Road King

[Troy]

MetalMatt, thanks for all of the info.

I just talked to Mesa about the switch too, and they said "the pentode/triode switch is no longer necessary." I'm trying to decide if this is their way of saying "we forgot to put it on" without making them look bad.

I have used it a few times on my broken Series I, and it is only a slight change of sound, but it's a feature I wish would be there for me to use if I felt like using it.

The website (which appears they did update it with Series II info) is still saying it comes with the switch. Ahhh, I've about had it with Mesa Boogie and their antics.

 

[CudBucket]

How could they have forgotten to put it in? That's ridiculous.[/i]

 

[Troy]

My only reason for thinking that is because they could have been in a rush to get them out after hearing all of the people that have been waiting for months continue to call and ask "when will my Road King ship?"

On the other hand, the amp wouldn't function if there was something missing in the circuits, so who knows.

I'm just really frustrated right now!

 

[Toh]

Hi !

I'm new to this forum and about to buy a Road King. Currently, I'm playing an Engl Savage SE, which is also a great amp, but I'd like to get the Mesa tone.

I have the opportunity to get a Road king combo series I. What is the difference between the series I and II ? Has anybody A-B tested them ? Can I get good clean tones with the series I ?

Secondly, I know a Road King is not a Mark design amp. But is it possible to get close to Santana's tone (i mean, relatively close, i'm not naïve)?

 

[MetalMatt]

My only reason for thinking that is because they could have been in a rush to get them out after hearing all of the people that have been waiting for months continue to call and ask "when will my Road King ship?"

On the other hand, the amp wouldn't function if there was something missing in the circuits, so who knows.

I'm just really frustrated right now!

Yea Im thinking that same thing, but who knows.

 

[razor7]

Well Everyone,

I have good new and bad news. They good news is, my Roadking Series II came today. The bad news is it was dead on arrival. I had lights, I had tubes baking, but no audio at all. So it may be back to boogie with my amp. I will find out more info tomorrow. I'm glad I tried it at the store before bringing it home.

Still so close, yet so far, LOL

 

[Peace]

Hi guys...
Finally got my RK today... Had alot of crap happen too... It's been a bittersweet day...

Got my rig home and a button was basically ripped out of the King controller...A washer and a bushing of some kind rattling away on the inside and a spring, button and everything else laying inside the kontroller bag.... I was way jacked....... way jacked...... Fortunately, due to an oversite incurred due to the immense lapse of time since my order was placed, GC was shipped 2 RK2 heads(long story in and of itself). Lucky for me, because there were clearly issues with a few of the tubes torqued and bent out of place. You really couldn't even force them into their sockets. A couple of them would go no farther that an eighth of an inch from setting properly. I know it wasn't boogie or gc.. That is my strong opinion and I feel that way because it's a long haul from Cali to Ohio and I can't imagine how many drop offs and pick ups and hubs and crap there is along the way so, IMO it was banged up during shipping....

ANYWAY.....

Lucky for me they have another setup at gc....
.... but by this time, after my long long wait, much anticipation and let downs month after month I decided I was done talking with customer service and I was going to TRY to contact Randall Smith or anyone higher up that might listen to some of the issues I'd like to discuss...

I'm a first time boogie owner..... I've been playing guitar for 25 years so I know about boogie but I could never afford one...... Not that I CAN now but gc had some good financing, I was gigging pretty regularly, had a few bucks saved and then income tax returns came in last week and put it to bed.... So I was paid in full before I even had my amp....
Never had a boogie but knew about them. Researched the RK, heard great things about their customer service so I went for it.. What bothered me after a while was the vagueness of information and just getting bumped back month after month after month. I was even quoted a Feb 13th receiving date at one point.. Which came and went.... Don't know why that happened..... I was upset that the RK had been on the back burner since last April and they never put any info on the website..... It added insult to injury that after NAMM they updated the RK page with RK2 info but STILL said nothing about the delays...
I really lost almost all faith in mb during this time. I though, theres no way they give a crap about me buying an amp like this... I felt like their attitude was "HEY MAN EITHER YOU WANT THE BOOGIE OR YOU DON'T, EITHER WAY I DON'T CARE CAUSE WE'LL SELL THEM ANYWAY!"

