Mesa Experts: is this worth thinking about?

Mr Grumpy

Mr Grumpy

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Mesa Boogie Express 5:25 being sold at $742 - it is supposed to be in good condition. Is it worth it?

Here's the link and info: Mesa Boogie Express 5:25

Any thoughts? Yes, mostly to be played on the 5w setting at home, but maybe taken out because I wanna start actually playing with people..
 
BE careful playing with non consenting people that gets you arrested---

its a mesa -- its SIMILAR to the F30 but with more gadgets--- its a head -- so wont weigh 50 lbs like the F30

Prices here in the us-----800-1300.00 for the HEAD---

listen to the crunch dude is getting with a STRAT!!!


DO IT
 
^ that does have a bit of oomph to it!

I know it sounds silly considering a 25w Mesa for home, but when I've had 1watt and 5watt tube amps, or a couple of 5watt tube amps that could be reduced to 1watt and below, I always found the best tones, even low volume ones, on the 5w setting, so I know 5watts works for me - and, if I understand how that Mesa works (doubtful...) then it should really rock at 5watts at reasonable volumes...

I only want blues and classic rock stuff (ok, a bit of punk here and there), which I think is supposed to be the sweetspot for that amp.
 
I have a 30 watt F30 for home-- with the attenuation feature and the contour channel-- this thing will get CRAZY metal tones (MEtallica etc) and sparklie almost VOX ish cleans-- to Fenderish jazz tones--
YES it has OOMPH a plenty!
 
I spent some time yesterday with the new VOX VT20X -- dialin in the "mesa" tone on the Double Rec model--- and found a good "facsimile" ---then I fired up the mesa sitting RIGHT beside the vox---and tweaked the vox further --- and further -- and back-- and adjusted -- and added--er no subtracted and-----
using the same guitar and not touching the knobs on it---

the VOX achieved a VERY nice rich tone.........for an 8 inch --179.00 VOX --VERY VERY commendable--

but every time I would switch to the Mesa---- it sounded (no offense VOX lovers because I am one) like the difference between a toy gun and a real weapon no matter what I tried --

ANd lets be honest --- we are talking a 1000.00 difference in original BUY in retail prices...

Grump -- if you can get it --- GET the MESA --- you will not regret it--
 
ALso once you have the mesa--- dirt pedals are useless weak limp little toys --- the onboard gain crushes pedals
I also tested the MOSKY Golden Horse--- on the MESA clean channel-- vs the MEsa gain channel --- all knob settings IDENTICAL -- the Horse got SPANKED-- then I switched to the Mesa CONTOUR channel (contour is code for GAIN OF THE GODZS) --- and it so shamed the mosky-- with its gain knob at level 3.5 and the mosky on FULL gain -- no contest--
 
eSGEe said:
ALso once you have the mesa--- dirt pedals are useless weak limp little toys --- the onboard gain crushes pedals
Click to expand...

I had a lot of dirt pedals when I had the Randall (which I rate highly) Diavlo, and I could not get any one of them to sound better than the overdriven Randall tone. I know what you're saying about dirt pedals not being of much use when you have a great overdrive amp channel.

I'm not saying that I'm going for this, but I need to think about cabs now... A 1x12 would need too much air pushing. I know the ENGL 1x10 I had before was very good and worth getting again. Or, and this may sound silly, a place locally are selling the Blackstar 4x8 (yes, I am stupid, I know...) for $200 - is that as stupid an idea as I think it might be; changing all four 8" speakers when they sound shite, and it still sounding shite? At least I know the 1x10 does sound good.
 
Mr Grumpy said:
I had a lot of dirt pedals when I had the Randall (which I rate highly) Diavlo, and I could not get any one of them to sound better than the overdriven Randall tone. I know what you're saying about dirt pedals not being of much use when you have a great overdrive amp channel.

I'm not saying that I'm going for this, but I need to think about cabs now... A 1x12 would need too much air pushing. I know the ENGL 1x10 I had before was very good and worth getting again. Or, and this may sound silly, a place locally are selling the Blackstar 4x8 (yes, I am stupid, I know...) for $200 - is that as stupid an idea as I think it might be; changing all four 8" speakers when they sound shite, and it still sounding shite? At least I know the 1x10 does sound good.
Click to expand...

Do not like dirt pedals. I Use only the amp's overdrive, but - subsequently - I gotta hit it pretty hard to get there. A Gisbon 498T is the absolute minimum requirement. My Mom's 1979 Gibson Les Paul Custom - with original pickups -sounds like you have the volume turned halfway down.

