5:25+ realization...

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jazzphan89

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Hey all,

New poster here but longtime Boogie fan and user. I'm 25, but I've had a Mark III, Nomad, and now a Subway Rocket and Express 5:25+ and work at a MB dealer now and then. The only amp brand besides Fuchs I feel comfortable gigging with personally. I've been wrestling with my Express Plus 5:25 trying to get a full-bodied tone with high end (no mud) at apartment levels but I've been having a lot of difficulty and have put the head up for sale. Last night, I figured I would setup the green channel for gain, and the red for cleans just for the heck of it.

HOLY MOLEY

Totally different amp, setting the green channel to pushed with higher gain settings with mids at 10 o clock gave me the fat smoothness I like from the burn set low, but I can also notch the Master up a bit and get really clear/no mud tones from my semi hollows and LP, something that if I tried it with the burn the neighbors would flip their lid.

Next up the red channel. I decided on the blues setting, with gain low and master aimed around 11. It sounds fine and is a definitely usable clean, however there's a lot of white noise associated with the channel's higher gain capabilities. It's fine with me, but I may try a different tube further down the line if I decide to keep it.

Long story short, I was able to get a present tone with no mud at lower volumes (a little louder than TV levels basically) something I was unable to do with the amp set up conventionally. When I bought the amp I was able to do that in the store, and now that I can also get that at home I am reconsidering that sale...

For this experiment, I was using a open back WGS ET-65 1x12. I plan on trying the same with my old EVM12L. I am also using a power conditioner, so the hiss from the red is likely from the channel itself and not outside interference (IMHO)

On a side note, I've been using a Boss LS-2 in the loop of my serial loop amps and it's great for mixing in parallel and preserving the dry tone if your processor is older/ADA conversion. It also does a bunch of other stuff, like an AB or a 2 loop selector (Clean/dirty) path for your pedal platform amp!

Just thought I would share this cool finding, thanks for reading!
 
yea it takes time with this amp I have the 5:50 + combo and I'm still figuring it out. right now I'm at clean mode and blues mode but that could change any minute lol. I find the eq best for my dirty sounds and preset for clean. I can even use the clean mode with no eq or preset just keep my mids at 9 o'clock treble 12 o'clock and bass 11 o'clock. what guitar and p/us are you using? IMHO don't rush to sell yet
 
jamme61 said:
yea it takes time with this amp I have the 5:50 + combo and I'm still figuring it out. right now I'm at clean mode and blues mode but that could change any minute lol. I find the eq best for my dirty sounds and preset for clean. I can even use the clean mode with no eq or preset just keep my mids at 9 o'clock treble 12 o'clock and bass 11 o'clock. what guitar and p/us are you using? IMHO don't rush to sell yet

Hey man,

Thanks for the reply. I'll have to try the EQ and contours with this new to me setup, hadn't really used them yet. Clean and Blues are both great modes, they were just a little too loud for the TV volumes I am going for. I have my settings around that same spot, the Express series is definitely mid-heavy, but I like them. I'm playing humbucker equipped guitars. My LP is mahogany, the H2T is spruce/maple (I think) and the ES339 is Maple.
 
I need the eq on the dirty stuff. I set mine in the traditional v shape and it really fills out the sound on the blues and burn settings it helps a lot. I'm using the WGS ET-65 (16 ohm not 8 ohm) in my 5:50 combo instead of the black shadow- its an impedance mismatch but boogie said no problem. I think the speaker has less high end spike and smother mids - like it a lot -Love this amp good luck
 
jazzphan89 said:
Hey all,

New poster here but longtime Boogie fan and user. I'm 25, but I've had a Mark III, Nomad, and now a Subway Rocket and Express 5:25+ and work at a MB dealer now and then. The only amp brand besides Fuchs I feel comfortable gigging with personally. I've been wrestling with my Express Plus 5:25 trying to get a full-bodied tone with high end (no mud) at apartment levels but I've been having a lot of difficulty and have put the head up for sale. Last night, I figured I would setup the green channel for gain, and the red for cleans just for the heck of it.

HOLY MOLEY

Totally different amp, setting the green channel to pushed with higher gain settings with mids at 10 o clock gave me the fat smoothness I like from the burn set low, but I can also notch the Master up a bit and get really clear/no mud tones from my semi hollows and LP, something that if I tried it with the burn the neighbors would flip their lid.

Next up the red channel. I decided on the blues setting, with gain low and master aimed around 11. It sounds fine and is a definitely usable clean, however there's a lot of white noise associated with the channel's higher gain capabilities. It's fine with me, but I may try a different tube further down the line if I decide to keep it.

Long story short, I was able to get a present tone with no mud at lower volumes (a little louder than TV levels basically) something I was unable to do with the amp set up conventionally. When I bought the amp I was able to do that in the store, and now that I can also get that at home I am reconsidering that sale...

For this experiment, I was using a open back WGS ET-65 1x12. I plan on trying the same with my old EVM12L. I am also using a power conditioner, so the hiss from the red is likely from the channel itself and not outside interference (IMHO)

On a side note, I've been using a Boss LS-2 in the loop of my serial loop amps and it's great for mixing in parallel and preserving the dry tone if your processor is older/ADA conversion. It also does a bunch of other stuff, like an AB or a 2 loop selector (Clean/dirty) path for your pedal platform amp!

Just thought I would share this cool finding, thanks for reading!

With respect to your hiss.....I have the same issue with my 5:25+ and rolled over 30 preamp tubes, including a bunch of NOS tubes. Still hissed. Also tried a Doug's tube set. Still hissed. Then bought 2 Mesa SPX7a tubes, their low noise ones, and wow, lowered the hiss by 50% or so. For me, problem solved.
 
My best advice for all you room users would be to get a low sensitivity speaker like celestion greenback which is 97dB or a similar speaker...
For example the vintage 30 is 100dB...

That 3dB difference in sensitivity means a huge volume difference so with a 97dB speaker youll be able to turn the master volume higher and get that tone you're looking for...
 
Quick update - Sold the head, now got a lead on a 1x12 5:25+. Subway Rocket is holding me over oh so nicely until then.

I used an ET65, I think that's got a 98 db reading?
 

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