So I see MetalMatt's post about the missing switch and I'm thinking wtf....
I get my amp and have a broken controller and bent up tubes and, after all that wait really hit a low point.. I noticed a little plate over the spot where the pentode switch was and felt that, in a few ways mb misrepresented their product... I was done with customer service and I didn't care if anyone listened or not but I was going to try to go higher..

I called and got the receptionist and she has a very kind voice so I made sure to be polite the entire time. I asked to speak with Mr. Smith and she asked who was calling, I told her, she asked if it was business or personal and I said, well - I guess it's a little bit of both..... She then told me he would be out for two weeks but I could speak with someone in CS.. I told her that I felt they were kind of indifferent to my situation and I didn't feel confident that they would actually be listening. She was surprised to hear that. She told me I could email my issues to her and assured me that Mr. Smith would get them. I told her I would do that.. She then asked me what concerns I had. So I made it as brief as I could and I told her.. You can imagine, if you've read this far, that it wasn't too brief.....

We talked for a while, I told her I was a 1st time boogie owner that after months of waiting got his damaged RK2 today.... (basically).... She was very sympathetic to my situation and was very surprised to hear that I was somewhat dissatisfied with CS and completely understood that for the price you pay for this equipment everythng should be in order....
We wound our conversation down and I told her she would be getting an email from me to forward on to Mr. Smith, a VP and the Director of Sales and Marketing. Before we closed she asked if I was sure I didn't want to speak with Customer Service.... I said, "am I gonna get rolled into voice mail and have to wait for someone to call me back?" she said no, she would page the guy and have him take the call so I said, well ok....

So the rep gets on the phone and I told him everything. I remained very calm and polite. Because I wanted to, I was just so bummed out and also because I was just too tired to argue. There was no point in getting angry anymore man.... I was glad too because he was a very good guy. I really couldn't have caught CS on a better day. He was surprised to hear some of what I had to say but was very attentive and seemed genuinely concerned. We talked for a while and I aired all of my thoughts and concerns. Some he agreed fully with, such as the lack of important and correctly updated information on the website, and some he shed some light on like the switch and the manuals.

He said that new manuals are being made, they still had a stockpile of old manuals and almost all of the information is as relevant as it was with the Series I amps because not alot has changed. I could be wrong but it sounded like an updated manual is being completed and they saw no reason in wasting the ones they already had since almost all of the information is the same.... Made since to me.....

As for the switch... He said that there was such a dramatic change to channels one and two after the revoicing that the pentode/triode switch made almost no difference at all in tone. He said that he's used both versions of the amp and that he's so pleased with the way channels 1 and 2 turned out that he doesn't even miss it.... By this time I had talked with the man long enough that I believed he was sincere about what he was saying.... At no time was he rude or inattentive during our conversation. He was very professional and genuinely concerned with my situation and comments so I believe he was giving me his honest opinion in regards to "THE SWITCH" :shock:
I myself couldn't tell you because I've never used the RKI but he made sense to me and I don't think the guy was even the slightest bit rude or anything. He seemed like good people so I took him at his word....

He expressed an understaning of how the information currently shown on the website could be misleading and also agreed that , in hind site, it would have been a good practice to provide the information regarding the delays with the RK on the web... I also said, that for the money consumers pay for this product, some additional packaging around the kontroller might not be a bad idea to assure that no damage occurs to that piece..
As is my luck, I'm the only one he's ever heard of report any damage like that.. I kind of laughed and told him that I wasn't surprised... That IS my luck....

Anyway guys, I'm not going to sweat the pentode/triode switch. I mean, I did buy the RK2 with many of the features in mind and it did irritate me that one thing was said and another was done. Now I DON'T like that but I also don't know what the amp is like with that feature so I'm not sweating the small stuff anymore..... If/when a Series I owner comes in and goes on and on about how he can't live without that feature then I get jealous, angry and envy him/her but until then... ah.....

All in all I have renewed confidence in MB....... I got my amp.. I have some decent contact information and I feel things are how they should be right now....... and I believe I was heard....

Tomorrow morning I'm waking up, I'm pouring a cup of coffee, I'm kissing my wife goodbye before she leaves for work, I'll hook my boy up with his crack-like chocolate milk, I'll hook him up with some AM toons and then I'll tell him Daddy's gonna go jam for a little while.......