Blackstar - The bare minimum I would suggest is the 24lb ID-Core 100 watt 2X10
 
Robert Herndon said:
Do not like dirt pedals. I Use only the amp's overdrive, but - subsequently - I gotta hit it pretty hard to get there. A Gisbon 498T is the absolute minimum requirement. My Mom's 1979 Gibson Les Paul Custom - with original pickups -sounds like you have the volume turned halfway down.
Click to expand...

Robert, when are you gonna stop pussyfooting around with those humbuckers, and get yourself some P90s to whack the front end of that amp and find your dream tone??? :D
 
Mr Grumpy said:
Robert, when are you gonna stop pussyfooting around with those humbuckers, and get yourself some P90s to whack the front end of that amp and find your dream tone??? :D
Click to expand...

I have played about with P90's and P94's but couldn't quite get the tone I wanted.

I am very happy to report that I have conspired with a local pickup winder - a backyard operation, but very skilled - to create what I would call my 'signature' pickup - not that I have any plans to try and sell them, but at least my signature tone - as rough as it may be.

I have had to embrace my choppy, less articulate manner of playing - which netted me the unwelcome nickname of 'Sledge' from Buck back in 1978 - and strive for what I am best at - hard rock.

I made notes on this pickup while in Central America and we exchanged the basic design via email:

Nickel silver baseplate with nuts silver-soldered to the bottom, so the pole pieces could never strip out and all poles adjusted to mimic the string radius

Dual coils with adjustable pole pieces on both coils

Ohms in the 20kΩ range (bridge) and 18kΩ (neck)

Triple magnets like a 500T (one main and twin outboard) the main magnet being alnico 4 and the outbaords being alnico 2

4 conductor for versatility

I'm eager to get started on this.... :-)
 
Mr Grumpy said:
:confused:
Click to expand...

This is actually conservative. The 498T in my 2016 Gibson les Paul specs out at about 16kΩ/ My 'signature' pickup (as I call it for fun) will be a blend of the Dommenget Musclebucker (22kΩ) a mixture of 500T (16kΩ) and the Jim DeCola designed Dirty Fingers + (18kΩ) and the Suhr Doug Aldrich set....which spec out at 17.5kΩ and 10kΩ respectively...
 
eSGEe said:
ALso once you have the mesa--- dirt pedals are useless weak limp little toys --- the onboard gain crushes pedals
I also tested the MOSKY Golden Horse--- on the MESA clean channel-- vs the MEsa gain channel --- all knob settings IDENTICAL -- the Horse got SPANKED-- then I switched to the Mesa CONTOUR channel (contour is code for GAIN OF THE GODZS) --- and it so shamed the mosky-- with its gain knob at level 3.5 and the mosky on FULL gain -- no contest--
Click to expand...

That is not exactly what the Golden Horse is for. It’s an overdrive pedal, not full on distortion.
I have been using my Silver version lately, and am becoming acquainted with the way it works.
For me, I try to set it up to be useful on both channels of the new amp I just received. That amp has some Mesa level gain available on the dirt channel. The trick is to set the pedal to crunch a little...so that it slightly overdrives the channel in use. Like making the clean channel go from clean to pushed a little(just a little hairy around the edges)...then when on the high gain channel it will add a little boost and hair, and make things really bloom. If you set your high gain channel for Kiss, the pedal should be able to push that up near/to classic Metallica.
Mine is set something like this:
5C0C3A8E-F48A-484E-AE5F-87C2063462FA.jpeg
Note that the gain is only around 10 o’clock.
 
Mr Grumpy said:
Th
Mesa Boogie Express 5:25 being sold at $742 - it is supposed to be in good condition. Is it worth it?

Here's the link and info: Mesa Boogie Express 5:25

Any thoughts? Yes, mostly to be played on the 5w setting at home, but maybe taken out because I wanna start actually playing with people..
Click to expand...

Nice amp. Seems like a good deal.

You may be surprised about the wattage setting. The master volume on Mesas is so magnificent you can easily run them at full output and get great tone at bedroom/conversation levels. From what I have read over the years Randy Smith includes the wattage selector on the amps for the tonal variation it offers, not because of any need to knock the volume down further. The low watt settings are a bit looser and have a softer attack so I almost never use them. I generally want the amp as tight as possible.
 
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