Re: Any of you guys ever use a Mesa Nomad?
I have several Mesas, though I don't own a Nomad. They are good amps. They were designed to replace the Dual Caliber Series, and notably featured three channels, each with its own GAIN and MASTER. The Nomad 45 replaced the DC-3, with a 4xEl-84 power section. The Nomad 55 used two 6L6s and the 100 used four, replacing the DC-5 and the DC-10.
The clean channels are very close to the Mark IV clean channel. The lead channel, as I understand was based on the Dual Rectifier design. The R2, or crunch channel has more gain than the Mark IV. They came in various head and combo versions. I've played both the 45 and the 100 versions. I have a DC-3, and I actually prefer it over the Nomad 45.
I like big amps, and I loved the Nomad 100 112 combo paired with a 112 extension cab. These were discontinued...too much power in an amp that size. I thought the controls were pretty intuitive and I really liked the graphic eq that is only available on the 100.
As for dislikes, some player find the gain to be somewhat fizzy, though I didn't. What I hated were the knobs...they are really hard to see on stage, can't tell where the pointer is pointing. And remember, it is a big, heavy loud amp...even with the half-power setting.
I think it's a great amp for the guy gigging in a classic rock band. It can handle any pedal, any guitar...and would be suitable for almost any genre of music.
There is a Nomad review in the March 2000 issue of Guitar Player Magazine. And check out the Owners Manual available in PDF format on the Mesa website.
Good luck.
Bill
