I got to play an egnator Tweaker head ($399 ) yesterday and loved it. I compared it to a Mesa TA ($899 which I went to buy) and came away liking the Tweaker better IMHO. The Mesa is nice but, sounded bright and thin, next to the Tweaker (both played through the same 1x12 Mesa cab).The mesa has more options and looks better built but, The tweaker blew me away tone wise( great for me classic rock guy). I wanted to love the Mesa, and wanted the two channels. I think I'll wait for the new two channel 40 watt tweaker before I buy anything. There's some great little amps out there.
Egnator Tweaker Vs Mesa TA
- Thread starter jamme61
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The Tweaker is a nice unit. I look at as well when I bought my TA-15. The tone was great and I also liked the effects loop. The lack of wattage selection and footswitch was a turnoff for me. The Egnater 1x12 cab is nice too.
Certainly good to have choices...
Certainly good to have choices...
I did like the clean sounds of the Mesa better. On the Tweaker, the crunch dirty stuff was warmer and fuller IMHO. I was shocked I liked the tweaker, I had bought a Rebel 20 and did not like it at all. I figured the Tweaker was a rebel 20 with less tube and power choices. Maybe it is but, it sounds a lot better then the Rebel 20 IMHO. The Mesa is still a very cool amp, love to own both some day.
Guitarmiester
Well-known member
I haven't had a chance to try the TA yet, but I've played the Tweaker several times and am not a fan. I paired it with several cabs and wasn't pleased with any combination. The cleans aren't bad, but they're nothing special either. The lead channel is what I don't get along with. No matter how I EQ'd it, normal/bright, or whichever voicing I used I ended up with a very grainy, boomy, and undefined sound.
I messed around with the Tweaker again today, since I was at GC to check a few things out. There's a lot of hype around the Tweaker. Either I've been doing something very wrong or the amp doesn't live up to the hype. I even went for some extreme EQ'ing and set the bass at practically minimum, treble nearly maxed, mids anywhere from 12-3 o'clock, and set to bright.
I messed around with the Tweaker again today, since I was at GC to check a few things out. There's a lot of hype around the Tweaker. Either I've been doing something very wrong or the amp doesn't live up to the hype. I even went for some extreme EQ'ing and set the bass at practically minimum, treble nearly maxed, mids anywhere from 12-3 o'clock, and set to bright.
did you use the tight switch? That gets rid of the booming bass. Also play around with the vintage modern switch. I just dug it because of price and how small it is (bad back). If it was $900 it would be a different story.
Guitarmiester
Well-known member
I did use the tight switch, but still didn't find it to really tighten anything up. Yesterday I played the Tweaker side-by-side with a Blackstar HT-5H and Jet City JCA20H. I found the Blackstar and Jet City to be way better than the Tweaker at everything.
Guitarmiester
Well-known member
The Blackstar is capable of sounding heavy, but also delivers a Marshall-y crunch with the ISF knob past 12 o'clock. The Jet City is a nice low-mid gain amp with more of a vintage voicing. They're all well worth checking out.
Played the Blackstar HT-5H, it's OK but, it's only 5 watts? ( I didn't know that). I wanted to use this in my band. The Mesa TA and tweaker have enough power for that (in my band). Didn't get to try the Jet city yet. You really liked the Blackstar better then the tweaker?
Did you try the Blackstar against the TA? The TA is two channels and can do some heavy Mesa sounds too. I'm still sold on the Tweaker, even just to take to band practice (nice and light and cheap)
Any other Tweakers out there? I hear there's a 40 and 88 watt version comming out (two channels and cheap too). I resisted the egnater stuff for years ( I don't like the look either) but, I'm starting to dig the tone and better yet, I can afford them (almost LOL).
Did you try the Blackstar against the TA? The TA is two channels and can do some heavy Mesa sounds too. I'm still sold on the Tweaker, even just to take to band practice (nice and light and cheap)
Any other Tweakers out there? I hear there's a 40 and 88 watt version comming out (two channels and cheap too). I resisted the egnater stuff for years ( I don't like the look either) but, I'm starting to dig the tone and better yet, I can afford them (almost LOL).
I looked at all three...went with the MESA.
Blackstar...awesome metal and clean tones. Lacks any kind of headroom but that is solved with the HT 20---but then you loose all that low watt tone goodness. Also lacked that vintage feel I was after.
Tweaker...on the plus side it had awesome tone and an effects loop. But the lack of a footswitch really turned me off. It also was not switchable wattages. You had to turn it up a bit to get the sound I was looking for. It has a huge variety of tone.
In the end the Mesa was more but the variety of tones and versatility if offered exceeded both. That was my thought process. All three are top notch products.
For the price of the MESA, one should also consider the ORANGE DUAL TERROR! I have one of those too...I go between both...The Mesa has the advantage with clean and VOX like tones...but the ORGANGE really nails some of the early Page tones and rocks when the gain is cranked! It is footswitchable too. I use one channel with the gain dialed back to get a good clean tone.
I do like how the MESA enables me to have one wattage setting for the left channel and and other for the right.......I get crystal clear cleans and awesome gain at the flick of a switch...or two or three.... :lol:
Blackstar...awesome metal and clean tones. Lacks any kind of headroom but that is solved with the HT 20---but then you loose all that low watt tone goodness. Also lacked that vintage feel I was after.
Tweaker...on the plus side it had awesome tone and an effects loop. But the lack of a footswitch really turned me off. It also was not switchable wattages. You had to turn it up a bit to get the sound I was looking for. It has a huge variety of tone.
In the end the Mesa was more but the variety of tones and versatility if offered exceeded both. That was my thought process. All three are top notch products.
For the price of the MESA, one should also consider the ORANGE DUAL TERROR! I have one of those too...I go between both...The Mesa has the advantage with clean and VOX like tones...but the ORGANGE really nails some of the early Page tones and rocks when the gain is cranked! It is footswitchable too. I use one channel with the gain dialed back to get a good clean tone.
I do like how the MESA enables me to have one wattage setting for the left channel and and other for the right.......I get crystal clear cleans and awesome gain at the flick of a switch...or two or three.... :lol:
I tried a Tweaker and really liked it. Its basically like a Fender Champ with any mod you could ever want. Great single channel amp for the bedroom or dorm. Plus its cheap as hell!
I tried a Jet City and was disgusted. Sounded abosolutely terrible. Maybe I got a bad one (I was at guitar center!) but yowzah...was not impressed. Made the Tweaker look MUCH better.
I saw some schematics of the Blackstar HT-5 and I was surprised (but shouldnt have been) at how much solid state stuff is in there. Its sort of like an old Marshall valvestate with a tube power amp. Don't be fooled into thinking that thats 100% tube derived distortion!
I tried a Jet City and was disgusted. Sounded abosolutely terrible. Maybe I got a bad one (I was at guitar center!) but yowzah...was not impressed. Made the Tweaker look MUCH better.
I saw some schematics of the Blackstar HT-5 and I was surprised (but shouldnt have been) at how much solid state stuff is in there. Its sort of like an old Marshall valvestate with a tube power amp. Don't be fooled into thinking that thats 100% tube derived distortion!
EtherealWidow
Well-known member
I can't tell you how many arguments I've gotten in on Youtube over this. :lol:lerxst88 said:
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