Newbie hunting for second Mesa

[danlek]

Hi Guys.

As a multi instrumentalist a dream came true getting a load of good guitar gear with the Studio Caliber DC-2 to top it off last year. I bought a new guitar rig with two Floyd Rose super strats with the amp and a pedal board in a short time. Now I suffer from serious Guitar Gear Syndrome and I get some gigs that require flexibility soundwise. I'm thinking in the line of the new Electro Dyne and an A/B box. Of course there is some difference in watts but I'd love two or three more good sounds that differ from what I have now. Any other suggestions and input is much appreciated.

 

[Heritage Softail]

I have two Mesas, Rectifier and MKV. Got the MKV first and then started experimenting with combinations of the second amp. I would say take your amp and head to a Guitar Center or store with multiple Mesa amps and try it out. I had no idea how great the MKV would sound with a REC. My latest tone quest is to get a Roadster sound. I have been working on the MK1 mode along with the REC, the dark side of the MK1 goes with the REC sizzle and is a good Roadster cover.

The ED is great, the MKV has a boat load of sounds.... So many choices, choose well...

 

[primal]

The ED was actually my third Mesa, and I traded in my first (a RoadKing) along with 200$ cash to get it.

My other Mesa is a Mark IV which also kicks ***.

I was actually in guitar center to try out the Mark V when I came accross the ED. I may someday get a V, but it will replace my Mark IV and not my ED.

When I first tried the ED it just blew me away. Within 90 seconds I knew this was going to be my next amp. The combo just sounds like no other combo I have ever heard. It just sounds huge. Essentially you get a drive channel like a JCM 800 only thicker, with more gain on tap and more low end. And you get a very fender sounding clean channel with an awesome reverb.

Just make sure that if you try one out, if you want to get the most gain you can out of the amp, make sure the gain trim knob on the back is set to clean or off.

This is a common mistake people make (even the GC reps). They think, ohh a switch, if I put it in hi low this will give me the most gain. No. It is a gain TRIM switch. It will trim the gain in hi/lo if you set it there. The switch is used to assist in getting a great clean and drive ton with a single set of controls across multiple channels

 

[Heritage Softail]

As a total equipment junkie, I have already started calculating what I will need to sell from my unused equipment to pick up an ED. I may get it as a 1x12 instead of a head. A MKV/Rectifier/ED... That along with an Xotic AC boost should cover it pretty much.

Does the ED do a good clean blues? They don't keep one for long at GC so I have not been able to have some bonding time with one...

 

[primal]

As a total equipment junkie, I have already started calculating what I will need to sell from my unused equipment to pick up an ED. I may get it as a 1x12 instead of a head. A MKV/Rectifier/ED... That along with an Xotic AC boost should cover it pretty much.

Does the ED do a good clean blues? They don't keep one for long at GC so I have not been able to have some bonding time with one...

Yeah I actually have already calculated how much longer I have to save before I would be able to sell my Mark IV and put a V on order. I just have to work out channel 3 on the V. 1 and 2 were amazing but I had some issues getting the tone in my head out of 3. I'm sure it's there, I just need to find it.

ED does a clean blues very well. I would say where it would have a hard time would be modern metal. It would require help for that. But it has so much tight low end I think with the right pedal it would do fine. Course I don't play modern metal.

The combo is amazing. The only reason I have considered going the head cab route is weight. The combo is really freaking heavy. And I have started having back issues the last few years (getting older sucks). IT has absolutely nothing to do with tone.