Devil's advocate for a moment... When did Mesa hire TC Electronic's marketing department? LOL
Fishheadjoe
Fishheadjoe
Enjoy the benefits of a premium membership!
Upgrade Account
-
TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
Join free Log in
Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.
Mesa M9 Carbine Power Reduced?
- Thread starter Fawkesguy
- Start date
I picked up a used M9 from fawkesguy that was built in late October 2013 and serial # 1524 so I think that should be "current".
Haven't rehearsed with it yet but I hooked it up to my GK NEO 412 at home and with the gain at about noon, all settings flat and EQ off, the master was at maybe 9 o'clock and was shaking stuff off the shelves in my basement. Pretty impressive.
I need to do some heads comparisons with my 1001RBii to see if it's worth keeping but so far, power doesn't seem to be an issue.
Haven't rehearsed with it yet but I hooked it up to my GK NEO 412 at home and with the gain at about noon, all settings flat and EQ off, the master was at maybe 9 o'clock and was shaking stuff off the shelves in my basement. Pretty impressive.
I need to do some heads comparisons with my 1001RBii to see if it's worth keeping but so far, power doesn't seem to be an issue.
I understand your point, don't get me wrong...call them up and ask how you can tell the diff, they seem to be very responsive to their customers.
As for the change, it is a marketing issue at Mesa, maybe they should have been a little more forthcoming with the info...but what's done is done...every company changes the specs of their products on the fly for product improvement, sometimes the customer knows, but most of the time they don't. I'm sure Mesa has a line somewhere that says they reserve the right to change specs without notice just like any other company making any other product. They may not have gotten the word out fast enough or to the right people, and the retailers may not have made changes because they are not aware of the change in specs, and do not know how to decipher the difference with the units they have on hand.
Kinda stinks in regards to the M9.
I "upgraded" to the M9 and PH410 from a GK 1001RB-II and 410RHB+210RBH and the GK stuff was out the door.
The Mesa rig fit my needs perfectly, but thats me...everyone's ears/style/music/wallets/needs+wants/gear is different...down to the strings.
I have a feeling that will be the case with me too but just need to make sure. There's a certain "bigness" missing from my low B with GK rig. I will likely get a PH412 to replace the NEO 412 if I keep the Carbine.
- May 20, 2000
- 3,200
- 1,917
- Disclosures
- Endorsing Artist: Aguilar Amplification, Spector, Dingwall, Tech 21 NYC, Darkglass
If you have an older M9 will Mesa do the upgrades/make a 900 watt M9 into 600 watts for free under warranty?
Jim Carr
Dr. Jim
- Jan 21, 2006
- 16,223
- 7,614
- 76
- Disclosures
- fEARful Kool-Aid dispensing liberal academic card-carrying union member Musicians Local 72-147
Yes, assuming you have thermal shutdown issues. IMHO, it might be possible to get them to add the 2 fans, do the fuse mod., and provide the slotted cover, without chopping off 33% of the wattage. I'd at least ask.
Wow.
I was looking at the Mesa sight to confirm the wattage of my M9(320watts@8ohms, 600watts@4ohms, What? Really?).
I thought when I bought my M9 it had incredible headroom wattage (900watts@4ohms 450watts@8ohms) that would cover any large or small venue, speaker set up I could ever imagine.
I purchased mine in May of 2010 serial # in the 500 range. After I purchased it I got a new job and lost my gig with my band. I continued to play in a worship band playing through an SVT112 rated at 300watts @8ohms. I loved the sound of the amp even though its a back breaker to hall around for small gigs. I never could push the amp more than about the 3 o'clock position.
So I've never pushed it, hence never had any of the thermal shutdown issues, although the amp has been left on for hours while playing multiple worship services.
Before researching to confirm my wattage I was pushing a used EA NL 210 wondering why it pushed it so hard 320watts 8ohms?
Now I know the amp is what I thought it was it's pushing the 450watts @8ohms.(It'd be nice if Mesa posted something about this on their website.)
Do I get the mod/wattage downgrade or wait til I have or maybe not have thermal shutdown issues?
Have all the original M9's had thermal shutdown issues?
The amp is a beast with the original wattage and the tone is awsome. I can't compare it to the M6 because I purchased it for the EQ and the compressor features plus the extra wattage.
Maybe it's time to trade it for an GK MB800 fusion I've heard they sound similar and hey, the output is now the same without the back acke.
I was looking at the Mesa sight to confirm the wattage of my M9(320watts@8ohms, 600watts@4ohms, What? Really?).
I thought when I bought my M9 it had incredible headroom wattage (900watts@4ohms 450watts@8ohms) that would cover any large or small venue, speaker set up I could ever imagine.
I purchased mine in May of 2010 serial # in the 500 range. After I purchased it I got a new job and lost my gig with my band. I continued to play in a worship band playing through an SVT112 rated at 300watts @8ohms. I loved the sound of the amp even though its a back breaker to hall around for small gigs. I never could push the amp more than about the 3 o'clock position.