Then I'm saddling up my Road King 2........
I've been waiting for this amp since July, I've had a shitty and stressful day today.......... **** a switch, I'm jammin'......

Much love Bruthas.....

My King is in My Castle........

It's time for me to make my glass glow......... I betcha I feel better..

I'll give you a report after I log a couple hours if you'd like....

Catch you guys tomorrow.......

Peace

 

[MetalMatt]

Hey peace!
I wish it worked out better for you. You have fun man! Jamming with that sweet new rig you have!

So are you going to trade for another amp since you got a banged up one? (I read the whole thing but I dont remember if you said anything about that, sorry)

 

[G.I.G.]

Man, I'm sorry you had to go through all of that Peace.

I always try to stay away from first runs or models of anything, not that it is necessarily the case here, but things like that always seem to happen to me if it's the first off the line. That goes with cars, TV's, etc.

My philosophy has always been not IF there is a problem with something I purchase, but HOW that problem is resolved. That always says a lot to me about a company. Sure, even the best companies have flaws with their products on occasion, but for them to resolve it in a quick and efficient manner is the most important part of running an effective business.

I've never had a problem with any Boogie I've owned, but I'm comforted not by their reliable products and reputation, but by the fact that I can call them, talk to a real person (something you don't find much of now a days), and have the problem solved...bottom line.

Let us know how that puppy sounds. I'm looking at getting a Roadster in a few months and am especially curious to hear what channels 1 and 2 sound like.

 

[mcmanus]

Props for putting up with so much BS, regardless of who(m?)ever it's from, even Boogie. Randall Smith owes it to you to hear your story, eventually. Sorry to hear your bittersweet tale... I hope it at least sounds killer tomorrow.

Just keep in mind, the other 99% of us are still jealous as hell, beat up controller or not...!

 

[Peace]

I feel good about where I'm sitting right now.

GC had another brand-spankin-new Roadking so I did a complete swap.
Before that I talked with one of the customer service reps for quite a long time and the conversation ended on very good terms. I really felt like things had been restored and I really got the sense that he was genuinely concerned to hear about my situation and did do what he could within his abilities to make sure I felt satisfied and confident with Mesa Boogie in general.

When I got the 2nd new RK home it was like 930pm(est). I played it at the store and could tell right away there were differences with it in comparison to the one I originally got. I played it at very low volume for a few minutes at about 1130pm but my chitlins were asleep so I couldn't open 'er up. I'm getting ready to fire it up right now. Actually it's on and waiting for me.

I feel good about everything at this point. Mesa treated me very well with genuine concern and the RK2 I have is CLEARLY in better shape...... I think I might even have some tubes coming in the mail... That would be cool...

If my digital camera decides to work I'll take some pics.....

Today I am an official Boogie owner....

8)

 

[mloiaco]

I don't want to add any fuel to the fire, but to be completely honest, I use my Pentode/Triode switch constantly to shape my tone. Furthermore, from a technical point of view, I don't see how any amplifier's tone could be "immune" to a toggle between Pentode and Triode. Also, Mesa's claim that the switch isn't needed since Ch1 and 2 have been revoiced is a weak argument since the Pentode/Triode switch also affects Ch. 3 and Ch. 4 (when you use the EL34's), and Channels 3 and 4 are unchanged from the Series I.

That being said, I seriously question the reason that Mesa has given us for excluding the switch. They'll probably never reveal the true reason.

To add a positive note...if Channel 1 really sounds like the Lone Star, then I could care less about the pentode/triode switch on Channel 1. But for the other channels...I would definitely miss that switch.

 

[PC Biz]

Clips please! We want clips!

Also, I played about five Series 1 RKs in my area and wasn't really impressed at all. That was about 3 years ago. After my second RK demo, I realized I had to buckle down and read the manual. I have owned a Trem-o-Verb, other Boogies, Marshalls and Fenders, so I had an idea of what to expect for tone. It just didn't happen, even after I knew exactly what to do according to the manual.

HOWEVER, I plugged into a used RK Series 1 and BAM! Excellent tone all around. Even dialed in 'the brown sound' with ease. The difference? The tubes. There is a night and day difference. Just a little reminder that Mesa was shipping the RK 1 with mediocre tubes. The same thing happened with my Trem-o-Verb. El cheapo power tubes that had to be replaced. Swapped out the pre amp tubes as well for mondo improvements.

