ADA Depot - A Forum To Support Users of ADA Amplification Gear
ADA Preamps => Original MP-1 => Topic started by: Harley Hexxe on May 22, 2016, 11:58:18 AM
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Hey Gang,
Here I go again....
I'm going to start work on my MP-1/3TM Monster Rack again. Keeping in mind that I want the entire signal path of the system to be all ADA, and obviously I have several options of poweramps to use.
What would your power amp choices be for such a rig?
I do want to keep this rig in stereo, (4 Split-Stacks per side).
I'm open to suggestions for other power amps too
Right now, I'm considering using 2 of the MT200's but they tend to add noise, so lets hear from the Forum champions.
What power amps would you use with these two preamps?
Harley 8)
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I would go for the marshall 9005 ;D Ow sorry ADA only you said,if it was me the B200S or the T100S.
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Micro Tube 200 sounds excellent in my rig. Doesn't add any noise in my set up. Other choices would be a Mesa 2:90 or a Mesa 50/50.
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I would go for the marshall 9005 ;D Ow sorry ADA only you said,if it was me the B200S or the T100S.
I'm open to the suggestion of other power amps. If for no other reason, than to get some poweramp color into the tone, but it has to sound good with the ADA.
Harley 8)
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Micro Tube 200 sounds excellent in my rig. Doesn't add any noise in my set up. Other choices would be a Mesa 2:90 or a Mesa 50/50.
I've seen a few of the 50/50 amps on Ebay. Aren't they all 6L6 amps? Or can they be re-biased for EL34?
Harley 8)
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Usually mesa amps don't have bias pots so ...
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Yes the 50/50 is 6l6. However the stereo 2:50 is designed to take both via a switch to select El34 or 6l6. On the other hand according to Mike over at Mesa you can put el34's in the class A slots of a 2:90. Only difference is they will run a little cooler beings you can't bias them. I have not tried this so I cannot give any definitive results.
Also, in the past I have gotten good results with a Carvin DCM200L. Yeah its solid state, sounds like shit with my piranha but sounds great with the MP1.
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How about a Mesa 20/20 Dyna-Watt ?
I have not tried one myself, but everyone who I've met using one, says they are fantastic. Only 20w, but hey, they do get loud.
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How about a Mesa 20/20 Dyna-Watt ?
I have not tried one myself, but everyone who I've met using one, says they are fantastic. Only 20w, but hey, they do get loud.
I have also heard positive reviews on the Dyna-Watt 20/20 :thumb-up:
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How about a Mesa 20/20 Dyna-Watt ?
I have not tried one myself, but everyone who I've met using one, says they are fantastic. Only 20w, but hey, they do get loud.
I have also heard positive reviews on the Dyna-Watt 20/20 :thumb-up:
I've been checking out reviews on the 20/20 also. It seems a lot of users say they can't get over the drummer with those. I don't see how, since combined it's putting out 40 Watts. That all my Vibrolux Reverb is and it is a great combo for a band situation, and small to medium sized venues.
I'm not in a hurry though, and I have to allow the funds for some exotic amps like that.
Harley 8)
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Yes the 50/50 is 6l6. However the stereo 2:50 is designed to take both via a switch to select El34 or 6l6. On the other hand according to Mike over at Mesa you can put el34's in the class A slots of a 2:90. Only difference is they will run a little cooler beings you can't bias them. I have not tried this so I cannot give any definitive results.
Also, in the past I have gotten good results with a Carvin DCM200L. Yeah its solid state, sounds like shit with my piranha but sounds great with the MP1.
That's strange. Any tube amp can be biased, it's just a matter of swapping out the correct value resistors and maybe a cap or two to adjust the voltage through the tube. They may not have bias pots, but then again, none of my old tube amps do either. They still have to be biased every time you put in a fresh set of power tubes though.
