Is it love or is it lust? (considering ditching the Mesa's)

[exbest182]

I'm sure I can't be the only one who goes through this.

It's almost like a crush in high school... or that cute girl in the office that you meet after you've been married for years..

So, I've been playing Mesa's for 11 years now (I'm 28) .. I've owned 2 - 2 Channel Dual Rectifiers.. a 3 - channel Dual Rectifier, a Tremoverb, a Triple Rectifier, Mark III, Mark IIC+, a Stiletto Deuce and a Mark V. Right now, I'm sitting on a 3 Channel Dual Rectifier, my Stiletto, and my Mark V. I love Mesa Boogie..... especially my Mark V... that is my baby... Recently though, I've been lusting after a 5150 III, except maybe the being made in Mexico part, I love everything about the amp... and am literally ready to sell the farm to get my rig where I want.... I just got this Dual Rec., I got a great deal on it (see other posts).. and while I was considering modding it out... I'm almost just wanting to flip it... my Stiletto I bought brand new 2 months ago, it's got about an hour of use, maybe.... I'm ready to get rid of that too....

it's not just amps though, it's guitars too... I was a life long Gibson player... especially SGs, though I have love for the Les Pauls.. a few months ago my buddy got an endorsement from BC Rich, and attempted to sell me on the mockingbird... I picked up a Mockingbird Exotic (same model he plays) and I loved it.... it was the first non-gibson guitar I've owned in 10 years... I bought my Les Paul and the Mockingbird on the same day... Mockingbird has got hours and hours of use.... Les Paul only a couple.... and then 2 weeks ago I picked up an EVH Wolfgang... now, I am an EVH fan boy.. the guy inspired me to pick up a guitar..... I love the Wolfgang.... it's my favorite guitar.... I'm sitting here literally ready to ditch everything that I'm familiar with as far as gear goes and start over.. My ideal rig (along with my Mark V) is a 5150 III, with a matching 4x12 and 2x12, and I also want to pick up a Wolfgang custom, if you haven't seen them they are a wolfgang/lp sort of hybrid.. and play beautiful... and sound just amazing.... leaving me with a Mark V half stack, a 5150 III half stack, and then the 2 wolfgangs, and my Mockingbird....

Does anybody else go through this kind of gear lust... I feel like a crack fiend... just fiendin' for that stuff.... I'm afraid if I ditch all my boogie stuff, I'll regret it later... though in all honesty, I'm not huge on the Recto and the Stiletto...... but I can't be the only one that just wants to go sell current gear and go buy new stuff out of almost pure impulse am I?

 

[iceman]

Keep what you like ditch what you don't. Seems like you are feeling guilty for not being loyal to a couple of brands, I wouldn't (especially Gibson). As far as your addiction, as long as you can afford it why not, but that is up to you alone. :wink: Honestly this probably isn't the best group of folks to get advice from. Kinda like walking into a bar to get advice on wether you should give up drinking or not . :lol:

 

[auburnshredder]

Dude are you married?

My wife would of booted me out of the house a long time ago

 

[exbest182]

yea, i'm married... part of me wants to save for the gear i want.. and sort of make a collection out of it.... but... I want it now, and don't want to wait... but yea, I am feeling guilty.. I've been loyal to Mesa for many years... Mike B. is the best and has helped me with so much... it'd be the perfect company if I didn't have to talk to Rich Duval to get my RA's... lol... I go out of my way to recommend Mark series heads (nothing against other series, i just love marks) and I'd never get rid of my Mark V... i still find new tones out of that thing...... I'm probably going to make money out of both my recto and stiletto.. I mean, I paid $100 for my recto... then put in $250 for repairs... my Stiletto I got brand new.. for $850 from a music store going under... it was in the box, never played... Stiletto's don't seem to sell very well though... I can get a used 5150 III rig for probably $1800... so if I can move those 2 heads... I can keep my Mesa cabs... and all my guitars, and get my 5150 III rig... I think that'll work! The Wolfgang custom is the bitch, as it retails for $3600.... that's a whole lot of scratch...

 

[auburnshredder]

I would love to pick up a Wolfgang...they have the cheaper models, but I assume there is no comparison.

 

[topcat0399]

I was once strictly a Fender guy. Strats Teles Twins......Lots of pedals and processors. 15 years maybe.

Then some ahole ripped off my stuff.

Went out of my comfort zone and replaced with Ibanez RG550 and started using my Les Paul and a Mark IV.
First year was very odd but then it all clicked and I have THE sound.

