Probably buying a Mesa Badlander 50 head......should I???

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67mike said:
This sounds fricken killer!!!!!!

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I gotta agree. This demo sounds really, really good. I listened a couple of times through my computer with the good external speakers. Everything from chimey clean through the Sykes riffing and everything in between just sounds killer. I'd love to know how much post processing went into this video or if there was anything in front of the amp. Now - does the 50 watt bring the goods the way the 100 in this video does? Not sure. But it would be hard to complain about any of the core sounds on this clip.
 
PDC said:
I gotta agree. This demo sounds really, really good. I listened a couple of times through my computer with the good external speakers. Everything from chimey clean through the Sykes riffing and everything in between just sounds killer. I'd love to know how much post processing went into this video or if there was anything in front of the amp. Now - does the 50 watt bring the goods the way the 100 in this video does? Not sure. But it would be hard to complain about any of the core sounds on this clip.
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I hear the 50 is better sounding.
 
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IMO they addressed a lot of complaints that people had about rectos with the Badlander series- fixed the bloated low end, made the EQ and gain controls predictable in their behavior, made the front panel easier to read and navigate.
 
The Badlander 100 is actually one of the better Mesa amps I've played in a while - I actually liked it better then the Multi-Watt Dual Recto - if you're leaning Badlander get the 100 and EQ it with your ears. They have a surprising amount of mids already so hate if you will but I dialed the bass and treble up and had the mids at like 9:00 or even less and it was crushing with the O Suhr Koko boost in front. One thing I found out the other day was that the new 90's Reissue loves my Diezel K100 front load cab - best Recto tone I've heard in a good while.
 
My Badlander got returned. Some guys like it but to me it was just lacking a bit in the gain and attitude department. Sounded a little neutered for heavier styles. Honestly if I was a rock player I would have absolutely kept it - the clean and low/mid gain sounds are really good on it.
 
I have a Marshall JVM410H and a Badlander 100

I’d say the Badlander punches harder and is more dynamic than the JVM but the Marshall is obviously way more versatile due to all the channels and modes. I boost both of them even though it’s not really needed. The Marshall feels easier to play while the Badlander reminds me to practice more….
 
WizardSouth-JP said:
The Badlander 100 is actually one of the better Mesa amps I've played in a while - I actually liked it better then the Multi-Watt Dual Recto - if you're leaning Badlander get the 100 and EQ it with your ears. They have a surprising amount of mids already so hate if you will but I dialed the bass and treble up and had the mids at like 9:00 or even less and it was crushing with the O Suhr Koko boost in front. One thing I found out the other day was that the new 90's Reissue loves my Diezel K100 front load cab - best Recto tone I've heard in a good while.
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He is totally right about the mids in the BL. I find myself scooping them a lot and even then it doesn’t sound like a squishy mess. Can get surprisingly bright as well with the presence control. I love the built in IR too for going straight to an interface with my own IR’s instead having to worry about micing the cab.
 
I have a Badlander 50W head. I had to put a Mr. Scary Mod in it to get enough gain. Without it, I had Crunch gain at max and it wasn't quite enough. Crush had just enough gain, but I like the tone of Crunch better. With the Mod, it now has way more gain than my Mark V 90W. Boosting with overdrive pedals got too noisy (lots of EM/RF pollution in my place), but the Scary Mod doesn't raise the noise floor.
That said, I still like the Mark V tone better. The Badlander is darker and has less bass, even with the bass boost on the Mod. It's thicker in the low-mids but can get boxy.
I've never played a Dual Rectifier, but I'm thinking that's probably what I should have gotten instead of the Badlander.
 
DECEMBER said:
I have a Badlander 50W head. I had to put a Mr. Scary Mod in it to get enough gain. Without it, I had Crunch gain at max and it wasn't quite enough. Crush had just enough gain, but I like the tone of Crunch better. With the Mod, it now has way more gain than my Mark V 90W. Boosting with overdrive pedals got too noisy (lots of EM/RF pollution in my place), but the Scary Mod doesn't raise the noise floor.
That said, I still like the Mark V tone better. The Badlander is darker and has less bass, even with the bass boost on the Mod. It's thicker in the low-mids but can get boxy.
I've never played a Dual Rectifier, but I'm thinking that's probably what I should have gotten instead of the Badlander.
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What type of music are you playing on this amp?
 
This guy is an amazing player and imho the tone he is getting in this video is a Badlander 50 combo. If the amp sounds like this.....good enough for me:

 
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67mike said:
This guy is an amazing player and imho the tone he is getting in this video is a Badlander 50 combo. If the amp sounds like this.....good enough for me:

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At this point there is only one way to know if this amp works for you..........:yes::rawk::LOL:

I am a through and through Marshall guy just like you, I had a three channel Dual Recto in the 2000's and I just never bonded with it. I loved the recorded tones with other people playing them but it was the early two channel recto tone that I liked the most. At the time I had no idea they rev'd the original design so much from the early two to three channel for the NU-Metal tones....I can still appreciate what the recto does, I just don't like them under my fingers.

I'll be watching for NAD from you........:2thumbsup::LOL:
 
harddriver said:
At this point there is only one way to know if this amp works for you..........:yes::rawk::LOL:

I am a through and through Marshall guy just like you, I had a three channel Dual Recto in the 2000's and I just never bonded with it. I loved the recorded tones with other people playing them but it was the early two channel recto tone that I liked the most. At the time I had no idea they rev'd the original design so much from the early two to three channel for the NU-Metal tones....I can still appreciate what the recto does, I just don't like them under my fingers.

I'll be watching for NAD from you........:2thumbsup::LOL:
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Thanks. Yes, each of us has our preferences.

Realistically, my modded 2203 will destroy the Badlander.

My Silver Jubilee and 2204 will too.

But.....GAS.....has been a couple weeks since I bought some music gear......lol
 
67mike said:
Thanks. Yes, each of us has our preferences.

Realistically, my modded 2203 will destroy the Badlander.

My Silver Jubilee and 2204 will too.

But.....GAS.....has been a couple weeks since I bought some music gear......lol
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Get the Boogie Mark pedal from the CRAB guy in the Ukraine and call it a day 😁
 
67mike said:
This guy is an amazing player and imho the tone he is getting in this video is a Badlander 50 combo. If the amp sounds like this.....good enough for me:

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I find that tone fatiguing. Too sharp.
 
skoora said:
Get the Boogie Mark pedal from the CRAB guy in the Ukraine and call it a day 😁
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I sold my Mark V. Not really looking for a Mark.

A Dual Rec would be ideal, but this Badlander is a bit of a deal and it is small, light, has two note load/IR built in = winning.
 
I dig mine… great for what it does, tho I can see it being polarizing.

You could always just get a load box tho if you want to run IRs with your current amps.
 
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