Dodgion556
Active member
- Joined
- Apr 3, 2016
- Messages
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First time post, but frequent flyer on the site.
I have been playing for nearly 30 years and for all of my time been using a number of various amps. My latest was a 4x10 Deville and anybody that has owned a Fender Deville knows that these amps have huge bottom end and kill little old ladies volume wise. The number one problem with these amps and many of the rest is that they have no gain and really no versatility. Plus, they weigh as much as a box full of coal.
I researched this site and everything else I can find on the internet. I was nearly sold on that Mark V:25, but I have a very aggressive drummer. Along November last year, it was announced that the 35 W model was coming out and that's what I set my mind to. My music store finally got his pre order in Feb. and I bought the amp immediately. I was sick of having the "Fender Amp Syndrome" and I bought the V:35 blind.
My Guitar is a 2012 American Strat and I use Planet Waves American Stage Cables. Upon plugging in I found out immediately why it can take someone a hot minute or two to re-wire your brain on how an amp works if you have never been with MESA. I decided to go ahead and set up a clean channel 1st. I tried the "clean" setting, but honestly for me no matter how much I tried to warm it up the "clean" setting is just way too thin. It could have its spot, perhaps in the right song where your strumming away at something, but a single note setting "clean" is not (maybe for some just not me) I really found my home on the "fat" channel! I really found the sweet spot to heaven when I cranked the gain on this setting and really jacked up the mid boost a little past halfway @12:30, I dialed in the Bass to the same position and added the EQ with a tradional "V" curve. I used the 35 watt setting and neck position pick up and was able to achieve some remarkable clean tones and chime. It eased me and my worry that the amp might not be warm enough. The "Chrunch" Setting is extremely unusual to me. First, I want to say that within this particular setting you have a huge amount of expandability, you have a nice clean and if you jack the gain up you have a kick-*** old school lead. But, to me you really have to play with your gain and you have to play with the other global settings in order to set it up just right. This might be perfect for you if you're in the 80s band covering some whatever 80s rock. I'm not sure exactly what's in the "clean" part of the saying but there's some killer lead tones built-in to this particular setting, none of which I can use because I need a clean that is super clean and warm. "Fat" does that for me.
I had the most trouble adding warmth into the lead channel 2. Everything that I was not worrying about in channel 1 came to a head in Channel 2. Save "Xtreme" I felt straightaway that the voicing of the 2C channel was missing a lot of warmth. Granted you can dial in quite a bit of warmth using the five band EQ and on the 25w setting I was able to find some really nice blues tones. Don't worry you can add an *** load of life and depth when you start cranking the master and start saturating the tubes. Still though 2C was not my cup of tea.
Where I started to have the most fun with my Strat was in the M:IV setting. With my neck pick-up and the gain @10:30 and with the EQ boosted in the 80hz bass region to 75%, 25watt setting, I started getting some really gutsy blues tones. If you crank the Master up and start really saturating the tubes you will find a massive amount of hidden tone and warmth. In fact in really blowed me away that this little combo could sound so big at that point. I instantly forgot about my Deville and discovered what I've personally been seeking for nearly 30 years. Dial up the gain more and roll the bass back down a bit and you can find a super sustaining lead sound.
As for the "Xtreme" setting, it is incredibly warm and has simply more of everything due to its voicing. A lot of people will use this larger than life setting for a zillion different riffs. It's not my cup of tea and After the former, I know it's in the arsenal but that's as far as it is going. I can't really review this channel. If I were playing modern heavy music and I needed a wall of sound this might be my setting.
The reverb on this amp is good but, if you're trying to compare the reverb to something like an old fender twin or something like an old fender reverb amp, don't. As I said, it is a very good reverb, but it is not an old fender classic. Given everything that I just gained in tone though, I am sure I will forget it before long.
The independent solo knobs are one of the main reasons I bought this amp. I enjoy having a volume boost at the push of a button plain and simple, it appeals to my playing style and it works for me. They are clean and do as designed. They either cut or give more volume to where your master is set.
Cab clone. This feature has so many uses that I'm not going to get into it a whole lot. I personally use a mic and enjoy the sound this amp gives with a mic. That said, there was one instance where I used the Cab Clone and "Open" setting and thought it sounded awesome through that stages PA. I'm on the fence about it, I have been using a mic for years, maybe I should give it a shot a few more times and update. Honestly, this amp is loud enough to kick some serious *** before ever needing a mic or to run the D.I. And yes I can easily play with my aggressive drummer and still have headroom.
I'm not going to review a time tested EQ, you guys know that works.
I will touch the power modes briefly. Channel 1, I fly with 35 W only for the best headroom without break up. My favorite channel 2 setting is the 25 Watt mode. For some reason the amplifier feels like it is at home there. When you crank up the Master at this wattage, you can dial in an unbelievable amount of gain. There is something about my guitar and that single coil neck pick-up that just puts me in complete nirvana, and it does it every time. I feel that it is the amps sweet spot and it is one of the reasons why I totally wanted away from Marshall and Fender and Peavey and blah blah.
This amp is truly an incredible peice. If you're looking for a solid amp that is small and gives a lot of kicking tone this is it. I will say that I like the bite of an EL-84 amp. Having used 6l6 amps in the past I have always felt that I was not roasting the tubes and accomplishing real saturation. This amp allows that on the grandest of scales.
I hope this review has helped someone make a decision and possibly inform prior to purchase. Either way I would like to thank this forum personally as all of you helped me join the MESA family.
