volume problem on Express 5-50

[Maury]

My lead guitarist (Tim) has been playing his new express 5-50 for a few months now and there's one thing that's been a slight problem. The clean channel has far less usable volume than we expected of this 50 watt combo. The gain channel has more volume and headroom than he's ever needed, but on the clean channel he has to dime the output and he rides the gain around 12 or 1:00 ... any less and he has nowhere near the volume he needs ... more than 2:00 on the gain and it just gets dirty - not louder.

Calling all you 5-50 owners ... is this normal?

Tim's previous amp was a DC-5 and in general (both channels, many settings) it was WAY louder than this 5-50.

Hmm.

Maury

 

[Pyro]

No. Its not normal. The clean channel should be loud as ****. Easily able to match the drive channel in a live situation.

Looks like another Express is going back to Mesa. I really feel for you guys that are having trouble. Mine is still fine

 

[plumptone]

I don't have the 5:50, but I do have an F-50. Before I got the amp I had read about how loud it was for 50 watts. After I got it and did my first gig with it, I experienced the same thing as you. The crunch channel was (and still is) capable of deafening volume. The clean channel, however, is apparently not capable of deafening volume. The loudest I can get it is with the gain set to roughly 2:30 or 3:00 and the master for that channel on about 2:00. Any more on the master and it just gets thicker and more compressed, but not noticeably louder.

I was initially quite disappointed. But this was my experience from the stage, standing maybe 10 feet away from the amp. If you step out to where the audience is, or even listen from the back of the room, you will be astonished at how clear and three-dimensional the sound actually is. Try that wit the 5:50 - maybe you'll get the same thing. What I end up doing, to get everything balanced out is run the drive channel with the master at about 10 o'clock, and run the clean channel at noon. It does the job perfectly although to my ears from where I'm standing the clean channel doesn't appear to have the volume I need. Out front everything's fine though.

Oh - and the other thing I know a lot of guys do is use a clean boost up front to push the apparent volume of the clean channel if needed. You'll have to reign in the gain if you use this approach though. I use a lot of compression, and use that to give the preamp a bit of a boost.

Good luck.

 

[richt]

I would say that from my experience this is not normal. I use my 5:50 1x12 in a 2-guitar situation, and with the clean channel gain at Noon, I have not had the output above 10 o'clock, and that is just for extra headroom. I usually have the gtr volume at 7 or 8, because at 10 it is just waaayyy too loud (not using a volume pedal or boost at present). When I am the lone player, the clean channel output is lower. Just for the record, I use an ES 333 and a LP Standard, so if you are using single coils, the performance will be different.

Cheers,

Richt

 

[Newysurfer]

No. Its not normal. The clean channel should be loud as f%&#. Easily able to match the drive channel in a live situation.

Looks like another Express is going back to Mesa. I really feel for you guys that are having trouble. Mine is still fine

+1 - Pyro's right.
My clean channel cuts thru the mix as well as the other channels

 

[Maury]

thanks for your time guys ... sounds like most folks do think something is wrong. Mesa's not open for calls again till Monday ... anyone have ANY idea what could be at fault? Couldn't just be one bad 12ax7 or a faulty volume pot - that would be too easy/cheap right?

 

[Wbfree]

I am a new guy here, the reason I joined is my growing affinity for mesa boogie tone, it is way cool. Have any of you ab'd a 5:50 with a stiletto ace or a nomad 55. Those are the three amps I am looking at. I have tried an f30 and a nomad 45 but I like 6l6 tubes better than el 84's. Anyway I would like to hear what you guys have to say.
Thx
Burnie

Hey Newysurfer, I listened to what you said on the stompbox forum. I have to go 130 miles to try a 5:50 and I want to try the Stiletto also. Still looking for feedback on all these great amps

 

[Maury]

UPDATE... Tim and I played a gig last night and we swapped 2 new 12ax7s into the V1 and V2 spot after our first set. We were pressed for time and rather than figure out which of those 2 tubes might be the culprit, we just changed 'em both... and we like what we're hearing. Sounds like the problem is gone! It was a quiet gig and we still haven't tried it with a drummer to see if we're 100% right, but I think we got it.

Thanks to Marcus at Mesa too - he called me back Monday and recommended the tube swap.

 

[Pyro]

Glad to hear you resolved the problem. Hopefully you can enjoy the Amp now instead of having to worry at gigs. Rock on............ 8)