Mesa Boogie Pedals: serious tone!

[karpathion]

Re: Mesa Boogie Pedals: serious tone!

Last Saturday I was in a store just to intensively test Mesa Boogie pedals.
I am just regretting not having test the Tone Burst one, but I've tested the Grid Slammer, the Flux Drive and the Throttle Box.
I was highly impressed (so much that two of them are now in my pedalboard).
I've found my array of gain tones, from crunch to massive hi-gain.

A common denominator to those pedals is clarity. Notes stand distinguishable string to string, even with unharmonic chords.
Dynamics are really organic and they feel like an amp. They cut the mix straight, with tone controls at noon so, just small tweak is needed to fine tune them for your rig.
Worked flawless with single coils, paf-alike humbuckers and hi gain humbuckers.
And you can stack all them in a row and the sound is still defined and open!!!.

The Grid Slammer is a clean overdrive with a nice crunch. Really good to put your tubes in their sweet spot and, to control the amount of break up with the strength of your picking.
Differently to other clean overdrives I've checked, the sound doesn't goes thin or lacks sustain but, it's strong, very open and crunchy (think on SRV, if you like).

The Flux Drive is based on Mesa Boogie's Mark amp series and, has more gain on top than the Grid Slammer. Also, more tone control.
It's a distortion box and, has a nice foundational tone.
When the Grid Slammer is being stacked before, it's Hard Rock's heaven.

The Throttle Box is THE Recto-in-a-box (not just a recto-in-a-box).
The Mids Cut control works as the typical contour control and, allows you to get anything in hi gain distortion, from open and defined tones like in a Peavey 5150 to those dark and deep tones of the Recto.
Nice feedback on sound tails, controllable.

Well, I am not a kid fascinated with the brand name.
I've owned and loaded on my pedalboard lots of gain pedals before those.
And, I'm 100% positive MB's are keepers.

Pedals in this ballpark I've owned / used (maybe I am missing some):

Boss OD-2
Boss SD-1
Boss Metal Zone 2
MXR Distortion+
MXR Distortion III
ProCo The Rat 2
ProCo The Rat Whiteface
Ibanez TS 808
ISP Fetish
AMT California sound
Mad Professor Little Green Wonder
Mad Professor Sweet Honey Overdrive
Mad Professor Mighty Red Distortion
Fulltone OCD v3
Fulltone Plimsoul
Xotic BB preamp
Xotic SL
Suhr Shiba Drive Reloaded
Suhr Riot Reloaded
Wampler 57 Tweed
Wampler 59 Blackface
Wampler Euphoria
Wampler Paisley
Wampler Pinnacle
Wampler Sovereign
Wampler Plexi Drive
Wampler Triple Wreck
Weehbo Plexdrive
Weehbo JCM Drive
Weehbo Bastard
Weehbo Dumbledore
Hermida Audio Zendrive
Hermida Audio Tiki drive
Jetter Gear Jetdrive
Jetter Gear 45/100 Gold
Jetter Gear Red square
Jetter Gear Dahrma

Well... that's why I am 100% sure they are keepers.

What amp did you test these with? Did you try the amps natural preamp gain? Have you tried many of the A list amps that those pedals are based on? How do you compare the pedals to the real amp?

I'm just curious. Only because I've yet to find a pedal that actually sounds like the real thing. Yeah, they get close. But, it's not the same.

Edit: I see that you are using a Fender HR3. That makes my question even more relevant. Most of those pedals are based on maxed out EL-34 amps.

[hermetico]

Re: Mesa Boogie Pedals: serious tone!

I'm not using just a Fender HR3.
I'm using:

Vox Night Train (EL84, Harma Retro)
Marshall 1923C 85th anniversary combo (EL34, SED Winged C)
Fender Princeton Reverb reissue (6V6GT, NOS JAN/Philips)
Fender Hot Rod III Deville (6L6, NOS JAN/Philips)

And, tests were performed in store with one of the amps that I personally consider the best for fair tests, since it reveals anything, the good and the bad: Fender Bassman 56 LTD and Victoria Amps Bassman.
I went with my pedalboard and inserted those MBs instead of my currently loaded gain pedals, to be sure that they will work fine.
I went also there with my PRS 513, that allows me to test the rig with single coils, medium output and high output humbuckers.
And I went there with my MP3, asked for a PA system and, tested everything with some backing tracks, to check how they would cut the mix.
People in the store thought that I was demoing some product. That was funny.

