What's the best EL84 Mesa, & why????

I'm really missing my DC-3. I'm just getting back into playing after a 4 1/2 year break, and would really like some EL-84 chime.


Lately, I've been really getting into Classic Heavy Rock, like AC/DC, ZZ Top, Zep, Zappa, etc.

I have tons of amps to cover anything from SRV to Slayer, but there is just something about the EL-84 tone, both Clean & Overdriven.


I would like a 2 channel amp that can cover most Classic Rock. The Solo function is great, but I have Boost pedals too.




What do you guys think??? I really need to live by a great Music Store, but there aren't any here. I am going to Phoenix next month just to play in Music Stores. Is there anything in particular that I should look for?

Look into the new Express 5:25

What he said ^

I haven't heard any of the Express amps yet, but those who have seem to think they sound great, which makes me want to hear them too.

Also I would check out the Rocket 44 or 440. I have a 44 and it is a VERY sweet amp with a lot of gain and a beautiful voice for solos. The best thing is that you can get one a lot cheaper than a new amp. I would go so far as to say that the Rockets are sleepers which somehow got overlooked.
Happy hunting

M

Lonestar Special - best amp I've ever played through, although you need to be a tweaker to get the best from it.

I was just looking at the Express 5:25 on Mesa's website. Looks really cool. I like the idea of a 1x10 combo that has 2 channels and flat out rocks the house.

I'm really into Clean tones and Dirty tones, so I don't know if the Lonestar would suit me. A friend of mine had one, and he never got a truly convincing tone out of channel 2 with a Strat.


I play mostly Strats with different pickup configurations and brands.

I also have a Warmoth Soloist with 2 hums and a single coil.

I will also most likely pick up a 2 humbucker guitar with a fixed bridge soon, maybe a PRS Singlecut or Jackson Soloist Archtop (SLATQH I think).



I have really grown accustomed to the Solo boost too. The Express has the Contour, which may act in a similar fashion, but I would have to hear it.

Plus, I don't want to spend much over $1000. And, if I get a used one, I won't care if I modify it a bit. I'm building quite an arsenal of delicious mods for Mesas, which is part of the reason that I'm looking for another one.

LSS,tone that could wake up stevie(ray vaughn),killer texan growl

My RKI with 2 of the 6L6 replaced with yellowjackets and el84's, is probably the best mesa el84 amp out there ;-)

Lone Star Special without a doubt. 2 channel, EL84's, solo... You cant go wrong especially if you play with strats/single coils

I hate to say it but the cleans on my Nomad 45 112 are so much nicer that the Recto-Verb that I used to own. I am waiting for my Road King II and am hoping it will keep up to both my Rivera's!

I had a Nomad 45 1x12 for a while, but it didn't have the gain that I wanted. The cleans were very nice though.

The thing that I really didn't like was the Reverb. I guess that I'm spoiled after having some vintage Fenders, most solid state Reverb doesn't compare.



The Express looks cool.


Can't wait to get to a Mesa dealer in Phoenix and just try all of them out.

I have both a Maverick 212 combo and a DC-3 112. Both have V30s, though I will often use the DC-3 with a 112 EVM Theile cab.

I like both amps, but they are very different. My very first amps were vintage Fenders, so I'm used to the 6L6/6V6 tone. The EL84 seems very different--and you can really hear that difference in the DC Series and the Nomads. It took be a long time to get use to the "rounder" top end of the EL84s--I wondered where all the "airiness" went. I had to learn that different didn't mean BAD.

Don't get me wrong, I still love my Mark Series amps very much! But I love dragging along the DC-3 to a jam session, and gutting Peavey Classic 30s! Those are actually pretty decent little amps, but the DC-3 is a PRO'S amp, and they offer so much more. It's a small amp, but it sounds HUGE! It's very dynamic, and sounds like a much bigger amp. The Graphic EQ is great, and really allows you to dial in the perfect lead tone. I play classic rock, country and blues in a low to medium volume cover band--I never use the gain above about 7. This is steak AND sizzle! I'd originally looked at both the DC and the Maverick when these amps first came out. I'd decided that the Maverick in the 112 combo version fit my style better--but when my DC-3 appeared for cheap in a local pawn shop--it was a no brainer. I've been really happy with it.

Still, the Maverick stayed on my mind. I finally got one of the last ones that Guitar Center had in September, 1995. When I finally got to use it with my band, I hooked it up with a 212 Recto cab for a little half-stack--and OMG!!!! Tone is just SO creamy on this amp. I like some of the G&L guitars with their MFD pickups like the Comanche and the S-500--and these can be a bit harsh, but not with the Maverick! I use a little bit of compression and got studio-sounding rhythm parts. With my Legacy's vintage alnico pickups, the amp just had that wonderful Class A chime. With my '58 Historic Les Paul, my Santana covers had that singing, soulful lead voice. I added just a bit of treble to the tone and backed off the gain just a bit, and felt like I was in Duane Allman Plexi-Marshall territory for "Stormy Monday".

The Maverick handled everything I threw at it, and the Recto 212 added some nice chunk to the bottom end. I got a TON of compliments on my playing that night, and I felt really inspired. It's a great feeling when you can just let it flow and feel like you're playing over your head!

The 212 Mav is a little big for me to take to a jam session, but it's great for most of the rooms that my band plays--and it may replace my Mark IV as my main gig amp. They are very different creatures, but I like my EL84 amps--both my DC-3 and my Maverick--very much. And to be honest, I'm not sure that the current Mesa line-up really offers me anything more than what I have in these amps.

Bill

Hey Bill, thanks for the input.

I had a DC-3 and sold it to a friend who just had to have it. It was a great little amp. I had the DC-2 also, but the EQ made the 3 much more useable to me. If the Contour worked on Channel 1 of the DC-2, I wouldn't have gone looking for the 3 though. It had just the right output for jamming at the house.



I'm really looking forward to trying out a Maverick and the new Express amps. I have a Roadster and Tremoverb and Soldano, so I'm looking for medium gain, creamy overdrive, singing tone instead of the "Kill your mama" tone.

I have a DC-3 combo. I think you should go out and find another one. You could find one cheap on ebay. Half the price of a Lonestar Special. BTW, I had a LSS too but I sold it. I wasn't in love with Channel 2.

Wow....no love for the F-30! I liked the F-30 over the LSS, but that is why they make different models. The F-30 just loves Strat and Tele type configurations. I am a modern high gain type player and that may be why I like the F-30 more than the others listed. It has plenty of gain on the lead channel, but has a completely different flavor from my other amps.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ssPageName=ADME:B:EOIBSAA:US:11&Item=130078492155


I just picked this up. I've never even seen one in person, but for under $400, I couldn't resist.

I'm still getting another DC-3, but can't afford one right now.