What's the top 3 Marshall, Mesa, and Fender Amps, in your opinion?

[korovamilkdud]

Re: What's the top 3 Marshall, Mesa, and Fender Amps, in your opinion?

From what I have heard, the Marshalls get to be the old Superbass Head, the old plexis (take your pick), and the JTM.

Fender wins with the 59 bassman, blackfaces, and super reverb.

I like the Mesa Mark series.

 

[Mincer]

Re: What's the top 3 Marshall, Mesa, and Fender Amps, in your opinion?

Mesa:
Blue Angel
.

Ahh, at last the Blue Angel gets some love!

 

[Tony_H]

Re: What's the top 3 Marshall, Mesa, and Fender Amps, in your opinion?

I haven't played amps enough to make a valid post here, but...

I loved the tone of a Fender Hot Rod Deluxe, so that would be my pick for Fender.

Er... a lame post indeed, but the others are a good read anyway.

 

[shred-dog]

Re: What's the top 3 Marshall, Mesa, and Fender Amps, in your opinion?

MARSHALL jcm800 2204 50 watt head , 2550 jubilee 50 watt head , and 2500 sl-x 50 watt head(el-34 very underrated amp)

MESA mark III head w/eq , stiletto head , .50 cal+ head

FENDER super champ , prosonic head , princeton reverb

 

[Curly]

Re: What's the top 3 Marshall, Mesa, and Fender Amps, in your opinion?

Ahh, at last the Blue Angel gets some love!

Mincer,
I tried the BA as soon as it came out - probably a good review in GP made me interested.
It was a departure for Mesa, of course, because it was simple. But, great tone, and lots of harmonics.

I still don't get why it was discontinued?

 

[XSSIVE]

Re: What's the top 3 Marshall, Mesa, and Fender Amps, in your opinion?

best and marshall don't go together in my world i have yet to play through a marshall i liked and i have tried quite a few. as for fenders i have played through a few with some amazing cleans but i have no need to own one so i can't vote for the best. as for mesa's that's easy dual rect., MK IIc+ and the single rect. i haven't tried the stiletto yet but i'd like to. just give me a dual rect., an engl powerball and a diezel herbert and you can keep all the rest

-Mike

 

[Hot _Grits]

Re: What's the top 3 Marshall, Mesa, and Fender Amps, in your opinion?

Mincer,
I tried the BA as soon as it came out - probably a good review in GP made me interested.
It was a departure for Mesa, of course, because it was simple. But, great tone, and lots of harmonics.

I still don't get why it was discontinued?

That Joe Gore review in GP was what made me want one, too. Fortunately it lived up to the hype when I tried it out.

 

[Metalman_666]

Re: What's the top 3 Marshall, Mesa, and Fender Amps, in your opinion?

Personally, I would go with several honoured tones...

Marshall
- 2550 50/25 watt Jubilee head
- 50 watt Plexi head
- JCM 800 2203 head

Mesa
- 3 channel Dual Recto
- Mark IV
- Triaxis

Fender
- Blackface Deluxe Reverb

I don't know very much about Fender amps... So the other choices, a nice Bogner Uberschall, and a Krankenstein

 

[the guy who invented fire]

Re: What's the top 3 Marshall, Mesa, and Fender Amps, in your opinion?

Man...I'd like to hear that Twin from 1696! Must be worth a fortune! Was it windpowered? :laugh2: Lew

You never heard of the 1696 Twin Reverb??? Leo's great great grandfather made them...it sounds amazing but it've very heavy so I don't gig with it anymore!!! :laugh2: :smack:

 

[frigginalex]

Re: What's the top 3 Marshall, Mesa, and Fender Amps, in your opinion?

I'm surprised no one's mentioned the DC-5 Dual Caliber yet. High gain mode sounds better than any Recto I've ever heard.

 

[Mincer]

Re: What's the top 3 Marshall, Mesa, and Fender Amps, in your opinion?

That Joe Gore review in GP was what made me want one, too. Fortunately it lived up to the hype when I tried it out.

I never read this! Anyone have a copy? My guess is that it was in their 'Dual Recto' series, but didn't even have a master volume. For the last few years, Mesa has been making $$ with high gain, so they probably thought, well, lets stick to that. It was the un-Mesa Mesa- a darker sounding Deluxe, with better reverb. I love my 1x12, and usually use the 6v6 setting.

 

[Hot _Grits]

Re: What's the top 3 Marshall, Mesa, and Fender Amps, in your opinion?

I never read this! Anyone have a copy? My guess is that it was in their 'Dual Recto' series, but didn't even have a master volume. For the last few years, Mesa has been making $$ with high gain, so they probably thought, well, lets stick to that. It was the un-Mesa Mesa- a darker sounding Deluxe, with better reverb. I love my 1x12, and usually use the 6v6 setting.

