Which Mesa for me?

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fizz

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I'm an 80's hard rocker... everything from AC/DC to Queensryche. I'm not into Metallica or other hardcore metal 80s bands.

I've been chasing Marshall tone for a while now only to realize I like Mesa amps better. I've discovered this through my modelers Mark amps (Helix and Amplitube).

Which amp should I be looking to buy? Also, I am a bedroom player.
 
Mark series either old or new. Mark III, Mark V 25,35,90.. will cover all that ground for you. I'd recommend a head with a cab vs the combo.
 
iceman said:
Mark series either old or new. Mark III, Mark V 25,35,90.. will cover all that ground for you. I'd recommend a head with a cab vs the combo.

Thanks iceman... I've seen people say the V 90 sounds better at bedroom volumes than the 25.. is this true? I think the 25 would be perfect but what would I be missing between it and the 90 other than power? Which cab is recommended?
 
Normally I would say just get a Dual Rec, put in some EL-34s and you can dial some really monstrous tones for 1980s metal/hard rock.

But...you said you were a bedroom guitarist and liked the Mark models. So maybe yes, a Mini Mark could be more up your alley.

The main difference between a Mark and a Rec is that a Mark will be much more focused and tighter. It is great tight riffing and playing leads. A Rec will be rawer, wilder and looser. You can get awesome crushing rhythm tones from a Rec but you might want to tighten it up with an OD pedal for lead playing.

As for the wattage issue...I seem to prefer the bigger (100W+) amps to smaller ones for the simple reason that they sound, well, bigger. At any volume. Big iron equals more thump and all that. But to really enjoy that, you need to open them up a bit, which could be an issue for a bedroom player. A Mini Mark will be plenty loud anyway.

Just be sure which works better for you - a Mark or a Recto - and get the mini version. It is not a big high-risk investment.
You can find pretty good comparison videos on the 'tube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DA8iamm661g
Maybe they will help decide which one is closer to what you are after.
 
LesPaul70 said:
Normally I would say just get a Dual Rec, put in some EL-34s and you can dial some really monstrous tones for 1980s metal/hard rock.

But...you said you were a bedroom guitarist and liked the Mark models. So maybe yes, a Mini Mark could be more up your alley.

The main difference between a Mark and a Rec is that a Mark will be much more focused and tighter. It is great tight riffing and playing leads. A Rec will be rawer, wilder and looser. You can get awesome crushing rhythm tones from a Rec but you might want to tighten it up with an OD pedal for lead playing.

As for the wattage issue...I seem to prefer the bigger (100W+) amps to smaller ones for the simple reason that they sound, well, bigger. At any volume. Big iron equals more thump and all that. But to really enjoy that, you need to open them up a bit, which could be an issue for a bedroom player. A Mini Mark will be plenty loud anyway.

Just be sure which works better for you - a Mark or a Recto - and get the mini version. It is not a big high-risk investment.
You can find pretty good comparison videos on the 'tube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DA8iamm661g
Maybe they will help decide which one is closer to what you are after.

Thanks.. I've never seen a comparison of the two. I'm actually impressed by these tones on the Recto. I'm impressed by the tones on all Mesa's now that I have found them. However, the Mark did sound better to me in that video. It's just got something that makes me think, yep, there it is but I'm not quiet sure what it is I am hearing that I like about it. I could be happy with any Mesa but the Mark is over the top.

What would be a good cab and speaker setup to pair with it in the bedroom?
 
I have both a Mark V 90 and Roadster (which is a recto) and the Mark V is better sounding at lower volumes. Really need to crank the Roadster to get beyond fizz. I also tend to run the Mark V on variac power and 45 watts. So I'd agree with the other poster that if you are bedroom then Mark V 25 would probably be even better. Though I also have a Boss Waza TAE..

