Mesa Badlander 50 - 6L6 Power Tubes!
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- Опубліковано 9 січ 2021
- Trying out the Mesa Badlander 50 with 6L6 Power Tubes! Stay to the end where it gets most interesting...
As usual, recorded with an SM57 on the Mesa V30 where the cone meets the cap.
All pedals in the signal chain are shown!
What are your thoughts?
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I dig the 6L6s. It smooths out that scratchy upper-mid spike that I didn't dig too much in the Badlander while retaining the tightness of the amp. It's a small difference though.
EL34: 1:57
6L6: 3:34
To my ear, the 6L6’s drop the piercing, scratchy elements of the EL-34’s. Agree that there’s more low-mids, which I like in a high gain sound. It still rips your face off...but with a dose of pain killers. The EL-34’s light your skin of fire.
I see what you're sayin! Haha. I like them both if the bias switch is in the EL34 setting, the differences become more subtle.
sounds great with both!
I just got mine a few days ago and I love it. Was able to dial in a decent tone and will probably purchase some Mesa 6l6”s
Great review! To me, definitely EL34 power tubes sound the best in that amp and on any other one I've tried.
This video won you a new subscriber. I wanted to know how this amp sounds like with 6L6s and oh man I'm not disappointed. What a beast and cool riffing! Oh man, my wallet is begging me.
Please, please please, make a Tonex profile of that 6L6 with the EL34 on the crush with the overdrive, man, that's insane. I'm blown away.
Some sick riffs man! I really can’t hear much of a difference either.
6L6s FTW in my opinion. They sound warmer and brighter without being harsh. The EL34s sound more raw and angry, but in a mix I would be EQing out much of those frequencies to make it sound more like the 6L6s anyway. Great demo regardless, I always appreciate your time spent detailing these playthroughs and your honesty about how and what you play for each one.
I prefer the 6L6s in your demonstration. Sounds Fn awesome.
Thanks for the video, just got a Badlander 100 and was considering buying some 6L6’s for it. You saved me some $, I’m going to stick with the 34’s.
In spite of being used to 6L6 amps, I prefer the EL34 in that Badlander and 6L6 in the classic rectifier which definitely makes me think that Mesa is offering this possibility to put 6L6s inside but the whole circuit is really designed for the tonal characteristics of EL34s.
Or the bias for 6L6s is really very cold and the amp should be hard rebiased by a technician to make it sound better. (Mesa BIAS their amp cold so they can absorb the wide variety of characteristics of the mesa paired tubes without too much risks of damage).
People who really want 6L6s for low emphasis should probably keep on purchasing original rectos+ overdrive or EVH amps.
Can't go wrong with EL34's but I like that low mid emphasis and top end grind with the 6L6's.
Great vid!! Both sound great but to my ears the El34's in this amp are where it's at. More lively. Actually can't decide now if I like the El34's more or the 6l6's in El34 mode!!!
I like the EL34 a little better as well but I bet those differences would disappear in a band mix.
I've had my Badlander 100 for a little while now, but never was a huge of fan of how tight and bright (mids & treble heavy) and very little bass was in the amp (compared to my 95 Dual Rec Rev-G). But I just swapped in an old set of 6L6's I had that I pulled out of my Rev-G for some fresh ones, and flipped the bias to 6L6, and just like his, the volume dropped noticeably, but it did make the sound more "full", and it DEFINITELY has more of that Rectifier "snarl" and it cut the high-mids and treble back on the amp (which is MUCH needed, IMO, it's too bright with the EL34's, and not enough low-end bass). Like he said, it's probably more to do with adjusting the bias switch than anything, but I prefer to keep 6L6's on the 6L6 setting, and EL34's on the EL34 setting, just for peace of mind. Plus, I like the way it sounds on the 6L6 setting.
Don't get me wrong, it's certainly NOT my Rev-G, but it's MUCH closer and sounds SO MUCH better than it did with the EL34's. I'll probably leave the 6L6's in it from now on.
I think you single-handedly ended the argument over those tubes. Slight difference in the sound but not worth the change, nothing that a twist of knob can’t fix. great playing great sound awesome video.
Almost no difference! The EL34 are doing a good job in my opinion!
I think the 6l6’s made it sound a bit warmer, I like 6l6’s with amps that have a really bright preamp.
