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Heritage Owners Club

New Amp Day - .22 Caliber

tulk1

By tulk1
in Amplification and Effects

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tulk1 Experienced

tulk1

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Went by my local MnP today to check out acoustic guitars. I always talk pedals with one of the guys, as we both know Sayer Payne from Heavy Electronics. Tim goes "grab a guitar and come with me". We go into the amp room where he walks over to this Mesa. Okay, I've played most of them, but what the hey. But ... I don't plug into the Mesa amp. I plug into an EH .22 Caliber pedal. It's a friggin' 22 watt amp in a stomp box. Sounded pretty good, so I brought one home. It's supposed to be similar to a Deluxe Reverb in a pedal. Solid state, of course. But kinda nifty. Has some really nice sounds. I plugged it into a Bogner cube clone with a Weber 12F150 and have been playing most the night.

 

Pretty much a one trick pony, but not bad for $100US. Sound is not quite clean, just a tad bit hairy until you push the vol knob up. Then it's got a really nice OD. Uh ... a very LOUD Od, that is. Wow! Takes modulation pedals okay. Not so much on the OD/Dist pedals. Gets kinda boxy. The Heavy Electronics Ascend (Clean Boost) is good with it, get its closer to an od'd amp. It did not like the CMATMODS Butah low gain OD, or the OCD. The idea is to keep it in the gig bag in case of an amp blowout. It'd get me thru part of a night if need be, I think. Here's a pic.

 

 

 

22-caliber.jpg

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tulk1 Experienced

tulk1

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It will be interesting to see what Mesa Engineering has to say about the name EH chose for this product...I would imagine that they would be displeased.

I think I miss-typed the name. It's 22 Caliber, not .22 Caliber. Wasn't that the Mesa amp?

 

I hooked that little sucker up to my Dr. Z 112 cab today. Open back, with 2 panels, Cele V30. Totally different beast! Sounded much more transparent. And! the ODs were much better. Probably the cab? More highs, better lows. The OCD just enhanced the single coily sound rather than muffing it. And the HE Ascend really acentuated the sparkle. Could be fresh ears, I guess. Bottom line (for now) is that I wouldn't be afraid to gig this "amp" pedal if something happened to the Tweed Super or the Carmen Ghia. Plus, the Ghia cab has the BrakeLite which helps tame the mad volume some. :bomb_mini: This little dude has my vote.

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tulk1 Experienced

tulk1

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For $100..I may have to get one.. ;)

 

It's much better than the Crate Cube that was all the rage a few years back. That was an okay amp, if a bit SS sounding. This one, not so much SS sounding. As I've found out, the cab can make a big difference. Going to try it on the JCM200 2x12 later today. It should rock that bad cab!

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smurph1 Experienced

smurph1

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It's much better than the Crate Cube that was all the rage a few years back. That was an okay amp, if a bit SS sounding. This one, not so much SS sounding. As I've found out, the cab can make a big difference. Going to try it on the JCM200 2x12 later today. It should rock that bad cab!

Cool..Let me know how it goes..

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smurph1 Experienced

smurph1

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that is pretty cool...great idea for an emergency backup

 

I wonder how it sounds with harmonica? that would be the ultimate compact harp players rig!!

Yeah..It really would..

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tulk1 Experienced

tulk1

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How do you think the 22 Caliber would compare with Boss' Fender Deluxe Reverb pedal?

 

Boss FDR

 

Not really the same beast, are they? The FDR is an effects pedal. The 22 Caliber is an amp pedal. But as for tone, since both are supposed to be similar to the Deluxe Reverb, I'd have to give the nod to .......... neither one! <lol> Seriously, I've never played a DR at length to know what they really sound like. I do like the 22 Caliber clean into an open back speaker cab, tho'. Not so much a closed back. But no clue if it's similar to a DR (or DRRI). Is that what you were asking?

