I cant figure out the ED. Why the ED?

[TimeSignature]

What is the fascination with this amp?

Ive played it several times at several different music stores. I just don't get it! :?

Granted, I didnt really have time to dial it in. On the flip side there isnt much to dial!

Its probably just me... but the ED sounds like an Express or Mark with the gain waaay down. Im sure it gets pretty **** saturated at ear bleed volumes but the Mark and Express get very saturated at much less volume.

Why choose the ED over a Mark IV or Express 5:50? Certainly can not be because of price as the ED was $1699. I'd prefer the Express 5:50 2x12 for $1399. I suppose clean head room at 90 watts would be one reason for the ED over the Express, but not the Mark IV....

What am I missing? Im curious!!!!

 

[theweatherman]

I think most like it for its simplicity and purity of tone. I mean the amp goes from classic fender cleans to great warm overdrive to full on ballsy Marshall/Mesa wall of distortion. IMO this amp is the best sounding amp from mesa. I've owned or played them all too. It just has so much to offer in a simple easy to use package.

 

[lucidology]

I agree with the Guitar Player review that said the more you turn up the ED's clean channel,
the more Vox like it sounds ...
Now a lot of folk love that sound, but it doesn't work for me in my jazzy funk world of comping

Though I truly thought the OD sounds were very good on the ED.

 

[primal]

Not sure if you had the gain trim switch flipped to hi/lo which reduces the gain, but the ED and Express sound nothing alike on the drive channels. Express is much looser and doesn' have the tight palm muted distortion that the ED has and definately is not near as thick. Nor does the Express have the low end of the ED.

Cleans between the two sound similar though.

For most who love this amp, there is plenty of gain on tap. I think it best sums up the amp by saying it has great cleans, and an overdrive channel that can go from Country, to Classic rock to 80's Metal to the verge of modern metal but not quite there.

If I max the gain, there is too much for me. I drop it to 2:00 or 3:00.

I also own a Mark IV, and if I were only going to play Metallica, I would primarily use it. For most else I would use the ED. The ED is definately thicker with gobs more lowend then the Mark IV.

 

[formisano]

What is the fascination with this amp?

Ive played it several times at several different music stores. I just don't get it! :?

Granted, I didnt really have time to dial it in. On the flip side there isnt much to dial!

Its probably just me... but the ED sounds like an Express or Mark with the gain waaay down. Im sure it gets pretty **** saturated at ear bleed volumes but the Mark and Express get very saturated at much less volume.

Why choose the ED over a Mark IV or Express 5:50? Certainly can not be because of price as the ED was $1699. I'd prefer the Express 5:50 2x12 for $1399. I suppose clean head room at 90 watts would be one reason for the ED over the Express, but not the Mark IV....

What am I missing? Im curious!!!!

TONE.

 

[JOEY B.]

Granted, I didnt really have time to dial it in. On the flip side there isnt much to dial!

This is a key statement. Forget everything you know about dialing in a Mark series Boogie. Once I got past my "old standard" Boogie tuning tricks, and read the manual, things really started to click. The manual contains several tips to get you on the right track. The ED has a VERY thick low-midrange that is not found in the Mark series voicing. Even the C+, with the Pull Deep engaged and the graphic EQ, just does not have this "meat", if you will. I have utilized the Fulltone Fulldrive 2, on the Comp Cut setting(clean boost), to give enough additional gain that anyone should ever need. If you are a "metal" player, the more compressed nature of the Mark series lead channel may suit your needs better. For classic rock and blues, the ED is the hot ticket, in my book. 8)

 

[Laskyman]

The ED has everything *I* want in an amp- Beautiful lush clean and reverb, Tight thick authoritive gain, and a BOO-TEEK voicing on low gain that IMHO is what most pedal builders try to obtain in an OD. For me, it is Mesas Top Shelf. Plus, it is fairly simple to dial- there aren't many bad sounds in this thing...

 

[TimeSignature]

How about the fact that it is a single channel amp? Does that matter to anyone? Im assuming the 3 modes are footswitchable. So is it basically like a three channel amp with shared tone controls?

 

[JOEY B.]

How about the fact that it is a single channel amp? Does that matter to anyone? Im assuming the 3 modes are footswitchable. So is it basically like a three channel amp with shared tone controls?

