New mesa express! What pedals do you like with it?

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kbaird

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5:50, I love it! Sounds great.

I have had the amp for a month and have not used a pedal yet.
So, I really don't think I'll need a bunch of pedals with it.

I am just looking for opinions on which
pedals might sound good with the amp.

TS-9
OCD
Crunchbox
DS-1
Rat
Big muff
Crybaby

The TS-9, OCD, and Crybaby were my most used pedals.
I play many types of music and have a strat and a lp.

Thanks.
 
Other than the fact that the amp's od sounds are better than most od pedals, I haven't found a pedal that doesn't sound great with my 5:50.
 
kbaird said:
5:50, I love it! Sounds great.

I have had the amp for a month and have not used a pedal yet.
So, I really don't think I'll need a bunch of pedals with it.

I am just looking for opinions on which
pedals might sound good with the amp.

TS-9
OCD
Crunchbox
DS-1
Rat
Big muff
Crybaby

The TS-9, OCD, and Crybaby were my most used pedals.
I play many types of music and have a strat and a lp.

Thanks.
Click to expand...

The 5:50 is extremely pedal friendly. I'm yet to find a pedal that is not compatible with it.
All those pedals sound great with it except the DS-1 which I don't think sounds great with anything.
Plus it'll tone suck your 5:50 (unless it's a Keeley mod) :mrgreen:
 
As has already been said, the 5:50 takes pedals very well. Before purchasing the amp I purchased OD pedal after distortion pedal searching for the right sound. The OD is so good from the 5:50 that I got rid of all those pedals and only have one OD pedal that I use rarely. Otherwise I just use chorus, delay, trem......etc.
 
My Fulldrive 2 fits my Express 5:50 like a glove, but my Bad monkey didn't sound so hot with it.
 
I am new to the 5:50 as well
Currently use the amp for OD as the Crunch and Burn Channels are so good.
Always have the Chorus on in the loop. Occasionally a Phaser in the loop when needed.
Crybaby is set up before the amp so always available.
If I need some over the top distortion I use the MI Audio Crunchbox into the Clean Channel.
I don't need any other pedals at present.
I just experiment every now and then but the Crunchbox always seems my favorite.
 
REALLY loved the BB Preamp best with the 5:50 when I owned it. Sounded better than the OCD and the Keeley TS-9 I owned, sounded warmer and the tone controls are more responsive IMO.
 
I have a VooDoo labs Sparkle Drive. Patterned after the TS-9 with the addition of a straight clean boost option. It works great. I really have thought most of my pedals sound fine with my 5:25 1x12. I really like my Dunlop Buddy Guy Wah pedal....it smokes with this amp 8)
 
+++ on the BB preamp.

The built-in OD is much better than the majority of pedals but the BB preamp gives it some extra fullness that is just great for rock/blues.

I haven't tried any metal pedals yet, the most metal of my pedals is the Vox Satchurator. Odd I know, since it is supposed to be "Joe Satriani's sound" which is most definitely not metal. The Pigtronix Polysaturator is also pretty good and has a wide gain range that goes from edge of breakup clean crunch, to full on saturated distorted fuzz.

More recently though, I have just been living off of the Crunch channel and the Burn channel... they are really that good.
 
Thanks for the info, still haven't plugged in a pedal. :)

Does anyone notice a drop in the bottom end when
switching back to 5w after playing 50w for a while?
 
Not so much a drop as much as like a softening up, but of the sound as a whole. Class A is effing sweet.
 
I think Class A single-ended is known for having a flabby bass, but it's the same thing that gives it that creamy overdrive . . . it's all good :)

As for pedals, I've tried everything on my Line 6 M13 and clones of a Roger Mayer Mongoose, a Tonebender MKII and a Way Huge Red Llama (the GGG build). They all sound great, but I've found myself really gravitating to the Red Llama - it just sounds good. Also waiting on a Timmy and will probably try some TS variants, soon (just deciding whether to build or buy).
 
My F50 sounds great with pedals, I have got around 16 so far, but my 5.50 is too middly for them to sound good, I couldn't get a decent sound out of it.
I am using my F50 with pedals for the od and ds sounds, and the 5.50 as either just an extention cab or for some crunch cleans, the better clean is the F50 because the 5.50 has got a wierd low mid boost.
 
iohanr said:
+++ on the BB preamp.

The built-in OD is much better than the majority of pedals but the BB preamp gives it some extra fullness that is just great for rock/blues.

I haven't tried any metal pedals yet, the most metal of my pedals is the Vox Satchurator. Odd I know, since it is supposed to be "Joe Satriani's sound" which is most definitely not metal. The Pigtronix Polysaturator is also pretty good and has a wide gain range that goes from edge of breakup clean crunch, to full on saturated distorted fuzz.

More recently though, I have just been living off of the Crunch channel and the Burn channel... they are really that good.
Click to expand...

I have got the F50 and 5.50, I also used a Rectoverb 2, and a Tremoverb, I can't get a usuable od sound out of any of them, I use the F50 with pedals.

The Mesa od to me sounds very fuzzy and raspy, with rattly harmonics which distort against each other.
 
UKBoogieboy said:
I have got the F50 and 5.50, I also used a Rectoverb 2, and a Tremoverb, I can't get a usuable od sound out of any of them, I use the F50 with pedals.

The Mesa od to me sounds very fuzzy and raspy, with rattly harmonics which distort against each other.
Click to expand...

Man, you sure to have a much different experience with your amp than I do. My 5:50 sounds fantastic on the crunch and burn channels. I do use some OD pedals on the clean channel to give me different sounding ODs, but I could easily live with the dirt in the amp.
 
I got a Fulltone OCD for Christmas and it sounds great in front of my 5:50. I've been looking at the Hardwire Valve Distortion pedal. If I buy it I'll report back.
 
vbf said:
I got a Fulltone OCD for Christmas and it sounds great in front of my 5:50. I've been looking at the Hardwire Valve Distortion pedal. If I buy it I'll report back.
Click to expand...

yep - the OCD sounds great thru it as does the Fulldrive Mosfet 2.
Ditto a Maxon OD-9, a Blues Boy or any good quality pedal.
The outstanding clean channel and series loop on the 5:50 makes it very compatible with any pedal plugged into it :)
 
CMATMODS Butah and Deluxe Signa Comp

With the phatter tone I get, I've gotten to where I leave the (BBE) clean boost on in the loop at all times. The extra boost to the power section really rounds out the tone well.
 
I've had my 5:50 2x12 for a couple weeks and I bought a boss blues driver that works well.
 

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