Cheers!
I have been playing for nearly 30 years and for all of my time been using a number of various amps. My latest was a 4x10 Deville and anybody that has owned a Fender Deville knows that these amps have huge bottom end and kill little old ladies volume wise. The number one problem with these amps and many of the rest is that they have no gain and really no versatility. Plus, they weigh as much as a box full of coal.
I researched this site and everything else I can find on the internet. I was nearly sold on that Mark V:25, but I have a very aggressive drummer. Along November last year, it was announced that the 35 W model was coming out and that's what I set my mind to. My music store finally got his pre order in Feb. and I bought the amp immediately. I was sick of having the "Fender Amp Syndrome" and I bought the V:35 blind.
My Guitar is a 2012 American Strat and I use Planet Waves American Stage Cables. Upon plugging in I found out immediately why it can take someone a hot minute or two to re-wire your brain on how an amp works if you have never been with MESA. I decided to go ahead and set up a clean channel 1st. I tried the "clean" setting, but honestly for me no matter how much I tried to warm it up the "clean" setting is just way too thin. It could have its spot, perhaps in the right song where your strumming away at something, but a single note setting "clean" is not (maybe for some just not me) I really found my home on the "fat" channel! I really found the sweet spot to heaven when I cranked the gain on this setting and really jacked up the mid boost a little past halfway @12:30, I dialed in the Bass to the same position and added the EQ with a tradional "V" curve. I used the 35 watt setting and neck position pick up and was able to achieve some remarkable clean tones and chime. It eased me and my worry that the amp might not be warm enough. The "Chrunch" Setting is extremely unusual to me. First, I want to say that within this particular setting you have a huge amount of expandability, you have a nice clean and if you jack the gain up you have a kick-*** old school lead. But, to me you really have to play with your gain and you have to play with the other global settings in order to set it up just right. This might be perfect for you if you're in the 80s band covering some whatever 80s rock. I'm not sure exactly what's in the "clean" part of the saying but there's some killer lead tones built-in to this particular setting, none of which I can use because I need a clean that is super clean and warm. "Fat" does that for me.
I had the most trouble adding warmth into the lead channel 2. Everything that I was not worrying about in channel 1 came to a head in Channel 2. Save "Xtreme" I felt straightaway that the voicing of the 2C channel was missing a lot of warmth. Granted you can dial in quite a bit of warmth using the five band EQ and on the 25w setting I was able to find some really nice blues tones. Don't worry you can add an *** load of life and depth when you start cranking the master and start saturating the tubes. Still though 2C was not my cup of tea.
Where I started to have the most fun with my Strat was in the M:IV setting. With my neck pick-up and the gain @10:30 and with the EQ boosted in the 80hz bass region to 75%, 25watt setting, I started getting some really gutsy blues tones. If you crank the Master up and start really saturating the tubes you will find a massive amount of hidden tone and warmth. In fact in really blowed me away that this little combo could sound so big at that point. I instantly forgot about my Deville and discovered what I've personally been seeking for nearly 30 years. Dial up the gain more and roll the bass back down a bit and you can find a super sustaining lead sound.
As for the "Xtreme" setting, it is incredibly warm and has simply more of everything due to its voicing. A lot of people will use this larger than life setting for a zillion different riffs. It's not my cup of tea and After the former, I know it's in the arsenal but that's as far as it is going. I can't really review this channel. If I were playing modern heavy music and I needed a wall of sound this might be my setting.
The reverb on this amp is good but, if you're trying to compare the reverb to something like an old fender twin or something like an old fender reverb amp, don't. As I said, it is a very good reverb, but it is not an old fender classic. Given everything that I just gained in tone though, I am sure I will forget it before long.
The independent solo knobs are one of the main reasons I bought this amp. I enjoy having a volume boost at the push of a button plain and simple, it appeals to my playing style and it works for me. They are clean and do as designed. They either cut or give more volume to where your master is set.
Cab clone. This feature has so many uses that I'm not going to get into it a whole lot. I personally use a mic and enjoy the sound this amp gives with a mic. That said, there was one instance where I used the Cab Clone and "Open" setting and thought it sounded awesome through that stages PA. I'm on the fence about it, I have been using a mic for years, maybe I should give it a shot a few more times and update. Honestly, this amp is loud enough to kick some serious *** before ever needing a mic or to run the D.I. And yes I can easily play with my aggressive drummer and still have headroom.
I'm not going to review a time tested EQ, you guys know that works.
I will touch the power modes briefly. Channel 1, I fly with 35 W only for the best headroom without break up. My favorite channel 2 setting is the 25 Watt mode. For some reason the amplifier feels like it is at home there. When you crank up the Master at this wattage, you can dial in an unbelievable amount of gain. There is something about my guitar and that single coil neck pick-up that just puts me in complete nirvana, and it does it every time. I feel that it is the amps sweet spot and it is one of the reasons why I totally wanted away from Marshall and Fender and Peavey and blah blah.
This amp is truly an incredible peice. If you're looking for a solid amp that is small and gives a lot of kicking tone this is it. I will say that I like the bite of an EL-84 amp. Having used 6l6 amps in the past I have always felt that I was not roasting the tubes and accomplishing real saturation. This amp allows that on the grandest of scales.
I hope this review has helped someone make a decision and possibly inform prior to purchase. Either way I would like to thank this forum personally as all of you helped me join the MESA family.
Cheers!