My old Mark I was a single channel amp, the ED has a footswitch for the gain stages. You REALLY need to read the manual, as it explains the "ganged" pots that allow for better footswitching with shared controls.

 

[formisano]

How about the fact that it is a single channel amp? Does that matter to anyone? Im assuming the 3 modes are footswitchable. So is it basically like a three channel amp with shared tone controls?

Read the manual. It does not employ "shared controls". It actually uses stacked pots.

 

[teletalkin]

I've had mine for quite a while now and I'm still blown away by it. What I continue to love about this amp is how I never get tired of "hearing" it. It does everything so well and works perfectly in so many applications.

 

[primal]

How about the fact that it is a single channel amp? Does that matter to anyone? Im assuming the 3 modes are footswitchable. So is it basically like a three channel amp with shared tone controls?

Since the other guys already mentioned the stacked pots, I won't.

I would say there is some compromise switching between the modes. This is inevitable when there is one set of controls.My ideal clean setting does not match my ideal drive setting. They are close, but not exact.

However, I just going with my ideal drive setting, and when I stomp on the pedal to switch to clean, the clean mode still kicks major *** even with the controls setup for my ideal drive sound. I just love the overall tone.

Hell, some of the most famouse amps of all times didn't even have footswitchable modes let alone seperate channel controls.

The holy grail of Mark series amps has shared controls

When you buy the ED, you are buying it for the tone, not the bells and whistles. If you want a lot of features, this is not the amp for you. If you are strictly a modern metal player, this is also not the amp for you. While I believe it could do modern metal with a boost, it's not what it was made for.

 

[theweatherman]

Amen on everything said so far. i've been playing my mark V for several days now ad yesterday plugged into the dyne and was blown away with its tone. it sounds so much better than the mark V. but if all you play is modern metal, the mark V is the better choice.

 

[TimeSignature]

Must be my terminology.... but Im having difficulty understanding how "stacked pots" somehow negates the fact that if I for example, max the treble in "lo" mode it is also maxed is "hi" mode. Is that not sharing the tone control at some level?

But bottom line, I suppose I should spend more time with it. It sounds like its very versatile.

My last question is ... to get a pretty saturated tone, say 80's metal, is there any way to achieve this at bedroom volume?

 

[primal]

My last question is ... to get a pretty saturated tone, say 80's metal, is there any way to achieve this at bedroom volume?

The short answer
Mode Hi
Gain trim switch in back set to off or clean (NOT Hi/Lo)
Volume/Gain 3:00 or higher
The rest however you like (more treble and presence seems to add distortion)

The long answer

Mode Hi

Gain trim switch in back set to off or clean (NOT Hi/Lo)

Volume 3:00 - Max <--- (It would have been easier if they just called this gain since that is what it is)
Treble 2:00 - 3:00
Mid 11:00 - 1:00
Bass 9:00 - 12:00 <--- Some run this even higher for that thick chugga chugga tone
Presence - noon
Master - what ever volume you want

My exact settings
Volume (Gain) 3:00
Treble 2:00
Mid 1:00
Bass 10:00
Presence - noon

 

[primal]

Another thing. You probably already know this, but just for the sake of covering all the bases, you realize the volume knob is actually the gain knob, right?

Also,

Check out this clip from the guy from Theory of a Dead Man someone posted a while back
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p5emv7lan0k

He doesn't use a boost to get his tone, but he does max the gain. I'm not sure if you can see all his setting but I know I could see where he had the gain set.

 

[TimeSignature]

Thanks primal, I will try those settings next time Im at GC.

 

[TimeSignature]

I sat down with the ED for a little bit longer this time....

I am very impressed with this amp. I ran a tube screamer in front and was blown away by how awesome the amp sounded in hi mode with the gain dimed. Very saturated. Great tone. Sensative tone controls. This amp had some nice bite as well as lots of bottom end.

I have been enlightened.

 

[primal]

I sat down with the ED for a little bit longer this time....

I am very impressed with this amp. I ran a tube screamer in front and was blown away by how awesome the amp sounded in hi mode with the gain dimed. Very saturated. Great tone. Sensative tone controls. This amp had some nice bite as well as lots of bottom end.

I have been enlightened.

I hope my settings helped!

I think this weekend I might try it in stereo with the Mark IV. That should be interesting.

 

[TimeSignature]

To me, its sounded VERY much like the Mark IV's lead channel, except it was less mid-heavy.