Played the Express 5:25 at NAMM today

[CoolRails]

So I visited the Mesa booth at NAMM today and noticed this new "Express" amp Mesa is putting out apparently immediately. I got a chance to test drive it in 5 watt single ended mode w/ a PRS Hollowbody I.

The Clean channel is spanky kind of like an F-30 or F-50, but I wasn't able to pump it much. It had some serious texture kind of like the Lone Star Special has: I recognized the bell like ring of the EL-84s, I turned it around and sure enough I saw those skinny little guys back there. Optional "Contour" switch acts as a great tool to shape the feel and texture of the sound.

I cranked the dirty channel in "burn" and really took off: bordering on recto crunch with an EL-84 bounciness to it. I think I liked the distortion a little better then even my LSS but maybe it was the guitar... It was a nice PRS. Anyway, a stuffy Mesa Rep came over and turned the amp's volume down, the funny thing was he turned the volume knob on the WRONG channel. Great job trade show rep guy. Anyway, I was getting a little bit carried away, and a guy next to me wanted to play it BAD. I gave it up and handed the guitar to him. I guess he was a buyer anyway.

I guess the big question is: how much is Mesa going to let this little guy go for? I like it better than the F-30 personally. It would make a great entry level sub -1000 $ Mesa.

 

[JAZZGEAR]

Sub $1000? Only in dreams...sub-$1000 Mesa amps are a thing of the past

The 5:25 combo starts out @ $1049

 

[CoolRails]

Yeah I guess a Mesa under $1000 is a pipe dream. What I was a little bummed about was the fact that I didn't get a chance to try out the 25 watt mode. In my experience with Boogies their personality, timbre, and texture change dramatically when you up the wattage settings in the Power amp section but essentially have the preamp remain the same.

When I first got my LSS I was all about the 5 watt clean tone, but now I'm all about the tube saturated goodness of 30 watt mode. I just sometimes wish that the Rectifier tube would still be selectable in the 30 watt setting.

 

[4nkam]

the short head is $999

 

[rickc007]

Hi CoolRails, wonder if I was the "guy next to you that wanted to play it BAD"

anyway, it was pretty cool, but I was expecting it to be different, more like an F-30, it was more like an LSS Lite

I played 25 watt mode "burn", and I cranked it a little, thought it was very much like the Lonestar Special, more than an F-30. I have an LSS, but was looking for a monster gain channel, the 2-25 seemed a bit lighter in the gain than the F-30

it was kind of noisy in there, I'll give it a another chance when my dealer gets one

I watched a rep give a demo to another guy, of the 5-25, that and the 5-50, and he was quite good, he knew the amp really well. Got some "awesome" cleans out of the 5-50, and when he was showing what the contours could do, I wanted it right on the spot

they didn't spend as much time on the 5-25, they were playing the little stack one on the end, then turned around and plugged into a Roadster, that is an "animal" and a half

and on a side not, I walked past Warrior Guitars, and Rick Derringer was there, he was talking amps, and went into great deal on the Lonestar Special, he likes the tones out of that one a lot

 

[scottkahn]

The smaller Express 5:25 $1049 1x10 combo, $999 head.
The bigger Express 5:50 $1199 for the 1x12, $1299 for 2x12, plus a few other heads, etc...

 

[polaris20]

Hi CoolRails, wonder if I was the "guy next to you that wanted to play it BAD"

anyway, it was pretty cool, but I was expecting it to be different, more like an F-30, it was more like an LSS Lite

I played 25 watt mode "burn", and I cranked it a little, thought it was very much like the Lonestar Special, more than an F-30. I have an LSS, but was looking for a monster gain channel, the 2-25 seemed a bit lighter in the gain than the F-30

it was kind of noisy in there, I'll give it a another chance when my dealer gets one

I watched a rep give a demo to another guy, of the 5-25, that and the 5-50, and he was quite good, he knew the amp really well. Got some "awesome" cleans out of the 5-50, and when he was showing what the contours could do, I wanted it right on the spot

they didn't spend as much time on the 5-25, they were playing the little stack one on the end, then turned around and plugged into a Roadster, that is an "animal" and a half

and on a side not, I walked past Warrior Guitars, and Rick Derringer was there, he was talking amps, and went into great deal on the Lonestar Special, he likes the tones out of that one a lot

Did they do any high gain stuff with the 5:50? Can it really get into Recto territory as their site claims?

 

[Dutchman]

I'm really looking forward to test driving one of these amps. Thanks for the reviews guys...

 

[rickc007]

Did they do any high gain stuff with the 5:50? Can it really get into Recto territory as their site claims?

A little, and so did I

Not even close to Recto territory

I did not even get the 5-25 close to F-30 territory, it was very much
like Lonestar Special territory

than again the thick switch on the LSS is advertised to get you into
plexi territory, and I was blasted mine last night, not even close

perhaps a little over marketing

on the other, they both sound great at what they do
but plexi and recto are not amps that I would mistake these for

and one of the reps did plug into the Roadster right after the express
this is another league altogether

 

[polaris20]

Did they do any high gain stuff with the 5:50? Can it really get into Recto territory as their site claims?

