Mesa LSS and Fender PRRI comparison (video)

Hi, I actually created this is to try to convicne some of the anally retentive players over at tdpri, where I also spend a considerable amount of time, that that their totally ill-informed opinions about Mesa in general, are completley unfounded. I compared my modded PRRI and my stock Mesa LSS in the video.

The PRRI has a Celestion G10 Gold alNico in it, Tung Sols in power and pre, a 12AY7 in V1, a BillM Audio TO20 OT, and a birch ply front baffle. It was recorded with my Canon 7D, and the on-board mike doesn't hold up through all of the notes. The occassional scratchiness is the camera mike, not either one of the amps. None the less, I think you get the gist of the comparison.

Regretfully, I had the Mesa on 5 watts, when it would have been better to have had it on 15, like the PRRI. Different beasts, both great in their own right. Weigh in good people, weigh in! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XNwJbYutr24

Sounds great! It's interesting to hear about the mods on your PRRI, which I was kind of obsessing on for a while, until I had a chance to sit in with one at a gig, and was not super impressed... I'd love to hear yours at gig volume.

The Mesa kicks its as up and down the street though.

djw said:

Sounds great! It's interesting to hear about the mods on your PRRI, which I was kind of obsessing on for a while, until I had a chance to sit in with one at a gig, and was not super impressed... I'd love to hear yours at gig volume.

The Mesa kicks its as up and down the street though.

Click to expand...

Well, I can imagine that a stock PRRI would sound a little thin in a gig setting, even if it was miked, and I think it would pretty well have to be. Even modded, it would still have to be miked, it's only 15 watts. At 10, it's definatley loud, but factor in drums, keyboard, harp, other guitars, bass, yadda, yadda, yadda, and it'll get lost. The mods greatly improve it though. For me, neither one replaces the other. Over the Christmas holidays, I'm going to A/B my PRRI to a Headstrong Lil' King Reverb, a high end PTP clone of a PR. If it sounds that much better, the PRRI is on the auction block! I do like playing both of them though, moving from one to the next. The Mesa is the one I play most of the time, it's more versatile, and that is in my home setting!

No disrespect but I had to turn it off halfway through the PRRI demo. It just sounded weak to me to the point that listening any longer wasn't going to change my mind.

re using prri at gigs:
unless it's a very quiet band, it needs to be miked, but then...
i used to have a 69 sf pr (still had bf specs and sound) that really sang, and sounded beautiful thru a pa
1/2way up it was sweet cleans; cranked it had very rich touch-sensitive tube and spkr distortion
unfortunately i don't have it now...
i got the 65 prri
sounds great but some cabinet rattle-aargh!!!@

Well, I can imagine that a stock PRRI would sound a little thin in a gig setting, even if it was miked, and I think it would pretty well have to be. Even modded, it would still have to be miked, it's only 15 watts. At 10, it's definatley loud, but factor in drums, keyboard, harp, other guitars, bass, yadda, yadda, yadda, and it'll get lost. The mods greatly improve it though. For me, neither one replaces the other. Over the Christmas holidays, I'm going to A/B my PRRI to a Headstrong Lil' King Reverb, a high end PTP clone of a PR. If it sounds that much better, the PRRI is on the auction block! I do like playing both of them though, moving from one to the next. The Mesa is the one I play most of the time, it's more versatile, and that is in my home setting![/quote]

the beginning of the video is lss ch2-is that with reeder mod#1?
can u please list the vol/tone settings u used with both lss ch2, ch1, and the prri?
thanks!

No.it's not with the reeder mod. I'll have to send you the settings when I get home early next week. why? does it sound to your liking? The PRRI was: volume 5/10, treble and bass 5/10, reverb 2.5/10, trem off. The Mesa, hmms, ch 1: Gain 12 o'clock, treb, same,...I'll have to look when I get home. I have a thread going at tdpri where I list the settings. If I can find it, I'll post it.

