Okay.. TOTAL Noob post.. Please read, and advise...

[Scary Guy IRL]

Okay.. So i'm currently looking into a new amp (STILL).. and i keep looking back to Mesa's.. The only Mesa's I've played.. i've never really got them cranked, and hit their sweet spot, nor have i really had sufficient time to play with one (No more than 30 minutes or so).. But i love the sound that People get from them... Every time i hear Petrucci's Road King Tone (From Gear Videos).. I love it that bit more.. Metallica's tuning room videos.. I absoloutly LOVE the tone that these two artists get... And also there's a vid roaming around Youtube, of a Guy playing a Triaxis and Mark IIC+ (He is using them with a Diezel Herbert..) and (but) they sound Amazing! But again like i've said.. i've never been able to get it from a Mesa.

So.. here's the deal.. My family are talking about heading back to New York this Christmas to shop. And i was thinking of Maybe picking up A Triaxis and 20/20 or else maybe a Roadster/Roadking VI.. Used. And then bringing it home. The thing about this is.. I take it home in a flight case.. Play with it for a few weeks.. Give it a good run through.. and Then.. if i don't like it.. I can always sell it.. and potentially get more back than what i Bought it for.. So it looks like a pretty Win-Win situation.

To avoid selling it in the end-up. Do you Mesa Owners think i'd find the tone i'd get in those few weeks appealing? I'd be playing it at Loud-ish Volumes. And eventually Gigging with it.

Any Additional Info is apprechiated.
Thanks
-Conor D-

 

[4Draw]

Yes, you will not be dissapointed.

Whenever I start doubting what kind of tone I really like, I always end back at my Boogies, nothing sounds better to me.

 

[Elpelotero]

if you like dream theater and metallica, i HIGHLY suggest you include a mark4 into your pool. It does old school dream theater and metallica the best, besides a c+ probably, and will get you a lot of modern sounds as well. It will not do, however, the rectifier voice. Metallica was never really a recto-voiced-like band until their newer dropped tuning material anyways. Also, if you have the money, i'd take the road king over the roadster bvecause of the progressive linkage.

 

[JamesD]

I really don't think you will doubt it. When i first got my dual rec. it was my first tube amp. I had been told over and over to go tube and stop messing with the solid state amps, and i had never gotten the tone or close to it with different marshalls and other solid states. I mean i hear the tone in my head but never came close. I tried so many dist. pedals with them and still not finding it.

So i bit the bullet of what seemed to be a kick to the crotch and dropped the money on the dual rec. I never played one, but i knew many who had and a ton of bands ive seen and loved tones of used them. Well from just messing around alittle with it when it came in, i was closer than any other amp i played. I still to this day am not dead on, but am very satisfied with my tone. I get closer everytime i tweak. Playing a mesa isn't like a marshall where you can throw settings somewhere and be done with it, it is a learning experience, but very fulfilling. So many variations that can change the sound that much more.

Plus like you said, if you really don't think it's your cup of tea after buying it, there is always people looking to buy them. I say go for it and learn to love it. (sorry for the length)

 

[JamesD]

I really don't think you will doubt it. When i first got my dual rec. it was my first tube amp. I had been told over and over to go tube and stop messing with the solid state amps, and i had never gotten the tone or close to it with different marshalls and other solid states. I mean i hear the tone in my head but never came close. I tried so many dist. pedals with them and still not finding it.

So i bit the bullet of what seemed to be a kick to the crotch and dropped the money on the dual rec. I never played one, but i knew many who had and a ton of bands ive seen and loved tones of used them. Well from just messing around alittle with it when it came in, i was closer than any other amp i played. I still to this day am not dead on, but am very satisfied with my tone. I get closer everytime i tweak. Playing a mesa isn't like a marshall where you can throw settings somewhere and be done with it, it is a learning experience, but very fulfilling. So many variations that can change the sound that much more.

Plus like you said, if you really don't think it's your cup of tea after buying it, there is always people looking to buy them. I say go for it and learn to love it. (sorry for the length)

 

[ibanez4life SZ!]

You can't go wrong with a mesa...you just can't.

I bought my first one 6 months ago, and have never been happier!