Harley 8)
I wish Micheal J Soldano made Tube power amps, that would probably do it for me :banana-rock:
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Sure you can bias any amp, I didnt know you were looking at something that required that much work. I was thinking you were looking for plug and play! :thumb-up:
If you have the coin Engl makes some nice power amps as well using 5881 tubes, almost a 6L6 but breaks up sooner. I know a few guys that use these and they love em.
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Maybe a cheaper option is the marshall 20/20, I have one and these are good amps.
BUT since this is an ADA monster rig you should use a ADA amp I think??
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Sure you can bias any amp, I didnt know you were looking at something that required that much work. I was thinking you were looking for plug and play! :thumb-up:
If you have the coin Engl makes some nice power amps as well using 5881 tubes, almost a 6L6 but breaks up sooner. I know a few guys that use these and they love em.
Actually, I'm not looking at something that requires that much work, I would prefer not to anyway. My comments are based on what I'm seeing is out there and available, which is pretty much the same. Either way, it looks like a costly proposition.
Soldano amps use 5881 Sovtek tubes in them because they can handle 700 volts across the plate, which surprises me, since I tend to think of Sovtek tubes as weak with a short life span. Maybe I'm wrong in that respect. It seems Mike Soldano has figured out a reliable circuit for them.
I have no experience with the Mesa amps, but I know several of the members here do, so I'm relying heavily on the comments and opinions of how they respond with the ADA preamps from what the users here have to say about them.
Maybe a cheaper option is the marshall 20/20, I have one and these are good amps.
BUT since this is an ADA monster rig you should use a ADA amp I think??
My original plan is for 2 poweramps to drive eight Split-Stacks with. If one amp could deliver a good enough performance, I would probably be good with that.
As far as the ADA amps that I like, my favorite setup is to use the MT100's in mono bridged mode, but they don't last like that, One channel always seems to blow. There were long discussions in the old Forum about that, but no one ever seemed to figure out why that happens, or how to solve that. Besides, using MT100's like that would require 8 of them, and I'd have to put them in a separate rack. Not very practical.
For now, it seems like two B200S, or two MT200's would be my options.
Harley 8)
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Another vote for the MT200.... :banana:
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Actually 5881 tubes are only rated for 400V and not 700V.
I vote for the T100S
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Well, the MT200 does have the advantage of being lighter, and a single space unit as opposed to the B200S which is 14 lbs each and two rack spaces.
You wouldn't think that matters much in a 22U rack case unit you add up the weight.
Then there is the fact that my MT200's seem to be making a bit more hiss, so I think they may be due for a cap job.
MJMP, do you agree?
Speaking of MJMP, You seem to be an advocate of the 9005 Marshall Power amp. May I ask why that particular model stands out to you?
Harley 8)
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Actually 5881 tubes are only rated for 400V and not 700V.
I vote for the T100S
I was quoting Mike Soldano on the 5881's. He says this is why he prefers them in the poweramp section of the SLO-100. IF I could find T100S, I'd jump on it.
Harley 8)
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Never a bad idea to do this.Do they also hiss with nothing connected to the input?
What do you mean by "particular model"?
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I thought you had a T100S?
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Sometimes I notice a slight hiss when I power them up, but that could be because I have the preamps plugged into them. I've never powered them up by themselves to see if that happens.
As for the 9005 Marshall, I've noticed you've recommended that one in a few posts, even over the 9200 series. You said you liked that one better. May I ask why? Is it the sound, or reliability?
Nope, I don't own a T100S. I wish I did, but they are few and far between. I have a couple of B200S'.
Harley 8)
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The 9005 sounds better and it has the output transformers from the old JCM800 50W amps.There are only 2 tube power amps I like from Marshall and it's the 9005 and the 20/20.Those newer 9100 and 9200 don't sound so good to me.
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The 9005 sounds better and it has the output transformers from the old JCM800 50W amps.There are only 2 tube power amps I like from Marshall and it's the 9005 and the 20/20.Those newer 9100 and 9200 don't sound so good to me.
