Can anyone tell me when the M6 Carbines started shipping with the cooling fix installed straight from production? I am looking at purchasing a used one but a little gun-shy due to the problem reports I am reading about here. Glad to hear Mesa has been good about fixing these but this unit is now off warranty so I would be stuck with the cost if it did have the issue. I tried contacting Mesa but did not get a clear answer. Any guidance would be appreciated.
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Mesa M6 Carbine Mega Thread part 3:
- Thread starter Thor
- Start date
Chef
In Memoriam
- Feb 12, 2006
- 60,953
- 5
- 220,612
- Disclosures
- Development Engineer-Mesa Boogie, Development Engineer-Genzler (pedals), Product Support-Genz Benz
Thanks for the response. Perhaps you can confirm my question a slightly different way. The unit I am looking at has 2 fans. The reports on this thread indicate the units with the problem had one fan and the upgrade/fix added a second. Is the presence of the second fan clear proof that this unit has the upgrade?
- Feb 12, 2006
- 60,953
- 5
- 220,612
- Disclosures
- Development Engineer-Mesa Boogie, Development Engineer-Genzler (pedals), Product Support-Genz Benz
There is more to it than just the fans. You really do need to talk with customer service, I don't want to give you bad advice because I don't know the complete picture.
Al Kraft
Supporting Member
- May 2, 2016
- 10,768
- 40,434
- Disclosures
- Mesa Boogie beta product tester and player support
IIRC they did some of that thermal upgrade stuff relative to the Carbines in stages/phases along with other internal circuitry/component improvements at certain points. If you have the serial number, the Mesa CS folks can tell you how it left the factory and any updates that were done by the factory (many of us sent heads back to Mesa for updating).
IME the one area that is less certain is when mods were done outside the factory (Mesa authorized or not). Since your question is when a certain set of updates were incorporated in production, Mesa CS should easily be able to help you.
Proud owner of a new M6 Carbine.
If I were to describe it in one word that word would be punch. Super punchy, articulate, dynamic. It hides nothing to the point where I'll have to become a better player because of it.
It took me three days to get through all 49 pages but I'm glad I read it since there were some useful tidbits in there.
Specifically, understanding that all 4 voices are separate. I'd assumed based on the way that Mesa wrote the manual that voice 1 and 5 were more extreme versions of 2 and 4, but they're not. Each voice is it's own thing and needs to be evaluated separately.
Additionally, I kind of wish that Mesa would publish images of voicing EQ curves since with the power of a volume knob a lower mid scoop can easily be turned into an upper mid boost. You see this with the Strategy/Prodigy amps where people think every voice is scooped based on the description and they judge it before taking the time to understand how it'll actually fit into a mix.
Right now, I'm really digging voice 4 with my Jazz bass. Lots of mids seems to give me a lot of room to scoop on the bass without totally thinning out the the sound, and with the amp's natural low end I can go 100% bridge with a lot of punch/authority.
With my P bass I'm still bouncing around but I like both voice 2 and 4 with it. I'll need to hear how it sits in a mix before I make any decisions on this one.
What's curious is the pull-deep knob. I assumed it was similar to the deep on the D800 but it's pretty different. In a number of modes it adds top and upper midrange... instead of being a strict low end extension/boost it's more of a scoop control with some added top end to punch through.
Beyond all that, the reason I bought the Carbine is that I really like the sound of the PH410 and I wanted an amp that would really complement it. The Strategy does a killer job, but after paying to retube it I want to save it for gigs and use something a little more economical for practice/rehearsal.
I've been using the D800/Subway cabs pictured below for a couple years now, and although they sound killer they're not producing the sound I hear in my head the way the Strategy/Carbine/PH410 do... which considering the differences between the Strategy and Carbine as amplifiers I think largely comes down to me really liking that cab, and the Strategy/Carbine being voiced specifically to use PH cabs.
IMO, the D800 sounds best with it's own cabs and is too dark/warm to drive the PH410 for the sound/response that I like. Others may disagree, and that's cool as we're all after something a little bit different. You'll never know until you try for yourself.
And on a side note, a Darkglass Alpha/Omega into a Carbine is like a Dual Rectifier for bass. I prefer the sound of the amp with the bass plugged straight in as the DG's buffer changes the sound by brightening/hardening the attack whereas it's warmer/rounder without it, and the Carbine is already aggressive to begin with and doesn't really need the extra help... but, if I want the option of adding distortion compromises must be made.
If I were to describe it in one word that word would be punch. Super punchy, articulate, dynamic. It hides nothing to the point where I'll have to become a better player because of it.
It took me three days to get through all 49 pages but I'm glad I read it since there were some useful tidbits in there.
Specifically, understanding that all 4 voices are separate. I'd assumed based on the way that Mesa wrote the manual that voice 1 and 5 were more extreme versions of 2 and 4, but they're not. Each voice is it's own thing and needs to be evaluated separately.
