Tell me about the Mesa Nomad series.
- Thread starter Top Jimmy
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lpmarshall
New member
Re: Tell me about the Mesa Nomad series.
I had a 45 (or 55, can't remember) 2x12 a long time ago.
It was pretty hard to dial in, too many knobs and buttons for me. I believe it was a 3 channel amp, although I remember very little about it.
It server me just fine for a year or two playing a few gigs here and there. I just wanted something that wasn't too complicated.
I had a 45 (or 55, can't remember) 2x12 a long time ago.
It was pretty hard to dial in, too many knobs and buttons for me. I believe it was a 3 channel amp, although I remember very little about it.
It server me just fine for a year or two playing a few gigs here and there. I just wanted something that wasn't too complicated.
Re: Tell me about the Mesa Nomad series.
Well, for starters, there's the official Mesa literature on the Nomad.
http://www.mesaboogie.com/Product_Info/Out_of%20_Production/Nomad_Designs/nomad_designs.html
http://www.mesaboogie.com/US/What_s_New_/Amplitudes/New_Products/The_Nomad/the_nomad.html
http://www.mesaboogie.com/manuals/Nomad%20Manual.pdf
The Nomad replaced the DC series in the mid 90s, IIRC and was produced up until the early 2000s, when it was replaced by the F-series. Though in a thread about the sudio caliber/Dual Caliber line, Boogie Bill has a post which mentions the Nomad and gives a bit of an idea of it's lineage here.
From my reading on the Boogie Board, elsewhere on the Internets, and here (the above statement included) I've come to the conclusion that the Nomad is the black sheep of the Mesa family. I'm not sure what it is people dislike about it. A common complaint I've seen is that it is too "boxy" or has too much mids. I can't help but wonder if the people complaining about excess mids in the Nomad are playing by themselves, or against another amp that's very scooped. Mids are absolutely necessary to fitting into a band mix. What might sound harsh and nasal alone will sound just fine with another guitarist, a bass and a drum set. My Nomad can hold it's own against a Marshall JCM2000 with dimed mids through 4x12 /w V30s, and without having to have the Nomad's mids dimed. Marshall's also have plenty of mids, but I don't think I've ever heard anyone complain that Marshalls are too middy.
(continued in next post, why is the post limit 5000 characters?)
Well, for starters, there's the official Mesa literature on the Nomad.
http://www.mesaboogie.com/Product_Info/Out_of%20_Production/Nomad_Designs/nomad_designs.html
http://www.mesaboogie.com/US/What_s_New_/Amplitudes/New_Products/The_Nomad/the_nomad.html
http://www.mesaboogie.com/manuals/Nomad%20Manual.pdf
The Nomad replaced the DC series in the mid 90s, IIRC and was produced up until the early 2000s, when it was replaced by the F-series. Though in a thread about the sudio caliber/Dual Caliber line, Boogie Bill has a post which mentions the Nomad and gives a bit of an idea of it's lineage here.
From my reading on the Boogie Board, elsewhere on the Internets, and here (the above statement included) I've come to the conclusion that the Nomad is the black sheep of the Mesa family. I'm not sure what it is people dislike about it. A common complaint I've seen is that it is too "boxy" or has too much mids. I can't help but wonder if the people complaining about excess mids in the Nomad are playing by themselves, or against another amp that's very scooped. Mids are absolutely necessary to fitting into a band mix. What might sound harsh and nasal alone will sound just fine with another guitarist, a bass and a drum set. My Nomad can hold it's own against a Marshall JCM2000 with dimed mids through 4x12 /w V30s, and without having to have the Nomad's mids dimed. Marshall's also have plenty of mids, but I don't think I've ever heard anyone complain that Marshalls are too middy.
(continued in next post, why is the post limit 5000 characters?)
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Lucid_Lunatic
Rebelyellologist
Re: Tell me about the Mesa Nomad series.
It's the only Mesa I actually somewhat liked. To me it had more of a Brittish tone than the tone Mesa's are generally known for, maybe that's why Mesa fans don't care for it.................
It's the only Mesa I actually somewhat liked. To me it had more of a Brittish tone than the tone Mesa's are generally known for, maybe that's why Mesa fans don't care for it.................
Boogie Bill
New member
Re: Tell me about the Mesa Nomad series.
Guitar Player Magazine did a review of the Nomad a few years ago. The article has some good info in it.
