Blogspot and my Apple Devices Don’t Get Along

My public posts have slowed over the past year since I couldn’t directly upload photos from my iPhone to the blog posts anymore. I tried to switch over to Chrome over Safari, but no luck.

I’ve continued to privately use the blog to take down thoughts over the past year, but wanted to incorporate photos as well. Uploading photos through my Mac Mini worked okay, but I preferred the low effort workflow of capturing contemporaneous notes and pictures with my phone.

Now I can’t even upload photos to blogspot through my Mac.

I am thinking of posting some of my thoughts on gear onto my Ko-Fi page until I find a suitable workflow.

https://ko-fi.com/outmodedelectronics

I still constantly find myself referring to my old notes and I would like to continue to do so.

I can’t use video to document my thoughts because it’s not a medium I am comfortable with. Visual content can be time consuming, and I like to get my thoughts quickly.

For now, I think it will allow me to jot some notes down and link to some pictures in a way that is slightly more to the tune of this decade.

I also started an Instagram account because the algorithm was flooding my personal Instagram with a bit too much guitar-related content. I’m not particularly active on it, but will occasionally check it.

https://www.instagram.com/outmodedelectronics

Fender Blues DeVille

I picked up a 1994 Fender Blues DeVille 410 amplifier loaded with Eminence Blue Frame Alnico speakers. I liked the clean and breakup tones that I heard of the amp online. I’ve been a fan of 10” speakers after using my Pro Junior IV and kept reading about how good the original 90s era amps were with the Eminence Blue Frame speakers. The 59 Bassman RI, Vibro King, Pro Junior, and Blues DeVille were loaded with these alnico speakers. The Blue Frame speakers were popular enough that they were recently reissued as the VK1010-20 model. Buying a Blues DeVille appeared to be an economical way to get a good sounding low gain amp, Bassman sized 4x10 cabinet, and a quad of desirable speakers.

The Blues DeVille manual compared the amp’s tones to those found in the Tweed Bassman. I’ve come across online chatter that there isn’t much actual relation beyond the cosmetics. The amp filtered through the Eminence speakers does have an American-style voice. The Normal Channel delivers loud cleans in the first third of its dial. Unfortunately, the volume pot is a linear taper and the transition from 1 to 2 is abrupt. 

Supro 1695TJ Black Magick Combo

Supro Black Magick Combo.

I recently acquired a “B-Stock” Supro Black Magick combo from Proaudiostar for less than the used prices. The Black Magick is a modern, mass produced take on the Supro Coronado that Jimmy Page used on Led Zeppelin I. The lore of Jimmy Page’s Supro Coronado is that the stock 2x10 baffle was Replaced with a 1x12 baffle that had an Oxford speaker reconed with a Pulsonic cone.

Jensen P12Q in the combo.

This particular model, the 1695TJ, comes with a modern Jensen P12Q speaker, instead of the more common Eminence-made, Supro-labeled BD12 speaker. I wavered between the two models, but ultimately went with the Jensen-loaded model. I saw that the Sundragon Standard, the Jimmy Page-approved boutique recreation, also used a Jensen P12Q RI.

The P12Q is a bright speaker and balances the amp’s dark voicing. It is much brighter than my Weber 12A125A and A12Q speakers, my only other 12” American-style speaker references. The speaker is housed in a plywood cabinet, a nice surprise.

I thought that the Tone control’s most useful range was between 10:00 and 3:00 at cleaner settings. At 3:00, the Tone Control started to cut a significant amount of low end. I did think that cranking the Tone control’s most useful was necessary for certain thinner and gainy Led Zeppelin tones, like Communication Breakdown.

The amp has an input jack that links Inputs 1 and 2, to allow for channel blending and to achieve more gain beyond cranking a single channel. Each channel individually is clean when set at 2:00 and below.

Mesa Boogie Rectifier Traditional 4x12

Mesa Traditional 4x12.

I grabbed a reference-quality 4x12 cabinet for $600 from Main Drag Music. The cabinet is a Mesa Boogie Straight Traditional 4x12. While the cab is not the mythical Standard Oversized cab, the Traditional size does have its fans. The Traditional 4x12 apparently is more mid-focused and not as scooped sounding as the Oversized 4x12.

Mesa 4x12 opened up.

