[Vince]

Well we all knew that was coming. :vince:

 

[T Gobbs]

What do you think of it so far? Looks phenomenal.

 

[Vince]

Just playing it for the first time so take anything I say this early with a grain of salt. But it sounds like an amp you really can't get a bad sound out of. If you were ever a kid in the 90s that was underwhelmed the first time plugging into a dual rec in a guitar store because you didn't know what you were doing with it, this is the anti-thesis of that. It's instantly accessible, like an EVH amp, and every position on the knobs sounds good.

First thing I did was max out the gain on crush mode, and while the amp is tighter than a standard dual rec, it's Pull Me Under territory for the heaviest sound on the amp. Having said that, running an OD in front, this thing rips. Riiiiiiips. I need to run it through it's paces for sure, but I'm finding very good, very usable sounds very quickly. It's also super nice that Clean and Pushed are now on the same knob and not a switch. The gain on the clean channel, once it passes about noon or 1 o'clock really kicks in nicely.

 

[Vince]

Also for the first time ever on a Mesa amp, the knobs do what they say. Bass is bass, mid is mid, treble is not gain. So that's nice.

 

[Cobra Commander]

 

[Leon]

Also for the first time ever on a Mesa amp, the knobs do what they say. Bass is bass, mid is mid, treble is not gain. So that's nice.

So, they moved the tone-stack?

 

[Vince]

Also for the first time ever on a Mesa amp, the knobs do what they say. Bass is bass, mid is mid, treble is not gain. So that's nice.

So, they moved the tone-stack?

Maybe, I'm not knowledgeable enough to say. The controls work the same as on an EVH, if that makes sense.

 

[Nick]

Also for the first time ever on a Mesa amp, the knobs do what they say. Bass is bass, mid is mid, treble is not gain. So that's nice.

Excellent news, mesa amps have wrecked me in terms of setting up other amps, I've gone from owning 2 mesas to 2 diezels and an engl whilst retaining the dual rec. Literally anything you know about amp settings can get thrown in the fucking bin when you are dealing with other amp brands. I think the dual rec is one of the best metal amps that exists but mesas tonestack setup is fucking stupid.

 

[1]

Knobs do what they say they do? Sounds good in normal positions? Are you sure it's a Mesa? :lol:

Happy NAD dude, clips!

 

[bigdave]

:bateman::zhao:

 

[Mike]

Knobs do what they say they do? Sounds good in normal positions? Are you sure it's a Mesa? :lol:

Happy NAD dude, clips!

This. All of this.

:metal:

 

[Leon]

Excellent news, mesa amps have wrecked me in terms of setting up other amps, I've gone from owning 2 mesas to 2 diezels and an engl whilst retaining the dual rec. Literally anything you know about amp settings can get thrown in the fucking bin when you are dealing with other amp brands. I think the dual rec is one of the best metal amps that exists but mesas tonestack setup is fucking stupid.

That's what makes them so versatile, though, which is why you'd see them on stage from the core-iest -core band to the guy playing for Sheryl Crow :lol:

 

[1]

Excellent news, mesa amps have wrecked me in terms of setting up other amps, I've gone from owning 2 mesas to 2 diezels and an engl whilst retaining the dual rec. Literally anything you know about amp settings can get thrown in the fucking bin when you are dealing with other amp brands. I think the dual rec is one of the best metal amps that exists but mesas tonestack setup is fucking stupid.

You don't think that boosting the mids by turning the mids all the way down, standing on one leg and pushing the "Definitely Not The Mid Boost Button" is a sensible way to design an amp? :lol:

I liked the Roadster when I had it but it was the same way. 12 zillion knobs and you may as well put on a blindfold when dialing a tone in because the label for the knobs meant fuck all. Not to mention that the one knob I'd actually want to adjust the most, reverb, was on the goddamn back. :lol:

 

[Nick]

Excellent news, mesa amps have wrecked me in terms of setting up other amps, I've gone from owning 2 mesas to 2 diezels and an engl whilst retaining the dual rec. Literally anything you know about amp settings can get thrown in the fucking bin when you are dealing with other amp brands. I think the dual rec is one of the best metal amps that exists but mesas tonestack setup is fucking stupid.

You don't think that boosting the mids by turning the mids all the way down, standing on one leg and pushing the "Definitely Not The Mid Boost Button" is a sensible way to design an amp?

I liked the Roadster when I had it but it was the same way. 12 zillion knobs and you may as well put on a blindfold when dialing a tone in because the label for the knobs meant fuck all. Not to mention that the one knob I'd actually want to adjust the most, reverb, was on the goddamn back.

Exactly, my other amps if yiu want more gain interestingly you only have to touch the gain control, not the full eq stack because touching one thing instantly fucks everything else

 

[budda]

"Badlander: The 5150 of mesa boogies"

I for one like the knobs where you can see your settings when it leaves your room :lol:.

 

[Vince]

"Badlander: The 5150 of mesa boogies"

IMO this is going to be a divisive amp. It carries the Rectifier badge on it, but it sounds very different from any rectifier that came before it. It's much more akin to an EVH or 5150 with added-in Mesa grind / gain. It sits well in a mix, and you can run the bass at 1 o'clock just like a 5150, and it doesn't sound flubby for high gain sounds. I have my EVH EL34 sitting here next to it, and I can tell you it's comparable, however the Mesa just sounds clearer, throatier (I hate that word, but you know what I mean), and has more usable sweep on every knob. It doesn't have the as much gain as an EVH, doesn't have MIDI, and doesn't have that third channel. The onboard cab clone IR is the trade-off.

It's a very interesting and excellent amplifier, and it's great to see Mesa taking some chances. I think ultimately, this will sell very well and be a popular model for them. It is a very accessible amp, such a novel idea for Mesa.

 

[Drew]

First thing I did was max out the gain on crush mode, and while the amp is tighter than a standard dual rec, it's Pull Me Under territory for the heaviest sound on the amp.

Wait, I'm confused - are you saying that's not ENOUGH gain? :lol:

I'll confess, I'm still pretty disinterested in this amp. Doesn't sound that different from a Dual with ELs from the videos Ive seen, no solo boost, and it's voiced more towards traditional dual territory, not the smooth lead sound I like from Mesas. That said, the reason Mesa has a multi-line lineup is because it's NOT supposed to be the end-all-be-all amp for all players, and I'm sure there's a lot of guys out there who are looking at the spec sheet and are stoked. Which is cool.

 

[Vince]

Posted this over in the SAW thread as well. I was inspired and recorded this over the last 24 hours.

The video is meh, music is :yesway:

 

[jacksonplayer]

That sounds great! Nice track and playing, too. Seems like enough gain, to me.

 

[Vince]

That sounds great! Nice track and playing, too. Seems like enough gain, to me.

Thanks man!. To be fair, I am running a boost out in front. The amp has a nice amount of gain, I just prefer the sound of a boost out front of almost any amp.