TC-50 Question? What did this amp replace if any?

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bandit2013

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Those who now have the TC-50.... what did you sell / trade to get it. If the TC-50 replaced another amp, what was it and are you satisfied?

Soon I will be there myself..... I plan on selling the Mark V to put towards the TC-50. I have a few cabinets to use to that is not an issue. I may even get another Vertical 212 to go with it.
 
I sold my Mark V to get the TC. I'd been using the V for several years and I liked it, but the TC is more the sound I hear in my head.
 
Bandit, you're GASsy..

I didn't buy one, but I played the heck out of a couple of them. IMO they are an RA50 with some new features and without the power soaks.
 
elvis said:
Bandit, you're GASsy..

I didn't buy one, but I played the heck out of a couple of them. IMO they are an RA50 with some new features and without the power soaks.

This is very true, plus it's got a punchier, clearer power section compared to the RA. I've owned the RA since it came out and always felt like it was a little too smooth. Probably because they lowered the plate voltage down to 400 volts. The TC runs at 420 volts plus the output transformer is different so the TC has a snappier feel overall.

I also like the hard wired Grid Slammer circuit you can switch in or out per channel.

The weight difference between the RA and TC was a big plus for me too.
 
I've not bought a TC-50 yet but I'm seriously considering trading in my MKV35 for it. As much as I love the 35 I think the TC will be more suited to what I need. Plus it has an extra channel for some low gain tones which I do miss when I use the 35.
 
Yes, I have GAS for something new and different. Still hard to beat what I do have currently and that probably will not change except for one....

As of the past week I have been playing though my two RA100s. The combo loaded with G12H75 cream backs and the Head pushing the horizontal 212 cab. The combo and head have the typical complement of preamp tubes that seem to work really good with the tone of the amp. However, the combo is loaded with Mullard EL34 (RI, monster crunchy) and the Head is loaded with =C= EL34 (these sound huge). I would never have known the plate voltage was lower thanks for that info. Both sound great, lots of harmonics, pinch offs, you name it. My Carvin Strat (Bolt with Floyd Rose and Seymour Duncan Everything axe pups) just rips with these amps. I am undivided which I like better. Yes, the TC50 is egging me to get it but the more I play with the RA's I wonder do I really need it... That is until I decide to dust off the Mark V and heat it up a bit. :cry: not happy with it. It does get the job done but not like the JP-2C :p or the Roadster :p. I do not mind having two RA and one TC-50 along with the JP-2C and Roadster. Perhaps someone else will be happier with my Mark V than I am.
 
35lbs head is easier to carry than 53lb head. At least the JP-2C is 41 lbs which is not all that bad and 3 lbs lighter than the Mark V head. I still cannot get over how small it is compared to my other 100W amps. What would be tempting to me is the tone and character of the amp. I am not overly concerned with weight.


I will jump on one soon enough but still in process of getting some recording gear (mixer actually).
 
domct203 said:
fjs1962 said:
..........I also like the hard wired Grid Slammer circuit you can switch in or out per channel.
Where did you get this info? Do you have a copy of the schematic? Which switch are you talking about?

Dom

Oops, maybe I've said too much. 8)
 
fjs1962 is referring to the TC-100 :shock: or was that the TC-150 :roll: Not my rumor so if an when Mesa expands on the TC series it will be interesting to see what comes next.

I have the grid slammer, does not impress me with the RA100 but have not experimented with it enough to comment, maybe I should try it with 6L6 loaded in the amp. Works wonders with the JP-2C though :p
 
Set your Grid Slammer with the tone on noon, gain all the way off, output wide open and compare that to the Tight/Drive switches on the TC-50 and see what you think. 8)
 
100/150 watt TC makes perfect sense for tune down metal guys. I play more old school stuff so for me the 50 power section in the TC-50 is fine because I like a little power amp breakup and don't run the gain that high, but a bigger power section would keep things tighter for the tune down uber gain guys.

Personally I'm still hoping for an updated TA-30. I love my TA-30 for all things Voxy and I'd love to see one with the newer features like CabClone, Midi, etc, and a better Marshall/Tweed Channel with a mid control.
 
