Mesa's Answer to TinyTerror & Night Train....

Re: Mesa's Answer to TinyTerror & Night Train....

I started using a Mesa amp back about 1994, when I bought my used Mark III 200-watt Coliseum head and a beat up Mesa C90/EVMHalf-back 412. I soon sold all of my vintage Fender and Marshall amps, including a Twin Reverb, a 1965 Deluxe Reverb, a 1964 Tremolux and cab, a Super Champ, and a Fender 75. Never looked back--and don't miss them. I now have five Mesas, and couldn't be happier. I have a wide range of power outputs so cover any venue; and no matter which amp I take I KNOW I'm going to get great tone.

When I first got my Mesa, people started coming up to me and telling me what a great player I was and what great tone I had. The band sounded better. I gained confidence. I was inspired by the tones I was getting. I definitely became a better player when I got my Mark III half-stack.

Frankly, the "Rectumfrier" moniker is old and passe. It was old and unfunny the second time I heard it a decade ago. I think it a more telling comment about the speaker than the amplifier itself; and strikes me as immature and unprofessional. Mostly just immature.

With their insane amounts of gain, massive output and ability to handle drop tunings, the Rectos have virtually created a new sound, indeed a whole new genre of pop music. Not many other amps can claim that. My first test of a Recto was an eye-opener, as I was quickly able to set the Recto up and cloned the tone of a vintage Fender Deluxe that was sitting next to it in the store. I though that was an amazing feat from an amp known mainly for its gain. And it could recreate the tone of that Deluxe at crushing volume.

I'll be the first to admit that Mesa's aren't for everyone. You've got to have a bit of patience. If you have ADD or ADHD, or require instant gratification, you should probably look elsewhere. It definitely helps to read the Owners Manual before you leap in. Unlike many amps, the tone controls on a Mesa actually WORK. I find the amps really easy to set up by simply using the recommended sweet spots, and make minor tweaks from there. I don't think any of the amps are hard to get great tones from--even the old Mark IIIs and IVs or the modern Road King or Roadster. But then again, I put the time and effort into understanding the amps. If you're not willing to do that, or not willing to use a bit of brainpower--you're probably not going to be happy.

I've seen a lot of guys over the years go on the amp quest for the Holy Grail--and make their lives (and often everyone around them) miserable. They never seem to be happy; and it's too bad. They waste a lot of money and time on their "Amp Of The Month" quest. Me? I feel very lucky to have found something that works so well for me. The amps are well-built, and Mesa's support has been excellent. Best of all: I've found MY tone.

Randy Smith of Mesa is a smart guy. He's been really successful at thinking "outside the box" and creating new tube amp designs on the cutting edge of technology, when so many have gone to modeling. Keep in mind that when Mesa Boogie first got going, tube amps were going the way of the Dodo bird--solid state was rapidly becoming the new king of the marketplace.

From the beginning the Marks, Calibers, Dual Calibers, Rectifiers, Trem-o-verbs, Mavericks, Nomads, Heartbreakers, Blue Angels, Subways, Rectos, Stilettos, et. al. have inspired many players to make great music. The new amp looks interesting, and even though it's not my cup of tea, I'm interested in trying it. I'm sure a lot of players will find their own inspiration in this amp. Even if it is expensive: if it inspires you to become a better player, or write a great song, doesn't that make for a great VALUE?

I think it does.

Bill
 
Re: Mesa's Answer to TinyTerror & Night Train....

I started using a Mesa amp back about 1994, when I bought my used Mark III 200-watt Coliseum head and a beat up Mesa C90/EVMHalf-back 412. I soon sold all of my vintage Fender and Marshall amps, including a Twin Reverb, a 1965 Deluxe Reverb, a 1964 Tremolux and cab, a Super Champ, and a Fender 75. Never looked back--and don't miss them. I now have five Mesas, and couldn't be happier. I have a wide range of power outputs so cover any venue; and no matter which amp I take I KNOW I'm going to get great tone.

When I first got my Mesa, people started coming up to me and telling me what a great player I was and what great tone I had. The band sounded better. I gained confidence. I was inspired by the tones I was getting. I definitely became a better player when I got my Mark III half-stack.

Frankly, the "Rectumfrier" moniker is old and passe. It was old and unfunny the second time I heard it a decade ago. I think it a more telling comment about the speaker than the amplifier itself; and strikes me as immature and unprofessional. Mostly just immature.