No pedal sounds exactly as the real amp and, very specially if you make it to sound thru an amp with a complex front-end (which totally overwrites your guitar's natural tone).
I mean that they react as an amp, same as Weehbo's or Jetter's, by example.
They deliver great tone. How close to the real thing?. I really don't mind, if my rig sounds that good.
They work for MY tone, what doesn't necessary mean that will work for YOURS.

BTW, I've received today the other two MBs.
Let see if tomorrow I have time to check how the four interact.

[That90'sGuy]

Re: Mesa Boogie Pedals: serious tone!

So you got the Flux Five? Awesome. I'd love to hear what you think of it when you get it. I'm really interested in the Throttle Box EQ and I'm eager to hear any opinions on the EQ series.

Just got it in. I've been playing for about the last 2 hours and I'm floored. Through a clean Fender, with your eyes closed you'd have a really hard time believing you're not playing a Mesa. I've played through a good portion of them and there was always something unique happening in the low end, a certain stiffness to the feel and a crisp kinda crunch tone. This delivers in a way that the XTC Blue and other dirt pedals like the XTS Atomic or Flickinger Cranky Atom didn't for me. Getting that crunch to sound authentic is not easy, but there's a way this pedal does it while keeping the amplifier sounding wide open and natural and that's exciting. I really like how it cleans up (this thing will literally get as clean as your ampfrom slightly turning down on the volume) and responds to your pick attack. It may sound like hype, but this really expands on the "amp in a box" phenomenon with the way it reacts in a way that I didn't think the technology had evolved to yet.

The "hi" mode really sings. The hi-trim control adjusts the volume of the hi mode so you can get some saturation without blowing your head off at home volumes. Cons right now are that the boost gain is not adjustable and the EQ is very powerful, so it takes some tweaking to get it to sound good and a little goes a long way (I'm sure the Mark series is similar). I made the mistake of turning up the upper mids on it on the hi side and the boost nearly ripped my head off both in EQ and apparent volume even with the trim turned down. I found the key is to cut frequencies with the EQ instead of boosting them to keep the hi-trim in check (it's easier to boost the non cut frequencies by turning up the trim afterwards). It came with the EQ set for the standard mid scooped "V" thing, but between having a telecaster and a silverface Fender it was terrible.

For the metalheads, honestly the Flux Five is crushing with the gain turned up and the boost on. If the Throttle Box is an extension of this pedal, I guarantee you it'll have more than enough gain to satisfy.

If you're looking for the classic Mesa thing, this has it. If you want something versatile enough to do Marshall or Vox or something, this isn't your pedal. I think it's great that it's completely usable (and damn near perfect) with the knobs straight up. I think I turned down the treble a hair and the gain a bit and I was completely happy with the rhythm and lead tones I was getting.

It's a strange thing - as I've gotten older I've found myself messing less with stuff and my tastes have changed. I originally liked my Bogners over the Mesa stuff, but over time, the things that used to bother me about Mesa like the stiffness and the slight fizz/graininess in the treble I actually appreciate now (one of the things that led me to selling my second Shiva was that it was a bit too smooth and compressed). This has clarity and attitude and while it's the honeymoon period, it's really promising.

Big kudos to hermetico again for posting about these things. When I first heard clips of the single channel stuff, I wasn't too thrilled about them. I thought it was Mesa's way of cashing in on the same pedals every one has already heard before. They've definitely found a way to get the unique EQ, feel and gain structure down and time will tell whether other musicians embrace it. Given the extra perks of having the EQ version, I'm really glad I took a chance on this. They've clearly put some R&D into this and it shows.

Unlike hermetico, I don't have a wide variety of amps to use the Flux Five with, but my suspicions were that the 6L6 tubes of my Vibrolux and Super Reverb would meld well with the pedal since the classic Mesa recipe was so similar in topography. For Fender guys looking for a serious crunch and lead tone pedal, this thing is a serious contender.

[Agileguy_101]

Re: Mesa Boogie Pedals: serious tone!

Just got it in. I've been playing for about the last 2 hours and I'm floored. Through a clean Fender, with your eyes closed you'd have a really hard time believing you're not playing a Mesa. I've played through a good portion of them and there was always something unique happening in the

Damon that is not what I wanted to hear. If they're that good than I will end up with a throttle box eq and a delay on a pedaltrain nano for my "metal rig."

Sent from my SPH-L710 using Tapatalk

[Matt42]

Re: Mesa Boogie Pedals: serious tone!

