Best Mesa Amp?
- Thread starter Grandor
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Gearjoneser
Gear Ho
Re: Best Mesa Amp?
One analogy, regarding the Triple Rec and Roadking is....
Think of an amp as a garden hose. Every feature you add to an amp is the equivalent of punching another hole in the garden hose. The water that trickles out of the garden hose is the tone that comes out of a bells n whistles amp.
A point to point boutique amp with nothing but a power section and 3 knobs,
like a Dr. Z Rt. 66, is a garden hose with no holes. The tone just pours out of that
proverbial garden hose!
One analogy, regarding the Triple Rec and Roadking is....
Think of an amp as a garden hose. Every feature you add to an amp is the equivalent of punching another hole in the garden hose. The water that trickles out of the garden hose is the tone that comes out of a bells n whistles amp.
A point to point boutique amp with nothing but a power section and 3 knobs,
like a Dr. Z Rt. 66, is a garden hose with no holes. The tone just pours out of that
proverbial garden hose!
some_dude
Raging BB Gunologist
Re: Best Mesa Amp?
Don't forget that a large part of the reason for the cliched sound is the person tuning it. I get plenty of mids out of my rectifier, but that's due to the fact that I like to turn the mids up and the bass down. You can get some serious 70's mojo from Rectifiers, if people would only stop dumping the mids and tuning down to low H.
But I do agree that Triples are a little bit of overkill.
Mincer said:
Don't forget that a large part of the reason for the cliched sound is the person tuning it. I get plenty of mids out of my rectifier, but that's due to the fact that I like to turn the mids up and the bass down. You can get some serious 70's mojo from Rectifiers, if people would only stop dumping the mids and tuning down to low H.
But I do agree that Triples are a little bit of overkill.
HardRockSinger
New member
Re: Best Mesa Amp?
OK - I get it - that extra 50 watts is punching a big hole in the waterhole. thanks
OK - I get it - that extra 50 watts is punching a big hole in the waterhole. thanks
XXX-FACTOR
New member
Re: Best Mesa Amp?
Rectifiers have this eq knob on them that says, umm, bass, I think you can control it that way, Not that many do, but you can. Sorry, had to say it. You can also change to EL-34 power tubes which will change the charateristics of the tone, if that makes sense, less bass, more mids and highs, earlier breakup etc. It's still a Rectifier, so the tone is basically the same, but it has a slightly differnt twist to it.
I played the Stilletto back in January, not impressive at all. I heard a lot of people said the same I said about it and Mesa went back and redesigned it. I'm looking forward to playing the production version.
Rectifiers have this eq knob on them that says, umm, bass, I think you can control it that way, Not that many do, but you can. Sorry, had to say it. You can also change to EL-34 power tubes which will change the charateristics of the tone, if that makes sense, less bass, more mids and highs, earlier breakup etc. It's still a Rectifier, so the tone is basically the same, but it has a slightly differnt twist to it.
I played the Stilletto back in January, not impressive at all. I heard a lot of people said the same I said about it and Mesa went back and redesigned it. I'm looking forward to playing the production version.
Marty Horne
New member
Re: Best Mesa Amp?
My personal fave is the Nomad 55 with 4 10" Jensens. the clean channel is like a really sweet pre CBS Super but with more power and tonal variety.
My personal fave is the Nomad 55 with 4 10" Jensens. the clean channel is like a really sweet pre CBS Super but with more power and tonal variety.
Lee_M.
Brockburst Toneologist
Re: Best Mesa Amp?
I agree with that to some extent, but not entirely. Your Bogner has a ton of bells and whistles, doesn't it? Haven't you always said that it is totally tricked out by the man, himself, with every conceivable option and that it is a tonal beast? Those amps are definitely a lot more than a power section and 3 knobs.
I'm not trying to start a fight, rather I'm trying to keep this in perspective since we are talking about Mesas.
Gearjoneser said:
I agree with that to some extent, but not entirely. Your Bogner has a ton of bells and whistles, doesn't it? Haven't you always said that it is totally tricked out by the man, himself, with every conceivable option and that it is a tonal beast? Those amps are definitely a lot more than a power section and 3 knobs.
