| Author | Message | ||
     Mark Netherlands |
Hello fellow MM lovers. I'm about to buy my first MM amp, but i can't decide which one to buy. I'm choosing between a 112 RD fifty or a 210 sixty five (tube pre-amp). Both are pristine condition. I play allround music (country, pop, rock, reggae) so i need versatility. Personally i think the Sixty-Five will give me more tonal capabilities, but i'm a bit "scared" of it breaking down. (untill reading here i've never read about tube amps, biasing, replacing capacitors etc etc). The fifty has transitor technology (at least, the pre) and is (in my eyes) less likely to break down. any pointers for a total Noob in this field? Which points should I check on the amp as to make sure they are not likely to break down any time soon? Thanks so much for your time. | ||
| michael kaus |
Both amps are really nice, I prefer the 12ax7 version for it's tone. The RD's should have 6l6's in it instead of 6ca7's 0r el34's. The 2-10 is a great amp- I've got one and it cranks. The only thing it needs is a 12" speaker to bring out the bottom. You can always buy both and give the 2-10 to me! Check for no rust on the transformers. That's about all you can check from the outside other than the overall tone and condition. Welcome to the group. Mike/ | ||
| Mark nl |
Hey Michael thank's for your input. Yeah the 2-10 is real beauty. As for the lacking bottom, i haven't noticed that when testing it. So it might be a matter of taste (of course, the 2-12 would do better in that department). (Now to find a MM cab, since X-mas bonus is coming up  ) | ||
| michael kaus |
Where's the 112-50 at? It might be worth looking at if it's close. MIke. | ||
| Mark NL |
It's in Utrecht (Netherlands). Sold by a "private person". He's got 2 for sale actually. (they got black grill cloth and white casing) | ||
| mark nl |
.. and i'm checking em both out (Again) tommorow. Wheee | ||
| carl |
definately the 2 10 65 in my opinion then get a 2 12 or 1 15 cab as an ext. theres ya bottoms | ||
| John Drexler |
Yup. Go for the 210-65. I've got one and it's LOUD! Also have the 112-65, which does have better bottom. I use the 210 for country and rock gigs, and the 112 for jazz. Both get up and bark at you! | ||
| John Drexler |
Addendum: Carl, I think your counsel to add a 2x12 or 15 cab is ill advised...the 210 runs at 4 ohms, and an extension cab would drop it to 2 ohms...could burn up the power transformer! That's why I use the 112 for that...it only has one speaker at 8 ohms and can take an extension cab. The 210 cannot!!! | ||
| michael kaus |
THe 2-10 65 has a extension jack that is wired IN SERIES. That lets you use a separate cab and with another 4 ohm cab, you have 8 OHMS. Then just put the ohm selector on 8 OHMS. THe later amps did have some model where the jacks were in parallel, but this amps does not. They are in series. Mike. | ||
| carl |
yeah john just kidding | ||
| Steve Kennedy (admin) Username: admin Registered: 03-2002 |
Generally, the 2-speaker combos and heads have their speaker output jacks wired in SERIES. These combos had 2 8-ohm drivers wired in parallel for a 4-ohm total which would have made external cabinets out of the question unless the jacks were wired this way. The 1-speaker and 4-speaker combos have their speaker output jacks wired in parallel. This is because their internal load was 8-ohms so they can tolerate an 8 or 16-ohm external cabinet load in parallel (but only barely so in series). Music Man appears to have standardized on 8-ohm drivers and makes up for configuration differences by changing the output jack wiring scheme. The configuration is usually marked on the data plate that the output jacks are mounted to or near. Watch out for mismarked chassis plates or chassis swapped in from the other amp family. In this Message Board, search on this topic to find a method I documented of how to tell with certainty which configuration you have with nothing more than an ohmmeter and a 1/4" phone plug. Steve |