

Re: Poweramp chug, Marshall versus Mesa

JG -

It's all in how the power amp handles the sound. Tube amps are generally "additive", i.e., they color the sound, whereas the goal with most solid state power amps is to reproduce the sound as accurately as possible, just with more volume.

A 100W tube amp sounds "louder" than a 100W ss amp, in most cases, because it changes the sound going through it in a desirable way. In a similar way, a tube amp will add "thump" to the bottom, frequently, because of the coloration it adds.

At least, that's how I understand it. I'm sure someone correct me if I'm wrong. [img]images/icons/grin.gif[/img]

MSG -

Matt's hit it on the head - I've thought about changing my TripleRec to EL34s for a different midrange sound. Bottom end won't be a problem with either kind of tubes, though, since my bass control is at about 9 o'clock. [img]images/icons/grin.gif[/img]

My cab (Peavey w/85 watt Celestions) handles bass nearly as well as the Recto cabs do, so I don't get muddiness issues. So many people who can't get "thump" are using regular-size Marshalls w v30s in them, which will give you a very nice mid in those cabs, but not much bottom, in my experience - especially with a Marshall power amp.

Marshalls have never really stuck me as great for the "deep" tone, 'cause they tend to be so midrange-focused, anyway.

Mike

[DietChoke]

Re: Poweramp chug, Marshall versus Mesa

Originally posted by RandyRh:
Okey... i´ve checked out the Peavey 60/60 and it has 6L& tubes. MAybe i´ll buy it. Anyway, can I change the EL34 tubes to 6L6 tubes when it´s time to change em??

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">the 9100 has 6L6/5881 powertubes, not EL34 ... unless someone has changed the power tube type.

[eaeolian]

Re: Poweramp chug, Marshall versus Mesa

Hmm, I couldn't remember, and I assumed that I was right, since everyone else went along with me.

Maybe I should go into politics. [img]images/icons/smile.gif[/img]

OK, so if it isn't a 6L6/EL34 issue, what cab are you running?

Mike

[raymo]

Re: Poweramp chug, Marshall versus Mesa

If you're looking into Peavey poweramps you might want to look into the Classic 50/50 whichc utilizes EL84's. I really loved the tone of mine, and most people who've tried a Peavey 50/50 enjoy it.