Additionally, I kind of wish that Mesa would publish images of voicing EQ curves since with the power of a volume knob a lower mid scoop can easily be turned into an upper mid boost. You see this with the Strategy/Prodigy amps where people think every voice is scooped based on the description and they judge it before taking the time to understand how it'll actually fit into a mix.
Right now, I'm really digging voice 4 with my Jazz bass. Lots of mids seems to give me a lot of room to scoop on the bass without totally thinning out the the sound, and with the amp's natural low end I can go 100% bridge with a lot of punch/authority.
With my P bass I'm still bouncing around but I like both voice 2 and 4 with it. I'll need to hear how it sits in a mix before I make any decisions on this one.
What's curious is the pull-deep knob. I assumed it was similar to the deep on the D800 but it's pretty different. In a number of modes it adds top and upper midrange... instead of being a strict low end extension/boost it's more of a scoop control with some added top end to punch through.
Beyond all that, the reason I bought the Carbine is that I really like the sound of the PH410 and I wanted an amp that would really complement it. The Strategy does a killer job, but after paying to retube it I want to save it for gigs and use something a little more economical for practice/rehearsal.
I've been using the D800/Subway cabs pictured below for a couple years now, and although they sound killer they're not producing the sound I hear in my head the way the Strategy/Carbine/PH410 do... which considering the differences between the Strategy and Carbine as amplifiers I think largely comes down to me really liking that cab, and the Strategy/Carbine being voiced specifically to use PH cabs.
IMO, the D800 sounds best with it's own cabs and is too dark/warm to drive the PH410 for the sound/response that I like. Others may disagree, and that's cool as we're all after something a little bit different. You'll never know until you try for yourself.
And on a side note, a Darkglass Alpha/Omega into a Carbine is like a Dual Rectifier for bass. I prefer the sound of the amp with the bass plugged straight in as the DG's buffer changes the sound by brightening/hardening the attack whereas it's warmer/rounder without it, and the Carbine is already aggressive to begin with and doesn't really need the extra help... but, if I want the option of adding distortion compromises must be made.
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I love the M6/PH410 combination too. Sounds killer with the jazz and my lakland 55-02. I feel the same as _Some Dude about the P.
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Just got my M6 back from getting updated and I've never been so in love with such devastating power in my life. Apparently the head was already damaged and not functioning at full power when I bought it because this is definitely not the same amp I bought this summer. I actually only had the master at the level in the pic for about 30 seconds and to take the pic because I'm drowning the drummer and guitarist out with it turned to about 8 o'clock. At 10 o'clock I set off several car alarms and knocked two boxes off a shelf. This head on top on my PH1000 is an absolute demon and I love it!!!
- Feb 12, 2006
- 60,953
- 5
- 220,612
- Disclosures
- Development Engineer-Mesa Boogie, Development Engineer-Genzler (pedals), Product Support-Genz Benz
This is why factory service is so important, you get your amp fixed right and don't pay for somebody's "learning experience"
Honestly the most pleasant and informative customer service I've ever experienced in my entire life. Everyone I had the pleasure of speaking with at Mesa Boogie were just amazingly helpful and beyond knowledgeable.
Al Kraft
Supporting Member
- May 2, 2016
- 10,768
- 40,434
- Disclosures
- Mesa Boogie beta product tester and player support
Professional, customer oriented service after the sale and great sounding/performing gear all built in the US...this is one instance where you definitely get what you pay for (in a good way) and the few extra bucks up front for Mesa products are definitely worth it IME.
Chef
In Memoriam
To this day, the M6 is perhaps the visceral amp experience ever.
That’s an amp!!!!
That’s an amp!!!!
Al Kraft
Supporting Member
- May 2, 2016
- 10,768
- 40,434
- Disclosures
- Mesa Boogie beta product tester and player support
To me it's sort of the Mesa equivalent of the Aguilar DB750/751...they are both an experience you won't forget whether you love the tone or hate it.
Chef
In Memoriam
Al Kraft
Supporting Member
- May 2, 2016
- 10,768
- 40,434
- Disclosures
- Mesa Boogie beta product tester and player support
The DB heads are about 42 pounds on their own, and when you add a case they can be heavier than many cabs these days. A lot of heads can deliver punch with a feeling that you just got hit in the chest with a bag of wet cement,...the DB750/751 delivers it with the sensation that you were just hit by the truck that delivered the bag of cement!
Chef
In Memoriam
I can't see myself every carrying that sort of weight anymore.
I had a DB750 and carried it to a gig once. Up for sale the next day.
Al Kraft
Supporting Member
- May 2, 2016
- 10,768
- 40,434
- Disclosures
- Mesa Boogie beta product tester and player support
With what we can get out of 4-8 pound amps these days, it seems unlikely that there will be run on those large, heavy rigs any time soon.
M6 was a killer amp. A little scooped and paired really well with the Berg AEs. I ran the AE410, sometimes the AE610.
