Unexpected NAD - 97ish Mesa Tremoverb 2x12

[LPMojoGL]

Sounds just like mine. Killer amp. Don’t laugh but boost it with a Metal Zone.. sickest shit ever. Gotta know how to run a MZ.

For real? Naaahhhh.
Funny thing tho... I was watching some local bands in a club one night, checking out the gear like always.
One guy had a Mesa Mk V through Mesa very 2x12. 2nd guitar player in that band had a Flexitone combo. Mesa player was killer, but I actually liked the sound of the Line6 better. I was surprised.
Next band came on, guitarist was using a metal zone thru a Fender Hot Rod Deluxe. Best guitar sound of the night. No joke. That night messed with my head.

 

[skoora]

For real? Naaahhhh.
Funny thing tho... I was watching some local bands in a club one night, checking out the gear like always.
One guy had a Mesa Mk V through Mesa very 2x12. 2nd guitar player in that band had a Flexitone combo. Mesa player was killer, but I actually liked the sound of the Line6 better. I was surprised.
Next band came on, guitarist was using a metal zone thru a Fender Hot Rod Deluxe. Best guitar sound of the night. No joke. That night messed with my head.

Nothing dances on the edge of sounding like fire or total dogshit like a Mesa Mark amp.

 

[LPMojoGL]

Nothing dances on the edge of sounding like fire or total dogshit like a Mesa Mark amp.

Especially a Mark.
I've had several of em, and they're way too temperamental for my simple tastes.
And I used to play a Digitech RP5 thru a Fender HR DeVille. Spent hours programming that RP5. Happy to set and forget these days.

 

[LPMojoGL]

I need to do a other side by side with my Tremoverb and Triple Rectifier.

I'm curious how they contrast.
That Blues mode setting I found last night is surprisingly like a cranked old tweed. Love it. Never had that in a Recto.

 

[VonBonfire]

Especially a Mark.

What are your thoughts on the Mark I?

 

[stephen sawall]

What are your thoughts on the Mark I?

I always think of
Abraxas Santana

 

[VonBonfire]

I always think of
Abraxas Santana

That's why I was asking. I love Santana. One of the first dudes who ever showed me anything about guitar had a MkI from when they were still special order. If you played the chords to Oye Como Va you were playing rhythm for the next 30 minutes while he unleashed a pretty serious inner Carlos and then laughed his ass off when it was over lol.

 

[LPMojoGL]

I always think of
Abraxas Santana

Same. Like a cranked, high wattage Fender hit with a Tube Screamer. They're great for jazz/blues festivals and smooth classic rock.

 

[VonBonfire]

Same. Like a cranked, high wattage Fender hit with a Tube Screamer. They're great for jazz/blues festivals and smooth classic rock.

Are they easy to dial in? Your new amp kind of reminded me of that Mk1. Lots of rich sustain.

 

[LPMojoGL]

Are they easy to dial in? Your new amp kind of reminded me of that Mk1. Lots of rich sustain.

Different animal. I'd rather have a bf Fender and a couple of od pedals vs a Mark, for that kind of thing. The Tremoverb clean and blues channels are easier to dial in, imo. Same with a .50 Caliber Plus.
But, I've heard lots of pros using a Mk1 or 2 variant, sound phenomenal. They probably have their low/high volume settings dialed in.

 

[Hiwatts-n-Gibsons]

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?

Unfortunately there is nothing out there like the SRO anymore. If I sound like I gush on them forgive me, because it's my all time favorite guitar speaker. It's the only guitar speaker that does everything I want out of a speaker from clean to brutal as hell high gain tones and every spot in between.

Take the clarity and punch of an EVM12L, add some of the midrange grind and chime of a Celestion, and add a bit of alnico compression that beautifully smooths the highs and adds air, while slightly shifting upwards the lowend punch the cast frame gives it compared to the huge extended lowend EVM12L's can put out.

They take overdrive, distortion, and fuzz insanely well, whereas with EVM12L's there are some fuzz pedals they just don't do justice too imo. Fuzz Faces and Big Muffs come to mind. When I feed the SRO's some big squarewave chaos they respond exactly how I want. I've had two OG smooth cones, and 3 reconed with ribbed cones. They all sound the same to me, but some people say they can hear a little difference between the originals and the recones.

They are also expensive. Not vintage Green Back or Black Back expensive, but $250 for a reconed one, and over $350 for original smooth cones was what I paid when I bought mine.

As much as I love them alone, four of them in a 4x12 is heavy as hell, so I have them mixed in an X with two Fane Medusa 30's in one cab, and two Celestion G12H100's in another.

