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Mesa M6 Carbine Mega Thread part 3:
- Thread starter Thor
- Start date
All I'm saying is that the Bergie AE410 is perhaps one of the BEST speaker cab matches for the M6. The M6 has a lot of inherent low-end punch. The AE410 is focused and punchy and mates perfectly with the M6. Maybe the M6 is not the right amp for your cabinet choices. That's cool too.
Well like many folks here I have many amps in the quiver and was hoping the M6 would be a beefier version of my now traded TFB750, beefier yes, but not as fat w/the BMF212. I am looking forward to running it into 4 gs112's, of course up against the DB750 into those cabs it'll be one tough contest - as there are few amp/cabinet parings more sublime than the DB750/GS112 imho of course.
Toby, I have and still dearly love my db750. With the Tele tube upgrade it is the amp I want to hear. But when I was going to practice 2-3 times per week it was something that I didn't cherish hauling around. So I went looking for a lighter alternative. The Little Mark just didn't cut it although it was a nice sounding little amp. I happened in the local GC to try out a Walkabout and decided to run that against the new (at that time) M6. I was blown away with the M6. It didn't sound like the db750 but it gave me a tone that thrilled me every bit as much. So I bought one and have been happy with it ever since. BUT I have no intention of getting rid of my db750.
Gigged it last night into a GB neox212 with my Nordy VJ5, Ebs valve drive active and vintage - bem board, ash body, 2 band and single coils in 60's - gain 1, bass 3, mid 9, voice off and treble at 9. Patio gig with no rear wall which the GB handled well, the M6 did fairly well deep fat and lively, yet still lacking in the fundamentally important 200 - 250 hz. Swapped to my go to bass Sadowsky NYC RV 5 w/chromes - just plain awful, hi mid honk and clank, the bass that most everyone who ever hears it loves its vintage warmth and punch. I think this amp is headed to the classifieds.
I ALWAYS run mine with mids and treble straight up, bass at 10 o'clock and I have NEVER liked the gain above 11 o'clock.
If you need more tonal flexibility then the M9 is the way to go. It gives you a bunch of option with the onboard equalizer.
Toby, actually you should contact Bart. I took my M6 to one of his gigs over a year ago and he ordered the M9 immediately after. He went with the M9 because the price difference wasn't that great and they sound the same. He is using the Mesa with his Sadowsky Will Lee pretty much exclusively and he is running it into a Bergantino AE212. But he doesn't use the graphic EQ from what I recall.
His band is playing at Scandals tonight so you might work something out where if you get there early you would be able to try out your Sadowsky into his rig.
Here is the link to his band's website:
Link Removed
atrapp said:
Did you pull out on the bass knob? The bass boost is so big that I can't even use it with my Spectors.
Bart lives pretty close to me, so maybe I set up a meet, but I think I prefer a different tone than the M6 produces, think Thunderfunk, Walkabout, heck I run the Shuttle 9 just a notch off all tone knobs at noon - slight boost at 200 - warm 60's tone with lots of low mids and no sizzle.
Yeah I tried the bass boost but it was the wrong frequency.
I want to like this head, it has near the heft and slam of the DB750... time to grab a few GS112's and monkey around.
In re-reading your posts I'm betting that you are right. It is completely the opposite of a Walkabout. It may be not the amp for what you are looking for. I do know that it is very different than what Mesa typically builds. And it really is a different tone than the db750 but you are right about the heft and slam.
atrapp....I've never run my M6 into a Schroeder, but Schro's in general are quite upper mid focused, and the M6 is very pronounced in that region as well. So my guess is the combo is way too much of a good thing. But if you want to try and make it work, I suggest you play around with the voice selector. Each setting has some pretty massive tonal changes and I've found acts as a magical cabinet matching knob. My guess is if you use either #4 or #5 with the passive mids and treble controls dialed back a bit (10 o'clock?), you may end up getting something you really like. As far as using extreme tone control setting, I really wouldn't worry about it. If it sounds good, then it doesn't really matter where the controls are, right? I'm all for the argument of starting out with a great tone with all controls @ noon so you have the most knob flexibility. But really, why does it matter when if you enjoy that tone you won't be changing the knobs anyway? Either way, good luck!
With those scooped GS112s I would try setting 5 with the bass cut about 10 oclock. THat should be a good start, if too much mid then dial it back to setting 4. Rinse and repeat.
Agreed. And keep the mids at Noon. and keep the tone shape selector knob in the middle position.
TO cut a long story short, i contacted Mesa Boogie distribution here in England. They said as i had a really early Fathom they would give me a new M6 as a free of charge replacement
.Can't fault Mesa for customer service.
Anyhow, i have been really happy with the new M6 for the last couple of months.
Last night at rehearsals, it started making strange noises then went really quiet. Then it stopped all together.
The pre-amp still works as i took a DI out to the desk.
I changed cables, basses, speakers etc, still nothing.
I took it apart last night and swapped the 12AX7, still nothing.
The tube glows and the power neon glows but no output stage.
Any ideas or similar problems?
I know it's under warranty still and I am sure Mesa will get it sorted, just a bit curious.
I have checked the manufacture date on the back of the amp and it says 9/28/11, so i know it's had the upgrades.