The cabinet is loaded with four 8 ohm 70W Mesa OEM Vintage 30s produced in May 2001. The early 2000s are considered to be a desirable period for the V30 as a result of the ubiquitous use on rock and metal albums. Mesa Boogie let me know that the cabinet was shipped in April 2002.

T4335 Vintage 30 with 18EL date code.

These Mesa Vintage 30s do indeed sound less harsh than my other Vintage 30s. For the past few years, I’ve moved around my 2011 MIC Vintage 30 from cabinet to cabinet to get it to sound like every other clip online. I can stop trying to approximate that sound with this Mesa cabinet now. Whatever the recipe may be (UK manufacturing differences, 8 ohm impedance, cabinet construction), it sounds good. I also have four speakers to choose from for variety in a recording context.

Impedance Measurements
Blue: Mesa Traditional 4x12 - V30
Teal: Suhr Reactive Load

The cabinet sounds great with all of my high gain amps. The cabinet sounds balanced to me in the room. Listening to the speakers under a microphone confirms for me that there isn't a single sweet spot to a Vintage 30. Like with my other V30s, there are different zones to the speaker that sound best to my ears depending on the amp:

• Cap Center to Cap Edge: Mesa Rectifier Multi-Watt Vintage Mode, Crab Benzin VH3 Mode (Diezel VH4 sound), Mesa Badlander Crush Channel
• Cap Edge: Mesa Rectifier Multi-Watt Modern Mode, Mesa Badlander Crunch Channel
• Slightly Outside Cap Edge: Peavey 6505, Jet City JCA22H, Crab Marcus (Mesa Mark III sound)

Each V30 in this cabinet is slightly different in terms of frequency response. The most obvious difference seems to be in the 2-3k region, in which the two right speakers have more of. The lower left speaker seems to sound the most balanced for my tastes. I will share IRs of this cab to demonstrate the differences at some point.

I have recently gained a greater appreciation of the nuances between individual speakers within a cabinet. I have learned that there isn’t a monolithic sound for each speaker, rather subtle differences within a single model.

More to come.

Marshall 1960TV 4x12 Cabinet

Marshall 1960TV 4x12.

I recently found a used Marshall 1960TV 4x12 cabinet available online at a price that I had to jump on. I noticed that it had a December 2020 production date, which meant that it likely had UK Greenbacks. I watched the cab get marked down 3 times and had to go for it. I thought I was done buying gear for the year, but some good deals for cabs have come up recently.

1960TV rear panel off.

I was a bit surprised by some of the construction choices of the 1060TV. I was not expecting handles or the jack cup to be plastic. I’ve read mixed feedback concerning the long-term reliability of the handles. The long flathead screws used all over the cabinets were interesting. I understand the use of the partial thread screws for the back panel, but not for the attachment of the baffle to the front of the cabinet.

Impedance Measurments
Green: Marshall 1960TV - G12M25
Orange: EVH 5150III 4x12 - G12-EVH
Blue: Suhr Reactive Load

The voicing of the speakers is reminiscent of other reissue MIC 25W Greenbacks, with a roll off of high end. Pointing a Shure SM57 at the center of the cap is usable compared to the MIC reissue. This cab/speaker combination does not have the big lower mids of my 5150III 4x12 with 20W G12-EVH speakers. I treat the G12M25 and the G12-EVH speakers as distinct families of speakers. I think Plexi-level gain can sound a lot heavier with G12-EVH speakers, whereas the G12M25 maintains its classic rock voicing.

Celestion Greenback.

I took off the back panel to take a look at the speakers. I confirmed that the Greenbacks were indeed made in the UK with a production date of October 28, 2020.

More to come.

EVH 5150III 4x12 Cabinet

I’ve been on the hunt for a quality 4x12 cabinet to pair with my tube heads. I considered a Mesa Standard 4x12, but couldn’t get past spending $1500+ on a new cabinet. I also wanted to use a 4x12 with my lower gain amps. I liked how the EVH 5150III 4x12 Dynacab pack from Fractal Audio sounded for both crunch and high gain, so I was open to the idea of acquiring the cabinet. The cabinet is supposed to be based on the construction of the classic Marshall 1960B 4x12 and is loaded with EVH-labeled Heritage Greenbacks.