Oh, and they are loud. Like 3db more sensitivity than a V30 or EVM12L. So are the Fane Medusa 30's. Both are rated at 103db.

 

[VonBonfire]

Unfortunately there is nothing out there like the SRO anymore. If I sound like I gush on them forgive me, because it's my all time favorite guitar speaker. It's the only guitar speaker that does everything I want out of a speaker from clean to brutal as hell high gain tones and every spot in between.

I've always wanted to try those but they are rare, and expensive, and I think they'd be blown in a year or so since it appears they are less than 100 watt handling. Unfortunately there is nothing out there like classic JBL D or K's either, as the amount of alnico used in all of those speakers is cost prohibitive. All the alnicos made today are basically junk by comparison IMO. Stamped chinese frames, small alnico magnets....even new EV's are made in Mexico I think.

I'm hoping to track down a sanely priced K one day, and have the one I blew up reconed. I sold off all my D's because I was sick of blowing them up and reconing prices have increased substantially. The K took much more abuse. I've been using EV Force 12's as they are reasonable $, and still handle 150 watts and seem to give the neutral tone EV's are known for. I have some Eminence PF-350's in my other twin but that amp is a true backbreaker so they aren't even fully broken in yet two years later, LOL.

 

[Hiwatts-n-Gibsons]

I've always wanted to try those but they are rare, and expensive, and I think they'd be blown in a year or so since it appears they are less than 100 watt handling. Unfortunately there is nothing out there like classic JBL D or K's either, as the amount of alnico used in all of those speakers is cost prohibitive. All the alnicos made today are basically junk by comparison IMO. Stamped chinese frames, small alnico magnets....even new EV's are made in Mexico I think.

I'm hoping to track down a sanely priced K one day, and have the one I blew up reconed. I sold off all my D's because I was sick of blowing them up and reconing prices have increased substantially. The K took much more abuse. I've been using EV Force 12's as they are reasonable $, and still handle 150 watts and seem to give the neutral tone EV's are known for. I have some Eminence PF-350's in my other twin but that amp is a true backbreaker so they aren't even fully broken in yet two years later, LOL.

I get the worry, but imo it's not an issue. I have blown one so far which was my first OG, and my first recone.

Somewhere I had gotten the impression they were 150 watt speakers, when they're more like 65 watt speakers. I blew it after about 45 minutes of playing a maxed out Sun Face NKT White Dot into the T-Verb with the master up good a bit over half way. It sounded incredible the entire time, until the very moment it fried.

Both the 4x12's I have them in now have had my Hiwatt and Reeves Custom 100's, and my Matamp GT150 played through them with the Master volumes at max, and slammed by a maxed Treble Booster or Fuzz. Those amps are significantly louder than my T-Verb was.

 

[VonBonfire]

I get the worry, but imo it's not an issue. I have blown one so far which was my first OG, and my first recone.

D-120's are about 60 watts rated and I would blow at least one per year. Mind you I am using a Twin so there are only two speakers to handle the power. I had three D's plus a K that I would rotate out but it got to be expensive, and a hassle cause the speaker man was an hour drive each way. Then he died in 2019. I got them all cheap but post covid the prices on D's and K's went nuts and of course the recone kits themselves jumped, and now used D's and K's are in the same ballpark as the SRO online....$350-450 each for one in good shape. It's too much money for the level of $ I'm taking in through gigs right now.

 

[Hiwatts-n-Gibsons]

D-120's are about 60 watts rated and I would blow at least one per year. Mind you I am using a Twin so there are only two speakers to handle the power. I had three D's plus a K that I would rotate out but it got to be expensive, and a hassle cause the speaker man was an hour drive each way. Then he died in 2019. I got them all cheap but post covid the prices on D's and K's went nuts and of course the recone kits themselves jumped, and now used D's and K's are in the same ballpark as the SRO online....$350-450 each for one in good shape. It's too much money for the level of $ I'm taking in through gigs right now.

I hear you. Two for a Twin if you turn it up loud might be pushing it. You know what that means? You can get a 2x15 Showman cab and load it with two Coffee Can SRO15's for under the Twin.

I've got a couple of those too, but not for sale.

 

[ChurchHill]

Unfortunately there is nothing out there like the SRO anymore. If I sound like I gush on them forgive me, because it's my all time favorite guitar speaker. It's the only guitar speaker that does everything I want out of a speaker from clean to brutal as hell high gain tones and every spot in between.

