NorCal-Mesa
Well-known member
I was looking to add an amp to the heard, what do you guys like or dislike about this amp? Can it do rock/metal?
Mesa Boogie Royal Atlantic RA 100 Rock/Metal
- Thread starter NorCal-Mesa
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NorCal-Mesa
Well-known member
Does anyone use this amp for Rock/Metal??? :shock:
danyeo1
Well-known member
I've only ever seen 1 in any Guitar Center, and I have like 8 of them within an hours drive. This amp is not getting much talk or buzz about it, even though it's a good sounding amp. The Electra Dyne only lasted a few years, if things don't change I see the same for the Royal.
NorCal-Mesa
Well-known member
Ok I jumped in and got the Royal 100 watt head $1300 shipped.. I play allot of music rock/metal and this amp is incredible. I have ben playing into a Mesa 2x12 rectifier cab with V30 and K100 and going back between the 6L6 and EL34. The cleans are perfect allot of tones and the red overdrive with a maxon 808 clean boost with a les paul, holy **** this amp is a beast. Plenty of gain n warm saturation. This amp is not muddy and sounds great with aggressive pick attack. I hope me honeymoon last!!!!!!!!
JOEY B.
Well-known member
I use the "blue" channel with the master volume maxed out and the attenuator to control the overall volume. My goldtop LP and Xotic EP Booster can get me into the ZZ Top Fandango-ish level of gain that is pure Heaven.
NorCal-Mesa
Well-known member
Yeah I really cant afford both amps, and it a tuff call between the royal or rectifier and I play METAL.
I had that problem when I was trying to buy. In NJ check out O"Dibella in Northern NJ. I was just at Alto Music in Poughkeepsie, NY and they had a head in stock. I picked up the combo at O'DiBella and it is a great amp for my classic/hard rock cover band. A bit of a pain to haul around. I would go for the head if I were to do it again.
Did someone say they purchased a new head for $1300???
NorCal-Mesa
Well-known member
I picked up used for $1300.
I have owned many Boogies over the years. I most recently came from a Roadster head to the RA100. I couldn't be happier with the switch. I loved the Roadster, but the Royal get get very similar high gain tones (especially if you boost it) without all the boomy lows (but still with plenty low end). To me, its more like a Recto/Mark love child. The part that shines for me, are the great Marshallesque tones it gets (the Roadster lacked here imho) and a great clean channel (more like a Fender than the Roadsters Lone Star style clean). The Royal covers most the sonic territory of the Roadster, but in a different flavor. It won't do the upper levels of modern gain that the Recto can (at least not without a boost), but in shines in other areas that I found missing in Rectifier series amps. To my ears, it's less brittle sounding. Both are great amps though. I loved the nasty metal tones I got out of the Roadster, it was just epic in that regard. But I don't miss having 4 channels, or all the botchy switches and modes, etc. At one time, I thought I NEEDED it all, but as I get older I find that less is more. Clean, and Crunch, maybe a good boost, and the rest is done using the volume on my guitar and touch dynamics. YMMV.
If you really love metal, and find you play that the most, ultimately you'd probably be happier with a Rectifier. However, if you find yourself branching out into other genres, you may find that the Royal is more suited to the task. Good luck, whichever you choose. You really can't make a wrong choice
If you really love metal, and find you play that the most, ultimately you'd probably be happier with a Rectifier. However, if you find yourself branching out into other genres, you may find that the Royal is more suited to the task. Good luck, whichever you choose. You really can't make a wrong choice
danyeo1
Well-known member
NorCal-Mesa said:
I got one for $1,000 and it looks brand new. Mine was the 2nd one I saw selling for $1,000 but this was before Mesa announced that they were pulling out of Guitar Center.
It's a great head, if you can snag one cheap, don't think, just do it. I've had a fickle relationship with the RA. But I've learned the guitar REALLY determines the tone of the amp more so than almost any amp I've played. It's very transparent. Im a huge Lamb of God fan and I honestly didn't care for the tones in his demo, but I heard other demos where I really liked it. For being a "simple EQ" it's still really sensitive. I gave up a little early on it, I'm extremely happy with my Stiletto Deuce Stage II, but I'm toying with the idea of buying an RA again and running in stereo with my Stiletto.
Initially I was un-happy with the tones I was getting, then I tried my PRS SC Satin with a Bare Knuckle Cold Sweat in the bridge and VHII in the neck and there wasnt a bad sound in there. I loved it. Made me regret selling it. I also found like it with the traditional 4x12 over the recto 4x12, I felt the recto 4x12 was too boomy. For my tastes it takes LP and mahogany based guitars with a good grade quality really well. If you have a solid boost you can get some great musical metal tones out of it. Intronaut uses them now, and they get some great, raw, aggressive tones out of them.
Initially I was un-happy with the tones I was getting, then I tried my PRS SC Satin with a Bare Knuckle Cold Sweat in the bridge and VHII in the neck and there wasnt a bad sound in there. I loved it. Made me regret selling it. I also found like it with the traditional 4x12 over the recto 4x12, I felt the recto 4x12 was too boomy. For my tastes it takes LP and mahogany based guitars with a good grade quality really well. If you have a solid boost you can get some great musical metal tones out of it. Intronaut uses them now, and they get some great, raw, aggressive tones out of them.
DWAKO said:
It's funny, because to me, the RA100 is everything I wanted my Stiletto Deuce II to be. I could never tame the high end, or get enough low mids to my liking, nor did I care for the Deuce's clean channel. Taste is so subjective LOL.
