Music Man Amps

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John C

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It looks like Jeff is playing Peavey in those b&w pix.

It looks that way to me as well, and Randy's playing an MIJ Contemporary Stratocaster. So those were from 1985 or later as the particular MIJ Strat was only made in 1985-86.

Of course by then Music Man had gone bankrupt (in early 1984) and their IP was purchased by Ernie Ball - so I suppose any endorsement deals they had with the original Music Man company were terminated with the bankruptcy so they were using whatever they wanted at that point in time. Ernie Ball only put the Stingray and Sabre basses back into production, they went their own way on guitars until 2016 when they produced an "updated but stripped down" Stingray guitar.

EB never really put the amps back into production - Sterling Ball claims there is still a pallet of MM amps stashed in one of their warehouses that came with what they bought at the bankruptcy auction - but several years ago they contracted with an Italian amp company (Markbass maybe??) to produce a revived version of a few of the amps, but not the RP models. EBMM never imported the revived amps to the USA; they were only available in other parts of the world.
 

Mowgli

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The early ones were all HD models with silver background/black lettering & logo of two players on the badges, 65 or 130 watts, and nearly all didn’t have stand by printed next to the front power toggle switch. In the back the early ones had the often visible 12ax7 phase inverter tube with its tube cover hanging on the side opposite the power tubes.

They replaced the 12ax7 PI tube with a solid state PI after a few malfunctions (likely a tube short) fried the power transformer in a few amps (most today think this problem was very rare but happened enough to force MM to issue a bulletin recommending the switch to a solid state PI.). Power Transformers are expensive and MM probably wanted to both improve reliability and prevent expensive warranty repairs.
 

muusicman

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The early ones were all HD models with silver background/black lettering & logo of two players on the badges, 65 or 130 watts, and nearly all didn’t have stand by printed next to the front power toggle switch. In the back the early ones had the often visible 12ax7 phase inverter tube with its tube cover hanging on the side opposite the power tubes.

They replaced the 12ax7 PI tube with a solid state PI after a few malfunctions (likely a tube short) fried the power transformer in a few amps (most today think this problem was very rare but happened enough to force MM to issue a bulletin recommending the switch to a solid state PI.). Power Transformers are expensive and MM probably wanted to both improve reliability and prevent expensive warranty repairs.
So if I wanted to copy the gear they used back then, what am I looking for?
 

mmannaxx

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I’m gonna say it. Don’t think there was any magic to the MM amps. They gave equipment that artists endorsed
(probably for a fee as well) and used and got decent sounds from. Most people would not say they were better than Fender tube amps made up till 1980 or so. They were known for being heavy and clean. Not necessarily for sounding better.
 

Co0lcat

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Does anyone here own or and ever owned a Music Man amp? My favorite band of all time Alabama used them in the 80s. I’m wondering with songs like Tennessee River or My Home’s in Alabama if the phaser sound they used was built into the amps or maybe they used a pedal??

Amps, with phaser effects, I highly doubt it.
 

Tweeker

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So if I wanted to copy the gear they used back then, what am I looking for?
I don't know why no one's mentioned it, but much of sound began with the hair...just sayin'
Screen Shot 2022-04-20 at 11.13.06 AM.png
 

allcasters

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Electro Harmonix Small Stone phaser pedal.
EHX20Small20Stone20V2.png
That’s the phaser I use, does a great job. I wasn’t aware MM amps came with any effects, the one I played through years ago that belonged to a band mate was “bare bones”; a head into a 4x 10 cab but I sure loved that amp and can’t find one anywhere online.
 

getbent

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I’m gonna say it. Don’t think there was any magic to the MM amps. They gave equipment that artists endorsed
(probably for a fee as well) and used and got decent sounds from. Most people would not say they were better than Fender tube amps made up till 1980 or so. They were known for being heavy and clean. Not necessarily for sounding better.
there is no 'magic' to any amp. Some just do their intended purpose better than others and some associate some sounds as 'the sound' but it is arbitrary.

Lots of great artists CHOSE MM amps and guitars because they did what they needed doing.