For speakers it really comes down to the amp pairing. Speakers will have a huge impact on the signal chain. I run a vet30 and ET-65 pairing in a Port City 2x12 OS with my Mark's. It adds a low end thump while still having bite and smoothness. I prefer the Port City over Mesa 2x12 with V30s or the combo with the C-90 (great for cleans though).
 
I have have the V:25 10” combo and the full V 90 W head with cab. Now, bedroom volume is a subjective thing but in general, the biggest difference between these two amps is the 90 has an end stage Output control. In this case each channel’s Master level can be set individually and then the final amp level is set by the Output knob. So, it is easy to get a controllable range of volume when playing ‘softly’.

By comparison, the Mark V:25 (and Rectoverb 25) only have channel Masters, there is no end stage Output knob. So, when playing ‘softly’ even a slight, slight nudge on the Master level has a big effect on volume. And, you’ll pretty much be riding 7 o’clock on that Master knob for bedroom volumes (very close to zero level).

So, while it may seem counterintuitive, the big 90 gives more control and tone shaping (Master to output tubes plus end stage Output knob) at bedroom levels than the lower wattage 25. Keep in mind the big 90 can also drop to 10 W like the 25 can also.

At the end of the day, the V:25 still sounds great at bedroom levels but the 90 is a bit more ‘user friendly’ at lower volumes (in my opinion). In both amps the power tubes are not being driven when playing bedroom levels.
 
mace said:
I have have the V:25 10” combo and the full V 90 W head with cab. Now, bedroom volume is a subjective thing but in general, the biggest difference between these two amps is the 90 has an end stage Output control. In this case each channel’s Master level can be set individually and then the final amp level is set by the Output knob. So, it is easy to get a controllable range of volume when playing ‘softly’.

By comparison, the Mark V:25 (and Rectoverb 25) only have channel Masters, there is no end stage Output knob. So, when playing ‘softly’ even a slight, slight nudge on the Master level has a big effect on volume. And, you’ll pretty much be riding 7 o’clock on that Master knob for bedroom volumes (very close to zero level).

So, while it may seem counterintuitive, the big 90 gives more control and tone shaping (Master to output tubes plus end stage Output knob) at bedroom levels than the lower wattage 25. Keep in mind the big 90 can also drop to 10 W like the 25 can also.

At the end of the day, the V:25 still sounds great at bedroom levels but the 90 is a bit more ‘user friendly’ at lower volumes (in my opinion). In both amps the power tubes are not being driven when playing bedroom levels.


Unfortunately I don't own a V:25, but do have a V:90 and a LSS, both operate in a similar fashion WRT the output stage control and selectable power levels. Totally agree with mace that the global output level provides a finer level of vol control while allowing the preamp stage to run in a "hotter" state. If the "loop bypass mode" is enabled, then its operating like a V:25 as that global output control is also bypassed. Cranking down the channel masters for that acceptable vol IHO the preamp suffers a bit.

It is understandable to feel that a 90W beast is going to be hard to tame in the bedroom :) but Mesa did a nice job with it and that 10W mode is a difference maker. Personally I also use a Two Notes Captor with -20db which allows even more gain and tube saturation at low volumes.
 
I'll be honest with ya, I'd consider the TC100. I can not express enough how awesome the multi watt feature is. That instantly solves your volume issue while still retaining the feel and tone of the amp. The amp is one of the best to come out of Petaluma in quite a while. I play in an 80's tribute band and believe me, it covers ANYTHING in that genre. Pair it with a vertical 2x12 and you have a rig that could play anywhere from your bedroom, to clubs, to stadiums. Just my 2 cents.
 
Hi, I own a TC100 and a V-25
To be honest, the TC-100 is much more usable for bedroom lvl than the 25
Muliwatt!!! Top notch! Second channel can easily tuned in a Marshally direction. :mrgreen:
The Badlander might be interesting but I had no chance to check him out so far ... not available in Germany till Feb. xD

Hope you find your Mesa Amp 8)
 
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