mesa transatlantic!

[Pyro]

Ok.....well if the poweramp is creating all the gain then i suppose this conversation has been a bit pointless lol.

 

[nomad100hd]

you can always get an iso cab mic add fx and reamp

 

[TimeSignature]

Speaking from experience, an FX loop OR at the very least reverb is IMO a nice feature to have. I have a VOX Night Train, and although I like the tone, it would be really nice to have some reverb or delay to kinda soften up the tone a bit. I paid about $450 after tax for the night train and that sounds about right. I personally cant justify $899 plus tax on a micro head. That means, with a quality speaker/cab, you are looking at easily over a grand??? I can think of lots of amp combo's I'd rather have for $1000. I guess Im just a little disappointed at the price being as I want one of these without even playing one like most of the folks on this board. :lol: . Maybe the tone will justify the price.... guess I'll have to wait and see.....

 

[JAZZGEAR]

Ok fair enough but look at it this way. What style of music would you use a guitar totally dry with????

Blues, Rock, Prog Rock, Jazz, Pop......blah blah blah. I cant think of one style of music that has a totally dry guitar signal. Everything is wet up with either a delay or reverb.

Now you yourself said you care about the Tone of the Amp more. So.....why buy an expensive amp with a great tone and then ruin that tone by putting a delay or reverb straight into the front of it. And lets face it, time based effects sound bad into the front but you HAVE TO have them to play music.

Somebody who buys a cheap amp might not mind but when you fork out big bucks for a mesa you expect to be able use it

+10000

 

[drunkdolphin]

the fender 59 bassman has no loop and no reverb and look how many people use them. that and a TS9 and you'll realize how pure it all sounds. Im looking forward to playing thru a TA15. nothing to hide behind might make me play a little better.

 

[TimeSignature]

Using an amp that originally came out over 50 years ago isnt really a good analogy. Plus, a TS9 only adds dirt and doesnt really help someone who desires time based effects. I'm just saying that its all about options, and most folks tend to use some sort of time based effect... whether it is reverb or delay. And yes, I know there are lots of people that use a dry signal... Umm... I just can not name any off hand.

I suppose for recording purposes, this amp fits the bill. Assuming it sounds good! lol

 

[Skwisgaar]

I would grab a celestion alnico gold. Break it in and you will be golden.
Speaking for myself, they are expensive but worth it.

Worth considering, especially for a small cab. The only reservation I have is that I was under the impression alnico mag speakers won't give you a tight, chunky, "metal" low end.

Personally, I think time based effects are rack based material - they are too noisy to string a bunch of stomboxes together. For a practice amp, a compressor and a wah are the most I'd want to use.

The lack of an effects loop isn't as big a thing to me as Engl's lack of adequate preamp gain on their mini-heads. They obviously intend for you to use a distortion pedal with the head, but that's like putting a preamp before your preamp; a really great idea if you want a lot of noise.

 

[nomad100hd]

this amp not a metal amp!

 

[LerxstLee]

I would grab a celestion alnico gold. Break it in and you will be golden.
Speaking for myself, they are expensive but worth it.

Worth considering, especially for a small cab. The only reservation I have is that I was under the impression alnico mag speakers won't give you a tight, chunky, "metal" low end.

Personally, I think time based effects are rack based material - they are too noisy to string a bunch of stomboxes together. For a practice amp, a compressor and a wah are the most I'd want to use.

The lack of an effects loop isn't as big a thing to me as Engl's lack of adequate preamp gain on their mini-heads. They obviously intend for you to use a distortion pedal with the head, but that's like putting a preamp before your preamp; a really great idea if you want a lot of noise.

Sure was true of the alnico of the 50s and 60s, yet there are some alnico models that are even more powerful then the 50 watt celestions gold. I forget the ones but its and easy search. I have these in a 4X12 cab, they are truley powerful and efficeint speakers. I do not play heavy metal in the band, but I can crank out some of the best low end I have heard from plenty of cabs in the past. Soldana is one that comes to mind for that type, my friend borrowed my cab to use with his soldano 100 watt head and would love to keep it over his soldano cab. I think they have eminence legends, I am not certian. He is in a heavy metal band. Yet it is just another opinion.
IF you get a chance to try them, I think you would like them.

 

[jdurso]

Speaking from experience, an FX loop OR at the very least reverb is IMO a nice feature to have. I have a VOX Night Train, and although I like the tone, it would be really nice to have some reverb or delay to kinda soften up the tone a bit. I paid about $450 after tax for the night train and that sounds about right. I personally cant justify $899 plus tax on a micro head. That means, with a quality speaker/cab, you are looking at easily over a grand??? I can think of lots of amp combo's I'd rather have for $1000. I guess Im just a little disappointed at the price being as I want one of these without even playing one like most of the folks on this board. :lol: . Maybe the tone will justify the price.... guess I'll have to wait and see.....