With their insane amounts of gain, massive output and ability to handle drop tunings, the Rectos have virtually created a new sound, indeed a whole new genre of pop music. Not many other amps can claim that. My first test of a Recto was an eye-opener, as I was quickly able to set the Recto up and cloned the tone of a vintage Fender Deluxe that was sitting next to it in the store. I though that was an amazing feat from an amp known mainly for its gain. And it could recreate the tone of that Deluxe at crushing volume.

I'll be the first to admit that Mesa's aren't for everyone. You've got to have a bit of patience. If you have ADD or ADHD, or require instant gratification, you should probably look elsewhere. It definitely helps to read the Owners Manual before you leap in. Unlike many amps, the tone controls on a Mesa actually WORK. I find the amps really easy to set up by simply using the recommended sweet spots, and make minor tweaks from there. I don't think any of the amps are hard to get great tones from--even the old Mark IIIs and IVs or the modern Road King or Roadster. But then again, I put the time and effort into understanding the amps. If you're not willing to do that, or not willing to use a bit of brainpower--you're probably not going to be happy.

I've seen a lot of guys over the years go on the amp quest for the Holy Grail--and make their lives (and often everyone around them) miserable. They never seem to be happy; and it's too bad. They waste a lot of money and time on their "Amp Of The Month" quest. Me? I feel very lucky to have found something that works so well for me. The amps are well-built, and Mesa's support has been excellent. Best of all: I've found MY tone.

Randy Smith of Mesa is a smart guy. He's been really successful at thinking "outside the box" and creating new tube amp designs on the cutting edge of technology, when so many have gone to modeling. Keep in mind that when Mesa Boogie first got going, tube amps were going the way of the Dodo bird--solid state was rapidly becoming the new king of the marketplace.

From the beginning the Marks, Calibers, Dual Calibers, Rectifiers, Trem-o-verbs, Mavericks, Nomads, Heartbreakers, Blue Angels, Subways, Rectos, Stilettos, et. al. have inspired many players to make great music. The new amp looks interesting, and even though it's not my cup of tea, I'm interested in trying it. I'm sure a lot of players will find their own inspiration in this amp. Even if it is expensive: if it inspires you to become a better player, or write a great song, doesn't that make for a great VALUE?

I think it does.

Bill

I remember the first time I plugged into a Mesa rig. It was like a religious experience.

I ended up with a DC-5 a few years later and I love that amp. Kinda like a meaner Mark series, but without the boom/flab/fizz of the rectos.
 
Re: Mesa's Answer to TinyTerror & Night Train....

I think it all comes down to price here. If I can get a bona-fide Mesa for $500 brand new, I'm in. Period. But if it's $900, forget about it. A low wattage amp is supposed to be cheaper than a stadium half-stack. If it's not, then I think it loses a lot of its appeal.
 
Re: Mesa's Answer to TinyTerror & Night Train....

It costed me $ 2,500.00 and six moths of griefing myself and everybody around me to discover the full-featured Mark II-C I've bought in 1984 was NOT the amp for me. I was playing small clubs at the time and I was unable to get any kind of decent sound without producing a 7.5 richter scale earthquake, so LOUD that thingy was!

I got a BF Deluxe Reverb instead and life turned to be good again.

Bottom Line: never buy anything just because your guitar hero uses it. It can cost you a lotta money, pain and grief.
 
Re: Mesa's Answer to TinyTerror & Night Train....

I think it is a cool idea, but I take issue with the wattage ratings claimed. The 5W for an EL84 in single ended class A sounds right when you look at the datasheet for EL84s. Then we go to 15W for class A push-pull? Unless I'm reading the datasheet wrong, the best you can hope for from an EL84 in class 8 is 6W. 6+6=12, not 15, so I'm curious where the extra 3 Watts are coming from. Then we get to Class AB push pull for 25W out. That again sounds optimistic. The EL84 datasheet shows 17W from a class AB push pull pair, though the example given is cathode biased, I'm pretty sure. Maybe you can get more power out of fixed bias than you can with a cathode bias setup, I dunno. Honestly, it is more of a nitpick than anything else.

I'd still buy one in a heartbeat if I had the cash to spare.
 
Re: Mesa's Answer to TinyTerror & Night Train....

I don't see how that is possible at all. The EL34 is rated to 25W max. If the amp was truly putting out 90 watts with a pair of EL34s, they'd redplate and melt in short order.
 
Re: Mesa's Answer to TinyTerror & Night Train....

