Played a Mesa for the first time today

[FuseG4]

I was trying out strats at a guitar center. I like doing this because the sales people all think customers are chumps, and if you plug them into the best amp in the store, why, every guitar sounds freakin AWESOME! It's fun to just forget about the guitar and just focus on the amp when they do that. Anyways, last time dude plugged me into a Twin Reverb, this time I got to play...
an Electra Dyne 2x12 combo! even at medium-low volumes in the 45W mode, it KILLED! Very sweet, very rich preamp distortion. it was weird, it was like getting the sound of a cranked Fender amp but from mostly just the preamp of the Mesa. The clean was great, not as much power and depth as a twin reverb but the mesa was more easily controlled on the treble.

What a WARM amp, too. It's very thick and creamy, whereas my Marshall always has bite and sting. The first thing the guy did when he plugged me into the Mesa was to basically dime the treble and presence. I was like "what is this guy doing", and played a few chords that way, and while it was nice, I dialed the knobs all back to around halfway, put it into the "low" gain mode, upped the preamp vol, and boy was it a BLUES TONE.

I know blueman's gonna be like "wtf people who play blues on a strat are usually tone deaf or something", and I agree USUALLY but this wasn't the 70's Clapton thing. The mesa realllllly smoothed out the strats I played, I can't even believe it.

Anyways, now that I'm done gushing, where does the Electra Dyne sit in the Mesa hierarchy? Which other mesa models are similar, better, or worse? Does anyone here own one?

What speakers are in the E.D. 2x12? I forgot to look, but I did like the speakers.

[some_dude]

Re: Played a Mesa for the first time today

The ED is it's own thing. Unlike most Boogies the ED wasn't designed by Randall Smith... it was designed by one of Mesa's other engineers. Aside from the Simul-Class power section I'm pretty sure it's a totally new design from a Mesa's point of view (although I'm sure the preamp structure is inherited from previous amps that may or may not have been designed by Mesa).

[phil_104]

Re: Played a Mesa for the first time today

Anyways, now that I'm done gushing, where does the Electra Dyne sit in the Mesa hierarchy? Which other mesa models are similar, better, or worse? Does anyone here own one?

Mesa does not really have a "hierarchy", but rather different amps for different flavors, and situations. When you ask where it sits in the line, it's more in terms of flavor and style rather than quality of sound or features. It's my understanding that Mesa don't make amps with reduces price in mind, but rather just make an amp how they think it should be made, and then price it. If the amp requires more features and parts, it will be more expensive.

With that said, the ED is very much a brit flavored amp, with a clean channel that sounds a little more american to my ears. It's designed around the idea that you can drop either 6L6 of EL34 tubes in there, to change that vibe around, but all around, it's still very brit in the way in handles distortion. Other Mesa amps that could be compared to it would be the Stiletto Ace (which is my main amp), which also is designed to be a brit style amp (Marshall style in all honesty). The big differences between the two, to my ears, and to be brief, is that the ED tends to produce a warmer type of distortion and drive than the Stiletto, which is more punchy and piercing.

It is indeed a great amp. If you enjoyed it's clean channel, check out the Lone Star Classic, and if you enjoyed the drive channel, you might also want to look into the Stiletto line of amps, which offer a different take on the brit vibe.

[FuseG4]

Re: Played a Mesa for the first time today

That's interesting that it's a brit flavored amp. i spent a lot of time on the clean channel (I was demoing guitars, after all) and must have just seen "MESA" and assumed it to be a american flavored drive channel. power of suggestion ftw
No wonder the mids were so thick in the gain channels.
Either way it all complimented the strat sound.

Interesting to note that it's apparently kinda unique in it's inception and design. I DO want to play a stiletto now, if the drive channel is as cool as the one I played.

[phil_104]

Re: Played a Mesa for the first time today

nteresting to note that it's apparently kinda unique in it's inception and design. I DO want to play a stiletto now, if the drive channel is as cool as the one I played.

I find it's very different. IMO, the Stiletto is a lot more aggressive and punchy, as I have mentioned in my last post. It also tends to cut though the mix easier, and can take up more space.

But then again, take what I say with a grain of salt, as I own the amp, so clearly it's to my liking.

[FuseG4]

Re: Played a Mesa for the first time today

weird. I better go back there some time and play the other Mesas.
Hopefully the same guy won't be in there. I don't want them figuring out that I'm only there to play $1800 amps that I'm never gonna buy. O wait, they're used to that, except it's kids with line 6 amps that their parents could afford but they know the kid doesn't deserve it.

