Mesa Amps--Your Thoughts and Experiences With The Brand

[SpruceTop]

Hey, Thanks, Folks! The Fillmore is looking pretty good. Please Keep The Comments Coming!

[s2y]

My experience was with Dual Rectifiers in the early to mid 2000's with PRS or Ibanez guitars tuned to dropped C. I don't hold that against Mesa, Ibanez, or PRS, but I sometimes get flashbacks.

[Bob Womack]

I bought an original Express 5:25 with a 12" speaker and have been impressed with the build quality. Mesas are NOT Fenders and aren't simple six-knob amps. You'll have to drive 'em. I was also quite impressed by the details: Mesa include a nice folio with the manual and all the papers in it and included a nice heavy-duty padded cover as well. The details speak of a pride in their product. I wrote up a review, HERE.

Bob

[KevWind]

Honestly I wish I would have Kept it

[Hotspur]

The book on MESAs is that they'll do all sorts of wonderful things, but you have to put the time and energy in to really understand them to get the most out of them. They are not, generally, the most plug-and-play amps out there.

This is most true of the Mark V, obviously.

[Street Glider]

Originally Posted by 1neeto

I have a Mesa Subway Rocket from the 90’s, and it’s a small 20w combo amp with a 10” speaker. It has great cleans, and two overdrive/distortion channels that sound great. This amp can do everything from classic rock to the heaviest metal. My only complaint is that at just 20 watts, it doesn’t have much headroom, so it can be hard to get a loud clean tone without breakup.

I used one of those back in the late 90's, too. Used a 1x12" extension with it as my main amp for years.

There's an old saying: There are watts, and then there are "Boogie watts".

Boogie watts be better!

[jonfields45]

Originally Posted by Hotspur

The book on MESAs is that they'll do all sorts of wonderful things, but you have to put the time and energy in to really understand them to get the most out of them. They are not, generally, the most plug-and-play amps out there.

This is most true of the Mark V, obviously.

A black face Fender X Reverb amp is so easy to use. I never got a tone I liked with the one Mesa I owned. Too many knobs??? Much easier to add a Tube Screamer or an attenuator to a Fender if you need break up at low volume and/or high gain.

[1neeto]

Originally Posted by Street Glider

I used one of those back in the late 90's, too. Used a 1x12" extension with it as my main amp for years.

There's an old saying: There are watts, and then there are "Boogie watts".

Boogie watts be better!

Yes I agree! Love this little amp.

[Hotspur]

Originally Posted by jonfields45

A black face Fender X Reverb amp is so easy to use. I never got a tone I liked with the one Mesa I owned. Too many knobs??? Much easier to add a Tube Screamer or an attenuator to a Fender if you need break up at low volume and/or high gain.

Yeah, I'm learned that I don't really want anything where I have to spend a lot of time tweaking everything to get it right. I want to plug in, set a level of gain, and go.

Mesas might be right for some people, but not me.

Also, don't they have a reputation for not really sounding great unless they're cranked, although I don't know if that applies to the Filmore line. I know the guy I jam with who has a Mesa really needs to dial it up to ear-bleeding volumes for it to sing.

[Paleolith54]

Originally Posted by Hotspur

Also, don't they have a reputation for not really sounding great unless they're cranked, although I don't know if that applies to the Filmore line. I know the guy I jam with who has a Mesa really needs to dial it up to ear-bleeding volumes for it to sing.

I'll say that's categorically untrue of Mesas. Marshalls maybe, but Mesas do not sound best with everything on 11. Some do sound better when louder but I've never had a problem getting good times at reasonable volumes. No more than any other tube amp.

[posternutbag]

Originally Posted by Hotspur

Yeah, I'm learned that I don't really want anything where I have to spend a lot of time tweaking everything to get it right. I want to plug in, set a level of gain, and go.

Mesas might be right for some people, but not me.

Also, don't they have a reputation for not really sounding great unless they're cranked, although I don't know if that applies to the Filmore line. I know the guy I jam with who has a Mesa really needs to dial it up to ear-bleeding volumes for it to sing.

Originally Posted by Paleolith54

I'll say that's categorically untrue of Mesas. Marshalls maybe, but Mesas do not sound best with everything on 11. Some do sound better when louder but I've never had a problem getting good times at reasonable volumes. No more than any other tube amp.

Well, it’s true in the sense that Mesas do have this reputation. It’s just that the reputation is unfounded. I have been using a Fender Player Plus Nashville Telecaster and a Mesa Boogie Mark V to dial in Jerry Garcia alligator tones, and it sounds great at less than ear splitting volume, although admittedly it took a little work to dial in, it’s not as easy as just plugging a Strat into a cranked Twin.

[1neeto]

Originally Posted by Paleolith54

I'll say that's categorically untrue of Mesas. Marshalls maybe, but Mesas do not sound best with everything on 11. Some do sound better when louder but I've never had a problem getting good times at reasonable volumes. No more than any other tube amp.

My Mesa gets most of its distorted tone from the pre amp. So nothing changes much if I just add volume. The overdriven tone on the clean channel gets really sweet if you have the gain at around 6 and the master past 7 or so. Add a clean boost, and you’re in blues heaven.

[Pnewsom]

I played through a Boogie Mark IV for a few years back in the late 90's. Very strong, powerful amp, and you wanted to be strong too. It weighed 80lbs.

Used it in R&B and New Country bands. Very good for over driven solo's and crunchy "Stones" rhythm playing, but could never quite find the spaciousness of a Fender amp's clean sound.

I eventually moved on to a Fender Deluxe Reverb which sounded exactly like what I was missing, but lacked headroom. A 67 Blackface Vibrolux came along, and I am happy with it to this day.