Change my Roadster head for an Electra Dyne 1x12 combo ?

[fayat]

Hi everybody,
I live in Paris, France, where Mesa are very expensive amps. I've got a Roadster head and I am not very satisfied with it : some day I find my sound awesome, and someday it sounds just... so bad . It seems that I'm always trying some different settings to get it right...
One day, in a local store, I tried the "little" electra dyne combo (I went there to try a fender...) and fell in love with it. I knew that it will be my next amp.
My question is : has anybody here done the same exchange ?
I know that we can have some surprise when playing an amp in the store and then with the band.
Can anybody tell me the difference between those two amp ?
The roadster sounded great with my peavey wolfgang (but not so good with the clean channel) and sounded very very bad with my strat (ultra + bare knuckle irish tour PU).
Do you know if these 2 guitars will sound great ?
And last things, I use a TC G-major 2 in the loop. Does anyone know if it will work ?
I know there are a lot of question, but as I've said before, it is a lot of money here so I have to sell my roadster head to buy the electra and don't want to make a bad choice (once again ! Long is the road to the perfect sound !).
Many thanx ! And I hope my message is clear enough

 

[primal]

I did a simlar trade.

I traded a Road King combo and about 200$ for the Electra Dyne combo.

Don't regret it in the least. I liked the RoadKing, but tone wise for what I was looking for, the two amps were uncomparable.

SO would I do your trade? In a second! And I would throw in some cash if necessary.

ED will be a much tighter amp. Yes even the open back 1x12 combo will be tighter then the Roadster going through a closed back 4x12.

If it is Recto growl you want, you will not get it from the ED. You will get all the low end of a recto (I rarely put my Bass above 10:00).

Clean wise, I can't really say. The cleans are killer on both amps.

You will definately be losing the versatility of independent controls on four channels, But in all honesty, I have found all three modes to sound killer with the same EQ settings.

I use a digitech RP250 in the loop and it sounds great. I see no reason your effects would not work.

Roadster is a great amp. The real question is do you like the ED tone over the Recto tone. For me it was a no brainer.

Hell, even my beloved Mark IV has started collecting dust, and I am way past the honeymoon period with the ED.

 

[Laskyman]

I went from Roadster-> Stiletto Deuce-> Electra Dyne

Here is the Strengths of the ED (IMHO)- I have also owned a Roadster and a Stiletto Deuce II:

1) Simplicity (set it and forget it)
2) Best Cleans and low gain voicings I have ever heard in an amp
3) Tight focused low end in gain channels. and super dynamic response to picking and guitar volume
4) Stupid loud and powerful (I turned my amp up when the family was gone, and things were moving in my house like an earthquake....and that was in 45 watt mode)
5) SOUNDS THE SAME DAY IN AND DAY OUT- no tweaking on the fly to "find your tone you had last night"
6) Brilliant reverb
7) Takes outboard gear well


Weakness:
1) Weight of the combo
2) Simplicity
3) No SOLO function
4) Weight.....

Since buying the ED, I no longer look for my "next amp", I look for the pieces to work "with" the ED...it is a nice place to be. I hear a lot of other people on the board saying the same thing- it is a killer amp...

 

[fayat]

Thanx a lot for your 2 answers, it is exactly what I expected
I am not a metal fan and the style I play is most of the time pop rock. I also am a big fan of blues (but the guys in my band are not...). So I'm searching for very good clean tones, some crunch like SRV. and some good OD for Rock chords and chorus.
For example, on the roadster, I never used the modern modes and didn't pass 2 o'clock on the gain. In fact, no need of the recto sound.
This amp looks perfect for me (as it looked when I tried it in the store).
For the solo mode, I can find an issue with the G-major, so no pb.
The weight?... I have to do some compromises
Well, thanx again.
I now just have to go to a store to do a last try (just in case) and sell my roadster head...
I'll tell you when it's done !
PS: I'm a little bit tired of changing gear every 2 years, so I hope this one will be the one
PPS: do you have any idea of how to play in stereo with this amp (exept buying another ED !)

 

[formisano]

I sold my Roadster head (and traditional-sized 4x12) when I bought the ElectraDyne combo. I am completely satisfied, and I do not miss the Roadster at all. It was a good amp, don't get me wrong, but the TONE of the ElectraDyne surpasses any other amp that I have ever played through.

 

[Assumer]

get the ED with a nice boost pedal like the maxon OD808 and you will be in heaven. Hope it works out for you.

 

[fayat]

I never played with a boost pedal (true !),and don't know how it really works.
I see lot of people talkin about the maxon or the BB preamp.
Could you tell me what is your personal use ?

The thing is that I need a lot of different souds (mostly different effects) with my band. So on stage I use a FCB1010 Behringer to control my G-major (which split the channels of the amp also). So, one button to change almost everything.
If I add a pedal, I'm gonna do the tap dance again, as I did when I used to use pedals...

Whatever, the important thing is that the ED is a monster, and I'm glad to see that people who did sell their roadster for the ED are so happy with it.
Thanx.

 

[HIgh Gain Junkie]

I didn't come from a Roadster, but I did come by way of a Tremoverb that I too, like the OP, had a real love/hate relationship with. I got so tired of fighting it I sold it for a Bogner Shiva that never quite did it for me tone wise so the Shiva was traded for an ED 1x12 combo a few months ago and I couldn't be happier. The controls sound good no matter what you do to them and mine sounds good with both of my PRS's and my Strat. No matter where I take the amp it sounds killer and never fails to impress me!

