Electra Dyne or Marshall YJM???

Hi guys! I am looking for my next amp and I want simplicity.
I like the Mark V but no desire for the control panel, LOL.
I like the Royal Atlantic but the ED is more straight forward and takes pedals better.
In fact the ED takes pedals as well as a Plexi or Fryette Deliverance.

Current gear:
Bogner 20th Shiva with EL 34s
BFG modded Dual Rectifier which sounds more Marshall now. Killer mids.
Splawn 412 with Greenbacks
Stone Age 212 with G12K-100s
Bogner 212OS with Vintage 30s

Selling my PWE Event Horizon head for a simple head that sound thick, creamy, fat low ro medium gain and takes pedals very well so that I can cover anything.

I am looking at the Marshall YJM, Mesa Royal and Electra Dyne.

I am in a 90s rock and grunge band.

Thanks guys!!!

The YJM and ED have nothing in common at all. The ED is big and fat, thick and a bit dark sounding. The Marshall is LOUD, cutting, lots of high end, bright and clear.

When I played the YJM I didn't like it at all but I didn't get to jump the 2 channels together which I've been told is an almost MUST.

I think for 90's grunge an ED with a boost pedal is a great choice. That dirtbag in Soundgarden is using the ED with a TRemoverb. Yes, I really dislike Kim Thayill. :twisted:

I see used ED heads in GC's online classifieds often, and usually under 1k.

I'd have em both, the ED for the cleans, hairy sounds, and the Marshall for dirt :mrgreen:

If you need good cleans in your band, you could work around it using the Marshall loop and a switcher, to run a clean tube pedal into the loop of the YJM bypassing its preamp. I do that successfully with a Kingsleyamps Squier pedal and a Cornford Mk50H.

If you need both, cleans and dirt in one simple package, the ED and a boost are the way to go. I found that most pedals work well with the ED, good results with a Xotic EP and a Fulltone OCD into the red channel.

hunter said:

I'd have em both, the ED for the cleans, hairy sounds, and the Marshall for dirt :mrgreen:

If you need good cleans in your band, you could work around it using the Marshall loop and a switcher, to run a clean tube pedal into the loop of the YJM bypassing its preamp. I do that successfully with a Kingsleyamps Squier pedal and a Cornford Mk50H.

If you need both, cleans and dirt in one simple package, the ED and a boost are the way to go. I found that most pedals work well with the ED, good results with a Xotic EP and a Fulltone OCD into the red channel.

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Or set the Gain Trim switch to 'Clean' and turn up the volume past 2:00 or even 3:00.

The 'Dyne is no Dual Rectifier, but it definitely has some gain where it counts!

I am in a similar situation. If the Electra Dyne needs pedals to make the gain sound good, there is no point in me getting one. I will probably get a used Egnater Mod 50 which I used to have and loved. Plus, when I tested the ED....it was a struggle at managable levels.

hunter said:

I'd have em both, the ED for the cleans, hairy sounds, and the Marshall for dirt :mrgreen:

If you need good cleans in your band, you could work around it using the Marshall loop and a switcher, to run a clean tube pedal into the loop of the YJM bypassing its preamp. I do that successfully with a Kingsleyamps Squier pedal and a Cornford Mk50H.

If you need both, cleans and dirt in one simple package, the ED and a boost are the way to go. I found that most pedals work well with the ED, good results with a Xotic EP and a Fulltone OCD into the red channel.

Click to expand...

OK...just got back from my friend's studio. He has the YJM and ED and lots of other amps. I thought the Electra Dyne killed the YJM for clean or gain! I was kicking out some Tool songs with the Electra Dyne on the Gain channel mode 3 with no OD boost and it rocked!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Preamp & poweramp distortion are very different things ....I would guess the ED would be more to your taste....

After thinking about this I think you might really like the Royal Atlantic .... it has a better master volume & cuts better than the ED. The ED has a fatter bottom. Both would work fine ... best to do a direct A/B & see what fits you better.

