Torture by Combo: Express 5:50

[Strat N My Stuff]

I have been waiting to try the Express 5:50, but pretty much have decided I'm tired of waiting. I'll just have to spend the extra $500 for an LSS.

I realize that there may be some confrontation between Mesa and some tube retailers with history that I don't know about..... I surmise this from the article from Randall Smith (I believe) about variable bias not being needed and an unnamed site's statement that Mesas are biased COLD and a mod adding a pot is best. (I won't if it voids the warranty)
That same site suggests that Combos are "torture chambers" for the tubes. Makes sense to me, but I really would like to avoid the extra expense of a head/cab setup if I can. Opinions? My estimate is a diff. of about $500.00. The alternative would have to be replacing a lot of tubes to justify it on that alone. I suppose the fact that it looks cool should be given fair weight!
What do you ya think?

 

[ol4t]

I think you should wait for the Express.

 

[cant play pool with a rop]

I've had problems specifically with open back combos with tube rattle thats one of the reasons I took the Express back. I also had the 07 Lonestar for a couple of days and took it back and ordered the head/2X12 cab. I've never had this issue with closed back combos though.

 

[Sling Blade]

I guess it depends on how you aim on using it. I myself am not in a band so I just needed a small amp for home use and sometimes I will lug it to my familys functions for small jams or to my friends house. A head and a cab would just not be real practical for this time of use. Now if I were in a band this may be different.

 

[recto-robbie]

I too got tired of waiting for the 5:50. I paid in full on 2-7-07 then was told a week later I could expect it at the end of April. No way, not for me especially because I never tried it. I wound up paying an extra $500 and got the rectoverb which is what I wanted but didnt want to pay for.
Yesterday 4-11-07, I stopped in my GC and there they were putting the 5:50 that I originally ordered up on the shelf. Needless to say I had to try it. Ive been doubting myself for the last 3 months wondering if I made a big mistake. Nope I didnt,,,Im very glad I went with the ROV. There wasnt anything really wrong with the 5:50,,hell its a boogie,,but compared to the ROV it seemed a little toyish. I didnt find anything that stood out about it and realized why I wanted it originally..It was a new model?
In all fairness to the 5:50 I only played it at GC levels,,so the test ride wasnt really a full one.
I f I were you id stick with the LSS if you have tried it and like it. I would bet that for the $500 extra you pay for it, you will see after a few minutes with the 5:50 that it was money well spent.
And for the tube torture chamber thing,,yes I can see compared to a head version they could rattle those tubes a bit more but I cant say that I have heard or read any thread here about people going through tubes too fast due to a combo version. Have you?

 

[Russ]

And here I thought you guys would be talking about lugging an EVM loaded Mark series amp around. I had to migrate back into my head cab for this reason.

 

[speedy mcfeely]

I replaced the mesa tubes with some NOS 5751 preamp tubes, and JJ power and recto tubes. They sound great. a bias is only needed if you use tubes that are a different value (current wise) than the ones that came stock.
If you have rattle issues, then buy some better quality retainers. Sometimes the rattle is in the tubes themselves, that requires new tubes.
On the website that has been spewing this propaganda to you, remember that they are selling something... and are Mesa haters! If combos were so bad for tubes, then why on earth would the bigs make them. Badcat, Matchless, Dr. Z, Dumble, Bogner, etc.
If a combo is what you're after, then get it, and try it. the worst that can happen is that it doesn't work for you, the you spend $250 and get a head cab from mesa, put your chassis into it, and BAM a head is born.
Good luck Brother in tone.

 

[ursinus]

I'v used combos for 20+ years and never had problems. If anything, I like the extra harmonics and sweet feedback you get from a combo than a head/cab combo.

 

[Russ]

Swap your speaker for an EVM and tell me you like the weight.

 

[ol4t]

To the original poster, I had the LSS and loved it. It didn't have the cleanest clean, I used a Twin for that. I decided to get a Roadster and omit the Twin/LSS combination, but didn't really like the V30/closed back sound, jumped to the RKII combo (weighs like 500lbs.). The RKII is a keeper for me, but way too much amp for me to haul all the time and way too much amp for practice at someone's house.
This story get worse. :mrgreen: I started looking for a 1X12 combo for carry around, heard a 5:50 Express and one followed me home. It's somewhat heavy at 50lbs. for a practice amp, but at 5 watts I don't get my *** kicked by my wife and at 50 watts I really don't need the RK. The gain modes are just right for classic rock and I really think I could walk in plug straight into it and play our style music.
I can honestly say if I had heard the 5:50 first I might have tempted to buy two of them and run them stereo instead of the long amp journey I took (like it's past tense :roll: )

 

[JAZZGEAR]

