What amp could give the Electra Dyne a run for its money!??

[kramerxxx]

Another question, (*or a few). :lol:

What other speakers have you tried the ED with? I know there was a posting I read that said a Scumback H75-100watter sounded good with the amp.

Has anyone tried the G12K-100 with their ED?

How about an Electo Voice EVM12L?

How about any of the higher wattage Weber or Eminence speakers?

I know the Mesa Black Shadow C90 is a darker voiced Celestion compared to a G12K-100.

 

[YellowJacket]

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've always had a love / hate affair with Marshalls. I remember when I was out in Vancouver for school and I had stashed my Recto back on the west coast while I was living in Winnipeg. (Right when I joined the boogie board, incidentally) I rented a TSL100 for this outdoor thing and I ran it through a Recto Standard 4 x 12 (My old cab). The tone floored me. I was like "THIS IS THE SOUND I'VE ALWAYS WANTED". I would have traded my Recto for one plus cash but I was really nervous about the build quality.
The long and short of the story is that I was back on the west coast and I fought with my Recto for the whole school year. Right after my Son was born, my family was visiting so I was able to get some time off to go hit up the music store. Posting here made me interested in some other mesa amps and I made the 'mistake' of plugging into an Electra Dyne. After that, it was game over. I pined for one for the better part of about a year before I broke down and acquired one. The 'Dyne had THAT tone I dialed in on the marshall head and Mesa sweetened the deal with a STELLAR clean channel and a low gain option that has the most beautiful soft clip I have ever heard!!

Good luck topping that.

I wish I hadn't read this....

Did you ever try a Splawn? and if so, what did you think of it compared to your ED?

thanks,
Steve

I have not played a Splawn. I think one of the members here has owned several of them. He said they have the gain saturation / thickness of a mark series amp with the crunch of a Marshall and the bottom end of a recto. It sounds like a formidable tone!!

FWIW, the Electra Dyne is a beautiful albeit lower gain head compared to most modern amps. The charm of the amp is how dynamic the blue vintage lo mode is as well as how fluid and crunchy the high gain tone is. Vintage Hi is like the perfect alt rock / punk rock snarl, especially with a Gibson Les Paul and the feel is wonderfully singing and elastic for lead tones. The clean mode is also really vibrant and elastic and it really bounces. It's really like a Fender Blackface / Plexi / JCM800 dressed in a tux.

Another question, (*or a few). :lol:

What other speakers have you tried the ED with? I know there was a posting I read that said a Scumback H75-100watter sounded good with the amp.

Has anyone tried the G12K-100 with their ED?

How about an Electo Voice EVM12L?

How about any of the higher wattage Weber or Eminence speakers?

I know the Mesa Black Shadow C90 is a darker voiced Celestion compared to a G12K-100.

Well, I've tried the Electra Dyne with Mesa spec v30s and with a C90. The C90 is cool because it is a darker, more scooped, and less generic tone. It does not detract from the crunch tone and it really helps aid in a wonderful liquid gain tone and a thick and lush clean. The v30 is rock and roll. It has less lows and brighter highs, which is great for all the classic tones. It is also less meaty which gives the perception of less gain.
I think I'd like to try the Electra DYne with a greenback loaded 4 x 12 as well as with G12H 30s.

 

[skunizzi]

Has anyone here tried a Naylor amp?

I heard some clips and it does sound very interesting. Nice cleans and soft gain all the way to metal.

Too bad its so expensive!

 

[boardn10]

Orange Rockerverb, though it is a tad more expensive.

It is a killer amp!

I would take a 20th Shiva over the Electra Dyne or Royal Atlantic. I woould not take an Orange Rockerverb which I find sounds weird and fizzy compared to the Mesa Boogies in question.

 

[boardn10]

Would love to find a simple amp as good as the ED that takes pedals well. Something a bit cheaper.

 

[boardn10]

PWE and Bogner....

 

[igfraso]

How does the ED compare to the Marshall Vintage Modern, despite the fact that the VM is a single channel amp with KT66 tubes? Has anybody tried one of those (2266 or 2466)?

Regards

 

[topalchohol]

I used to own one, the 50 watt 2266. I had fx loop fet failures 2x in 7 months of ownership. Felt cheap as well. It is a hot rodded jtm 45, so it is different. It is very dynamic, but you can't balance the 2 ranges volume wise. Low range will always sound 1/2 volume or so. A 2 trick pony that does its thing well which is either Hendrix tones or stoner/doom tones but not at the same time. I.m.h.o the dyne destroys it but if your holy grail tone is Hendrix or Mastodon, you may like it. Also it was the quietest 50 watter I ever heard. Dimed out on the master thru a 212 was just loud enough for a heavy hitting drummer.