 

[Jmango]

I came from a Mark IV, a Stiletto Deuce II, a TOV and a Roadster... I have never looked back.

I use a TC Electronic Nova System as of recently and am very satisfied with the tone of the ED. By the way, you can boost (volume boost for solo) using the TC, but I'm sure you knew that.

The ED is hands down the best and last amp I will buy - AND I HAD A SERIOUS TIGER WOODS LEVEL GEAR ADDICTION....

 

[fayat]

Somebody called me saturday to buy my roadster head. I was very glad about that, but since that day, no news

And as I said before, mesa is such an expensive brand in France that I have to sell my head so I could buy the ED.

Just have to wait .

And all your posts don't help me to be patient

 

[jetdriver]

I never played with a boost pedal (true !),and don't know how it really works.
I see lot of people talkin about the maxon or the BB preamp.
Could you tell me what is your personal use ?

The basic idea is that you would be using the boost pedal (whether its an OD pedal, or a 'clean' boost pedal specifically designed to only add gain/volume to the signal) to give your preamp a little jolt allowing it to be more saturated and have more gain and harmonics on tap.

You can accomplish this a few different ways. The most common is to take a popular OD pedal like a Tube Screamer, Maxon 808 type box and run that between your guitar and the front end of the amp. Typically, you get most of the gain from your amp, and set the pedals volume up significantly - and maybe also add a bit of gain from the pedal to layer with your amps gain. This can take an amp like the ED that has a great Plexi level gain, perhaps a bit more, and turn it into a modern metal beast. This was the way it was done for many years by old school Marshall players and the like, allowing them to really get saturated without making people deaf. I have done it this way with great results, and also have used a cranked up distortion box into a tube amp set clean, which allowed me to basically create a two channel amp out of a single channel head.

 

[fayat]

Thanx for the explanation jetdriver !

I've owned a TS9 once so I know how works an OD pedals I was just asking myself what was the difference with a 'Clean Boost'. Everybody is talking about Clean boosts.

Back to the ED !
Nobody did buy my Roadster head so I will have to wait or loose some money
Still not mine...

 

[jetdriver]

Thanx for the explanation jetdriver !
I was just asking myself what was the difference with a 'Clean Boost'. Everybody is talking about Clean boosts.

Gotcha! Well, as I'm sure you've figured out by now the term 'clean' used to describe a boost just means that your not using any (or much) distortion to accomplish the boost, but mostly volume.

Good luck with getting your ED!

 

[MBJunkie]

I own a ED 1x12 combo and a MkV 1x12 combo. I love both amps a lot! My personal preference is the MKV, but this primarily has to do with the unbelievable flexibility of the V. Both of these amps are very toneful, and it comes down to personal preferences. My suggestion is to audition the MKV (combo or head) with the ED (head or combo) prior to purchasing either. Both are great amps!

BTW....I used to own a Road King Head with matching cab. The Road King is a great amp in itself, but wasn't right for me.

 

[fayat]

Thanx MBjunkie.
I think that I'm gonna take the Electra Dyne just for the few buttons it has. I'm fed up with my roadster : too many possibilities and I never get the sound I want. Like it, hate it but never love it !
I'm always searching. I imagine that it can easily be the same with the mark V.
And in France the Mark V is very expensive...

 

[MBJunkie]

True, the V does offer a lot more options than the ED....and does require more "research to find your sounds"...but also provides the means to fine tune those sounds independently with each mode and channel. I must say the V is much easier to craft excellent sounds using any channel/mode/power setting, etc. compared to my Road King ever was. In fact, with my RK...I shared some of your frustrations as well.

The ED definitey has the simplest platform to achieve 3 excellent footswitchable signature sounds that most guitar players will love!

I hope that you are able to own one soon.

 

[fayat]

Today is the big day !
Last week I sold my roadster head (finally) and my marshall cab, and the electradyne is now in front of me !!!
So glad because the wait was so long...
I just now need to play it with my band (the final test) and hope I'll love the sound (I'm not too scared about that ).
Maybe I'll try a boost with my strat (I think the peavey wolfgang doesn't need one), but there are so many.
RC booster, BB preamp, EP preamp, MC 401, Maxon 808...
I know this question has been treated in some olders posts, but did anybody try all the boosts mentioned above ?
Thanx !

So Glad, so glad...

 

[primal]

Congrats. Let us know how it goes with the band

 

[Jmango]

Today is the big day !
Last week I sold my roadster head (finally) and my marshall cab, and the electradyne is now in front of me !!!
So glad because the wait was so long...
I just now need to play it with my band (the final test) and hope I'll love the sound (I'm not too scared about that ).
Maybe I'll try a boost with my strat (I think the peavey wolfgang doesn't need one), but there are so many.
RC booster, BB preamp, EP preamp, MC 401, Maxon 808...
I know this question has been treated in some olders posts, but did anybody try all the boosts mentioned above ?
Thanx !

So Glad, so glad...

I use the Fulltone OCD v4 and the Xotic EP Booster. BOTH are friggin killer. The EP is more of a straight boost and does something to the sound that just pushes it to that "ahhhh" level. The OCD is awesome too and has the added option of dialing in some of it's own gain on top of boost. Either way, you cannot go wrong.

 

[fayat]

Ok, I'll try tomorrow straight in the amp and wil see if I need a boost or not
Thanx !
I will post as soon as I can my first impressions with the Dyne in Rehearsal.