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Post new topic Mesa Boogie California Tweed for Pedal Steel
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Author Topic:  Mesa Boogie California Tweed for Pedal Steel
Brendan Mullins

 

From:
Northern California, USA
Post  Posted 26 Apr 2024 8:52 am    
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Hello, all.

Looking into getting an amplifier that can double as a country guitar and pedal steel amp. Leaning towards something with some modern conveniences, like attenuation, which the Mesa Boogie California Tweed has. Used ones can be snagged for a decent price. Seems like the 40w version could do everything I need. Anyone have experience with this amp for steel? Hard to play one first sadly, so I may buy it unheard. Hoping 40w will have enough overhead for small gigs/live band. Cheers.

-Brendan
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1977 Sho-Bud Pro II Custom
1949 Gibson Console Grande
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Larry Dering


From:
Missouri, USA
Post  Posted 27 Apr 2024 6:03 am    
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I would be surprised if any steeler has tried this but you never know. The late Bobby Lee used a Mesa Boogie at one time but not this model and I don't think he played regular guitar. I have never seen that amp in use at any steel show in 30 plus years of attending. I have a Peavey Classic 30 and a 50 watt Tweed. They probably wouldn't compare but neither work for me as steel amps. I will include my Tweed Fender Hot Rod Deluxe. But they are great guitar amps. Good luck.
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Dave Hopping


From:
Aurora, Colorado
Post  Posted 27 Apr 2024 9:06 am    
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After seeing Brendan's post I tried steel through my '87 Mark III. Not bad but not great. For roughly the same bux my Milkman PS-300 sounds much better and will do double duty with six-string.

Comparing a Mark III with a California Tweed might be apples-and-oranges, but M-B has always had the reputation of being what you went for if you wanted modern rock overdrive.

They've never made a steel-oriented amplifier.


Last edited by Dave Hopping on 27 Apr 2024 1:57 pm; edited 1 time in total
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Marty Broussard


From:
Broussard, Louisiana, USA
Post  Posted 27 Apr 2024 9:55 am    
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Brendan,
I borrowed a MB “DC” series amp on one show. The owner dialed it in and I liked it. It was around 30 ways so it had to be mic’d. if you can find one with higher headroom, and possibly try it out, you might like it. I have a couple of guitarist friends who swear by MB and claim that you have to know how to dial them in. One of them dialed in a Son of Boogie for me and it was awesome to me. And it had plenty of headroom. I once purchased a Satellite 60 and utilized a 7 band graphic with it and got it dialed in. I should have kept that one. It was easy to set and had plenty of headroom. Of course YMMV.

Good luck,
MB
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Marty Broussard


From:
Broussard, Louisiana, USA
Post  Posted 27 Apr 2024 10:01 am    
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Brendan,
You could contact fellow forumite Chance Duhon. He’s a guitarist/steel guitarist AND he’s a MB user. He also builds/modifies amps. He might save you some time and money by sharing his knowledge with you.
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"Technique is really the elimination of the unnecessary..it is a constant effort to avoid any personal impediment or obstacle to achieve the smooth flow of energy and intent" Yehudi Menuhin
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Carey Hofer

 

From:
South Dakota, USA
Post  Posted 27 Apr 2024 11:18 am    
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Or. . . Try a Fender Hot Rod Deluxe IV, (the newest version). Around 40 lbs, best sounding of the 4 versions (IMHO), less twang than a regular Fender Deluxe Reverb. I have tried it with my lap steel, very nice tone in my opinion.
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Mark Eaton


From:
Sonoma County in The Great State Of Northern California
Post  Posted 27 Apr 2024 11:44 am    
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Larry Dering wrote:
I would be surprised if any steeler has tried this but you never know. The late Bobby Lee used a Mesa Boogie at one time but not this model and I don't think he played regular guitar. I have never seen that amp in use at any steel show in 30 plus years of attending. I have a Peavey Classic 30 and a 50 watt Tweed. They probably wouldn't compare but neither work for me as steel amps. I will include my Tweed Fender Hot Rod Deluxe. But they are great guitar amps. Good luck.


