DWAKO said:
I used to think I would like something like a Splawn Nitro or Quickrod more than the ED or RA. But after touring with a Nitro it felt extremely dry and sterile in comparison to the ED and RA, it didn't feel near as dynamic and expressive. Plus, the clean channel on the splawn couldn't compare. After playing Mesas for so long, nothing else feels quite "right".
I'm glad you posted this as I have a specific question for you as you own both the RA and ED and have played Splawns.
I too own a Dual Rec, Mark V and a couple of other great amps.
I've been looking for something more Marshall-y sounding. I tried a local Stiletto Deuce but think the tubes were worn out, as it didn't sound that good. I then tried the Royal Atlantic. I liked that you could run it as a 2 channel amp, with the clean channel set to slightly crunchy and have a different EQ for the gains sounds. I then played the Electro Dyne, after reading a bunch of posts.
The first thing that struck me as odd was the lack of a Presence control on the RA, but the ED had one. Why did Mesa omit this from the RA? I thought the ED would be flubby/boomy like a Rectifier, but I was able to dial almost all the bass out of the sound. The tone controls are more reactive than I was expecting. I didn't play the RA and the ED in the same building but it seemed to me that I could get a pretty bright tone out of the ED without much trouble so I'm not sure that then RA is a brighter amp, though it may start there where the ED seemed more 'neutral', with a bit more bass in the overall tone - if that makes sense. The one I tested was new, with EL34s installed instead of the typical 6L6 compliment. I'm wondering if that is a major difference that most folks testing these amps with the RA don't get to see, as it is my understanding the ED ships from Mesa with 6L6s, unless ordered differently. Corrrect?
Next I demo'd an older Splawn Quickrod. The lead sounds were great, solo boost great, tones right in your face like a great boosted Marshall. The cleans were drab. It was connected to a JCM900 cab with t75s so I'm sure with a different speaker and possibly new tubes it would have been better. I did notice there wasn't much changing of the basic tone of the amp. Eventhough there are 4 footswitchable gain/volume levels with that amp you are basically getting shades of gray of that sound.
I am feeling that in the long run the ED might be the best fit for me, but I'm still on the fence with if a Splawn with fresh tubes or the RA might be OK for me to. I also read that one of the other posts said if they wanted a Marshall style amp, they'd buy a Stiletto used. There are a bunch of those out there that I could pick up cheaper than an RA, ED or a Splawn. So, maybe buy the ED, find a used Stiletto and get on with my life? I'm not sure if I'm prepaired to give up a good clean channel for a little more gain, (ED to Splawn), or a Presence control for a clean EQ, (ED to RA). AND, there are plenty used EDs out there too.
My question:
Between the RA and ED, is the Shared EQ on the ED a deal-breaker? Can you do almost anything with the ED you could do with the RA? Also, can a gain pedal take the ED up to the RA for lead gain? Close?
I guess the perfect amp might be a 2 channel ED with a solo boost, like the Mark V or Dual Rec 3ch. I like that feature.
My band plays classic rock and mostly 90s rock and grunge.