Bogner's the other company whose sh*t I definitely gotta try sometime.

I have not been able to gel with Egnater thus far.

My DSL sounds rockin at volume but the master needs a lil more juice then I can give it in the apartment. The mesa's sound at low volumes was much thicker.

[B2D]

Re: Played a Mesa for the first time today

I know blueman's gonna be like "wtf people who play blues on a strat are usually tone deaf or something"

Bwaaahahahahahaa

[FuseG4]

Re: Played a Mesa for the first time today

Bwaaahahahahahaa

lol so yeah maybe next time I'll be like "so I was trying out Epi Dots..." and then he'll respect me again

[lex666]

Re: Played a Mesa for the first time today

Note to self: must try the ED...

[Empty Pockets]

Re: Played a Mesa for the first time today

that's a really ******y thing to say about guitar store clerks man.

i offer to plug people into cool amps because they're cool amps. i don't wana insult somebody and recommend they plug into one of the last remaining Spider 2 combos we have in stock.

you're talking **** on this dude cuz he did you the favor of plugging you into a cool unique amp instead of making you use a Spider 3 like they do at a lot of shops i've been to. That's just kinda ******y bro.

[tone4days]

Re: Played a Mesa for the first time today

i am pretty sure the ED 2x12 has C90 speakers

it is a righteous amp indeed ... heavy beastie ... but sick tones, for sure

and yeah, the guy is a bozo if he dimed the presence and treble (or any other control) on a ED (or any mesa boogie, actually) ... kinda implies he hasnt read the manual

[FuseG4]

Re: Played a Mesa for the first time today

that's a really ******y thing to say about guitar store clerks man.

i offer to plug people into cool amps because they're cool amps. i don't wana insult somebody and recommend they plug into one of the last remaining Spider 2 combos we have in stock.

you're talking **** on this dude cuz he did you the favor of plugging you into a cool unique amp instead of making you use a Spider 3 like they do at a lot of shops i've been to. That's just kinda ******y bro.

OK, maybe it's a little overboard, but a blues Jr would've been more apt for the level of guitars I was looking at, y'know what I mean? The other guy who works there always asked me what I play at home. It really felt like he was using the amp as a sales tool.
I guess I shouldn't just assume he was being just a salesperson. I didn't like the way when I asked him to hand me the classic vibe 60's squier, he goes around the corner and grabs the Squier Bullet (which BLOWS) and said no here, try this instead. I could swear he was trying to make an effort to make me hate squier and not try the other ones. After all I had just been looking at a $700 guitar.
He also said something like "look at the body of the guitar on this one. If it's 2 pieces like this, it's fine. But if it's 3 or more pieces, don't buy it." And I thought that that was really misleading advice. That is CERTAINLY one of those "trust your ears, not your eyes" things. There's a ton of MIM stuff that sounds great to me, even with a 5pc body.

Anyways, I know we've all had bad salespeople, in guitar stores, furniture stores, car lots, insurance, alarm systems, you know. Sorry, I guess it was too easy to sterotype the guy in with the rest of the really asinine salespeople, but with everything he said, he was always really trying to push a higher ticket guitar onto me than I wanted.

I'm not dissing on guitar center salespeople in general, but...
you KNOW when someone's trying to help you or SELL you.

[Chickenwings]

Re: Played a Mesa for the first time today

Boogies are all nice. Every amp they make does its job beautifully.
And yeah a lot of shop guys are just shop guys and not full time musos, but it never hurts to make them feel good by listening to them and taking on board their opinions. They are more likely to help you out if they think you care about what they have to say....even if its a load of bull. However, there are a few shop dudes who really do know their stuff so keep your mind and ears open.

[FuseG4]

Re: Played a Mesa for the first time today

However, there are a few shop dudes who really do know their stuff so keep your mind and ears open.

yes. there have been a few dudes at guitar centers who have been really courteous and pretty much did what they could to see what would work for me.
There was a really nice fellow who let me demo amps in his shop for about an hour.
It's really too bad he cut a very poor bone nut for one of my guitars... the rest of the setup was good but that nut was binding all over the place, it wasn't securely in the nut slot, and it was a huge nut. no attempt to round off the edges, just a big long rectangle of bone with slots in it. Nice guy tho.

In a short business transaction, all you have to judge someone by sometimes is just how they present themselves, some people do it well and some don't.

[eschoendorff]

Re: Played a Mesa for the first time today

Boogies are all nice. Every amp they make does its job beautifully.

This.