Tweet
I picked up a Mesa Express 5:50 a week and a half ago, and thought I'd give you a review of its performance.
A month ago, I had no intentions of buying a new amp. I was planning on picking up a Music Man Petrucci signature 6-string, with piezo. The problem is that my guitar amp (Zwengel half stack, shown farther below) really doesn't do cleans. Vintage crunch? Yep. Blues? Yep. AC/DC to Metallica gain? Yep. Cleans? Nope; at least not at any significant volume with a humbucker. Now, the Zwengel (which is an all-tube, hand wired 50 Watt head made by Carl Zwengel in Chicago) has killer tone on all that it does; it just lives in the middle of the gain curve; no cleans, and no death metal; just low crunch to high crunch. But it does it REALLY well.
Anyway, I wanted a Petrucci with Piezo. But, as I got to thinking, I realized that a Piezo guitar wasn't much good if I didn't have a clean amp to run it into. So, I shifted gears and decided to pick up an amp that could do cleans really well. I was looking at Fenders, and then decided to go with something that could also do higher gain well, since I can't really take the Zwengel anywhere. I am too old and too lazy to haul a half-stack up a flight of basement stairs to go jam, and then haul it back down. So a portable all-arounder, with an emphasis on good cleans, was my target.
Oh yeah, I should probably mention, I am a tube snob. Always have been, even before I could afford tube amps. So a solid state amp or modeler was simply not an option.
I auditioned an Express 5:50 at the GC in Edina, MN. Please note that this is one of GC's "platinum" stores; they had Frankenstein, the EVH head and cabs, a Music Man Petrucci BFR-1 (only fifteen were sent to Guitar Centers nationwide). The staff is knowledgable, they store is clean, well organized, the effects displays all are in working order, etc. And they always let me go into the high-end Amp room and wail. Point is, it's a good store, and good people work there.
After three separate visits and auditions, I decided it sounded good to me. I picked up the 2x12 for 1299.00. Of course they can't negotiate on Mesa amps, so I picked up a Boss pedal board and some cables for next to nothing. I decided on the 2x12 since a 1x12 would look ridiculous next to my half stack.
Crappy pic #1:
Crappy Pic number 2:
Express 5:50 2x12 Features:
Two channels
Channel 1: Clean/Crunch (selectable)
Channel 2: Blues/Burn (selectable)
Switchable 5W/50W (Class A/Class AB) mode (global, not per channel)
Channel independant reverb
Treble, mid, bass controls for each channel
"Countour" (EQ curve) blend, adjustable per channel
2 x 6L6 Power section
5 x 12AX7 Preamp section
Removable Casters
Footswitch Included
Serial Effects loop
Weight: My right arm is now longer than my left.
All tone evals below were made with my SLATQH loaded with the stock Duncans.
Channel 1 / Clean:
Like I said, I mainly bought this amp to serve as my "clean channel" in my setup. It really shines in this area. You can get superb cleans at a nice loud level by dialing the gain to 12:00 and the master to 1:00, or you can dial the gain up to 3:00 and the master down to get a slight breakup. I tend to use this configuration in 50W mode, although it should have some good low-volume breakup in 5W mode. I predominantly use the neck pickup for this channel.
Channel 1 / Crunch:
I haven't played with this mode a whole lot yet. Sorry.
Channel 2 / Blues:
This mode works well with the 5/50W switch set to 5 watts. I'm not much of a blues player, but found inspiration in the tone to fire off a couple bluesy licks. The neck pickup seemed to be the best pickup for this channel.
Channel 2 / Burn:
This channel may disappoint some Mesa fans; we are not talking Rectifier levels of gain here. I find it quite sufficient for playing Ratt and some Metallica / Queensryche. If your into death metal or Marilyn Manson, your going to need a boost pedal or need to look elsewhere in the Mesa product line. For me, I find it perfectly adequate for my style of music, and I have a distortion pedal if I need Ubergain. I personally like the sound of this channel. I did plug my RR1T loaded with 81/85 EMGs into this channel and did get some additional kick due to the pickups. I just don't dig that EMG tone a whole lot. I don't want to give the impression that this channel is anemic; for many, it will have as much gain as you need. Some people will not be satisfied, however. Bridge pickup is perfect for rythm and lead, but neck pickup produces some very cool lead tones as well.
