About to be a new Mesa owner but need a little help

[Pdmi]

Hi all! I can't wait to get my first boogie. Problem is that I'm not sure which way to go and was looking for a little help. I played an Express 5:50 at Guitar Center last night and was BLOWN AWAY! I was able to get great sounds instantly and it was so crisp! I play a wide range of stuff, from Rush to GNR to Tool and Dream Theater. I have never played on a Mesa before last night so my frame of reference is off. I also have the opportunity to get a Rectoverb combo but I haven't played it yet. So the question is basically for the styles I play which is the better amp? The Express 5:50 or the Rectoverb? I really like the ability to use the Express in Class A mode too. Any help is appreciated, thanks!

 

[Elpelotero]

Welcome! There's a whole slew of amps out there besides the Rectoverb and Express, though those are two good ones (in fact, they're all good!).

For Rush and GNR tones, I'd recommend the Stilleto. For Tool, I'd recommend an older 2 channel Rectifier. And for Dream Theater I'd recommend either the Mark 2C+, Mark4, or Mark5. Each of these sounds very different. One is like a Marshall, one is huge deep aggressive gain, and the other is a tight, smooth gain.

Hang out on the boards a bit and you'll quickly absorb more info about all the amps. Also, check out the products page on mesa's site.

 

[jdurso]

Hi all! I can't wait to get my first boogie. Problem is that I'm not sure which way to go and was looking for a little help. I played an Express 5:50 at Guitar Center last night and was BLOWN AWAY! I was able to get great sounds instantly and it was so crisp! I play a wide range of stuff, from Rush to GNR to Tool and Dream Theater. I have never played on a Mesa before last night so my frame of reference is off. I also have the opportunity to get a Rectoverb combo but I haven't played it yet. So the question is basically for the styles I play which is the better amp? The Express 5:50 or the Rectoverb? I really like the ability to use the Express in Class A mode too. Any help is appreciated, thanks!

The difference would be what type of high gain your into...so compare the Roadster and the Mark V. The Mark's are very tight, very smooth and have the sweet mids for solos and leads, whereas the Rectos have a little more sag, more emphasized bass and a slightly scooped tone. The cleans on both amps are killer and can cover all the ground in the mid-gain type stuff, the biggest difference is their voicing and which one fits you more. Also the Mark V has a little more voicing options where you get drop it down to 10 watts in class a, 45 watts in class a/b and 90 watts in a simul-class a/b and a. The Roadster lets you go between 100watts and 50 watts (not all rectos have the power settings).

So here's what i'd look at for some different price ranges:
If your looking new in the $2000 range go either Mark V or Roadster.

If you look used in the $1200-1500 range you can get a Mark IV or a Used Roadster

If your looking around the $1000 you maybe able to find a Mark IV or maybe even look into a Stiletto Duece if you dig more of the british type sound (think suped up Marshall)

If your looking under $1000 you should look at a DC-10 and possibly a rectoverb... I'd lean more towards the DC-10 for the bands you mentioned... the DC-10 has a hugh gain that sits between the Mark IV and the Recto. It has amazing cleans and covers a huge amount of tonal ground.

 

[lerxst88]

i am actually a huge rush and DT fan and i just got a nomad. its a seriously underrated amp and it has all the best features from all the other boogies. its a tweaker for sure (20 front panel knobs, 5 band eq, 6 button footswitch) but you can get alot of neat sounds out of it. go for the 100 watt because then you get the EQ

my first mesa i tried was a 5:50 as well and i was blown away. unfortunately they were just a bit too expensive for me so i found the nomad in the corner for cheaper and it had more features, watts, channels, and modes than the express so i think i got quite the bargain.

also try out an F-series those were the precursor to the express amps and theyre really nice