Mesa M6 Carbine Mega Thread

[Vic]

Mesa doesn't make any budget gear... It's all designed to be the best it can be, no holds barred. The carbine is just a different sound philosophy than their other gear.

Well put. I totally and completely agree with no reservations or qualifications of any kind. In other words, "+1".

 

[akane2]

how do you think a m6/ avatar 410 neo/ Geddy Jazz bass would sound? Im thinking this is my ideal rig. no?

 

[Vanceman]

I feel a bit ridiculous posting about this under the circumstances, but I promised some folks initial thoughts, so here goes...

The "problem" is, it turned out the place we played last night was really tiny, so this rig was like bringing a sledge hammer to drive some finishing nails into some trim board. I had the gain set to about noon, because I generally believe in setting any preamp with tubes in it such that the tube sees a pretty strong signal. Unfortunately, this meant I could barely turn the master up at all. Seriously, I had it down around 8:00 or so all night.

For reference, here's the rig, tho not the basses. I used my Skjold and MTD for last nights gig. That's a Series 2 UL410, btw, in case it's not obvious enough in the pic... kinda' hard to see.

I settled on using the flat profile, and even ended up pulling a bit of the bass out. The tone was very clear, quick, big, full, and puchy as all heck. I really wish I coulda' opened this thing up some more, and really get into it's "zone", but I had no desire to make people bleed from the ears, so I resisted the urge.

I'm impressed with this amp's clarity and responsiveness... I've always liked Mesa's direction for a "big" sound that has a lot of "tubey goodness" in it... IMHO, in pretty much all their bass amps... regardless of how many tubes are involved. However, most of their amps don't quite have the edge I like, which is why I've generally been a SS kinda' guy. This amp changes the rules for me. I've always liked some characteristics of a tube tone, but in most cases, not the dynamic response to my particular playing style. Well, I really need to spend a bit more time with this amp and push it if I'm granted the opportunity, but this amp might very well be "having my cake and eating it too". So far, VERY cool.

BUMP

Vic, have you had a chance to 'open' it up yet? This is exactly how I feel about the tube vs SS preference. Let us know....

 

[Vic]

Vic, have you had a chance to 'open' it up yet? This is exactly how I feel about the tube vs SS preference. Let us know....

No, I don't gig during the week. I'm an IT pro with a full time "day gig" so bass gigs are strictly a weekend warrior thing for me. This weekend will be MUCH better, tho next weekend will be the best... the loudest and nastiest room we play.

 

[Vanceman]

I guess I can wait.

IT pro... you get paid to be IT? Ha, just joking. Me too. Good line of work to be in right now, lots of opportunity!

I'm using a UL410-2 with a Walkabout, so being a Mesa fan has got me very interested in the Carbine. Merry Xmas to me....

 

[Chef]

Ditto...I like the Walkabout with about eveything...I like it well enough with the UL SeriesII...but I've definately got my eyes on the Carbine.

 

[rovito]

I used my new M6 Carbine 212 combo this weekend on a 200 person classic rock gig and here are my thoughts. The third song into the first set I pretty much figured I pissed away $1,500 on a POS. But, once I started playing with the knobs I began to realize what a monster this thing really is. I could get just about any tone I had in my head. Sort of reminded me of a Sansamp. You just have to be willing to experiment with your ears and an open mind. Lots of volume and very sensitive to touch and technique. Just a great piece of gear. Can't wait to use it again next week.

 

[Vic]

Hey, I butted the M6 up against my B1500 this weekend, because for my gigs, the M6 falls into the class of "big/ heavy/ loud" for the (admittedly) relatively few gigs I need gargantuan power. Yeah, I said gargantuan.

"You know, I've always liked that word... "gargantuan"... so rarely have an opportunity to use it in a sentence."

Anyway, IMHO despite the published specs (which is a whole separate debate anyway) the B1500 and M6 are pretty comparable in horsepower on a gig... at least subjectively through a single 4 ohm 410 (in my case, Epifani S2 UL410... currently, my all-time favorite bass cab). The key is all that headroom built into the "600W" M6. Wow.

So at least for me, the power is comparable. However, the tone is not.

I'll be the first person to admit the B1500 is one of the best values on the planet... bar none. Great tone, great power, great quality, fantastic price. However, the M6 is noticeably better sounding. Yeah, yeah, I twisted knobs, but at the end of the day, I plugged the M6 in, just barely tweaked the bass and treble a touch, never messed with the mids, and didn't need to touch the profile switch. Done. Awesome tone and scary badass power. I switched to the B1500 and started immediately twisting knobs to try and get the same tone. Not happening. I got "good enough", but I missed the M6. There's a clarity the M6 has the B1500 doesn't quite do well. If I tried to push the high mids (the treble is voiced too high for boosting... it's mostly useful as a cut), all I got was more "clack and clank". The M6 has a nice sizzly upper-mid/low-treble response that gave me great fingerstyle tone (what I do 90% of the time) right off the bat. For slap, I just dropped the treble/PTC on the bass a touch, done. I always like to have a bright full tone at the amp/cab, and then "tweak" using right hand position/technique, blend control, and eq/tone on the bass for the rest.

Also, there's just no way to get the same kinda' growl when you don't have a tube helping to define your tone in the preamp. The drive control on the B1500 does pretty well for what it is, but the M6 just simply reacted better when pushed hard on the input stages.

At least for my personal tastes, the M6 is the perfect marriage of all the best qualities of an SS head and a hybrid head under one roof. I gotta' get me one-o-deez!

 

[Big String]

Thanx Vic, I was waiting for just this comparison.
I'm going to check out the M6 too. I'm hoping my AE410 will please as much as the Epi did in your case. I know Ken stated sometime back that he thought the AE and Carbine might be too aggressive for his taste, but I still want to check it out. Also, I'd be using J's, one passive one active so we shall see.