The Nomads can be very useful to the guy doing a lot of cover tunes. It has tremendous tonal shaping power in the three channels--almost that of a modeling amp. It is a solid and reliable amp. The cleans of the F-Series and Lonestars are probably better--I believe the Nomad's clean channel is based on the Mark IV--but the Nomad has a lot to offer.
There is a lot of gain on tap in the second channel, and the third channel is really over the top--way more gain than I would ever use. They are very aggressive sounding. The key to a quick setup: set all the tone controls to 5 and go from there, making small adjustments. It's a little tougher to dial in the exact tone you might want, but I guarantee you can get some very good tones, very quickly.
The 45, 55 and 100 watt versions actually all sound a bit different, due to the different power tubes. The Nomad 100 is crushingly loud, and the only one that offers Mesa's assignable 5-band Graphic EQ. The 45 112 combo is one of my favorites, especially when used with a 112EVM Theile cab underneath it. It makes for a nice little mini-stack with a very small footprint on cramped stages. The 45 is all you need for most clubs. If you can crank up the 4xEL84s, you'll hear some very warm tones, and some nice chime.
But honestly my fave is the Nomad 100, if only for the Graphic EQ. The amp is very dynamic, with explosive headroom. The EQ, like the EQ on the Mark Series, really allows for excellent control of the gain channels. The 100-watt 112 combo is the one I would buy--if I could find one. They only made these for a couple of years. I believe they were discontinued because of problems related to heat and vibration. It's a LOT of power in a small package.
I used the 112 combo on one of Mesa's 112 closed-back wide-body cabs for a show we did at my local Guitar Center. This is again, a nice mini-stack, albeit a weighty one. (The 212 combos weigh a ton, BTW, even the 45-watt versions.) I didn't have very much time to set up, but using my "everything on 5" starting point I was able to dial in perfect tones on each of the three channels--it probably took less than two minutes. After we started the set, I only needed to adjust the amp once, and that was it. Got a lot of compliments on my tone that day, and that's always a great feeling.
Which leads me to the 100-watt head. At a festival, I used the head with a 412 Vintage 30 recto cab and loved it. The second time I tried one was with two of the Mesa 212 Horizontal Recto cabs, again with V-30. I thought that was an awesome sounding rig, and easier to lug around than the 412.
My experience with the Nomad Series has always been positive. I admit that I don't own one, though I wouldn't mind having one. Don't know that I would give up either my Mark III or my Mark IV, but the Nomad is a solid performer.
They might be the "black sheep" of the Mesa family, but that's okay. That just means there's one out there at a good price, waiting for you to make some magic with it!
Bill
Guitar Player Magazine did a review of the Nomad a few years ago. The article has some good info in it.
The Nomads can be very useful to the guy doing a lot of cover tunes. It has tremendous tonal shaping power in the three channels--almost that of a modeling amp. It is a solid and reliable amp. The cleans of the F-Series and Lonestars are probably better--I believe the Nomad's clean channel is based on the Mark IV--but the Nomad has a lot to offer.
There is a lot of gain on tap in the second channel, and the third channel is really over the top--way more gain than I would ever use. They are very aggressive sounding. The key to a quick setup: set all the tone controls to 5 and go from there, making small adjustments. It's a little tougher to dial in the exact tone you might want, but I guarantee you can get some very good tones, very quickly.
The 45, 55 and 100 watt versions actually all sound a bit different, due to the different power tubes. The Nomad 100 is crushingly loud, and the only one that offers Mesa's assignable 5-band Graphic EQ. The 45 112 combo is one of my favorites, especially when used with a 112EVM Theile cab underneath it. It makes for a nice little mini-stack with a very small footprint on cramped stages. The 45 is all you need for most clubs. If you can crank up the 4xEL84s, you'll hear some very warm tones, and some nice chime.
But honestly my fave is the Nomad 100, if only for the Graphic EQ. The amp is very dynamic, with explosive headroom. The EQ, like the EQ on the Mark Series, really allows for excellent control of the gain channels. The 100-watt 112 combo is the one I would buy--if I could find one. They only made these for a couple of years. I believe they were discontinued because of problems related to heat and vibration. It's a LOT of power in a small package.