5150III Cabinet Front View

A blem EVH 5150III 4x12 from Musician’s Friend appeared in my Google searches for 4x12 cabinets. The cabinet appeared new in the images with the exception of some scuffing on the metal corner protectors. At $500 off the new prices, I didn’t think I would see this price again.

Celestion G12-EVH speakers.

The cabinet came single boxed with no padding other than a few pieces of cardboard at the base. The cab itself was in great condition, with the original tag and plastic over the logos still intact. Some minor bumps to the edges on the rear, but nothing that would lead me to return the cabinet. I opened up the cabinet to verify that the G12-EVH speakers were all accounted for. An inspection sticker was dated 09/05/2025, so still within a month of purchase. This cabinet most likely had a rough time during shipping and the original box was worn enough that it couldn’t be sold as new. The speaker connections are soldered, so I don’t think that I will be doing any speaker rolling in this cabinet.

Celestion G12-EVH T5600B code.

My first impressions of the cab mirror the experiences of others. The cabinet is darker sounding and the big low end of the G12-EVH is somewhat loose. The darker Greenback flavor conplements bright Plexi and JCM800 sounds, both in the room and under a microphone. The cab sounds good with high gain as well. I really liked how the voicing worked with my Peavey 6505, Mesa Dual Rectifier Multi-Watt, and Crab Marcus. The G12-EVH works better with the 6505’s Crunch Channel than any of my other speakers. I thought the low end was a bit much with my Crab Benzin’s VH3 channel.

I wonder what about the combination of construction and speakers gives the cabinet such a big sound. All of the G12-EVH speakers consistently sound thicker than my G12M25 (Jet City 2x12) and G12M65 (Line 6 4x12). 

Edit - 10-23-35 - I made some NAM Full Rig captures with my Plexi amp and the cabinet. The amp-cab combination has been great. The darker voicing of the cab smooths out the amp quite a bit. It sounds great at all gain ranges of a Plexi circuit. I thought the low end would be too much for Bass Spec sounds, but I was wrong.

https://www.tone3000.com/tones/full-rig-amp-head-50w-plexi-circuit-evh-5150iii-4x12-115dbu-ttsv10-40733 

More to come.

Speaker Impedance Curves

I've been wondering about how the Suhr Reactive Load compares to my speaker cabs as an output presented to my tube amps.

Suhr Reactive Load (Green) vs V30/H75 in my Jet City 2x12 (Blue)

I used a Dayton Audio DATS V3 to take some measurements to compare the impedance curves of various speaker configurations vs the Suhr Reactive Load. The Suhr Reactive Load is meant to mimic a Marshall 4x12 with Greenbacks as a reference. I was surprised how close its impedance curve compared to my Vintage 30/Creamback H75 combination (illustrated above).

I am looking into recording my tube amps with speaker loads when my playing environment is favorable to loud noise. The Suhr Reactive Load + IRs will continue to be tools that I utilize, but there is excitement in pushing air and moving microphones. 

The accuracy of my lower gain amp DI captures should benefit from using complementary speaker loads. The Suhr’s 4x12 response adds some beef for rock tones, but it can be a bit much for some edge of breakup tones.

For those times that I cannot turn my amps up, my plan is to capture my amps in NAM with a speaker load. 

NAM Speaker Load Captures vs Suhr Reactive Load Captures

https://www.tone3000.com/tones/vox-ac15c1-normal-channel-115dbu-ttsv10-input-31553

https://www.tone3000.com/tones/vox-ac15c1-top-boost-channel-115dbu-ttsv10-input-37813

NAM Full Rigs

https://www.tone3000.com/tones/full-rig-peavey-6505-1992-original-115dbu-ttsv10-36456

https://www.tone3000.com/tones/full-rig-mesa-boogie-dual-rectifier-multi-watt-red-modern-115dbu-ttsv10-39074

https://www.tone3000.com/tones/full-rig-amp-head-peavey-6505-1992-original-lead-evh-5150iii-4x12-115dbu-ttsv10-40737

https://www.tone3000.com/tones/full-rig-amp-head-mesa-boogie-dual-rectifier-multi-watt-red-modern-evh-5150iii-4x12-115dbu-ttsv10-40735

https://www.tone3000.com/tones/full-rig-amp-head-50w-plexi-circuit-evh-5150iii-4x12-115dbu-ttsv10-40733

Varying speaker impedance curves is something I already explore in my Fractal FM3. Adding the contribution of my speakers to my digital tones via NAM is the next logical step.