I do not have a TC-50 yet.... I generally play almost everything from dark and nasty to classic rock and old school. Not exactly into death metal but I do like some of the guitar riffs. I tend to create more of credits style music or something you would hear at the end of a movie when all are racing to leave to exit the theater.

I love the natural character of the RA100 as it is without anything connected to it except guitar and speaker. Both the head and combo put a smile on my face. However, the JP-2C has broadened that smile to a grin that is difficult to remove. I can say the same about the Roadster as that has always been a pleasure to play though on all channels. Flexibility and range of character of the amp is my pleasure. The TC-50 does fit that category and it does it with Class A/B circuitry. It seems I have abandoned the sterile simul-class for now. The Mark III and Mark IV was more natural sounding vs the Mark V. I sold the III and IV due to the versatility of the Mark V. Do I claim any regrets....I would but the JP-2C negates any loss I have endured when I sold the Mark III and Mark IV. The Mark V was going to be my main amp and it was for a short time (about a year) until the Roadster and RA100's entered my living space. The JP-2C has taken over but I still have great pleasures from the RA or Roadster. I spend too much time trying to tweak or adjust everything with the Mark V, including preamp tubes, power tubes, speakers. etc.... Just can seem to find that satisfaction I get with the others. Still it is a great amp, just not for me..... So my goal is to find a suitable replacement for the Mark V. Something different but yet familiar such that I believe the TC-50 would do quite well in that regard. I may end up keeping the Mark V but still have to discover the reason why. I have made only one recording that use the Mark V which actually turned out much better than I expected. One positive is that it records well especially with the a reactive load box and a mix of effects.

https://soundcloud.com/user-353100000/tempted01wav

I have moved away from recording with the Boss GT100 (that rig works quite well for recording) since I have the load box that makes recording a tube amp much easier when using microphones along with its generated signal. I am surprised how close the Mark V sounds when recorded to the Boss GT100 or vise versa. May keep the Mark V but still in debate. Soon to ditch the Roland TD-15KV as it is taking up too much space in the studio. Acoustic drums will now be used in my recording sessions. The real deal is more fun to play as well as much harder than the e-drums. The challenge is worth it plus I need the exercise. My recordings are ok to share, not superb or spectacular and I have not downloaded all of the stuff I have worked on as things just did not turn out as expected. Been a long time for me and music due to injury and sold most of my gear 10 years ago (except for the Mark III, Mark IV and one guitar that I still have). 2012 in November marks the time I started playing again, mainly to keep my sanity and as a promise I made to my wife as she requested I continue to play. The first new guitar I bought as a custom build was dedicated to her in loving memory. She has been my inspiration for musical growth that I had abandoned long ago. Sorry for the TMI..... but may be reason why some of my stuff on soundcloud may be on the sad side. Perhaps that may be a reason why I have issue with the Mark V as it reminds me of my late wife since I bought it after she had died.
 
Sorry, was thinking of someone when I posted the previous post. If I were to relate an amp to a previous relationship, all of the one's I enjoy were more like my late wife, the Mark V is like my ex-wife. One's life experiences will influence our music. After I got divorced from my fist wife, I was more into heavy metal, death metal, thrash and such. Now I am back to where I began. Still like the heavy stuff though.

The TC-50 seems like it will do the tricks I need. Does the amp have to be driven hard (master at max? ) or is there a happy median like with most 100W amps?
 
I guess in my opinion now that I have one, it will not replace any of them. I could sell off the Royal Atlantic combo but I like it too much and the same goes to the head. Could have would have sold the Mark V but I found piece of mind with it after swapping a single tube in the CH gain circuit that overjoyed me to no end. The other two on deck will stay and not be thrown overboard... I have to stop getting more amps as there is only so much room left. At least I have a go to amp for what I may be after in tone or mood.
 
bandit2013 said:
Could have would have sold the Mark V but I found piece of mind with it after swapping a single tube in the CH gain circuit that overjoyed me to no end.

Want to share that with us? I'm getting ready to buy some tubes for my Mark V
 
Late to the party - my TC-50 replaced a Stiletto Ace. So far, happy with the decision. Will be using the TC-50 in the wild this weekend.
 
The TC-50 didn't replace anything for me. When I play it I get that "oh yeahhhh" feeling. Then I go to the Mark V and get a different "oh yeaahhh" feeling. So, back and forth we go.
 
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