Ahhh, now that is some useful information, and it gives me an idea what it would sound like with the Classic. Heck, even with the MP-2, and it's super gain structure, that might be useful for getting some more dynamics from the MP-2. Maybe lowering the gain in the MP-2 and driving the amp harder?
Harley 8)
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Hey Harley, you don't see them often but a B500s would give you a single amp option (I've only ever seen one of these in my time), about the same power as 2 x B200s. Designed to do just what you are wanting :thumb-up: ie run 2 stacks of ADA cabs >:D
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Hey MJMP, is it possible to mod my B500b to be a B500s (ie same output per channel)? It's US voltage so would work for Harley.
Hey Harley, if it's easily doable (my B500b is at MJMPs and just been serviced), so could be a possibility ?
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Hey Richard,
It's not about the power, it's about the tone!
I had this conversation with the techs at ADA many years ago when they were up and running, and at the top of their game, and that was about why the older amps sounded so good. In the older amplifier designs, they built these great preamp circuits, that produced a strong signal. So much so, that if you turned up the preamp past a certain point, it would overload the input of the power amp section. This produced distortion as we all know, the technical definition of distortion for audio electronics is: the sound of circuitry in distress.
So what we are doing with our gear is producing the distortion in the preamp, and trying to amplify that as cleanly as possible. That isn't what I want to do. That's why I'm looking at how other members here evaluate their setups with different power amps. Are they getting more of that natural response from the poweramp that they use? Does it sound more like a natural guitar amp rather than a digital simulation?
You see, I believe the ADA preamps have a strong enough signal. Now, it's a matter of finding out if the non-ADA poweramps get this old school reaction from them.
I'm intrigued with MJMP's suggestion of the Marshall 9005, and this is because I am very familiar with the JCM800 series tone. It's a good one. That's a reference I can relate to. I'm very particular about the amplifiers I like, and there aren't that many.
For my clean tones, I like the old Fender amps, nothing can beat them. Marshall amps have a nice clean tone but different. But the true reaction from an amplifier that catches my attention, is when I plug my Stratocaster (stock), into it and turn up the guitar volume, and it begins to feedback in a musical way before I even start playing it. This tells me I have the right amp for my guitar! I've only experienced this with Fender, Marshall, Soldano, and ADA when plugged into certain poweramps and speakers.
That's where I'm going with this rig.
Harley 8)
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Well the B200 and 500 had some kind of preamp in them but only on the early models,the later ones didn't have this anymore.
Now the pcb has the holes and traces for it but it's just not populated.But i must say I never saw one with the preamp.
@R Those B500's are all the same inside just the lettering on the outside is different.
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Hey MJMP,
Now there might be a challenging project for you. With your experience and engineering skills, I'll bet you could design and build a power amp specifically tuned for ADA guitar preamps, that would out perform anything that's ever been made out there. It would probably outlast them too. Valve or solid state, I'll bet you could make it sing!
I'd be wiling to roll the bones on that one :thumb-up:
Harley 8)
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(@R Those B500's are all the same inside just the lettering on the outside is different.)
So can the B500Bs 2 outputs be made the same rather than A - 385/4, 255/8, 127/16 and B - 275/4, 210/8, 105/16 ?
Also just checked the old spec sheets, seems the guitar version was a G500s A and B each 385/4, 250/8, 127/16 (My bad thought it was a B500s :facepalm: )
@Harley, if you want some poweramp distortion then the ADA SS amps are probably not the best choice. Though last night I was thinking for 8 split stacks (4 left - 4 right) 2 x B200s would match well, one pair of split stacks for each B200s output, so in parallel, 4 ohms, maximum grunt >:D (and I suspect would get your strat singing :thumb-up: ).
Other wise it's tube options, they way MJMP does it is neat, wire one of his Marshall heads inputs direct to the poweramp.
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The G and B500 are the same amps,no difference between them.