So.... don't be loyal to a brand - be loyal to what brings out THE sound in YOU.


If it ain't Mesa then it ain't. You never know until you try it I guess.

 

[Blaklynx]

yeah, it happens.... but I don't sell anything..... life changes and you grow and want to try new things. Tastes change over time. How many loved metal for a lifetime and all of a sudden they found 4 extra notes in chords? Jazz, fusion anyone?

It's guilt, the 'not knowing', the unfamiliar that stops us many a time. Also, you get used to forums with great people who own the same gear and if you 'leave' you feel you miss out on something... friendship, banter, humour, etc. It's like leaving a family. I think this plays a part, too.

If I was in your position, I'd keep the Recto because you bought it for a peanuts. You will never buy another one at that insane price again..... very unlikely. I also say this because only a Recto amp produces a recto tone; some amps may come close but that's all they can manage. As for the Stilleto..... many amps are available of similar tones / drives. It's not as unique as a Recto. With a Mark, Recto and EVH amp, you've basically got all ground covered. You won't need another amp for years.

As for guitars, I'm partial to Ibanez and own about 6. I love them. I have another 3 guitars (Gibson Firebird, Epiphone Explorer and a LP copy) Like you, however, I want to buy a Wolfgang and also a Carvin. If I can manage these two, I'm set for the rest of my life. The amount of gear I have is not funny.

I'm not financially stressed, the wife's happy, the family is OK, the bills are paid and we do what we want; holidays, go out, etc.... If these are in order first and foremost, then live life and enjoy..... and have no regrets or guilt.

Sit back, take a deep breath, evaluate, decide and take action. A weight will be lifted off your shoulders.

 

[YellowJacket]

I totally understand. I love my Recto but one day I tried a Marshall JCM2000 through my 'old' 4 x 12 rectocab. At that point, I realized that I wasn't totally down with Recto tone. I tried an Electra Dyne the spring after that and it hit me between the eyes. I now have one and it really is 'that' sound, even if it is stinking loud and is contributing to hearing loss. (I think an attenuator is in order)

How often do you play the Recto? You said you never use the Stiletto so definitely sell that. All the gear I have I use, at least a couple of times a week.

 

[Tommy_G]

I went through this discussion recently with one of my jammates.

The conclusions were like this:

The only satisfaction that can be achieved is to match 1 guitar with one amp channel and one speaker, and they all gotta click.

For the most part, you have to be hooked on one gentre, for this approach to be happy with it.

Oh, was I happy back when I only loved 80's glam metal! I had one guitar, one pedal and one solid state amp, all of which cost less than $500, and that cheap gear hung together like a $10,000 rig.

Another bandmade had an interesting perspective when we talked about making mistakes in our set. He suggested that all we're really doing is moving air anyways. We gotta remember what music is. Its not real. We just move air, and it has this wonderful psychological effect on people. Its dangerous (and very expensive) to get to close to the fire.

All kidding aside, I'm now into this gear business for the better part of a couple of year's worth of savings. If I had to do it again, I would focus the better part of my attention on finding the SPEAKERS that I liked. Speakers are actually relatively cheap. If you're like most of us, you probably have a good number of thousands in guitars and amps, and a few hundred in speakers.

Out of all the variables affecting tone, speaker voicing probably has the largest relative effect on tone, and it is the most underrated subject area. Start with a great playing guitar with genre specific pickups, and focus your attention of finding the speakers you like.

THEN find an amp to connect the two

 

[Neptical]

Honestly, I think your're on the right track. Being partial to the Mark Series myself, I think your keeping the one that offers the most tonal ground...and the best tones ( IMO). Hooking up with a 5150 III isn't a bad move at all. I've heard my fair share on stage in big venues (national acts) to know they sound huge, and offer some really sweet tones.

Do whatcha gotta do for whatcha want. You seem to have no problem buying amps, so you can always come back anytime. The amps will always be there waiting for you. :lol:

 

[exbest182]

I would love to pick up a Wolfgang...they have the cheaper models, but I assume there is no comparison.

The EVH Wolfgang special (not the peavey) are great great guitars... they are identical in almost all ways to the standard... the differences are cosmetic... it's non-archtop, finish can be a tad nicer, there is a higher ply body binding, and there is headstock binding.... otherwise, same woods, same hardware, same pickups, same pots and wiring, it's identical otherwise... great guitar, can't say enough good things about the evh wolfgang special.

