Ham fisted Bass

[quote name='tylerlangan' post='201343' date='May 18 2008, 01:07 AM']Just adding to all the Mesa love in here but isn't it cool how crazily responsive the eq controls are?? Like on my old laney there was less difference in a whole revolution of the 'bass' knob than there is in a tiny increment on the mesa. Also, I have the 40hm one and read in the manual they will run at 2ohms with a cab? In order to do this would I need to add another 4 or 8ohm cab? Cheers guys! Incidentally anyone know if the Mpulse is a much different type of sound?[/quote] I think... that an 8ohm cab will give you 2.67ohms which is unofficially fine.

[quote name='trent900' post='201357' date='May 18 2008, 01:45 AM']+/- 0 I see what you mean about hype, it leads me, via a roundabout mental route, to wonder when people will realise that all amps sound more or less the same and that the most hype therefore goes to the amp that has the most va va voom. And this: has a lot.[/quote] Ha Ha Ha......va va voom (very good) you are both quite right. I have had the opportunity of a second gig with the much fabled Genz Benz Shuttle 6.0 It is good, but please note. I do not believe that any more or less people would have danced at the gig if I had used another make of amp. Sorry for stirring up the hype - but my silly little post will be nothing to that which will be 'whipped up' when the pre orders land. But the lights are very cool (believe me) far cooler than the other heads at my disposal.

I had the chance to play a gig with Genz Benz Shuttle 6.0 - So I took it. Forget everything you know or thought you knew about amps - This amp is fantastic! I plugged this into a GS112 and into the amp went a MM SR4. We had PA support so I sent a DI into the desk. The sound was terrific loads of growl; definition loads of everything really I had to keep looking at the amp because I could not believe the range of astonishing sounds coming from such a small box. Oh yeah the lights are cool too..

[quote name='iain1985' post='199997' date='May 15 2008, 10:37 PM']. You're not alone. Ive sold several and probably 60% of them have came back One or two of them have even been to mesa distributor several times for repair, and ive had two customers completely give up on them. Ive seen a few going cheap second hand and have always been tempted but the reliability faults have put me off. However the newer versions with the switchable input seem to have remedied the fault. Just cant seem to find any on the cheap haha[/quote] A point of note: A fault would suggest that it was working fine and then through component failure or whatever a fault developed. My point is that the early versions of this Amp - through reasons of poor electrical engineering at 'the home of tone' were second grade to start with. A wider point is Mesa Engineering's disappointing responses - So to all of us in this 'exclusive' club (Oh dear)

I've posted this elsewhere on BC, but before I seize the opportunity to launch into another rant about Mesa Boogie. Two points; 1 - This amp sounds wonderful. 2 - I dropped on a bad example. Posted a week or so ago. 'Hi there - a word of caution regarding earlier models of this head. I bought a combo (112) from a dealer 2nd hand - a well known dealer at that, based in Devon and famous for the guitars that John Paul Jones / Muse use, anyway this amp was in excellent cosmetic condition with added comments of 'yeah... we know the owner - he changes his stuff every couple of years, he weighed this in against a Zon Bass...blah blah blah...' This amp worked fine for around 6 weeks and then..... it started cutting out after 20 - 30 mins use and would cut back in after a few seconds whilst annoying, once it cut back in it stay on Ok... then it failed for longer periods and would not cut in, then failed completely.. then working - I then picked up on 'issues' from the harmony central review pages. I took it to a local amp tech, he pointed out seven major f**k ups in the internal assembly of the amp - the highlight being that in one place the PCB had been bi passed in favor of a bit of 'mid-air' soldering - this had to have been done in the factory in an attempt to produce a 'quick fix' - when he used the pcb circuit the 'fault' would repeat in a predictable cycle. My amp tech has since changed the values of components in the circuit into the valves by an order of magnitude (more compatible with what he would expect for this circuit) and the fault has gone, the amp sounds wonderful. THIS IS NOT A REPAIR THIS IS ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING..... I would love someone from Mesa Boogie to acknowledge the mistake but this is Mesa Boogie - they can't be wrong can they? Look, buyer beware - it's a great amp but take care with 2nd hand.' This experience has been 'shared' by others on BC. IF you're buying a new version - Lucky you.

The whole event looked like fun - good idea.