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Hey Richard,
The B200S is a good match up with any rack mount preamp regardless of brand name, because it's the only one that amplifies cleanly, and doesn't sound like a solid state power amp doing it. I would say it's more of a Hi-fi type of amplifier for guitar.
That isn't what I'm looking for in this case because I already know what that's like. My Strats do sing with that setup and it's a good sound, don't get me wrong, but I want to see the pre amp drive the power amp in the front end a bit harder. With the ADA power amps, all my overdrive is coming from the preamp.
I could be wrong about this, and MJMP will correct me if I am, but I believe the Marshall preamps are a weaker output than the ADA's, (based on my experimenting with the JMP-1), and I believe the ADA will drive a Marshall power amp harder the way I'm looking for.
As for the Mesa power amps, I'm wondering if this would work this way too? The Simul-class power amps might do this from what I'm reading about them since they are running a Class A, and Class A/B poweramp at the same time. I know Class A are the old smaller combo amp designs that did overdrive easily but at low wattage, by running the tubes hotter. Class A/B runs the tubes cooler, but more efficiently, and produce higher wattage. Running the two poweramps together the way they describe, sounds interesting, but I can't seem to come up with an audio reference that would give me an idea what that might sound like. It could sound really good, or it could sound like a train wreck for all I know.
The Mesa 20/20 and 50/50 poweramps sound like they would amplify much like the ADA SS amps, but with tube fidelity, but I could be wrong about this too.
Harley 8)
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Harley,
all of my old band's demos and CD were recorded with my stock MP1 into my mesa 295 into a Peavey VTM 4x12 except 3 songs where I ran my MP1 into the effects return of an old HiWatt head just using it as a power amp. I always ran the 295 in class A unless I was pushing two full stacks.
Here are all those recordings. 3 different studios and only 6 songs were recorded in a very high quality pro studio.
the 3 that are recorded with the HiWatt are Never, Antioch and No Tomorrow. that was before I bought the 295.
https://www.reverbnation.com/theoutlawpandas/songs (https://www.reverbnation.com/theoutlawpandas/songs)
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Hey Panda, cool :thumb-up: . I like the HiWatt sounds the best >:D and is along the lines I recon of what Harley is chasing I recon. BTW that's the best sound I've ever heard from a HiWatt
Hey Harley, I get what you are chasing, don't know if you can get it from a stereo tube poweramp (well you should be able to but, as you say they are designed (mostly to be clean and transparent which isn't what you want)). This is where a 12AT7 as a phase spliter can help though as the additional current drives the output tubes harder (see the article SC posted elsewhere here, quite informative).
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Hey Gang,
I was browsing youtube searching for some of the combinations I've been asking about, and I ran across this one. This answers one of the questions, (sort of).
Harley 8)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lNxywDGSUO0
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Hey Panda,
A few questions about the 2:95.
I've been checking a few of them out on evil bay, and I've noticed there seem to be two models, one like yours, with a blank front panel. and another that seems to have attenuators on the front panel. What's the difference here?
You run yours in Class A mode you said. Doesn't that cook the tubes faster?
I'm listening to the demos as I'm typing here, some really cool tunes you guys have going on, pretty cool tones too :thumb-up:
Harley 8)
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Hey Richard,
I'm pretty well aware what the Hiwatt is like too. I used to own one of the original Orange OR-120R's back in the day. Very punchy.
Hiwatt and Orange were the same amplifier, just in a different case. One was marketed in Southern England, while the other in Northern England. Just like Marshall/Park, and Laney/Selmer. Strange why they did that, but I can understand the thinking back then.
I've also run across a few videos on youtube from Batsinthebelltower. He's running a Mesa 2:90 I think, but I believe he is doing all those demos with a 3TM. There is another vid he posted with a stock MP-1 through a TC G Major, but no poweramp. I would have liked to heard that through the 2:90.
