What the heck, this it the place to talk about it!
I start from my guitar, into my pedal board with whatever junk I happen to be using at the time. The last thing in line is an MXR 10-band EQ, to punch up anything I lost and restore the original MM singing tone.
From there, into a circa-'81 110RD-50. The line out jack goes back to the pedal board, into a digital delay (on all the time for ambience) and the wet side of a stereo chorus, then out to a 115HD-65 (even older; bought used). Most pedals are Boss.
This gives me the most beautiful, sweet, singing tone you can imagine! I separate the amps, and the stereo effect is overwhelming. I use the overdrive channel on the 110 for dirty rock and slide, and a separate distortion pedal for a smoother, compressed fusion (or Eric Johnson) type tone. Either distortion is great with the Cry Baby. For jazz gigs, with all pedals off it sounds huge.
When I need massive power, I rewire the board to mono, and slave the 110 into an early-70's Acoustic 150 w/6x10 cabinet, which will blow your average Marshall stack through the wall while preserving all that beautiful MM tone. Whatever speakers Acoustic used in those days, they were superb!
I use two main guitars: an Ibanez AS200 (an ES-335 type guitar) and a Gibson EDS-1275 (SG doubleneck), and both sound exquisite with this setup! For pure, low-volume, intimate jazz, I use a Gibson L5-CES direct into the 110, nothing else. What a beautiful tone! That combination sounds positively unearthly when playing harmonizing parts with a tenor sax - a perfect match.
Music Man amps are the best sounding amps by far that I've ever used. Everyone who hears my 110 wants to buy it, or one like it. I will be buried with that amp (haven't decided which guitar yet) :0)
At the moment, my 110 is down with a blown speaker. I hope to get an Eminence very soon to replace it. (I sent the original speaker to be re-coned, and the jerks lost it!) In the meantime, I'm using that Acoustic cabinet as the speaker - sounds wonderful!
That's it. Whaddya guys think? FWIW, I've been gigging on the guitar for ~50 years, and I practice several hours a day. I'm not a gear head; all my stuff got stolen in a burglarly in 1981, and I got the 110 and the Ibanez at the same time to replace it. Out of a whole store full of Fender, Peavey, and other amps, and lots of Gibson 335 guitars, the Ibanez and 110 together sounded so much better than any other combination, I bought both and never looked back, Now, 33 years later, I feel the same way!
I just hope the new MM amp line can measure up to the old.
Amp
That's a LOT of cabinet to haul around! While I don't use my MM much out anymore, I have made a effort to keep getting smaller and lighter! The jobs get smaller and I get older. I'm either using a Vox 15 watt head or the bassman head I rescued. Small is good when your back is as bad as mine. I do thing 6-10's would sound good though. Oh for the days of using my 2x4-12's and the sound of it. No mistaking it. Mike.
Heavy!
I hear you! That 6x10 Acoustic weighs at least 500 lb, and it's a killer to lug around. I ordered a new Eminence Copperhead yesterday for my 110, so I should back in biz next week. In desperation, I bought a used little Roland Cube 30 as a practice amp. It sounds pretty good clean, but lousy in the overdrive channel. I used it at a living room jam session a few days ago, and had it almost all the way up! My 110 would have dominated the place on about 3. *sigh*
Equipment
Here's the side site showing my struff.
http://webpages.charter.net/cnmkaus/mikeequip.html
Lordy, a 500 pound cabinet
Lordy, a 500 pound cabinet would just about put an end to old Davey here with permanent retirement or traction. Either one coming from the cabinet or my band mates. But I would love to been able to hear what it sounds like, wow. Anytime I ran my 130 head, I would just go with two separate 2x12 cabs for the lugging around factor. Made the after gig break down a little easier if there is such a thing.
I always found it interesting in the different set-ups musicians use to find their tone. And the gear changes you go through as you define your sound. Always seemed one of the first things that would come up in conservation with another musician is the gear they're running. Tone.. some nights it was there, then other nights it was mediocre at best and I just couldn't find it. Maybe it was just me, or the beer.. Dave.
Gear
My stuff has changed so many time through the years! I remember back in the late 70's (1970's, NOT 1870's) I was using a Music Man 130 watt reverb head through two Orange 4x12's. We were on the road playing army bases. MY GAWD were we loud. And those poor GI's were saying turn it up! Those poor guys hadn't seen a woman in six weeks and we had TWO in the band! We had to have guards to keep them off the stage. Ah, the good old days! I haven't had the tone I like since I quit using the Les Paul. Had THE tone from the old ARS solo guy when I was playing my Twin through the internal JBL's and an Acoustic 204 cabinet. Heaven. But hell to haul around. Now, I get close at lower volumes with the Heritage and the Bassman or the Vox through the 1x12's and it's a LOT easier to haul. Gawd, it's a pain to get old! Mike.
500 pound cabinet
Well, OK, maybe I exaggerated a little, but that thing is heavy! It was heavy when I was in my 20's, and hasn't gotten any lighter. You're right, getting old isn't for sissies. And I don't know any keyboard players that carry around B-3's any more.
B-3
We used to carry around a porta B and that was bad enough. keyboard player also used a 122 leslie and had a CP-70 portable grand. No wonder my back is blown out!
B3
Once I was helping lift a B3 onto the stage, and it came down on my ring finger! The only thing that saved me from sudden amputation was my wedding ring, which bowed out but didn't squash. I felt like Superman and his dented cigarette case that always got the credit for stopping bullets!
I've always liked being married!
My Music Man gigging setup
Hello Guitars'R'us, My humble suggestion would be that you try the affordable 60Wrms Celestion Vintage 10. Everything drops in place without problems and you 'll get a little more detail and mid-to-bottom end , as compared to the original. The 110RD-50 is a truly gorgeous little monster :)