What is Mesa's flagship amp?

[seajay]

For years the Mark IV was the undisputed champ as far as most bells & whistles feature-laden Mesa/Boogies were concerned.

And then came the Road King.

However, I'm not so sure that the Road King should automatically crowned as the top of of the heap.

I think it's time that these 2 amps battled it out.

What do you all think is considered Mesa's current flagship model?

 

[clutch71]

For years the Mark IV was the undisputed champ as far as most bells & whistles feature-laden Mesa/Boogies were concerned.

And then came the Road King.

However, I'm not so sure that the Road King should automatically crowned as the top of of the heap.

I think it's time that these 2 amps battled it out.

What do you all think is considered Mesa's current flagship model?

By flagship do you mean popular? Amp of the future? versatility or Grail tone?

Popular I'd have to say Rectifier (Single, Duals, and Triples) as they are in any Mesa dealer you walk in.

Mark IV are a players amp n my opinon and you can never find one as most dealers won't stock them.

The express seem to be well received, but I have been hearing of little problems here and their.

Roadkings are great but hard to find and pricey.

Just my 2cents.

 

[Storm]

I would have thought it was the Road King series.

Ciao ...

 

[V!N]

The Flagship is always the most prestigious amp in the bunch. And for that, I'd have to say it's the RK.

 

[PRSKILLER]

I'd say their longest standing flagship amp has been and still is the Dual Rectifiers.

 

[Schmoog]

but the mark series has been a part of the boogie family for 30 years....and the IV has been around since 90. I think that the rectifier series is mesa's most popular, and most heavily marketed amp. and I understand why, they are easy to use, and as boogies go, relatively inexpensive. flagship has gotta be the mark IV though. Yeah, it doesn't have a 16 thousand button footswitch like the RK, but it really is the culmination of boogie technology up until this point. anything found in any mesa amp can be found in the mark IV (save switchable tube rectifier/diode)

 

[flieger67]

I'd think that the Dual/Triple Rectifiers are the flagship in the Boogie line. To me, "flagship amp" would mean the most visible amp in a company's line. So, for Boogie, I think the Rectifier is the one that I see the most in photos and talked about in interviews.

I love my Stiletto and I acknowledge the legacy of the Mark series, but I think that, currently, the Rectifier is the flagship.

 

[gooberizer]

Dual Rectifier. It changed the course of heavy music and most of the other Mesa amps since then are either a version of it (Trem-O-Verb, Rect-o-Verb, RK, Single, Triple, Roadster), or in response to it like the Stiletto which they billed as the compliment to the Rectifiers. The Marks are friggin' awesome, but I don't think they had quite the impact on guitar oriented music as a whole. Also, people that know nothing about the equipment their favorite bands play will still be able to identify a diamond plate Rectifier. They'll see and recognize the amp that "looks like a truck bumper".

 

[phillyred79]

Gotta be the Mark IV.. When I owned one a few years back and would tell people I had one they would always respond with 'Ahh! THE Mark IV?!!!' I think everyone who knows anything about amps knows about the Mark IV and it is generally warmly received everywhere.

 

[MetalMatt]

I believe it was the MarkIV at first. Now it's the Road King. When a MarkV comes out that will be the new flagship.

 

[RR]

Dual Rectifier. It changed the course of heavy music and most of the other Mesa amps since then are either a version of it (Trem-O-Verb, Rect-o-Verb, RK, Single, Triple, Roadster), or in response to it like the Stiletto which they billed as the compliment to the Rectifiers. The Marks are friggin' awesome, but I don't think they had quite the impact on guitar oriented music as a whole. Also, people that know nothing about the equipment their favorite bands play will still be able to identify a diamond plate Rectifier. They'll see and recognize the amp that "looks like a truck bumper".

Exactly! I followed MESA/Boogie from their Mark I to the 5:25 Series and their homage is the Mark Series which is today's Mark IV.

They just thought they would venture out to the "hi gain" scene and developed the Dual Rectifier. That caught on like wild fire and to me, it pretty much set the standard in hi gain amplification. And the rest is history.

If someone asks me, what do you think about MESA Boogie, I think of Mark IV before thinking about the Recto series.

 

[richey]

Flagship does mean the most prestigious. It has to be the Road King.

 

[Grendeltone]

By definition...

flagship

noun
1. the chief one of a related group; "it is their flagship newspaper"
2. the ship that carries the commander of a fleet and flies his flag

The amp that would have to be the main point of reference should be the Dual Rectifier... this is the amp that has been the basis of the majority of the amps.

This is not detracting anything from the other amps.. whether it is the Mark IV or the Road King, but the basis of the majority of the amps that are out are compared to the Dual Rectifier.

I have loved EVERY Mesa product that I have and each product has their own merits. The Stiletto was a great amp, the 395 was brilliant.. but the Stiletto was created as an EL34 reference (or complement) to the Dual.. the Road Kings and Single Rects are variations of a great amp..

I believe that the Dual was the biggest change for a brilliant company... I have used Mesa prior to the Dual Rect line even was created... and I don't see why there is no reason why I won't maintain using Boogie..

 

[seajay]

Great discussion guys! And thanks everyone for voting.

When I set up this poll I was thinking that flagship meant the most prestigious. Therefore, I would have thought it's the Road King.

But a lot of you are making the argument that flagship means the most visible. In that case I would most certainly say the Dual Rectifier.

 

[Surfcaster]

I interpret "flagship" to mean "most prestigious", not "most popular". In naval terms, it would be the ship that would be commanded by the chief ranking officer. So it follows it would be the most desirable ship, the most exclusive ship.

Along those lines I would have to say Road King is Mesa's most prestigous amp, and at that price it's pretty exclusive! It's certainly Randall Smith's crowning acheivement in terms of design.

 

[Russ]

I'd say it is the Road King but I'll keep my Mark IV and 2 ch. DR.