What a difference 2 months makes!
OK, so two months ago I save up enough money and I'm gonna go out and buy a Recto-Verb combo. My first Mesa. I am pumped. So I go to guitar center to try one out, and they only have a Roadster sitting there, no Recto-verb.
So I try it out and it sounds like crap. Neither I nor the Guitar Center employee could dial in anything but flubby crap. I had actually almost decided that maybe Mesa wasn't for me after all.
I knew there was no way these things were the hottest rated amps out there, and that was all you could get. So I come here and create a post asking for some help with the settings. Primarily to try to get a feel for what a Recto-verb would sound like.
You guys were great!
I got some great replies, printed out the settings, went back to Guitar Center and low and behold I got a good sound out of it. A real good sound out of it. Especially when I cranked it. Cranking it really made a difference. So good in fact I decided screw the Recto-Verb, I'm gonna save for another 8 months and get a Roadster.
Anyway, as fate would have it, not a week later I am scanning Craigslist for gear, and I see a guy selling a Road King combo. His asking price is 1200 (Actually, he had it listed at 101200, fortunately it was a typo).
So I meet the guy and check out the amp. The handle on top has duck tape on it and the tolex in the back along the top is pretty torn, to the point you can see the wood in spots. But it was just along the back top and you can only see it if you turn the amp around. Otherwise, it looks great. No damage what so ever to any of the electronics or knobs.
Anyway, I get him to give it to me for 1000.
Over the next couple months I go through a few phases where I think it sounds great, then at other times think is sounds ehhh. All the while I am learning to dial this thing in. Now I have this thing freaking nailed to my sound. And it is freaking amazing.
Anyway, today I walked into guitar center. My next toy will most likely be a Les Paul. I have always wanted one.
So I try out a bunch of guitars, some Les Pauls and others, all the while only playing on that same Roadster 212 combo.
SO I hook up and screw with the dials for about 30 seconds. I had this thing at just above bedroom volume, still way to low for drums, and I got a kick *** sound out of it.
I am screwing around with guitars jamming and one of the guys from guitar center come around the corner trying to look at my settings. The guy is like "How in the hell did you get it to sound like that. We have had this amp here for ever and I have never heard it sound like that. That tone is just killer".
As he walked away he said "Please don't screw with those settings, I'm gonna hook up when your done".
Dude didn't ask me about the guitar, if I wanted to buy anything, nada. Just what I had the dials set on.
The funny thing is this was the same amp that not 2 months ago had almost turned me off Mesa entirely. Not just the same model. The same amp! And this time I had it sounding better then the second time I went and got a great sound. Tight thick muted palm stuff, screaming leads. All without an OD boost or an external EQ. Nothing but amp!
I guess the point of this long drawn out post is that dialing in a Mesa is a skill in and of itself.
You can't just walk up to one and dial in the settings you have used on all your other amps. It is very touchy. 10:00 and 10:30 can be very different settings and will effect how the rest of your settings go.
Also, as another poser recently pointed out in another thread, YOU MUST ADJUST YOUR PLAYING, AND PLAY NEATER WHEN PLAYING ON A RECTIFIER. It is a FACT! A Mesa will not hide your mistakes like a Line 6 will. But it will reward you with the sweatest guitar tone you ever heard when you play right!
One more prop to the Roadster. I have a Road King version 1. I love it. It kicks ***. Distortion wise, it and the Roadster can get matching sounds. Even with the open back cab, you just dial them in differently.
But the clean channel on that Roadster. My God. I rarely play clean, so for it to jump out at me says something. I think my Road King has very good cleans, but the Roadsters cleans are second to none.
That is all! Thanks for reading!
OK, so two months ago I save up enough money and I'm gonna go out and buy a Recto-Verb combo. My first Mesa. I am pumped. So I go to guitar center to try one out, and they only have a Roadster sitting there, no Recto-verb.
So I try it out and it sounds like crap. Neither I nor the Guitar Center employee could dial in anything but flubby crap. I had actually almost decided that maybe Mesa wasn't for me after all.
I knew there was no way these things were the hottest rated amps out there, and that was all you could get. So I come here and create a post asking for some help with the settings. Primarily to try to get a feel for what a Recto-verb would sound like.
You guys were great!
I got some great replies, printed out the settings, went back to Guitar Center and low and behold I got a good sound out of it. A real good sound out of it. Especially when I cranked it. Cranking it really made a difference. So good in fact I decided screw the Recto-Verb, I'm gonna save for another 8 months and get a Roadster.
Anyway, as fate would have it, not a week later I am scanning Craigslist for gear, and I see a guy selling a Road King combo. His asking price is 1200 (Actually, he had it listed at 101200, fortunately it was a typo).
So I meet the guy and check out the amp. The handle on top has duck tape on it and the tolex in the back along the top is pretty torn, to the point you can see the wood in spots. But it was just along the back top and you can only see it if you turn the amp around. Otherwise, it looks great. No damage what so ever to any of the electronics or knobs.
Anyway, I get him to give it to me for 1000.
Over the next couple months I go through a few phases where I think it sounds great, then at other times think is sounds ehhh. All the while I am learning to dial this thing in. Now I have this thing freaking nailed to my sound. And it is freaking amazing.
Anyway, today I walked into guitar center. My next toy will most likely be a Les Paul. I have always wanted one.
So I try out a bunch of guitars, some Les Pauls and others, all the while only playing on that same Roadster 212 combo.
SO I hook up and screw with the dials for about 30 seconds. I had this thing at just above bedroom volume, still way to low for drums, and I got a kick *** sound out of it.
I am screwing around with guitars jamming and one of the guys from guitar center come around the corner trying to look at my settings. The guy is like "How in the hell did you get it to sound like that. We have had this amp here for ever and I have never heard it sound like that. That tone is just killer".
As he walked away he said "Please don't screw with those settings, I'm gonna hook up when your done".
Dude didn't ask me about the guitar, if I wanted to buy anything, nada. Just what I had the dials set on.
The funny thing is this was the same amp that not 2 months ago had almost turned me off Mesa entirely. Not just the same model. The same amp! And this time I had it sounding better then the second time I went and got a great sound. Tight thick muted palm stuff, screaming leads. All without an OD boost or an external EQ. Nothing but amp!
I guess the point of this long drawn out post is that dialing in a Mesa is a skill in and of itself.
You can't just walk up to one and dial in the settings you have used on all your other amps. It is very touchy. 10:00 and 10:30 can be very different settings and will effect how the rest of your settings go.
Also, as another poser recently pointed out in another thread, YOU MUST ADJUST YOUR PLAYING, AND PLAY NEATER WHEN PLAYING ON A RECTIFIER. It is a FACT! A Mesa will not hide your mistakes like a Line 6 will. But it will reward you with the sweatest guitar tone you ever heard when you play right!
One more prop to the Roadster. I have a Road King version 1. I love it. It kicks ***. Distortion wise, it and the Roadster can get matching sounds. Even with the open back cab, you just dial them in differently.
But the clean channel on that Roadster. My God. I rarely play clean, so for it to jump out at me says something. I think my Road King has very good cleans, but the Roadsters cleans are second to none.
That is all! Thanks for reading!