Crab Guitar Effects Marcus

I decided to buy a Marcus 50W amp head from Crab Guitar Effects. It is inspired by the Mesa Boogie Mark IIC++/III series amps and is likely the most popular Crab model. The amp took about 11 weeks to build from my order in May 2025. The lead time increased by approximately 1 month since I last ordered a Benzin head. Shipping from Ukraine to the NE USA then took 9 days.

I am not particularly educated about Mark-series amps, but am excited to explore the tones in the amp. The cleaner mode is selected with the Drive push-button off, while the most common distorted lead and rhythm tones are achieved with the Drive engaged. I had to read the Mesa Mark IIC+ reissue manual several times to understand the functions of the switches.

I started off with the more distorted channel/mode. I turned the bass/middle off, treble/presence high, and adjusted the 5-band EQ. The graphic EQ affected the sound in a drastic way. I turned each band up/down for the most pleasing sound until I arrived at the setting shown in the photo. I arrived at the general V shape, except I preferred the 6500Hz slider around the middle. 

There are many push-button switches in place of the push-pull pots of the Mesa amps. My initial preference for lead tones is Deep-On, Bright-Off, Boost-Off, Bass Shift-Off, and Treble Shift-On or Off depending on mood. 

With the Drive off, I was able to dial in some nice clean tones.

I quickly put together a short mix using my Ibanez SZ520 into the Marcus. The speaker out was connected to my Suhr Reactive Load to get into my DAW. I used my 4x12 Vintage 30 IRs for the cab simulation.

Rear of the Marcus.

The rear panel has a C++/III switch, which I can only guess is similar to the Crunchberries amp. Otherwise, the rear panel features are the same as the other Crab amps (series effects loop, pentode/triode switch, foot switch input, 4/8/16 ohm jacks).

It is clearer on this Marcus what Crab Amps is providing on these amps for tubes. The preamp tubes are likely 6N2P, as the back panel is labeled ECC83/6N2P. The power tubes have visible 6N3C labels on them. These are apparently the Soviet-era equivalent of the 6L6GC power tube. My Crab Benzin did not have any markings to identify the tubes.

Old Crab Footswitch on the Left, New on the Right.

A 2 button foot switch is provided to access the Drive and Boost front panel functions. The new footswitch has labels to better identify the functions.

Mesa Boogie Rectifier Badlander 50 Combo

The Mesa Boogie Rectifier Badlander 50 Combo was featured as Musician’s Friend Stupid Deal of the Day at $1299. This price was better than used prices by several hundred dollars, so i had to jump on the deal. A total impulse buy, but perhaps one that is actually worth it.

The amp is said to be more on the Marshall-side of the tonal spectrum, like a Stiletto or Triple Crown rather than a Rectifier. When the Badlander was introduced in 2020, it was assumed that the amp would be voiced like the Vintage/Modern channels of the typical Rectifier series. The Creamback M65 that comes in the amp does give it a more British voice. The speaker is 8 ohms and sounds much smoother than my 16 ohm Creamback M65 that I’ve loaded in various cabs.

With some tweaking, I was able to dial in the Crunch mode to sound similar to Vintage mode on my Dual Rectifier Multi-Watt by dialing back the treble and presence. Cranking the gain on the Clean mode gets some dirt, like a different flavor of the Pushed mode of the Recto Multi-Watt’s Green Channel. It doesn’t quite get the same level of gain as my Plexi cranked, but I thought I was able to dial in a few similar tones.

For rock tones, I am generally happy with the Crunch channel’s gain around 2/3 of the way up. The Crunch channel can be boosted with the gain cranked for heavier tone. The Crush channel is a little more loose in the low end. The gain of the Crush channel can easily be cranked, but I prefer to back the gain off a bit if I am boosting the input.

The combo itself is compact. My Vox AC15 combo and Eminence 1x12 Extension Cab are wider than the Badlander 50. The omission of diamond plate makes this Badlander look more like a low gain boutique combo.

I posted some captures on TONE3000 of the amp. I used some synced DI and video clips to make a short video demonstrating some of the tones of the amp.

To be continued.

Guitar Pics

Just a spot to upload random guitar pics for online linking.

Dean MD24 Floyd Rose leveling attempt.

To be continued.