A little, and so did I

Not even close to Recto territory

I did not even get the 5-25 close to F-30 territory, it was very much
like Lonestar Special territory

than again the thick switch on the LSS is advertised to get you into
plexi territory, and I was blasted mine last night, not even close

perhaps a little over marketing

on the other, they both sound great at what they do
but plexi and recto are not amps that I would mistake these for

and one of the reps did plug into the Roadster right after the express
this is another league altogether

Ah, crap. Perhaps a ROV 50w 1x12 would be a better choice for me then.

 

[JAZZGEAR]

"Not even close to Recto territory"


That's OK by me, I wouldn't think that a 1x12 would be suitable for true RECTO terrain :lol:

 

[polaris20]

Did they do any high gain stuff with the 5:50? Can it really get into Recto territory as their site claims?

A little, and so did I

Not even close to Recto territory

I did not even get the 5-25 close to F-30 territory, it was very much
like Lonestar Special territory

than again the thick switch on the LSS is advertised to get you into
plexi territory, and I was blasted mine last night, not even close

perhaps a little over marketing

on the other, they both sound great at what they do
but plexi and recto are not amps that I would mistake these for

and one of the reps did plug into the Roadster right after the express
this is another league altogether

Is it high gain at all?

 

[Music Man]

I got a chance to play both, but unfortunatelly it is real hard to really get a good feel. First of all its too noisy, and they won't let you turn it up loud enough to really hear what it sounds like, and who knows what it is going to sound like with your own guitar.
The concept is great, the new features make it very versatile. My local dealer, which is about 2 hours away, will be getting a head so hopefully I will get to try it out.
From what little I could hear at the show, I liked the Stilleto Ace a little more but we will see.

 

[CoolRails]

I'll have to agree... It's really loud at the show and I tried to turn up to get above everyone. I was politely asked to turn down (and the aforementioned knob turn).

The gain I experienced on the "Burn" on channel # 2 was closer to F-50 crunch than LSS but it was hovering right in between. It was "bordering" on recto as I mentioned but not there. The LSS has almost a "tweedy" crunch that gets spongy on the neck pickup and tighter at the bridge, but still stays rather vintage in its tone and nature. The F Series has a thicker, more modern distortion but not near the recto.

Then again, it is quite hard to tell unless you've got it pumped through a 4x12 cab and feeling the pounding of a palm muted power chord against your chest, or the wall shaking presence of the clean channel. I tend to experience more breadth of texture at significant volume with Mesa Amps, from both the clean and dirty channels.

I would say this is definitely a "high gain" amp though.

 

[polaris20]

I'll have to agree... It's really loud at the show and I tried to turn up to get above everyone. I was politely asked to turn down (and the aforementioned knob turn).

The gain I experienced on the "Burn" on channel # 2 was closer to F-50 crunch than LSS but it was hovering right in between. It was "bordering" on recto as I mentioned but not there. The LSS has almost a "tweedy" crunch that gets spongy on the neck pickup and tighter at the bridge, but still stays rather vintage in its tone and nature. The F Series has a thicker, more modern distortion but not near the recto.

Then again, it is quite hard to tell unless you've got it pumped through a 4x12 cab and feeling the pounding of a palm muted power chord against your chest, or the wall shaking presence of the clean channel. I tend to experience more breadth of texture at significant volume with Mesa Amps, from both the clean and dirty channels.

I would say this is definitely a "high gain" amp though.

I guess the only real test is for me to bring a couple of my guitars to the shop and try it out. I've never been one for a super duper high gain sound anyway; too much is overkill.

A couple guys on another board own Nomad 45's, and I really dig those. If that's any indication.

 

[willrock]

im getting me one of this babies! i think i would go for the 5:25 though, i like the portability. i have the mark IV/2x12 cab for bigger gigs. im just wondering if 25 watts gonna cut through the mix with occcasional jamming with a loud drummer (no mic)?

 

[rickc007]

Did they do any high gain stuff with the 5:50? Can it really get into Recto territory as their site claims?

A little, and so did I

Not even close to Recto territory

I did not even get the 5-25 close to F-30 territory, it was very much
like Lonestar Special territory

than again the thick switch on the LSS is advertised to get you into
plexi territory, and I was blasted mine last night, not even close

perhaps a little over marketing

on the other, they both sound great at what they do
but plexi and recto are not amps that I would mistake these for

and one of the reps did plug into the Roadster right after the express
this is another league altogether

Think I should retract my post a little

I spent some time with my LSS after reading about attenuators
on another site. Went into detail about power tube distortion....

anyway, I relize my settings were probably not ideal,
I was maxing the gain and drive, and had the master barely on
mainly cuz if I moved it, it got way to loud way quick

I had the loop out, so the other volume knob was disabled

so enbabled the loop, set the volume low, cranked up the master, had the
gain and drive at about 2, thick mode on, and it was quite
warm deep thick plexi sounding.
Not to be confused with a 100w air pusher, but very tonal
It's the coolest overdrive tone that I have gotten out of this guy

 

[zenabirg]

Hello guys,
I'd like to know the weight of the express 5:50 combo amp. can someone tell me? In kg if possible, because I'm french. :wink:
And what about the 5w? Is it enough to play with a band which doesn't play too loud, or will I have to play in 50w?
Thank you!