5:25+ Speaker Suggestions

[BeerBatteredPhish]

I recently purchased a 5:25 Plus combo and I really like the speaker offering in this amp! I think it sounds great for cleans to high gain. Also, I am sure the stock speaker will sound even better when broken in, but I like what I am hearing so far. I simply adjust the treble knob and or GEQ high frequency sliders to suit me.
I also own a Widebody 112 cab with C90 and I am sure the addition of this cab with my combo would sound killer. I just haven't done that yet because am experimenting with the amp stand alone for now.

I've had my 5:25 Plus for 14 month now and have not had the urge to swap out the V30. In my past "Fender" days with Blues Jrs. and Hot Rod Dlx I switched speakers every other month on a tone quest. I think Mesa got it right with the V30, now I may be temped to try a WGS Veteran 30 someday. The Express is definitely a "modern" voiced amp, you either like that premise from the start or you've selected the wrong amp.

 

[MBJunkie]

Glad to hear that somebody else thinks Mesa got it right with their choice of speaker in the 5:25 Plus combo!!
Btw.....I don't think the 5:25 Plus is a modern sounding amp per se. It can be depending on how it is dialed in though.
The Blues mode is definitely not modern sounding and sounds great to me! Very versatile amp indeed and fun to play.

 

[himmelhund]

biggest question is what volume level you will be playing at.
low volumes your best choice is alnico
At high volumes alnico might be a bit bass-heavy..
Ceramic speakers are probably best when the going gets loud.
Other than that, I can't say enough good things about tonetubby speakers - expensive and worth it.
Keep that MC-90, but it is better in a big cab maybe at higher sound pressure levels.
Celestion makes great alnico speakers, as does jensen, and Tonetubby.

 

[Rumy73]

So we as a community are more in favor of a speaker swap. Sounds like cannabis rex, greenback, century, c90, winterland and tone tubby are some winners for a less shrill high end while maintaining the flavor of the amp.

 

[Stinger22]

I've had my 5:25 Plus for 14 month now and have not had the urge to swap out the V30. In my past "Fender" days with Blues Jrs. and Hot Rod Dlx I switched speakers every other month on a tone quest. I think Mesa got it right with the V30, now I may be temped to try a WGS Veteran 30 someday. The Express is definitely a "modern" voiced amp, you either like that premise from the start or you've selected the wrong amp.

Had mine for two years now 5:25+. Had a DRRI and BJ I also went on that tone quest with speakers on the DRRI and if I still played would probably just put the original Jensen back in. The BJ is a special edition with Cannabis Rex. It's a version III which has some of the popular mods. It's sounds good, I thought GREAT.............until I got the Mesa. Don't play either and thinking of selling one or both as I also have a BDRI when I need LOUD.... but even there I would probably take the Mesa and just mic it. I can get a better "Fender Clean" with the Mesa although I use the Blues channel for my cleans and Crunch for OD. THE most versatile amp I've ever played and full sounding 1 - 12" combo, NO boxiness like you can get from the BJ unless you turn it way up and dime the tone controls. Was almost tempted to try the CR in the Mesa but the special Vintage 30 I think is voiced just right.

 

[Kikkoman]

I swapped the original V30 in my 5:25+ for a Texas Heat. I've used the TH in previous amps, and it's always sounded great in all of them. So it was kind of a safe bet for the Express as well.

And boy, it didn't disappoint. The clean channel became more 3d-like and lush, with just a slight loss of top end, which can easily be compensated with the EQ.

The biggest difference is in the burn channel, though. The spikiness and nasal midrange presence of the V30 is gone, and overall the Texas Heat is a bit darker. There's still a decent amount of top end bite, but the OD sound just growls wonderfully in the low midrange, which suits my playing and ears better. The sound is less in your face and a bit more "distant", in lack of better terms.