I'll keep looking though, because I'm also digging what you can get out of the VHT Two Fifty Two :whoohoo!:
Harley 8)
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Hey Harley, I didn't know that about HiWatt and Orange, interesting. IIRC the Park amps here were seen as cheaper Marshall copies but by then I was using MP1/B200s so I wasn't particularly interested in them (also had no money LoL). I remember Laney but not Selmer, then we don't get everything in Australia as it's such a small market, particularly with the bigger international manufacturers.
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Park (the old 60's ones) are not cheap copies but actually real marshall's just with a different name.
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MJMP is absolutely correct. Those old Park amps are hard to find but there again, if you did run across one, you'd have the old Plexi under a different name.
I'm not sure why the British did it that way with those 3 brands of amplifiers. In the article I read, they basically compared Northern and Southern England, in the same way we had competition in the USA between the East and West Coast. Whereas we had different companies in the States competing for the market in the late 50's, early 60's, (i.e. Fender in California vs. Ampeg in New Jersey), maybe they were trying to give the appearance of similar competition in Northern and Southern England. Or another possibility is that maybe this was a marketing research tactic to see which brand name would be a more popular seller.
In the early 60's Vox was just a fledgling company, that was just getting started and they didn't have a large facility for anything they were building, so they weren't included in this competition. My guess is that it was probably believed at the time that Vox wouldn't last, and would fade out after a few years. I guess no one in England saw the Beatles coming either :lol:
I know it's trivia, but still interesting how Rock and Roll affected the business community and the world as a whole.
Harley 8)
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in 1965 the Rose Morris Agency approached Marshall about becoming the exclusive distributor of the company's goods. Marshall agreed to a 15-year pact. The contract barred the company from distributing amplifiers under the Marshall name. To continue to provide products to one of its loyal former distributors, Marshall launched a new brand "Park". Park amps, which were identical to the Marshall brand, except for the nameplate and price, and remained in production until 1982.
Jim once told it was the biggest mistake he ever made with Rose Morris since they added 55% to the price and made Marshall amps very expensive.
Other brand names Marshall Amplification had used for various business reasons included Big M (for the then-West German market), Kitchen/Marshall (for the Kitchen Music retail chain in North London), Narb (Ken Bran's surname spelled backwards) and CMI (Cleartone Musical Instruments). Amplifiers sold under these brand names are quite rare, and sell to collectors at high prices.
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Ahh well there it is.
I wonder if Rose Morris Agency approached Hiwatt and Laney with the same deal.
Harley 8)
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Update:
I found a clip of a demo using the MP-1 Classic through a Marshall 9100 power amp. It sounded like :poop:
Maybe because the speaker cab was a Hardke, (looked like it might be for bass guitar), and the guitar was what looked like an Epiphone copy of a 335.
On the other hand, I also found a clip of an original MP-1 through a Marshall 20/20 through a Marshall 1x12 cab. Not bad at all, but would probably be better through a 2x12. At least I could hear a reaction between the pre and power amps.
Also another original MP-1 through a Carvin T100, through a Harley Benton cab. Not very impressive. It could have been the guys preset, but it sounded squashed, and compressed, as if the input was buffered. It just didn't breathe. (Sorry Richard).
I also found a few vids of a couple of members here like Chucky playing his Classic through a Fender Twin :wave: then another of him jamming on his MP-1.
So far...I'm liking the VHT Two Fifty Two with the ADA preamps. Still there is more to check out...
Harley 8)
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you mean this video ?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OnVlCKg-P3k
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you mean this video ?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OnVlCKg-P3k
Yep, that's a guitar more suited to blues or jazz, but then that speaker cab just doesn't get it at all either. That setup just didn't do it for me, but maybe that's what he likes.
Harley 8)
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yeah it's an hartke 4x10 cab "xl serie"... great for bass, not sure for guitar
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This may help ...
I've been using a 9005 power amp since about 1989/90'ish when they first came out. Great tone IMHO, I've had it paired with several preamps over the years, and it's always delivered the goods ... ada mp-1, ada mp-2, marshall 9001, soldano sp-77, etc.
