The Boogie Board

I've taken on a light restoration project for a friend/customer. It's a first version Hamer Steve Stevens model from the mid 80s. It had a neck break many years ago and whomever did the repair work made a solid repair but what he did to the finish on the neck is basically a tragedy. My job is to res...

If you're thinking of a Helix, get a Fractal instead. An older Fractal unit will sound better than the latest Helix. The Helix is a LineSux product. That should give you a clue. Play it for a while and your suspicions will be confirmed. It's not that good compared to any Fractal unit you can find, n...

The original style is no longer being made by the original manufacturer. But the replacements that Mesa sells are just fine. Get a set from them and be done with it.

If you're super focused on originality, just watch ebay. Somebody will be along shortly to sell you used knobs for 20 bucks a pop.

It's always been my understanding that Mesa has basically only ever had ONE output transformer for ALL 150 watt/six output tube amps. The OT in the D180 I had appeared to be identical to the OT in my first gen TRS head. It's supposed to be the same one used in EVERY Coliseum head. Given the cost of ...

If I have a known set of good dimensions to work from, I'll MAKE you a new grill frame and cover it in the grill cloth of your choice for a very reasonable price. The best way to proceed is for you to take your grill off and measure and photograph it front and rear and send that info to me. The more...

I just pulled a pristine set of Hartke labelled Celestion G12P-80s out of my Hartke 412A angled cabinet and replaced them with a set of broken in reissue Greenbacks. So, these G12P-80s need a home. I don't think they're bad sounding speakers. They just don't sound like Greenbacks. They're brighter s...

The pentode/triode switch doesn't change plate voltage. It just determines how the screen is connected in the circuit.

You can mess with that switch with 6V6 tubes installed. Just don't do what it says NOT to do.

Use 6V6 tubes ONLY when TWEED and SIMUL-CLASS are selected. Just like it says.

If you use any other mode, you're going to blow up the tubes. 6V6 tubes are limited in the voltages they can withstand.
In any other mode, the amp will over-voltage a 6V6.

I've added a "fixer upper" 1972 Fender Twin Reverb to my collection in the last few days. It had the wrong output transformer (had one from a reissue Twin, which physically is different and doesn't quite fit) so I got a correct one. A little work has gone into the amp but it's running. Now I have to...

This would be what you seek, correct?






I don't have one but I'll alert you if I find one.

I'm in Florida. There's got to be someone you know who's a woodworker. Or...is there a college or vo-tech institution in your area that has a woodworking program or wood shop of some description? You could sign up for it and learn to make your own cabinets and maybe even get busy and make a bunch us...

Guitar speaker cabinets are not exactly advanced level woodworking projects. Have you considered having your friend the woodworker build you one? Shipping costs make it impractical for me to build big cabinets like 4x12s for other people and ship them, but for local musicans I've built a small numbe...

Voltages are higher, gain is higher. The amp is more sensitive, responsive, and dynamic. What you report should not be unexpected.

How is it with the pedals NOT in the loop?

You may have to adjust a few parameters to compensate for the effects of freshening the amp.

Current inventory: Mesas first, of course. Mark III black dot currently in a head shell I made for it. Peruvian walnut with a very intensely flamed curly maple front. First generation Triple Recto Solo head SOB 60 watt non reverb head Rocket 44 Non-Mesa: Digitals: Behringer Bass V-Amp Pro preamp (my...

I've found very good condition lightly used EVs for a hundred bucks and that's pretty cheap. It's in your budget if you decide to wait and save just a little longer.