got a demo of the new Mesa Tc-50 today

[jsp]

For whatever it's worth, I didn't have to "deal" with much, just let the kid mess around with the amp first to "set it up for me" and he left me alone for a while. I didn't think much of the whole thing because I decided I wasn't buying from there anyway. No need to make a scene over nothing. They also exchanged a blown tube for me and were nice about it.

nice of you to take their time and resources to demo the amp then accept their help with the tube to then go and buy somewhere else
very noble of you
when the store closes down and you can't go and demo the amps in future, or get your amp serviced, no need to wonder why

Relax, the tube was under warranty, and I'm not buying the amp new at all from anywhere. If they want my business they'll shape up their customer service. In any case, they'll be fine

 

[glassjaw7]

Sounds pretty good here IMO

 

[Deleted member 13074]

Relax, the tube was under warranty, and I'm not buying the amp new at all from anywhere. If they want my business they'll shape up their customer service. In any case, they'll be fine

Fair enough.
Saying you 'weren't buying from there' is different to saying you are 'not buying the amp at all'.

This is the first time I've heard of less than stellar customer experiences, which I'm sure they'll sort.
Ditto what others have said in support - one of the best stores on the planet.

 

[Jeff Hilligan]

That vid above sounds great on the blue channel to me!

 

[the4thlast1]

I have a TC50 , showed up yesterday from Sweetwater. I played last night for an hour or so. Comparing to my JP2c today , sorry no clips but I will share my thoughts for anyone who cares with a couple pics for proof , lol. Reporting back shortly , camera is charging....suspense

 

[LP Freak]

I have a TC50 , showed up yesterday from Sweetwater. I played last night for an hour or so. Comparing to my JP2c today , sorry no clips but I will share my thoughts for anyone who cares with a couple pics for proof , lol. Reporting back shortly , camera is charging....suspense

Yea, I'd like to know the difference in the two.

 

[the4thlast1]

 

[the4thlast1]

I am mostly a modern thrash style metal player..What matters to me most is a killer high gain tight modern rhythm tone....I also like a lot of 80s metal and rock so I go for some compression and smooth saturated highend too. So tight but still musical, I dont like sterile tones. So my judgments are made from that frame of mind , you will notice in the pictures I have not even tried the clean channel yet lol.

I have owned a bunch of Rectos 2 and 3 channel and several Mark series amps , now the JP2C. I am able to crank things up loud in my basement when trying out amps so these are my thoughts at close to band volume. This amp falls short in the balls department. I would agree with what others have said so far. I do not think its a "bad" sounding amp, nothing harsh or annoying about any frequencies, For me it just lacks the BIG sound the others have.

I have not tried this amp in a band context. Although it sounds a bit small to me compared to other Mesa amps I think the eq curve would be good for a live mix. Its focused in the mids, not a lot of bass to mud things up and it does have the power to be heard. Dont get me wrong when I say it sounds small because it does have good headroom, it just dosent have the lowend girth other Mesas have and it is a little boring in character to me.

Its possible if they come out with a 100 watt version I would like it more. But this amp as others pointed out is kinda a safe play on Mesas part , its possible your average consumer will like Its plug and play hard to find a bad tone , hard to find a great tone personality , lol. If they sell a lot of them then it was a good move. I hate to bash on a Mesa because I like there products.

 

[Speeddemon]

to me most is a killer high gain tight modern rhythm tone....I also like a lot of 80s metal and rock so I go for some compression and smooth saturated highend too. So tight but still musical, I dont like sterile tones. So my judgments are made from that frame of mind , you will notice in the pictures I have not even tried the clean channel yet lol.

Awright, Awwright, Awwright... seems we have a similar taste in tone.
Basically you're saying the TC-50 falls short of most things Engl.
Now the question remains (for me)...with the amps I have... should I still get a Diezel D-Moll?

 

[the4thlast1]

to me most is a killer high gain tight modern rhythm tone....I also like a lot of 80s metal and rock so I go for some compression and smooth saturated highend too. So tight but still musical, I dont like sterile tones. So my judgments are made from that frame of mind , you will notice in the pictures I have not even tried the clean channel yet lol.

Awright, Awwright, Awwright... seems we have a similar taste in tone.
Basically you're saying the TC-50 falls short of most things Engl.
Now the question remains (for me)...with the amps I have... should I still get a Diezel D-Moll?

Engl is a whole nother story...We talkin Mesa

 

[stephen sawall]

I think the red channel kicks ass.

