which mesa amp to get a metallica sound?

[redchannel]

hi i'm new in here.
i'd like to get a metallica' tone (mop - ride the lightning - and justice for all), i know they use pretty much mesa boogie, old and new models.( yes i know it's impossible to get their perfect tone with just an amp)

which mesa 50W head will fit my needs the best?

then, talking about sound, which are the differences between the single, dual and triple rectifier, express, stiletto amps?

bias: is it 100% ajsustable? this because i read these amps got the switch to change from 6l6 and el34. ok, apart that, is possible to adjust the bias with accuracy and in a personal taste?

thanx in advance!

 

[Platypus]

hi i'm new in here.
i'd like to get a metallica' tone (mop - ride the lightning - and justice for all), i know they use pretty much mesa boogie, old and new models.( yes i know it's impossible to get their perfect tone with just an amp)

which mesa 50W head will fit my needs the best?

then, talking about sound, which are the differences between the single, dual and triple rectifier, express, stiletto amps?

bias: is it 100% ajsustable? this because i read these amps got the switch to change from 6l6 and el34. ok, apart that, is possible to adjust the bias with accuracy and in a personal taste?

thanx in advance!

The early metallica tone can be had easily in the Mark series.
Later metallica is dual rectifier territory.

Bias... it's fixed which means you cannot change it without a mod. There is however a bias switch that lets you run 6L6 or EL34 in some models. The Mark IV uses a different system in which you can run EL34's in the outer sockets only.

Differences between the models.. check out the search feature and read some threads as they have been discussed in great detail in the past.

 

[redchannel]

thanx. i'll do a search.
i live in Italy and here mesa amps costs a fortune, opposite what happens there on the U.S. :evil: :twisted: :wink:
so i have to save money and get the right version of a mesa 8)

i prefer to leave combos off and get a head, maybe a 50W not more, because i play at home 90% of the time.

i'm thinking on randall mts seriesor mesa boogie tone.....
it's hard to make a choice :roll:

 

[clutch71]

This is a good read and seems to be suported by photographic evidence.

http://www.freewebs.com/montyjay/kirkamps.html

Provided by 4ankram originally in another post.

They used all kinds of stuff from both Mesa and Marshall. A lot of guys swear by the Mark III for early Metallica tone. For 50w I'd say try an Ace and boost it with a good OD with a little delay for compression.

 

[Platypus]

A Mark IV would probably cost a small fortune over there in Italy but I think it'd offer you a better 'cranked at home' experience without blowing the windows out of the place. You can get the wattage down a ton with that amplifier.

50W really is excessive for home playing though not unrealistic.. it'd be more practical to have something you can drop the wattage down on for the 90% of your home playing that also can go up to 100W for the 10% out.

I don't think the Express series is going to give you the tones you're after.. I second the Ace nod as well. My recommendations would be a Mark IV or an Ace.

 

[redchannel]

thanx for all these advices
i guess mark IV are vintage amps...apart the reissue versions mesa produce now.
Ace? i don't know them

i like the rectifier sound but is true i have to admit i'm scared of high volumes...i play at home and if i cannot get a good sound witha a 50W head at home volumes, as it must be cranked..so i have to get a different low wattage amp :?

 

[Platypus]

The Mark IV is in the vintage amp section here but technically it should be considered a modern amp since it was never pulled from production. It was never discontinued and therefore never re-released.

The Ace is a model of the Stiletto line.

I just don't think you're going to get the tones you're after with the 50W rectifier (single rectifier) without cranking it and the distortion isn't going to be tight enough (in my opinion) to hang with some of the early metallica records.

 

[redchannel]

so what do you suggest me? mark IV and ace, isnt'it?

 

[MetalMatt]

If you want, you could go the rack route and get a Mesa preamp :idea: The Quad and Studio preamps can nail those early Metallica sounds for sure, the Triaxis as well. Pair it up with a low wattage power amp, a 20/20 (EL84) or a 50/50 (6L6) and I think your good to go.

 

[Platypus]

They're different beasts but share similar 'feeling' when you play them.

Here's a very basic overview..

