Mesa Nomad 55 1x12

[B Bent]

Any of you guys have this amp, played it or know much about it? Any input from those WHO HAVE PLAYED one would be great!!

[LesPaulRules]

Re: Mesa Nomad 55 1x12

I've owned one for about 3 years, and have gigged with it on occasion.

It's a very interesting amp, in that it took me a long time to figure out the tone controls as they all interact with each other. Most amps (Marshalls come to mind) allow you to get a sound pretty easy, the Nomad 55 took some work, but I feel it was worth it.

I'll list the good and the bad. (This is simply my honest opinion. Obviously you have to play one yourself):

Good:
- Portable (Thing will fit anywhere).
- Easily loud enough to jam with a full band.
- Versatile (Can get many sounds. 3 Channels work well).
- Very nice clean sound. (many high gain amps lack this).
- Nice modern features (effects loop, reverb, boost, etc).
- Can use EL34 or 6L6 tubes (I prefer the EL34's overall).
- Great footswitch included.

Bad:
- Good sounds didn't come easy (lots of tweaking was needed).
- Expensive when new (They are not made anymore).
- Set bias (Optimum bias is never achieved with new tubes).
- Slightly heavy for a small amp (though it is all tube).

I like the amp overall, but it is not my main amp. I prefer the "Marshall" sound over the "Mesa" sound (Though I do like my Nomad better than all the Rectos, and feel that it is closer to a Marshally type sound). The Nomad is my number one jam amp. Throw it in the back seat and your off. Once you get your sound dialed in, it's a fun amp to take anywhere. Setup is easy, very little space is needed.

To sum it up (yeah, I'm typing alot) the amps best attribute might be it's downfall. It is so versatile in getting many different sounds (all of which are good) that it might be at the expense of getting only one great sound.

[MesaDCLP]

Re: Mesa Nomad 55 1x12

All of the Nomads are a compromise between versatility and tone. The F series is less of a compromise, and I say the F-50 is better than the Nomad 55...not to mention the 55 is discontinued?!!?? (maybe warranty issues)

If I had the money for a new amp, I'd look into the Mark series (IV is ultra nice) or Lonestar. More tone, but for the money, less of a compromise overall.

With any choice, you can't go wrong. It's just the degree of getting it right that counts.

[Lee_L]

Re: Mesa Nomad 55 1x12

I was considering buying one from a guy on another forum. What scared me away was it seemed to not be very high gain, and had a real compressed tone.

[LesPaulRules]

Re: Mesa Nomad 55 1x12

The amp actually has alot of gain, it just smoother than a recto.
As far a compression, it does have some going on, though this tends to go away at higer volumes.

[B Bent]

Re: Mesa Nomad 55 1x12

Thanks for the great input guys!!! I like simple guitars, but tube amps with many switches always get me going!!