Unexpected NAD - 97ish Mesa Tremoverb 2x12

[LPMojoGL]

I had no intention of buying an amp today, or any time this year, really.
This ad popped up on Google (like the sneaky knows me or something) for a Mesa Tremoverb 2x12 combo at a Guitar Center 20 minutes away. That's DFW talk for 5 miles away.
I've recently been intrigued by the Tremoverb.
I've tried a couple of TVerb combos and heads in the past. Didn't like them, at all. I don't think I understood how to dial them in.
I've since had a couple of Multiwatts, Rev Fs and a Rectoverb 25. I dig the Recto thang, but always end up moving it on. And then missing it, repurchasing...
My whole day's plan changed when I saw the ad pop up for this one, close to home.
I started reading about it on all the forums. I found out the pros n cons, the serial numbers to avoid due to LDR issues, probable mods if I decided to keep.
Despite the negative stuff, went to check it out.
She's a bit beat up, cracked leather on the handle, rust on the metal handles, ding on the grill cloth and plenty of scuffs in the tolex. Not bad for a 30 year old amp. I'm not bothered by such things, but do note them for resale purposes.
Spent 20 minutes making sure all of the switches, pots, lights and jacks work. Everything works perfectly, like someone used and took care of this amp.
This one sounds really, really good, even at low TV volume, plugged straight in. Hell yeah.
Take a look around back, and what do I see? This was ultimately the deciding factor that pushed me over the edge to buy...
Someone replaced the Mesa V30s with, get this, Scumback Scumnico 65w speakers!!! Dude, those are like $300 a pop after tax and shipping. They sound amazing. Usually I'd want to plug an open back 2x12 combo into a 4x12. No need here. Plenty of low end, clarity and punch.
First tone I tried to nail:

 

[Hiwatts-n-Gibsons]

I have a weird counterintuitve love/hate relationship with V30's. Most versions I love for clean to mild overdrive, but hate for high-gain tones, especially once I get the volume up high. The only exception was the OG Marshall Vintage speakers from the early '90s. Those I just love clean, dirty, or filthy.

I owned a Tremoverb for about 27 years, and my favorite speakers with it for general playing were Fane AXA12's with Celestion Heritage G12H 55hz in an X, or alnico Coffee Can SRO12's by themselves. For metal it was EVM12L's.

 

[dave74]

Bet that sounds really great in the room. Lots of growl and bark from those speakers. With my tremoverb head I really like my favorite combo of the mesa V30s and k100s.

 

[JonPearson1994]

Holy backbreaker!

Tremoverbs are cool! The combos look great, nearly worth the hernia. They are a bit of the darker Recto flavor, like my Roadster, though they sound different from each other.

Congrats on the sweet amp!

 

[skoora]

Fuck, my back spasmed in a flashback to moving those around the store in the 90’s.
Mesa almost crossed the threshold into Domestic terrorism with this and the Heartbreaker 2x12.

 

[stephen sawall]

Awesome
I really like the Blues mode. Ton of midrange on that mode.

 

[LPMojoGL]

Yeah! This thing is pretty hefty. I was a bit surprised while picking it up to put it in the back seat of my FX4. Most of it's relocation will be on wheels!

I have a Mesa V30 laying around I could try, maybe some day. I might plug into one of the 2 4x12s or Bogner OS2X12 later.

Going to check out the clean and blues modes today. @stephen sawall what type of tones do you go for in blues mode?

 

[LPMojoGL]

I have a weird counterintuitve love/hate relationship with V30's. Most versions I love for clean to mild overdrive, but hate for high-gain tones, especially once I get the volume up high. The only exception was the OG Marshall Vintage speakers from the early '90s. Those I just love clean, dirty, or filthy.

I owned a Tremoverb for about 27 years, and my favorite speakers with it for general playing were Fane AXA12's with Celestion Heritage G12H 55hz in an X, or alnico Coffee Can SRO12's by themselves. For metal it was EVM12L's.

I've had, and liked the g12h30 55hz before.
Haven't tried Fanes, or Coffee Can SRO12s. How would the latter compare to the Scumnico or something like an Alnico Cream. Gold or Blue?

 

[mooncobra]

I had a 90s tremoverb and it was by far one of the best mesa i have heard.

 

[ChurchHill]

I've had, and liked the g12h30 55hz before.
Haven't tried Fanes, or Coffee Can SRO12s. How would the latter compare to the Scumnico or something like an Alnico Cream. Gold or Blue?

I'd be interested in this, too. I've tried SROs, Creams, Blues, and Golds, but never had the chance to try an AXA12 or Scumnico.

 

[7704A]

Nice!

 

[LPMojoGL]

I had a 90s tremoverb and it was by far one of the best mesa i have heard.

