Any Music Man user out there?

Tab Benoit almost always has one on stage next to one of his BFSR

 

One of a few I should have kept. I've been looking for a combo lately though. I miss that warmth.

 

I used to play a HD130 for a few years back in the 70's. Sure wish I still had it, great amp.

Allan.

 

I actually just started messing around with my brother's 112 RD 50. It sounds awesome when the clean channel is cranked to about 8. It has all new Ruby tubes, and the original speaker. I was totally floored by how good this amp sounded with my Les Paul. Then I put a KLON in front of it, and I was a rock god. I am really looking forward to the next time my wife takes my daughter to the mall so I can do that again!!! I typically play an Aiken Invader with four EL84's, so I am used to that sound, but the cranked 6L6's sound incredible.

Dave

 

Another 112 RD Fifty player here. I own two, mint condition, mid-shift models and am considering getting another. I use the dirt channel, gain at 3.5, treble dimed, bass at 4, and the volume at whatever is appropriate for the room. This amp gets noticed big time.

Also, at just 38 pounds, I can carry it in one hand and my guitar in another and have everything I need to take care of business. The build quality is also excellent.

littlemoon

 

Make that 3 in a row. Mine rocks. Hey Dave, we should have a 112RD Fifty tonefest! Littlemoon, I almost pulled the trigger on a 2nd one myself, but I just picked up a killer 100-watt Holland Brentwood head that I totally enjoy more than any other "Fender" I've owned.

Mike

 

Most definitely!! I was thinking about that while playing this thing, I remember reading a thread and you had bought one. At first I was like "This sounds OK", and then I turned it up and had tone moment...

Littlemoon was telling me the orignal tubes were worth a lot, unfortunatly, one of them is microphonic, and once you hit it hard, it keeps ringing with a sin-wave like tone.

What type of speaker came with those? And what is the "mid shift" model?

 

Dave,
I know that "tone moment" well. Just a little bit of breathing room, and it sings.

I believe the stock speaker for the standard model is an Eminence. A factory upgrade to an EVM 12L was available for an upcharge.

The "mid-shift" was put into the amp in the later days of its production run. It replaces the "limiter / clean" switch on the front panel with a "mid-shift / normal" switch. It operates to fatten up and slightly boost the mids for the channel. The disadvantage is that channel switching is now only available from the foot switch; so you're screwed with out the foot switch. Otherwise, same amp, same tone.

If you need schematics or manuals or service bulletins, let me know. I have them on my hard drive and can email them or link you to the source.

littlemoon

 

I've had a 112-75 combo for a few months now and I really like it. I was looking for a warm, clean amp to play my L4 CES through and this amp fits the bill. My PRS Singlecut also sounds great through it. I use a Fulltone Soul Bender when I want wailing distortion. Mine has the built-in phaser and it's a cool effect.

 

I own an old Music Man 2-12 combo that I keep over at my cousins for him to mess around with.He's retired and needs something to play his old '57 Les Paul Junior thru....and yes there's alterior motives there!

 

Love my 112 RD 50. So does Chris Cain, who gets MONSTER tone out of his. Seriously. No pedals, clean to scream, and light as hell. Nice verb to boot.

 

I played a HD130-212 loaded with two EV-SRO 12's for many years. Damn nice amp. Was a backbreaker tho with the EV's I added, but you could run it wide open without a problem. I used to use a MXR eq as a mid boost, and got a respectable rock sound out of it.

Somedays I wish I still had it, but oh well.

 

Wow, there's a lot of love for the 112 RD 50 here; it really takes me back. I had one from 1981 through 1986; it was my first "real" amp, purchased to replace the little solid state paractice amp I got with my guitar. I wound up selling in in 1986 when I decided to get out of playing.

I've been through a few amps since I got back into playing in the 1990s, but never really found my sound again and never could turn up a decent RD 50 (either 110 or 112) around here. I finally found something kind of close with my current amp - the Rivera Clubster 25 - at least it sounds like I'm remembering the old 112 RD 50 did back in the day.

 

Is there a website that outlines the history of these amps and models? Were all SS preamp w/ tube power section? Know some had reverb, tremolo, or phaser... Are the HD130s and RD 50s the ones to look for (head?combos?)? RPs? Thanks.

 

http://www.musicmanamps.com/

Mike

 

I have a Musicman 212 HD 130 with the tube preamp...

$700 for sale...

Shipping from Houston, TX

New tubes and tech serviced to verify excellent condition of amp.

---

I have too many amps as it is.

 

RD 50 110 Loaded with an EV Force 10 in.
I've showed up to a few gigs with this amp and a MXR dynacomp.
Everybody is always blown away every time they hear this amp. I used to carry it as my back up amp for alot of years.
Going to a rehearsal, small gig, this amp is it.
This is an amp that has alot of reliability and tone for the buck.
BTW, I had two of these. My buddy talked me out of one!

 

Yeah, I picked up a 65 Reverb head recently and I've become very fond of it for clean work - great tone, nice reverb, awesome tremolo, good w/ pedals... Following the advice of some TGP brothers, I'm going to convert it to a 2x10 combo (Emi Legend 105 speakers) - should be useful for a range of gigs/rehearsals/recordings.

 

My HD130 had one 12AX7 in addition to the 4 6CA7s. At least one half of it is used as a phase inverter. I think the other half is a gain stage. Each channel has at least 2 opamp-based gain stages before the 12AX7.

A friend of mine used to have an HD130 head and an equivalent 60 (?) watt head. They only had the 4 power tubes - no 12AX7. The distortion in those amps was harder edged than in mine, but otherwise they sounded pretty similar.

Shea