So I've never pushed it, hence never had any of the thermal shutdown issues, although the amp has been left on for hours while playing multiple worship services.
Before researching to confirm my wattage I was pushing a used EA NL 210 wondering why it pushed it so hard 320watts 8ohms?
Now I know the amp is what I thought it was it's pushing the 450watts @8ohms.(It'd be nice if Mesa posted something about this on their website.)
Do I get the mod/wattage downgrade or wait til I have or maybe not have thermal shutdown issues?
Have all the original M9's had thermal shutdown issues?
The amp is a beast with the original wattage and the tone is awsome. I can't compare it to the M6 because I purchased it for the EQ and the compressor features plus the extra wattage.
Maybe it's time to trade it for an GK MB800 fusion I've heard they sound similar and hey, the output is now the same without the back acke.
I have m9 #775 and wonder the same thing about the downgrade and if I had it already :0 I contacted mesa via email, and never heard from them...they lost points in my book over this.
I had the M9 and a GK MB Fusion 500. They sound pretty similar IMO.
I loved the tone and headroom of the M9 but I had 2 different ones die on gigs and one was even a newer one (SN 1007). I washed my hands of Mesa after the second gig disaster. If the amp didn't crap out, I would still be playing it as it is truly a great sounding amp.
MesaBoogie
Commercial User
- May 14, 2013
- 380
- 669
- Disclosures
- Artist Relations / Product Specialist: Mesa Boogie
Sorry to hear that - totally understandable. However, serial number 1007 would not be considered "a newer one" as that was a 2011 version. Hope you'll give us another shot one day, and if not - I hope you are happy with what you're playing now! Thanks!
Jim Carr
Dr. Jim
- Jan 21, 2006
- 16,223
- 7,614
- 76
- Disclosures
- fEARful Kool-Aid dispensing liberal academic card-carrying union member Musicians Local 72-147
I have been trying to buy a backup (M9) for my M9. None of the ebay sellers have been willing to open their units for a photo. Is there a serial number range that is 10 Mosfets like mine (#34)?
Did you talk to Tien on the phone? I cannot tell you how many times he has bailed me out. Top notch customer service for sure. I have owned a plethora of Boogies through the years and had a couple things go wrong here and there and they took care of me every single time. My very first experience with MB customer service was when I had the channel switching relay go bad in my Mark II C+. I purchased the amp used. I called MB asked to speak to CS got Tien and he sent me a new relay free of charge. I replaced the unit my self and never had another issue with it. Since then Tien has taken care of me on multiple occasions through the years and because of that I have purchased many Mesa amps. Mesa Boogie truly believes in providing first rate customer service, its part of their culture as a company.
I really wish my old Bass 400 was still around (it was stolen). What a glorious amp that was. It was one of the first out of production. I purchased it with two 1x15 RR cabs with the EVM400L's and the matching shock mount rack. What an amazing rig that was.
Just thought I would post here so other (potential?) M9 owners might benefit from my (past and upcoming) experience, even though it's a bit off topic for this thread.
I got an updated (600w) M9, and I've been running it through my 8ohm fEARful 15/6/1. Man that is the loudest 320 watts I've ever heard!!! I have the gain at noon, and I can't get the master over 9:00. Audience reports concur with my own feelings that this amp sounds just amazing. Muscular, aggressive, and yet smooth and full. I thought the SVT-7Pro and ShuttleMax 9.2 both sounded good (especially the SM9.2), but in comparison, the M9 is scary in a good way.
But, the taper and the pull-mute are both silly. So I dropped the amp off at ARS repair yesterday, to have the master pot replaced by one with a more gradual taper. Also if they can, I'll have a separate toggle switch put on for the mute instead of the push/pull.
If those mods work well, that make this amp 100% more usable for me. Currently, my stage volume goes between too quiet and screamingly loud in about 2 degrees of knob rotation. And push/pull rotates the master by about 5 degrees, so ...
I got an updated (600w) M9, and I've been running it through my 8ohm fEARful 15/6/1. Man that is the loudest 320 watts I've ever heard!!! I have the gain at noon, and I can't get the master over 9:00. Audience reports concur with my own feelings that this amp sounds just amazing. Muscular, aggressive, and yet smooth and full. I thought the SVT-7Pro and ShuttleMax 9.2 both sounded good (especially the SM9.2), but in comparison, the M9 is scary in a good way.
But, the taper and the pull-mute are both silly. So I dropped the amp off at ARS repair yesterday, to have the master pot replaced by one with a more gradual taper. Also if they can, I'll have a separate toggle switch put on for the mute instead of the push/pull.
If those mods work well, that make this amp 100% more usable for me. Currently, my stage volume goes between too quiet and screamingly loud in about 2 degrees of knob rotation. And push/pull rotates the master by about 5 degrees, so ...