Price has more to do with USA based production vs Asian based production (Vox produces them in S Korea or Vietnam if i remember correctly). Plus the Transatlantic offers a lot more flexibility and technology than the night train. So while i think that maybe its about $100 more than it should be considering with a decent cab you can get yourself a solid combo, the price vs the night train is about right. Plus i think the size is decieving... this an amp at the end of the day and if you consider the cost of one of these, they wont differ all that much from the likes of a Stiletto, Express, Electro Dyne or even a Recto. I mean I can run off at least 15 amps that are low wattage, vintagey style amps that go for 1000+ and some 1500+ (think fuchs, divided by 13, victoria, dr z, etc). At the end of the day, if that amp can perform in a similar fashion thats more of a steal in my book considering it has a bunch of the bells and whistles from its bigger brothers.

 

[jdurso]

BTW... i havent played one yet but my buddy who works for Guitar World said that Paul (the guy that does all the gear reviews) will be the amp to beat for 2010. That means a lot coming from a guy thats more into vintage Fenders and Marshalls and has a distaste for Mesas in general.

 

[Skwisgaar]

The Jensen Blackbird is a 100 watt Alnico speaker. I think the Jensens are known for a muted high end? Beating out Eminence speakers isn't all that hard...

You can always order a cab with any speaker you please from Mills Acoustics. J Design, Port City, and Trutone will at least ship unloaded cabs if they don't offer the speaker, at a reasonable price (Mesa will ship their cabs unloaded, for a trivial discount).

I think it's cool how the information age has brought back E/V, Fane, and Jensen. Those brands are just as respectable as Celestion. It's much easier to get exactly what you want and not settle for what the amp brands have decided for you.

 

[drunkdolphin]

Hey all, I read one of the comments above about USA production, I agree with that th Tiny Terror and the Night train are both offshore and the TA is going to be USA made, but on the other hand, i just ready that Traynor is going to be making a lunchbox amp as well called the Dark Horse, a lil 15 watter and its supposed to be made in Canada and sell for 499?
so 899/999 vs 499 for north American made? humm...its got me thinking. I still want to wind up a TA and see what it can do.

 

[LerxstLee]

The Jensen Blackbird is a 100 watt Alnico speaker. I think the Jensens are known for a muted high end? Beating out Eminence speakers isn't all that hard...

You can always order a cab with any speaker you please from Mills Acoustics. J Design, Port City, and Trutone will at least ship unloaded cabs if they don't offer the speaker, at a reasonable price (Mesa will ship their cabs unloaded, for a trivial discount).

I think it's cool how the information age has brought back E/V, Fane, and Jensen. Those brands are just as respectable as Celestion. It's much easier to get exactly what you want and not settle for what the amp brands have decided for you.

Thanks,
That was the alnico model I had seen that held more than the celestions. I would not think all makes of Jensens
have muted highs. How do you get that it is not hard to beat an eminence. Plenty of top amp makers use their speakers,that along with their complete line of speakers, there are some top drivers in that pack.
I do agree buying a nice mesa cab gives you only two speaker options, and to have no speakers installed makes little sense to pay the price. Some might consider selling the speakers to fund their choice to put in the amp.
Avatar has the great prices on speakers, you can get speakers from them at a price of the cost to small music stores.

 

[Jacko123]

Having an effects loop would be a great way this amp could have differentiated itself from other mini amps. How much would an effects loop add to the production cost of a unit like this. Just curious. It's still seems like a solid little amp.

 

[Skwisgaar]

I do agree buying a nice mesa cab gives you only two speaker options, and to have no speakers installed makes little sense to pay the price.

Mesa will load all of their cabs with the Custom 90 as an option? I never thought to ask before. It's basically a Classic Lead and a lot of people swear by that speaker.

 

[Finnster]

Having an effects loop would be a great way this amp could have differentiated itself from other mini amps. How much would an effects loop add to the production cost of a unit like this. Just curious. It's still seems like a solid little amp.

I agree, I bet a good amp guy could add one at a minimal cost...what do you think?

 

[DesertBurst]

now on mesa hollywood store

http://store.mesahollywood.com/ta15.html

 

[TimeSignature]

How many people do you think have actually played through this amp??? Or heard it live? .... The Hollywood store already has a lot of deposits?? Wow. Boogie's reputation really shows here considering there are not too many people that have actually heard this amp yet a ton of folks already have to have one! :lol: :lol: :lol:

 

[GD_NC]

But is it better than a DC-2 ????