- Joined
- Jan 12, 2008
- Messages
- 1,468
- Reaction score
- 8
Last Sunday, I bought my first Mesa/Boogie amp, an Express 5:50.
This is only the third full size amp that I've owned in 0ver 25 years of playing electric guitar (I started on acoustic in 1971, and on electric in 1981), and my first brand new full size amp.
My previous full size amps were a 1981 Fender Concert 4-10 that I owned from 1982 until about 1990 and a 1966 Vibrolux Reverb that I bought in about 1990 and still own.
I also have a 1968 Princeton Reverb and a tweed Deluxe (5E3) clone.
My Express 5:50 is replacing the Princeton Reverb (financially, not sonically). The 5:50 has a better clean blackface sound than the PR. Unfortunately, it's not as portable.
The 5:50 has the Vibrolux Reverb's sound so well covered (I spent a few hours the other day with the two of them on an A/B switch and dialed in a sound that is similar to, maybe better than, the VR's) that I don't know if the VR will get played!
I wasn't looking for an amp with a good clean sound. I wanted a tighter sounding, higher gain amp than what I already have. It was a surprise that Mesa/Boogie offered an amp that did both well.
After my experience with the Concert 4-10 and how it compared (or couldn't) to the Vibrolux Reverb, as well as a so-so experience with modifications to my VR (that's a long story for another day), I had steered clear of channel switching, master volume guitar amps.
I also tried a Lonestar Special (nicer clean sound than the 5:50 but less gain), F50 (even more gain and not as nice clean) and a 5:25 (I've owned a lot of small amps and this one sounded small and boxy, especially compared to the LSS, even compared to my Princeton Reverb).
This is only the third full size amp that I've owned in 0ver 25 years of playing electric guitar (I started on acoustic in 1971, and on electric in 1981), and my first brand new full size amp.
My previous full size amps were a 1981 Fender Concert 4-10 that I owned from 1982 until about 1990 and a 1966 Vibrolux Reverb that I bought in about 1990 and still own.
I also have a 1968 Princeton Reverb and a tweed Deluxe (5E3) clone.
My Express 5:50 is replacing the Princeton Reverb (financially, not sonically). The 5:50 has a better clean blackface sound than the PR. Unfortunately, it's not as portable.
The 5:50 has the Vibrolux Reverb's sound so well covered (I spent a few hours the other day with the two of them on an A/B switch and dialed in a sound that is similar to, maybe better than, the VR's) that I don't know if the VR will get played!
I wasn't looking for an amp with a good clean sound. I wanted a tighter sounding, higher gain amp than what I already have. It was a surprise that Mesa/Boogie offered an amp that did both well.
After my experience with the Concert 4-10 and how it compared (or couldn't) to the Vibrolux Reverb, as well as a so-so experience with modifications to my VR (that's a long story for another day), I had steered clear of channel switching, master volume guitar amps.
I also tried a Lonestar Special (nicer clean sound than the 5:50 but less gain), F50 (even more gain and not as nice clean) and a 5:25 (I've owned a lot of small amps and this one sounded small and boxy, especially compared to the LSS, even compared to my Princeton Reverb).