b0b likely used the Mesa Boogie amp because he worked for the company many years ago in Petaluma. I don’t recall off the top of my head if any Mesa amps were for sale when Ross Shafer (Sierra pedal steels) was helping Mrs. Lee to sell b0b’s gear at his barn (also in Petaluma).
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Brendan Mullins

 

From:
Northern California, USA
Post  Posted 28 Apr 2024 3:48 pm    
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Thanks for the thoughts, all. Maybe I'll sit on it. Probably would have been better if I just asked what people think of Fender Tweed's for pedal steel, since this is more or less what this amp circuit is. Cheers.
_________________
1977 Sho-Bud Pro II Custom
1949 Gibson Console Grande
Dobro Round Neck
Plenty of other fun gear
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Dave Hopping


From:
Aurora, Colorado
Post  Posted 28 Apr 2024 5:51 pm    
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Tweeds?
I have a reissue tweed 4-10" Bassman that sounds a lot like the ones I played six-string thru back in the day. It was OK for steel, although not very much low end. I used to have a late '80s-early '90s 2-12 tweed Blues DeVille. It was pretty shrill and IIRC was also a little light on the low end. Might have been OK with humbuckers but I was playing Teles then and couldn't get what I wanted tonewise. Looked cooler than the other side of the pillow, though. Winking
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Ken Metcalf


From:
San Antonio Texas USA
Post  Posted 29 Apr 2024 11:50 am    
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Use a clean amp for steel and get your compression and grit from stomp boxes for 6 string.
I have used Fender Tone Master twin with a black Box in front.
Now using a little Walter PF89 with TT-12 and that seems to have solved most all my sound needs.
32 Lb. head, 27 Lb. speaker cab.
I wouldn't buy an amp before you could try it.



_________________
MSA 12 String E9th/B6th Universal.
Little Walter PF-89.
Bunch of stomp boxes


Last edited by Ken Metcalf on 30 Apr 2024 3:49 pm; edited 1 time in total
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ajm

 

From:
Los Angeles
Post  Posted 30 Apr 2024 6:04 am    
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Regarding the Little Walter PF-89 (from their web site):

The 100 watt "Paul Franklin Signature 89" has a 12AX7 preamp tube, a 12AX7 mid-amp tube and a 12AX7 phase inverter tube and 4 - 6L6's power tubes. Power rectification is handled by a GZ34.
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Patrick Huey


From:
Nacogdoches, Texas, USA
Post  Posted 6 May 2024 1:12 pm    
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Brendan Mullins wrote:
Thanks for the thoughts, all. Maybe I'll sit on it. Probably would have been better if I just asked what people think of Fender Tweed's for pedal steel, since this is more or less what this amp circuit is. Cheers.

Brandon,
I have played a Cali Reverb, a couple Rectifiers, a Mark IIC+ , and currently own a Mark V 35. My experience is Mesas can either sound awesome or awful depending on how they are dialed in and that can take time and patience. Chance Duhaun I can vouch for his ability to expand more on this. i have not tried a pedal steel through one but a regular guitar. The cleans can be great but as I said dialing em in is sometimes hair pulling depending on which model. The tone stack and gain structure on some of them every knob adjustment can affect another knob it seems like 🙀🤔
_________________
Pre RP Mullen D10 8/7, Zum 3/4, Carter S-10 3/4, previous Cougar SD-10 3/4 & GFI S-10 3/4, Fender Steel King, 2 Peavey Session 500's, Peavey Nashville 400, Boss DD-3, Profex-II, Hilton Digital Sustain, '88 Les Paul Custom,Epiphone MBIBG J-45, Fender Strat & Tele's, Takamine acoustics, Marshall amps, Boss effects, Ibanez Tube Screamer, and it all started with an old cranky worn out Kay acoustic you could slide a Mack truck between the strings and fretboard on!!
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Fred Treece


From:
California, USA
Post  Posted 8 May 2024 9:32 am    
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I agree with Patrick. I just plugged into my trusty old Mark IIc+ yesterday and reminded myself what great little amp it is. For clean steel, you can get two very distinctive tones by switching from “rhythm” to “lead” settings if you set Volume 1 at around 6 and leave the Lead Drive at no more than 2. The rest of tone shaping and volume balancing is up to you.