The only thing I know for sure is going is my Les Paul... not because I don't like it... but it doesn't agree with my amps... my mark v is the only amp it seems to get along with... and i somewhat blame it for me selling my iic+... I have the different amps because I like have any tone available to me I want... and I think with my setup right now.. I have that... The Mark V is just amazing, but it doesn't sound like a recto.... however, channel 2 on the Mark V imo smokes any tone on the Stiletto... Channel 2 - crunch mode in variac... is just amazing.. ever since I've been on this Van Halen kick lately I've been playing in variac.. my wolfgang and the mark v on iic+ mode in variac sounds just amazing..... like I mentioned earlier, I still find tones out of that thing after almost a year...

How often do you play the Recto? You said you never use the Stiletto so definitely sell that. All the gear I have I use, at least a couple of times a week.

The recto, I've only plugged in once - I just got it back from Mesa earlier this week... I'm gonna crank her up this weekend... however, I may need a mod.. and if I decide to keep, I'm still taking it to Dave Friedman... and doing my tranny swap... and my work schedule has been rough... so I haven't got to play it too much, I plan too though... the Stiletto, I'm still debating on.. I have yet to play it in a band setting, and that might totally change my opinion...

A lot of guitar players I dig and are in fellow punk bands are using 5150 III's (Jake and Rob from Strung Out), as well as my guitar teacher, Dave Nassie, of Bleeding Through, formerly of No Use for a Name, is an EVH artist.. Watching demos.. I love it.. the seamless switching is great... and I don't hear a bad thing on any channel.... the Wolfgang custom can wait... but I def. want to get the amp.... though, I may keep it all... and my tax return at the end of the month will cover the amp... so we'll see... if the right deal presents itself, of course I'll jump on... but for now, most is safe... the LP is on the chopping block as is the Stiletto...

The 5150 III is tight.. super tight, and has 3 usable unique channels.. along with the seamless switching.... I trust EVH.. at least the line now... Peavey... eh... but the newest EVH brand... I love....

Right now, except for the LP.. I'm undecided.... though I just have this crazy idea with the mods in my mind for my recto, that i could turn it into a beast...

 

[thelastleroy]

I love these discussions. Gear really is like a relationship sometimes, we get attached and won't move on even if it's better in the end :lol:

I'm leaning out of the boogie zone myself lately, as more and more I find myself hearing "that" tone in my head from classic rock songs with good old Marshall amps. I recently played an early 2203 (100w Master Volume) with the vertical inputs and metal switches at the rehearsal place we jam at and I'm in love, but don't need all of that 100w volume.

I'm going to be building my first clone this winter (budget permitting, I'm married, with a 15mo son), and it will be of a Marshall Design (2204). I've decided that I'm done with channel switching and too many knobs. The boogie crowd on here will be happy to know that I'll be using the Mesa transformers from my Nomad 45, as well as some utility parts like jacks and switches (but not pots :mrgreen: )

If it all goes according to plan, and the OT doesn't fry when I get excited and crank it up, I'll post a link to some recordings when the beast is complete. I'm going to blog about it on the Metroamp forum, for those interested. This will be (to me) the ULTIMATE NOMAD MOD. Same user name.

As for OP; If the 5150 makes you feel good when you play it, buy it. Too often people get hung up on what's good quality and what's good branding etc. The very expensive and sought-after vintage USA and English amps were not built to the exacting standards that your new 5150 from Mexico will be. The Plexi's and Bassman's were as hit and miss as the old fuzz faces were. I'm quite sure that if you took two of the same 5150 head, you could set the knobs to the same settings, crank them up and never know it was a different amp on an A/B test. Modern manufacturing, good components and tight quality control make a reliable amp. Not necessarily the country of origin.

 

[YellowJacket]

Right now, except for the LP.. I'm undecided.... though I just have this crazy idea with the mods in my mind for my recto, that i could turn it into a beast...

Pretty sure it IS a beast already. Good luck with your decision, but something tells me you'll be back testing that 5150 again!!

 

[exbest182]

Well.... Here is my updated plan... I sold my les paul yesterday.... As far as amps go, I'm holding off on the 5150 III for the time being... Because it turns out I dig the recto I'd say 90% and I have the same common complaints that you hear... A tad too much recto fuzz, and i wished it was tighter... I think getting it modded by either Dave Friedman or Voodoo would clear up my issues... I talked to trace at voodoo who was way more receptive to customizing my mod to my needs to dave was... Dave who is great has been more this is my mod.. This is what I do... I get the feeling he is not big on working on rectos. Trace on the other hands, has been totally open to my ideas and things I want to do to customize the amp to me.. I may go with voodoo... As weird as it sounds a big reason I wanted Dave Friedman to do my mod is because I wanted it to be a little more unique.. Not a ton of Friedman modded rectos out there... I also have a local amp builder who builds great amps... That could do it all for me, though he openly admits to not doing much work on rectos... So I'll quit rambling now... But I'm going to give the recto a chance to shine... Not 100% on the stiletto ... I'm going to let that go more than likely.. However, Im interested to hear what the Fja mod for the stiletto does.. I noticed he has a mod for them...