I don't see how that is possible at all. The EL34 is rated to 25W max. If the amp was truly putting out 90 watts with a pair of EL34s, they'd redplate and melt in short order.

the bogner shiva i had was putting out 80 watts with 2 EL34's. as for mesa's i never really got along with them until the electra dyne. that is probably one of the best sounding amps i have played.
 
Re: Mesa's Answer to TinyTerror & Night Train....

The tweed setting on that demo sounds great and surprising for a el84 15 watt amp.
 
Last edited:
Re: Mesa's Answer to TinyTerror & Night Train....

I don't see how that is possible at all. The EL34 is rated to 25W max. If the amp was truly putting out 90 watts with a pair of EL34s, they'd redplate and melt in short order.

There are a number of amps that do similar things. It is not as rare as one thinks and it is possible. Read about it at ...

http://www.informatik.uni-bremen.de/~dace/vb/models.html#bassmastermkiiyba-1a

It is well known and well documented.
 
Re: Mesa's Answer to TinyTerror & Night Train....

I pretty much stumbled across Mesa Boogie when searching for a new amp some years back. I tried an F-series amp, hated that mud monster immediately. Next I plugged into a Rectoverb and was totally sold. That thing cranked. Unfortunately, that amp is geared for rhythm players or single guitar bands with its mid-scooped tone. I've since purchased a Stiletto Deuce head and haven't looked back, especially since I recently switched from EV12l's to V30's. Also, I just loaded my Les Paul with Alnico II Pro's and the tone just makes it sound like I'm playing better. Then again, I probably just never had good tone to begin with. I'm intrigued by this new little amp. I've been thinking of getting something smaller for practice sessions so I don't have to go too loud for good tube driven tone. Mesa all the way, baby!
 
Re: Mesa's Answer to TinyTerror & Night Train....

My only beef with Mesa is their strange live affair with mid scooping.

Mark 4's sound phenominal, but if you V the graphic EQ like you are "supposed to" it sounds like absolute ass. Same goes with most of their amps, even Rectos can sound good, just turn the **** mids up!
 
Re: Mesa's Answer to TinyTerror & Night Train....

My only beef with Mesa is their strange live affair with mid scooping.

Mark 4's sound phenominal, but if you V the graphic EQ like you are "supposed to" it sounds like absolute ass. Same goes with most of their amps, even Rectos can sound good, just turn the **** mids up!

Almost all amps sound good with the mids up......:scratchch

Mesa's aren't scooped at the factory ....and where did you here that a "V" is the ideal way to set the EQ? :dunno:
 
Re: Mesa's Answer to TinyTerror & Night Train....

I wasn't hating on Mesas, but if you ever read the "sweet spots" in the manual they all involve scooped mids....and unfortunatley, most people take their advice
 
Re: Mesa's Answer to TinyTerror & Night Train....

I wasn't hating on Mesas, but if you ever read the "sweet spots" in the manual they all involve scooped mids....and unfortunatley, most people take their advice

Check out page 3 here.

I think the manual explains it pretty well.
 
Re: Mesa's Answer to TinyTerror & Night Train....

I saw on TTK's utube channel last night. He did a pre-NAMM shouting. It sounded pretty good.

cakire - I have the best sound test on youtube right now, in regards to the transatlantic.

Here is the link :

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HC68tUUbrTI

BTW - that video (as do most of my videos, ranks in at #1). Does that buy me any love from all you TTK haters?

Com'on brother ... what gives?
 
Re: Mesa's Answer to TinyTerror & Night Train....

If I had to guess, the 'sweet spots' with scooped mids were found when the amp was run by itself. In my experience, I always run more mids live at a show and at a rehearsal with the full band than I do alone. Alone, high mids can have a yucky, nasal, constipated sound, and so we scoop them out and boost the highs and lows to make for a more balanced sound. But when the full band comes in, too much highs and and all you're doing is fighting the cymbals. Too much lows and all you're doing is fighting the bass guitar and kick drums. Mids are where the guitar is supposed to sit in the mix.

Another possibility, is that because Mesa's tend to have so much mids, keeping them pulled back is necessary to sit in the mix right. My Nomad has so much mids that with the mid knob around 1 or 2 o'clock it can hold it's own against a JCM 2000 with dimed mids at the same SPL. However, I found I fit into the mix a lot better when I dial a slight scoop on the Nomad's graphic EQ.

IMO, any guitar amp sounds poor with a drastic mid scoop, not just Mesas.
 
Back
Top