I have a Stilletto Ace which I LOVE, but it's just too heavy for me to haul to practice any more so I'm considering getting a smaller head and 2 1X12 cabs for a mini stack. The Express sounds like it might fit the bill but have never heard one. Can anyone describe the tone? How does it compare to other Mesa amps (I've played the Ace, Mark IV, F50 and the Rectoverb)? Any clips online? Ultimately I know I have to play it to decide for sure, but it'll be difficult to find one so I want to see if it's worth persuing. Thanks...
Considering an Express 5:50
- Thread starter kselbee
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Everything is there.
Seriously. Name any player or tone you can think of and its in there and more.
The distortion or "burn" will sound all farty at first untill you learn how the EQ reacts to the Contour and Vice Versa. Seriously, it really changes as you learn it so dont be put off by pussys with bad hearing.
As for Clean, Crunch and Blues. They are all amazing but i still have not explored them enough to pass judgement yet. I can tell you the clean is up there with the fenders though and the Blues can do a good SRV.
I use a 1x12 5:50 combo with a Black Shadow wideboy cab added for more bollocks. It does the job very well. Much better than my old Recto.
Oh........and no i dont miss the Recto's brutal modern channel. The 5:50 can beat it and sound more original with a good Overdrive pedal
Seriously. Name any player or tone you can think of and its in there and more.
The distortion or "burn" will sound all farty at first untill you learn how the EQ reacts to the Contour and Vice Versa. Seriously, it really changes as you learn it so dont be put off by pussys with bad hearing.
As for Clean, Crunch and Blues. They are all amazing but i still have not explored them enough to pass judgement yet. I can tell you the clean is up there with the fenders though and the Blues can do a good SRV.
I use a 1x12 5:50 combo with a Black Shadow wideboy cab added for more bollocks. It does the job very well. Much better than my old Recto.
Oh........and no i dont miss the Recto's brutal modern channel. The 5:50 can beat it and sound more original with a good Overdrive pedal
ashjn
Well-known member
Clips can be heard here...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0dsVabcDj0g
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0dsVabcDj0g
a lot of people have knocked it, but i recently owned a mesa boogie 5:50 medium head with a 2x12" lone star cab.
I was at mesa hollywood playing it against a dual rectifier and a mark IV. The mark IV and dual rec both sound more favorable but obviously come with a hideous price tag. So i had made the jump to get the 5:50. In a practice session i bumped the volume and adjusted the contour and eqs. This thing sounds amazing! If you put the contour all the way up on the burn channel it sorta sounds like a rec. Likewise if you put it towards the middle it sorta sounds like a Mark IV.
Customers also played this against a Lonestar and they favored the Express cleans over the Lonestar. It might not be great for heavy metal or heavy distortion, but it works great for me (and i play punk, post-hardcore, jazz, rock, alternative, etc). It has a very distinct yet nice sound to it.
again this is just my .02. I only returned it because in the band i'm in (that im contemplating about quitting), i've been demoted to being a bassist which basically means i dont have say in the direction of where the band is going.
I was at mesa hollywood playing it against a dual rectifier and a mark IV. The mark IV and dual rec both sound more favorable but obviously come with a hideous price tag. So i had made the jump to get the 5:50. In a practice session i bumped the volume and adjusted the contour and eqs. This thing sounds amazing! If you put the contour all the way up on the burn channel it sorta sounds like a rec. Likewise if you put it towards the middle it sorta sounds like a Mark IV.
Customers also played this against a Lonestar and they favored the Express cleans over the Lonestar. It might not be great for heavy metal or heavy distortion, but it works great for me (and i play punk, post-hardcore, jazz, rock, alternative, etc). It has a very distinct yet nice sound to it.
again this is just my .02. I only returned it because in the band i'm in (that im contemplating about quitting), i've been demoted to being a bassist which basically means i dont have say in the direction of where the band is going.
richt
Well-known member
Do a search under my name, I've made some recent posts on the Express. I've had my 5:50 1x12 since February, and I love it! Great stuff indeed and a worthy addition to the Boogie family!
Cheers,
Richt
Cheers,
Richt
Strat N My Stuff
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I compared a 212 5:50 with a 112 LSS, and went with the LSS, which I felt had a warmer sound overall. As I continue to tweak in attempt to get what ever sound I'm seeking at the time, I'm become more and more of the opinion that if "true clean" is a requirement, the 6L6 based 5:50 is the way to go. Remember that I compared the 212 Express to the LSS when I made my decision, and that was only after waiting for forever to get that chance. I can't speak to the 112 Express 5:50.
However, if you like the sound of EL-84's, which IMO don't stay clean if pushed even modestly, and at 30 watts, you'll get a sound that while not PA clean, is much more pleasing tone wise (again, IMO). Jeff
However, if you like the sound of EL-84's, which IMO don't stay clean if pushed even modestly, and at 30 watts, you'll get a sound that while not PA clean, is much more pleasing tone wise (again, IMO). Jeff
TheRazMeister
Well-known member
I guess my lot in life is to be the contrarian in regards to the Express series. 1st, I'll disagree about the cleans being better than the Lonestar. The Lonestar is the benchmark for Mesa cleans...that's all I have to say about that.
The Express is also nothing like the Stilletto. Different voicing altogther...The Express has a pretty wide palette but it is not a replacement for an EL34 type sound.
The Express is also nothing like the Stilletto. Different voicing altogther...The Express has a pretty wide palette but it is not a replacement for an EL34 type sound.
kselbee said:
NuSkoolTone
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Pyro said:
Pretty bold statements. Can we hear some clips to back that up?
I owned the 5:50 for a week and took it back for an F-50. I'd sure love to hear some of those tones that "Beat the Recto and sound more Original" from the 5:50. Cause I would have kept it! I could see for Classic Rock tones, but RECTO? No way. I Need to HEAR this to believe it.
Perhaps I'm another one of those with kitty-kat ears that don't work right. :roll:
NuSkoolTone said:
I think he means to imply that it sounds almost as good as the Recto's modern
... *I* personally feel unless you have a need for 3 channels and lots of adjustments, the express 2 channel is good enough for most stuff. I do favor the Recto's modern channel over the Express' burn with max contour, but not for $500 more Similar threads
