ShaolinLambKiller wrote:Yea that might be my hang up with most mesa's cause I've never really fooled around with one but have seen countless bands use them who sound like ass, and jammed with guys who had them that made em sound like ass. so I've never really wanted to fool around with them.
As much as I love my amp, now that I know more about amps I have to wonder why Randall Smith purposely hamstrung the dynamic range of these amps after the first few years. I don't see why he couldn't have kept the heftier transformers the first 2 or 3 years of Rectifiers shared with the Mk III's, and put higher wattage screen grid resisters in there so you could run EL34's on the SS diode setting without frying an SGR and taking out some tubes in the process.
The 5 watt SGR's don't cost that much more, and the iron may have cost more, but fuck that's not where you should cut the $. It really opens up the amp, kills fizz, and adds thump once you get it out of crossover distortion and start cooking some tubes at the right temp.
There's absolutely nothing wrong with Mesa's. Sure, they were fashionable, and lots of bands that care about fashion bought them and sucked.
people who bought them because they wanted a nice, reliable amp with lots of versatility made/make some good music with them. If the prices fall some more, I might be down to pick one up. there's all kinds of good ones.
I'm pretty sure we are on the crest of having lots of shitty bands that want to be fashionable making sunns, hovercrafts and all sorts of tasty vintage amps sound like shit
Band=InfiniteFluxFlux on Bandcamp
"Ingenuity comes in the face of adversity, and nobody ever becomes a legend by following the rules set by society" -A.A.
AxAxSxS wrote:There's absolutely nothing wrong with Mesa's. Sure, they were fashionable, and lots of bands that care about fashion bought them and sucked.
people who bought them because they wanted a nice, reliable amp with lots of versatility made/make some good music with them. If the prices fall some more, I might be down to pick one up. there's all kinds of good ones.
I'm pretty sure we are on the crest of having lots of shitty bands that want to be fashionable making sunns, hovercrafts and all sorts of tasty vintage amps sound like shit
AxAxSxS wrote:There's absolutely nothing wrong with Mesa's. Sure, they were fashionable, and lots of bands that care about fashion bought them and sucked.
people who bought them because they wanted a nice, reliable amp with lots of versatility made/make some good music with them. If the prices fall some more, I might be down to pick one up. there's all kinds of good ones.
I'm pretty sure we are on the crest of having lots of shitty bands that want to be fashionable making sunns, hovercrafts and all sorts of tasty vintage amps sound like shit
This. Its already happening.
and now is the time to get those mesa's cheap. even though it falls under that category of "fashionably cool" amps circa 2005-2007, I got a Dual Rec for super cheap from a friend of mine and use it all the time for recording. i'd rather take a cheaper tube amp, and spend a month using it with different cabs and pedals to find an awesome tone. who cares what the amp is, if it sounds good, it is good.
AxAxSxS wrote:There's absolutely nothing wrong with Mesa's. Sure, they were fashionable, and lots of bands that care about fashion bought them and sucked.
people who bought them because they wanted a nice, reliable amp with lots of versatility made/make some good music with them. If the prices fall some more, I might be down to pick one up. there's all kinds of good ones.
I'm pretty sure we are on the crest of having lots of shitty bands that want to be fashionable making sunns, hovercrafts and all sorts of tasty vintage amps sound like shit
This. Its already happening.
and now is the time to get those mesa's cheap. even though it falls under that category of "fashionably cool" amps circa 2005-2007, I got a Dual Rec for super cheap from a friend of mine and use it all the time for recording. i'd rather take a cheaper tube amp, and spend a month using it with different cabs and pedals to find an awesome tone. who cares what the amp is, if it sounds good, it is good.
Also this. When I first found the forums on HCFX and ILF I wanted to check out everything that was cool and hip at the time because I didn't know shit about tone. For a while I got caught up in the (if its new and expensive it much be the tone I'm looking for) kind of mentality. After flipping tons of gear I've come to realize that cheap stuff rules too and its all in what tone you want to get, not what logo is on the faceplate. If I knew what I know now I could have probably saved myself about 10 grand.
AxAxSxS wrote:There's absolutely nothing wrong with Mesa's. Sure, they were fashionable, and lots of bands that care about fashion bought them and sucked.
people who bought them because they wanted a nice, reliable amp with lots of versatility made/make some good music with them. If the prices fall some more, I might be down to pick one up. there's all kinds of good ones.
I'm pretty sure we are on the crest of having lots of shitty bands that want to be fashionable making sunns, hovercrafts and all sorts of tasty vintage amps sound like shit
This. Its already happening.
and now is the time to get those mesa's cheap. even though it falls under that category of "fashionably cool" amps circa 2005-2007, I got a Dual Rec for super cheap from a friend of mine and use it all the time for recording. i'd rather take a cheaper tube amp, and spend a month using it with different cabs and pedals to find an awesome tone. who cares what the amp is, if it sounds good, it is good.
Also this. When I first found the forums on HCFX and ILF I wanted to check out everything that was cool and hip at the time because I didn't know shit about tone. For a while I got caught up in the (if its new and expensive it much be the tone I'm looking for) kind of mentality. After flipping tons of gear I've come to realize that cheap stuff rules too and its all in what tone you want to get, not what logo is on the faceplate. If I knew what I know now I could have probably saved myself about 10 grand.
well said. Best advice I ever got was from Axx (also sig'd)...
AxAxSxS wrote:There's absolutely nothing wrong with Mesa's. Sure, they were fashionable, and lots of bands that care about fashion bought them and sucked.
people who bought them because they wanted a nice, reliable amp with lots of versatility made/make some good music with them. If the prices fall some more, I might be down to pick one up. there's all kinds of good ones.