I'm not trying to start a fight, rather I'm trying to keep this in perspective since we are talking about Mesas.
Hot _Grits
Buttery Toneologist
Re: Best Mesa Amp?
My vote is for the Blue Angel. Sweeter and more open than any mesa.
I'm also a big fan of the mark one. dial a bit of gain in and grab a strat. Very nice.
I'm no fan od the marks 2-4, nomads, and DCs. Cludgy overdrive.
The rectos deserve props for having become a genuine classic amp. Not my cuppa, but credit where it's due. Dunno about the flying lead stuff, but I heard that the first year rectos had a better transformer. Someone should ask George Lynch why he preferred first year rectos for a time on his website. That may shed some light.
I'm trying the lonestar tomorrow. I'll let you know what I think...
My vote is for the Blue Angel. Sweeter and more open than any mesa.
I'm also a big fan of the mark one. dial a bit of gain in and grab a strat. Very nice.
I'm no fan od the marks 2-4, nomads, and DCs. Cludgy overdrive.
The rectos deserve props for having become a genuine classic amp. Not my cuppa, but credit where it's due. Dunno about the flying lead stuff, but I heard that the first year rectos had a better transformer. Someone should ask George Lynch why he preferred first year rectos for a time on his website. That may shed some light.
I'm trying the lonestar tomorrow. I'll let you know what I think...
F
Falstaff
Guest
Re: Best Mesa Amp?
Lee, is that an EL-84 amp? I loved the Studio 22 I had many moons ago, and that had the 84's.
I have always wanted to try a Blue Angel, I just never see them around.
Lee_M. said:
Lee, is that an EL-84 amp? I loved the Studio 22 I had many moons ago, and that had the 84's.
I have always wanted to try a Blue Angel, I just never see them around.
rhmcfarland
New member
Re: Best Mesa Amp?
The one Santana uses. Great vintage tone!
The one Santana uses. Great vintage tone!
LucidInterval
New member
Re: Best Mesa Amp?
Mark 3 baby!
Mark 3 baby!
Gearjoneser
Gear Ho
Re: Best Mesa Amp?
That's the uphill battle when building complex amps. The simpler they are,
the more harmonically rich they are, however, most players want different tones and versatility. The goal is to design a circuit that can still have those features, but retain all of the dynamics of a pure tube path. That's
why every tube amp sounds different, even though they often have the same tube type. I won't go on and on about Bogner, but they have taken the same attitude as Mesa, but taken it to a higher level, sonically. I think after
40 years of overdriven guitar sounds, some of these designers like Reinholdt Bogner, Randall Smith, Bruce Egnater, Mark Sampson, and Tony Bruno
are finally perfecting the art of the tube amp. I'm happy to see Mesa making
more headway with their new amps. The more feedback they get from players, the more perfect they'll be. I'm still waiting for a company that creates a tube modeling amp that takes advantage of modeling preamp sounds
mated to an audiophile grade tube power section. And one that doesn't suck in any way, shape, or form. It would be exciting to see those two worlds merge in a way that really works.
Lee_M. said:
That's the uphill battle when building complex amps. The simpler they are,
the more harmonically rich they are, however, most players want different tones and versatility. The goal is to design a circuit that can still have those features, but retain all of the dynamics of a pure tube path. That's
why every tube amp sounds different, even though they often have the same tube type. I won't go on and on about Bogner, but they have taken the same attitude as Mesa, but taken it to a higher level, sonically. I think after
40 years of overdriven guitar sounds, some of these designers like Reinholdt Bogner, Randall Smith, Bruce Egnater, Mark Sampson, and Tony Bruno
are finally perfecting the art of the tube amp. I'm happy to see Mesa making
more headway with their new amps. The more feedback they get from players, the more perfect they'll be. I'm still waiting for a company that creates a tube modeling amp that takes advantage of modeling preamp sounds
mated to an audiophile grade tube power section. And one that doesn't suck in any way, shape, or form. It would be exciting to see those two worlds merge in a way that really works.
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