RM100 with upgraded mercury transformers sounds too bright

[feefop]

I've got EL34B's in my RM100 with the MM transformer and choke. I find it is very clear, but also very bright and strident. I've got an SGMK22 and mashaldano in the RM100...cabinets are mesa 4x12's with celestion V30's.

anything I can do to make it less bright? tubes? bias? speakers? all of the above?

thanks

 

[eyeball987]

Add an EQ pedal out front or in the loop?

JJ pre in V1?

Are you using the patch cable in the loop trick to add in that tube with the effects knob? If so, stop.

Where is your treble set on the mods? Pres on the amp? Both of those mods can be set to be really bright.

 

[Whoopysnorp]

Personally I don't think the MK22 sounds its best with a V30. I would consider swapping two of the V30s in your Mesa cab for something like CL80s. Also, what are your settings like on the MK22? Are you using the bright switch? I find that it almost always sounds best with the bright switch off and the treble dialed up somewhat to compensate.

 

[Kapo_Polenton]

You treble nazis are always trying to kill the trebles! I would think those trannies are a god send as the randall stuff is voiced a little too dark. I have to dial more presence in than i would on a real JCM800 for example. Not by much but a hair more. Anyway some good suggestions:

Fiddle with the presence
Bring up some density to compensate if the V30's are too thin
JJ's all across the board in the preamp
dial back treb and some mids on the modules.

 

[feefop]

thanks for the tips...I'm going to try JJ tubes in all preamp sockets.

I've dialed down treble, but at a certain point it kills the tone...fine line here. I will also try lowering the bias to see if that helps.

 

[feefop]

Personally I don't think the MK22 sounds its best with a V30. I would consider swapping two of the V30s in your Mesa cab for something like CL80s. Also, what are your settings like on the MK22? Are you using the bright switch? I find that it almost always sounds best with the bright switch off and the treble dialed up somewhat to compensate.

I don't use the bright switch on any of my modules - not needed, as you might guess in my situation.

I'm thinking smoother sounds speakers might be the ticket. The V30's have that midrange grind - maybe I need speakers that don't sound so raw and mid forward.

 

[joey_truelove]

Personally I don't think the MK22 sounds its best with a V30. I would consider swapping two of the V30s in your Mesa cab for something like CL80s. Also, what are your settings like on the MK22? Are you using the bright switch? I find that it almost always sounds best with the bright switch off and the treble dialed up somewhat to compensate.

I don't use the bright switch on any of my modules - not needed, as you might guess in my situation.

I'm thinking smoother sounds speakers might be the ticket. The V30's have that midrange grind - maybe I need speakers that don't sound so raw and mid forward.

Would you say it's that midrange pinch you're experiencing or do you have more highend per se, knowing e.g. G12H30 Greenbacks are brighter still. I suppose it's no feedback-loop malfunction.

What brand of EL34Bs do you have in there? This and the V30s could possibly be why these frequencies are overly accentuated and now pushed beyond EQ managable levels. I'm something of a tone-geek myself, and I've found there are ways around a lot of things, but then there are ways to achieve tonal goals by striving towards them intentionally.

 

[Rod]

Feefop...... I think the V30's might be the problem, not the amp. I tried out a bunch of speakers till i found the right combo. I like WGS British Leads for really articulate gain and rhythums...and for more Marshall tones in general, those newer Scumback J Series 55 Hz speakers are killer.
Vintage 30 's to me have way to many high mids and don't sound balanced ...they just sound to out front, if that makes any sense... also are your speakers front loaded? That can make it worse. Real loaded speakers in guitar cabs sound much fuller with usually smoother hughs