I hear you guys! I think the ED is fatter, thicker and creamier than from what I recall vs the Royal from when I tried it. I find the Royal and ED different enough from my Shiva to make it worth a look. ED is cheaper used and I can have OD pedals for low volume use or have my friend Brian at BFG amplification modify the amp to work better at bedroom volumes.

By the way guys, my old forum name was Papersoul. It hasn't been working well so I created this new account.

WOW - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J7QbSZBz0dI

Yes pretty different than a Shiva. I have never direct A/B a Ed and Royal. I would be happy with either....

Merry Christmas!!! I have to stop listening to my guitar tech who is a Marshall guy. He thinks the ED sounds like ****. I totally disagree. He thinks even the Marshall DSL is better. If the ED had a better master circuit for low volume, I would have one. However, with how well it takes pedals, at low volume, it should be good for gigs. Also, Brian said he can modify the master to let it kick as at lower volumes. He said, after his mod, it will sound as good as the Royal at low volumes!!!! Nice thing about the Electra Dyne is that it can sound like any rig since it takes pedals well. Say hello to the Bogner red and blue pedals.


I have heard people say the Royal is like a Bogner Shiva. No way. It is nothing like a Shiva. I find it to be a blend of Mark V and Rectifier. Because it is not high end like a Bogner or Diezel, the Electra Dyne and Royal lack the complexity and dimension of a high end amp. :'(

Opinions are like assholes, everyone has one.

Mesa is every bit as high end as Bogner, Deizel, et al. In the end, it depends what you want for tone and what amp speaks to YOU!
I think the Electra Dyne is one of the best amps Mesa has ever made. I like how it is not as bright, stiff, and clangy as a marshall. It has the thickness and girth of Mesa but it has a more British sound. But whatever you want, find your sound. Stop worrying what all the imbeciles have to say!

YellowJacket said:

Opinions are like assholes, everyone has one.

Mesa is every bit as high end as Bogner, Deizel, et al. In the end, it depends what you want for tone and what amp speaks to YOU!
I think the Electra Dyne is one of the best amps Mesa has ever made. I like how it is not as bright, stiff, and clangy as a marshall. It has the thickness and girth of Mesa but it has a more British sound. But whatever you want, find your sound. Stop worrying what all the imbeciles have to say!

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My tech is an opinionated ***, and it is not my fault he is tone deaf.

boardn10 said:

YellowJacket said:

Opinions are like assholes, everyone has one.

Mesa is every bit as high end as Bogner, Deizel, et al. In the end, it depends what you want for tone and what amp speaks to YOU!
I think the Electra Dyne is one of the best amps Mesa has ever made. I like how it is not as bright, stiff, and clangy as a marshall. It has the thickness and girth of Mesa but it has a more British sound. But whatever you want, find your sound. Stop worrying what all the imbeciles have to say!

Click to expand...

My tech is an opinionated ***, and it is not my fault he is tone deaf.

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No joke.

In his defense, I got some killer tones from a DSL through a Mesa Rectocab so I know these amps aren't so bad as the press they're received, at least from the perspective of tone. As for reliability and build quality, this is separate issue altogether.

That being said, anyone who thinks the Electra Dyne is categorically a bad amplifier has a tin ear. EVERYONE who has heard my amp thinks it is absolutely jaw droppingly amazing.

YellowJacket said:

Opinions are like assholes, everyone has one.

Mesa is every bit as high end as Bogner, Deizel, et al. In the end, it depends what you want for tone and what amp speaks to YOU!

Click to expand...

I agree ... not better or worse ... just different. A lot of people make the mistake of thinking if something cost more it is better or sounds better.... it has nothing to do with it. Often expensive gear does not sound as good as cheaper stuff in my ears. Just about never does the most expensive guitar in a shop have the best tone.

Yup, it is all about finding that 'magic' gear combination where everything just works well together. My $800 starter guitar happens to sound ace with the Electra Dyne. My Gibson LP sounds equally good in a different way, but the more inexpensive guitar is such a chameleon that it can do many different styles well.