 

[J.J]

Thanks for the info on the VM, they do look like a good amp on paper, but I have heard a few people mention reliability issues. I don't think I have ever heard anyone say Marshall isn't loud enough before :wink: I wonder if your one had a bad tube or something wrong with it.

 

[igfraso]

How does the ED compare to the Marshall Vintage Modern, despite the fact that the VM is a single channel amp with KT66 tubes? Has anybody tried one of those (2266 or 2466)?

Regards

Thank you for the replies and, just in case my question is misunderstood, let me tell you I am a Boogie man. My question, out of curiosisty, had to do with the fact that the ED seems to be a little bit like a JCM800 where volume goes from 0 to 100 with no middle stop in between. For what I heard the Marshall VM is much more easygoing in that respect and covers both JTM45 and JCM800 sonic territory.

Regards

 

[topalchohol]

No bad tubes. It is reported at vintage modern forum that the 50 watt vintage modern puts out 50 watts at max power vs. A plexi which puts out closer to 90 from a 50 watter. This would lead to almost 3db less and it is less bright than a plexi which leads to less perceived volume. The forum moderator there tested his 100 watt vm vs his metro plexi with a db meter and it was 2 or 3 db less from vintage modern. Don't get me wrong, 50 watt vm is loud wide open, almost ideal with a 2x12 and a loud drummer. The fx loop problem is moot if you don't use it and only seemed to occur in early build models. It can come close to both jtm 45 and jcm 800 tones depending on speakers used. Ymmv.

Thanks for the info on the VM, they do look like a good amp on paper, but I have heard a few people mention reliability issues. I don't think I have ever heard anyone say Marshall isn't loud enough before :wink: I wonder if your one had a bad tube or something wrong with it.

 

[werdna]

I have an ED but am lusting after a Soldano HR50. I play in a band that does Guns n Roses, Audioslave and Red Hot Chili Peppers covers. Would the Soldano do as good a job as the ED?

 

[ryjan]

I have an ED but am lusting after a Soldano HR50. I play in a band that does Guns n Roses, Audioslave and Red Hot Chili Peppers covers. Would the Soldano do as good a job as the ED?

http://www.splawnguitars.com/amps08.htm
Same quality and feel that you get from Cameron and Friedman at half the cost.

 

[Assumer]

My PWE Event Horizon and Bogner Shiva but each cost me well over $2000 and while both do things the ED can't, the ED is more dynamic because of the lower gain...that is why I am buying one in a few months. I have been borrowing a friend's Electradyne.
Weird though, because the Fryette SigX is very dynamic.

Always wanted to try a Sig-X

Dr. Z
Divided by 13
London 65
Fargen
Suhr
JMP

 

[werdna]

The Bogner Ecstasy 101B looks like a very versatile amp. Is this a better option for that elusive Fender/Marshall combination in one amp?

I am concerned that my ED is too muddy and boomy, and doesn't have the Marshall crunch. I like the Ed Van H brown sound but it is not there on my ED. Are my tubes worn out? Do I need some kind of pedal to get that sound?

 

[Gordybaby]

Budda SuperDrive II 80 if you are looking for brown tones this thing does it in spades. I still love my ED but this amp is a real pleasure to play and hear. And you can get them for really cheap.

 

[jnoel64]

The only other amp I would consider to "replace" my Dyne is the Granger V20 Nitro.

http://www.grangeramp.com/v20.php

 

[YellowJacket]

Heh. After using the Dyne for a performance again, I'm convinced that it would nearly impossible to beat it at its game. The only amp that I've tried that is on par with it and not outrageously expensive (If you live in North America) is a Mark V.

I'm sure there amps that can do any one thing better than the 'Dyne, but to get that elastic, responsive, and chimey clean with the beautifully dynamic crunch that breaks up perfectly, and the snot of the Vintage Hi all in one simple and easy to use package is nearly impossible.

For anyone who finds it muddy, use single coils or invest in Bare Knuckle Pickups. Look at the guitar as a potential problem. I find I actually get a lot of clarity!

 

[Assumer]

I am sure many could outdo the ED but for me it is just a killer amp and does everything I need it to do for a great price.

 

[J.J]

For anyone who finds it muddy, use single coils or invest in Bare Knuckle Pickups. Look at the guitar as a potential problem. I find I actually get a lot of clarity!

I think it's a volume thing. I find my ED pretty muddy in vintage low when playing at moderate levels and I have Bare Knuckles and single coils. When I get the master up to loud gig level it all settles down and I love the tone.

My RA works much better at low and moderate volume, but doesn't seem to improve so much with volume.

I frustrates me a bit that the ED best tones are in a narrow volume range, but I guess that's nothing unusual compared with old Marshall are Fender amps.