Been playing Marshalls pretty much all my life. Been gigging bars since I was 12 (so like for 38 years now? God) and most of that time it was the tone vs volume war. I finally WON the fight when I discovered EL84 amps. Just recently went back to the 100W Marshalls...was GASsing for a DSL100 for quite a few years and snagged an old one. RIGHT!! I FORGOT what the 100W freightrain Marshall big-boy crunchy whallop was all about.
Last year in a trade deal I got my first Mesa. A tan Stiletto Ace head. Once I added an adjustable bias mod and put some proper glass in it I was SHOCKED at how good and versatile it was. The (trade) deal was though that I had to sell it to recoup my $. I was in a phase (still am kinda) where I was listing gear on kijiji, knowing damned well that I would (as always) receive buckets of trade offers so I welcomed them. I would list an item (like the Stiletto for example) at ridiculously high prices...OR TRADE.
A trade deal came along that I could not say no to. Buhbye Stiletto :-(
A few weeks ago I entered into another trade deal and I got the Mesa Express 5:25 1-12 combo. Cool but I already have EL84 amps, head and combo versions and with the DSL in the stable I didn't need (roll eyes) anymore amps but you cant sell something without first trying and testing it right? MISTAKE #1 :-(
My band is a 3-piece. We do original sets on big stages but we also play clubs and we have hundreds of covers that range from old JC to some current modern rock. I NEED clean headroom.
I had a MAZ18 for a few months last year as well. Great wee amp but nowhere as versatile as a mesa. And...while it's a clean-mild OD amp, it didn't quite have the headroom I needed or the snot I wanted. Took pedals real well but was still a little stiff no matter what tubes and speakers I tried. Hey, the MAZ is a great amp no doubt. Just not the amp for me.
OK so I do this trade deal and get the 5:25. The plan was to sell it ...right after I confirmed that everything worked on it. Oopsies.
WOW!
First...it says 5 or 30W on the selector switch on the back not 5 or 25. I know there are some Mesas and Peaveys (used to be) that make/made WAY too much power with EL84s. I think Peavey had a 50W 2xEL84 amp? Hey it CAN safely be done but...
Point is that while it was obviously gonna be very versatile, 2xEL84 just don't quite have the snap I need
Wow was I wrong. I guess it's the super-secret-dyna-watt tekmology that gives it the percussive and staunch cleans? Cause this thing BARKS! Not like a Chihuahua. More like a rabid rottie. Good LORD!
My pedalboard is the size of a schoolbus..and not the SHORT bus either. I like to run my amps clean with just a touch of snarly break-up and I use pedals to push them over the edge into dirtyville.
Well this is one amp I would be glad to use all by itself. There are not many (any? the Stiletto was close) amps whos cleans AND dirties I like/can use. The posteerchild for that problem is the Fender HotRodDeluxe, which I also had one of fairly recently.
Decent amp. Handy. Decent cleans. Good reverb. That's ALL!
Even the DSL...it has great cleans. Nice crunch. And it does that overthetop hair that the kids go for these days but...it's one or the other. It is a fail as a channel switcher. For me anyway.
The 5:25 though...MAN...I can use EVERY mode of either channel and it sounds fantastic. And with it's separate tonestacks, MVs and reverb, I can use it as a switcher :-O
And this is the older 5:25. Not even the 5:25PLUS. Apparently the PLUS's cleans are even BETTER and it has the cool solo boost (the Stiletto had it too but I use a Dingotone HZD for my boost and there is no better clean boost pedal on the planet. Seriously. I'm not sure if the PLUS allows you to footswitch between channel modes but there is a mod available out there to allow the normal 5:25/50s to switch modes via footswitch. I can't see that working all that well because there is a pretty serious volume/tone change between the modes.
We do a LOT of BIG outdoor festival gigs in the Summer. That's when I get to take the big guns out (100W Marshalls and 4x12 cabs) and let them run a little bit.
I can never REALLY gauge a new amp (or any gear) without gigging it.
I foolishly attempted to use the 5:25 at a big outdoor festival and...PFFFF...NO PROBLEM at ALL!
Dyna-Watt??
They say the DynaWatt kind of acts like a cap or hydraulic accumulator ...the way they explain it is that it "stores" a burst of "extra" power/headroom and "releases" it on the initial note or chord's attack. Whatever it is...it WORKS! I swear this thing barks like a 50W EL34 Marshall.
IMHO it out-cleans the MAZ and the HRD without breaking a sweat. Maybe they really ARE making 25 or 30W from a pair of 9W 84s?
Still the honeymoon but where I normally go...awww man!! I gotta PLAY tonight :-( I'm gonna miss Bill Maher. Now I'm like...WOOHOO!!! Got a gig tonight and I get to play the Express again!!! Can't WAIT!
This is the most inspired I've been in YEARS.
So, if you're in the market, or just in a store...and they have a 5:25 or 5:25PLUS (or the 5:50 family...man the cleans must be just STUPID with a pair of 6L6s), if you are a Marshall, Vox or Fender guy...TRY THE EXPRESS!!!
It doesn't quite reach DR snot territory. It is not a modern high gain flame thrower that's for sure.
It IS though my new amp and you WILL see it on stage with Joe Public at least for the next bunch of shows.
Again...gigging for almost 40 years. This is hands-down the most versatile amp I've EVER PLAYED! For me.
Sure the Mks have more features (versatility?) but this small, light, AWESOME package is really ringing my bell right now.
TRY THE EXPRESS!!!
WOW!