The "Contour" knob for each channel blends in what Mesa calls the "Classic Mesa Mark IV EQ "V" curve". Consider it a Bass boost/Mid cut/Treble boost tone knob. It can be disabled if desired, either form the front panel or the foot switch.
The Express series replaces Mesa's "F" series (F-30/F-50/F-100) of amps. One of the guys I jam with has an F-100, which is a fine amp. I like the Express better in terms of overall tone and better features in most areas. I do believe he can get more gain from his amp, but I don't find it as pleasing to the ear as the Express.
One overall big plus for this amp is the nice tones you can get at relatively low volume, both in the 5W and 50W modes. That is one thing my Zwengel can not do; that baby has to be quite loud to get the warm tube sound from it.
Gripes:
Would have liked a 100W model to select from (maybe an Express 10:100...) as well to get a bit more headroom on the cleans. Although realistically, it does get pretty damn loud before it breaks up.
I am hearing a slight glassy rattle when I play certain notes when the amp is turned up. I will bring it to a Mesa service center so they can track it down.
Would have liked a Parallel effects loop.
Would have liked the 5/50W mode selectable per channel instead of globally.
But hey, nothing is perfect. No amp does everything. More features means more complexity, more circuits, more traces, and as a result, less tone (for those who disagree, come listen to my point-to-point wired Zwengel). So you need to draw the line somewhere.
I am quite happy with it, and have finally started enjoying it instead of trying to determine if I liked it enough to keep it. I am learning that Mesa Amps need gentle tweeking to dial your tone in over time; you can't do it in 20 minutes. I am pretty much there, though. Time to document my setting before my kids start playing with the knobs.
If you made it this far, thanks for reading!
- Eric
A month ago, I had no intentions of buying a new amp. I was planning on picking up a Music Man Petrucci signature 6-string, with piezo. The problem is that my guitar amp (Zwengel half stack, shown farther below) really doesn't do cleans. Vintage crunch? Yep. Blues? Yep. AC/DC to Metallica gain? Yep. Cleans? Nope; at least not at any significant volume with a humbucker. Now, the Zwengel (which is an all-tube, hand wired 50 Watt head made by Carl Zwengel in Chicago) has killer tone on all that it does; it just lives in the middle of the gain curve; no cleans, and no death metal; just low crunch to high crunch. But it does it REALLY well.
Anyway, I wanted a Petrucci with Piezo. But, as I got to thinking, I realized that a Piezo guitar wasn't much good if I didn't have a clean amp to run it into. So, I shifted gears and decided to pick up an amp that could do cleans really well. I was looking at Fenders, and then decided to go with something that could also do higher gain well, since I can't really take the Zwengel anywhere. I am too old and too lazy to haul a half-stack up a flight of basement stairs to go jam, and then haul it back down. So a portable all-arounder, with an emphasis on good cleans, was my target.
Oh yeah, I should probably mention, I am a tube snob. Always have been, even before I could afford tube amps. So a solid state amp or modeler was simply not an option.
I auditioned an Express 5:50 at the GC in Edina, MN. Please note that this is one of GC's "platinum" stores; they had Frankenstein, the EVH head and cabs, a Music Man Petrucci BFR-1 (only fifteen were sent to Guitar Centers nationwide). The staff is knowledgable, they store is clean, well organized, the effects displays all are in working order, etc. And they always let me go into the high-end Amp room and wail. Point is, it's a good store, and good people work there.
After three separate visits and auditions, I decided it sounded good to me. I picked up the 2x12 for 1299.00. Of course they can't negotiate on Mesa amps, so I picked up a Boss pedal board and some cables for next to nothing. I decided on the 2x12 since a 1x12 would look ridiculous next to my half stack.
