Hotplates & Your Mesa Boogie Amp

[Tubegear Junkie]

Hey Gang-

I'm wondering which Hotplate (name brand) you're
having the most success with being used
with your Boogie amp?

Please let me know which amp model
you have.

Thanks,

Tubegear Junkie

 

[kmanick]

I use the THD Hotplate with my Rectoverb and my JSX.
it's one of the best things I've ever bought for my rig.

 

[camsna]

Used the THD with my rig forever - it's GREAT!

I also hear WONDERFUL things about the Weber stuff - but haven't heard them myself.

 

[domct203]

I use a THD Hotplate as well. It is a great way to set up FX mix levels at real amp volume settings without going deaf. The more you attenuate however, the more it colors your tone. The bright and deep switches come in handy at real low levels for home practice.

I've also had good luck throwing a graphic EQ alone in the loop to re-EQ the amp at low MV settings.

Dom

 

[BigMesa]

I had a THD Hotplate 8 ohm and I sold it after 2 months. I found that it did not do as good as a job as I had hoped for. The difference between my tone at lower volumes and my tone at high volumes with the attenuator soaking was not that noticeable. Not enough for me to keep it.

 

[primal]

I had a THD Hotplate 8 ohm and I sold it after 2 months. I found that it did not do as good as a job as I had hoped for. The difference between my tone at lower volumes and my tone at high volumes with the attenuator soaking was not that noticeable. Not enough for me to keep it.

What amp did you use it with?

 

[sricabla]

Seeing how many people are using the hotplate. How do you set the hotplate up for use? How would you set up the controls for different situations

Ex. Low volumes at home...16db or 12 db?
Small club...150 people
Gain settings?
Output settings?
Master settings?

What's your starting points?

Thanks in advance!

 

[Platypus]

I have one.. stopped using it a long time ago as the difference was really not worth the tube life drain in my opinion

 

[Tubegear Junkie]

Seeing how many people are using the hotplate. How do you set the hotplate up for use? How would you set up the controls for different situations

Ex. Low volumes at home...16db or 12 db?
Small club...150 people
Gain settings?
Output settings?
Master settings?

What's your starting points?

Thanks in advance!

very good point...I second that

Tubegear Junkie

 

[geddyentwistle]

i just got one and like it a lot

some of these amps have to be very loud to sound good, and i'd rather spend an extra $500 on tubes over ten years then LOSE MY HEARING

 

[Tubegear Junkie]

i just got one and like it a lot

some of these amps have to be very loud to sound good, and i'd rather spend an extra $500 on tubes over ten years then LOSE MY HEARING

COOL!! 8)
Which brand did you get and what amp model are you running it through?

Tubegear Junkie

 

[sbalderrama]

The Mesa amps with simpler topologies probably do pretty well with hotplates. Alot of the amps though get most of their sound through the preamp, and distorting the power sections can end up just making things muddy. I haven't tried a hotplate with a Mesa for a long time, but I used to have an F50 and I always preferred just using the master vol on that rather than the sound I'd get with the hotplate.

 

[fishyfishfish]

Z Air Brake. Plain and simple. Dialed in my LSC to where I liked it ( Nice and loud) and then brought it back to mic friendly volumes. Don't need it for the Duel Rec though. I love that amp at any volume.

 

[zjanke]

I had one for my 60 watt marshall TSL. Since any Marshalls sounds best at 11, a hotplate is a great option to get great sounds at acceptable volumes (indeed, not at low volumes).
I now have a dual set-up, Blue angel for cleans (at 6V6) and a CMW/Marshall JCM888 with a ppimv. This does the trick even better than a hotplate, it doesn't color your sound, but the feel and sounds of your tube amp remain intact. :twisted:

 

[sixstringmonk]

I use a THD with my Legacy live. I have the Legacy on 7. I haven't run across a sound guy yet who will let me run the hotplate louder than -12 db. The Legacy doesn't get it's mojo cooking until it's up to at least 5. Without the hotplate I'd have to run it at about 2 at clubs and bars.

 

[mrd]

Used to use DR. Z Air brake on my MKIV or RoadKing then I decided it was making my tone turn into mush, so now I just wear this cool $30 set of re-usable and washable earplugs that attenuate all frequencies equally. They're great. Similar to musicians earplugs but they don't require a mold.

 

[Kupke]

Don't you lose a lot of 'highs' with your earplugs? That's what i'm getting with mine and they're musicians earplugs.

 

[Monsta-Tone]

I've had a Powerbrake sitting on my amp for months. I'll finally get to use it tonight to record.

I'll report back tomorrow.


I did try a Hot Plate once, but it seemed to kill all of the tone and sizzle that the amp had. Made my Soldano sound like a Randall.

 

[mikey383]

I had a Hotplate for all of maybe a month before I sold it. I didn't like it at all. I could get a better tone by turning the amp down than I could cranking it and using the Hotplate.

The only thing I thought was cool was how the neon light strobed while I was playing.

It might be good for something like a Marshall that has to be driven into power amp distortion to sound good, but wasn't good for my Mesa.

 

[jab]

the Mesa rep wasn't too thrilled about the need for Hot Plates on Mesa amps. He suggested (on Stiletto for example) to run the Output hotter and keep the channel masters around 9:00. I was running the masters around 11:00 and the Output 9-10:00 so it's worth trying. You could try the same with Rectifiers. The rep did say they were great for old Marshall's though that really need to be turned up to sound good.