Mambo 8" wedge has arrived

**jonmambo** · 10-09-2016, 04:15 PM

There is some confusion surrounding this stuff, I know this from some of the questions I have been asked recently.

I really like the way these guys made their research public ( i.e. open-source in today's parlance) for the benefit of the community.

As far as i know neither Baxandall or James, nor the original inventors patented / copyrighted or took royalties on these innovations, which they shared freely.

**christianm77** · 10-09-2016, 06:15 PM

Originally Posted by BigDaddyLoveHandles

Now is a good time for Americans to pull the trigger: British pound hits 31-year low against U.S. dollar

But with the wheels starting to turn on Brexit, one can only assume the pound will continue downward.

I'd say wait a bit for that reason. Our economy should be roundly shafted by next April.

**Jim Soloway** · 10-09-2016, 07:27 PM

Many thanks to Jon for all of the useful information and for the ongoing effort to make his amps more versatile. After several e-mails back and forth over the last couple weeks, I officially pulled the trigger this afternoon and told him I'm in for one as soon as he has the new Fender style tone stack operational.

**Frank67** · 10-10-2016, 02:23 AM

I am really interested in it too as a grab and go one stop amp for jazz. So, please keep us posted and tell us when we can pull the trigger.

**Jim Soloway** · 10-10-2016, 11:25 AM

Originally Posted by FrankLearns

I am really interested in it too as a grab and go one stop amp for jazz. So, please keep us posted and tell us when we can pull the trigger.

In the e-mail I received the morning, he says a few weeks while they wait for the fabrication of the circuit boards. He also reminded me that I've been talking about this with him since December 2012! With his new developments, I'm glad I waited.

**JazzNote** · 10-10-2016, 12:12 PM

Since i'm cautious about protection of my gear when wheeling it around i asked my wife to sew a custom-fit protective cover. Longe live my Mambo!

Mambo 8" wedge has arrived-foto-jpg

**Jazz_175** · 10-10-2016, 12:39 PM

Congrats on the new acquisition.
What made you choose the 8'' model ?

**christianm77** · 10-10-2016, 12:40 PM

Oh he is cute. Little ampy!

**aboutIt** · 10-10-2016, 01:22 PM

Originally Posted by JazzNote

Since i'm cautious about protection of my gear when wheeling it around i asked my wife to sew a custom-fit protective cover. Longe live my Mambo!

Mambo 8" wedge has arrived-foto-jpg

JazzNote, nice amp (of course), but the cover looks great!

**JazzNote** · 10-10-2016, 05:36 PM

Originally Posted by Jazz_175

Congrats on the new acquisition.
What made you choose the 8'' model ?

For some years i have used AER Compact 60 amps for most private and corporate gigs because they are small and light and therefore easy to transport/carry. The mambo 8" will replace the AERs on those gigs. It is only slightly heavier but gives me the sound i actually want. I would definitely be too lazy to carry the 10" version to those gigs. For concert gigs i've been using my AI Clarus 2R / Stealth 10" rig for a few years, will probably keep doing so.

**Woody Sound** · 10-10-2016, 07:31 PM

Originally Posted by jonmambo

we have experimented with various stains and paint finishes, none really work well with this wood, and we don't get asked often enough to make it a big priority (less than 5 % of customers have asked about it )

Do you mean that even with no finish or sealer that it's too dense to take stain?

**MikeR** · 10-10-2016, 08:14 PM

Good for you Jim, I'll be interested to hear your impressions. Did you order the 8 or the 10 and why? Thanks, Mike

**Jim Soloway** · 10-10-2016, 08:41 PM

Originally Posted by MikeR

Good for you Jim, I'll be interested to hear your impressions. Did you order the 8 or the 10 and why? Thanks, Mike

I ordered the 10. My main guitar is tuned down to C#/Db and i find that most 8" speakers struggle with the lowered tuning.

**medblues** · 10-10-2016, 08:43 PM

Originally Posted by Jim Soloway

I got the 10. My main guitar is tuned down to C#/Db and i find that most 8" speakers struggle with the lowered tuning.

Are you going to A/B with a Henriksen ?

**Jim Soloway** · 10-10-2016, 09:12 PM

Originally Posted by medblues

Are you going to A/B with a Henriksen ?

Only if I can find one. I was little torn about this one but mostly on personal grounds. I know Peter Henriksen and I knew Bud. I got to know them when they first started the company and they were really decent people. They were very good to me at a time when I could really use the help and Bud was a huge fan of jazz guitar. On the other hand, I really love the idea of what Jon has done to the Mambo over the last year and at least logically, it's probably a better match for my playing.

**MikeR** · 10-10-2016, 09:16 PM

Thanks, the 10 makes sense. One of my living guitar heroes uses a Mambo 10 and one can find samples of his playing with it on his Facebook page-Sylvain Courtney.