Jared Purdy said:

No.it's not with the reeder mod. I'll have to send you the settings when I get home early next week. why? does it sound to your liking? The PRRI was: volume 5/10, treble and bass 5/10, reverb 2.5/10, trem off. The Mesa, hmms, ch 1: Gain 12 o'clock, treb, same,...I'll have to look when I get home. I have a thread going at tdpri where I list the settings. If I can find it, I'll post it.

Click to expand...

yes both sounded good
i'm curious to know the settings you used...
thanks!

dangit said:

re using prri at gigs:
unless it's a very quiet band, it needs to be miked, but then...
i used to have a 69 sf pr (still had bf specs and sound) that really sang, and sounded beautiful thru a pa
1/2way up it was sweet cleans; cranked it had very rich touch-sensitive tube and spkr distortion
unfortunately i don't have it now...
i got the 65 prri
sounds great but some cabinet rattle-aargh!!!@

Well, I can imagine that a stock PRRI would sound a little thin in a gig setting, even if it was miked, and I think it would pretty well have to be. Even modded, it would still have to be miked, it's only 15 watts. At 10, it's definatley loud, but factor in drums, keyboard, harp, other guitars, bass, yadda, yadda, yadda, and it'll get lost. The mods greatly improve it though. For me, neither one replaces the other. Over the Christmas holidays, I'm going to A/B my PRRI to a Headstrong Lil' King Reverb, a high end PTP clone of a PR. If it sounds that much better, the PRRI is on the auction block! I do like playing both of them though, moving from one to the next. The Mesa is the one I play most of the time, it's more versatile, and that is in my home setting!

Click to expand...

the beginning of the video is lss ch2-is that with reeder mod#1?
can u please list the vol/tone settings u used with both lss ch2, ch1, and the prri?
thanks![/quote]

My settings are a variation on the factory settings supplied in the manual: Drive (engaged) @10 o'clock, "thick" switch set to normal, Gain @12-1:30~, Treble @ 12-1:30, Mid @ 11, Bass @ 11, Presence @ 10:30, Master at 10, reverb on (moderate). Those settings work in the 5, 15 and 30 watt setting.

Nothing like seeing a couple amps under a Xmas tree. For low volume like in the clip, I think both amps sounded good. I think that the prri will falter when you push it a little, it just won't have any mid for crunch.

Mine won't be near a Christmas tree (2x12 is sort of big) but this quick shot from camera phone should explain my interest in Jared's comparison and how it may have driven my purchase.

The LSS matches the now dated 1980s southwest motif wall paper in the basement too.

bitflogger said:

Mine won't be near a Christmas tree (2x12 is sort of big) but this quick shot from camera phone should explain my interest in Jared's comparison and how it may have driven my purchase.

The LSS matches the now dated 1980s southwest motif wall paper in the basement too.

Click to expand...

Very fine, very fine indeed. (the wallpaper, I mean :wink: )

is this the new lss?
how do u like the prri?
did u mod anything?
i love mine but there's some cab rattle...


[/quote]

dangit said:

is this the new lss?
how do u like the prri?
did u mod anything?
i love mine but there's some cab rattle...

Click to expand...

I fixed the rattle via wedging wooden shim between the chassis and baffle board and re-seating the speaker.

The PRRI is nice - like much there's individual taste but I think it is a wonderful sounding clean amp and my PRS Hollow Body sounds better with it than any amp I've tried.

I did more tweaking of the LSS but now work and family call.

I fixed the rattle via wedging wooden shim between the chassis and baffle board and re-seating the speaker.

The PRRI is nice - like much there's individual taste but I think it is a wonderful sounding clean amp and my PRS Hollow Body sounds better with it than any amp I've tried.

I did more tweaking of the LSS but now work and family call.