Just thought I would post here so other (potential?) M9 owners might benefit from my (past and upcoming) experience, even though it's a bit off topic for this thread.
I got an updated (600w) M9, and I've been running it through my 8ohm fEARful 15/6/1. Man that is the loudest 320 watts I've ever heard!!! I have the gain at noon, and I can't get the master over 9:00. Audience reports concur with my own feelings that this amp sounds just amazing. Muscular, aggressive, and yet smooth and full. I thought the SVT-7Pro and ShuttleMax 9.2 both sounded good (especially the SM9.2), but in comparison, the M9 is scary in a good way.
But, the taper and the pull-mute are both silly. So I dropped the amp off at ARS repair yesterday, to have the master pot replaced by one with a more gradual taper. Also if they can, I'll have a separate toggle switch put on for the mute instead of the push/pull.
If those mods work well, that make this amp 100% more usable for me. Currently, my stage volume goes between too quiet and screamingly loud in about 2 degrees of knob rotation. And push/pull rotates the master by about 5 degrees, so ...
So which one has the biggest gonads, the M9 or SM9.2?
I really like the mute button on my Shuttle 9.0.
No question at all, the M9 has the bigger gonads. The SM 9.2 has that wonderful eq and flexibility, and it really sounds great in almost any context. But when you want each note to sound like a giant fist, the M9 excels at that.
I don't know which one actually gets louder when it's cranked all the way up, because I would be scared to even try that, but let's put it this way: I'm nervous about turning the SM9.2 alll the way up, but I'm terrified of turning the M9 all the way up.
Thanks for the detailed answer! Brother am I having a hard time finding my way around TB.
Have you ever AB the M9 with a 400+?
Have you ever AB the M9 with a 400+?
I just got my M9 back from ARS.
The good:
-The master taper is MUCH better. I can play with higher gain settings without breaking windows.
-The master no longer affects the DI volume. Awesome.
-I now have a little baseball bat switch for the mute. And it still activates the mute led. Nice.
The bad:
-The master volume pot has a dead spot at the bottom, so there is no volume for the first 1/8 turn, then a noticeable jump. I'm assuming this is just a bad pot, so I'll give them a call. In spite of this, the volume is much more manageable.
-I stipulated that the master volume should be after the DI, but I neglected to specify that the mute should stay BEFORE the DI. So the mute doesn't turn off the DI. It's probably my fault for not thinking to mention it. Hopefully they will fix it for free since it's *kind of* common sense. Either way I'll get it taken care of.
The weird:
Instead of drilling a hole for the mute switch, the tech installed it behind one of the air intake grills in front. Doesn't obscure much airflow, and it's reversible if needed. But it is a bit weird.
Overall, I am very happy. Once I get the above issues taken care of I'll have a truly kick-behind amp.
One thing - the active/passive switch on the M9 is more than just a pad. It was set to active when I got it back, and I thought the amp was much darker than before. Switched to passive, and the lovely/lively highs were back. Cranking the gain sounded totally different than switching to passive. On my other amps this switch was just a pad that didn't change the tone. Maybe it changes the impedance?
By the way, the tech confirmed that the stock master volume pot is linear taper. He and I both found that a very odd design decision.
The good:
-The master taper is MUCH better. I can play with higher gain settings without breaking windows.
-The master no longer affects the DI volume. Awesome.
-I now have a little baseball bat switch for the mute. And it still activates the mute led. Nice.
The bad:
-The master volume pot has a dead spot at the bottom, so there is no volume for the first 1/8 turn, then a noticeable jump. I'm assuming this is just a bad pot, so I'll give them a call. In spite of this, the volume is much more manageable.
-I stipulated that the master volume should be after the DI, but I neglected to specify that the mute should stay BEFORE the DI. So the mute doesn't turn off the DI. It's probably my fault for not thinking to mention it. Hopefully they will fix it for free since it's *kind of* common sense. Either way I'll get it taken care of.
The weird:
Instead of drilling a hole for the mute switch, the tech installed it behind one of the air intake grills in front. Doesn't obscure much airflow, and it's reversible if needed. But it is a bit weird.
Overall, I am very happy. Once I get the above issues taken care of I'll have a truly kick-behind amp.
One thing - the active/passive switch on the M9 is more than just a pad. It was set to active when I got it back, and I thought the amp was much darker than before. Switched to passive, and the lovely/lively highs were back. Cranking the gain sounded totally different than switching to passive. On my other amps this switch was just a pad that didn't change the tone. Maybe it changes the impedance?
By the way, the tech confirmed that the stock master volume pot is linear taper. He and I both found that a very odd design decision.
- Apr 3, 2003
- 35,518
- 19,954
- Disclosures
- Editor-in-Chief, Bass Gear Magazine
Yup. In addition to reducing the gain, most active/passive switches also result in a difference impedance, which can absolutely affect the tone.