 

[Grandor]

My only advice is, if you are looking into rectifiers.. fork out for a roadking II.
Don't skimp.

A triaxis would be great to let you cover alot of ground, but some think that the 20/20 doesn't have enough low end for the triaxis. Maybe a triaxis with a vht 2/50/2?

 

[riddick]

My only advice is, if you are looking into rectifiers.. fork out for a roadking II.
Don't skimp.

A triaxis would be great to let you cover alot of ground, but some think that the 20/20 doesn't have enough low end for the triaxis. Maybe a triaxis with a vht 2/50/2?

I think the triaxis sound fantastic through a 20/20, l thought it sounded the best out of all the Mesa Power Amps.

VHT, now you're talking fantastic gear, pricey, but they are top of the line.

Riddick.

 

[Scary Guy IRL]

if you like dream theater and metallica, i HIGHLY suggest you include a mark4 into your pool. It does old school dream theater and metallica the best, besides a c+ probably, and will get you a lot of modern sounds as well

I was looking at the Mark's, but i found the Triaxis again appealing as i believe it has modes based on the Mark's? How close are these to the Actual Mark Sound?

My only advice is, if you are looking into rectifiers.. fork out for a roadking II.

I was thinking about the Roadking II... but the price puts me off it.. For me.. i think $2300 (?) is too much. As when i get home, i'd also have to buy a cab.. which would cost £500 ($1000) for a 2x12 Mesa. So i'd rather look into a Triaxis Rig at maybe $1400 or Rectifier around the same price. Price is a pretty big factor.. As i plan to pick up a few Guitars early next year.


Also, how does running the Triaxis in Stereo compare to Running it in Mono? Is there much difference. By stereo i would mean running the Tri into Both sides of the Poweramp.. but into ONE 2x12?.. But eventually it would be two seperate 2x12's or a 4x12 when i start gigging. If it's not as much.. I may consider looking into a 2:90.. or even VHT 2/50/2 like you guys said.. Theres one on eBay for $699 BIN.. which doesn't seem too pricey to me.. Then only use one side for Practice, Jamming.. and Use it in Stereo for Gigs.

And one more question.. The Recto Pre.. How does it sound? Does it actually sound like a Recto? Next year.. I might possibly look into one, if i get the Tri.. and it doesn't give me all that i want. And could Run the Tri, and Rec Pre into Each side of the poweramp? As i said.. if i don't like 'em.. I can always sell them here and make a couple of Hundred Pound on each.

Just incase.. I'm from the Uk.

Thanks for your help Guys.
-Conor D-

 

[Ken in NC]

I played a Triaxis through a Stereo:One Hundred and I currently have a Road King.

Both units are great! The Triaxis has more flexibilty with saving patches for recall as the Road King only has 4 channels. IMO - Channel 2 is a little shy of where I'd like it to be.

I personally like the RK2 sound better over the Triaxis, but both units are great and I do not think you can go wrong. Mesa stuff is top-knotch. The tone is obviously there, but you have to experiment with a lot of stuff to find it. Sometimes the answer lies with the EQ, other times it is in the tubes. Other times it is respecting the amount og gain and NOT turning the knob to 10 like on a Marshall.

I think you'll love it. The RK2 has a better channel 1 than the RK1 and the Triaxis is very flexibly although the settings are only per .5 increments which bothered me too. Why not .1 increments?

Good luck!

 

[Scary Guy IRL]

Hmmm.. What i 'could' do is.. I think my family will be going to America this Christmas.. And.. Next summer.. So i Could work my *** off until summer.. Have enough money for a Triaxis 2:90 rig, AND a Road King II.. then take them home, pay like $50 for taking the RK on the plane... When i get home.. Try them both for a few weeks... Then which ever one i like better.. Keep.. and Sell the other.. It would mean in the end, whichever one i decide to keep will work out Cheaper with the money i get from selling the other one here.. If you get me.. It could get pretty Complicated..

Otherwise i'd go over this Christmas, and maybe Pick up a Triaxis 2:90 and 20/20, 2:90 or 2/50/2 VHT.. and Take it home..

