Which Boogie do I need?

Hello,

I'm looking to buy a new amp and I've got it narrowed down to two brands, Fender or Mesa Boogie. Below is a list of needs from most important to least. I prefer a tube combo amp. I will be using the amp to play out live and the amp will most likely be mic'd. Which Mesa amps will best suit my needs?

1. Really good to great clean channel. I prefer a sparkling clean as opposed to a crunch. I use pedals for everything so i'm not really concerned about the amp's distortion quality.
2. Lots of headroom. I don't want breakup too early.
3. Weight. Nothing too heavy.
4. Price. I'll most likely be looking for something used. I'd like to keep the used price below $1200-$1300 but I would be willing to go to $1500 for the right amp.

Looking forward to the responses. Thanks.

I would definitely check out the MarkV:25, though it's a head and you will need a cab. You could choose between an open or closed back 1x12, and it's lightweight so it's easy to carry along. The clean modes on the V:25 is awesome, and you will most likely quit using your pedals for distortion. But you will need to check out how loud you'll want to be before breakup.
The V:25 also has the cabclone and believe me, it works.

I'm not really sure how you narrowed down that list of requirements to include Mesa.

Mesa amps are specifically:
Multi-channel, with distortion channels as the tonal center
Big
Heavy
Expensive

Within this list of characteristics, I would say that the tone is spectacular, with many palettes to choose from. Starting with a sparkling clean channel, you could go:

Lone Star
Fantastic clean, relatively clean overdrive channel with a low-frequency focus. Big, big tone, low-ish overdrive gain by Mesa's standards. Two channels. 100W.

Mark V
The most flexible amp in the line. Selectable clean modes, plus two more channels. Shockingly high gain. Lots of tone control, can sound just about any way you like. Not bad for size and weight compared to the other amps I'm listing. 3 channels. 90W.

Electradyne
Big. Heavy. Loud. Best tone ever. Not as flexible, as it has three modes, but only one set of tone and drive controls. But an amazing sounding amp. 3 modes. 90W.

Royal Atlantic
Heavy. Boat-anchor heavy. Great-sounding. A more gainy, more flexible version of the Electradyne. Amazing sounding amp. 2 channels, but channel 2 has two modes, so it;s set up like a three channel amp. Channels 2 and 3 share gain and tone controls. 100W.

In the small combo category, you could try a Rectoverb 25 combo. This amp has a lot going for it, both in clean and drive channels. A bit of a special case, but does a reasonably wide range of styles. SUrprisingly good clean. Small and light. Two channels. 25W.

Any of these would likely let you dump your pedals.

Lonestar classic 1x12. It will be lighter than the 2x12 but that is about it. I suggest getting a short head and a cab for weight reasons. I had a 2x12 and I built a head shell for the amp and kept the 2x12 cab.

I agree with all Elvis suggestions, especially the Lonestar. Lovelly cleans s2....

To add another option I'd suggest you a TriAxis @Rhythm yellow mode + 2:ninety.
You could get awesome cleans and distortions out of that + MIDI capabilities.

knotts said:

Lonestar classic 1x12. It will be lighter than the 2x12 but that is about it. I suggest getting a short head and a cab for weight reasons. I had a 2x12 and I built a head shell for the amp and kept the 2x12 cab.

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I would say caution with regard to clean head room and the LSS. I come up short -often in live settings. But I do mean clean here, just to be clear.
I really keen to see how the power level of the 5:50 Express compares, but haven't found the opportunity.

mixsit said:

knotts said:

Lonestar classic 1x12. It will be lighter than the 2x12 but that is about it. I suggest getting a short head and a cab for weight reasons. I had a 2x12 and I built a head shell for the amp and kept the 2x12 cab.

Click to expand...

I would say caution with regard to clean head room and the LSS. I come up short -often in live settings. But I do mean clean here, just to be clear.
I really keen to see how the power level of the 5:50 Express compares, but haven't found the opportunity.

Click to expand...

Agreed. LSS doesn't have the headroom of the classic. I have the 100 watt version and that is what I recommend. The cleans are absolutely fantastic and it takes pedals very well.

One question is what particular model of Fender are you considering? My favorite is the Blues Deluxe. Considered getting one but already have enough amps to keep me busy.

There are three good amps to consider combo wise in the 90W to 100W category

Lone Star 100W version 2x12 combo. (out of the box blues and country, classic rock)

Royal Atlantic 100W 2x12 combo (back breaker due to its mass) This particular amp favors the V30 speaker. Head version and oversized Recto cab will be a great option. (blues, classic rock, and some hard to heavy rock)

If you are looking for that tweed sound of Fender twin, the Roadster is a very good match as my friend has claimed (sounded like his 62 Fender). This is also available in a 2x12 combo. (everything amp), Also consider Road King II. I have not heard the other Rectifier amps but the new multi watt version sounded great in the video.

The Mark V, very nice cleans as well. (everything amp)

Best option to consider, find a dealer to try them out if at all possible.

As much as I love Mesa amps, if I were needing strictly a pedal platform amp I'd get a blackface Fender like a Deluxe Reverb Reissue.
Although more expensive, Tone King and Two-Rock make some of the best pedal platform clean amps on the planet.

brokenbones said:

Hello,

I'm looking to buy a new amp and I've got it narrowed down to two brands, Fender or Mesa Boogie. Below is a list of needs from most important to least. I prefer a tube combo amp. I will be using the amp to play out live and the amp will most likely be mic'd. Which Mesa amps will best suit my needs?

1. Really good to great clean channel. I prefer a sparkling clean as opposed to a crunch. I use pedals for everything so i'm not really concerned about the amp's distortion quality.
2. Lots of headroom. I don't want breakup too early.
3. Weight. Nothing too heavy.
4. Price. I'll most likely be looking for something used. I'd like to keep the used price below $1200-$1300 but I would be willing to go to $1500 for the right amp.

Looking forward to the responses. Thanks.

Click to expand...

I would check out an Electra Dyne used. The multi mode / shared EQ likely won't bother you if you only use the clean and the clean on the amp is incredible. The 27" 1 x 12 combo would likely do what you need but it is a bit of a pig to move around. There is a smaller 23" combo that was made as well and perhaps that would be better what you needed? Definitely worth looking into if you want an exceptional clean tone to use as a pedal platform.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Used-Mesa-Boogie-Electra-Dyne-1x12-Guitar-Combo-Amp-45-90W-/291177372896?hash=item43cb861ce0:g:jN0AAOSwKrhVdybX

^^^THIS^^^

Mesa OD is a big factor with their amps. While most all Mesa amps have gorgeous cleans and will work very well as pedal platforms, it's kind of a waste to get a Mesa and not take advantage of its OD.

You may find that you can ditch a lot of your OD pedals if you get a Mesa, but if you're strictly a pedal guy seeking a high headroom pedal platform, just get a Fender Twin.