Mesa Boogie vs. Fender and Vox valve amps?

[Jericho-79]

Hey everyone. My friend wants me to try out a few used Mesa Boogie amps. He has a Triple Rectifier head, a Stiletto Trident head, and a Lone Star 2x12 combo.

I’ve never played through Mesa Boogies before. And I highly favor the ‘U2 sound’ (i.e., that soaring, shimmering, atmospheric vibe). So I’m more inclined to use the Fender Hot Rod or the Vox AC30.

So here’s my question:

Can Mesa Boogie models deliver a sound that is close to that of a Fender or Vox valve amp?

For example, I know that the Divided by 13 FTR can give off a Fender-y type sound, while the Divided by 13 RSA31 closely mimics an AC30-y type sound.

So can Mesa Boogies cop a Fender-like and/or AC30-like tone? :?

I heard the band Snow Patrol use Mesa Boogies, and their musical style is somewhat comparable to U2’s. :|

What do you guys think? Does anyone know for sure?

I’m interested in hearing what you guys have to say. I really appreciate the help, guys.

 

[Anonymous]

Hey Jericho

AFAIK the MESA story started by modifying fender amps. I guess today any mesa class a or b
can cope with the other brands sound - but still are different handmade high end amps. I suggest
you check this out by listening to this amps in your next amp shop to get a personal idea about it.

by the way, do you know in which key the trumpets of jericho were playing?

stay tuned!

 

[MrMarkIII]

The Edge sound is Vox AC-30, and EL-84 tubes. The Boogie that comes closest is the Lone Star Special. Like the Vox, it is powered by four EL-84 power tubes.

 

[phyrexia]

Of the three you mentioned, you will easily like the Lonestar the most. The AC30 sound is different but if you like U2 because of the "soaring shimmering atmospheric vibe" you will probably like the lonestar classic - the reverb is beautiful.

The Triple Rec and the Stiletto Trident are both 150w beasts and I wouldn't suggest them to you at all, but you should try them at least because they both have a different clean channel than the Lonestar. However, most will say the Lonestar has a better clean channel.

The Lonestar special, like somebody mentioned, is closer to the AC30 in terms of tube complement.

 

[Jericho-79]

The Lonestar special, like somebody mentioned, is closer to the AC30 in terms of tube complement.

The Boogie that comes closest is the Lone Star Special. Like the Vox, it is powered by four EL-84 power tubes.

Does it matter if the Lonestar Special is a 1x12, 2x12, or 4x10?

 

[MrMason]

The Lonestar special, like somebody mentioned, is closer to the AC30 in terms of tube complement.

The Boogie that comes closest is the Lone Star Special. Like the Vox, it is powered by four EL-84 power tubes.

Does it matter if the Lonestar Special is a 1x12, 2x12, or 4x10?

I would say the speaker configuration makes a huge difference. 2x12 will sound more full on the bass side, 1x12 will have that same sound only a little less "open" sounding. 4x10 will have tighter bass, although not as deep or full but with crisper highs and slightly less mids. In my own personal opinion, if you want a 6l6 amp go with a 2x12; if you want an EL84 amp, go with 4x10. That's my own opinion though, you're mileage may vary.

 

[lyman]

a big part of his sound that nobody has touched upon are celestion alnico blue's. those speakers are crucial.

 

[fishyfishfish]

The F30 clean channel can get that jangle, along with the Blue Angel, and the Maverick. Some of the Subway series had "The Edge" tone as well. These are good amps that you can find used at a pretty decent price. Combine any of these with an old purple analog delay and you should be pretty close to Edgeville.

 

[black_manta]

I believe the .22 uses EL84s; I wonder what one of those would sound like with a celestion blue...

 

[soundchaser59]

You wanna know.....

can Mesa Boogies cop a Fender-like and/or AC30-like tone? :?

And you have.....

....never played through Mesa Boogies before.

But....

My friend.......has a Triple Rectifier head, a Stiletto Trident head, and a Lone Star 2x12 combo.

So, tell me again why you've never played a Mesa amp before? He is your friend, right?

 

[soundchaser59]

If you are going to focus on and concentrate on getting a Fender like sound and/or a Vox AC like sound, and that is all you want to play, then why not get a real Fender or a real Vox?

Well, one reason is because the Mesa is much more versatile than either of those, imo.....

But if you are on a budget, you can get real vintage Fender and Vox sounds from a Frenzel amp. The site is worth a look, the guy really knows what he's doing. And it will cost you half the money. The down side is his amps will never do everything a Mesa will do, and they tend to depreciate severely after purchase, they are not nearly as valuable on the used market as perhaps they should be. But definitely worth a look..... check out the 5E3 Deluxe Plus.

http://www.frenzeltubeamps.com/id16.html

He also makes an AC15 clone, and a clone that is a cross between an AC30, Badcat, and some other gene pool..... stuff sure sounds good!

However, with all that being said, if you ever decide you want to make sounds other than Fender or Vox, you will suddenly wish you had the Mesa!

 

[rvschulz]

as far as i am concerned ... the Edge sound ... is a little ignorant of a particular tube speaker combo. you need shimmery cleans, a good reverb, and about 200 delays programmed differently in different chain sequences ...

LSC in any mode can get most of this ... you just need 200 delays, no matter what amp you go with.

 

[crowguitar]

Heres almost everything you need to nail down The Edge's sound... but good luck trying to locate those Korg SDD-3000 delay units. That was actually more of his sound than anything else. Had a 10db boost from that unit(or two simultaneously) going into 2 Vox amps with different delays on each amp. Check the link.. Gives you the whole rundown.

http://www.amnesta.net/edge_delay/

 

[ja22y]

The Lonestar special, like somebody mentioned, is closer to the AC30 in terms of tube complement.

The Boogie that comes closest is the Lone Star Special. Like the Vox, it is powered by four EL-84 power tubes.

Does it matter if the Lonestar Special is a 1x12, 2x12, or 4x10?

Just because they both use el84, doesn't mean there is similarity between the AC30 and LSS, is like saying all el34 amps are similar. The pre and power circuits are totally different. Not to mention that the alnico blue is the other 50% of the tone. Side by side, they don't even sound or feel remotely similar. If you must make a reference, the Lonestars are actually closer to a Fender sprinkled w/ Randall's special sauce.
Like many have said, the Edge's magic is the korg sdd-3000 delays

 

[wildrat666]

buy a roadster. can get those vox ac-30 tones easy on channel 2. very the edge tone just add a delay

 

[Nanno]

a big part of his sound that nobody has touched upon are celestion alnico blue's. those speakers are crucial.

That's definitely right!
I put a Celestion Alnico Gold into my Maverick (also EL84-powered) and it got me a whole lot closer to that voxy chime.
No, it ain't there and probably never will get there as there is a lot more to an amp than just power amp tubes and speakers, but the Celestion alnico is an important part of that Vox-sound.