I still have the issue at home. Easily the most persuasive gear review I've ever read.

here's a couple of quotes from the mesa site:

"It seems to capture every articulation detail, every bit of pick or fingernail color. You can quite literally regulate the distortion level from note to note according to how hard you dig in."

“By any reckoning, the Blue Angel delivers the quality tones and workmanship you might expect from a much more expensive designer amp. It is an extraordinary instrument.”

“The Blue Angel doesn’t seem to have a bad sound in it. Its reverb is particularly lovely, sinfully lush with a warm afterglow.”


-he also bought one and toured it with PJ Harvey.

 

[JeffB]

Re: What's the top 3 Marshall, Mesa, and Fender Amps, in your opinion?

I've never heard a BA, much less seen one, unfortunately. But the Maverick I played pretty much fits the quotes from the BA review. Extremely cool and dynamic amp. I'm still contemplating buying the used one I found (older 1x12 combo). It's beat all to hell on the outside and covered in cigarette butt burns, but the guts are great and it sounds fantastic. 500 smackers.

And of course, even tho it's 35 watts that dang thing is SUPA loud.

 

[JeffB]

Re: What's the top 3 Marshall, Mesa, and Fender Amps, in your opinion?

"It seems to capture every articulation detail, every bit of pick or fingernail color. You can quite literally regulate the distortion level from note to note according to how hard you dig in."

Hell..thats my experience with the F-50's clean channel, as well as the lead channel w/out the contour thrown on and the gain around 9 oclock.

I can dial up a pretty good clean just shy of some breakup, and really dig the pick in and get some crunch or play super light and gets all warm and jazzy sounding.

I've never played or owned another amp that was as dynamic (other than the aforementioned Maverick)

 

[Hot _Grits]

Re: What's the top 3 Marshall, Mesa, and Fender Amps, in your opinion?

Hell..thats my experience with the F-50's clean channel, as well as the lead channel w/out the contour thrown on and the gain around 9 oclock.

I can dial up a pretty good clean just shy of some breakup, and really dig the pick in and get some crunch or play super light and gets all warm and jazzy sounding.

I've never played or owned another amp that was as dynamic (other than the aforementioned Maverick)

I've heard good things about the f50's clean channel and low gain tones. Must try one sometime.

I've played a couple of mavericks and was distinctly unimpressed. I really liked the idea of a more versatile amp in the BA vein, but the ones I played just didn't sound good. I dunno if the ones I've played are turkeys, or if it's a taste thing, but I was really disappointed, especially compared to the BA.

 

[JeffB]

Re: What's the top 3 Marshall, Mesa, and Fender Amps, in your opinion?

I've played a couple of mavericks and was distinctly unimpressed. I really liked the idea of a more versatile amp in the BA vein, but the ones I played just didn't sound good. I dunno if the ones I've played are turkeys, or if it's a taste thing, but I was really disappointed, especially compared to the BA.

The one I played was an older model, HG. 1x12 which they don't offer anymore(?)... the fellow said they moved some switches from back to front or vice versa on newer versions. It also had been re-tubed with something besides MESA tubes...think they were Sovteks..don't recall. I don't know if those things make a diff or not as I haven't played the newer models :shrug:

 

[NecroPolo]

Re: What's the top 3 Marshall, Mesa, and Fender Amps, in your opinion?

Difficult matter. I can name 20 or some Marshalls that I really dig

MARSHALL:

2553 25/50 Silver jubilee
JCM900 SL-X 50W (I prefer it to the JCM800)
VS100 head (Yes it is a cheepo much-cursed Valvestate. Digging Valvestates is my perversion )

MESA:
Mark IV
Mark IIIC
Road King

Fender:
Twin
Bassman

I don't know much about other Fenders apart from others being heard but these are the 2 Fenders that I researched with a watching eye, ended up with the conclusion that clean amps are not my cup of T but these were amazing, anyway.

Oh, I know an another one!

Mr Dlck Dale's Fender amp :smoker:

 

[kmcguitars]

Re: What's the top 3 Marshall, Mesa, and Fender Amps, in your opinion?

FENDER: SF 135 watt Twin Reverb,BF Vibrolux, Tweed Bassman
Marshall: 50watt Plexi, Bluesbreaker combo, JCM 800
Mesa: The original Princton modded by Randall Smith,Tread plate,Subway

 

[Gearjoneser]

Re: What's the top 3 Marshall, Mesa, and Fender Amps, in your opinion?

Bump.

 

[texasguitarslinger]

Re: What's the top 3 Marshall, Mesa, and Fender Amps, in your opinion?

Fender - '59 Bassman, Blackface Twin Reverb, Hot Rod Deluxe w/Jensen C12N

Marshall - Bluesbreaker Combo

I don't have any experience with Mesa.