I used the 112 combo on one of Mesa's 112 closed-back wide-body cabs for a show we did at my local Guitar Center. This is again, a nice mini-stack, albeit a weighty one. (The 212 combos weigh a ton, BTW, even the 45-watt versions.) I didn't have very much time to set up, but using my "everything on 5" starting point I was able to dial in perfect tones on each of the three channels--it probably took less than two minutes. After we started the set, I only needed to adjust the amp once, and that was it. Got a lot of compliments on my tone that day, and that's always a great feeling.
Which leads me to the 100-watt head. At a festival, I used the head with a 412 Vintage 30 recto cab and loved it. The second time I tried one was with two of the Mesa 212 Horizontal Recto cabs, again with V-30. I thought that was an awesome sounding rig, and easier to lug around than the 412.
My experience with the Nomad Series has always been positive. I admit that I don't own one, though I wouldn't mind having one. Don't know that I would give up either my Mark III or my Mark IV, but the Nomad is a solid performer.
They might be the "black sheep" of the Mesa family, but that's okay. That just means there's one out there at a good price, waiting for you to make some magic with it!
Bill
richard parker
Active member
Re: Tell me about the Mesa Nomad series.
I have 2 friends who bought Nomad combos when they first came out. These amps spent more time in the repair shop than any other amps I've known. They were TOTALLY unreliable. One of them actually burst into flames at a gig. As far as I remember they had a serious design flaw that Boogie refused to acknowledge because everyone wanted their money back.
I have 2 friends who bought Nomad combos when they first came out. These amps spent more time in the repair shop than any other amps I've known. They were TOTALLY unreliable. One of them actually burst into flames at a gig. As far as I remember they had a serious design flaw that Boogie refused to acknowledge because everyone wanted their money back.
Archer_of_Fish
New member
Re: Tell me about the Mesa Nomad series.
Before I started using ENGL and Diezels the Nomad was my main amp. I love the clean channel on the Nomad and channel 2 does moderate gain nicely. Channel 3 can be really bright or really dark...no real middle ground.
It did take to pedals nicely. I loved that amp for a while but have to say that if another one comes up for a low price I would take a pass.
Before I started using ENGL and Diezels the Nomad was my main amp. I love the clean channel on the Nomad and channel 2 does moderate gain nicely. Channel 3 can be really bright or really dark...no real middle ground.
It did take to pedals nicely. I loved that amp for a while but have to say that if another one comes up for a low price I would take a pass.
LesPaulRules
New member
Re: Tell me about the Mesa Nomad series.
I agree that the 45 and 55 watt models can be very tough to dial in. In my opinion, the 100 watter is a fantastic amp. The real problem with these amps is they NEED that 5 band graphic eq, which is only found on the 100 watt model.
The Nomads have a ton of mids. The graphic eq on the 100 allows you to setup a V-shape, increasing the lows and highs. Even more important is to scoop the mids. This gets the amp back to a more even sound. That review in Guitar Player mentioned above is spot on. Set all your tone controls to 5, scoop the mids with the graphic, then tweak the tone controls for your final tone.
I have owned a 55 and still own a Nomad 100 (the rare 1-12 model that keeps up with 100 watt half stacks). The 55 was nice IF you put a graphic eq in the loop.
I agree that the 45 and 55 watt models can be very tough to dial in. In my opinion, the 100 watter is a fantastic amp. The real problem with these amps is they NEED that 5 band graphic eq, which is only found on the 100 watt model.
The Nomads have a ton of mids. The graphic eq on the 100 allows you to setup a V-shape, increasing the lows and highs. Even more important is to scoop the mids. This gets the amp back to a more even sound. That review in Guitar Player mentioned above is spot on. Set all your tone controls to 5, scoop the mids with the graphic, then tweak the tone controls for your final tone.
I have owned a 55 and still own a Nomad 100 (the rare 1-12 model that keeps up with 100 watt half stacks). The 55 was nice IF you put a graphic eq in the loop.
LesPaulRules
New member
Re: Tell me about the Mesa Nomad series.
Believe it or not, the flaw was due to the knobs being the wrong size. I'm not kidding.:cool2:
What happened was the knobs on the early Nomads didn't snug up all the way on the volume/tone pots. This slight gap caused a lot of problems if you bumped any of the knobs, as it would push the pot shaft inside torwards the back. This would lead to very loose pots that would cut out when turning them, as the wiper would not make positive contact with the resistive element. How would you like to have tone controls (and worse, volume controls) jumping around all over the place when moving a knob? Not cool.