I too got tired of waiting for the 5:50. I paid in full on 2-7-07 then was told a week later I could expect it at the end of April. No way, not for me especially because I never tried it. I wound up paying an extra $500 and got the rectoverb which is what I wanted but didnt want to pay for.
Yesterday 4-11-07, I stopped in my GC and there they were putting the 5:50 that I originally ordered up on the shelf. Needless to say I had to try it. Ive been doubting myself for the last 3 months wondering if I made a big mistake. Nope I didnt,,,Im very glad I went with the ROV. There wasnt anything really wrong with the 5:50,,hell its a boogie,,but compared to the ROV it seemed a little toyish. I didnt find anything that stood out about it and realized why I wanted it originally..It was a new model?
In all fairness to the 5:50 I only played it at GC levels,,so the test ride wasnt really a full one.
I f I were you id stick with the LSS if you have tried it and like it. I would bet that for the $500 extra you pay for it, you will see after a few minutes with the 5:50 that it was money well spent.
And for the tube torture chamber thing,,yes I can see compared to a head version they could rattle those tubes a bit more but I cant say that I have heard or read any thread here about people going through tubes too fast due to a combo version. Have you?

The 5:50 is hardly a toy. It is without a doubt the best sounding amp for the $$$ that Mesa has built to date. The Cleans are clearly derived from the LSC, and I'd even say the reverb sounds even better than that of my RK II (which derived from the LSC).

I had the LSS twice, and can honestly say that the clean and lead channel in teh 5:50 completely blow away the LSS. IMHO I would not spend the extra $500. The 5:50 weighs less than the LSS, has a better lead channel, Contour, 2 modes per channel and also has 5 Watt class A option. And if you're an EL84 guy, for $100 or so...you can make it so, by putting in Yellow Jackets.

 

[recto-robbie]

Sorry I didnt mean to offend any 5:50 owners out there. I seriously didnt mean its a toy,,,Like I said its a boogie. I was merely stating my thoughts about it compared to the ROV that I own. In regards to the music I play,,not JUST the blues or classic rock,although I love those too, I guess I felt it was a little week in other departments. Thats because I compared it to a rectifier series. Not the best comparison...I never played the LSS and I never thought about the weight issue,,,then again I would never buy an amp I couldnt personaly move either. And jazzgear I dont think everybody on this sight will agree with you about the 5:50 being the best sounding boogie amp to date.
Maybe for the money because I think you would be hard pressed finding anything cheaper.

 

[Restless Rocks]

An amp does not suck because it doesn't sound like another amp that probably can't sound like it does either. No two painters happen to like the same kind of brushes for dipping into the same paint.

 

[ol4t]

Sorry I didnt mean to offend any 5:50 owners out there. I seriously didnt mean its a toy,,,Like I said its a boogie. I was merely stating my thoughts about it compared to the ROV that I own. In regards to the music I play,,not JUST the blues or classic rock,although I love those too, I guess I felt it was a little week in other departments. Thats because I compared it to a rectifier series. Not the best comparison...I never played the LSS and I never thought about the weight issue,,,then again I would never buy an amp I couldnt personaly move either. And jazzgear I dont think everybody on this sight will agree with you about the 5:50 being the best sounding boogie amp to date.
Maybe for the money because I think you would be hard pressed finding anything cheaper.

No worries here, I understood what you were saying. I can't use the heavy sounds of a ROV, I certainly wouldn't say that amp sucks!

 

[JAZZGEAR]

Sorry I didnt mean to offend any 5:50 owners out there. I seriously didnt mean its a toy,,,Like I said its a boogie. I was merely stating my thoughts about it compared to the ROV that I own. In regards to the music I play,,not JUST the blues or classic rock,although I love those too, I guess I felt it was a little week in other departments. Thats because I compared it to a rectifier series. Not the best comparison...I never played the LSS and I never thought about the weight issue,,,then again I would never buy an amp I couldnt personaly move either. And jazzgear I dont think everybody on this sight will agree with you about the 5:50 being the best sounding boogie amp to date.
Maybe for the money because I think you would be hard pressed finding anything cheaper.

No offense taken.....
and yes, I did state that for the $$$, it is their best :wink: 8)

 

[recto-robbie]

All good,,,all good here,,, by the way,,you got some nice amps there.

 

[TheRazMeister]

I tried the 5:50 and would definitely not trade my ROV combo for it. The ROV has a bad reputation as being a heavy metal amp but is really a lot more flexible than people give it credit for. The 5:50 was okay but like the F-50 before it, the gain channel isn't what I was looking for (I do NOT play Metal)

 

[Sling Blade]

I love my 550. I upgraded frome my starter amp. It was a 65watt Crate combo to the 550. And the 550 sounds like greatness compared. It does not matter what I am playing Metallica, Black Sabbath, Greenday, Nervana or classical stuff on the clean channel. It all sounds good. :lol:

 

[NuSkoolTone]

If you're more a blues/county/classic rock guy I'd say the LSS/LSC would be cool. Personally I would "Step up" to an ACE!

 

[JAZZGEAR]

If you're more a blues/county/classic rock guy I'd say the LSS/LSC would be cool. Personally I would "Step up" to an ACE!

No Way...the Ace would be a complimentary amp to the LSS/LSC not a replacement. Two completely different animals. :shock: