Too loud??

Had my Mark III volume at 4 and was playing for a couple hours, started hearing a kind of static muffled sound and then the amp went dead silent. I connected another speaker to it and it works fine. I'm pretty sure the speaker took a crap, it was the C90 speaker. Did I push it too hard?

Metal!! Yes, you blew the speaker up!! Metal!!! Right before a speaker goes kaput. it sounds it's best, sweetness like never before then it starts crackling and then,… nothing. I've never had a Mark above 2, sometimes I think I should do it just to try it out, but once I hit 2, the house is a rock'n. That must've been LOUD!!

Everyone always says you've got to have the master volume up quite a bit to push the power tubes to get the amps true tone, so my question is, how high does the volume need to be up to get there?

You can push The Master up around 4-5 when in the lead channel but don't switch back to the clean channel (or R2) or like you experienced a speaker could blow.
It could blow your ears out too! :shock:

Haven't had my Red Stripe long enough to dial in, but so far I can't get it past 2 on the MV before things in my house start to fall apart. From what I read, anything past 3 is useless in most situations (so I've read- and believe). At some point in my life, I'm going to crank that thing, just to say I did it. Speakers be damned. Could blow old speakers, but I wonder if it would break in new speakers more quickly...?

Related note, I read that while recording Whitesnake's 1987 album, John Sykes slaved one Red Stripe Coli into another then dimed the volumes. No idea what kind of earthly cabs could handle that...

I've run my Mark III (blue, simul) on 4 both through a 4x12 and through the stock EVM12L, always on the lead channel. It is obscenely loud, way too much to actually withstand for more than a minute or so without ear plugs. It is hard to believe just how loud the single 12" speaker gets!

TimmyTantrum said:

Related note, I read that while recording Whitesnake's 1987 album, John Sykes slaved one Red Stripe Coli into another then dimed the volumes. No idea what kind of earthly cabs could handle that...

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His Coliseums are "No Stripe" versions and he used two stock Boogie metal grill 4x12 Half Back cabs with C90's in the open top and EV's in the bottom. He still has both amps and both cabs.

If you're running the correct matching cab (EVM-12L, or C90 or something like that) or something else with the correct ohm / wattage rating, you're not going to blow up the cab by running the amp wide open. I run my Mark IV maxed out through a Hiwatt 4x12 and nothing blows up. It's incredibly loud, but the amplifier is built to be used. If putting the amp above 3 was risking damaging it, it wouldn't be able to go above 3.

:lol: I think the amps just start to sound good above 3 :roll:

Dunno if it is possible to blow a EVM with any mark (or any guitar amp). However the C90 in a combo can be shot to pieces at higher volumes. Especially if there is heavy amount of bass involved. Amp does have more power in it, than one single speaker can take.

With red strpe, drummer starts to ask for wiring his set to PA, if master is at 4 and lead is tuned to hi-gain. I think that nobody needs that kinda volume (even it IS fun to make the earth quake with a guitar).

I use a shield around the amp to keep from hurting anyone. It took a while to get used to hearing a different amp sound on stage with the Shield but its a nice way to let the amp loose and not have the sound guy screaming at me. :roll:

DW said:

His Coliseums are "No Stripe" versions and he used two stock Boogie metal grill 4x12 Half Back cabs with C90's in the open top and EV's in the bottom. He still has both amps and both cabs.

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I thought I read somewhere that they were Red Stripes, but now that I think about it, the timeline doesn't seem right. Recorded in '85/'86, no stripe sounds right.

If we are talking bout Amp Master Volume above "4" how loud are your (R1 / R2 / Lead) individual channel volumes set up then ?

On my Mark IV (Rev. A 1992) I always run my Master Volume on about 3 and my R1 (5) R2 (4) and Lead (2-5) depending on home use or bandroom.

Other Lead Channel settings Gain (Pulled 7) Treble ( 7 ) Bass ( 1 ) Mid ( 4 ) LeadDrive (Pulled 6) channel Volume ( 2-5 ) Pesence ( 1.5 Pushed In)

EQ engaged almost classic V-shape.

For home use i get along with Master Volume about 3-ish and Lead Channel Volume 2 if i need it to be louder i just go Lead Channel Volume to 5-ish.


So what is it all about the AMP master volume hype ?

A Mesa Boogie user from Austria (...no not the one with the kangaroos)