As far as why MB amps are not on steel players’ radar, it’s probably because they get lumped into the Marshall-Dumble camp of rock amps more than the Fender-Peavey line, and they are known for having a major feature that most steel players have no interest in exploring.
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Joe A. Camacho

 

Post  Posted 8 May 2024 9:36 am    
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I used to have a Boogie Tremoverb half stack set up at home that I used to play through. Sounded great.
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Patrick Huey


From:
Nacogdoches, Texas, USA
Post  Posted 8 May 2024 9:51 am    
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Fred Treece wrote:
I agree with Patrick. I just plugged into my trusty old Mark IIc+ yesterday and reminded myself what great little amp it is. For clean steel, you can get two very distinctive tones by switching from “rhythm” to “lead” settings if you set Volume 1 at around 6 and leave the Lead Drive at no more than 2. The rest of tone shaping and volume balancing is up to you.

As far as why MB amps are not on steel players’ radar, it’s probably because they get lumped into the Marshall-Dumble camp of rock amps more than the Fender-Peavey line, and they are known for having a major feature that most steel players have no interest in exploring.

They are really used these days by heavy metal/thrash guitarist…the Mark IIc+ being One of the most sought after of all of Mesa’s amps…James Hetfield of Metallica….the old school Metallica tone. A Mark series is the best way to get that sound. My Mark V35 gets closer than anything I have ever tried over 40 years. I am also discovering the wider tonal possibilities the Marks are quite capable of producing especially on clean. As I said, they are quirky and take patience dialing in
_________________
Pre RP Mullen D10 8/7, Zum 3/4, Carter S-10 3/4, previous Cougar SD-10 3/4 & GFI S-10 3/4, Fender Steel King, 2 Peavey Session 500's, Peavey Nashville 400, Boss DD-3, Profex-II, Hilton Digital Sustain, '88 Les Paul Custom,Epiphone MBIBG J-45, Fender Strat & Tele's, Takamine acoustics, Marshall amps, Boss effects, Ibanez Tube Screamer, and it all started with an old cranky worn out Kay acoustic you could slide a Mack truck between the strings and fretboard on!!
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Patrick Huey


From:
Nacogdoches, Texas, USA
Post  Posted 8 May 2024 9:55 am    
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Fred Treece wrote:
I agree with Patrick. I just plugged into my trusty old Mark IIc+ yesterday and reminded myself what great little amp it is. For clean steel, you can get two very distinctive tones by switching from “rhythm” to “lead” settings if you set Volume 1 at around 6 and leave the Lead Drive at no more than 2. The rest of tone shaping and volume balancing is up to you.

As far as why MB amps are not on steel players’ radar, it’s probably because they get lumped into the Marshall-Dumble camp of rock amps more than the Fender-Peavey line, and they are known for having a major feature that most steel players have no interest in exploring.

Fred
if you have an actual Mark IIc+ you have an incredibly valuable and hard to find piece of gear, buddy. Those amplifiers definitely do not grow on trees
_________________
Pre RP Mullen D10 8/7, Zum 3/4, Carter S-10 3/4, previous Cougar SD-10 3/4 & GFI S-10 3/4, Fender Steel King, 2 Peavey Session 500's, Peavey Nashville 400, Boss DD-3, Profex-II, Hilton Digital Sustain, '88 Les Paul Custom,Epiphone MBIBG J-45, Fender Strat & Tele's, Takamine acoustics, Marshall amps, Boss effects, Ibanez Tube Screamer, and it all started with an old cranky worn out Kay acoustic you could slide a Mack truck between the strings and fretboard on!!
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Fred Treece


From:
California, USA
Post  Posted 8 May 2024 10:11 am    
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Indeed, Patrick. Mine looks like it has been through the 20 year war that it fought for me, though, and there seems to be a lot of concern for cosmetic appeal in the resale market. There is an authorized MB tech in Sacramento and I have been meaning to make the trip to him because this baby needs a little non-cosmetic work as well.
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