 

[Ken in NC]

That has its advantages. You often cannot tell by playing in a store what an amp can do for you until you get it home and have TIME to dedicate to it. That was a problem for me when I bought my Lonestar. I didn't like it for what I needed it to do and I did not know this until I brought it home. In the store it sounded great. (It sounded good at home too), but when rehearsing, I found that I needed the RK2.

I am not advocating to buy both, but I am saying that proper time with each amp really makes a big difference.

If you buy used, you may get out of it what you put into it. You never will if you buy new. Expect the instant depreciation of the amp regardless of how "new" it still is.

 

[Flavell777]

My two cents,

I have the RKII and love it to bits, had a Marshall TSL and a Peavey 5150 before. The RKII pisses on them both.

However, not sure what power you have in Ireland but the states uses 110v as apose to the UK's 240v so you will need a step up transformer to use whatever you get. Also expect to get hammered on inport tax if you get busted, you may get lucky and sail through customs no problems.

Just keep these things in mind before you make that decision, but Mesa is the way forward!!!

Try the evil bay, RK's sometimes pop up on there and Triaxis' are often up two.

Good luck.

 

[Scary Guy IRL]

However, not sure what power you have in Ireland but the states uses 110v as apose to the UK's 240v so you will need a step up transformer

Yea. Ireland's 240v as well.. So i will need a Converter. Don't worry.. I've already looked into it.. :wink:

Also expect to get hammered on inport tax if you get busted, you may get lucky and sail through customs no problems.

I've taken a few guitars through Airports.. And as of yet.. i've never got caught.. The customs here are really laid back..


Also.. Another question rises.. How does the Road King and Triaxis sound at Low Volumes? I suppose with the Triaxis.. it'll be 20 watts a side.. Which will mean better sound at lower volume? It uses EL84's.. So if i got a Road King I.. I could get a set of Yellow Jackets and install them.. to Run the amp at like 20 watts.. which would allow more Tube Saturation(?) at lower volumes? Do many people do this? How does it sound?

Any i appolagise for the Noob Questions.. I'm a total Noob when it comes to Tubes.. and Mesas..

Thanks
-Conor D-

 

[Russ]

Not to stray from the topic but........ I would think that Ireland would have serious inspections of anything coming in. I mean with the IRA and terrorist factions being factors. I would think that nothing would get through. Though I do have a suggestion. Whatever amp you buy, get a used flight case or severely tatter the thing if you must buy new before returning with it. This way it looks more used and it will be easier to convince anyone that it was in fact yours for a longer period of time than you were here thereby nullifying any suspicions. As far as resale value goes, I second the idea to buy used. Never buy new unless you absolutely must have a new highdollar item. Like amps, I buy cars at least a couple years old. This way you do not lose money in the depreciation of it having been owned. In the case of cars, you not only get a break on the price but you also get a break on insurance and registration fees (usually reflected by the value of the vehicle). In any event if you are in any way looking to sell the item in the future why not let some other sucker take the initial depreciation hit and actually get back close to what you bought it for if not more (in your case more due to Mesa pricing abroad). It is funny but I remember when you could buy used Marshall tube amps here in the states for a few hundred dollars all day long. You could even buy some that needed a little work for a couple hundred. This was back in the eighties and even early nineties. Then there was a resurgence of tube amps and now you can't touch those old amps for less than $600 and those will need serious work usually. I mentioned this too because it can be strange sometimes the way things work out. Who knows? Maybe someday all the modeling crap will take off pricewise and everyone that sold off their modeling crap for cheap with the enlightenment of tone and real tube amps will be remorseful. Personally I think I will gag if that ever happens. But really, if that ever happened I would still play my Mark IV, JCM800 and my JMP and not even care. I think that if that ever happened I would be looking for what would then be seriously vintage Fender stuff (I know Fender vintage tube amps are not that pricey currently but it is to make a point) or maybe even a real Plexi. A IIC+ would be on the must-get list too. This stuff all goes in phases so I am sure that there will be another technological advancement that rears its head that claims to better tube amps for sound.

As far as your tone quest goes. I like the Mark IV (versatility supreme with tight bottom and Lead tones that ooze flavor). Did I forget to mention the power settings and voicing options? Or availability on the used market?Ok enough about the Mark IV.