I sold my first 9005 to get a 9100 ... at the time I considered it to be an upgrade (I'd spent too long looking at glossy photos of the jmp-1, jfx and 9100 in magazine adverts). The 9100 was a good power amp, but to my ears it sounded a bit too tight and modern, whereas the 9005 sounded warmer/vintage (and complemented the mp-1 very well). So I sold the 9100 and bought another 9005 :thumb-up: I've still got, and it gets used nearly every day (but only at home volume nowadays).
Note: The 9100 had the 5881 valves, whereas the 9005 runs el34's, perhaps this may explain why I prefer the sound of the 9005.
The 9005 is big, and heavy, but I think it's worth it for the tone. I have the 9005 in its own dedicated 4u rack case, with my other preamps/processors in a 6u rack case which sits on top.
IMHO having good valve tone in a power amp is a key ingredient, it adds another piece to the overall sound. I like the characteristics ... insert appropriate words here ... sag/compression, dynamics, touch, feel, warmth, bloom, etc. Find the sweet spot (the old school reaction) and it's awesome!
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Yeah Tomy,
I thought it was too but I wasn't certain. One thing I do know is those aluminum cones are great for bass, but they suck the tone from a guitar amp. Old vintage bass amps sound great with a guitar, but they have the paper cones.
Harley 8)
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VHT 2/50/2 with a 3TM MP-1 ;D
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W0KT8qkJFF8 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W0KT8qkJFF8)
Cheers :metal:
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Well well ,look who's back the dukester of metal, hey Duke long time no see my brother !!!
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Oh yeah Duke :thumb-up:
I think I'll be looking for one of those in the future
Harley 8)
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Well well ,look who's back the dukester of metal, hey Duke long time no see my brother !!!
What's Up Brotha? Hope all is well.
I am getting back into the music stuff lately. Playing more and more. Trying to find local Jam scenes and possibly a group to jam with.
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Oh yeah Duke :thumb-up:
I think I'll be looking for one of those in the future
Harley 8)
Cheers Buddy. Hope all is well. :canadian-flag-banana-smiley-e
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Hey welcome back Duke!!! :canadian-flag-banana-smiley-e
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Well Duke, I'm glad you're back !!
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Well Duke, I'm glad you're back !!
+1 It's good to see you back here Duke :thumb-up:
I'm hanging in there!
Harley 8)
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Hey welcome back Duke!!! :canadian-flag-banana-smiley-e
Holy man.. Kim, whats up buddy. been ages since we spoke. hope all is well with you.
Anything new and exciting?
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Although it could be argued that the MP-1 sounds good thru any amp, it has a wide range EQ section, the power amp/speaker furthers the definition. I use a few options and they're on a switch, giving one button access. They all sound great, but each power amp is voiced differently. The Mesa rack amps are certainly Mesa sounding. What a hail of tight focused punches. But, as you can guess, it is tone starved, lifeless, sterile for singing leads. I have run every speaker except Blues with it, but settled as shown. To move away from Mesa, I tried the Peavey EL84 tubes, this amp shapes very well with presence/resonance control. It is probably the most versatile. The Marshall, is glorious for higher frequency, full midrange, full sound and very versatile with speakers, but the low end drops right off. Dukes VHT clips are down right inspirational, and have been for many years. Great to see you again Duke.
As a side note, the 2:100 is the amp designed for the Rec Pre, it has special modes that can be switched with a momentary remote, introducing the modern mode, which is a bass boost/mid scoop. Combining the two recreates two Dual Rec (diode) amps. Using the MP-1 with it works best to switch the relay to modern for rhythm, and vintage for solos. This amp can prove difficult without that ability to switch the relay. There is no switch on the amp, only a remote.
The Peavey EL84 Classic 50/50 can shape sounds, but lacks the overall brightness of both the Marshall and the Mesa. It is guilty of always sounding warm. Not necessarily a bad thing.
For cleans the Rec Pre is best preamp I have, overbuilt, heavy duty, good at all levels.