Damn... GAS increasing for the Flux-Five

[hermetico]

Re: Mesa Boogie Pedals: serious tone!

Just got it in. I've been playing for about the last 2 hours and I'm floored. Through a clean Fender, with your eyes closed you'd have a really hard time believing you're not playing a Mesa. I've played through a good portion of them and there was always something unique happening in the low end, a certain stiffness to the feel and a crisp kinda crunch tone. This delivers in a way that the XTC Blue and other dirt pedals like the XTS Atomic or Flickinger Cranky Atom didn't for me. Getting that crunch to sound authentic is not easy, but there's a way this pedal does it while keeping the amplifier sounding wide open and natural and that's exciting. I really like how it cleans up (this thing will literally get as clean as your ampfrom slightly turning down on the volume) and responds to your pick attack. It may sound like hype, but this really expands on the "amp in a box" phenomenon with the way it reacts in a way that I didn't think the technology had evolved to yet.

The "hi" mode really sings. The hi-trim control adjusts the volume of the hi mode so you can get some saturation without blowing your head off at home volumes. Cons right now are that the boost gain is not adjustable and the EQ is very powerful, so it takes some tweaking to get it to sound good and a little goes a long way (I'm sure the Mark series is similar). I made the mistake of turning up the upper mids on it on the hi side and the boost nearly ripped my head off both in EQ and apparent volume even with the trim turned down. I found the key is to cut frequencies with the EQ instead of boosting them to keep the hi-trim in check (it's easier to boost the non cut frequencies by turning up the trim afterwards). It came with the EQ set for the standard mid scooped "V" thing, but between having a telecaster and a silverface Fender it was terrible.

For the metalheads, honestly the Flux Five is crushing with the gain turned up and the boost on. If the Throttle Box is an extension of this pedal, I guarantee you it'll have more than enough gain to satisfy.

If you're looking for the classic Mesa thing, this has it. If you want something versatile enough to do Marshall or Vox or something, this isn't your pedal. I think it's great that it's completely usable (and damn near perfect) with the knobs straight up. I think I turned down the treble a hair and the gain a bit and I was completely happy with the rhythm and lead tones I was getting.

It's a strange thing - as I've gotten older I've found myself messing less with stuff and my tastes have changed. I originally liked my Bogners over the Mesa stuff, but over time, the things that used to bother me about Mesa like the stiffness and the slight fizz/graininess in the treble I actually appreciate now (one of the things that led me to selling my second Shiva was that it was a bit too smooth and compressed). This has clarity and attitude and while it's the honeymoon period, it's really promising.

Big kudos to hermetico again for posting about these things. When I first heard clips of the single channel stuff, I wasn't too thrilled about them. I thought it was Mesa's way of cashing in on the same pedals every one has already heard before. They've definitely found a way to get the unique EQ, feel and gain structure down and time will tell whether other musicians embrace it. Given the extra perks of having the EQ version, I'm really glad I took a chance on this. They've clearly put some R&D into this and it shows.

Unlike hermetico, I don't have a wide variety of amps to use the Flux Five with, but my suspicions were that the 6L6 tubes of my Vibrolux and Super Reverb would meld well with the pedal since the classic Mesa recipe was so similar in topography. For Fender guys looking for a serious crunch and lead tone pedal, this thing is a serious contender.

Well, it seems you've got same sensations.
I agree the Flux Drive ISN'T a MARSHALL-IN-A-BOX, indeed.
But, If you want to Marshallize it, just stack before the amazing Grid Slammer.

In the meanwhile, I've received the Throttle Box and the Tone Burst and, now I have a complete picture of the line.

The Tone Burst is some kind of clean booster that works awesome with the EQ controls at noon but, that allows you to add or remove basses and trebles.
Nice to have it always on and set up your foundational clean tone. You could add some grit pushing the gain, if desired.
Is somewhat similar to a Xotic EP Booster but, with more EQ and Gain control.
I'm loving it.

The Throttle Bow... Wow. I was scared when opened the pedal to remove the battery.
This pedal hast two stacked PCBs and, it hasn't so many controls for that !!!.
I cannot imagine the complex design under it.
While the Flux Drive is the "standard distortion" (with that tasty Mark voice), the Throttle is pure Hi Gain, any kind of it.

If the Flux sounded to you as very open then, don't miss the Grid Slammer!.
The good of the Grid Slammer is that "Marshallizes" both, the Flux Drive and the Throttle Box, If you wanted it.

