advice/opinions needed: Mesa F-50 or Express 5:50 combo?

[Santuzzo]

Hello everybody, I'm new here, this is my first post.

I need some opinions and advice on my search for an amp.

Basically I want a very versatile amp with great cleans that will stay clean at high volumes, so I can use the amp for jazz with a hollow body.
Good crunch and also good high-gain sounds for rock, metal and anything in between.

Which of these two Mesa amps will be better for it?

The F-50 (which is out of production, BTW, but I think some stores will still have them) or the Express 5:50 (this one I think is supposed to be the F-50's successor, and also comes in 2x12 which I think is great).

Any advice/opinions would be highly appreciated !

Thanks in advance,

Lars

 

[scotbot]

as i told you on HC, f-50

 

[Santuzzo]

as i told you on HC, f-50

:lol:
Funny to meet you here, Scott ! Warplanegrey, right???

 

[scotbot]

yes, that's me. :]

seriously, i used to have an f-100. the clean channel was beautiful and full sounding. the dirty channel (without the contour engaged) could do classic rock and blues all day long. with the contour engaged, you're getting right up into borderline metal.

the express 5:50 that i played sounded thin, on both channels. the dirty channel was fizzy and gutless, the clean channel was barely there. it wasn't a bad tube, because i tried a couple, and they both sucked. harsh and thin.

get the f-50. you wont be disappointed.

 

[F50user]

yes, that's me. :]

seriously, i used to have an f-100. the clean channel was beautiful and full sounding. the dirty channel (without the contour engaged) could do classic rock and blues all day long. with the contour engaged, you're getting right up into borderline metal.

get the f-50. you wont be disappointed.

Couldn't agree more. The F-50 will do metal and everything else. The only thing it doesn't do is british rock.

 

[willrock]

go with the f series man! i special ordered the 5:50 and i tried liking it really, but i ended up returning it and getting the f50.. express is just not for me..

 

[Charlie]

I haven't tried the Express but I've owned an F-50 head for about a month now and it's a great amp. It works really well with my Gretsch hollowbody as well as my Les Paul. My only complaints are that the reverb is average and the recording/headphone output is pretty much useless.

I think the general consenus is that the Express is a great amp but isn't that well suited for heavier stuff. I haven't played it myself though so I'm just reiterating what others have said.

I would *REALLY* like to hear some heavier clips of the Express 5:50 through a 4x12 cab though. Just to see once and for all if it can do the heavier stuff or not.

Oh and one more thing - if you are considering getting a 2x12 combo amp you might want to get on a weight training program as well! Seriously, those things are a total pain to carry around. I'd recommend getting a head and an extension cab. This way you can always buy different sized cabs for different situations.

 

[richt]

Hey Willrock...I am an Express 5:50 1x12 owner and in my opinion the 5:50 beat the F-Series hands down. Why?

1. Better clean - more sparkle and depth. I bought this amp primarily because of the clean sound - that was the most important part of it for me.

2. Reverb - This is awesome and probably a good part of the reason Mesa re-tooled the F-Series as the Express. I don't know for sure if it is exactly the same circuit/tank as the Lonestar, but the other guitarist in our group has one and they sound very close to each other. It is footswitchable, which for me iis a huge plus. If you like Jazz, play the clean channel with some reverb on your fave jazz box and you will be loving it!

3. 5 and 50 watt options. Need apartment or bedroom tone at lower volume? 5 watt is your answer. 50-watt is LOUD! I just played my first gig with the Express and was very impressed at the volume, but also the amount of headroom there was.

4. Extra Mode options. On the clean channel you get a crunch mode also, which I think is a great sound for rhythm; it blooms with a nice creamy saturation. The Blues mode on Channel 2 is the one that I use with my LP Standard and my ES and I could not be happier with the tone.

5. Contour. Basically the Mark Series EQ in a rotary control (set to the V setting - scooped mids). I love having this option and I often find that I'm playing with it off and am loving the sound until I switch it on and find that I love the sound even more!

Those are some things to ponder. The F-Series has been around for a while, so there are plenty of happy owners out there for sure. The Express is brand new, and so folks are still discovering them.

I tried out the Express and the F-Series and the Stilletto Ace back-to-back for probably close to 3 hours over the course of a few days. They were all great amps, and you would not be disappointed with any of them. However, the Express simply shone brighter for me and fit my style of playing better. I love a great clean with a great reverb and the Express meets my needs in both categories. It is also a small amp, so the footprint is minimal and it doesn't weigh a ton. Final advice...spend some serious time tweaking the sound...Mesa's require this. You just have to twiddle the knobs until your ears are happy. The EQ's and the Contour are all inter-dependent, so changing one affects the others greatly.

I hope this helps, and have fun choosing your amp!

Cheers,

Richt

 

[Charlie]

They were all great amps, and you would not be disappointed with any of them.

That's a really good point.

Thing is... if you have the opportunity you really should try both amps out and see for yourself which one you prefer.

 

[SimpleMind]

DOn`t buy the Express i tested it. I did`t like it at all. The F50 is a much better choice. :lol:

 

[Santuzzo]

Thanks every one !

