NAD - Mesa Boogie Roadster

[lhrocker]

I did a stupid thing by dropping by my local GC after work. Not really looking for anything at all, I spot a new Roadster head marked special at $1516. The guy that I've been dealing with for the past few years was there, so I decided to ask him to verify the price so I could take it for a test drive. When he saw the price, he was also surprised and found that the bar code scanned at the regular price. He called the manager about it and was told, since it's marked that way, if I want it, I got it. Otherwise, they are going to take the tag off and put the regular pricetag back on.

Well, I played it for about 1/2 and hour. Having the extra "clean" channel is really cool. You can have a pristine clean and a bluesy breakup clean, plus the orange and red hi gain channels. I've had 3 channel Dual/Triple recs before and I was actually gassing for a Road King, but decided to get the amp. Classic Rectifier tones, plus it also takes EL34's. Tons of switches and such and it even sounds good (although not Marshall good).

The only thing is, they couldn't find the accessories like the covers, manual and warranty. I guess I'll give MB a call on Monday to see if they will send me what I need (for a price?). I gotta stop going to music stores when I'm happy with the gear that I have... for the moment.

[Mikey2201]

Roadster is a nice amp- congrats

I have been gassing for a Road King myself. I currently have an F50 that i love but i played the road king and was hooked.

[Shawn Lutz]

Sweet amp and nice score. There was a purple suede Roadster on ebay a while back thta I wish I would have snagged...

So does that mean the Bogner is on its way out?

[kmanick]

Nice Grab! especially at that price.
the Roadster and the Tremoverb are the 2 Rectos that I would love to get my hands on. roadking is also very cool but overkill for someone like myself.

[customshopkv1]

Pix????

[lhrocker]

Sweet amp and nice score. There was a purple suede Roadster on ebay a while back thta I wish I would have snagged...

So does that mean the Bogner is on its way out?

I think so - I got deal for either a VHT Pittbull UL/Fat Bottom 4x12 and cash or a UL and 100.

[Larz]

Awesome, I have a Roadster 2x12 combo and love it, you won't regret that purchase. So many tonal options.

You can download the manuals from the Mesa site I believe and order covers for a fee. If you give the serial number they should be able to help with the warranty info.

(Edit - didn't realize it was new, I'd think they would hook you up with a cover for free if the store verifies they lost it. Their service level is quite good)

[Firebird V]

U amp whore. lol. Now I gotta come over and try this one... lol.

[lhrocker]

Well after a day with the amp and going thru 5 cabinets and a couple of sets of tubes, I think that the Roadster is a pretty cool amp. Since the amp was new, it can with 6L6's which sounded a little harsh to me. Since the amp has so many switches and knobs, I started with stock tubes and all the channels at 100 watts. The clean channel sounded very good, but the gain channels weren't doing it for me. I went thru 3 cabs with speakers ranging from Celestion 75's to greenback/75 to vintage 30/Black Shadows. My favorite cab was the Boogie half back w/stock Black shadows. Next I popped in a set of E34L's and it sounded so much better. More Marshally but still retaining that rectifier heritage. Then I pushed all 4 channels to 50 watts, and that's where the magic was. With the lower power, the tones were much warmer and the distortion wasn't as raspy. I wasn't crazy about the clean tone on 50, so that got pushed back to 100.

Then I put the stock 6L6's back and it sounded much better than before. I'm gonna get a new set of EL34's as the set I had in there weren't matched at all. So far, this amp looks like it's really versatile and loud, but different from the JVM and the Bogner. I guess I'll have to wait and see what happens, as always, but the only thing this amp is missing is being able to mixt tubes simultaneously, but that's what a road king is for.

[Matt Crooks]

I love my Road King. Someone I know locally has a Roadster, and we did a side by side comparison, and they sound almost identical. Any slight differences could be made up for by turning a knob a tiny bit. The only thing that I really like about the Road King over the Roadster is the ability to mix the 6L6s and EL34s. My main rhythm sound is 2 6L6s+2 EL34s, and I've never been happier.

[roodyrocker]

I haven't specifically played the Roadster version but I do have a Dual Recto. I like the sound but once I got my Bogners the Dual Recto has sat in its road case except for a couple friends of mine who needed it for recording as well as when one of their own Dual Rectos needed re-tubing and mine filled in for some gigs. I just don't play it much anymore.
Mesa is supposed to have excellent customer service so I'm sure they should be able to get you a manual, cover, etc... Perhaps not for free but I'd contact them after NAMM and see what they say. Better yet, have the dealer you bought it from try to get that stuff for you since they misplaced it. The other alternative is to buy a road case for it if you gig and just download the manual from their website if its on there.

[Spivonious]

I had a Road King a couple years back. You can get any sound imaginable out of those things.

[lhrocker]

I think so - I got deal for either a VHT Pittbull UL/Fat Bottom 4x12 and cash or a UL and 100.

Decided to keep the Ecstasy - I was flipping switches and it sounds like heaven on the 50 watt/old setting. It is so creamy and fat - both blue and red channels. 25 watts may be all that I ever need, but full power/new sounds great cranked...

The experimentation continues

[jgcable]

Great price on the amp Pete. So.. you have an Ecstasy 101B?
I don't know if I would be playing the Mesa much with one of those in the house.
I am still really digging the RM100 believe it or not. I can't believe I am still so happy with the amp. I am thinking about the Mr Scary module though. I just love the XTC stock module. Its perfect.

[jgcable]

Well after a day with the amp and going thru 5 cabinets and a couple of sets of tubes, I think that the Roadster is a pretty cool amp. Since the amp was new, it can with 6L6's which sounded a little harsh to me. Since the amp has so many switches and knobs, I started with stock tubes and all the channels at 100 watts. The clean channel sounded very good, but the gain channels weren't doing it for me. I went thru 3 cabs with speakers ranging from Celestion 75's to greenback/75 to vintage 30/Black Shadows. My favorite cab was the Boogie half back w/stock Black shadows. Next I popped in a set of E34L's and it sounded so much better. More Marshally but still retaining that rectifier heritage. Then I pushed all 4 channels to 50 watts, and that's where the magic was. With the lower power, the tones were much warmer and the distortion wasn't as raspy. I wasn't crazy about the clean tone on 50, so that got pushed back to 100.

Then I put the stock 6L6's back and it sounded much better than before. I'm gonna get a new set of EL34's as the set I had in there weren't matched at all. So far, this amp looks like it's really versatile and loud, but different from the JVM and the Bogner. I guess I'll have to wait and see what happens, as always, but the only thing this amp is missing is being able to mixt tubes simultaneously, but that's what a road king is for.

Is that an FBV floorboard? Do you still have a Vetta ??