[GuitarGuy503]

Re: Mesa Boogie Pedals: serious tone!

As with anything else it comes down to each individual persons taste. Granted I haven't had any personal experience with the Throttle Box all of the youtube demos I've watched have failed to impress me as it sounds like a congested fizzy fuzzy can of bees IMO. Some of the Wampler TW Demos on youtube however were impressive to me and seemed more Rectolike to me. To each there own..... If you like it and it works for you more power to you....

[Matt42]

Re: Mesa Boogie Pedals: serious tone!

How would you compare the gain range on the Flux Drive (or Flux Five) to an OCD?

[hermetico]

Re: Mesa Boogie Pedals: serious tone!

As with anything else it comes down to each individual persons taste. Granted I haven't had any personal experience with the Throttle Box all of the youtube demos I've watched have failed to impress me as it sounds like a congested fizzy fuzzy can of bees IMO. Some of the Wampler TW Demos on youtube however were impressive to me and seemed more Rectolike to me. To each there own..... If you like it and it works for you more power to you....

I own the Wampler Triple Wreck also. The Throttle Box beats it hands down, believe me.
I don't care about youtube videos.

[Chris of Arabia]

Re: Mesa Boogie Pedals: serious tone!

I picked up the Grid Slammer and Flux Drive today - I think I did OK, as I picked them up for HKD 1200 each, which works out at $155.00 or £95.00 each. I'm looking forward to giving these a go on my own rig when I get back home.

[hermetico]

Re: Mesa Boogie Pedals: serious tone!

How would you compare the gain range on the Flux Drive (or Flux Five) to an OCD?

I didn't compared both side by side. I'm not using my OCD V3 for a long time.
Said that, maybe the gain range is very similar. Probably a bit less gain and a bit more gain in extremes, in the case of the FD but, the distortion gain, character and amp-alike reaction is totally different.
Two very different beasts. Maybe, Plimsoul could be a "closer" pedal type.

[hermetico]

Re: Mesa Boogie Pedals: serious tone!

Last Saturday, I had a gig with the four mesa boogies.

Three players used same rig, a Fender Hot Rod III 212 Deville (retubed with a Watford Valves' kit, including Philips 6L6 tubes), my pedalboard and three guitars:
- fender american deluxe strato, with David Allen Echoes
- fender american deluxe strato, with Davida Allen Dovers
- Guild, country man, stock

Holly ****, best sound ever!.
Love those puppies.

[papersoul]

Re: Mesa Boogie Pedals: serious tone!

I finally picked up the Flux Five. What an amazing OD. Almost like having the best Mark series amp in a box. One of the few dirt boxes that I have found that can keep up with my Bogner pedals. I would day it is in the same league as the Bogners.

[That90'sGuy]

Re: Mesa Boogie Pedals: serious tone!

I finally picked up the Flux Five. What an amazing OD. Almost like having the best Mark series amp in a box. One of the few dirt boxes that I have found that can keep up with my Bogner pedals. I would day it is in the same league as the Bogners.

Nice necromancer bump there.

The XTC Blue I sold without losing sleep. It was one of the better gain pedals out there, but had a few flaws I couldn't overlook and the total lack of response from Bogner in regards to some of the initial QC issues completely turned me off of them. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't intrigued by the "La Grange" pedal, but the jury's still out on it.

The Flux Five is a damn incredible pedal. It honestly took me over a year to realize that where it shines is the different tonestacks. If you want a smoother, more liquid lead tone (great for stuff like fusion or some blues or contemporary pop like John Mayer) the treble/bass tonestack is the way to go; if you want to turn your Fender into an authentic rock machine, you dial in the 5 band EQ and it gives it that raw, cutting crunch and drive. No other drive pedal has been as flexible. I love having it for no other reason than if my Royal Atlantic goes down, I can plug it into something like a standard Peavey Classic 30, Fender Deville or the like and just dial it in quick to turn a one channel amp into effectively a good all around 3 channel amp.

That pedal and my Cornish CC-1 have been the two keepers on my pedalboard and I'm not left wanting for anything. I go through a lot of gear, but the fact that the Flux Five is here almost 2 years later should say something.

How about the build quality? Everything works the way it should on the pedal. It looks great, sounds great and Mesa even put in some extra touches like adding a bar to prevent hitting the controls when hitting the footswitch. Mesa's pedal line has been completely underrated, especially the Five series pedals. There's no way I could go back to a regular Flux Drive after experiencing what the Flux Five does.