The fix was to take the knob off and put a plastic washer on the back of it. This would allow the knob to sit flush against the pot. Mesa was aware of this, as they would send you these plastic washers free of charge. This was fine IF the pot was ok. If not, you had to either replace the pot or recrimp it from the back.
The knobs were corrected after a couple years to the correct size. By then, the Nomads already had a bad reputation. I've seen many early Nomads with this problem. They are much better amps than most people think. Between this pot issue and not having a graphic eq on the 45/55 models, the Nomad wasn't going to be a huge success.
I still own one of the first 50 Nomad 100's ever made. It had the "bad" knobs and I did have a few problems with the pots (I changed many of these pots. The amp has never had a problem since). Several years later, I picked up a Nomad 55 and the knobs were fine, and no problems with any vol/tone pots.
Believe it or not, the flaw was due to the knobs being the wrong size. I'm not kidding.:cool2:
What happened was the knobs on the early Nomads didn't snug up all the way on the volume/tone pots. This slight gap caused a lot of problems if you bumped any of the knobs, as it would push the pot shaft inside torwards the back. This would lead to very loose pots that would cut out when turning them, as the wiper would not make positive contact with the resistive element. How would you like to have tone controls (and worse, volume controls) jumping around all over the place when moving a knob? Not cool.
The fix was to take the knob off and put a plastic washer on the back of it. This would allow the knob to sit flush against the pot. Mesa was aware of this, as they would send you these plastic washers free of charge. This was fine IF the pot was ok. If not, you had to either replace the pot or recrimp it from the back.
The knobs were corrected after a couple years to the correct size. By then, the Nomads already had a bad reputation. I've seen many early Nomads with this problem. They are much better amps than most people think. Between this pot issue and not having a graphic eq on the 45/55 models, the Nomad wasn't going to be a huge success.
I still own one of the first 50 Nomad 100's ever made. It had the "bad" knobs and I did have a few problems with the pots (I changed many of these pots. The amp has never had a problem since). Several years later, I picked up a Nomad 55 and the knobs were fine, and no problems with any vol/tone pots.
Boogie Bill
New member
Re: Tell me about the Mesa Nomad series.
LesPaulRules--you are so right about the knobs--forgot about that issue. I have had the same problem with pot failure on one of my Mavericks. The pot got bumped and the shaft pushed out the back of the pot, losing wiper contact. Mesa sent me the knobs, and it was an easy fix.
Another issue with the Nomad knobs--they are darn hard to see!! The knobs have an arrow imprinted on them, but it's really difficult to see where the arrow is pointing. They offered some stickers that helped, but guys I know who have Nomads have used a dab of paint or fingernail polish to mark the knob.
I like the 1-10 knobs on Fender amps--that's about as good as it gets, for me. I hate the metal-capped knobs on Marshalls--again really hard to see on stage--and the split shaft pots are prone to breakage. The Maverick has the small round brown knobs with a line--also easy to see like the F-Series. The Lonestar and Lonestar Special have similar black knobs--but it can be hard to see your settings on those amps if they're not tilted back a bit, due to the vertical, not angled, chassis face. I wish companies would pay more attention to good ergonomics.
Bill
LesPaulRules--you are so right about the knobs--forgot about that issue. I have had the same problem with pot failure on one of my Mavericks. The pot got bumped and the shaft pushed out the back of the pot, losing wiper contact. Mesa sent me the knobs, and it was an easy fix.
Another issue with the Nomad knobs--they are darn hard to see!! The knobs have an arrow imprinted on them, but it's really difficult to see where the arrow is pointing. They offered some stickers that helped, but guys I know who have Nomads have used a dab of paint or fingernail polish to mark the knob.
I like the 1-10 knobs on Fender amps--that's about as good as it gets, for me. I hate the metal-capped knobs on Marshalls--again really hard to see on stage--and the split shaft pots are prone to breakage. The Maverick has the small round brown knobs with a line--also easy to see like the F-Series. The Lonestar and Lonestar Special have similar black knobs--but it can be hard to see your settings on those amps if they're not tilted back a bit, due to the vertical, not angled, chassis face. I wish companies would pay more attention to good ergonomics.
Bill
Re: Tell me about the Mesa Nomad series.
