Product: Meazzi Manager 666
Price Paid: N/A
Submitted
04/11/2006
at
10:54pm
by
Manu Staib
Email: shoeless at gmx<dot>de
Features
:
4
One of my studio-clients gave it to me for evaluation, because i'm currently looking for a nice amp, that excells in organ, electric piano and guitar. He allegedly bought it from a jazz-musician, twenty years ago, age unknown. I'd put it somewhere in the early seventies.
This is not the "666 Guitar Amplifier" seen on meazzi.com, neither the cute-looking "Manager Valve Amp". The Amplifier appears to be a Solid-State-Combo with tape-echo (two taps) of unknown wattage and may certainly be capable of dominating an ordinary blues-session volume-wise. There are two channels, "Normal" and "Special" - former delivering a rather cleanish, latter a rather crappish quality. Each channel features two inputs, titled "Micro A" and "Micro B" of somewhat different sound (i cannot really put my finger on the difference, though - it may as well be a symptom of wear, as the amp is in a rather lousy condition), Treble and Bass, and a switch to turn Echo on or off. Apart from the Channels there is a section for controlling the echo-unit, featuring a "motor on/off"-switch and a knob which appears to control the volume of the echo. Underneath the Plate with the logo, the simple echo is to be found: sliding-action heads, a switch for each head and a black poti without traceable functionality. After installing a fresh tape-loop i got some vinylish crackling-sounds and a very low distorted reflection, so i'd say the unit is broken. Furthermore there are global switches for "Boost" (which oddly appears to boost when deactivated) and "Bright" and a knob that makes the lights flicker. Speaking of, there are several bulbs to illuminate the grille (think "Murph and the Magic-Tones") and two green lights glowing when the amp is overdriven. It certainly is a neat-looking combo.
Sound Quality
:
3
Best adjective to describe it would be "dirty" - it distorty quite easily and the single notes are seriously lacking definition.
Plugging in my Nord Electro-keyboard, the organ-sounds are quite beautiful, really punchy and without shrillness of any kind. I really liked it and wouldn't hesitate to use it on stage (Rating 8). EPs were okay, the overdrive suited the wurlitzer and the clavinet had a really heavy punch to it - okay for rhythm'n'blues, not quite if you prefer more delicate, tine-ey sounds (Rating 5).
Guitar: Ugh! plugging in my trusted Pacifica 112 it delivers the probably worst tone i ever have heard. It is near to impossible to get a clean sound (not really desireable with this amp anyways) and the overdrive ranges from "weird" to "atrocius". The musical style suiting this amp has yet to be invented. (Rating 1)
Bear in mind, though, that this very Contraption of Amplification of Instrumentation doesn't sell itself as guitar amp. Though similar in features, the "666 Guitar Amplifier" connected to fit speakers may be an entirely different animal.
Reliability
:
No Opinion
Well, it's pretty much broken, so i wouldn't exactly rely on it. Maintenance appears to be difficult, as the term "closed back" is really literately used. No screws, can you believe it?
Customer Support
:
1
Who is Meazzi, anyways?
Overall Rating
:
3
Well, it has character. Kind of.