The Electra Forums

Man, all of Proendorsers amps are SWEET!

RCSBlues

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RCSBlues

Thanks guys, I've asked myself why I need more than say two or three amps, but I've never been able to let go of my Mesa's even though they haven't really appreciated that much in the past 20 years. It's convenient to leave them at the different places I jam or practice at, I've got the Mark IIb and Mark IV over at a buddies place, keep the princeton in the bedroom when I'm not taking it to other peoples houses or gigs, the Nau is in my (new!) basement music room.

The Mark III I bought about ten years back as a mid life crisis fix, when all my buddies were out buying sports cars and Harleys, that's how I spoiled myself. I've probably only put 40 hours on it since then, so I could tell myself that I wouldn't miss it that much, but have never been able to part with it. I looked for a hardwood about eight months before I found this one, it has a hardwood cabinet that is just dripping with flame, and I knew that it was the one for me. According to the serial number it is one of the last fifty Mark III's made (I want to say 1998?, one of the longest running models for Mesa) and is pictured in the June 2007 'Vintage Guitar' magazine along with me and my brothers collection of Micro Fret Guitars (now there's a unique manufacturer!).

I'm too attached to the Mark IIb combo, I've recapped it THREE times in the last 26 years (just to give you an idea of how many hours on it!), and that is not an indication of cheap manufacturing, Amp guru Gerald Weber says that you should plan on replacing the filter Caps every ten years, kinda like rebuilding a clutch every 100k miles. Something about a tube amp with that much use, they just sound better and better as they age. Strangely I've never recapped the Mark IV, and it has a ton of hours on it, I think that it may because I almost always use that amp in 'Tweed Power' mode, which because of the lowered voltage is very easy on the components.... I've probably jinxed myself now!!

In Middle and High School I went through a number of Fender Piggyback amps... Bassmans, Bandmasters, etc. Really hooked me on that Dual 6L6 'pushpull' Class AB sound. You could pick up a Bassman back then for under a hundred bucks, now they're approaching a grand on eBay. Had a Marshall super lead breifly in Highschool, it was such a bad experience I never looked back, just really noisy (hum wise) and flakey, I think I used it at three gigs before getting rid of it. When I saw the modified Bassman on eBay I snatched it up for the $400 'Buy it Now' price, it was a great deal, the stock silverface Bassmans routinely get $500-$700 on eBay, and this one is just so much more versatile. Bought it from the 2nd owner who had it modded and used it in his studio for 20 years, claimed that Mick Ralphs fell in love with it and offered to buy it, but he wouldn't sell at the time... yeah I know, impossible to authenticate, but it was a good story for him.

I had a sweet '66 Fender Pro Reverb until replacing it in '82 with the Mark IIb, I ended up selling it for (clears throat...) $145 to help finance the Mesa. These are way cool combos that some people have nicknamed the 'Baby Twin', because they are basically the same 2x12 setup as a twin reverb, only at 45 watts are much more controllable, and lighter. These are fetching $1400 - $1800 on eBay now... good news is I still get to visit with her, as I sold it to my brother way back then, and he had the good sense to hold onto it.

I'm surprised that no one has made fun of the wallpaper in my basement yet! And no one condemned me for picturing the Telecaster Relic (check out the fingerboard... yummy), but hey this is the off topic lounge. I was wondering if anyone 'spied' the guitar effect in one of the photos that I didn't even mention? Also, as a Where's Waldo exercise, can anyone count how many guitar picks are hidden in the six pictures? If we ever have a Electra-Palouzaa, you too could be burning riffs through these great tube amps! Enjoy, Mike.

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Electra Guitar Videos ===> http://www.youtube.com/user/mjm33mjm?feature=watch

Four hidden picks? or are there more?

I see you have an EBow as well; I have a chrome one - with the belt holster - from the late 1970's when they first hit the market; I still use it from time to time.

Someone's Ebow lineup found on the 'net:
http://i140.photobucket.com/albums/r20/ ... artial.jpg

Sign me up for the Electra-Palouzaa!

