Name:    Steve Kennedy
Email:   steve@pacair.com  
Subject: RP112-65 Rework
Thread:  44
Time:    Mon, 7 Jan 2002 20:39:16 UTC

All of your ideas have merit. However, a few questions come to mind:


1. What kind of guitar & pickups are you using? Humbuckers typically lack the sparkle of single-coil pickups.


2. Is the rear-panel impedance switch set to match your speaker impedance?


3. Are you also using any external speakers (if so, see item 2)?


4. Are the Deep and/or Bright switches being used? Do they make a noticeable change in the tone when switched?



Since the Music Man really doesn't have comparable overdrive distortion you can't really compare them in this department. The Music Man distortion circuit is simplistic and not an attempt to simulate tube distortion performance.


Also, the Music Man "lead" channel is NOT the high-gain channel most modern amps and preamps are so you HAVE to pre-amplify to get equivalent channel gain.


Some of your interstage coupling and other electrolytic caps in the preamp may have dried out as well, changing the tonality of the amp.


I would replace EVERY electrolytic capacitor in the amp before I touched the speakers (although these can get tired with age as well).


Steve