Pusher - I've had my Express 5:50 1x12 since February, and it is a sweet amp! The clean is the reason I bought it, and it produces exactly the tone I was looking for; rich (like me!) , dimensional and very dynamic! I've been playing it in a band with another guitarist (with a LSC) , acoustic guitarist, keyboardist, bass and drums and it cuts through the mix so amazingly well! I only have the master volume of the clean channel at about 8 O'Clock (gain at Noon) and it gives me all the headroom I could ever need. It's all about digging in with the pick to get over-the-top volume! Seriously, I am amazed at how good it is!
The gain channel is excellent also, I primarily use the Blues mode and that is just a lovely lead tone that provides a nice creamy break-up according to your pick attack.
For home use the 5 watt mode is perfect. The reverb is outstandingly beautiful and the contour controls really do make the sound jump out of the speakers! I had been thinking about getting an extension cab for mine, but after the last few rehearsals and shows I just don't see what benefit I would really get from one! I love the fact that it is a small amp, and relatively light. It fits perfectly on my amp stand and I'm good to go with that, my guitars and a couple of pedals!
Regarding quality; I have had no trouble with mine at all so far. I have a rehearsal this evening, so hopefully I didn't jinx myself!
All in all, a great piece and one that I am never going to get rid of. Now, if they only made an EL34 version of the Express (a baby ACE?), then I'd get one to go along with it! Maybe next year, eh?
Cheers,
Richt