The same statement could be made about the silver face twin. We all played them because, well, they work, you can play anywhere with one and they are super reliable. Whats not to love for a working musician?
 

zumajim

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I bought a new 110RD back around '81. It was covered in creme tolex and featured an ElectroVoice speaker in place of the stock MM. I believe it was a full 100W, which made it great for all the clubs I played during my college years. That thing could part your hair from fifty feet and out-Fendered any Fender amp tone-wise. I don't know how it got the bass response it did with the smaller speaker but it did. I also don't know why ever I sold it. :(
 

Tim S

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there is no 'magic' to any amp.
Oooohh, those are fighting words. 😀

I think a lot of us have plugged into a certain amp and the tone that came out was much better than what we put into it — that’s magic.

Granted, it’s magic for a specific person and not universal. But magic is magic (in my case, thanks Tone King!)
 

bluesmain

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Does anyone here own or and ever owned a Music Man amp? My favorite band of all time Alabama used them in the 80s. I’m wondering with songs like Tennessee River or My Home’s in Alabama if the phaser sound they used was built into the amps or maybe they used a pedal??

ever heard jerry reed chet atkins they both favored music man rd50's ck videos
clapton albert lee rodney crowell emilou hot band ck musicman amp forum the company was leo fenders 2nd company see my pic of music man sabre guitars the first active production guitar separate bass/treble bright / in/out phase
john carruthers was leos first custom builder at fender and music man he went on to build the coodercaster..i think he built all alabamas customs i owned 30 or so mm amps thru
the years still have a 112 rd 50 revision e where leo added mid shift to the panel in '83
one is in his lab to this day...see last 2 minutes of amdertons tour of g&l custom shop
2019 they sit in front of leos rd 50
best ever ?
 

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getbent

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Oooohh, those are fighting words. 😀

I think a lot of us have plugged into a certain amp and the tone that came out was much better than what we put into it — that’s magic.

Granted, it’s magic for a specific person and not universal. But magic is magic (in my case, thanks Tone King!)
magic is when you just don't see the sleight of hand.
 

codamedia

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My Money is on Early to mid-70's, Two-12's, 130 watts.

How can you tell?

Look at the amps in the video... they are a 2x12 model, very similar (looking) to a Fender TWIN.
So let's break that down....

Musicman made 2 Amps that looked like that....

1: The "HD-130". That was their flagship amp... the one used by Clapton, Knopfler, Joan Jett, Albert Lee, etc... etc...
2: The "Sixty-Five".... this was exactly the same amp as the HD-130, but with half the power (65).

BOTH of those amps came with Tremolo not a Phaser and were powered by EL34 tubes.

NOTE: It's irrelevant because it is combos in the video... but those amps also came in a separate head/cab format as well.

Why early to mid 70's? Somewhere around 1976 they changed the 12AX7 PI to a Solid State PI. Many people believe(d) this was not a good move, which is why the early 70's models are favored over the late 70's models.

FYI: In 1980 those two models went through some changes, but still sounded pretty much the same...
They became the "HD-150" and "Seventy-Five".

Those two amps included a PHASER not a TREMOLO and were powered by 6L6 tubes. But those amps in the 80's had inverted BADGES. Randy is NOT playing one of those.
 

muusicman

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ever heard jerry reed chet atkins they both favored music man rd50's ck videos
clapton albert lee rodney crowell emilou hot band ck musicman amp forum the company was leo fenders 2nd company see my pic of music man sabre guitars the first active production guitar separate bass/treble bright / in/out phase
john carruthers was leos first custom builder at fender and music man he went on to build the coodercaster..i think he built all alabamas customs i owned 30 or so mm amps thru
the years still have a 112 rd 50 revision e where leo added mid shift to the panel in '83
one is in his lab to this day...see last 2 minutes of amdertons tour of g&l custom shop
2019 they sit in front of leos rd 50
best ever ?
Those are awesome pics! I am really interested in getting the exact gear Alabama used live in their early days. I’ve seen old YouTube videos where they are performing on TV and they always seem to be using Music Man amps. Also, on the Mountain Music official music video Randy is playing a Music Man guitar. I’d love to find one of those somewhere. I’ve seen them online in a natural grain color but his was black.
 

Mowgli

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So if I wanted to copy the gear they used back then, what am I looking for?
Not sure what you mean by “copy the gear.”

If you go to the Music Man amps website they have schematics you can download for free and check out some of the details of the various amps, speakers and cabinets they offered over its short lifespan.
 
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