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im in need of a new amp. im not sure exactly how much moneys i gots to spend, but i am looking at the f- 50. i might just get the combo, or just wait and get a stack. i dont know about that yet. but whats everyones expirience with it? the reason im looking at it is because ive heard its got great cleans, and also nice distortion. what would you guys compare the cleans to? i love the fender cleans.

I have one and it fuking rocks!!! Great cleans, sweet break-up(gain maxed on clean channel), good marshal type sound, and that great mesa gain!

lol yeah u told me already on aim. im definately leaning towards it quite a bit. thanks. anyone else?

Had one.

Best Clean Channel I've ever experienced. Kind of an quot;ultimate fenderquot; to my ears. When ya crank the gain on the clean channel it gets borderline JTM-45Marshall like...VERY NICE

Gain Channel w/out the contour on was too muddy for me, but it does give you the classic MESA tones...ie. Santana, Carlton, etc

With the contour on, and the gain backed off, it can get somewhat Marshally. With the gain up, it's a decent metal tone, but lacks crunch like a MKIIc, or MKIII. But it's not as buzzy/fuzzy as a Rectifier either. It's a quot;wetquot; syrupy sound...dark as well.

Built like a tank.

As toneful and versatile as the amp is, ultimately I realized I'm a Marshall guy, never will be anything but a Marshall guy, and so I sold it. I'd LOVE to have that clean channel again...it would go from Wes Montgomery to Stevie to Aerosmith. That's the only thing I miss though. My Rivera is a far better amp for me.

you say the distortion channel(s) are dark, but what about the cleans? i prefer bright cleans, but would like to be able to get warm- ish tones also.


Originally Posted by nepalnt21you say the distortion channel(s) are dark, but what about the cleans? i prefer bright cleans, but would like to be able to get warm- ish tones also.

It will do both...it's not quite as jangly and pristine as a blackface or such, but it will do def do warm Bassman type tones, as well as brighter sounds like a JTM45. Clean channel is just spectacular.

The best thing about the amp is it soooooo touch responsive/dynamic....it's a great *feeling* amp. I do miss that quality, as the Rivera does not have nearly as much touch sensitivity.

It's a great amp if you want everything BUT Marshall tones.

now would it be worth it to get the combo, or should i save up and get the head with a good cab?


Originally Posted by nepalnt21now would it be worth it to get the combo, or should i save up and get the head with a good cab?

Depends on your application. Are you in a band? if so, do you gig? ect ect ect.

yeah im in a band and we do gig.

In that case I'd say get the head off of ebay and save for a good 4x12.

ive never really dived too deep into stuff like this. so the stack will be louder than the combo of the same wattage?


Originally Posted by nepalnt21ive never really dived too deep into stuff like this. so the stack will be louder than the combo of the same wattage?

IIRC yes, same as how a 1/2 stack is louder than a 1/4 stack right?

yeah well i think ive found what i want for christmas

I LUV mine!!! PM me for the whole shabang......

What types of shows does your band play? If you're just playing smaller clubs, then a halfstack is probably overkill. If you're looking at the F-50, you might want to check out a Traynor YCV50 Blue also. Its also a good clean/dirty hybrid for alot less.

yeah im already pretty sure of what i want. ill look into the traynor, but im not saying ill have much of an open mind. but im pretty set on a 2x12 cab with the f 50 head.

I've had an F-50 for about a year and a half. It is everything already described. It's funny the Traynor was mentioned because prior to getting the F-50 I was set on a Traynor YCV 80 2X12. I have also tried the Traynor YCV 50. The day I wa going to buy the Traynor I saw the Mesa sitting there, and thought I'd give it a shot because I have always wanted a Mesa but stayed away due to the price. Needless to say I walked out with the Mesa, but I'll probably add a Traynor to the arsenal someday!

My friend has an F-30 combo... and it's damn loud! Never goes past 8:30 on the volume dial (on the gain channel). This is used for practise, btw. We have access to electronic drums so we probably play very quietly compared to most bands.

Never dug the clean channel but then again, I'm no whiz when it comes to playing around with the clean channel settings.

The gain channel is good.. very versatile. Absolutely no complaints! Footswitch is good.

Still, it's plenty loud. I'd hate to imagine how loud an F-50 through a half stack would be. My ears are probably just a bit TOO sensitive, lol!