My first Mesa -- 5:25 10" -- whooohooooo!!!

[joesnewmatch]

My first Mesa arrived earlier this week, an Express 5:25 1x10". I have really small kids in the house, and needed an amp that could work well at low volumes, not take up much space, and give me a few options. The Mesa delivers in spades. I've only tried 3 or 4 of the suggested settings, and can't believe the variations in tone that are available. Wow!

This weekend I plan to pull out all of my guitars and put her through the paces, but so far my PRS sound freaking amazing through it, including a DGT, Sunburst 245, and McCarty Soapbar. I would imagine the Fenders will, too.

Does anyone know anyone selling a tan grill replacement, without having to pay $169 through the factory? Thanks in advance.

Anyway, glad to join the party!

JOE

 

[Don]

Great amp! They're very versatile, both tonally and in useable volume levels.

 

[edward]

Crazy-good amp, IMHO! I "used" to want the 12" version, but have since grown to love the 110 for its own voice and character. And this amp responds well to a Thiele cab (or another 12" cab should you desire) if you are in need for more bass and dispersion. Still, great in its own right!

Since you are still playing with settings, may I suggest you try getting the tones you like in full power mode. Personally, I found the Class-A anemic and thin sounding; just gutless lows. You can get far better tone in full power mode and just turning down the volume and eq'ing accordingly ...but that's me. Some love the low-pwr setting. Still, enjoy the ride; it's a great amp with trememdous versatility.

Edward

 

[joesnewmatch]

Thanks for the comments. I spent a lot more time over the weekend, playing around with the suggested settings, tweeking the controls, and running though all of my electrics.

Your point about using the full power mode is well taken. Most of the time I used the 5watt setting, and was pleased with the results, particulary on overdriven settings. When I played clean, or mostly clean, I was quite impressed. For kicks, I switched over to 25 watts, and was simply blown away by the tone. I mostly play blues, classic rock, and alternative. Even so, I have never really been much of a clean with reverb kind of guy, but the sound that I was getting was truly inspiring. My Tele and Strat have never sounded so good.

Interestingly, I have a muddy sounding Les Paul that's all mahogany, with P-90s. It usually sounds great on leads, but lousy when chording. Even it sounded good when the Express was properly tweeked.

I don't get to play with volume much these days. I am mostly relegated to weekends, when the kids are either out of the house, or not asleep, so I have a lot to learn about the little monster, but I'm very glad to know that it is covering all of my intended bases, and doing them quite well.

I have a '68 RI Les Paul in route, and I can't wait to see how the little 10" combo handles the bottom end... I really hope that I'm not disappointed!

 

[rwil]

Welcome using the 5:25 10!
Like you I'm having an EJ Strat and like it so much using the mesa.
Enjoy...