Electra Dyne vs Royal Atlantic

[jeffp]

All you guys have some very good comments and i`m trying to learn all i can about this. I have never heard the ED. The local(40 miles away) MB shop says 3-4 mo if someone orders one. I really like all i`ve read....here comes the RA!..........Based on good old fashioned rock n roll music and all the features they both look like great choices. Like one of you the dedicated clean is a necessity. The two volumes hi & lo on 2nd channel are a big thing too. A big minus(very unfortunate) is the lack of any presence control. ive ordered the RA .The thinking is if it`s not me, i`ll send it back(take a loss) and order the ed. Things are looking good in the near future! I hope it works out w/ the RA first and only. I`m pretty sure one of these will be for me.jeffp

 

[Assumer]

All you guys have some very good comments and i`m trying to learn all i can about this. I have never heard the ED. The local(40 miles away) MB shop says 3-4 mo if someone orders one. I really like all i`ve read....here comes the RA!..........Based on good old fashioned rock n roll music and all the features they both look like great choices. Like one of you the dedicated clean is a necessity. The two volumes hi & lo on 2nd channel are a big thing too. A big minus(very unfortunate) is the lack of any presence control. ive ordered the RA .The thinking is if it`s not me, i`ll send it back(take a loss) and order the ed. Things are looking good in the near future! I hope it works out w/ the RA first and only. I`m pretty sure one of these will be for me.jeffp

Are they shipping the RA yet? When you get it, please be sure to give us a full review.

 

[jeffp]

I will . You can bet my son will run it every which way but loose! run it through the mill, run through every thing he can possibly do to put it to the test. And yes I will do mine too. The hard part is the wait. No it`s not shipping...no word except maybe a couple of weeks or more.WE WAIT. My interest inn the ED was for a solid second choice which i hope i don`t have to use. Anyway, it`s gonna be a long hot summer! jeffp

 

[papersoul]

I find the Electradyne stunning and with an OD pedal, will cover any style! I have guys who have replaced Triple Rectifiers with the ED. The Barber burn, Xotic BB, EP and Sonic Edge J&J work amazingly well with the ED. The amp reminds me of a 70s Marshall JMP with a cleaner power section. With an OD it will cover Alice in Chains and Tool type tones. And, it is so simple. I am all about simple these days, I want to play and not tweak. I enjoy its purity in tone and biggness, harmonic richness and friendliness to pedals! I would use my modded Boss EQ pedal for a solo boost so I am ok with it not having a solo boost. Essentially with an OD and EQ in the loop it is crazy versatile. . I never understand when people say the Royal is an upgraded or improved Electradyne.

 

[papersoul]

Slap an Xotic BB in front of the Electradyne and you would swear it was a Royal Atlantic only warmer.

 

[Hollis]

Well, the Royal and the ED have been out for a while now. A lot of folks have had one or the other, and some have had both. Could you guys tell me your experiences with these amps and thier differences/similarities? I've read every review and watched every video I could find. I've played the ED very quickly at a local music store and it sounds fantastic! Problem is, in the videos I've seen, I like the Royal better. I like the way the clean channel clips when pushed hard and I like the tight gain structure of the LO/HIGH channel. I would love to be able to test drive the Royal. One of the biggest problems I've heard about the Royal is that it is very stiff and really unforgiving. I have always played Fender amps with pedals, and Fender amps are very forgiving, so that might be a huge problem for me. I've also heard people say that the ED's clean is way better than the Royal. What do you think? I want to use the Royal's clean channel with pedals for the gamut of American tones and the LO/HIGH channel for British tones, essentially being able to nail a huge variety of killer sounds from almost any genre.
Also, the ED I played was a 2x12 combo. The store I was at didn't have a 1x12 combo. I've heard a few times on various forums that the 1x12 combo ED actually sounded better than the 2x12 combo. What do you think?

 

[YellowJacket]

The Electra Dyne 2 x 12 combo has more highs and upper mids, much more 'crunchy' sounding. It sounds fantastic but it definitely can push some air!

The Electra Dyne 27" 1 x 12 combo has a more unique tone, it is a bit more scooped and darker, and it really excels at lead tones. (Because of the mc90 speaker). Get the 27" combo!

Both are great, but one is slightly different than the other. Apples to oranges!

 

[skunizzi]

I own a ED and tried the RA but couldn't warm up to it. It felt more stiff and I felt it lacked the classic tone character the ED can offer. I also felt the clean was not as nice as the ED.

I am not selling my ED for a RA. My ED has won side by side comparisons with many other amps so far, and I don't see that changing any time soon.

I'm my opinion the ED is the best amp Mesa has at the moment. Besides, with the new Mesa pedals you can get anywhere you need to be if you feel you are lacking a specific tone you want to hear.

Much cheaper than buying a new amp as well.

 

[screamingdaisy]

I've never played an RA, so take what I say with a grain of salt.

I like the way the clean channel clips when pushed hard and I like the tight gain structure of the LO/HIGH channel.

Those are both things that can be achieved with the use of an overdrive pedal.

One of the biggest problems I've heard about the Royal is that it is very stiff and really unforgiving.

Stiffness is something that you'll become accustomed to. It feels a bit off at first if you're used to an amp with a lot of give, but once you get the feel for it it's not a big deal. I find stiffer amps usually sound a little dry/flat at home, but they generally sound more clear when used with a band. Good if you're looking for a really articulate sound... Not so good if you're after more of a greasy sound.

