What Features would you like to see in a future Express?

[microwerx]

Well I own an Express 5:50 and I absolutely love it. I think Mesa should not discontinue this amp. It has amazing features and I love the sounds. If I were to have an opinion as far as new features that would match its other brethren, it would be:

- Channel Cloning (mostly so you can use the Crunch mode on channel 2 or Burn mode on channel 1)
- Presence Control (for some additional eq options)
- Footswitchable Effects Loop with Send Control
- Revoice the blues mode so that it sounds like the Tweed mode on the Road King II or Mark 5 [but have the same reverb response as the 5:50]

Some not-so-essential-features
- Footswitchable Tremolo (I would never, ever want a Fender if it had this =) In fact, I would rather have a tremolo than a Solo feature--both would be nice though.
- 6L6/EL34 switch
- 19" width for the 5:50 (for a really nice portable head)

Dreaming features:
- EQ (ok, we're definitely in Mark 5 territory here!)
- 3 Channels (Clean/Tweed, Crunch/Tweed, Crunch/Burn)

 

[boswell]

3 Channels (Clean/Crunch/Burn) would be nice other than that I love it as it is.

 

[tonejam]

First time I tried the blues mode, I thought it sounded crap. In actual gig situations, I love it! It's shown me how wrong I can be about what's a good sound and what isn't. Have to agree about the Presence control, though. I like the brightness when the CONTOUR kicks in, but not the increased bass.

 

[TimeSignature]

A 5 band EQ is really the only thing I can think of.
Perhaps another channel?

 

[soundchaser59]

1. No more 10 inch speakers.
2. No more Eminence "E" anything speakers.
3. Why would you sell an amp with a speaker that can't gracefully handle what the amp puts out? (like the E50) Make a beefy amp? Give me a beefy speaker.
4. Why does the footswitch jack have to be so awkward to get to?
5. More rugged footswitch with a more solid cable connection.
6. Closed back option might be nice.
7. T-Nut speaker mounts with hex head bolts, instead of the bolt and nut thing.
8. Bigger cab so I can put in over sized speakers without having to remove the reverb.
9. Better tube strategy, I've had nothing but problems with every "Mesa" branded tube I've had in this thing.
10. Ability to footswitch all four modes instead of just two.

 

[ifailedshapes]

What's funny is that Mesa has solutions to almost every single thing you guys are mentioning. They're called different amps.

 

[Trea]

Clean and crunch on two different channels would make this my perfect amp.

 

[MrMason]

3 channels, each being able to do any of the four modes
Presence control for each channel
"Master" master volume, for overall volume
Effects loop dB switch
Progressive Linkage assignable between 6L6 and EL34 for each channel (it might change the name to something more like the Express 10:100 with 4 output tubes hahaha)
Assignable speaker outs for each channel (these last two are Road King II features that I think Mesa should add to all of their amps)

 

[J.J]

1. A presence control .
2. The abillity to turn dyanwatt off.
3. Clean and Crunch on different channels.

 

[EtherealWidow]

What's funny is that Mesa has solutions to almost every single thing you guys are mentioning. They're called different amps.

But dude. None of them sound like the Express. My favorite thing about the Express is that it sounds like an Express.

 

[microwerx]

I happen to have a Road King II and I have a Mark 5 that'll be here anyday. I happen to love the Express sounds. I am just thinking of how to make the amp more versatile. I happen to have an affinity for the Trem-O-Verb features that seem like they could easily transfer over to the Express design. I think the Channel Cloning feature was probably one of the most ingenius amplifier features designed by Mesa/Boogie. It essentially allows a two-channel, multi-mode amplifier to be the kind of amp that you want it to be. I don't really want the Express to be a Dual Rectifier or a MARK series amp, but the best 2 channel amp, money can buy! I kind of think that the older 2 channel Dual Rectifiers are a type of ideal example model to follow. A more modern version might be:

2 Channels
Channel Cloning
Individual Gain, Treble, Mid, Bass, Presence, Reverb, and Master Controls per channel
Footswitchable Series Effects Loop with Send Control
Footswitchable Reverb
Footswitchable Channel
+ any amplifier specific features (like Footswitchable Contour or Footswitchable Tremolo =D)

It's like what Mesa/Boogie says: Keep it simple without imposing limitations.

