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

[Digital Jams]

Rectos are cool amps and have their place in metal

Bad Ronald cracks me up, one of the toughest dudes on the board to impress

 

[Greazygeo]

Someday they'll figure out that an el34 doesnt make an amp sound like a marshall....and a 6L6 doesnt make an amp sound like a Fender.

 

[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.

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

Why thank you! I listen back to those from time to time... makes me miss my recto a bit

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.

Clean headroom FTW!

...although dirt and scum sounds good too... for certain applications! Live sound? no.

 

[Stramm8]

Someday they'll figure out that an el34 doesnt make an amp sound like a marshall....and a 6L6 doesnt make an amp sound like a Fender.

Didn't early marshall's (JTM45 maybe?) have 6L6s in them?

 

[rlord1974]

Someday they'll figure out that an el34 doesnt make an amp sound like a marshall....and a 6L6 doesnt make an amp sound like a Fender.

+1,000,000

It's so overblown as to be nauseating.....

 

[thiswaythatway]

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.

My IIC+ cut like a bitch live. It all depends on how you set the 5 band EQ. Played a lot of shows at Tuxedo Junction in Danbury with the IIC+ on that decent sized stage and it never let me down.

 

[Motorpud]

I'll take ANY new Mesa over the crap Marshall has been putting out any day. Geez, wasn't it like 1982 when marshall made their last best amp?

Yeah but when you're still living in 1982 you think it's the best thing ever

 

[DeezDemos]

I'll take ANY new Mesa over the crap Marshall has been putting out any day. Geez, wasn't it like 1982 when marshall made their last best amp?

Word!

 

[Deleted member 8761]

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.

First off, what is your definition of the Mesa sound? I have a Mark V and I can't imagine how this doesn't sound like a Mesa. Yes, there are differences between each Mark series but it's in the same vein IMHO. It is good that a company evolves and does R&D. Who wants to hear the same sound forever? The British thing seems more of a marketing thing to me. They just offer more tonal possibilities. No big deal. If there is market demand for it, let them make it because they need to make profit too.

Marshall and Mesa are miles apart in terms of build quality, sound and pricing (here in Europe). Marshall still makes decent amps, but they have a lot of hit and miss in their product line. Most of the Marshall bashing is unfair though. You get what you pay for. I had a DSL and I can't say that it was a bad amp. JVM gets a lot of praise also. Yesterday I picked up a JCM 800 2203KK (the Kerry King signature amp). It is a one trick pony at a fair price IMO. I love this brutal JCM 800 with a modern twist, but I prefer my Mark V overall. If you want the magic of the past (which are also a lot of modded amps), get an amp from that era.

 

[Motorpud]

Sorry motor, you must have me confused with all the dokken and ratt fanbois here. I'm on a Diezel 2011 trip. Ftw.

I wasn't talking about you, I was talking about everyone else

 

[Shiny_Surface]

All I know is if I want anything British voiced I don't want any Mesa interpretation or product, at all.

Just because they can make an amp so bright to the point of unusability doesn't make it British. Or any other combination of using less gain and adding brightness to their channels/formula's. Or using EL34's.

To me it just sounds like a watered down/weakened mode on an amp, or really bright but still very Mesa tone.

 

[Anonymous]

I'll take ANY new Mesa over the crap Marshall has been putting out any day. Geez, wasn't it like 1982 when marshall made their last best amp?

of course! Better warranty, better build quality, better tone!

(Recto, mark, Lonestar, Dyne, express... just a killer lineup of amps! Along with some excellent bass gear and cabs)



I will say the Stiletto was not my favorite though..way to bright and cutting.. like a stiletto to my ear drums...


I think peavey have a better lineup than the current marshall stuff

I am not counting the indy builders like Splawn, Cameron, Metropoulas...those amps are all amazing...

 

[thiswaythatway]

All I know is if I want anything British voiced I don't want any Mesa interpretation or product, at all.

Just because they can make an amp so bright to the point of unusability doesn't make it British. Or any other combination of using less gain and adding brightness to their channels/formula's. Or using EL34's.

To me it just sounds like a watered down/weakened mode on an amp, or really bright but still very Mesa tone.

The British mode on the Road King's was lame, about as lame as the IIC+ mode on the Mark V. Yup, the more modes Mesa throws on an amp the more watered down their amps sound. Funny how i think the best sounding amp Mesa makes is the Electra Dyne and it's got no modes or other BS on it. And like an old amp it has to be cranked to sound good. But of course Mesa throws the British thing all over it which is dumb because it really sounds like it's own thing. Agh, it's all Mesa's over the top marketing tactics.

 

[philb]

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.

i think it was all marketing, to be different. Now that they are established and nothing to envy from Marshall, they are proposing new stuff that may sound
closer to Marshall gear. The ED is a good example. I had one for a while but in the end prefer the Mark series over it.

 

[philb]

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.

My IIC+ cut like a bitch live. It all depends on how you set the 5 band EQ. Played a lot of shows at Tuxedo Junction in Danbury with the IIC+ on that decent sized stage and it never let me down.

I can say the same about my mark IV or V. It's all about dialing in in a band setting.

 

[blackba]

I just see Mesa branching out. They are trying to reach customers that had tribed mark series amps or rectos and didn't care for them. That is the typical model of expanding a business, grow the core. I think for the most part Mesa is doing a better job than Marshall as far as their offerings in the last 15 years. Mesa bass amps are increasing in popularity.

I see complaints about every major company as they grow and evolve. The only thing that turns me off a bit about Mesa is their over the top marketing. It often gets to be too much.

 

[roadifier]

My .50 caliber cuts really well in a band situation, Just don't set the mid knob down to zero, and don't set the EQ middle slider down all the way either. It's all how you set the amp.

 

[Gainiac]

Danny's just grumpy 'cause his Mark V didnt turn out to be all he wanted...

 

[Red_Label]

I'm on a Diezel 2011 trip. Ftw.

The hell you say!

 

[Meathead]

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.

I had never considered buying a Mesa until the Lonestar and Electra Dyne came out. I like what they've been doing lately.
Are they going down different paths? ...yes. Is that a good thing? ...yes.

Sorry to say, but for current production amps, I like Mesa's quality over Marshall.
Please Mesa...make better quality Marshall's than Marshall.