Soon there won't be any Mesa Boogie's left.

[thiswaythatway]

Every time a new Mesa comes out i see people saying, "this is the amp Marshall wishes they made" or "this is the Mesa for guys who don't like Mesa" or "this amp is very un-Mesa and not like anything else they make"

They seem to come out with a new amp every year and soon all they'll have is amps that don't sound like Mesa's. And for a company who claimed over the years how superior 6L6's were to EL34's, they sure do seem to have a boner for anything that sounds British.

 

[D-Rock]

I think they feel they have done very well crafting their sound, and are now just diversifying. It's all business. They still sell boatloads of Rectos and Marks.

 

[thiswaythatway]

They still sell boatloads of Rectos and Marks.

And they all have British modes on them and what revision are we up to?

 

[Gooseman]

You know the day is coming though when Randall Smith passes. It helps that there are people in place that will presumably take over the company. It also helps that Randall isn't the sole creator of amps any more. I believe Mike B now creates amps and was responsible for the ED. I think Mesa will always be around and sound like Mesa. I don't think, in this day and age at least, that the company would be sold to idiots with money. Mesa will still create their bread and butter Mesa amps, the Mark and the Rectifier. You already know that people are going to bitch when Randall is gone about how the new Rectos don't sound like the old ones. You already hear it from the two channel guys and early Mark guys. I just don't foresee, in a market now saturated with a lot of competition, Mesa really putting out another iconic amp. The Recto and Mark were as much products of Mesa's innovation as it was their timing. I wouldn't be surprised if Mesa one day rereleases some of their earlier designed amps as well to exact spec. Especially after Randall goes. It just seems to make sense considering their popularity and quality. Personally, I enjoy the new Mesa's a lot and hope that they one day reach iconic status as well. I doubt their newer gems, like the Electra Dyne, will ever go that far but one never knows what the future holds ...

 

[rlord1974]

 

[Digital Jams]

All they need to do is have the rhythm tone of the III coli and lead tone of the IIc+, make it simple and leave out all the freaking options they have been adding.

Of course my Fortin stuff would still pound it

Marshall based tone stacks just cut better, fact.

 

[rlord1974]

Marshall based tone stacks just cut better, fact.

Fact, or opinion?......

 

[Gooseman]

They still sell boatloads of Rectos and Marks.

And they all have British modes on them and what revision are we up to?

Depends on the amp. The Rectifier has stayed the same, more or less. The Road King/Roadster is supposed to be a versatile offering by Mesa, hence the addition of a Brit mode setting on these amps. I like their business model a lot and their focus on creating flexible amps. I am a definite fanboy in every sense of the word. They make great quality amps and have excellent customer service. That, to me, is as good as a good product. Obviously a good product is first and foremost on my list of needs, but ...

The Roadster is only on its first issue. It doesn't surprise me that Mesa had to revise the Road King as often as they did. First off, who could've realized the smash success the Lonestar would become. Why wouldn't they want to up the Road King's desirability by adding the Lonestar cleans to it.

I know they are selling newer Mark amps, like the Mark V, that could be seen as revisions but I think each Mark should be judged apart from previous models. They each sound different and offer only limited similarities. I think Mesa in gets in real trouble by calling these later revisions "Mark-series amps." People just compare them and moan about any perceived differences. Of course, by calling them "new Marks," they also profit from name recognition and trust. It's a real quid pro quo situation ...

 

[Digital Jams]

Marshall based tone stacks just cut better, fact.

Fact, or opinion?......

Lots here would consider that fact.

 

[Gooseman]

Marshall based tone stacks just cut better, fact.

Fact, or opinion?......

Lots here would consider that fact.

How so? Curious ...

What is it about a Marshall tone stack that differs from a Mesa ...

 

[snowdog]

I think they have a slight edge over Marshall as far as successful trips to the drawing board in the last 15 years.

 

[Digital Jams]

Go grab a mesa and a good 800 or modded SL start playing, all I can really offer you.


I like Mesa, owned a MK IV for 6 years so no fanboi direction on my part.

 

[Wizard of Ozz]

Every time a new Mesa comes out i see people saying, "this is the amp Marshall wishes they made" or "this is the Mesa for guys who don't like Mesa" or "this amp is very un-Mesa and not like anything else they make"

They seem to come out with a new amp every year and soon all they'll have is amps that don't sound like Mesa's. And for a company who claimed over the years how superior 6L6's were to EL34's, they sure do seem to have a boner for anything that sounds British.