**jonmambo** · 10-11-2016, 05:07 AM

Originally Posted by Woody Sound

Do you mean that even with no finish or sealer that it's too dense to take stain?

always comes out patchy and artificial looking, and for example the exposed end-grain looks really weird stained, we've tried several approaches and we now have sveral scrap cabinets as a result

we are looking into a black textured spray paint which many other manufacturers use, we have a contractor who will do this for us at extra cost, but for now it's standard blonde or blonde

**Woody Sound** · 10-11-2016, 07:07 AM

Originally Posted by jonmambo

always comes out patchy and artificial looking, and for example the exposed end-grain looks really weird stained, we've tried several approaches and we now have sveral scrap cabinets...

I figured that. I once bought some rock hard maple for a section of house trim. I could not get even an oil stain to penetrate the surface. It just sat there all blotchy and wet. Ended up using the pieces for scrap/utility work.

**Woody Sound** · 10-11-2016, 07:14 AM

Originally Posted by jonmambo

always comes out patchy and artificial looking, and for example the exposed end-grain looks really weird stained, we've tried several approaches and we now have sveral scrap cabinets...

I figured that. I once bought some rock hard maple for a section of house trim. I could not get even an oil stain to penetrate the surface. It just sat there all blotchy and wet. Ended up using the pieces for scrap/utility work.

**Dennis D** · 10-11-2016, 10:54 AM

Originally Posted by jonmambo

always comes out patchy and artificial looking, and for example the exposed end-grain looks really weird stained, we've tried several approaches and we now have sveral scrap cabinets as a result

we are looking into a black textured spray paint which many other manufacturers use, we have a contractor who will do this for us at extra cost, but for now it's standard blonde or blonde

Thanks Jon !

**JazzNote** · 10-11-2016, 04:53 PM

After taking the Mambo 8" to a gig tonight i'm once more delighted by its sound. I took my LeGrand with the Kent Armstrong 12pole floater and it was a great playing feel from the very first moment on. (Duo with sax/flute & guitar)

No muddiness at all, also in slightly higher volumes. The overall sound is very warm & smooth, not the least unpleasant harshness in the highs. The slight touch of reverb i was adding made me realize that the reverb unit is of superior quality too.

**silverfoxx** · 10-11-2016, 05:56 PM

Jim ,
I,ve had the Henriksen ER12 for over 3 years and a Mambo 12"
With an 18 sound speaker for almost 3 years But defer usually
To the Mambo , last evening I A/B 'd them first using the former
With an L5CES, and then the Mambo on
similar. Volume and Tone settings just to remind myself of any
differerences. The Henriksen seemed marginally louder, but the
clarity and tone quality of the Mambo was superior. When I can
find a valid excuse to acquire a new amp it will be the updated
Mambo ( wedge ) with the improved new circuit. ( my others
are an Evans AE200, Fender twin Custom 15, by the way )
I am not knocking the Henriksen, but the Mambo is a great
Match with the Archtops.
Just my 2p.

**Makani** · 10-27-2016, 09:24 PM

Hi:
Just wondering....if you had a choice would you have rather purchased the mambo 10? How did the mambo 8 perform on any gigs you may have played at? Does it project well or is it necessary to plug it into the PA?

**JazzNote** · 10-28-2016, 05:25 AM

No regrets at all to have bought the 8", quite the opposite, im very happy, as portability was an important issue for the choice. So far i have used it only for background duo gigs in smaller venues, the largest being about 8m x 8m and 5m high. It projects very well. For a concert in trio or quartet format i would certainly add one of my Raezer's Edge 10" cabinets, the combination of Mambo & RE sounds very good. Especially when playing with a drummer i like to hear myself through two speakers.

In fact i was just telling my wife about yesterday's duo gig, how happy i was with the sound and how convenient the wedge shape is.

But: if portability would have been no issue at all, i would probably have bought the 10" version.

**jef** · 12-11-2016, 08:52 PM

Originally Posted by jonmambo

we have experimented with various stains and paint finishes, none really work well with this wood, and we don't get asked often enough to make it a big priority (less than 5 % of customers have asked about it )

by the way, we use this wood in the first place ( slow grown birch ply ) because it is about the best engineering material for this application, it just happens to have a light colour naturally, we mellow the blonde look these days using a slightly stained , ( beech and oak combination ) varnish which brings out the natural wood grains without looking artificial

have you checked out ColorFin before?

i think it's made in scandinavia but in the u.s, i get it here:
Colorfin (Koskisen - KoskiDecor) - Roberts Plywood - Roberts Plywood 631.586.7700

the plywood is comparable to what you're using except there's a phenolic coating on this stuff (translucent or opaque)..

idk, like you say, euro birch ply is pretty much the best stuff out there.. but it doesn't like stain.
a colorfin model might be sweet though.. maybe with the edges still just showing the ply while the flats are resin coated ?
(or, that's the look i'll generally go for when using the material)