I have tried an F-50 in the meanwhile, I tried it with a hollow body jazz guitar and a solid body.

I liked the clenas for jazz very much. The distortion sound was good, too.

Now I have also read about the Rectoverb 50W combo, and that might be interesting for me, too, it's a Rectifier, so it will have more gain on tap than the F-50 I guess, but then also I have read on another forum that it won't have too much clean headroom ....

Any opinions?

 

[Guitarzan]

What about a Lone Star Classic? It's a bit more than an F-50, but the cleans are gorgeous!

 

[Charlie]

Thanks every one !

I have tried an F-50 in the meanwhile, I tried it with a hollow body jazz guitar and a solid body.

I liked the clenas for jazz very much. The distortion sound was good, too.

Now I have also read about the Rectoverb 50W combo, and that might be interesting for me, too, it's a Rectifier, so it will have more gain on tap than the F-50 I guess, but then also I have read on another forum that it won't have too much clean headroom ....

Any opinions?

I was going to mention the Rectoverb as well I'm pretty sure it's around the same price range (used) as an F-50. I had it under consideration when I was looking for an F-50 but I don't like full-sized heads.

Anyway.

Dude.

Can you get down to a store and try one out? Other than looking for sound clips that's the best thing to do.

Everybody is going to tell you that the amp they own is the best one when in fact they are all great amps... just a little different from each other.

 

[Santuzzo]

What about a Lone Star Classic? It's a bit more than an F-50, but the cleans are gorgeous!

I laso tried a Lonestar combo, I loved the cleans, but it did not have enough gain on tap for, say Metal ....

I'm still kinda hoping I can find an amp that versatile that I can use it for Jazz, Pop, Rock, Blues, Metal ....

 

[Santuzzo]

Thanks every one !

I have tried an F-50 in the meanwhile, I tried it with a hollow body jazz guitar and a solid body.

I liked the clenas for jazz very much. The distortion sound was good, too.

Now I have also read about the Rectoverb 50W combo, and that might be interesting for me, too, it's a Rectifier, so it will have more gain on tap than the F-50 I guess, but then also I have read on another forum that it won't have too much clean headroom ....

Any opinions?

I was going to mention the Rectoverb as well I'm pretty sure it's around the same price range (used) as an F-50. I had it under consideration when I was looking for an F-50 but I don't like full-sized heads.

Anyway.

Dude.

Can you get down to a store and try one out? Other than looking for sound clips that's the best thing to do.

Everybody is going to tell you that the amp they own is the best one when in fact they are all great amps... just a little different from each other.

Yes, I will definately have to try the amp, that's right.

I found a store that has quite some Mesa's, that's where I tried the F-50 and a Lonestar as well as a Stiletto Ace.
It wasn't until later on that I read about the Rectoverb, and thought that amp might be an option for me, too.

Now I think the store I was trying the other Mesa's does not have the Rectoverb combo, only the head ......

 

[ol4t]

Hey Willrock...I am an Express 5:50 1x12 owner and in my opinion the 5:50 beat the F-Series hands down. Why?

1. Better clean - more sparkle and depth. I bought this amp primarily because of the clean sound - that was the most important part of it for me.

2. Reverb - This is awesome and probably a good part of the reason Mesa re-tooled the F-Series as the Express. I don't know for sure if it is exactly the same circuit/tank as the Lonestar, but the other guitarist in our group has one and they sound very close to each other. It is footswitchable, which for me iis a huge plus. If you like Jazz, play the clean channel with some reverb on your fave jazz box and you will be loving it!

3. 5 and 50 watt options. Need apartment or bedroom tone at lower volume? 5 watt is your answer. 50-watt is LOUD! I just played my first gig with the Express and was very impressed at the volume, but also the amount of headroom there was.

4. Extra Mode options. On the clean channel you get a crunch mode also, which I think is a great sound for rhythm; it blooms with a nice creamy saturation. The Blues mode on Channel 2 is the one that I use with my LP Standard and my ES and I could not be happier with the tone.

5. Contour. Basically the Mark Series EQ in a rotary control (set to the V setting - scooped mids). I love having this option and I often find that I'm playing with it off and am loving the sound until I switch it on and find that I love the sound even more!

Those are some things to ponder. The F-Series has been around for a while, so there are plenty of happy owners out there for sure. The Express is brand new, and so folks are still discovering them.

I tried out the Express and the F-Series and the Stilletto Ace back-to-back for probably close to 3 hours over the course of a few days. They were all great amps, and you would not be disappointed with any of them. However, the Express simply shone brighter for me and fit my style of playing better. I love a great clean with a great reverb and the Express meets my needs in both categories. It is also a small amp, so the footprint is minimal and it doesn't weigh a ton. Final advice...spend some serious time tweaking the sound...Mesa's require this. You just have to twiddle the knobs until your ears are happy. The EQ's and the Contour are all inter-dependent, so changing one affects the others greatly.

I hope this helps, and have fun choosing your amp!

Cheers,

Richt

+1

 

[willrock]

the thing is i use the the dirty channel a lot and for me, f50s dirty channel fits my needs better and dont forget that the f50 won the guitarist choice award or something on Guitarist magazine, i think... 8)