Mesa-maintenance free?

[cellardweller]

Please chime in and let me know, and of course make your answer as detailed as you'd care to!

What model?
How long have you had your amp?
How many times has it required tech assistance?
How difficult was it to find an authorized repair tech?
What was the nature of the repair?
What did it cost you?

 

[BigMesa]

What model? Mesa Dual Rectifier 3 Channel Solo Head

How long have you had your amp? Around 2 years

How many times has it required tech assistance? Once

How difficult was it to find an authorized repair tech? Not at all. Contacted Mesa and they told me where to go. He was an hour away from me.

What was the nature of the repair? Our old drummer moved our amps once when we used to practice at his house and then he moved them back before our next practice. He unplugged my head from my cab and didn't hook them back up and didn't tell me he moved it. Turned on, cranked up, and 15 seconds letter I saw smoke. Didn't chance anything and had the tech look over the amp and nothing was damaged, just a power tube blew.

What did it cost you? $50. $25 for rush service + $25 inspection.

 

[barneyc4]

What model? Roadster head
How long have you had your amp? 1 year
How many times has it required tech assistance? 1
How difficult was it to find an authorized repair tech? yes, and I am stuck with the problem because where I live there are no Mesa techs.
What was the nature of the repair? The reverb stopped working and I also get annoying channel switch pops when using the footswitch.
What did it cost you? A new Roadster head. I might sell my current faulty one to a friend.

 

[plan-x]

LSC
bought from GC, floor model brand new back in 12/04
No problems.

 

[MrMarkIII]

What model? Mark III blue stripe combo, loaded.

How long have you had your amp? 18 years. (For the record, it was $1550 + tax, brand new. $950 for the basic amp, plus $150 each for Simul-Class, Reverb, Graphic, and the EVM 12L. Another $225 for the road case.)

How many times has it required tech assistance? None.

I estimate 3000+ hours actual gig time, almost all one-nighters. Always kept and transported in a road case.

 

[Monsta-Tone]

What model? DC-10 2x12 combo (1991 serial #99)
How long have you had your amp? 1 1/2 years
How many times has it required tech assistance? none, just needed new tubes
How difficult was it to find an authorized repair tech? I am one
What was the nature of the repair? N/A
What did it cost you? Around $900, can't remember

What model? DC-3
How long have you had your amp? 2 years, just sold it last month
How many times has it required tech assistance? none, just new tubes
How difficult was it to find an authorized repair tech?
What was the nature of the repair?
What did it cost you? $500

What model? Lonestar Special
How long have you had your amp? 2 weeks
How many times has it required tech assistance? 1
How difficult was it to find an authorized repair tech?
What was the nature of the repair? Bad Bias Resistor because the 1st owner never changed tubes
What did it cost you? $.50, probably would have been covered under warranty though!



I've had around 25 Mesa amps. They have all been extremely stable and easy to repair. The only one I had that failed out of the box was a Nomad 55, I sold that one quickly.

What type of music do you play? That should be the biggest factor when choosing a Mesa. Then, how much power do you need? 30 watt Mesas are very loud, but need to be miced in large rooms.

I'm a bit leary of the newest models, only because they sometimes have issues, but Mesa always takes care of them for free so it's really not a big deal.

There are also many models that I have not owned, like Marks I,II, & III.


Here is how I see it, sort of listed in order starting with my favorites:
Country - LSC - LSS - Heartbreaker - DC
Blues - LSS - Tremoverb - LSC - Heartbreaker maybe a DC-5 or 10
Classic Rock - almost any model is perfect. I used a Rectoverb, Dual Rectifier, DC series (all of them), Nomad, Mark IV, and now LSS
Hard Rock - Tremoverb - Rectoverb - DC-10 or Dual Rectifier - Mark IV
Metal - Rectoverb - Tremoverb - DC-10 - Dual Rectifier - Mark IV

 

[edward]

- DC5 combo ...for almost 10 years; used regularly for practice and in live play settings.
- ZERO issues, breakdowns, or maintenance ...therefore never a need for a tech visit. A definite keeper!!!


- MKIII Simul head, green. LDRs went bad ...3 replaced and misc wiring repairs due to previous owner's "hack" skills. Repaired at Mesa Hollywood for $110, IIRC. Good as new (so far), and does a stellar job live! I am aware, though, that the remaining LDRs are still subject to fail one day. Awesome amp, though, and another definite keeper.

