Mesa Roadking

[stephen sawall]

So every few years I think I want a Roadking. Currently have a Tremoverb and Rev G Triple Rectifer.
My experience with the Roadking is limited. I only have played on a few for a few hours. My thoughts are it would be good with the band live. For gigs I prefer a single amp. Would be switching between a 4x12 and open back combo or 2x12.

Love or hate the Roadking what do you think ???

 

[garey77]

I had an OG 2x12 combo. .heavy as shit. I dunno…I think I liked the Roadster better. Just so much shit going on with the back panel, and tubes cost a half a testie. All the diff modes were insane and didn’t really make that much of a difference for me. And, I gigged the piss oit of mine and used it for regular (four night p/wk) band practices.

 

[Code001]

Cool amp. Darker and smoother sounding, but fiddle with the knobs, and you'll get there. Try to get the Version 2 of the amp. Has a better clean and fixes some known TSBs (cutting traces around V3 and V4, fixing the pentode/triode switch, fan mod, diode update, transistor fix, etc).

 

[Magic Dragon]

I had a V1 head for a few years. It wasn’t as nearly as inspiring as I had hoped given all the options. The whole amp just sounded sort of flat and one-dimensional. I replaced it with a MKV head and still have that. The MKV has enough flexibility for me without the brain-crushing optionality (and questionable utility) of the RK. Plus, as Code001 points out. There are a lot of TSBs for RKv1.

I occasionally think about giving a Road King V2 a try...then I see the asking prices and forget all about it. The oldest RKIIs are now pushing 20 years old and I have no interest in having to recap one. Sprague had some bad years between ’05-’17 (years of RKII production) and I’ve had a few amps with premature Sprague electrolytic failure come across my bench recently....Plus, the cost to retube one of these things is well over $300.

 

[stephen sawall]

Cool amp. Darker and smoother sounding, but fiddle with the knobs, and you'll get there. Try to get the Version 2 of the amp. Has a better clean and fixes some known TSBs (cutting traces around V3 and V4, fixing the pentode/triode switch, fan mod, diode update, transistor fix, etc).

Yes version 2 is what I want.

 

[JackBootedThug]

I had a version 1. It was nice but not better than either of your mesa’s you have. I honestly wasn’t that impressed. Flip switches and it still sounds pretty similar to what you started with.