 

[MetalHeadMike]

I love modern thrash riffage

I want to come over and play your amps

 

[thiswaythatway]

I am mostly a modern thrash style metal player..What matters to me most is a killer high gain tight modern rhythm tone....I also like a lot of 80s metal and rock so I go for some compression and smooth saturated highend too. So tight but still musical, I dont like sterile tones. So my judgments are made from that frame of mind , you will notice in the pictures I have not even tried the clean channel yet lol.

I have owned a bunch of Rectos 2 and 3 channel and several Mark series amps , now the JP2C. I am able to crank things up loud in my basement when trying out amps so these are my thoughts at close to band volume. This amp falls short in the balls department. I would agree with what others have said so far. I do not think its a "bad" sounding amp, nothing harsh or annoying about any frequencies, For me it just lacks the BIG sound the others have.

I have not tried this amp in a band context. Although it sounds a bit small to me compared to other Mesa amps I think the eq curve would be good for a live mix. Its focused in the mids, not a lot of bass to mud things up and it does have the power to be heard. Dont get me wrong when I say it sounds small because it does have good headroom, it just dosent have the lowend girth other Mesas have and it is a little boring in character to me.

Its possible if they come out with a 100 watt version I would like it more. But this amp as others pointed out is kinda a safe play on Mesas part , its possible your average consumer will like Its plug and play hard to find a bad tone , hard to find a great tone personality , lol. If they sell a lot of them then it was a good move. I hate to bash on a Mesa because I like there products.

I thought the Royal Atlantic was also an amp lacking balls/girth. It just didn't sound big. The Electra Dyne was huge sounding with lots of girth but it lacked preamp gain and it was just soo freaking loud. When I play a Mesa I expect a lot of bottom and when I don't hear that I don't like it.

 

[the4thlast1]

Yeah I agree , some Balls/Girth is what I would want out of most amps.

Dont get me wrong I find some 3 channel Rectos to have too much out of control lowend so there are cases where its not needed , but then there was my Rev F 2 channel triple that just sounded and felt great ...BIG but controlled.

The Mark series amps including the JP2C have less Lowend/Girth than Rectos but they have more than the TC50. Out of any of the Marks I would say the TC50 reminds me a little of the Mark V which would be the Mark series amp I like the least , lol . I have not owned an Electradyne or Royal Atlantic to say. Having spent more time today with the JP2C and comparing it to the TC50 I really think thats the new Mesa to own. To me that amp is like taking a Mark III/IV and adding some of that Recto girth, the JP2C has a big yet very tight and controlled sound, def tighter than any recto including 2 channel ones but it has some of that Big Ballsy tone.

 

[SavageRiffer]

Meh, tone is in the fingers. A great player will sound as great through the TC-50 as they would through a Friedman BE100.

 

[the4thlast1]

Can't argue that...great players for the most part will sound great but even a great player has preferences and opinions on gear so that's the point of this isn't it ? Personally I think at gig volume is where you will notice more the amps that really shine.

When several people give very similar reviews there is usually something to it.

 

[the4thlast1]

...double post

 

[Racerxrated]

Meh, tone is in the fingers. A great player will sound as great through the TC-50 as they would through a Friedman BE100.

So an A chord is going to sound the SAME when EVH is playing through his favorite Marshall, and a Boogie Recto?

Gear makes a HUGE difference dudes.

 

[MetalHeadMike]

Meh, tone is in the fingers. A great player will sound as great through the TC-50 as they would through a Friedman BE100.

So an A chord is going to sound the SAME when EVH is playing through his favorite Marshall, and a Boogie Recto?

Gear makes a HUGE difference dudes.

^^^
I support this opinion

While the players fingers do make a huge difference in tone, the amp/pickups/pedals are 95% or more of the equation IMO.

The amps either got the voicing your after or it doesn't.

 

[thiswaythatway]

Meh, tone is in the fingers. A great player will sound as great through the TC-50 as they would through a Friedman BE100.

So an A chord is going to sound the SAME when EVH is playing through his favorite Marshall, and a Boogie Recto?

Gear makes a HUGE difference dudes.

George Lynch playing through his old Marshalls sounds like George Lynch. George Lynch playing through Mesa Dual Rectifiers also sounded like George Lynch. Just sayin.

Yes, gear is important, but you can't spread a pound of makeup on an ugly ass chick and expect her to be the prom queen.