 

[Bassist30]

I can't seem to find the weight of the M6. Anybody know?

 

[5StringPocket]

Thanks Vic for that M6/B1500 comparison. I also really enjoy the sound of my Epi UL2-410. It matches well with my Markbass F1 but sometimes I wish I could put a little more growl and character into it. Plus with an 8 ohm Dr Bass 1260 slant due any day now, it would be nice to have a head capable of driving a 2.67 ohm load. I was considering a B1500 but if the M6 has enough headroom, better tone for these cabs, and weighs 10 pounds less (25# vs 35?) it sounds like a great fit. I'm gonna have to check one of these out. Plus, that all black stack just has class.

 

[Chef]

Ken...said...something...was...too aggressive?

Never thought I'd hear that

Vic: uuuhhhh...when you done with that head man?


ps: outta all the cabs I have, the UL-S2 is a strong candidate for first place. while I've a/b'd the AE and UL at home, I dunno that I'll ever drag both of them out to the same gig for a live a/b. they're both real dang good.

 

[tombowlus]

I can't seem to find the weight of the M6. Anybody know?

We measured it at 24 lbs.

 

[tombowlus]

I know Ken stated sometime back that he thought the AE and Carbine might be too aggressive for his taste, but I still want to check it out. Also, I'd be using J's, one passive one active so we shall see.

It probably depends on where you place your right hand, too. I play over the neck pickup, and to me, the Fathom/M6 is a match made in heaven with my AE series cabs. But, if someone played over the bridge pickup, I could see this being rather 'aggressive.'

Tom.

 

[tombowlus]

At least for my personal tastes, the M6 is the perfect marriage of all the best qualities of an SS head and a hybrid head under one roof. I gotta' get me one-o-deez!

Glad you liked it, Vic!

 

[svtb15]

so Vic.. was the perceived headroom close or equal to the B1500.. I had a B1500 and it was a monster!!! And i agree with you that it is one of thee best value amps that you could buy... I have always loved the Mesa products though and this M6 is very interesting... I like lots of clean headroom so was just wanting to get more info about that... and from what most people are saying the M6 is the tine that I may love... then just to find a place that has the Mesa line to try one out...

 

[drasticDUB]

I've been using the carbine/fathom for a few months now and the headroom is amazing. Way more power than I need. I've been matching it with a mesa PH 2x12 for most gigs, but on a few, I'll double it up with the edition of my old Eden 4x10 xlt. With the gain of the Fathom around noon or 1 o' clock, the master is never above 9 o' clock. Super fast sounding amp! Crazy loud. Tons of usable tones. Was playing an Ashdown 900, and although the fathom isn't quite as thick off that bat, you can coax a lot of those same thick tones out of it. I don't miss the ashdown at all for RnB stuff. I'm sold!

 

[Jazzdogg]

Hey, I butted the M6 up against my B1500 this weekend, because for my gigs, the M6 falls into the class of "big/ heavy/ loud" for the (admittedly) relatively few gigs I need gargantuan power. Yeah, I said gargantuan.

"You know, I've always liked that word... "gargantuan"... so rarely have an opportunity to use it in a sentence."

Anyway, IMHO despite the published specs (which is a whole separate debate anyway) the B1500 and M6 are pretty comparable in horsepower on a gig... at least subjectively through a single 4 ohm 410 (in my case, Epifani S2 UL410... currently, my all-time favorite bass cab). The key is all that headroom built into the "600W" M6. Wow.

So at least for me, the power is comparable. However, the tone is not.

I'll be the first person to admit the B1500 is one of the best values on the planet... bar none. Great tone, great power, great quality, fantastic price. However, the M6 is noticeably better sounding. Yeah, yeah, I twisted knobs, but at the end of the day, I plugged the M6 in, just barely tweaked the bass and treble a touch, never messed with the mids, and didn't need to touch the profile switch. Done. Awesome tone and scary badass power. I switched to the B1500 and started immediately twisting knobs to try and get the same tone. Not happening. I got "good enough", but I missed the M6. There's a clarity the M6 has the B1500 doesn't quite do well. If I tried to push the high mids (the treble is voiced too high for boosting... it's mostly useful as a cut), all I got was more "clack and clank". The M6 has a nice sizzly upper-mid/low-treble response that gave me great fingerstyle tone (what I do 90% of the time) right off the bat. For slap, I just dropped the treble/PTC on the bass a touch, done. I always like to have a bright full tone at the amp/cab, and then "tweak" using right hand position/technique, blend control, and eq/tone on the bass for the rest.

Also, there's just no way to get the same kinda' growl when you don't have a tube helping to define your tone in the preamp. The drive control on the B1500 does pretty well for what it is, but the M6 just simply reacted better when pushed hard on the input stages.

At least for my personal tastes, the M6 is the perfect marriage of all the best qualities of an SS head and a hybrid head under one roof. I gotta' get me one-o-deez!

Thanks for the comparison, Vic. Your descriptions sound remarkably similar to my experience after buying an iAmp800; the B1500 offers more headroom, but I prefer the tonal quality of the iAmp. Sounds like the Carbine - especially the forthcoming 900 - could be right up my alley.

 

[Vic]

Vic: uuuhhhh...when you done with that head man?

PM sent.

 

[Vic]

Sounds like the Carbine - especially the forthcoming 900 - could be right up my alley.

Wow, I can't imagine ever needing more than the M6 can provide, but yeah, give the B1500 its due, but the M6 has definite tonal improvements over the Carvin.

Also, to another post here, yeah, I had the gain about noon and I don't think I ever got past 9:00 on the master all night, and this band plays LOUD on stage. I repeat, at least for my needs, I can't imagine ever needing more than the M6 has. Wow.