I own the Badlander 100 and the extra headroom adds a lot of body that I feel it needs but yeah 6l6 tubes (from being a rectifier player) just give me more of a high gain amp feel that isnt so sterile like the el34s. More low mid like you said with a scratchier distortion and a more roudness to the low frequencies.
Great video, bro!!! Can't wait for that Badlander x Multiwatt 6L6 shoot out!
Maybe in the next couple weeks!
EL34's are a bit more punchy with the initial settings, as compared to the 6L6's with the same settings plus the volume increase to account for the drop.
Ok... How does it sound clean? I'd like to hear the difference between the two with the amp set clean?
It's not only the bias, Kyle, you also have to remember that the output transformer is still impedance wound for EL34's.
Hey Kyle I got the badlander 50 cuz of your channel and it’s my favorite amp at the moment on par with my Friedmans also I want to set the bias the way you did it with 6l6’s but em concerned it may break the amp? Are you sure it’s ok to do this for long periods of time?
Tighter for sure. IMO
Sweet Riffs!. If you had to pick between the 5153 stealth or the badlander which would you pick?
Tough to say man. Probably the 5150 because I've been a lifelong 5150 player and I feel it's a slightly more versatile amp. Plus, being cheaper doesn't hurt.
What pickups are in the guitar?
Kyle thanks for the video. I'm torn between buying a Dual Rectifier or a Badlander. Which one do you recommend? I play metal most of the time
You'd really have to try both and decide what's best for you! The Badlander is leaner, clearer, more dry in the saturation of the gain. The Rectifier is that classic wall of sound, but not nearly as clear or precise.
Would you recommend a bias mod? I could hear a difference on my cell phone with the 6L6s in EL34 mode.
I wouldn't recommend it, no. Just buy the Mesa rated tubes and tell them how hot you want the amp to run, they will send you a grade based on that.
I have quite a few mesas I’ve always used the ts9 but it has to much mids I just ordered the gridslammer hope it doesn’t have to much mids how is that khdk compared to the ts9 and witch one is your favorite ?
I have the ghoul screamer and it's much better than my ts9. So many more options. Probably a bit of mid bump still but not as bad and can click high and bass switches on it to compensate
The Mesa bumps the mids at a lower frequency, removes less lows, and has more output so you may like it. The KHDK is like a clearer Tube Screamer with more output and tone shaping options, but it doesn't have near the mid spike that the TS9 has
I have a TC50 with that bias switch as well. Will it hurt the amp or shorten the tubes lifespan drastically to have 6l6 tubes on the el34 bias?
Don't do it bro. If you want 6l6 tubes, then just spend the few extra bucks and have it re-biased correctly. Also, talk to your amp tech and ask him about biasing a little hotter or colder and the benefits of both. He might just turn you on to something you really love. Or try all three biasing stages. Cold, ideal and hot. Why not??🤟🤟👍🍻🍻
Also Kyle, thanks for not playing loads of wank petatonic solo-ing for 28minutes as an example of how the amp sounds. Coz like that's literally the most useless video anyone could make. Good job!
I couldn't play that shit if I tried! Lol, but most dudes playing high gain amps are truthfully playing power chords or little single note runs mixed with chords, so that's what I try to showcase.
Hi man, does the 50w comes with loadbox and IR Loader same as 100W?
Yes it does! I bought the 50 watts and it’s exactly the same
Just went to Mesa site and yes to both, Thanx anyway
bought another Schecter eh? ive been using my same c1 classic for 7 years. only guitar ive ever owned. now that im an advanced player i was going to reward myself with a new guitar around 1000. ive been intrigued by new ibanez offerings. but i love schecters too still. any tips or recommendations? even though i know how to play i really dont know much guitars or buying them!
Yessir. I've had really good luck with the newer model Schecters! Quality seems very consistent with no glaring issues and decent factor setups. Guitars are very personal, so my advice would be to do some research on the specs you think might interest you, and then head to a couple stores to see if they have them to try out so you can get a feel!
@@belligerentamateur i like the new obnoxious purple burst schecter e-1. but im afraid it might be too archaic given its similarities in appointments to old man gibsons. any thoughts?
