NAD - Mesa Boogie Strategy 400 (2C+ clip)

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ultimatemetalguitartones

ultimatemetalguitartones

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So excited I managed to find this one! The seller lives like 10 minutes from my place! It's in excellent condition and it does sound MASSIVE! Not the best playing / recording but I didn't have much time to mess with it, so here's a short clip, slaving my 2C+ into this monster.

 
Give us your thoughts on what it does to the overall tone
 
So here's a question. After owning most Mark variations that exist, I've had the strong feeling that there's no way AJFA & TBA tones happened with a 4 tube power section. Only my Colis have been able to touch that level of sonic chest compression, and we know that those guys used S400s (as opposed to Colis, but the power section is pragmatically the same) so I've theorized that slaving into the Strategy was one of the tonal secret weapons.

What do you think now that you have one?
 
So here's a question. After owning most Mark variations that exist, I've had the strong feeling that there's no way AJFA & TBA tones happened with a 4 tube power section. Only my Colis have been able to touch that level of sonic chest compression, and we know that those guys used S400s (as opposed to Colis, but the power section is pragmatically the same) so I've theorized that slaving into the Strategy was one of the tonal secret weapons.

What do you think now that you have one?
100% correct. Strategy 400 is part of those two album's tones. Just one channel of the 400 is even "more" than one mono Coliseum power section. More and stiffer filtering, increased voltages and an intentionally "cleaner" design are the main differences. In practice they are similar in gut punch capabilities but like I said the 400 has a bit more of what already makes the Coliseum so over the top.
 
So who can confirm the plate voltage of a S400? My MkII Colis are around 530-550pv depending on the wall voltage that day.

The M-180 I just got is exactly the same PT & OT as my C+ Coli, with 10 big blue 300v caps as opposed to the Coli's 8, and Mike B. mentioned they're rated around 200W where the Coli is rated 180. It's also a "cleaner" design as it's a straight power amp with no specific application in mind. It wasn't till after I bought it that I realized there's no presence knob so hopefully it's hard-set in the 3-4 range!

Another important consideration though- according to Mike B., the MkII Colis have no negative feedback. The S400s have a little negative feedback. The MkIII Colis have "the same as the other MkIIIs", and I never clarified what that is, but from having a bunch I would guess they have "normal" amounts of negative feedback. Not ever owning a S400, going "mono to mono" I assumed that this fact handed a slight win to the Coli.
 
Chances are the Coliseum power section changed a bit over the years from MKIIB's to C+ to MKIII Coliseum versions. That's a span of at least 5 years. I believe the 400 was only produced for about 3 years (approx 1987-1990) before it was replaced by the Strategy 500.
 
God those gated palm mutes/stops are just nuts. You can hear the big character and the grind.

That’s legit some of the most brutal tone I’ve ever heard on the forum.
Thanks a lot dude! Honestly I think I can do better than that - both in terms of playing (excuse my sloppiness ) and recording ( first time setting it up) I do appreciate ur comment because it makes me happy :) I'll try to record a better video and I believe I need to get myself one of these tascam audio recorders!
 

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