Funny, I find myself dialing a mid boost to give myself more cut in the mix for lead passages, and turning the GEQ off for rhythms. Why does everyone hate mids so much? My experience is that without mids, you vanish from the mix.
Funny, I find myself dialing a mid boost to give myself more cut in the mix for lead passages, and turning the GEQ off for rhythms. Why does everyone hate mids so much? My experience is that without mids, you vanish from the mix.
LesPaulRules
New member
Re: Tell me about the Mesa Nomad series.
I love mids. Without decent mids, it isn't the sound of a guitar.
Having said that, I still believe the Nomad's have a ton of mids that need to be tamed.
It also depends upon tube type, speaker type/cab, pickups, etc.
I love mids. Without decent mids, it isn't the sound of a guitar.
Having said that, I still believe the Nomad's have a ton of mids that need to be tamed.
It also depends upon tube type, speaker type/cab, pickups, etc.
D
DLT
Guest
Re: Tell me about the Mesa Nomad series.
Do I see any hands for "Carvin" Nomad?
I am a sucker for chicken head knobs! I felt that the Fender Custom Vibrolux Reverb should have come with pointers on it. Love that old school vibe!
Do I see any hands for "Carvin" Nomad?
I am a sucker for chicken head knobs! I felt that the Fender Custom Vibrolux Reverb should have come with pointers on it. Love that old school vibe!
dr. ad
MonkeyDungologist
Re: Tell me about the Mesa Nomad series.
cool thread
the info on mesas is most appreciated as they're more expensive than most people's cars down here, and the wrong choice can prove fatal.
apparently i'm in the vast majority of pepole who just doesn't get it at present, but i'm hoping to become enlightened at some point.
surely the vast herds of people paying small fortunes for these things must suggest that they don't all sound as cold, thin, brittle and sterile as the rectoverb i tried.
cool thread
the info on mesas is most appreciated as they're more expensive than most people's cars down here, and the wrong choice can prove fatal.
apparently i'm in the vast majority of pepole who just doesn't get it at present, but i'm hoping to become enlightened at some point.
surely the vast herds of people paying small fortunes for these things must suggest that they don't all sound as cold, thin, brittle and sterile as the rectoverb i tried.
Boogie Bill
New member
Re: Tell me about the Mesa Nomad series.
I think tubes play a huge part of the Mesa tone, and that could be the reason why your Recto-O-Verb wasn't up to snuff.
Personally my favorite Mesas are the Mark III, Mark IV, Maverick, DC Series, Blue Angel, Lonestars, Heartbreaker...and not the Rectos. Any of those, and I'm pretty happy--but I'm not a dropped-tuned gain maniac--more of a classic rock, blues, country, and pop player.
Bill
I think tubes play a huge part of the Mesa tone, and that could be the reason why your Recto-O-Verb wasn't up to snuff.
Personally my favorite Mesas are the Mark III, Mark IV, Maverick, DC Series, Blue Angel, Lonestars, Heartbreaker...and not the Rectos. Any of those, and I'm pretty happy--but I'm not a dropped-tuned gain maniac--more of a classic rock, blues, country, and pop player.
Bill
TR CU sig v.2
New member
Re: Tell me about the Mesa Nomad series.
Could be one of many (several crappy sounding models) that Mesa has made since the MKII-C+. Still have my II-C+.
Some great players (John Petrucci, Andy Timmons) use Mesas, but they would sound good through most anything.
I gave up on Mesa Amps after the MKIV.
If the market dictates what Randal produces, it's hard to believe so many could like such brittle, thin, sterile sound.
What a shame, they are built really well.
There's a tone of used Mesas for sale most any time..........
Original MKI and MKII's are the ones to have. They still get a good price for them.
The classic amps of years past (Mesas too) don't need 20 plus knobs to get a good sound.
I'll never sell my MKII-C+
Could be one of many (several crappy sounding models) that Mesa has made since the MKII-C+. Still have my II-C+.
Some great players (John Petrucci, Andy Timmons) use Mesas, but they would sound good through most anything.
I gave up on Mesa Amps after the MKIV.
If the market dictates what Randal produces, it's hard to believe so many could like such brittle, thin, sterile sound.
What a shame, they are built really well.
There's a tone of used Mesas for sale most any time..........
Original MKI and MKII's are the ones to have. They still get a good price for them.
The classic amps of years past (Mesas too) don't need 20 plus knobs to get a good sound.
I'll never sell my MKII-C+
