School me on Mesas

[Coma]

All I ever see in stores or in people's rigs are Dual and Triple recs. And they're great, but it leaves very little insight into their other lines of amps. I was suprised to find out Mesa don't exclusively make metal amps.

Anybody feel like nerd-gushing here and fill me in on the Mesa range? Not looking to buy atm, just really curious about the brand.

 

[dave74]

Re: School me on Mesas

Nothing quite like the Mark-series for the total package of versatility. Mark4,5,jp2c+ especially.

Tremoverbs are amazingly versatile also, as are the newer multi-rectos and the road-series.

Many new models I've never tried, or even seen in real life. Triple Crown 100 with it's built-in attenuation is very interesting.

Also worth noting that they always have and still do service all mesa amps at the main factory in Petaluma CA.
They also have certified service at various stores and techs all over the country, but if no one is close to your location you can send it home for repairs and/or maintenance.

 

[Coma]

Re: School me on Mesas

Ooh, I did actually get a chance to briefly try out the Triple Crown combo. Not enough to really get to know it, but what little time wwe did have together was very pleasant. Lovely litte box, that one.

 

[Mincer]

Re: School me on Mesas

I have a Dual Rect Blue Angel, which is anything but a metal amp. No master volume, 5 knobs, 2 sets of power tubes: 6v6s and EL84s, either alone or together. Sort of the Deluxe/AC30 of Mesas.

 

[jmh151]

Re: School me on Mesas

I have a Mesa Mark V combo, which really it a tone tinkerer’s dream for anyone that has tone ADHD. You need to spend a lot of time tinkering and understanding the amp to start unlocking its full potential but I can go from ultra clean to jazz to ZZ Top, EVH brown, zep, to Metallica and beyond.

The dual Rec’s are a bit easier to dial in an operate

 

[allbutromeo]

Re: School me on Mesas

I have a Mesa Mark V combo, which really it a tone tinkerer’s dream for anyone that has tone ADHD. You need to spend a lot of time tinkering and understanding the amp to start unlocking its full potential but I can go from ultra clean to jazz to ZZ Top, EVH brown, zep, to Metallica and beyond.

The dual Rec’s are a bit easier to dial in an operate

I love my MkV it really is the most versatile amp I've ever played. Just bought an Electra Dyne (discontinued) it's a great all around rock amp that covers vintage fender and Marshall tones. Even Rectifiers, while often thought of as metal amps, can cover a wide variety of genres.

 

[some_dude]

Re: School me on Mesas

I was suprised to find out Mesa don't exclusively make metal amps.

Most Mesa's aren't metal amps and one of their most famous metal amps didn't start as metal amp. Marks were marketed towards Jazz, Blues and Roots-Rock. Even had a 15" combo version for bigger/smoother cleans.

A lot of people know the Santana thing (Mark I), but overlook Keith Richards (Mark I), John Scofield (Mark I), Joe Walsh (Mark I), George Thorogood (Mark II), Bruce Springsteen (Mark II, Mark III, Lone Star, Electra Dyne), Jerry Garcia (Mark II), Prince (Mark II, Mark III), Al Di Meola (Mark II, Mark V, Stiletto), AC/DC (Studio Preamp/2:95 power amp back stage), Andy Summers (Mark II, TriAxis/2:90, Electra Dyne), Trey Anastasio (Mark III), Alex Lifeson (Mark V). There's probably more that I'm forgetting.

Lone Stars are basically (IMO) Marks. They harken back to the Mark I/II era with the big cleans and fat leads, only with better channel switching and reverb.

Rectifiers went the other direction. Designed as a metal amp they started as two channels of high gain with crappy a clean mode that was an afterthought. Over time they've developed into a versatile amp. Tremoverbs are all over rock and pop. On modern Dual/Triple Rectos Raw mode is pretty much a Mesa flavoured Plexi while Pushed mode has a lot in common with a Fender Deluxe (although the Deluxe never ever came with 100w/150w power sections and aren't typically plugged into 4x12). Interestingly, people are finding the 25w Rectoverb to be a pretty cool little blues amp.

The Triple Crown is pretty cool. It's the first amp I've played that really nailed the clean/crunch/lead thing. A lot of Mesa's I've played have done the clean and high gain thing really well and kind of struggled to do the mid-gain Marshall style sounds. With this amp they seem to have figured it out.

 

[VinceT]

Re: School me on Mesas

Just been recording my rectoverb 25 combo - it’s my grab it and go amp and so flexible in the studio.


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[Jeff_H]

Re: School me on Mesas

I've always been a Marshall guy, but I've played a Mark IV and been in the room with a fabulous pro playing it. Tone to die for. I came very close to buying a Stiletto at one point. It just didn't work out. Mesa builds such quality stuff.

 

[chadd]

Re: School me on Mesas

I have used various models from Recto line for years and have a road king now. While it can do metal well, it also does a range of other things equally well

 

[Aceman]

Re: School me on Mesas

The Mk III, IV, V etc are seriously great all around amps that can rock hard - but don't have to.