Mark IV = fender blackface esque cleans, a tolerable uncompressed crunch tone and a ridiculously heavy tight distortion/liquid lead tone. It also has a graphic EQ that will let you tailor your sound. It also can run in pseudo class A mode and run your power tubes in triode mode to get your wattage down to a very low amount combined with the tweed power setting. It comes with 4 6L6's but can run 2EL34's in the outer sockets. It can go from a very low wattage (15w? don't quote me on that) all the way up to 100W in full power mode

Stiletto Ace is a 50W two EL34 two channel amplifier that cops a lot of famous british tones. It has an AMAZING crunch channel, way better than the Mark IV's but the cleans aren't as great in my opinion. The fluid drive mode on channel 2 is very close to the Mark IV's lead mode as far as feel but they operate in different sonic areas. The EL34's will give you more of that Ride the Lightning midrange burn sound with a much more focused mid to upper midrange tone. It nails every classic rock tone I've thrown at it from AC/DC to sabbath. I don't think it can get quite as brutal as the Mark IV in the gain department but it's **** close.

If you can play these amps I would highly recommend it before buying, I own both and while they overlap in some areas, they're quite different in others. I would say I think the Mark IV is a better amplifier in my mind but it's complicated to operate whereas the Ace is a very set/forget type amp that is simple to operate and doesn't make a bad tone even if you tried. The Mark IV will require some more time to find your ideal sound, it is capable of making some awful tones if not set up properly .

 

[redchannel]

wow what an explanation :shock: 8) thanks
last thing, price how much the mark IV cost there?

 

[Platypus]

New they run around 1800 USD I believe, give or take a few.

Your best bet is probably to find one on ebay from a seller willing to ship to Italy. You're going to get reamed if you try to buy one new.

In the used market they go for around 1000-1400 depending on options. The Mark IV head comes in two formats, short and long. They are functionally the same amplifier but the short head is smaller and therefore some of the controls are in different places to accommodate this size difference.

There is also an 'A' and 'B' version of the head depending on the age. There is a great thread in the Vintage Amps forum called 'The Mark IV Thread' which has a good explanation of the differences between these revisions.

I cannot stress enough that you go and play the amplifier though, words on the internet are great to point you in the right direction but I'm just one guy so make sure my tastes overlap with yours

 

[redchannel]

thanx again. used mark IV in here are for.. like 2000$, 3000$, 2500$, 1800$ if extraused...then to buy like you could from ebay...a blind purchase...
taking one from ebay will cost me 300$ for shipping

actually i have a marshal dsl 401 that i used to play more rock...
i was 100% into smashing pumpkis before; now i play metal too ( mainly metallica )
to play metallica with my dsl i use the digitech gnx1 multieffect. its distrotion are great, it has a distortion namend rectifier, that i personalize, it is perfect for metallica. this kind of dist is copyied from the mesas rectifiers i suppose...

so i need that tone, but from a real tube amp, not the pedalboard...
my marshall can't so i'm considering to sell it and get a different one.

maybe a used mesa rectifier ( but if it is painful at home-volume level, i'll leave that choice ) or a randall with the Kirk hammett modules

 

[Platypus]

You can get tolerable distortion out of a Rectifier at home levels but it's not really a bedroom amp so you might be disappointed.

The rectifier has a more loose feel to the distortion too so it might not cop the exact tone you're after. You'll have to play one to make sure. A single rectifier would be much more reasonable price wise.

 

[redchannel]

i played a combo 5:25 amp yesterday. i liked it, but it's too expensive..i don't know...

if i remember well it costs 1350 Euros

i haven't heard the dual nor the single rectifier y/d though...

 

[redchannel]

what about an express 5:25 head with a 2 speakers cab?

 

[jtb226]

I don't think the Express will get you the tones you're after. It doesn't have near the gain that other Mesa models do. What price range are you looking to be in for an amp?

 

[MesaENGR412]

If you want a good 50w head, check out the Single Recto. I've got a Triple Recto and I get some great 'tallica tone with it, and I'm sure you can get the same on the single....maybe add an overdrive pedal to boost the signal for lower volumes. Good luck man

-AJH

 

[redchannel]

that's the point, i want an amp that can give me the righ ( high ) distortion without the help of a boost or overdrive.

maybe randall amps can as they are more heavier...

i guess i have to spend to get a good amp as you say..no pain no gain

 

[Elpelotero]

go for the mark2c+, mark3, or mark4. If you want a rack unit, the studio or triaxis. any of those amps will give you the metallica sound. but they will all be loud!