Damned sweet amp, the TC-50 is

/Yoda

After listening to almost, if not, every YT demo on the TC-50 I was really GASing for it. I went back and forth a bit, especially since I already have a Mark 5:25. Not to mention the Axe FX2 I have and LOVE. Still...that GAS is a *****.

I called the local Mesa dealer a few days ago and they had a head and combo in stock. Yesterday, I checked Sweetwater on a whim and they were out of stock, so today I called the local guys again. They still had the head. I figured I may as well try it out. It's about an hour away and 20 minutes into the drive I started having second thoughts. It would be an impulse buy and I really didn't need it.

I got to their parking lot and seriously considered not going in. "FIGHT THE URGE!" Well I'd driven all the way there so I went in and they had it sitting in the box behind the counter for me. They asked if I wanted to plug it in and try it. I waffled a bit then said, sure, why not. I first tried a Tom Anderson Strat-style guitar, then a super-strat style.

They plugged it into a Recto 2x12. I was not prepared to like the clean channel so much on the normal setting. It's warmer than I expected. I noodled a bit on each channel/mode and they all sounded fantastic. Tuned to drop D...mmmm....tasty. Then I remembered the Solo boost. That was a nice little kick in the pants. What a great sounding amp! Better even than I expected from the demos.

One thing I really love is how you can set each channel's drive and master independently, then control the whole amp with the output knob. Makes it so easy to get the channel levels balanced, and also allows for excellent tone on all channels/modes even at low volumes. But man, oh man, when you crank it up a bit...bliss! And as reviews have stated, the tapers on the master and output knobs is beautifully smooth and controllable.

So anyway. Yeah, I brought it home.

Just got home after a lonnnnng day, so I hope to spend some real quality time with it tomorrow, but right now I couldn't be happier.

How does it metal? I'd love to hear a clip of it with a mid scooped EQ through the effects loop. I'm considering selling my ENGL Powerball II head for the TC. The clean and crunch on the Powerball are stale and don't hold a candle to my Mark V 35. The lead channels are great though, but I find myself playing the Mark V 35 much more, hence the consideration of selling it for the TC50.

Congrats on the new acquisition!

I had the same issue when I went to demo the TC-50. I feared I would take it home that day but I was not prepared to buy it. I never opened up the amp beyond bedroom level for many reasons (the hidden truth is due to lack of confidence in my playing skills especially when playing though unfamiliar guitars) one of them was the phone kept ringing in the showroom and there was a customer in the shop working out something with the store manager on a return or warranty of sorts, it would have been rude of me to play any louder. I was able to fight the urge and left the store empty handed. Perhaps in a few months I will get one, still debating on when that will be.

I've had mine a few weeks now, with a handful of rehearsals and a full volume show with it and I have nothing but great things to say about it. It's a great sounding amp that's really easy to deal with. And I LOVE the midi abilities.

Josh,
I'm not sure about the metal question and unfortunately I'm not a good one to record some video/audio. Boogie seems to be putting out some videos a little at a time. Hopefully they'll have one soon. I'll plug it in tonight (been reorganizing my bedroom setup around it so everything is a little crazy right now), and do just a little chugging/riffing and tell you what I think.

Bandit,
I'm with you on the lack of confidence. Well, I guess in my case it's more that I know how little I can play lol. Luckily the guys in the shop closed the door and gave me the illusion of playing just to myself (it got a bit loud...I'm positive they could hear me quite well haha).

Kite,
I do love its simplicity. Now I just need to figure out how to make it super complicated by building a W/D/W rig incorporating my Axe FX and some pedals (and a bunch more...ugh). Might need to Guitar > Amp for a while lol.

Joshwah333 said:

How does it metal? I'd love to hear a clip of it with a mid scooped EQ through the effects loop. I'm considering selling my ENGL Powerball II head for the TC. The clean and crunch on the Powerball are stale and don't hold a candle to my Mark V 35. The lead channels are great though, but I find myself playing the Mark V 35 much more, hence the consideration of selling it for the TC50.

Congrats on the new acquisition!

Click to expand...

Hey, not sure it's quite what you're looking for but this video went up a couple days ago
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=zwXWUxj-SeM

Deadpool_25 said:

Josh,
Kite,
I do love its simplicity. Now I just need to figure out how to make it super complicated by building a W/D/W rig incorporating my Axe FX and some pedals (and a bunch more...ugh). Might need to Guitar > Amp for a while lol.

Click to expand...

I am often with a few pedals however, I've also done a few rehearsals with nothing but the head and been thrilled with the tone.

(my usual rig is two Eventide H9s, a new Chase Bliss Brothers and a Chase Bliss Tonal Recall and an Xotic Wah, all controlled by a Mastermind LT, VERY flexible rig)

kitemonkey said:

I am often with a few pedals however, I've also done a few rehearsals with nothing but the head and been thrilled with the tone.

