I played a roadster when they first came out and thought nothing special about it's tone (must have had a bad one) Today I plugged into one and Loved the tweed sound on Chn1 and the vintage sound on chn 3, Brit on 2 is good but I'd probably use 2 for clean, because I love the tweed sound so much. I went with the MKIV but now I think I made a mistake. Digging the roadster. Were the first ones voiced differently? I played a Roadster which is just like the RKII except for less options, voiced the same, right? I was thinking of p/u a recto but, the roadster has that and then chn1 &2, cool amp.
Hated the Roadster and now love it
- Thread starter jamme61
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I got a roadster last month..it's the most organic voiced amp I have ever played. I guess the newer roadster amps might have some worked done in them by mesa. Seriously, I think the roadster would be a better choice than a mark IV - if you trying to get a rock amp (now I will be hanged by mark lovers).
Refixer
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vertigo_ said:
So wait, you're telling me there's already updates for the Roadster?
I have #116. Should I call them and see if there's any updates that I should send mine in for?
Sorry to hi-jack your topic jamme61.
But yeah, you might've been better off with a Roadster IMO.
Refixer said:
I just remember there being a delay on roadsters for some recal and maybe the first one i tried (back then) slipped through. There's been no updates to the roadster, that I know of, just this one sounded a lot better to me. I love the MKIV for chn1 and 3 but never warmed up to chn2. The roadster with tweed, brit, and Vitage, would make me very happy. Still don't know what I'd do with Chn 4 LOL.
A good buddy of mine is looking at picking up a Roadster so he's played a few. Seems like:
the heads sound a bit better than the combos;
ones in music stores have often been beat on a little;
like most Mesas they need careful tweaking to go from "sounds good" to "sounds GREAT"; and
don't just head straight for the Modern voicing-- Brit especially is really nice.
versus the MkIV, not sure... in my limited experience with MkIVs they sound great, but they always sound like a MkIV. You can't really cop someone else's tone unless they're playing a Mk IV as well. The RK and Roadster series allow you a lot of possibilities.
the heads sound a bit better than the combos;
ones in music stores have often been beat on a little;
like most Mesas they need careful tweaking to go from "sounds good" to "sounds GREAT"; and
don't just head straight for the Modern voicing-- Brit especially is really nice.
versus the MkIV, not sure... in my limited experience with MkIVs they sound great, but they always sound like a MkIV. You can't really cop someone else's tone unless they're playing a Mk IV as well. The RK and Roadster series allow you a lot of possibilities.
123thefirst
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Have you tried the Road King into its own cabinet? I'd think you'd at least want to see if that might be in your future too rather than discovering later that you want that instead. You might be a person who appreciates the difference an open back cabinet can give you.
Yeah, all these things start getting expensive. I just bought a high-priced cable and I'm not sure it's going to work for me. The sensitivity and power you get is amazing. But it kind of blows away the sensitive Mesa preamp resulting in a very harsh sound with any kind of gain setting. Maybe the cable just needs to be broken in.
Yeah, all these things start getting expensive. I just bought a high-priced cable and I'm not sure it's going to work for me. The sensitivity and power you get is amazing. But it kind of blows away the sensitive Mesa preamp resulting in a very harsh sound with any kind of gain setting. Maybe the cable just needs to be broken in.
CoG said:
+1 agree, the MKIV is the MKIV(very cool) but with the Roadster today I could cop the Fender and Marshall and then there's still the recto in there. This is no knock on the MKIV, they're both great amps with awesome tones. I just wish they had the 5 watt option on there for playing at home. I would think next year they might put that in. I have the express 5:50 1x12 and that is perfect for 90% of my gigs, so going for the Roadster dosen't make any sense but it feels good LOL. i'm off to rob a bank LOL.
Laskyman
Well-known member
I understand that the Roadster came in after they got the bugs worked out of the RK1, so I do not believe there have been any updates. As for comparing it to the Mark IV, they really are completely different amps- both are versatile, highly configurable, and have amazing tone inside. I think the Roadster is a little easier to dial in, and overall, is *the* amp for me.
I tried to not like the roadster for over a year, but I lost.....my only regret is that it took me 1 year to throw down. I should have never have fought the urge to get this amp in the house! And yes, the Roadster head sounds better than the combo (IMOP).
Laskyman
I tried to not like the roadster for over a year, but I lost.....my only regret is that it took me 1 year to throw down. I should have never have fought the urge to get this amp in the house! And yes, the Roadster head sounds better than the combo (IMOP).
