Thanks to a settlement, I now have more than what I need to purchase a Mesa Express. Having examined this topic for months now, sifting through manuals and youtube vids, I've pretty much decided on a 5:25 1-12 combo. I'd like to solicit opinions from Express users before I make a purchase, though. Our local Mesa dealer isn't keen on stocking another Express (the 5:25 1-10 they had finally sold after a year or more), which means I'd have to pay for it up front without actually playing it, and my only return option would be store credit... not good. There are other dealers within a 90 minute drive (Sweetwater being one of them), but I'll get better warranty service from the locals if I buy local. And I try to buy local, all things being relatively equal. There's no price differential between Mesa dealers that I can see. I'm guessing that either the dealer discounts are very slim, or that that Mesa dictates the retail price, period. Here's some criteria to consider:
The band I'm in plays quite a few smaller clubs and has a very reasonable stage volume. This has been consistent over my live performance career, regardless of the band.
Our drummer is about a 3 on a volume scale of 1-10, so it's not hard to be heard on stage. Turn the amp up too loud and you won't hear our drummer (I made this mistake at a festival once). I should mention that I always mic the amp, as well.
I usually have my keyboard player right behind me, so I can't run the amp too loud anyway or it's gonna blow his head off. I'll probably need some kind of baffle about 6-to-12 inches behind the amp anyway, to reduce aft volume.
While the 5:25 may ultimately lack some headroom in the clean mode, I really don't need spanky clean... I'm guessing I can use a combination of the blues mode and lighter pick attack for cleaner tones. I'm buying an express mainly for the crunch and blues modes. The burn mode will be used a few times a night, and the clean mode would be very infrequent, if at all.
The question is (finally!): Is there any reason I should consider a 5:50 combo?? Let me first say that a combo is imperative... our band practices in a small 3rd floor apartment at very low volume (we barely need mics) so the 5W setting is gonna be perfect for that environment. I'd love a head and closed back cab for live gigs but I'm not hauling all THAT up 3 flights of stairs for practice... besides, I can always run a extension cab with any combo I buy, as the situation requires. Not to mention the cost of a head and quality ext cab is quite a bit more than a combo.
I really like the idea of having a 25W amp that I can work a little harder, as opposed to a 50W amp that would barely be above idle. My last tube amp was a 40W Fender HRD and I had to adjust the volume with extreme caution... you know, you turn it up slowly... it's too quiet...too quiet...TOO LOUD!! And I like the idea of EL84's, versus the 6L6's that I've always had in my Fenders. I do have some reservations about the dyna-watt, but most of what I've read in this forum concerning that is positive.
As if all of the above wasn't too much information, the local store does happen to have a new Mark IV combo (apparently leftover NOS, since the Mesa site lists that model as out-of-production). The Express looks simple to operate by comparison, but a NOS Mark IV is probably a rare find... does this deserve any consideration??
Thanks for digesting all of this. I appreciate whatever information you can provide that will help in my decision making process. I've never really had a good amp... I've been playing for 30 years, I'm completely satisfied with my guitars but I've never had an amp that measured up. The HRD was OK when I bought it (1997) but now I want an amp that gives me more options and more quality. I'm almost 50, so I'm hoping to get the last tube amp I'll ever need. Thanks again for any help that you can provide.
The band I'm in plays quite a few smaller clubs and has a very reasonable stage volume. This has been consistent over my live performance career, regardless of the band.
Our drummer is about a 3 on a volume scale of 1-10, so it's not hard to be heard on stage. Turn the amp up too loud and you won't hear our drummer (I made this mistake at a festival once). I should mention that I always mic the amp, as well.
I usually have my keyboard player right behind me, so I can't run the amp too loud anyway or it's gonna blow his head off. I'll probably need some kind of baffle about 6-to-12 inches behind the amp anyway, to reduce aft volume.
While the 5:25 may ultimately lack some headroom in the clean mode, I really don't need spanky clean... I'm guessing I can use a combination of the blues mode and lighter pick attack for cleaner tones. I'm buying an express mainly for the crunch and blues modes. The burn mode will be used a few times a night, and the clean mode would be very infrequent, if at all.
The question is (finally!): Is there any reason I should consider a 5:50 combo?? Let me first say that a combo is imperative... our band practices in a small 3rd floor apartment at very low volume (we barely need mics) so the 5W setting is gonna be perfect for that environment. I'd love a head and closed back cab for live gigs but I'm not hauling all THAT up 3 flights of stairs for practice... besides, I can always run a extension cab with any combo I buy, as the situation requires. Not to mention the cost of a head and quality ext cab is quite a bit more than a combo.
I really like the idea of having a 25W amp that I can work a little harder, as opposed to a 50W amp that would barely be above idle. My last tube amp was a 40W Fender HRD and I had to adjust the volume with extreme caution... you know, you turn it up slowly... it's too quiet...too quiet...TOO LOUD!! And I like the idea of EL84's, versus the 6L6's that I've always had in my Fenders. I do have some reservations about the dyna-watt, but most of what I've read in this forum concerning that is positive.
As if all of the above wasn't too much information, the local store does happen to have a new Mark IV combo (apparently leftover NOS, since the Mesa site lists that model as out-of-production). The Express looks simple to operate by comparison, but a NOS Mark IV is probably a rare find... does this deserve any consideration??
Thanks for digesting all of this. I appreciate whatever information you can provide that will help in my decision making process. I've never really had a good amp... I've been playing for 30 years, I'm completely satisfied with my guitars but I've never had an amp that measured up. The HRD was OK when I bought it (1997) but now I want an amp that gives me more options and more quality. I'm almost 50, so I'm hoping to get the last tube amp I'll ever need. Thanks again for any help that you can provide.
. I bought a used 5:25 w/Vin 30... My mistakes: A) I had mixed in comments about various new and used options throughout the thread, so I should have been more specific when mentioning exactly what I purchased. B) I failed to notice that a 5:50 was specified in the US/UK price comparison by UKBoogieboy. Apologies all around, folks. Hope you can understand I was a little excited when I initially posted about my purchase. It is my first Mesa, after all. 