[quote name='poptart' post='195527' date='May 9 2008, 04:23 PM']You seem very cynical - if it was important/urgent I would do everything to get any item repaired or replaced as fast as possible, it it wasn't then the same would be true. When you buy from box-shifting operations with low margins they are less likely to care about sorting you out. IMO you should try to use independents where at all possible as although they may be more expensive (not always) they will usually go the extra mile for you - I know that is how I work here. As far as Genz looking after their home market for the initial sales, this has nothing to do with after sales - you seem to be confusing the two. Give the market a few months and the supply chain will become less hectic and things will settle. If you buy any product when it is released it is common for shortages and problems in the supply chain - think computer game boxes for example. You can be assured that not on;y is the Genz product reliable, but you will be looked after by myself and other UK dealers if there is a problem. My original point was if you buy one from the USA or via ebay myself and other dealers will not be looking after you in the same way, whether the UK distributors will look after you is up to them, I was only trying to clarify your warranty situation, and with some manufacturers that means if you improt to another country you invalidate any warranty. I hope that clears things up a bit :-) Mark[/quote] Mark - Please don't take offence about what I think - cynical I am, but in the case of buying from 'auction sites' I side totally with you and smaller vendors like you. If the bass playing public buy exclusively from 'auction sites' and the like based purely on price then that is all they will get - cheap, no service, no back up, no answers to trivial tech issues etc.... The big issue for most of us is that if we buy from exclusively 'auction sites' and 'box shifters' then logic dictates that independents will disappear - think independent record shops.. My rant was and still is based against manufacturers who allow cr@p to leave their factory, protected by a name, and deny any issue with their product(s) GB and the thread with the shuttle etc which mutated into warranty rights et al was more to make a 'flawed point' incorporating GB supply and warranty. If GB are six weeks late with firm orders what chance fixing a fault? (but you've answered that) Get the Shuttles in, I could do with a back up for the R500... (hope it's not a faulty batch - (joke honest))

[quote name='wateroftyne' post='195462' date='May 9 2008, 02:42 PM']That's quite a bee you have in your bonnet there, son. Given the circumstances, I think you'd better buy one of those indestructable amps that automatically regenerates itself on the spot, on the million-to-one chance it fails.[/quote] Please view Post #36 (Particulary the last bit) This post began with an ebay link - listing a GB shuttle (warranty position uncertain). The discussion soon came around to warranty and the importance of one. My point was more to do with. Why get hung up on the warranty? What is the importance of a warranty when something lets you down? Do we all only buy gear with full warranty? (and started my rant about Mesa Boogie) though in due course, a warranty it could mean free repair of your purchase. However, in this case Poptart, made a point of the importance of having a dealer warranty, meanwhile acknowledging that GB with some justification are servicing their home (and largest) market ahead of the European market. So if your UK authorised dealer purchased, GB (This may never happen - I'm not suggesting that it will) amp fails tonight? How much time will elapse before.... a - It is repaired / replaced under warranty. b - You see it again? But again, you could insert the name of any number of manufacturers in place of GB.

[quote name='Crazykiwi' post='195460' date='May 9 2008, 02:39 PM']Hey if life give you sh*t then its time to make sh*t juice... ...er, or something like that.[/quote] I'm sorry....what does this mean?

[quote name='wateroftyne' post='195430' date='May 9 2008, 02:02 PM']Two words: Backup amp.[/quote] I don't leave home without one; SWR Electric Blue - two words and is SWR short for anything? ......After regaining his composure Ham fisted Bass has switched amps checked DI levels, and has missed most of the last number; now with his 'back up amp' employed as his main amp and the gig has finished; when does he get his 'main amp' fixed? - even if it is done under warranty, with a helpful distributor and 'bendy' manufacturer what is the lead time for him to see the repair carried out given that the manufacturer is servicing his largest (home) market....

[quote name='Crazykiwi' post='195417' date='May 9 2008, 01:42 PM']I'm sure Mark will stand by any warranty on the Shuttles purchased from him.[/quote] I don't doubt it. However here's a senario - Dead Amp, gig at weekend. Dead amp returned under warranty (free repair if it meets the terms of the warranty) when do you get your repaired amp back? Particularly if the manufacturer has demonstrated an esoteric relationship with delivery dates. BTW I totally accept that this is could happen from any manufacturer.