[/quote]

i think the prri is a beautiful sounding clean, but it also screams when cranked-very touch sensitive response...
where did u insert the shim?
did u take the front off the prri to insert the shim?
thanks!

dangit said:

re using prri at gigs:
unless it's a very quiet band, it needs to be miked, but then...
i used to have a 69 sf pr (still had bf specs and sound) that really sang, and sounded beautiful thru a pa
1/2way up it was sweet cleans; cranked it had very rich touch-sensitive tube and spkr distortion
unfortunately i don't have it now...
i got the 65 prri
sounds great but some cabinet rattle-aargh!!!@

Well, I can imagine that a stock PRRI would sound a little thin in a gig setting, even if it was miked, and I think it would pretty well have to be. Even modded, it would still have to be miked, it's only 15 watts. At 10, it's definatley loud, but factor in drums, keyboard, harp, other guitars, bass, yadda, yadda, yadda, and it'll get lost. The mods greatly improve it though. For me, neither one replaces the other. Over the Christmas holidays, I'm going to A/B my PRRI to a Headstrong Lil' King Reverb, a high end PTP clone of a PR. If it sounds that much better, the PRRI is on the auction block! I do like playing both of them though, moving from one to the next. The Mesa is the one I play most of the time, it's more versatile, and that is in my home setting!

Click to expand...

the beginning of the video is lss ch2-is that with reeder mod#1?
can u please list the vol/tone settings u used with both lss ch2, ch1, and the prri?
thanks![/quote]

My LSS has not been modded.
Controls on the LSS:Ch 1: Gain: 12, Treble: 12, Mid:9, Bass:12, Presence 10:30, Master: 12. Drive switch engaged, Thick set to normal. Channel 2: Drive: 10, Gain: 12, Treble: 1:30, Mid: 11, Bass: 11, Presence: 10, Master: 9:30.

PRRI has been modded. Celestion G10 Gold alNico, Tung Sols, 12AY7 in V1, BillM Audio/Dave Allen TO20 OT, and a 3/4 birch ply front baffle.

Volume: between 4-7, Treble: 4-5, Bass 5-6, Reverb 2.5, Intensity, 7, speed 2.5.

My LSS has not been modded.
Controls on the LSS:Ch 1: Gain: 12, Treble: 12, Mid:9, Bass:12, Presence 10:30, Master: 12. Drive switch engaged, Thick set to normal. Channel 2: Drive: 10, Gain: 12, Treble: 1:30, Mid: 11, Bass: 11, Presence: 10, Master: 9:30.

PRRI has been modded. Celestion G10 Gold alNico, Tung Sols, 12AY7 in V1, BillM Audio/Dave Allen TO20 OT, and a 3/4 birch ply front baffle.

Volume: between 4-7, Treble: 4-5, Bass 5-6, Reverb 2.5, Intensity, 7, speed 2.5.[/quote]



thanks!!!
nice tones...

dangit said:

i think the prri is a beautiful sounding clean, but it also screams when cranked-very touch sensitive response...
where did u insert the shim?
did u take the front off the prri to insert the shim?
thanks!

Click to expand...

I cut pieces of the wood shim used in carpentry, then wedged them between top of baffle board and the metal chassis above it. It's not perfect but fine for my home use.

I think part of the buzz is/was the speaker tightened too much in manufacturing.

Some have taken a small angled piece of metal and reinforced the baffle board that way.

My PRRI was made and sold when it was a new product and I was told later ones were not so bad or didn't have the problem at all.

I'm impressed with how much of the Fender vibe the LSS has.

where did u insert the shim?
did u take the front off the prri to insert the shim?
thanks![/quote]

I cut pieces of the wood shim used in carpentry, then wedged them between top of baffle board and the metal chassis above it. It's not perfect but fine for my home use.

I think part of the buzz is/was the speaker tightened too much in manufacturing.

Some have taken a small angled piece of metal and reinforced the baffle board that way.

My PRRI was made and sold when it was a new product and I was told later ones were not so bad or didn't have the problem at all.[/quote]

thanks!

screamingdaisy said:

I'm impressed with how much of the Fender vibe the LSS has.

Click to expand...

agreed!