 

[YellowJacket]

I own a ED and tried the RA but couldn't warm up to it. It felt more stiff and I felt it lacked the classic tone character the ED can offer. I also felt the clean was not as nice as the ED.

I am not selling my ED for a RA. My ED has won side by side comparisons with many other amps so far, and I don't see that changing any time soon.

I'm my opinion the ED is the best amp Mesa has at the moment. Besides, with the new Mesa pedals you can get anywhere you need to be if you feel you are lacking a specific tone you want to hear.

Much cheaper than buying a new amp as well.

I think I discover a new tone in this amp every day. It is actually kind of overwhelming how **** flexible and awesome it is. My Recto gets used less and less because the Electra Dyne is so infinitely plug and play.

 

[ifailedshapes]

I've gone through a pretty wide variety of modern Mesa amps. I think the only type I haven't owned is a Rectifier. In my experience, the Electra Dyne has been the best for me. The ironic thing is that I was so close to selling it. I had it posted for sale on here, on TGP, and on Craigslist. I'm glad I kept it, even though I definitely want to get a 2x12" cab to use with it.

Anywho, the ED is definitely very present in the low-mids, but it really brightens up when you turn it up. It's still warmer than my old Stiletto Ace, but it can cut it you need it to.

If I had to compare it to my (and SD's) old Lone Star Special, I'd just say I miss the portability of the 1x12" combo. Oh, and the LSS had the best reverb I'd ever experienced built into an amp. The 'Dyne just owns the LSS in every other area, though. The clean is just as good, and the drive sounds are immediately usable.

I'm not a traditional player, though. I don't solo, at least not in the traditional way. I don't need (or even necessarily like) a cutting solo tone. My 'Dyne is clean, rock, and more rock. Just how I like it.

 

[DWAKO]

After owning both the RA and ED for a while (touring with both), I would have to say I would go with the ED. Both are crunch machines, but I like the more "chimey" over tones you get out of the ED. The RA is tighter than the ED but the Mark V is tighter than the RA. I felt like the RA did a lot of things well, but nothing exceptionally great that IMO made it worth having on it's own. It's still a versatile amp, and I really like it, but if I ever wanted to get a British high gain Mesa, I would just get a Stiletto Trident Stage II, I like it way more for hi gain tones. Others think differently, but this has been my experience.

Edit: My opinion has actually changed on this, when I actually played them side by side with my guitar. The Royal is now my favorite and the one I own, I figured out how to EQ it properly and that changed a lot of things greatly. And the RA actually pairs well with my Grid Slammer, where as with other TS styles pedals it did not.

 

[Hollis]

Funny you mention the Trident. My local GC has had one for a long time for $1000. And it has some kind of wild snakeskin tolex.

 

[DWAKO]

Yeah, the GC I work out has one for $899.99... I play it quite a bit. It's fairly scuffed up but it sounds incredible, such an under-rated amp. It's a shame they didn't catch on, they deserve more recognition.

 

[papersoul]

Apples to Oranges. Electra Dyne is fatter, thicker and more organic.

 

[boardn10]

Both of these are on the British side but I wish they had the sweet highs of a "good" Marshall. That is one thing Mesa has yet to harness....that sweetness of a good Plexi or JCM 800.

 

[guitarrhinoceros]

Apples to Oranges. Electra Dyne is fatter, thicker and more organic.

Yup. The ED is fatter and thicker on it's own, but in the mix will feel like it has too much low end on tap and may sound too flabby. That was my experience with the ED. YMMV. I thought the RA cut through the mix quite nicely and still retained a fat low end that was reminiscent of a Two Rock amplifier. I prefer the RA greatly over the ED. Again, YMMV. Our ears will hear different things.

 

[boardn10]

Apples to Oranges. Electra Dyne is fatter, thicker and more organic.

Yup. The ED is fatter and thicker on it's own, but in the mix will feel like it has too much low end on tap and may sound too flabby. That was my experience with the ED. YMMV. I thought the RA cut through the mix quite nicely and still retained a fat low end that was reminiscent of a Two Rock amplifier. I prefer the RA greatly over the ED. Again, YMMV. Our ears will hear different things.

Well, to me the RA is just a Boger Shiva copy and I prefer the Shiva over the Royal A.

 

[YellowJacket]

Apples to Oranges. Electra Dyne is fatter, thicker and more organic.

Yup. The ED is fatter and thicker on it's own, but in the mix will feel like it has too much low end on tap and may sound too flabby. That was my experience with the ED. YMMV. I thought the RA cut through the mix quite nicely and still retained a fat low end that was reminiscent of a Two Rock amplifier. I prefer the RA greatly over the ED. Again, YMMV. Our ears will hear different things.

Ha, I'd always roll the volume (gain) and lows back live as well as turning up the mids. Electra Dyne has enough mids to stand out well in a mix.

 

[boardn10]

Apples to Oranges. Electra Dyne is fatter, thicker and more organic.

Yup. The ED is fatter and thicker on it's own, but in the mix will feel like it has too much low end on tap and may sound too flabby. That was my experience with the ED. YMMV. I thought the RA cut through the mix quite nicely and still retained a fat low end that was reminiscent of a Two Rock amplifier. I prefer the RA greatly over the ED. Again, YMMV. Our ears will hear different things.

I have to disagree. The Electra Dyne is fatter, more full, thicker an d maybe smoother than any amp Mesa Boogie makes. I will argue it has the best feel of any Boogie am as well. I sense no flab in the ED lows, assuming it is EQed well. Lots of pros are using the ED.