[quote name='poptart' post='195379' date='May 9 2008, 12:53 PM']No - none that I am aware of, however any product can fail which is why a good warranty is essential. Mark[/quote] Fair point any manufactured item will fail at some point - but it's when the 'product' fails mid gig that the good warranty point flounders. At that point, the warranty matters not - and having had this happen with; well, I won't say which manufacturers product but it rhymes with [i]Mesa Boogie[/i], I now have a Markbass R500. The GB shuttle 6 was never an option for the simple reason that no one can get hold of them, I seem to remember that they were due in to the UK at end of March (correct this if I'm wrong) and there are still people waiting to take delivery (early / mid May) If GB don't deliver (sic) what are the chances that your newly 'dead' shuttle will be fixed under warranty any time soon? This is of course 'if and ands' the reality is that the news from the states is that the shuttle is a really good amp - hence the interest. Personally, I like the look of the Mesa Boogie Fathom but bitter experience of [i]Mesa Boogie[/i] tells me 'NO..' listen to your head (the one on your shoulders, not the one on your speaker cab)

[quote name='Crazykiwi' post='191520' date='May 4 2008, 12:18 PM']Might as well buy one new at that price and have better peace of mind.[/quote] Does GB stuff have a history of failures?

[quote name='steve-norris' post='190914' date='May 2 2008, 10:38 PM']Well i pretty sold on the light weight hybrid type and to be honest had forgotten about the R500, what i am looking for is small and very importantly light weight, 500W output at 4ohm. What really sold me on the GB was all these combined in a tiny light weight package and importantly to me a headphone output for home practice when the kids are in bed, looks like the complete package and it sounded great in the demos especially when driving the tube just to the point of distortion.[/quote] When the kids are in bed (and practice demands) I have two options... 1 - Acoustic practice. 2 - My SWR Electric blue head - c/w headphone jack. Ok, my R500 doesn't take headphones but it is a fine amp, I can screw the tube into submission, 500W into 4ohm.

[quote name='steve-norris' post='190894' date='May 2 2008, 10:10 PM']Looking through the available options i had narrowed my choices down to the mark bass LM2 or F1 then i heard about the genz-benz shuttle 6.0 wow they sound awesome, problem is no one seems to have one. I found one in the USA via e bay express but they wont ship outside the USA Any suggestions?[/quote] Why are you saying that your choices are the LM2 or F1? There are loads of options regarding amps - Bass Direct have GB gear. Personnally, I'd Sh@g my R500 (if there was a hole big enough). I think 'WaterofTyne' feels the same about Boogie Walkabouts.... I could recommend loads of stuff what are your perameters?

[quote name='Sercet' post='190754' date='May 2 2008, 06:00 PM']You could try this [url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Acoustic-Image-FOCUS-SA-power-amp-600w-4-0hm-3-5-lbs_W0QQitemZ160236180461QQihZ006QQcategoryZ58719QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Acoustic-Image-FOCUS...1QQcmdZViewItem[/url] It works pretty well Steve[/quote] Thanks - that's the ticket, its a bit pricey but indeed its what I was thinking about. Alien what is a PM and how do I do it? (note my join date)

There are many pre amp modules and pedals available; does any one know of a power amp which is smaller and cheaper than a rack space unit which could fit into to the proverbial 'gig bag'? My line of thinking is that modern power amps in Bergantino / Mackie powered cabs and the Markbass range of heads are pretty small are these, or similar power units available separately? Thanks

Hello - I've bought a Markbass R500 to cover reliabilty issues with my Walkabout (another story). I'm not good with words, nor am I a technical author - but here goes. Walkabout failed in sound check of recent gig - Plugged in R500. I played through this amp with a MM Bongo 'HH' 4 and as always used a plectrum, and it was plugged into two Aguilar GS112 cabs. The band play general functions and we perform a variety of Rock, Funk and Disco numbers. This amp is simple to operate, 'Bit more bass?' turn up the Bass 'a bit middy?' back off the mids etc... IMHO This amp has one of the best 'all round' Bass tones currently avaliable in a single box, warmth drive, punch and other good descriptive words. For what I'm required to do it is a fine amplifier - It's a bitch and I'm her Master :wub: