Another new Mesa amp

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Dreamtheaterrules

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Yes, I went from never owning a Mesa amp to falling in love with my Mini Rec and my TA15. So much so, that when I saw the utterly STUPID price at GC's clearance site on a new TA30, I had to buy it. It should be here within a day or two. Now I have the loop I wanted and a couple other killer features (foot switchable loop, boost, etc.)

GC Clearance site has gotten me twice in the last couple days, as yesterday literally less than an hour before they all disappeared from the site, I got a "better than used" price on another new PRS. I dropped well under 2Gs there in the last 3 days, and got well over 4Gs worth of new gear! Wish I had a couple more grand and I would have relieved them of another PRS and a Mesa Thiele cab as well! Holy Financial Trouble discounts!

I love the TA so much I'm debating whether or not to even sell the 15 now that I have the 30. I might just get a Mesa 1x10 cab for the 15 and keep it for my small gig rig.
 
Got the call from Guitar Center and my amp is in. I'm going to try to pick it up tomorrow.

(sarcasm alert)
My goal will be within two days I'll write a detailed report. I'm trying to get to 100 "views" with no replies. I believe that will set an internet record for posting futility. A local therapist says that if I get to 100 views with no replies but I keep replying to myself, then I'm officially talking to myself and will need to come in for an evaluation.

In the mean time, I'm just going to read my Stuart Smalley book...



:lol: :lol: :lol:
 
I only had a very short test with the TA30 this morning. Initial impressions compared to the TA15 are that it just sounds bigger. The Vox voices sounded GREAT through a 1x12 Avatar/Emi Wizard (G12H style) The Tweed, Hi1 and Hi2 all sounded bigger when in higher wattage modes and opened up a bit. Just obviously more horsepower there. The 15 watt mode sounded really nice with all 5 modes as well. Also, the verb sounds pretty good but I had to keep it WAY down (below 9:00)

I didn't have time to try anything in the loop or to try the boost function.

More details after I get more time with it.

Only 10 more views with no replies, before I have to visit the head doctor! :D
 
Just so you know you're not insane, I'll respond. :lol:

Actually, I have thought about getting a TA-30 also, and definitely keeping the 15, so I'm interested in hearing more about your experience with the 30.
 
Well, tonight i got to play it for a while. Everything seemed fine for a while, it certainly didn't sound bad. Then I switched it down to the 15 watt mode and the sound fizzled. Back to 40 watt mode And everything seemed ok but I knew something was up. Switched back to 15 watt mode and this time it fizzled almost completely out. I quickly turned it around and saw a lower tube in full "rockets red glare" mode. For a split second, I thought I should immediately go into my Jimi version of "The Star Spangled Banner" but figured I'd immediately turn it off instead. It smelled hot... i HOPE it's only a tube. Meaning I know the tube is bad but hope it didn't hurt anything else, because it didn't sound bad in 40 watt mode and I probably played it for 20 minutes that way before finding the problem.

I bought this new, but from Guitar Center, so I don't know if I should contact them, or Mesa, given the parting of ways...
 
GC has a 30-day return policy, you can return it or exchange it for another.
 
I can return it, I can't exchange it. GC is no longer a Mesa dealer, and there were two left in the whole country when I bought this one over 10 days ago. I have to get it fixed or return it and returning it is not even a consideration. I just need to get it fixed and hope it's just a tube. I let my contact at GC know so I'll see what he says.
 
That is probably the best way to go but don't you have extra tubes lying around? I have a decent vintage tube collection and it would have been an opportunity to tube roll for me, which I plan to get around to (preamp only). Hope you get it sorted out though bro.

I felt a little left out when you got a TA-30 and I didn't though I dunno if I would have bought one or not if I saw them like you did. Probably not since I like the TA-15 so much, don't miss what it doesn't have and feel that the 30 is too big for me. I have three 50 watt heads already too if I need more power Clarkson style.
 
I don't have 4 matched EL84's I guess I could pull the two from my TA15 but I'd rather just wait for Mesa to send me new ones.
 
You don't need matched tunes to trouble shoot. They might not sound optimal, but you are just confirming whether you have a bad tube, or something more involved.
It's unlikely you'll break anything (else).
If the amp has four EL-84's, they are arranged in pairs: X-Y-Y-X, an inner pair and an outer pair. Replace the bad tube and it's mate (the other X or Y) accordingly. Test for maximum smoke ;-)
 
There is no question it's a bad tube. The only question is, is it anything else as well. I was waiting to hear form Mesa before dropping two more tubes in to try. I don't want to pull the ones out of my TA15 and smoke one of them or I will have two TA's that need tubes.

Should I go ahead and try a pair to see if the same one glows with the replacements? Or should I wait to hear from them?
 
Just swap the tube with the one on the other side, to see if the problem goes with the tube, or stays in the position, or just doesn't occur again. If it is one of the inner tubes, swap the two inner, and if it is one of the outer, swap the two outer. :idea:
 
Good timing. I got out the manual last night to make sure which two were paired. It's right side of the inner tubes that's bad, so I'll swap the inner tubes tonight and see if the rockets red glare goes to the right side with the tube.
 
Well.... I finally heard from Mesa and because my amp was purchased from GC, who is no longer an authorized dealer, Mesa won't warranty the tubes.

I can't go to Guitar Center and ask them to make it right, because they no longer carry the tubes.
 
I wouldn't have had time to pull the cover and change tubes last night anyway, but when I got the email from Mesa that they wouldn't cover tubes, I just unplugged it and put it back in the box.

I have both graduation party and wedding showers coming up in the next two weekends, and a lot of outside work to get done to get ready for them. Plus, I'm really busy at work, so I have almost no time in the evenings to play. For the price I paid, I can't complain, but for now I guess it will collect dust until I get time to mess with it.
 
if you plan on being a tube amp owner? Rule of thumb, always have spare tubes regardless of situation. There will always be unpredictable situations of amp noise and problems. I always have spares because it helps me troubleshoot whether the amp is new or used.

Start stocking up on spare tubes
 
Sorry to hear that DTR, kind of sad. That is a bit disappointing that Mesa done you like that. I need to buy a backup pair of power tubes also, most likely Mesa ones, which is different for me since I have a old stock collection of tubes I've been leaching off of for years. I never had an el84 amp really though and I don't see the purpose of risking this amp on old power tubes. I'll get around to tube rolling in the preamp sometime though.

But hey good luck with the parties. My daughter just graduated high school also and we've been celebrating here too.
 
Well, another update. I plugged it in last night to go through their tube test method. I was going to wait til it glowed, turn it off, and flip the inner pair (It was the right tube of the inner pair that glowed) and turn it back on and play til the tube glowed again and see if after switching it was the same tube that glowed.

Before it even got to it's bright read glare point, I smelled the burning smell again... which tells me it was not the glowing tube that made that smell, and that it is another problem with the amp, regardless of the tube. None of the 4 power tubes were glowing any brighter than the rest and it wasn't fizzling out on the 15 watt settings.

When I first turned it around, I saw no tube but smelled the burning smell. I waited for a second to see if a tube was going to start glowing bright red, and the smell got stronger. Amp had been on about 10 minutes. As soon as I got the second stronger whiff of burning fumes, I shut it down immediately. I'll be contacting support again with an update. IMO, it's something else causing the tube to go to flame mode. Looks like a warranty repair after all.

I'm debating returning it for a refund and using that $ towards a Mark V down the road a few months.
 
cradlefish said:
if you plan on being a tube amp owner? Rule of thumb, always have spare tubes regardless of situation. There will always be unpredictable situations of amp noise and problems. I always have spares because it helps me troubleshoot whether the amp is new or used.

Start stocking up on spare tubes


I hear ya. I have always had plenty, but just used my last matched pair of EL84s about a month ago to retube the Superdrive 18. I have lots of singles left, but no matched pairs. (as of a year ago I had about 5 SE Class A amps, so I had lots of single EL84s). The funny thing is, I got the Mini Rec just at a year ago now. Got the TA15 just a couple months ago. Was getting ready to go to my usual tube sources and stock up and read here that if I don't use MESA tubes, I void my warranty on both. Went to the Mesa store and they don't take paypal, or I'd have stocked up by now.
 

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