Crappy pic #1:
Crappy Pic number 2:
Express 5:50 2x12 Features:
Two channels
Channel 1: Clean/Crunch (selectable)
Channel 2: Blues/Burn (selectable)
Switchable 5W/50W (Class A/Class AB) mode (global, not per channel)
Channel independant reverb
Treble, mid, bass controls for each channel
"Countour" (EQ curve) blend, adjustable per channel
2 x 6L6 Power section
5 x 12AX7 Preamp section
Removable Casters
Footswitch Included
Serial Effects loop
Weight: My right arm is now longer than my left.
All tone evals below were made with my SLATQH loaded with the stock Duncans.
Channel 1 / Clean:
Like I said, I mainly bought this amp to serve as my "clean channel" in my setup. It really shines in this area. You can get superb cleans at a nice loud level by dialing the gain to 12:00 and the master to 1:00, or you can dial the gain up to 3:00 and the master down to get a slight breakup. I tend to use this configuration in 50W mode, although it should have some good low-volume breakup in 5W mode. I predominantly use the neck pickup for this channel.
Channel 1 / Crunch:
I haven't played with this mode a whole lot yet. Sorry.
Channel 2 / Blues:
This mode works well with the 5/50W switch set to 5 watts. I'm not much of a blues player, but found inspiration in the tone to fire off a couple bluesy licks. The neck pickup seemed to be the best pickup for this channel.
Channel 2 / Burn:
This channel may disappoint some Mesa fans; we are not talking Rectifier levels of gain here. I find it quite sufficient for playing Ratt and some Metallica / Queensryche. If your into death metal or Marilyn Manson, your going to need a boost pedal or need to look elsewhere in the Mesa product line. For me, I find it perfectly adequate for my style of music, and I have a distortion pedal if I need Ubergain. I personally like the sound of this channel. I did plug my RR1T loaded with 81/85 EMGs into this channel and did get some additional kick due to the pickups. I just don't dig that EMG tone a whole lot. I don't want to give the impression that this channel is anemic; for many, it will have as much gain as you need. Some people will not be satisfied, however. Bridge pickup is perfect for rythm and lead, but neck pickup produces some very cool lead tones as well.
The "Contour" knob for each channel blends in what Mesa calls the "Classic Mesa Mark IV EQ "V" curve". Consider it a Bass boost/Mid cut/Treble boost tone knob. It can be disabled if desired, either form the front panel or the foot switch.
The Express series replaces Mesa's "F" series (F-30/F-50/F-100) of amps. One of the guys I jam with has an F-100, which is a fine amp. I like the Express better in terms of overall tone and better features in most areas. I do believe he can get more gain from his amp, but I don't find it as pleasing to the ear as the Express.
One overall big plus for this amp is the nice tones you can get at relatively low volume, both in the 5W and 50W modes. That is one thing my Zwengel can not do; that baby has to be quite loud to get the warm tube sound from it.
Gripes:
Would have liked a 100W model to select from (maybe an Express 10:100...) as well to get a bit more headroom on the cleans. Although realistically, it does get pretty damn loud before it breaks up.
I am hearing a slight glassy rattle when I play certain notes when the amp is turned up. I will bring it to a Mesa service center so they can track it down.
Would have liked a Parallel effects loop.
Would have liked the 5/50W mode selectable per channel instead of globally.
But hey, nothing is perfect. No amp does everything. More features means more complexity, more circuits, more traces, and as a result, less tone (for those who disagree, come listen to my point-to-point wired Zwengel). So you need to draw the line somewhere.
I am quite happy with it, and have finally started enjoying it instead of trying to determine if I liked it enough to keep it. I am learning that Mesa Amps need gentle tweeking to dial your tone in over time; you can't do it in 20 minutes. I am pretty much there, though. Time to document my setting before my kids start playing with the knobs.
If you made it this far, thanks for reading!
- Eric
). Anyways different strokes for different people I guess!
Comment