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Gitfiddler Mentor

Gitfiddler

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Not really the same beast, are they? The FDR is an effects pedal. The 22 Caliber is an amp pedal. But as for tone, since both are supposed to be similar to the Deluxe Reverb, I'd have to give the nod to .......... neither one! <lol> Seriously, I've never played a DR at length to know what they really sound like. I do like the 22 Caliber clean into an open back speaker cab, tho'. Not so much a closed back. But no clue if it's similar to a DR (or DRRI). Is that what you were asking?

 

 

Oh, I thought the 22 Caliber was a stomp pedal amp simulator. My bad. Guess I'll just have to go down to GC (groan) and try one out.

 

I have a Boss DR-1 pedal and it is pretty close to the real deal as for tones. The pedal's Vibrato & Reverb however are pretty sucky in my opinion.

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tulk1 Experienced

tulk1

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Oh, I thought the 22 Caliber was a stomp pedal amp simulator. My bad. Guess I'll just have to go down to GC (groan) and try one out.

 

I have a Boss DR-1 pedal and it is pretty close to the real deal as for tones. The pedal's Vibrato & Reverb however are pretty sucky in my opinion.

 

Git, I was hanging out on the HCEGF when those came out. Lots of guys rushed to get them. They all had a "boing" in the spring reverb at odd intervals. Like it was programmed in or something. Is yours like that?

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Gitfiddler Mentor

Gitfiddler

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Git, I was hanging out on the HCEGF when those came out. Lots of guys rushed to get them. They all had a "boing" in the spring reverb at odd intervals. Like it was programmed in or something. Is yours like that?

 

 

Fortunately no 'reverb boing' in my pedal. :mellow: If it did, I'd have returned it in a heartbeat. The reverb is just weak compared to any 'real' Fender spring reverb. I prefer the reverbs in the Digitech pedal much better. But there's something cool about being able to pull out at least some of the cool tones of a Fender DR from a little pedal.

 

I accept that no stompbox can replicate a sweet, tube-driven reverb, so it is an acceptable faux-reverb effect for home and practice use.

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tyguy Newbie

tyguy

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Exactly what I was thinking, I was very unimpressed. If I wanted to sell the amp that video would be the last place I sent folks to. :icon_puke_l::icon_puke_r:
You're either an older fellow like me and or,a good musician with taste.I don't like that amp too much even clean though.Tried one out back in the early 80's.Has too much of a definite sound to me(like twin reverb running 2 pups w/ even volume).Very clean,loud and well built though.it's a tank something you'll definetely get rid of when you get older unless you've got a girlfriend who'll haul it around for you. The Best, Ty Millsaps
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JeffB Experienced

JeffB

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I thought the amp he was using was a pedal sized thing???? could stick it in your shirt pocket.

Pretty rocking tone for such a simple set up with such a small foot print.

Who knows what it sounds like when youre in the same room. I mean its youtube, not like its the best place to judge anything on.

tbh I didnt think the amount of gain was so bad. But then Im pretty desensitized to it given my work environment.

Also, as I have come to learn, that to some, "gain is tone" :icon_puke_l:

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tulk1 Experienced

tulk1

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You're either an older fellow like me and or,a good musician with taste.I don't like that amp too much even clean though.Tried one out back in the early 80's.Has too much of a definite sound to me(like twin reverb running 2 pups w/ even volume).Very clean,loud and well built though.it's a tank something you'll definetely get rid of when you get older unless you've got a girlfriend who'll haul it around for you. The Best, Ty Millsaps

 

Ty,

 

What amp are you talking about? Think you might have gotten the wrong vid or something. Not the Mesa .22 Caliber, we're talking about the new EH 22 Caliber amp-in-a-pedal. Same size as a stomp box.

 

Tully, I thought the 22 Caliber/Rat combo did quite well. Much better than what I was getting with my OCD. It's the stumbling and loss of focus that I'm pretty sure we were discussing. Not that every vid on youtube is going to be Eric Johnson channeling Jimi. :icon_puke_l: Just for a demo vid it was a bit lacking, that's all. The pedal itself is pretty cool. Carrying in the gig bag as a back up.

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