I'm pretty sure we are on the crest of having lots of shitty bands that want to be fashionable making sunns, hovercrafts and all sorts of tasty vintage amps sound like shit
This. Its already happening.
and now is the time to get those mesa's cheap. even though it falls under that category of "fashionably cool" amps circa 2005-2007, I got a Dual Rec for super cheap from a friend of mine and use it all the time for recording. i'd rather take a cheaper tube amp, and spend a month using it with different cabs and pedals to find an awesome tone. who cares what the amp is, if it sounds good, it is good.
Also this. When I first found the forums on HCFX and ILF I wanted to check out everything that was cool and hip at the time because I didn't know shit about tone. For a while I got caught up in the (if its new and expensive it much be the tone I'm looking for) kind of mentality. After flipping tons of gear I've come to realize that cheap stuff rules too and its all in what tone you want to get, not what logo is on the faceplate. If I knew what I know now I could have probably saved myself about 10 grand.
well said. Best advice I ever got was from Axx (also sig'd)...
AxAxSxS wrote:There's absolutely nothing wrong with Mesa's. Sure, they were fashionable, and lots of bands that care about fashion bought them and sucked.
people who bought them because they wanted a nice, reliable amp with lots of versatility made/make some good music with them. If the prices fall some more, I might be down to pick one up. there's all kinds of good ones.
I'm pretty sure we are on the crest of having lots of shitty bands that want to be fashionable making sunns, hovercrafts and all sorts of tasty vintage amps sound like shit
I agree for the most part, like I said I love my Tremoverb. Still, it's a fact that the Rectos are limited by a somewhat under spec SGR's for running EL34's, cold bias when running 6L6 type tubes (however SS diode/bold settings put EL34's in the correct range), and a undersized transformer on later years for a modern high gain preamp. A little heftier iron, and a little hotter bias, and the amps can breath fucking fire, destroy-destroy-destroy.
AxAxSxS wrote:There's absolutely nothing wrong with Mesa's. Sure, they were fashionable, and lots of bands that care about fashion bought them and sucked.
people who bought them because they wanted a nice, reliable amp with lots of versatility made/make some good music with them. If the prices fall some more, I might be down to pick one up. there's all kinds of good ones.
I'm pretty sure we are on the crest of having lots of shitty bands that want to be fashionable making sunns, hovercrafts and all sorts of tasty vintage amps sound like shit
This. Its already happening.
and now is the time to get those mesa's cheap. even though it falls under that category of "fashionably cool" amps circa 2005-2007, I got a Dual Rec for super cheap from a friend of mine and use it all the time for recording. i'd rather take a cheaper tube amp, and spend a month using it with different cabs and pedals to find an awesome tone. who cares what the amp is, if it sounds good, it is good.
Yeap, I just got that almost mint Mesa Trad 4x12 (still had the tag, once tiny scuff on bottom, and the speakers weren't even broken in) for $535. If it was a beat up Orange people around hear would be expecting $600-$700, maybe more.
I then traded two of the Mesa OEM V30's for a RJM Amp Gizmo, and a Rocktron Midi-Mate (should be shipping out today hopefully), so I got the cab, 2 Mesa OEM V30's, the Amp Gizmo, and the Midi-Mate, plus some heavy duty speaker cables and midi cables for $535, and about 5-6 hours of my time.
They sound great through Mesa Cabs (def. solid builds, and huge) and Oranges. Just as long as they're big heavy cabs with lots of depth.
And you can get a great clean foundation that will get FUCKING LOUD.
Don't fear the Tube Rec. mode either.
Having said that, my Mig 50 would hang with a 100w Dual Rec through a 212 at half volume, so you know.
Russian tube watts are worth more than American ones on the international Watt exchange, apparently.
But I would definitely pick up cheap Mesa stuff if it were an option.
Particularly them 2 channel Dual Recs of old.
Tasty.
WWPD?
fcknoise wrote:You are all fucking tryhard effort posting nerds
Invisible Man wrote:
I'm probably the most humble person I know. I feel good about smelling my own butthole.
Jesus Was a Robot wrote:Did you just assume Billy Corgan's dildo preference??
Iommic Pope wrote:Mesa Dual Recs can be totally fucking badass.
Points in case: Woodroe Weatherman.
Kim Thayill
They sound great through Mesa Cabs (def. solid builds, and huge) and Oranges. Just as long as they're big heavy cabs with lots of depth.
And you can get a great clean foundation that will get FUCKING LOUD.
Don't fear the Tube Rec. mode either.
Having said that, my Mig 50 would hang with a 100w Dual Rec through a 212 at half volume, so you know.
Russian tube watts are worth more than American ones on the international Watt exchange, apparently.
But I would definitely pick up cheap Mesa stuff if it were an option.
Particularly them 2 channel Dual Recs of old.
Tasty.
I love the lower gain tones in particular with the tube rec. Very elastic and airy with smooth natural compression when cranked up. I normally run 2 x 5AR4 though, so it's somewhere between the 5U4G and the SS diodes in terms of compression/openness. With the EL34's, and 5AR4 cranked up on the spongy variac setting it's vintage rock city.
ShaolinLambKiller wrote:So got any sound samples or videos of these in action? I'm very much interested.
Now mesa's cabs I've never talked shit on. I always thought they were a solid good cab.
I need to get some clips. I've got some recording gear, just need to learn how to operate it properly and program drums better.
And yeah, the Mesa cab is built like a brick shit-house. There's a definite difference in punch/tooth to the tone compared to the same speakers in my Lopo Sig 4x12, which is itself not a bad sounding cab at all.