Every amplifier that has had all these features have gotten a 5/5 star rating on features because it just works so well for the player. I think the Express amplifiers have terrific feature sets for small amplifiers that are easy to use and fun to play. I think implicitly, any amplifier from any manufacturer that follows a similar model has similar amounts of success. I think the last amp that Mesa/Boogie made that almost matches the features I'm looking for in the Express 5:50 is the Trem-O-Verb.

 

[soundchaser59]

What's funny is that Mesa has solutions to almost every single thing you guys are mentioning. They're called different amps.

For a lot more money..... the only acceptable alternative I see is the Road King.

3 channels, each being able to do any of the four modes

I would settle for this. But yeah, I wonder why they put clean and crunch on opposite sides of the same switch. Clean+Blues on one switch, Crunch+Burn on the other switch would have been better.

 

[guywithboogie]

I pretty much totally agree with the first post.
Things I would really like to see.

- Channel Cloning
Would love to run Blues on Ch1 and Burn on Ch2.

- Presence Control (for some additional eq options)
Or just a Brite and Deep switches. (Presence would be better though)

- Solo

 

[bigdawg]

4 channels, or footswitchable between the other 2 modes..
a vintage 'voice' switch

 

[richpjr]

Most of the things mentioned are pretty good ideas. For me, the biggest thing would be a footswitch for all 4 modes.

 

[Newysurfer]

Well I own an Express 5:50 and I absolutely love it. I think Mesa should not discontinue this amp. It has amazing features and I love the sounds. If I were to have an opinion as far as new features that would match its other brethren, it would be:

- Channel Cloning (mostly so you can use the Crunch mode on channel 2 or Burn mode on channel 1)
- Presence Control (for some additional eq options)
- Footswitchable Effects Loop with Send Control
- Revoice the blues mode so that it sounds like the Tweed mode on the Road King II or Mark 5 [but have the same reverb response as the 5:50]

Some not-so-essential-features
- Footswitchable Tremolo (I would never, ever want a Fender if it had this =) In fact, I would rather have a tremolo than a Solo feature--both would be nice though.
- 6L6/EL34 switch
- 19" width for the 5:50 (for a really nice portable head)

Dreaming features:
- EQ (ok, we're definitely in Mark 5 territory here!)
- 3 Channels (Clean/Tweed, Crunch/Tweed, Crunch/Burn)

Ok - so we're talking 5:50's here - not 5:25's :mrgreen:

If they do a re-issue the only thing I think is highly desirable is to have all 4 voices footswitchable.
Don't care about the rest of the stuff.
Don't want any effects other than reverb and have never once used Tremolo.
Don't want any voice changes to make it sound more like somefin else.
The 5:50 has it's own unique voices that work great for me.
If I want other voices I'll use another amp :mrgreen:

 

[ifailedshapes]

.
If I want other voices I'll use another amp :mrgreen:

Thank you very much!

To add my two cents to the footswitchable modes option, I think every single person on here would love that. However, with the differences in volume between each mode, you would basically have to have 4 channels OR (I just realized this makes a little more sense) trim pots on the back to adjust the level for the different modes the same way the Electa Dyne does for it's clean channel.

Also, I personally wouldn't use the same gain, EQ, or reverb settings for Clean/Crunch or Blues/Burn, so I guess that brings back the 4 channel thing again, and that's just ridiculous to me.

My main gripe is the lack of an overall master volume. It's not very hard to adjust each channel's volume independently, but it's still a pain in the butt.

 

[soundchaser59]

Ok - so we're talking 5:50's here - not 5:25's :mrgreen:

Touche`

 

[gezza]

Hey Guys,

Here are mine.

1. A boost that works with Channel 1 and Channel 2, with a separate Volume control.
This would give you a third channel.

2. all channels to be foot-switchable. Midi would be nice.

3. A fully adjustable wattage output knob.

Lets face it 5watts is pretty useless, but if you could dial in 10watts, 15watts. You could really crank that sucker and get some awesome tones. This would simply replace the switch on the Back.

That's it for me.

So Mr Smith when will my prototype be ready. lol.

Gezza.

 

[ifailedshapes]

1. A boost that works with Channel 1 and Channel 2, with a separate Volume control.
This would give you a third channel.

I agree that this would be cool, but there are a TON of pedals that do this very thing. I'm currently looking into my options for this very thing.