Recent content by Furvel

Only non-tube problem I have had with my Express is the footswitch connection (at the switch). I made some slight adjustments to the pins and have had a good connection for the past few months. I've gotten 17 months of good service from my Express. Granted it's a far cry from the previous 10...

As far as the settings go, I'd say let your ears be the judge. Check the manual, there is some good info about the tone controls that helped me out when I first got my amp. If you are miking the amp, I would advise you to consider the mic position on your speaker, as you may have a significantly...

I recently purchased a matched set of power tubes for my Express, and I kept the old ones (still in fine working condition) as a backup set. In the event of a at-the-show problem, I would swap out power tubes in sets, to be safe. I recently had a preamp tube crap out, but I just replaced it...

According to the Mesa warranty paper, anything other than "genuine Mesa tubes" will void the warranty. I suppose most folks would just keep the stock tubes around and re-install them before taking the amp to a authorized repair center... although I have heard of Mesa occasionally authorizing...

You'd be amazed at how small and portable the 1x12 version is. It's only about 3" wider than the Cube 60 that I was using before. FYI dimensions are 19"W x 17"H x 11"D, incredibly small for such a full sounding amp.

Sorry, I'm relatively satisifed with my Vin30. While I'm sure the overall tone could be a little better, I'm happy enough not to invest the money and time into experimenting with different speakers. Give it a few days, someone will speak up eventually.

Not such a great pic, but that's what I get for taking it at night! Since this was taken, I've jettisoned the chorus (never used anymore) in favor of a TU-3 tuner.

The soft rubber is OK, but I don't get a warm fuzzy feeling from the way the handle "gives" due to the weight of the amp. I move my Express almost every weekend, and this handle might last for 6 more months. Too bad the handle from my Cube 60 won't fit on the Express. If anyone finds a heavier...

You and me both! But I would like a better handle. Getting another poor quality replacement handle free from Mesa just puts off the inevitable for those of us that tote our Express in & out of clubs every weekend. And I really don't like the thought of waiting for my hand to get slashed until I...

I've had my 5:25 1x12 since January, and I'm very happy with it. I would suggest you try the amp for a few weeks before making any conclusions. I had always played Fender tube amps before (what many would consider the classic "American" sounding 6L6 amp) so it took a little getting used to the...

Yes, a very interesting post. I really like the Vin30 in my 5:25, but that just shows that different ears like different tones. Of course all the other variables (guitar, pickups, effects and playing styles) make it very difficult to compare speakers alone. Unless of course you had the resources...

I don't use the clean mode, I just use the blues mode and lighten my attack if I need a cleaner tone. I use the burn mode for leads occasionally, but I have the volume & gain set on channel two to work in either mode with no volume changes. I'm happy with using crunch and blues 95% of the time...

FWIW, the Express manual says... Before the power is switched on, make sure the STANDBY switch is in the STANDBY position. Wait at least 30 seconds and then flip the STANDBY switch to its ON position. Following this simple warm up procedure helps in preventing tube problems and increase their...

Maybe part of the reason is that a lot of 5w tube amps are one channel "clean" amps that you overdrive by maxing the volume. By experiencing those we're conditioned to think 5w isn't very loud. I would surmise that the Express is louder than expected at 5w because it has gain controls. For...

Sorry! I've had my 5:25 for 10 weeks now and haven't had much need to post. I've had no problems to speak of, and the Express manual is written so well that there was little need to post questions here. Most of the new threads here deal with either problems (I've had none) or possible...