how brutal can get the express amps?

[benlink]

ok...I'm here talking about both the express 25 watt and 50 watt heads...
I'd like to know if some one can post a clip of the most brutal sound that can get out of these....
ok its not a recto, I know that...but today a lot of people think they need an incredible amount of gain to play metal.....so I'd like to know how far these beasts ca go...thanks.....
(for example...with humbuckers, on channel 2 burn mode,a good metal eq but not with the mids totally scooped...I don't like that....and the contour to about 3/4.....)

 

[NuSkoolTone]

I'm sure there's better examples, but here's what I recorded while I had the Express. Not Brootal at ALL IMO.

http://www.soundclick.com/bands/pagemusic.cfm?bandID=662903

 

[phillyred79]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HqoC_maUjjs

That's as good as she gets.. Albeit, I'm using a crappy Squier she has some decent crunch. Definitely not a metal amp though.

 

[benlink]

to what amp is it close in terms of gain?
a studio 22+?
a markC+?
etc...?
(Im not talking about tone....though it could be interesting...but the amount of gain available)

 

[kriskross179]

Ok, so forget about metal for a second. Would you guys say that the 5:50 has enough gain to handle ANYTHING hard rock while still sounding good? Even the more extreme hard rock tones? Is the "burn" channel only an issue with metal guitarists but good for everybody else?

 

[dodger916]

I'll preface by saying I never owned an Express, but demo'd several different ones in 3 stores. The 5:50 covers a good amount of ground, short of the Recto stuff...but that's what Rectos are for. For me, it's more about the voice of an amp than the amount of this or that....more the sound quality than the quantity.

I'm not crazy about the voice of the burn mode...same with the ROV, but I'm not into super-heavy gain stuff. In general, the Expresses didn't "talk" to me the way the Mark does, or the way the ROV does. I know there are some here who absolutely love them. The only way to know for sure is to spend a litle time with one, maybe A/B it with other amps. In the long run, you could save a lot of effort and money.

 

[NuSkoolTone]

I'll get flamed for this, but do yourself a favor and check out a crate V3112 (With the V30 logo in front). If you can do without an FX loop, it is seriously COOL and HALF the price. GREAT Rock amp.

EDIT: It DOES have an FX loop.

In fact I'm considering selling my F-50 specifically to get that amp. I was THAT blow away! It's fairly portable too.

EDIT2: I forgot you were looking for Bootal Metal. The Crate might not quite get there. Though FWIW I was jammin on it with a 7 string and was having a good time!

 

[Newysurfer]

ok...I'm here talking about both the express 25 watt and 50 watt heads...
I'd like to know if some one can post a clip of the most brutal sound that can get out of these....
ok its not a recto, I know that...but today a lot of people think they need an incredible amount of gain to play metal.....so I'd like to know how far these beasts ca go...thanks.....
(for example...with humbuckers, on channel 2 burn mode,a good metal eq but not with the mids totally scooped...I don't like that....and the contour to about 3/4.....)

Hey Benlink - just go test the amp for yourself and make your own judgements

 

[TheRazMeister]

NUSkool....I did the same thing...I was bound and determined to buy an F-50 awhile back and was left wanting. I plugged into the Palomino version of the V series (v32) and really liked what I heard. It is a wonderful and underrated amp.
But to answer the original question..please realize there are different amps for different applications. The Express was not intended as a high gain metal monster. It's great for what it does, nothing more....

I'll get flamed for this, but do yourself a favor and check out a crate V3112 (With the V30 logo in front). If you can do without an FX loop, it is seriously COOL and HALF the price. GREAT Rock amp.

EDIT: It DOES have an FX loop.

In fact I'm considering selling my F-50 specifically to get that amp. I was THAT blow away! It's fairly portable too.

EDIT2: I forgot you were looking for Bootal Metal. The Crate might not quite get there. Though FWIW I was jammin on it with a 7 string and was having a good time!

 

[lyman]

an express amp insulted my mother, punched me in the balls, and made out with my girlfriend. so yeah, they can be quite brutal.

 

[cellardweller]

an express amp insulted my mother, punched me in the balls, and made out with my girlfriend. so yeah, they can be quite brutal.

No worries bro, my little solo 50 caught it talking smack and put the hurtin' on the lil beyotch. What a wuss!!!

 

[Pyro]

an express amp insulted my mother, punched me in the balls, and made out with my girlfriend. so yeah, they can be quite brutal.

No worries bro, my little solo 50 caught it talking smack and put the hurtin' on the lil beyotch. What a wuss!!!

~wind blows~

~tumble weed rolls past~

 

[beachjammer]

I like my express 5:25. I wouldn't say that it's "brutal" but it has enough gain to be a stand alone amp. Meaning , no distortion or overdrive pedals required. I think that it has a very "organic" sound like the Mark series amps. I have a Rectoverb to get the over the top gain if I want it. If I had to get rid of one I'd have a hard time deciding which one would go because they are both great amps for what they were made to do.

 

[AMP10]

Man, a beautiful amp such as the Express...How brutal does it get?? Get a Crate, a metal-zone, and call it a day :twisted:

 

[benlink]

I think I need to test it..cause ok...
the clips found on youtube are not really metal....
BUT:
1. I'm convinced that we do not need a lot of gain in order to do metal....people tend to increase the gain and their sound is not articulate at all....
2. the clips on youtube are the combos clips....I"d like to hear the head through a recto cab...
3. the guy plays with a squier...........and I"m pretty sure it would be quite different with a gibson flying v for example...
4. if needed there is always the possibility of changing the 12ax7 in v1 and replace it with a tung sol for example....

by the way....would the 25watt head through a 2x12 recto cab loud enough for a band with 2 guitars?

 

[benlink]

By the way.....this is more concerning the power of the amp...
on musicplayers.com, the testers were astonished by the power of the 50w.....really really loud.....they put the master on 1 instead of 3!
so is it the same with the 25w head? can it handle a gig and compete with other brands 50or 60w heads easily?

 

[phillyred79]

Sounds like you're really trying to justify to yourself purchasing an Express... I've actually ran the Express 5:25 combo through a Recto 2x12 with a Les Paul and a PRS and the results were not much different as compared to a single-coil guitar. If you want brutal go with a dual rectifier, F series, Mark IV or a diezel. The Express is an entry level Mesa which is an 'ok' amp for budget-minded people looking for a sample of what Mesa has to offer. And that's it. It does a lot of things, but nothing particularly super well.

 

[benlink]

ok....and concerning the volume? my statement above?what do you think, as you ve tested the 25w combo through a cab?


its not that I want to convince me that its for me...but I just cant afford a mark IV or event a recto..too expensive for me.......(and I want to buy new...)...if needed I could also use an OCD for example.....

 

[NuSkoolTone]

Sounds like you're really trying to justify to yourself purchasing an Express... I've actually ran the Express 5:25 combo through a Recto 2x12 with a Les Paul and a PRS and the results were not much different as compared to a single-coil guitar. If you want brutal go with a dual rectifier, F series, Mark IV or a diezel. The Express is an entry level Mesa which is an 'ok' amp for budget-minded people looking for a sample of what Mesa has to offer. And that's it. It does a lot of things, but nothing particularly super well.

Agreed with exception about "one" thing. I think the clean sound and reverb on the Express is stellar! The rest you already know.

 

[phillyred79]

25W volume wise is pretty decent in a live situation. A 2x12 definitely gives the sound more space and a perception of being louder than just the combo alone. And I agree with the poster above, the cleans are very nice and the reverb for a Mesa is quite Fenderish- which means great!