Can one be a Fender and a Mesa Boogie Guy?

[cander328]

First off, I am playing mostly jazz and blues and not metal. I am using both single coils and humbuckers. Here is the deal:

I have a Mark IIC+ (hardwood head EQ, Reverb, non-simulclass with 2 Theiles housing older EV-12Ls) and a Mark III (blue stripe combo with extension cab - EQ, Reverb, Simul Class and C90s) and have started getting into some vintage blackface era Fenders. I have also started to shape my sound more with pedals going into a clean channel. I have been thinking that I would use the Fenders for the cleans and shaping with effects and then dial in the Mark III for smooth unmolested overdrive, and the Mark IIC+ for more agressive drive at higher volumes with an attenuator. Now, some of these stomp boxes are pretty good at that as well and are able to pull it off with the amp at low volumes if required.

I am sure other jazz/blues players have dealt with choosing between Fenders and Mesa? What did you conclude and why? How do you use both?

Thanks

 

[Russ]

Try the Bassman tweed RI either the cheaper non lacquered 90's version or the newer relic'ed out one. I played one with the EJ and saw heavenly tones. That being said, I am probably looking for one soon. I almost got one last week. Can a guy be into Mesa and Fender? Sure. It just depends upon your taste and what you are playing. Fender for high gain? No... Mesa for the tone described above? No... Together in an arsenal? Hell yeah. I think that it would be great to have that RI tweed tone then be able to A/B into Mesa Mark leads as necessary.

Just remember that having both might overlap a little but that is only because Mesa's are essentially redesigned Fenders.

 

[Dutchman]

I decided to use them both....at the same time.
Boogie Mark IIB and 65 Fender Bassman AA165, I do use one pedal, a Barber Silver LTD. Other wise it's just pure rich saturated tube tone :lol:

 

[Telelee]

Mesa... the early stuff is really Fender maxed out. I use and think mixing Fender and Mesa Boogie is a good thing if your back can stand the strain.

I wouldn't put a lot stock in what "well known artists" are using as they land endorsements to use gear, find what works best for you, using the 'well known artists' gear as a guide if you must.

Really, if you strip it all down for tone, try something... go direct with out pedals. Plug straight into your Mark 3 and use only the channel switching.
It's really all a person needs (depending on the music you play) you may find a killer tone with just you, your guitar and Mark III (Blue Stripe).
okay, use a little compression.

 

[Pinweaver]

I play jazz and a more alternative experimental rock (not metal), and I have no problem doing this with my mark IV. I don't even change settings when I switch from one band to the other.
I don't want to sound like your every day es-175 I'm-stuck-in-the-50's kinda jazz guitar sound. Nothing wrong with distortion in jazz, or overdrive (Abercrombie is a fine example). On top of that, the mark IV's clean channel covers every style you'll ever want to play. It sounds like a rock clean when I plug in my thinline tele, it sounds like warm jazz when I use my guild and roll back the tone knob.
For an alternative clean sound I wouldn't mind getting my hands on an original Roland jazzchorus head though.

 

[groovetuber]

If you decide to pick up a vintage fender, I am selling a vintage '69 Twin Reverb silverface that's been converted to blackface specs and also has other upgrades. Send me a PM if you're interested.

 

[cander328]

I should have mentioned that I am not gigging other than occassionally at church and jamming with friends. Therefore I am not looking at using multiple amps in a live rig, just mainly in my home studio. This makes it easier to just keep both Fenders and Boogies until I determine that I just gravitate to one or the other. I already have a few vintage Fenders ('64 Deluxe (non reverb), '65 Princeton Reverb, '65 Vibro Champ) and not looking to add another but thanks for the offer on the Twin.

 

[holdsworth]

Firstly, the Marks are perfect for Jazz. Before moving to his amp modelled Yamaha amps, Allan Holdsworth used to play Mark IIs & IIIs, and he's even been known to use Mark IVs for the odd gig or two. The Marks can achieve a very convincing jazz tone quite easily due to their tendancies towards dark/bassy tones, and I would imagine be a perfect compliment to a 'chiming fender' clean sound.

I love jazz, blues and metal. Most guitar players in bands don't play jazz AND metal. It's typically jazz and blues OR blues and metal.

It's like if Sade started moshing on stage or Metallica did a cover of "So What" by Miles Davis (no f%&# way in hell either of those would happen unless the world is burning all over and flooding).

What a load of bull! Frank Gambale, Allan Holdsworth, Greg Howe, heck even Steve Vai has covered jazz classics from time to time!

Music is a universal language, it all belongs together.

 

[thelordofcheesecake]

I love jazz, blues and metal. Most guitar players in bands don't play jazz AND metal. It's typically jazz and blues OR blues and metal.

It's like if Sade started moshing on stage or Metallica did a cover of "So What" by Miles Davis (no f%&# way in hell either of those would happen unless the world is burning all over and flooding).

What a load of bull! Frank Gambale, Allan Holdsworth, Greg Howe, heck even Steve Vai has covered jazz classics from time to time!

The only name in that list which is really comparable is Vai - the other guys are all fusion players anyway, which is practically just jazz with overdrive (a huge oversimplification, but still).

 

[Restless Rocks]

I play a Mark III in a cover band and do everything from Metallica to George Benson, Country, Blues, Funk, new rock Etc. Etc. Here's the thing we haven't mentioned much here: The Marks respond incredibly well to what ever guitar you plug into them. A strat marries a Mark just as well as a Les Paul or a 335 or 175 for that matter. I've never found a song I couldn't play because of my MkIII. Maybe that shot someone sent over on break but not the MkIII.