Edward

 

[Ken j]

What model? DC-5
How long have you had your amp? Over ten years (sold it last year)
How many times has it required tech assistance? Zero
How difficult was it to find an authorized repair tech? N/A
What was the nature of the repair? N/A
What did it cost you? N/A

I recently purchased a Subway Blues that I retubed and replaced the volume pot myself. The pot was under $2 from Mesa.

 

[cellardweller]

Judging from reponses, pretty maintenance free if taken care of! 8)

 

[Monsta-Tone]

That's why I keep playing them.

 

[mikey383]

Model: '95 Dual Rectiifer
How long: about 2 years
Tech visits: 0

Only had to put new tubes in it.


I also had a 96 Dual Rec that I had for about 3 years, and only had to put a new standby switch in, which I did myself.

 

[NoGlassNoClass]

What model? '02 Triple Rectifier

How long have you had your amp? Since new (Feb '02)

How many times has it required tech assistance? 1 phone call to Mesa

How difficult was it to find an authorized repair tech? The store I bought it from is an authorized repair center, but I fixed the problem myself.

What was the nature of the repair? bad rectifier tube

What did it cost you? $60 (I changed all 3 of them)

Other than the rec tube (random fuse-blowing) there have been no issues. Amp is used at stage volume 8-10 hrs/wk and gigged on a fairly regular basis. I change power tubes, recs, and V5 every year or so, and pre's when needed (or to experiment.)

 

[BMarchant]

Someone should post the same question about Marshall amps on the Marshall forum. I had to have 3 heads on stage at any given time during the 1980s because of how unreliable they were. I run three Mesa's now, but its for different tones, not for backup. A Stiletto Deuce, Dual Recto, and a LoneStar Classic. All Great Amps! No issues at all.

Bmarchant

 

[Monsta-Tone]

I think the older Marshalls, before the JCM-900's were very reliable, but they have gone steadily down hill from there.


I've repaired tons of them. Mesa's quality and design is by far superior.

Plus, I've never owned a Mesa that was a one-trick-pony.

Every Marshall I've had only sounded good on 1 setting, or was 1 channel, so I couldn't choose between settings.

 

[kiai_lee]

What model? Stiletto Deuce stage1

How long have you had your amp? 2 years or so

How many times has it required tech assistance? once: earlier this month, but i have changed the tubes myself a bunch of times trying to find out what i like. pretty good considering ive toured it a bunch of times and once had one issue with it

How difficult was it to find an authorized repair tech? I don't know of any mesa techs in Australia. its a redundant point anyway since i bought my head in the US and bought it back with me the warranty isn't valid unless i ship it back to mesa in California. but i will be getting these guys to convert my amp over onto 240v power later this year

What was the nature of the repair? some **** head split a drink over it causing it to short out one of the sockets.

What did it cost you? $290 AUD

 

[Restless Rocks]

What model? Stiletto Deuce stage1

How long have you had your amp? 2 years or so

How many times has it required tech assistance? once: earlier this month, but i have changed the tubes myself a bunch of times trying to find out what i like. pretty good considering ive toured it a bunch of times and once had one issue with it

How difficult was it to find an authorized repair tech? I don't know of any mesa techs in Australia. its a redundant point anyway since i bought my head in the US and bought it back with me the warranty isn't valid unless i ship it back to mesa in California. but i will be getting these guys to convert my amp over onto 240v power later this year

What was the nature of the repair? some f%&# head split a drink over it causing it to short out one of the sockets.

What did it cost you? $290 AUD

How much jail time did you have to do for offing the f%&# head?

 

[cellardweller]

How much jail time did you have to do for offing the f%&# head?

How many chest-shots did the schmuck have to take? :lol:

 

[R_ADKINS80]

What model? Triple Rectifier

How long have you had your amp? Bought March 10th '08

How many times has it required tech assistance? Once talking to Boogie over the phone.

How difficult was it to find an authorized repair tech? No tech needed

What was the nature of the repair? Amp sounded like total *** next to my buddy's first run 3ch Triple and needed a COMPLETE retube including rectifier tubes.

What did it cost you? Amp cost me 1900 and change after tax and I got a couple hundred bucks worth of tube experimenting in it already.

 

[fishyfishfish]

Model: '05 Lonestar Classic
Years owned:3
Repairs:3
Details: Blown power tube, bad grid resistor, plugged into 220 and lots of white smoke came out.
Cost of repairs: Everything was covered under warranty except the 220 thing, and that cost about $100.00, including shipping.
Model: '03 F-30
Years owned:5
Repairs: None.
Model: '07 Dual Rectifier
Repairs: None.
Comments: Was a toss up between the Mark IV a Dual Rec, and a Fuchs OD100.