As Mentioned - Tremo-verb and Recto-Verbs also great all around amps

They make a bunch of cool little guys like the Blue Angel, Subway Rocket, Studio .22 that are also NOT metal

And one day they woke up and said let's out-Marshall Marshall and Out-Fender Fender; The Stiletto and the Lone Star were the results. Mesa Marshall and Mesa Fenders

 

[chadd]

Re: School me on Mesas

And one day they woke up and said let's out-Marshall Marshall and Out-Fender Fender; The Stiletto and the Lone Star were the results. Mesa Marshall and Mesa Fenders

Troof

 

[Aceman]

Re: School me on Mesas

And again - Mesa is known for the Uber-flexibility factor. Very few "one trick pony's" in the lineup.


And Yeah - I was an inch away from buying a 2555 Silver Jubilee head....until I gave the Stiletto a spin.

 

[Metalman_666]

Re: School me on Mesas

Lots of great info here, Boogie Bill is probably typing out a good lesson right now too!

The high gain Recto sound is what's all over the rock and metal airwaves, it's that iconic crunch. I almost bought one before I happened upon my Mark IV.

My former bandmate had a Lonestar Special and beside my Mark IV, we had a nice contrast of tones. I find my Mark can do everything from spanky cleans to warm jazz, sludgy vintage crunch to a more modern cutting rhythm, fat and thick high gain rhythms, and all possible manner of lead sounds across all channels.

Mesas (at least Marks and sometimes Rectifiers) seem to be labeled as hard to dial in. IMO it's not so much that they're difficult to use; more that they are just so damn flexible, it pays to read the manual and understand them. Then you can find a ton of sounds that are different, but each have that amp's flavour baked in.

It's been 7 or 8 years and after numerous pickup and guitar changes, different pedals, tubes, and fiddling with the knobs and switches, I've found my signature sound but there are more possibilities if I ever want something different.

I certainly can't speak to many of the Mesa line over the years like others here, but I can say I bought one on a whim and it was the best gear decision I've ever made. Ain't no lesson better than that son.

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[some_dude]

Re: School me on Mesas

Mesas (at least Marks and sometimes Rectifiers) seem to be labeled as hard to dial in. IMO it's not so much that they're difficult to use; more that they are just so damn flexible, it pays to read the manual and understand them. Then you can find a ton of sounds that are different, but each have that amp's flavour baked in.

IMO, Mesa's are easy to dial in when you're trying to make them sound like a Mesa and hard to dial in when you're trying to make them sound like something they're not.

Not that there isn't a learning curve, but getting a base tone is pretty easy provided you dig the sound out of the box.

 

[Aceman]

Re: School me on Mesas

My Stiletto is freaking easy to dial in like the Marshall of your choice...and then some. I couldn't get a crappy sound out if it if I tried.

You want AC/DC? Channel 1, 100 watt mode, tube recto, bold on, crunch mode
You want Brown EVH? Channel 2, 100 watt, tube recto, spongy, fluid gain
You want any 80's Hot rodded shred stack? Channel 2, 50 watt, silicon recto, bold, tight gain

Season w/ Presence and Gain to taste.

We can go on all day. As mentioned - READ THE MANUAL!!!!!! Too few players learn to "play the amp". I thin k a lot of amp swappers just don't spend time to really learn how to work the amps's mojo. They just 'expect' magnificent sounds with everything aimed or whatever. But yeah - the 2555 Silver was plug in and go...gain, eq, vol presence and done.

 

[VinceT]

Re: School me on Mesas

Yup, I think if the thread’s title is “school me on Mesas”, then 101 is “read the manual”.

For example, the TA-15 manual had a whole section devoted to how triode/pentode preamp tunes worked, set in the analogy of Irish men heading to a bar - taught me as much about tube amps and tone-shaping as many a more lofty source. The section on cab impedance is a must read, and provides easy answers to questions that appear on these boards fairly regularly.

In fact, even if you don’t own that amp, READ THE MANUAL!

http://www.mesaboogie.com/media/User Manuals/TA15_110210.pdf

And, on both Mesas I’ve owned, there are quirks in each control - on the Rectoverb 25, for example, how the Treble control acts as a gain stage, not just frequency attenuation (and how that interacts with the presence control). Knowledge is power on this one.

Also, I’ve found that (unlike other amp manufacturers) the suggested/example settings are really good at helping to understand the interaction between controls.

Finally, I totally agree that getting a great sound is easy with a Mesa, it only becomes complex when you try to get it sounding like something else - either another specific amp, or a sound in your head.


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[Metalman_666]

Re: School me on Mesas

And, on both Mesas I’ve owned, there are quirks in each control - on the Rectoverb 25, for example, how the Treble control acts as a gain stage, not just frequency attenuation (and how that interacts with the presence control). Knowledge is power on this one.

Also, I’ve found that (unlike other amp manufacturers) the suggested/example settings are really good at helping to understand the interaction between controls.

Truth - on the Marks the treble is a crucial point to define how much gain is available on the channels. So tweaking, such option

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[chadd]

Re: School me on Mesas

And again - Mesa is known for the Uber-flexibility factor. Very few "one trick pony's" in the lineup.

My Road King has more switches and settings than the entire line from some amp companies.

 

[DonP]

Re: School me on Mesas

Studio .22 that are also NOT metal

Ummm.....No.

I used a Studio .22 for the early Metallica days RTL, MOP, and AJFA.

Just dial that EQ in the familiar V shape.