If the Series 1 RK was that great with higher quality tubes, then Series 2 should be that much better. By the way, the Pentode/Triode switch in Series 1 was very, very nice.

My Trem-O-Verb excelled with Svetlana EL34s or 6L6s. So please let us know if there are any appreciable differences with the RK Series 2 tube swap.

 

[fredster]

I feel good about where I'm sitting right now.

I for one am so glad this worked out for you - I've been following your story and rooting for you and your RK. Honestly, I would not have shown that kind of patience. At the very least Mesa owes you some serious swag...

</raises glass>Here's wishing you many years of trouble free RK goodness!

Oh - and we want pic! We need pics!

 

[MetalMatt]

Today I am an official Boogie owner....

8)

YAY!

I don't want to add any fuel to the fire, but to be completely honest, I use my Pentode/Triode switch constantly to shape my tone. Furthermore, from a technical point of view, I don't see how any amplifier's tone could be "immune" to a toggle between Pentode and Triode. Also, Mesa's claim that the switch isn't needed since Ch1 and 2 have been revoiced is a weak argument since the Pentode/Triode switch also affects Ch. 3 and Ch. 4 (when you use the EL34's), and Channels 3 and 4 are unchanged from the Series I.

That being said, I seriously question the reason that Mesa has given us for excluding the switch. They'll probably never reveal the true reason.

To add a positive note...if Channel 1 really sounds like the Lone Star, then I could care less about the pentode/triode switch on Channel 1. But for the other channels...I would definitely miss that switch.

Yea, I asked if could get one installed, they said "It wouldn't make a difference"......Thats not what I asked! I forgot that it would affect Ch3 and 4.
Well I never played a RK-I, so I guess I could never miss that switch but I really like to have the option!

 

[Peace]

Well the idea of the option was something I did specifically mention when we (me and MB cust. srv.) discussed the disappearing pentode/triode switch.

I said I was looking for a versatile amp packed with features. I mentioned that it was specifically mentioned on the website and discussed in small detail in the now outdated manual as well.
I haven't had the switch so I don't know what I might be missing but it was one of many interesting features of the amp that raised an eyebrow when looking into the purchase of an RK.
This was one of the particular areas I thought mesa boogie failed tremendously as far as sharing information. They could have and should have mentioned the delays and could have and should have mentioned the removal of this feature. They only mentioned the updated "positives" ie tube reverb etc etc. I said that I felt that updates should be made to the site because in this particular case I felt it was a misrepresentation of the product. It's one thing to not mention delays in production or shipping but to tell you you're getting something, something that you're expecting, something that's shown to you in pictures and described in print and then find out upon delivery that you're not is a misrepresentation of the product.

I didn't give much thought to the potential it might have in tonal shaping within all channels. It's a shame they did away with it I would like to have had it. I thought I was getting it.... I thought so since I placed the order back in July.
It will probably creep back up in the RK3... or the "RK2+" that was mentioned a few days ago.... Or maybe a mod..... One thing is for sure, if Mesa DOES pay attention to their customers and what people are interested in seeing in their products it will probably be back in the future.

I hope they at least get someone working on posting the correct information on their website. It certainly would be the professional thing to do.

Thanks for the kind words Fredster.. I appreciate it very much... I've played quite a bit today and although I have an all new learning curve I feel confident that the amp and kontroller are in the condition and of the quality that they should be. Everything seems to be good so far now. I'll get some pics up as soon as I can.

Thanks again.

Peace

 

[razor7]

It's alive!!!!!

Thats right ladies and germs, i picked up my roadking today, the reason for no audio was because one of the Preamp tubes cracked during shipping. I went and picked it up tonight, fired it up at the store, had volume and home we went.

I'll get to play it more this weekend but from what i'm hearing a very clean sounding amp. I can't believe this day has come.

Peace and MetalMatt, I hope you guys are enjoying your amps.

Later

 

[Peace]

I am razor....

I hope you do too....


I got 40 minutes before I have to leave for work and I'm jumping off of the net and firing up the RK for a small jam.....

Congratulations.


Peace

 

[Platypus]

Wow that's quite the experience Peace...

I hope you're turning it to 11 right now 8)

 

[mcmanus]

Wow that's quite the experience Peace...

I hope you're turning it to 11 right now 8)

+1