(my usual rig is two Eventide H9s, a new Chase Bliss Brothers and a Chase Bliss Tonal Recall and an Xotic Wah, all controlled by a Mastermind LT, VERY flexible rig)

Click to expand...

Sweet setup. I actually have a GigRig G2 and a bunch of pedals on a really nice board. The G2 is stunningly good. As much as I love my Axe FX, I may go without it for a bit and just use the pedalboard and amp for a bit.

Deadpool_25 said:

Joshwah333 said:

How does it metal? I'd love to hear a clip of it with a mid scooped EQ through the effects loop. I'm considering selling my ENGL Powerball II head for the TC. The clean and crunch on the Powerball are stale and don't hold a candle to my Mark V 35. The lead channels are great though, but I find myself playing the Mark V 35 much more, hence the consideration of selling it for the TC50.

Congrats on the new acquisition!

Click to expand...

Hey, not sure it's quite what you're looking for but this video went up a couple days ago
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=zwXWUxj-SeM

Click to expand...

Very close to what I was hoping it would sound like. Thanks for sharing!

I have an ENGL Powerball II, but I dig the tone of my Mark V 35 so much, that I'm strongly considering selling the Powerball II and getting the TC-50. I rarely play the Powerball II anymore.

I have my TC for few weeks now, it's my first tube amp in 5 years, 5 years where I was running digital only, an Axe FX (last one was XL).
I decided to downsize the rig and do some changes in the setup so iswitched to AX8 (still love the FRACTAL) but got myself a real tube amp as I was missing the feel, so the TC was the chosen one dew to size, W, midi, SOUND!!! and price.
What can I say, I run the TC with the AX8 in 4CM while some presets use the TC preamp and some the AX8 amps with CAB SIM off, and the sound is a blast!
Already had few rehearsal, running it through a Marshall 4x12, its sounds great but my Mesa Recto OS 4x12 kicks much better!

I'm really happy with this amp, I found myself most of the time on the blue channel for both rhythm and lead while for lead I kick in a P.E.Q + a booster, both from the AX8.

Roadrunner said:

I have my TC for few weeks now, it's my first tube amp in 5 years, 5 years where I was running digital only, an Axe FX (last one was XL).
I decided to downsize the rig and do some changes in the setup so iswitched to AX8 (still love the FRACTAL) but got myself a real tube amp as I was missing the feel, so the TC was the chosen one dew to size, W, midi, SOUND!!! and price.
What can I say, I run the TC with the AX8 in 4CM while some presets use the TC preamp and some the AX8 amps with CAB SIM off, and the sound is a blast!
Already had few rehearsal, running it through a Marshall 4x12, its sounds great but my Mesa Recto OS 4x12 kicks much better!

I'm really happy with this amp, I found myself most of the time on the blue channel for both rhythm and lead while for lead I kick in a P.E.Q + a booster, both from the AX8.

Click to expand...

That sounds amazing. I had the AFX XL+ hooked up for a few hours while screwing around with a few different setups. I finally "settled" (yeah, right) on two separate rigs. A Fractal Rig and a TC50 Rig. The Fractal goes to my Mac with Yamaha HS7 monitors and also through a Matrix GT1000 amp and then to a Mesa 2x12 horizontal cab.

The TC50 goes to the GigRig G2 in 4CM and a few pedals I really like (variable day to day), then it goes through a Mesa vertical 2x12 cab. Output 2 of the G2 goes to the power section of a Mark 5:25 and another Mesa 2x12 horizontal cab for stereo.

Both rigs are pretty fun...for bedroom playing...which is all I do. May as well buy a Ferrari and an Aston Martin so I can go pick up some groceries. Damned hobbies! :roll: :lol:

My TC-50 is probably my favorite amp at this point. It's certainly the one I've been playing the most. Great tones on all three channels, easy to dial in on all of them, too.

wow, that's saying something given the amps you have/had.

I'm loving the TC-50 combo. I can't see it ever replacing the Mark V and 2x12 rect cab it was meant to replace. They are very different and both very, very good. I really can't get one to sound like the other in any mode and it that fine by me (but not fine by my pocketbook). The more good tones, the better. If I was forced to choose one, I'd stick with the Mark V. But I do not want to part with either one.

Later,

Mace

Interesting. I also have a Mark 5:25 and posted it up for sale locally, but then took that ad down. I'm thinking there's no reason not to keep (and use) both.

dlpasco said:

My TC-50 is probably my favorite amp at this point. It's certainly the one I've been playing the most. Great tones on all three channels, easy to dial in on all of them, too.

Click to expand...

Yeah with that sig line that's quite the compliment. I agree that it's easy to dial in.