Playing the clean channel now. It's gorgeous.
I like what the amp's reverb does to the sound (on clean and gain sounds), but it adds a bit of noise. Seems pretty normal, after reading the forums?

 

[marvcus]

Love the Tremoverb - that’s the one to get! Sounds excellent. That thump is eye opening the first time you play it.

As a kid, I worked at Brook Mays in Plano, I sold Tverb to a guy who kept waffling between that and the Heartbreaker. He liked the thick/creamy vibe of the Heartbreaker but the gain and bottom of the Tverb. He swapped them several times but eventually bought the Tverb after seeing he could get in the ballpark.
It’s like the Mesa XTC

 

[LPMojoGL]

Love the Tremoverb - that’s the one to get! Sounds excellent. That thump is eye opening the first time you play it.

As a kid, I worked at Brook Mays in Plano, I sold Tverb to a guy who kept waffling between that and the Heartbreaker. He liked the thick/creamy vibe of the Heartbreaker but the gain and bottom of the Tverb. He swapped them several times but eventually bought the Tverb after seeing he could get in the ballpark.
It’s like the Mesa XTC

I remember seeing ads for the Heartbreaker in the guitar mags, seemed cheesy to me. Never bothered to try one out.

You're not wrong about the TV! Honeymooning hard right now.

 

[JonPearson1994]

I remember seeing ads for the Heartbreaker in the guitar mags, seemed cheesy to me. Never bothered to try one out.

You're not wrong about the TV! Honeymooning hard right now.

I think the Heartbreaker was kinda sorta not really like a Mark I? Think I heard Randall Smith say something to that effect

 

[VonBonfire]

Did you see that monster Fender rig he has in his guitar room? Man this dude knows what the good shit is. Congrats on the sweet new amp OP!!!

 

[JonPearson1994]

Did you see that monster Fender rig he has in his guitar room? Man this dude knows what the good shit is. Congrats on the sweet new amp OP!!!

I did spy that, and what looked like the SLO tipped over resting on its transformer

 

[Hiwatts-n-Gibsons]

Playing the clean channel now. It's gorgeous.
I like what the amp's reverb does to the sound (on clean and gain sounds), but it adds a bit of noise. Seems pretty normal, after reading the forums?

I swapped in a pair of NOS JAN GE 5751 in the reverb position, and the FX loop position. It was a big improvement in both.

I'll get back to you later on the speakers when I have a litlle more time. I'm getting ready to head into work.

 

[LPMojoGL]

I swapped in a pair of NOS JAN GE 5751 in the reverb position, and the FX loop position. It was a big improvement in both.

I'll get back to you later on the speakers when I have a litlle more time. I'm getting ready to head into work.

Thank you! This might prove helpful. I just recorded a video of noise inherent in this amp. Nothing plugged in, clean channel, effects loop, reverb and trem off, good power source. Check it out, thoughts?:


Speaking of the clean channel...LOVE it, despite a bit of noise. Couple clips, pedalboard plugged into the clean channel, good amount of amp reverb:

Did you see that monster Fender rig he has in his guitar room? Man this dude knows what the good shit is. Congrats on the sweet new amp OP!!!

I did spy that, and what looked like the SLO tipped over resting on its transformer

That's my dining room!
My Poppop's mid 60's Dual Showman with matching big 2x15 cab with D130fs. I learned how to play thru that amp, and have been hauling it everywhere since I was 17. Hardly play it anymore, but sentimental value keeps me from selling. The circuit has been maintained and sounds great, but loud.

On the SLO, added NOS 6p3se power tubes (military spec 5881s) and biased to 32mv, replacing the JJ 6l6gc set. The JJs have something sweeter in the mids. The 6p3se set seems to have a bit less output, and sound better for tighter metal type stuff. The differences wouldn't be noticeable in band mix.

 

[stephen sawall]

Tremoverb I use the Clean and Blues modes for clean, point of break-up and crunch sounds. The Blues mode does a great point of break-up thing. You can really control the harmonics with the pick attack.

I have a Heartbreaker. It has two channels Love and Lust. Fender blackface and JTM45. Hence the Blues Breaker / Heartbreaker name.
You can add a gain stage to either channel. The Fender side gets the Mesa Mark 1 stuff. The JTM45 side gets more gain than a JCM800.

Like a lot of Mesa amps it has lots of switches. So you can get as vintage or modern as you want.

It can do this kind of modified Marshall with a ton of bass thing.

I leant the Heartbreaker to Andy Marshall for about a year. He felt the Clean channel was better than any Fender Twin. With all the switches it can kind of do a greatest hits of many of the Fender amps.

I bought the Heartbreaker in 2017. Know it pretty well if anyone has questions about it.