Ok, I'm done rambling now. Thanks for listening!

 

[YellowJacket]

FWIW, the Stiletto 4 x 12 is tighter than the Recto version.

What sort of mods do you want? Just more gain / tighter / less fizz? Have you played with the Vintage High Gain channels much? They tend to be smoother!

Oh, on the 5150III: I spent like $1,000 chasing the Electra Dyne's tone before actually getting one. A little bit of $$$s here and a little bit of $$$s there and it was a lot of time and money wasted in the end. Devils advocate says maybe you should get rid of the other mesas and get the 5150III before you burn a hole in your pocket!!

 

[exbest182]

The guitar gods were smiling upon me today... so I drove to San Diego to sell my Les Paul... I live in Vegas... so I brought the family with me, and after San Diego we decided to go LA for the weekend... Today we came home.. now I'm a troll on craigslist... I troll for gear... for example.. my $100 dual rectifier.. I found on craigslist.... well, I happened upon a random craigslist posting... and well... this happened..... notice there is something new in my gear picture...

F'n stoked.... I picked up a 5150 III for $850! in great condition other than that little cosmetic spot in the front..

I also decided... everything is staying.. I'm not selling anything else.... I may trade some stuff off.. but there will be no more losing gear...

Another conclusion.. I totally dig my recto... as it is... while I may still get it modded to dial the fuzz out a tad.. I don't want it to lose it's overall characteristics.. so no new transformers or anything... It all just came to me... the guitar gods have spoken.

I'm learning to not be so impulsive... and give things time to grow on me... instead of just saying.. hate it and ditching it!

 

[Neptical]

:lol: :lol:
So, what kind of tones are you going after? Anything specific?

Having had a IIC+,III,these in the pics,etc, I'd have to think you had/have some of the best tones anyone could ask for.

Probably could STILL dwindle it down to 1..-...2 amps. 8)

 

[YellowJacket]

Less Fizz for the Recto? Why not try a few things?

1) Different speaker brew. For instance, I love c90s / v30s in an X pattern.

2) Preamp tube cocktail. Apparently having a Tung Sol in v1 really adds more gain, aggression, and clarity to the tone. If I had $$$s, I'd probably try it myself.

3) Boutique pickups. Check out some super special offerings. It really helps the drive tone a lot!

 

[exbest182]

:lol: :lol:
So, what kind of tones are you going after? Anything specific?

I just want to have a ton of options for me... The Mark V has so many tonal options, but it doesn't sound like a Recto and vise versa... just as the 5150 III doesn't sound like either of those... I honestly think I'm done with amps for a bit.. however I am going to possibly pick up a couple of cabinets, I'm going to grab the 5150 III cab for sure, and I was thinking about grabbing an unloaded Mesa 4x12 and loading it up with a combination of the EVH branded celestions in the the 5150 III cab and V30s.. I think that'd be a great cab for the recto.

As for the Stiletto, still the neglected child of the group... while it's a great amp, channel 2 on both the Mark V and the 5150 III cover the ground I'm looking for in the Stiletto. The Stiletto is def. on my trade off list...

Less Fizz for the Recto? Why not try a few things?

1) Different speaker brew. For instance, I love c90s / v30s in an X pattern.

2) Preamp tube cocktail. Apparently having a Tung Sol in v1 really adds more gain, aggression, and clarity to the tone. If I had $$$s, I'd probably try it myself.

3) Boutique pickups. Check out some super special offerings. It really helps the drive tone a lot!

A couple things I tried after posting last night... well observations, I love my Recto with the wolfgang... the pickups aren't near as high gain as my Mockingbird pickups.. and it sounds great through it.... also, when I sent the Recto in to Mesa I sent the preamp tubes in with them, and I included a letter explaining where I wanted everything as far as preamp goes (I had the dougs tubes cocktail for it) - I checked last night, and they weren't in the order, and one of the penta's were in V1, put them in the right order with the tung in v1, and it really seemed to help a lot too.. so good call.. Def. suggest Doug's preamp tubes in there... they're going to be going into the 5150 III as well...