I got my original 1x10 5:25 express last year, after playing one on the shop when they first came out, I knew I had to get one one day.
The shop had a mini stack, 1x10 on a 1x10 cab, set up on display.
As usual, I knew I would get one.... when the prices came down, used
So I get one off craigslist 4 or 5 years later, and I'm a happy camper, I know I have the ultimate grab n go, and I know I can plop it on a 4x12 too.
I have a nice collection of NOS preamp tubes, and I had some JAN Philips 6BQ5's stashed too.
Well I finally put those in, while rolling tubes in the pre's, and the tone I'm getting is just phenomenal.
I finally tried a clean boost in the front end pumped all the way up and the heavy crunch it gives it cures my recto itch too.
I've had the 5:50 as well, best clean tone I ever heard from a Boogie or anything else.
5:25 has an edgier clean as you go up in volume, but you also get a more liquid lead tone.
I also find the contour much more noticeably effective on the 5:25 than I remember with the 5:50.
So I tried some other speakers as soon as I saw how the Shadow 10" fell apart at higher volume.
Tone Tubby 10" ceramic hemp cone, very nice... except the reverb tank interferes with the large magnet.
Then an Eminence Copperhead, which is VERY sweet in the express.
Could have left it that way.
Found an EVM 10L on clist and bought it immediately awhile back, knowing it doesn't fit too well in the combo, put it on a shelf.
Then just last week I see a 1x10 Express extension cab on Ebay, cherry condition & get this, loaded with a Weber Scumback Scumnico 40 watt 75hz silver framed 8 ohm 10" speaker!
Hit Buy It Now! immediately, and it shows up at my door, and now I have the mini stack I knew I must have all that time since I first played one.
I took the Copperhead out, put the Scumnico 10 into the combo, and the TT in the bottom.
Killer sound and the knobs are up at arms length and I'm a happy camper.
Then I got a trade offer for a Mark IV head for the mini stack, so I'm thinking this over and figure I better at least listen to the EV while I have the chance, with the 5:25.... holy smoke, this is a good sound now, I'm really creaming.
I take and put all NOS tubes in the preamp, and a 12AU7 for the PI, and at 5 watts you can dial in late night levels with a smooth precision without the all-at-once vol jump, very very cool.
Now I've dialed in some outrageously good tones and find myself not wanting to trade for the Mark IV head any longer.
Some of you might think I'm nuts, but I didn't go for the trade.
The decision was made easier by the poor condition of this particular Mark head, it had fallen off a truck and lost some tolex and a corner was busted off, plywood showing through for 3 or 4" along the back under that, and the footswitch was all scratched and dinged to hell, had electricians tape holding the cable in it, an LED indicator pushed in, the Mesa Boogie logo was missing from the front, and well it looked like it toured with a heavy drinking punk band for 20 years.
That made it easy to wait - if I ever do get a Mark IV, I'll get a nice one later.
I had thought about it particularly because I wanted heavy blackened chunk rhythm tone at times.
Well, I can get some of that with a big signal boost in the front, and the EVM plays along very well here.
The Scumnico blends really well with it and gives it some edge.
I am picking up an MXR M-108 10 band EQ today to use in the loop and take it to the full extent of it's capabilities in any situation, clean or heavy.
Can't wait to hear it with a classic "V" EQ'ed, while slammed in the front with an SD-1 and both cabs plugged in (and a 12AX7 in the phase inverter)
I've got an 80's 4x12 half-back cab I have to finish wiring up, the one that had EV's and C90's and a metal grille, I loaded two V30's in the bottom and haven't got a chance to plug into it yet.
Haven't decided on series or parallel for 16 or 4 ohms.
Thinking of using a new baffle in the top half and mounting two Celestion 10's I have up there mixed with the 2x12's under them.
There's also an empty Lonestar 4x10 combo shell, for sale in my area... and I have an EVM 15L that would fit right in there with a new baffle.
Hmmm...
Love my Original 5:25, it's just plain SEXY!