Mesa's website does not just recommend you to always match bias to the tubes being used, they straight up warn you "BIAS SETTING MUST MATCH TUBES !!" But after hearing this, I feel like saying "screw the warnings" lmao.
Is this just a rectifier thing, or have you heard anyone doing it with a Mark V?
Typically, a 6L6 requires more bias voltage than an EL34. What does that mean? In practical terms, running a 6L6 at EL34 bias will push the 6L6 really hard. At a minimum it will wear out quicker. However, you run a very real risk of pushing the 6L6 past its design limits, which could lead to catastrophic failure of the tube. When tubes fail catastrophically, they usually take out other parts of the circuit with them, which means expensive repairs. Also when an electrical circuit fails catastrophically, there's a chance that it could start a fire. Tubes are actually pretty forgiving, so often they have a fair amount of tolerance for abuse, until that tolerance runs out. That can lead to a false sense of security. Bottom line: If the manufacturer says don't do it, then don't do it.
Cant say i like the tone. i miss the good old recto low end. This sounds like an already boosted amp with a lot of upper high mids and presence.
@@0megalul309 with this one I would totally agree! that sounds may sit a lot better in a dense mix with dual/quad tracking etc.
Yeah man, wouldn't say they're for everyone! If most people love the Rectifier for the massive low end and wall of sound, they probably won't get into this. This is a much more precision based amp. Thanks for checking it out!
That was an old trick in rectifiers. 6l6 in el34 mode.
Yessir, done it many a time!
I thought this was pretty dangerous and Mesa doesn't recommend it. Can you do it in any mode? Bold/spongy and tube/silicon
@@Lennoxandjon not dangerous at all, rectifiers are notoriously biased really cold, or low. my triple rectifier with 6l6s, el34 mode, tube rectification and bold.
from my local tech comes in approx 33 to 36 mA which is the 6l6 range.
if on el34 mode, bold, with ss rectification it was 49/50 mA which for sure is on the hotter end of a 6l6 bias.
no big deal, the only issue that can happen is you risk a tube failing sooner. ive ran mine for near two years now with no issues. i have a rev f blackface.
many people get the bias mod done for this reason so you can bias to what you want.
if i run the amp and switch between the 6l6 in el 34 mode has less fuzzyness to it. its not a night and day difference but i prefer it.
i think i like the 6L6's better...a little more "punch" to my 50 year old ears!!! ;-)~ gonna stick with my mark IV, tho...
6L6 makes it sound more EVIL
Small differences but whatever works! It's nice to have choices.
6L6 will last longer than EL34 🤔 unless you can get real NOS EL34 !!!!
6l6 so much better. More head
Lol
it's a good sounding amp, it's just not great. better choices for the money.
I agree with that. I wish they would have made one without the Reactive load /IR and knocked a few hundred off for that as not everyone needs that and it certainly adds to the overall cost. If these come down to the $1200 used value in the next couple years I think that's a price worth paying for them.
@@belligerentamateur the problem is the tube screamer style boost they've put into the circuit. it sucks. they should have just made the amp "tight" without it.
I honestly didn't know there was a built in, always on boost circuit. Is this on the crush channel? If so, that would explain why the crunch channel takes boosts better. I agree, you can make an amp tight without a tube screamer circuit needed, I.E. VHT/Fryette, Splawn, some Friedmans, etc...
@@belligerentamateur most all tighter amps actually. it's this amp and the triple crown that have that circuitry added. it's cheaper for mesa to put a little circuit board in the amp than to actually tune it like any Friedman really. It made this amp sound narrow and nasal. It doesn't have the big wide sound of a traditional rectifier etc. So far the amp itself is a bomb in terms of sales and overall reception.
@@RezaMatix I really think they should have named it something other than the Rectifier, and it would have done a lot better for them. Although I feel it has rectifier DNA in the crush channel for sure, I think that set them up for failure as generally, it is a different sounding amp unless you dial it in to try and make it sound like a Rectifier. I know that I love the amp, but I'm also an E Standard Thrash guy who isn't going for a wall of sound type tone, so it works for me. I can see why most people expecting something like the Rectifiers that came before it would find it disappointing, but again, I think that was Mesa's fault for titling it a rectifier instead of a new series completely.
6L6's are better tone and sound smoother, and they still need to be bias.
All subjective, and not they do not need to be biased. Thanks!