... but not quite as bad as Paul Reed Smith's boner for anything Gibson from the 1957-1959 period... pickups, bridges, etc.

 

[Gooseman]

Every time a new Mesa comes out i see people saying, "this is the amp Marshall wishes they made" or "this is the Mesa for guys who don't like Mesa" or "this amp is very un-Mesa and not like anything else they make"

They seem to come out with a new amp every year and soon all they'll have is amps that don't sound like Mesa's. And for a company who claimed over the years how superior 6L6's were to EL34's, they sure do seem to have a boner for anything that sounds British.

... but not quite as bad as Paul Reed Smith's boner for anything Gibson from the 1957-1959 period... pickups, bridges, etc.

+1

I still haven't owned a PRS. I want to though ...

 

[JakeAC5253]

Marshall based tone stacks just cut better, fact.

Fact, or opinion?......

Lots here would consider that fact.

A 100w Marshall is STILL one of the best cutting amps ever in a live situation. They're loud as hell and just refuse to not be heard. This is ignoring the scenario of when someone puts too much gunk in it to "improve" the sound. You could lose band presence that way.

Now a counterpoint. Not to disagree with you, but I don't think the reason that Marhalls cut better live is due to their tone stack much or if at all. The signal flow and gain structure plays a large part in this, as well as the filtering. Amp tone stacks give you some control over the final product, but more in a sort of "after the fact" sense, where the actual signal flow is handing you a voicing and you simply choose high and low points which allow or disallow portions of that voicing through.

 

[Gooseman]

Marshall based tone stacks just cut better, fact.

Fact, or opinion?......

Lots here would consider that fact.

A 100w Marshall is STILL one of the best cutting amps ever in a live situation. They're loud as hell and just refuse to not be heard. This is ignoring the scenario of when someone puts too much gunk in it to "improve" the sound. You could lose band presence that way.

Now a counterpoint. Not to disagree with you, but I don't think the reason that Marhalls cut better live is due to their tone stack much or if at all. The signal flow and gain structure plays a large part in this, as well as the filtering. Amp tone stacks give you some control over the final product, but more in a sort of "after the fact" sense, where the actual signal flow is handing you a voicing and you simply choose high and low points which allow or disallow portions of that voicing through.

Jake you are a legend to me. You have the best Recto clips I've ever heard (anywhere) on net musicians.

 

[Digital Jams]

Marshall based tone stacks just cut better, fact.

Fact, or opinion?......

Lots here would consider that fact.

A 100w Marshall is STILL one of the best cutting amps ever in a live situation. They're loud as hell and just refuse to not be heard. This is ignoring the scenario of when someone puts too much gunk in it to "improve" the sound. You could lose band presence that way.

Now a counterpoint. Not to disagree with you, but I don't think the reason that Marhalls cut better live is due to their tone stack much or if at all. The signal flow and gain structure plays a large part in this, as well as the filtering. Amp tone stacks give you some control over the final product, but more in a sort of "after the fact" sense, where the actual signal flow is handing you a voicing and you simply choose high and low points which allow or disallow portions of that voicing through.

Compression is the killer of cut.

Good marshalls are not compressed.

 

[Gooseman]

Marshall based tone stacks just cut better, fact.

Fact, or opinion?......

Lots here would consider that fact.

A 100w Marshall is STILL one of the best cutting amps ever in a live situation. They're loud as hell and just refuse to not be heard. This is ignoring the scenario of when someone puts too much gunk in it to "improve" the sound. You could lose band presence that way.

Now a counterpoint. Not to disagree with you, but I don't think the reason that Marhalls cut better live is due to their tone stack much or if at all. The signal flow and gain structure plays a large part in this, as well as the filtering. Amp tone stacks give you some control over the final product, but more in a sort of "after the fact" sense, where the actual signal flow is handing you a voicing and you simply choose high and low points which allow or disallow portions of that voicing through.

Good marshalls are not compressed.

+1

True! At least from my experiences ...
Compression is the killer of cut.

 

[steve_k]

Compression is the killer of cut. Good Marshalls are not compressed.

Good quote Scott for your tone legacy.

Not to be outdone, Marshall has a new amp coming out that is supposed to sound like a Dual Wreck.

 

[Badronald]

My Mesa Triple Rec sounds like a Mesa.

Thank God.

Doesn't really matter though. Either a guy can play or he can't. Doesn't matter what he uses.