Hi everybody,
I have been playing MB amps for a very long time; thoroughly enjoyed most of them, and still own a few today (Original MkIV, Mark V, Mini MkV:25 and Mini Rectifier)!
I have also previously owned a DC-5, Road King V1, Express 5:50, ElectroDyne, TA-30, all of which were great amps in their own right, but decided to part with them. Honestly, the only one that I truly regret selling was the DC-5 combo. It was a great 2 channel combo that sounded great to me in its day!
Anyway, the only reason I mention me missing my DC-5 combo is because I think the Express Plus Series is an evolution of the old DC Series, but much improved regarding versatility.
I recently auditioned the 5:50+ and 5:25+ 112 combos, and while I really liked both.....I ended up purchasing the 5:25+ and am really enjoying this amp! Honestly, the main reason I chose the 5:25+ combo was due to it being smaller and lighter, but still offered the same features as the 5:50+ with different power tubes and speaker choice. Both of these amps can be very loud and sound great so it really comes down to which you prefer sonically and whether or not you prefer the extra weight of the 5:50+ combo.
Anyway, the reason for my post is that I truly do believe the Express Plus Series from MB is a "Sleeper Amp"! While it is true that it can't mimic Mark V or Rectifier sounds precisely, it can be dialed in to be close to either depending on how it is set. Additionally, the Express Plus Series offers one particular feature that is not easily matched with the more popular Rectifier and even Mark amps....that being the Blues Mode of Ch2! It is so enjoyable for me to set my Express Plus to the "Clean Mode" of Ch1 and the "Blues Mode" of Ch2 for excellent classic R&B clean and overdriven bluesy sounds offered in this mode. I can't easily get the "Blues Mode Sound" offerings of the Express Plus with my Mark amps. Just saying. Also, the "Clean Mode" sound offerings are excellent in the Express Plus amps and handle overdrive pedals very well if that is your thing...
Secondly, the Express Plus offers the optional foot switchable 5-Band GEQ sliders OR the Preset Contour EQ knob just like the Big Mark V does! This is an excellent addition in my opinion because the GEQ sliders as most people know is an exceptionally powerful tone shaping option offered with several MB amps....mainly the Mark Series. Additionally, I am finding the Preset Contour rotary dial knob offering in the Express Plus to be better for some sounds than the previous "Non-Plus" Express Series based on my recollection. I am finding this option to be a big added bonus!
Thirdly, you get the optional foot switchable "Solo Boost" feature on the Express Plus Series which I have always found to be useful during band rehearsals and live performances.
Lastly, the Express Plus offers an additional power setting for each channel (compared to the original Express Series) which can be useful to fine tune your sound. Volume wise, the difference between the 15w and 25w setting is subtle, but with a different sound/feel. Whereas the 5w setting is significantly lower volume with all settings being equal. I believe the same is probably the case with the 5:50 Plus when comparing the intermediate 25w setting with the 50w setting, but don't know that for sure. Either way, even the 5w setting of the Express Plus amps can be fairly loud especially when dialing in higher gain sounds from any of the 4 modes, but is much more "home friendly". If you are gigging though, the medium to high watt settings are most likely going to be best for that.
While I do love my Mark Series amps without question, there are truly some different sound and feature offerings with the Express Plus Series that I like and others might too! Just a thought....
I have been playing MB amps for a very long time; thoroughly enjoyed most of them, and still own a few today (Original MkIV, Mark V, Mini MkV:25 and Mini Rectifier)!
I have also previously owned a DC-5, Road King V1, Express 5:50, ElectroDyne, TA-30, all of which were great amps in their own right, but decided to part with them. Honestly, the only one that I truly regret selling was the DC-5 combo. It was a great 2 channel combo that sounded great to me in its day!
Anyway, the only reason I mention me missing my DC-5 combo is because I think the Express Plus Series is an evolution of the old DC Series, but much improved regarding versatility.
I recently auditioned the 5:50+ and 5:25+ 112 combos, and while I really liked both.....I ended up purchasing the 5:25+ and am really enjoying this amp! Honestly, the main reason I chose the 5:25+ combo was due to it being smaller and lighter, but still offered the same features as the 5:50+ with different power tubes and speaker choice. Both of these amps can be very loud and sound great so it really comes down to which you prefer sonically and whether or not you prefer the extra weight of the 5:50+ combo.
Anyway, the reason for my post is that I truly do believe the Express Plus Series from MB is a "Sleeper Amp"! While it is true that it can't mimic Mark V or Rectifier sounds precisely, it can be dialed in to be close to either depending on how it is set. Additionally, the Express Plus Series offers one particular feature that is not easily matched with the more popular Rectifier and even Mark amps....that being the Blues Mode of Ch2! It is so enjoyable for me to set my Express Plus to the "Clean Mode" of Ch1 and the "Blues Mode" of Ch2 for excellent classic R&B clean and overdriven bluesy sounds offered in this mode. I can't easily get the "Blues Mode Sound" offerings of the Express Plus with my Mark amps. Just saying. Also, the "Clean Mode" sound offerings are excellent in the Express Plus amps and handle overdrive pedals very well if that is your thing...
Secondly, the Express Plus offers the optional foot switchable 5-Band GEQ sliders OR the Preset Contour EQ knob just like the Big Mark V does! This is an excellent addition in my opinion because the GEQ sliders as most people know is an exceptionally powerful tone shaping option offered with several MB amps....mainly the Mark Series. Additionally, I am finding the Preset Contour rotary dial knob offering in the Express Plus to be better for some sounds than the previous "Non-Plus" Express Series based on my recollection. I am finding this option to be a big added bonus!
Thirdly, you get the optional foot switchable "Solo Boost" feature on the Express Plus Series which I have always found to be useful during band rehearsals and live performances.
Lastly, the Express Plus offers an additional power setting for each channel (compared to the original Express Series) which can be useful to fine tune your sound. Volume wise, the difference between the 15w and 25w setting is subtle, but with a different sound/feel. Whereas the 5w setting is significantly lower volume with all settings being equal. I believe the same is probably the case with the 5:50 Plus when comparing the intermediate 25w setting with the 50w setting, but don't know that for sure. Either way, even the 5w setting of the Express Plus amps can be fairly loud especially when dialing in higher gain sounds from any of the 4 modes, but is much more "home friendly". If you are gigging though, the medium to high watt settings are most likely going to be best for that.
While I do love my Mark Series amps without question, there are truly some different sound and feature offerings with the Express Plus Series that I like and others might too! Just a thought....