So true, but my time with the RA was brief so I didn't truly have the time to really dive into it's tones. I traded another guy on the forum my Mark V (which I had for a few years) for his RA-100. I spent about a month with the RA (actually toured with it, but with 2x12s. If I had a 4x12 at the time it may have been a different story). And I missed the feel of my V, looking back on it I think the main reason is that I was jusr more familiar with the V. We talked after a month or so and he said that he missed the RA and I missed my V, so we traded back. Then I ended up having to sell the V for financial reasons. When I saved up enough I snagged a Stiletto Deuce Stage II for cheap. And for what I paid I'm happy with it. It can come across pretty bright in person so I dialed back the treble and presence. But as soon as I miced it up, I found I dialed it in too dark for the mix, and I dialed in more presence and a little more treble. So, on it's own I can understand the common complaints people have with the Stiletto but I think it fits well in a mix and band setting.
I love every boogie I've had for it's own reasons, I just couldn't afford keeping more than one at a time. So, if finances permit in the future I'll be getting some other boogies, I'm going to do my best to hang on to the Stiletto.
Cory
Well-known member
Yeah I think the RA could do metal - maybe not death/thrash metal...but it definitely has a nice metal-ish feel to it on the red channel - I'm more into hard rock/Adam Jones/Jerry Cantrell style and I think it's perfect for that. I love the simplicity of this amp - I switched over to a RA from a Marshall JVM410h and now I can finally set my tone and play instead of endlessly tweaking - what a relief!
I'm new here - first post! I bought one of the very first RA-100's to make its way to North Carolina from Fat Sound Guitars (before they closed down.) I have loved the amp since I first bought it. At that time, I was in a purely metal band. My current band is more rock than metal (Tool/Karnivool/Thrice kind of sound) and it is even better for that. If you are looking for a very aggressive "djent" high-gain type sound, this might not be the amp for you. To me, when totally cranked, then amp makes you feel more like you've turned up an old Marshall to max (even though it doesn't sound like a Marshall - it still has that "Mesa" sound.) But, it's just raw, pure power and gain... Not that super "clean" type of high gain that you hear out of German amps, etc.
At this time, I'm running it on the red channel with the gain at about 1 o'clock, sometimes boosted with an Xotic EP booster (but only for solos.) I'm also running it with the attenuator turned about halfway up and with the volume turned up to about 2-3 o'clock. I have found this sound to absolutely blow me away. The amp gives you this incredible feeling as your playing with the attenuator on.
My new band recorded our entire EP with the RA-100. If you want a sample of it, I'd love for you to check this out. What you're hearing is a Gibson Les Paul Studio Baritone at B-standard, straight into the amp. You'll hear both the clean channel (which is the best clean Mesa has ever produced IMO) and the red channel. The very beginning lick and end lick are run though an Xotic AC booster for gain instead, with an Eventide TimeFactor for delay.
https://soundcloud.com/kindler-band/shifting-ground
Cheers!
At this time, I'm running it on the red channel with the gain at about 1 o'clock, sometimes boosted with an Xotic EP booster (but only for solos.) I'm also running it with the attenuator turned about halfway up and with the volume turned up to about 2-3 o'clock. I have found this sound to absolutely blow me away. The amp gives you this incredible feeling as your playing with the attenuator on.
My new band recorded our entire EP with the RA-100. If you want a sample of it, I'd love for you to check this out. What you're hearing is a Gibson Les Paul Studio Baritone at B-standard, straight into the amp. You'll hear both the clean channel (which is the best clean Mesa has ever produced IMO) and the red channel. The very beginning lick and end lick are run though an Xotic AC booster for gain instead, with an Eventide TimeFactor for delay.
https://soundcloud.com/kindler-band/shifting-ground
Cheers!
Your soundcloud clip was awesome ! That is a great sound, liked the song too. I stumbled on this thread trying to learn more about the RA100. Really considering adding this amp to my collection. I did consider a Dynamo GT-6 but 200W too much for me. My Mark V is a great amp but would like something with more Brit/vintage tone. Next question is what speaker enclosure to go with, thinking Fane Medusa 150 in 412. Still need to get the Medusa for my Mark IV project. I am very impressed with the Fane Studio speaker, very clean and neutral but packs a punch similar to EVM12L-BL.thumbpick said:
The RA100 has my interests. Seems to fill the gap where the Mark V does not. Mark IV is a nice amp too but lack more of what the V can deliver. The RA will complete the tone quest for me. With that amp I could get that modern + vintage tone, use the Mark V and or Mark IV when needed.
exbest182
Well-known member
I'm at a love/hate with my RA, not so much because I dislike it, but I don't know if it's the right amp for me. I have the RA and the Mark V, I play in I'd say an aggressive punk band, a lot of muting, and faster picking... and in that application, I'm not super enjoying it.. everything else I love, I love the big opened strummed out chords, cleans.. I love.. but palming muting, and needing that tight, well.. mark sounding urgency.. it's not there, but it's not supposed to be either... I may play around with some tubes, and see what I can get out of it, but I've been considering losing the RA-100 and maybe just grabbing a Mark III or something.
exbest...your prob might lie in the oversized 4x12...imo i played it against a trad and it was just flabby on the characteristics you describe...a 4x12 trad might be what you're after...the bottom end can get liquid tight on the RA-100...
Cory
Well-known member
I run my RA through a 2x12 recto cab (w/ V30's) and it's not flubby at all - nice and tight!
