tbonesullivan Posted June 21, 2017 Posted June 21, 2017 So, I picked this up a month or so ago, and it needed a little help to get it back into fighting shape. It looks like the grille on this may have been swapped with another maverick, the logo has definitely been changed, and more importantly, the EMF shielding on the inside of the top of the amplifier was completely wrecked. Also the grille was not actually attached to the amp, so it would fall out when the chassis was removed. The original grille was screwed in from the front of the cabinet, but this one was definitely originally attached from the rear. So, I drilled some holes, and now it's firmly attached. The amp came with a whole set of JJ preamp and power tubes, and so far I have kept those in. I do have some new and old production tubes I may swap in, to see if I can get a bit more smoothness out of it, though as is it's pretty dang smooth. The speakers in this are the Mesa Boogie Black Shadow C90, which is different than a lot of the 2x12s, which had vintage 30 speakers in them. I'm looking forward to find all the tones in this box. The "clean" channel has both a "bright" and "fat" mode which really does change up how the amp responds. It's also got switchable diode or tube rectifiers. Oh yeah, and it looks pretty cool: I swapped out the stock red power jewel for a "purple" one, and I like how it looks. I may need to get some #47 automotive bulbs, as I think the bulb is near the end of its life, being pretty yellow in color and not bright. Anyway, here are some of the issues that needed to be fixed: The original RF shield ripped almost all the way off. It also was bunched up and not able to be stapled back down: And here it is after installing new shielding I got from Mesa Boogie, along with a new foam strip: I also had an issue with one of the plastic clips that holes on the preamp tube shield. Unfortunately these are not able to be sourced, but thankfully there was a nice large surface area for Plastic Bonding Acrylic Epoxy. Someone also had put casters on the bottom, not even bothering to take off the price labels on the top of the casters. They probably also didn't pre-drill the holes. However I got some new feet from Mesa Boogie, and now it's back to normal. The guts, like all Mesa Boogie amps, look glorious:
bobmeyrick Posted June 21, 2017 Posted June 21, 2017 I have a Maverick 1x12, blond tolex, same grille as yours, and the badge says Mesa Engineering. This was my main amp for many years, superseded only by a Ceriatone OTS and later by the 633 Drive King. I still have it and in fact used it on a gig only a few weeks ago. Still sounding good... It did have an interesting problem, though, which took a while to resolve. After a few minutes playing, the rhythm channel would suddenly increase in volume and become distorted. It turned out that the optocouplers in the switching circuit were faulty and the lead channel was bleeding through. Replacing the optocouplers cured the problem. A good amp, if a little heavy...
tbonesullivan Posted June 21, 2017 Author Posted June 21, 2017 Thankfully everything works right on this so far. Just going to need to think bout the changes in preamp tubes that I want to make. I picked up some used CBS Labeled JAN 12AX7s, as well as some new production tubes like a Mullard CV4004 reissue, Tung Sol reissue, some Ruby Chinese Silver specials, and others. I know that "tube rolling" becomes expensive, but with amps like this, the right or wrong tube can make quite a bit if difference.
DetroitBlues Posted June 21, 2017 Posted June 21, 2017 I have a Maverick 1x12, blond tolex, same grille as yours, and the badge says Mesa Engineering. This was my main amp for many years, superseded only by a Ceriatone OTS and later by the 633 Drive King. I still have it and in fact used it on a gig only a few weeks ago. Still sounding good... It did have an interesting problem, though, which took a while to resolve. After a few minutes playing, the rhythm channel would suddenly increase in volume and become distorted. It turned out that the optocouplers in the switching circuit were faulty and the lead channel was bleeding through. Replacing the optocouplers cured the problem. A good amp, if a little heavy... One thing Mesa has never been accused of is being a lightweight... lightweight amp that is...
212Mavguy Posted June 29, 2017 Posted June 29, 2017 My namesake amp...lots of great memories with mine. Sold it for more than I paid for it...
tbonesullivan Posted June 29, 2017 Author Posted June 29, 2017 My namesake amp...lots of great memories with mine. Sold it for more than I paid for it... Ever think about picking up the Head or 1x12 version? Of course, I think I paid less for this one because it was a 2x12. Still, great amp. I still need to roll in some new tubes to replace the all JJ lineup. I REALLY like the rhythm channel on "Fat" mode. It just has some nice depth to it, and it is just such a sweet spot.
tulk1 Posted June 29, 2017 Posted June 29, 2017 Years ago I played a Maverick 1x12 prototype at a local music store. One of the best sounding amps I've ever played. At least that is how my wife and I remember it. Fast forward a few years and we came upon another 1x12 prototype, #91. I bought that one and gigged it for a year or so. Even that 112 was heavy. Mesa said there were about 140 prototypes before production. I really liked the concept of that amp. And I think the production Maverick is what eventually led to the Lone Star amps. I ended up selling mine to a guy that builds guitars in Stevensville, MD. Good deal that you're reviving that amp. Altho' I can't imagine actually lugging a 2x12 of that amp around. It's got to weigh in the 80-90 + lbs range!
tbonesullivan Posted June 29, 2017 Author Posted June 29, 2017 Part of what led to getting this amp was that I missed out on a gently used Lone Star Special at Guitar Center a few months back. I SHOULD have jumped on it, but I didn't, and then it was gone. This amp had been listed locally on the Hamer Fan Club, so I figured the price was great, and picked it up. Previous owner barely used it, had picked it up a year or so before. It's been through a lot of owners, probably due to the weight. It is hefty, but not Marshall TSL122 hefty. That thing weighs 75 lbs. The maverick is probably 50-60 tops. I could always go for some neodymium speakers to see if I can get it lighter, but I like the sound of the stock speakers so much.
Gitfiddler Posted June 29, 2017 Posted June 29, 2017 Part of what led to getting this amp was that I missed out on a gently used Lone Star Special at Guitar Center a few months back. I SHOULD have jumped on it, but I didn't, and then it was gone. This amp had been listed locally on the Hamer Fan Club, so I figured the price was great, and picked it up. Previous owner barely used it, had picked it up a year or so before. It's been through a lot of owners, probably due to the weight. It is hefty, but not Marshall TSL122 hefty. That thing weighs 75 lbs. The maverick is probably 50-60 tops. I could always go for some neodymium speakers to see if I can get it lighter, but I like the sound of the stock speakers so much. You got a great amp there, TB. The innards look clean enough to eat off of. I'm sure it will transform into an even greater amp once you get the tubes in it that you like. As for the weight, 60lbs is light for a 2x12 Mesa. My 1x12 MK IV weighs between 80-90lbs...but came with casters. I wish it came with a Sherpa!
tbonesullivan Posted June 29, 2017 Author Posted June 29, 2017 My DC-5 is pretty hefty, but it also is only 50 watts. The Maverick is only 30, so that definitely cuts down on transformer size, which reduces the weight. 100 watt Mesa Boogie amplifiers are back breaking, even the heads. However they build a quality product. They really do know how to wire the insides of an amp in an effective and clean way. Also, wired pots: WIN.
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