Hey...anyone know of any mods out there for the 5:25 other than the switchable modes?
I LOVE it's cleans but they say the cleans of the PLUS series is better.
You know what they say, if it aint broke, BREAK IT!! lol
Last year in a trade deal I got my first Mesa. A tan Stiletto Ace head. Once I added an adjustable bias mod and put some proper glass in it I was SHOCKED at how good and versatile it was. The (trade) deal was though that I had to sell it to recoup my $. I was in a phase (still am kinda) where I was listing gear on kijiji, knowing damned well that I would (as always) receive buckets of trade offers so I welcomed them. I would list an item (like the Stiletto for example) at ridiculously high prices...OR TRADE.
A trade deal came along that I could not say no to. Buhbye Stiletto :-(
A few weeks ago I entered into another trade deal and I got the Mesa Express 5:25 1-12 combo. Cool but I already have EL84 amps, head and combo versions and with the DSL in the stable I didn't need (roll eyes) anymore amps but you cant sell something without first trying and testing it right? MISTAKE #1 :-(
My band is a 3-piece. We do original sets on big stages but we also play clubs and we have hundreds of covers that range from old JC to some current modern rock. I NEED clean headroom.
I had a MAZ18 for a few months last year as well. Great wee amp but nowhere as versatile as a mesa. And...while it's a clean-mild OD amp, it didn't quite have the headroom I needed or the snot I wanted. Took pedals real well but was still a little stiff no matter what tubes and speakers I tried. Hey, the MAZ is a great amp no doubt. Just not the amp for me.
OK so I do this trade deal and get the 5:25. The plan was to sell it ...right after I confirmed that everything worked on it. Oopsies.
WOW!
First...it says 5 or 30W on the selector switch on the back not 5 or 25. I know there are some Mesas and Peaveys (used to be) that make/made WAY too much power with EL84s. I think Peavey had a 50W 2xEL84 amp? Hey it CAN safely be done but...
Point is that while it was obviously gonna be very versatile, 2xEL84 just don't quite have the snap I need
Wow was I wrong. I guess it's the super-secret-dyna-watt tekmology that gives it the percussive and staunch cleans? Cause this thing BARKS! Not like a Chihuahua. More like a rabid rottie. Good LORD!
My pedalboard is the size of a schoolbus..and not the SHORT bus either. I like to run my amps clean with just a touch of snarly break-up and I use pedals to push them over the edge into dirtyville.
Well this is one amp I would be glad to use all by itself. There are not many (any? the Stiletto was close) amps whos cleans AND dirties I like/can use. The posteerchild for that problem is the Fender HotRodDeluxe, which I also had one of fairly recently.
Decent amp. Handy. Decent cleans. Good reverb. That's ALL!
Even the DSL...it has great cleans. Nice crunch. And it does that overthetop hair that the kids go for these days but...it's one or the other. It is a fail as a channel switcher. For me anyway.
The 5:25 though...MAN...I can use EVERY mode of either channel and it sounds fantastic. And with it's separate tonestacks, MVs and reverb, I can use it as a switcher :-O
And this is the older 5:25. Not even the 5:25PLUS. Apparently the PLUS's cleans are even BETTER and it has the cool solo boost (the Stiletto had it too but I use a Dingotone HZD for my boost and there is no better clean boost pedal on the planet. Seriously. I'm not sure if the PLUS allows you to footswitch between channel modes but there is a mod available out there to allow the normal 5:25/50s to switch modes via footswitch. I can't see that working all that well because there is a pretty serious volume/tone change between the modes.
We do a LOT of BIG outdoor festival gigs in the Summer. That's when I get to take the big guns out (100W Marshalls and 4x12 cabs) and let them run a little bit.
I can never REALLY gauge a new amp (or any gear) without gigging it.
I foolishly attempted to use the 5:25 at a big outdoor festival and...PFFFF...NO PROBLEM at ALL!
Dyna-Watt??
They say the DynaWatt kind of acts like a cap or hydraulic accumulator ...the way they explain it is that it "stores" a burst of "extra" power/headroom and "releases" it on the initial note or chord's attack. Whatever it is...it WORKS! I swear this thing barks like a 50W EL34 Marshall.
IMHO it out-cleans the MAZ and the HRD without breaking a sweat. Maybe they really ARE making 25 or 30W from a pair of 9W 84s?
Still the honeymoon but where I normally go...awww man!! I gotta PLAY tonight :-( I'm gonna miss Bill Maher. Now I'm like...WOOHOO!!! Got a gig tonight and I get to play the Express again!!! Can't WAIT!
This is the most inspired I've been in YEARS.
So, if you're in the market, or just in a store...and they have a 5:25 or 5:25PLUS (or the 5:50 family...man the cleans must be just STUPID with a pair of 6L6s), if you are a Marshall, Vox or Fender guy...TRY THE EXPRESS!!!
It doesn't quite reach DR snot territory. It is not a modern high gain flame thrower that's for sure.
It IS though my new amp and you WILL see it on stage with Joe Public at least for the next bunch of shows.
Again...gigging for almost 40 years. This is hands-down the most versatile amp I've EVER PLAYED! For me.
Sure the Mks have more features (versatility?) but this small, light, AWESOME package is really ringing my bell right now.
TRY THE EXPRESS!!!
WOW!
Hey...anyone know of any mods out there for the 5:25 other than the switchable modes?
I LOVE it's cleans but they say the cleans of the PLUS series is better.
You know what they say, if it aint broke, BREAK IT!! lol