RCSBlues

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RCSBlues

Four picks it is, I didn't think anyone would see the one stuck in the Handle on the Bassman. I got the eBow a couple of years ago as a gift. It's one of the newer ones that has a LED that shines down on the strings and has two different harmonic frequencies supposedly (I can never figure out which setting is which!) It's a neat effect, but I've never recorded with it, and haven't used it live or anything. It's fun to get that infinite sustain, almost feedback like, but I can't really bip back and forth between strings with it, there's a delay as the field is setup and you really have to get it right over the string for it to work... I guess I'm just kinda sloppy with it.

Anybody have a preference to open or closed back enclosures? I lean towards the wide dispersion of an open back cabinet myself, seems as if the sound is spread around more and gets some room slap back (when you're playing loud!). Cheers.

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Electra Guitar Videos ===> http://www.youtube.com/user/mjm33mjm?feature=watch

I want an E-Bow, but I never, and I mean NEVER see them...

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Addicted to Matsumoku.

Open back has my vote - I use the open back for storage (foot switch, power strip, etc.);
Peavey Heritage VTX links - http://www.netads.com/~meo/Guitar/Amps/ ... vtx212.gif
http://www.netads.com/~meo/Guitar/Amps/ ... e-vtx.html

My late 1970's Kustom V Lead 35 watt practice amp is fully enclosed;
Similar amp - Kustom 1 Lead link:
http://www.broadwaymusicco.com/kuskat044.jpg

I use this amp for small venues as it has plenty of punch with one 12" Eminence speaker with 2" voice coil -
and a line out to go directly into a mixing board if necessary;

RCSBlues

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RCSBlues

I enjoy open back amps for something other than sound as well....storage space.
I can fit pedals, cables, and assorted other junk in there.

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Addicted to Matsumoku.

I'm guilty of that one. My Yamaha B-212 has a massive open area that has housed everything from string packs, cables, guitar straps. I once found a bottle of MD 20/20 under all that, not a clue how it got there or when(Must have been cleaning my guitar case with it).

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SlmGuy

Only problem is that my pedals constantly get stuck on the speaker...darn magnets....

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Addicted to Matsumoku.

I like open for guitar and closed (or ported) for bass.

Pheonix you can find e-bows on e-bong all the time.

Yes, but I don't trust nor will I ever actually use e-Bay first person.
If I'd ever find something, my neighbor bids and handles it, and I just pay him.
Besides, I actually prefer Craigslist.
Without it I would not have my bass or my Workingman or my soon-to-be Cort Effector.
And NEVER without it would I have found that beautiful Bass/6-String double-neck.
Granted, I can't afford it, but.....

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Addicted to Matsumoku.

Yeah, there's a dozen ebows on eBay at any given time, usually between $70-$90. Interestingly, in the 'completed auctions' area, the ebows that went for the most are the original chrome ones like RCS has, fetching $150-$200!!!

Things are certainly less expensive on Craigs List, and if local it's great that you can go and see the item as opposed to bidding with blind faith on eBay. However, as far as trust, I think there are just as many (if not more...) scammers on Craigs List. When I sold some items on CL last summer, I was getting emails from all over the country asking about stuff, offering more than the listed price if I'd take a check, etc. etc. Didn't give me a warm fuzzy feeling.

CraigsList makes it (purposely) difficult to search for things nationwide, as their philosophy is smaller community markets, and lower costs without making UPS and FedEx rich. I have contacted people in other areas, and some sellers have actually been pretty upset that I was wasting their time because I wasn't local. I did score that really nice X250 on CL from a gal down in Texas, she was cool, shipped it per my request, and I got it for less than if it had been on eBay. It was funny talking to her on the phone as I basically described the guitar to her while she was holding it, she had never noticed the 'peacesign' logo on the tuners, or the belly cut on the back of the guitar, the brass nut... just on and on. She knew that I was a enthusiast and that her guitar would be well cared for and appreciated, it was a win-win. Cheers, Mike.

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Electra Guitar Videos ===> http://www.youtube.com/user/mjm33mjm?feature=watch

Geez, lst e-Bow I saw on Craigslist was a white one, sold for 30 bucks.
Granted it was a bit dirty, but it worked so that's all that matters.
Didn't know what it was at the time, didn't get it...

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Addicted to Matsumoku.

New purchase 01/23/2009:

Boss GT-10 Effects Processor -

http://www.bossus.com/gear/productdetai ... ductId=941

Unfortunately there are only 24 hours in a day ...................

RCSBlues

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RCSBlues