Laskyman
jdurso
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channel 4 in vintage on recto tubes and 50 watts with a little delay makes for a great lead channel... especially on spongy.... i like both channel 3 and 4 on vintage one more dry on the gain than the other..... channel 3 with a little more gain, 6l6s, and a little less mids for rhythm and channel 4 with a little less gain, recto tubes, and a little more mids for leads..... it works for me.... between power settings and voicings this amp has so many options.... too bad there is no midi system built in so you could save one of each type of voicing (4 channels x 3 voicings = 12 types of fun)
I just got my roadster head after about 7 weeks and i love it. I played the combo in the store and the head annhilates it. It does low volumes suprisingly well. I play mostly rock but if i touch channel two on fat...i simply cant turn it off...its amazing..tweed on 1 is good...but i love fat 2.
Dont get me wrong the 3and4 channels def. arent lacking. Im just trying to say its an all around great.
*POPPPING* I cycle through the channels in standby and start the amp on channel three...then i have no pops. If i start on any other channel then channel 3 pops the first time i hit it...not after that though.
Dont get me wrong the 3and4 channels def. arent lacking. Im just trying to say its an all around great.
*POPPPING* I cycle through the channels in standby and start the amp on channel three...then i have no pops. If i start on any other channel then channel 3 pops the first time i hit it...not after that though.
roadster-T4D
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i am digging my roadster head more and more as i tweak with it ... but i think i need new cab(s) to get best tone results ... i currently have 2 early 90s 1x12" recto (closed back) cabs with celestion 90w speakers ... dunno if the roadster 1x12 or 2 x12 cab woul dbe better for me or not ... or maybe something else entirely (like the road king half open / half closed 2x12 .... my biggest problem is how LOUD this thing is ... my bandmates rag on me about it and it is a drag ... we play covers from the 60s to today - mostly dance/classic rock, so i love the variety/versatility .. and i play both an H-H guitar as well as a SSS guitar, so i can dial in plenty of 'axe-specific' tones on the 4 chs ...
and anyone else bugged by the channel lay out? .. who came up with the idea of having ch 3 in the upper left with ch 2 to its right ... then ch 4 in the lower left with ch one to its right? ... very weird layout
t4d
and anyone else bugged by the channel lay out? .. who came up with the idea of having ch 3 in the upper left with ch 2 to its right ... then ch 4 in the lower left with ch one to its right? ... very weird layout
t4d
and anyone else bugged by the channel lay out? .. who came up with the idea of having ch 3 in the upper left with ch 2 to its right ... then ch 4 in the lower left with ch one to its right? ... very weird layout
t4d[/quote]
That got me tooo, when i first sat down to try it, i was turning up the master on chn 3, when i thought I was on chn1, lol. Hey the other problem i had was seeing where the knobs where set. Do you mark the knobs to see where they're set? I was thinking a little nail polish on the little dimple on the knobs? i p/u one up tonight, can't wait, but really can't afford it either, so I'll have to sneak it past the wife tonight.
t4d[/quote]
That got me tooo, when i first sat down to try it, i was turning up the master on chn 3, when i thought I was on chn1, lol. Hey the other problem i had was seeing where the knobs where set. Do you mark the knobs to see where they're set? I was thinking a little nail polish on the little dimple on the knobs? i p/u one up tonight, can't wait, but really can't afford it either, so I'll have to sneak it past the wife tonight.
jamme61 said:
Im using a les paul with humbuckers...the only thing i have to do is use the amps bass sparingly and gain. I use the rythm pickup about half way on the tone control so its easier to overpower the bass... but i got it sounding awesome. I dont like sample sound in manual...i wasnt too impreessed.
Yes the roadsters do have popping...ask everyone lol. Thank god mine isnt bad at alll...**** i love this amp!
Machine Gun
Well-known member
About the layout, did you notice that alot of the boogie control panels are flipped - meaning the heads are opposite of the combos. Tubes are facing up from the amp on the RK/roadster heads and down on the combos. I think that's why the layout seems funny.
Machine Gun said:
It's maybe a best way to do the design? I know in old marshalls or any tube amp, it makes a lot of difference where you put things, to keep the noise down. Not a biggie, I do have a problem with the knobs not having a mark on them, so you can see your settings easier. anyone have a prblem with this on gigs? I'm picking the amp up tonight (newbie) so maybe I missed something, but even in the store, it was hard to tell where your settings were.
123thefirst
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jamme61 said:
LOL That's so funny... But I picture it very clearly. What about the look on her face when she discovers yet another new amp in the basement?
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