Take the clarity and punch of an EVM12L, add some of the midrange grind and chime of a Celestion, and add a bit of alnico compression that beautifully smooths the highs and adds air, while slightly shifting upwards the lowend punch the cast frame gives it compared to the huge extended lowend EVM12L's can put out.

They take overdrive, distortion, and fuzz insanely well, whereas with EVM12L's there are some fuzz pedals they just don't do justice too imo. Fuzz Faces and Big Muffs come to mind. When I feed the SRO's some big squarewave chaos they respond exactly how I want. I've had two OG smooth cones, and 3 reconed with ribbed cones. They all sound the same to me, but some people say they can hear a little difference between the originals and the recones.

They are also expensive. Not vintage Green Back or Black Back expensive, but $250 for a reconed one, and over $350 for original smooth cones was what I paid when I bought mine.

As much as I love them alone, four of them in a 4x12 is heavy as hell, so I have them mixed in an X with two Fane Medusa 30's in one cab, and two Celestion G12H100's in another.

Oh, and they are loud. Like 3db more sensitivity than a V30 or EVM12L. So are the Fane Medusa 30's. Both are rated at 103db.

That's my experience, exactly. Possibly the greatest speaker ever made. I've got 3 of them so far, one more and I'll put them in a 4x12 that probably won't go anywhere without a forklift but will be worth it.

Currently, I've got one in a Fender Twin Reverb alongside a Altec 417-8H. The combination is incredible, very 3D, and easy to hear what each speaker is bringing to the mix. Must weigh 2 tons, but for cleans, it's real hard to beat.

I thought the Jensen Blackbird had a few things in common with the SRO. Not as bright, not nearly as loud, and not as heavy. But smooth and well-bodied.

 

[VonBonfire]

That's my experience, exactly. Possibly the greatest speaker ever made. I've got 3 of them so far, one more and I'll put them in a 4x12 that probably won't go anywhere without a forklift but will be worth it.

Currently, I've got one in a Fender Twin Reverb alongside a Altec 417-8H. The combination is incredible, very 3D, and easy to hear what each speaker is bringing to the mix. Must weigh 2 tons, but for cleans, it's real hard to beat.

I thought the Jensen Blackbird had a few things in common with the SRO. Not as bright, not nearly as loud, and not as heavy. But smooth and well-bodied.

I'm noting your Twin reverb speaker combo, thanks for sharing that. Sounds like a nice mix!!!

I'd love to try the Blackbirds in a Twin one day for the power handling and alnico tone but man they ain't cheap! So far my favorite is the JBL D/K series but the EV Force 12's have been a great speaker for the $110 each I paid for them. They never lose their composure under wattage either but they aren't quite as sparkly or airy on top as the JBL's. I even had some Celestion G12k-100's that came in a cheap twin I bought that sounded pretty nice. The only speaker I haven't cared for is the RI Jensens you find in newer PCB Twins as they fart out at volume and are pretty papery sounding at high volumes compared to everything else. I gave the ones I had away, lol.

 

[ChurchHill]

I'm with you there... those Jensen C12Ks are awful, period. Fart-out, brittle under gain, and no sparkle for cleans. I do like the G12K100s, but more for gain than clean, although they handle both well.

And yeah, nothing sounds like a D120. I'm still on the lookout for a good K120 that isn't either beat-up, badly reconed, or stupid expensive. I do have a pair of K110s that are incredible in a closed Tremolux cab.

More on topic, I thought the early 2000s Mesa-spec V30s were the best I've tried with a TOV. Always wanted a TOV, spent a lot of time with my friends, though. Great amps!

 

[LPMojoGL]

I hear you. Two for a Twin if you turn it up loud might be pushing it. You know what that means? You can get a 2x15 Showman cab and load it with two Coffee Can SRO15's for under the Twin.

I've got a couple of those too, but not for sale.

The D130fs in my DS cab are fantastic. But man, that cab is huge. Rarely plug into it. But when I do, sweeeeet.

 

[LPMojoGL]

I'm with you there... those Jensen C12Ks are awful, period. Fart-out, brittle under gain, and no sparkle for cleans. I do like the G12K100s, but more for gain than clean, although they handle both well.

And yeah, nothing sounds like a D120. I'm still on the lookout for a good K120 that isn't either beat-up, badly reconed, or stupid expensive. I do have a pair of K110s that are incredible in a closed Tremolux cab.

More on topic, I thought the early 2000s Mesa-spec V30s were the best I've tried with a TOV. Always wanted a TOV, spent a lot of time with my friends, though. Great amps!

I have a Mesa V30 that's great. Not even tempted to put it in the TOV. These Scumnicos are amazing. I'll keep em, if I ever flip the amp! Lol