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That's very useful info Slimjim,
That tells me the Mesa 2:100 would be better off with the MP-2 instead of the MP-1 or the Classic. As far as tube power amps go, so far the only one that seems like it might give me what I'm looking for with the Classic is the 2/50/2. I see them come up on ebay every now and then, but I'm not in a hurry. I can still use the ADA's I have until I'm ready to take the plunge. Right now, my priority is to get my recording set up going so I can get some tracks down, and get some music happening with what I have.
Thanks for the heads up :thumb-up:
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I suppose 2 T100s, but I too am curious about the Mesa 20/20 Dyna-Watt!
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Hey VoxG2,
I was thinking about one of those too, but I've read in another forum about how they just don't cut through in a band situation. I saw several posts referencing that point.
That seems a bit odd to me, considering how lately there seems to be a lot of low powered amps on the market which appears to be the popular trend these days, I can't help but wonder did Mesa make a super weak poweramp, or are these guys' drummers just too loud? After all, this is two 20 watt power amps which amounts to almost 40 watts combined, and it still can't get in the mix? I can use my 40 watt Fender Vibrolux Reverb 2x10 combo in a bar band setting, and it can be too loud for the club, so hiow does the Mesa not cut through? :???:
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This is true. Maybe they were using only one side, or the speakers wattage was high...like 75-100 watt speakers. I find higher watt speakers "swallow tone". My MP-1 was almost going to be sold until I ran the rig through one 50 watt Celestion Alnico Gold....wow! I was listening to the Jake E Lee isolated track of Bark At The Moon, then went and played through preset channel 3 and was like...nailed it! Never going back to ceramic, and I'm gonna load that old blue Crate cab up with Scumnicos when I can afford it. I bet a T100s through four 30 watt Scumback Scumnicos in stereo would just slay! ...but I don't have the cash to undertake that project.
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Hey Vox G2,
I guess that is true with Celestion speakers that they need to be driven to get the kind of sound everyone wants. I believe there is a fine line to how much you want to drive them though since too much can make them sound muddy.
But I don't believe that holds true with all speakers though. Some speakers will sound great with only about 1/3 of their power rating driving them.
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Yeah true...I wonder what the T100s deal with not cutting is? Interesting.
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Oh wait a sec...I thought you were saying the T100S doesn't cut through. Oh yeah, I can see the 20/20 not cutting through with a powerful full band. Just cause it's only 20 a side.
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Something to keep in mind, higher wattage speakers are less efficient as are lower impedance (eg 4 ohm) speakers.
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I can see that too. My new favorite speakers are 16ohm low watt Alnico speakers, both Scumback and Celestion. The highs and high mids just ring like a bell. I haven't heard the 65 watt Scumnico, cause I couldn't afford it...had to settle for a used Celestion Gold, but I bet it is just as killer as my 30w Scumnico. That speaker is money. I would love to hear the ADA rig cranked in stereo through a pair of those 65 watters.
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Oh wait a sec...I thought you were saying the T100S doesn't cut through. Oh yeah, I can see the 20/20 not cutting through with a powerful full band. Just cause it's only 20 a side.
That's my point. 20 watts a side, 40 watts in stereo, and a tube amp to boot! It should cut through.
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Something to keep in mind, higher wattage speakers are less efficient as are lower impedance (eg 4 ohm) speakers.
Not all speakers are like that, case in point; JBL and Altec speakers are very high wattage speakers, but still sound great with lower wattage power amps.
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Oh yeah...I had a pair of JBLs that I sorely regret getting rid of. It could be the stock "required(lol)" Mesa tubes. Doing the bias mod on that amp and going NOS EL84 (Saratov, Matsushita, etc) with 80s Beijing 12AX7 drivers could work wonders for that issue.
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I thought those Mesa amps had a bias adjustment built in to the amp panel
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I didn't know that, but that would be nice!
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I'm not sure if Mesa has that, but I have seen it on a lot of power amps