With regards to the Triaxis I do not like digital preamps because you cannot get that little tweak of a knob like you can from an analog knob. This is precisely the reason that I sold my JMP-1. That and the fact that no matter what you do it will always inherently sound like the preamp it is. With that in mind low volumes will not affect the Triaxis but it will affect the sound of the power amp that you are using.

20/20, though it is a solid poweramp, it will only be able to amplify what you put into it and having had stereo power amps before I know that unless you are deadset on having a stereo rig it is just added cost. I had several poweramps and to be honest though I had stereo effects in my rack I never really appreciated them. Sure it was fun to pan or ping pong your sound but to me it was more just a gimmick. I do currently own a Valvestate 8008 but it was only as an emergency back up in a rack that I no longer use or have half of. Even with it I have not found use for the stereo nature of the amp. I can say that the tube power amps sounded much better than the hybrid I have and the SS amps that I tried. I can say that though 20 watts may be plenty to play smaller gigs and is still mic'able at larger PA equipped gigs, a heftier amp will sound better. The fact that it only has 20 watts means that it will brake up sooner and you will get power tube distortion sooner.

As far as the RK goes, I am not sure that you will be able to get your hands on one fast enough on a vacation. The hasty nature of such a venture might force you to pay too much for one even used. If you must get the RK I would suggest lining up your deal in advance before your come so that you will have no problem getting it. This may cause you to be stuck buying an amp before having heard/played through it. This in and of itself can be risky business. Since my last E-bay amp purchase I have vowed not to buy another amp without having played it first. It can get ugly, discouraging, and downright expensive trying to figure out what you really want. NY is a great source of gear though. I have found that it is almost like LA. Just be careful of any gulfstate items (Hurricane Country). If you install yellowjackets, yes, your RK will be powered down and break up sooner.

And yes, Mesa's are setup fixed mains for US voltage. Be sure to get a converter.

What sound is it that you are after anyway?

Just out of curiosity.... How old are you Scary Guy?

 

[Scary Guy IRL]

And yes, Mesa's are setup fixed mains for US voltage. Be sure to get a converter

Yea. If i need a converter.. Would i be able to buy a 110v Power Conditioner (Furman or the like).. and Instead of buying a Converter for each US Appliance.. Could i get One for the Furman.. and then run all the US appliances off of that? Would that work if i got one for the Furman's power rating? Or could it blow all the 110v devices?

What sound is it that you are after anyway?

The sound that's always attracted me, are Petrucci's Rig Tones (Road King and IIC+ Videos on You Tube), and also Metallica's Tuning Room Tones (Tripe Recto's). But with what ever amp i get, i'm a very versatile player. I play ALOT of styles, and would really be after a aray of different tones.. Nice Open Chord Clean Tones, Bluesy Cleans, Country Style Cleans, Classic Lead, and a Classic Rythm tone, then i'm after Hard Rock, Older Metal, and Modern Metal Tones. And Soothing and Screaming, Petrucci style Lead Tones.. Kinda Vague Descriptions.. But it gives you an Idea.... I hope.. lol

How old are you Scary Guy?

I'm 16. I currently have a pretty well paying Job. And i play in a Band.


Also.. sorry to bug you guys with so many questions.. But do any of you guys ever heard of Using a Pod XTLIVE as a Midi Controller? I was taking a read through the Manual, and it said it could? And that by going up through the channels on the XTLIVE, i could change the Channels of a Midi Device? Does it work? Could it be used with a Triaxis?

Many Thanks
-Conor D-

 

[Scary Guy IRL]

Bumpzorz!

 

[nocluejimbo]

Metallica was never really a recto-voiced-like band until their newer dropped tuning material anyways. .

And neither was DT until Train of Thought.

 

[nocluejimbo]

Also.. sorry to bug you guys with so many questions.. But do any of you guys ever heard of Using a Pod XTLIVE as a Midi Controller? I was taking a read through the Manual, and it said it could? And that by going up through the channels on the XTLIVE, i could change the Channels of a Midi Device? Does it work? Could it be used with a Triaxis?

Many Thanks
-Conor D-

Yes, but all it can do is simple program changes. 1A through 1D are programs 1-4, 2A through 2D are program changes 5-8, etc.