Anyone a fan of the Mesa Express 5:50?

[DannyStereo]

My good friend and tone enthusiast was kind enough to let me borrow his 5:50 2x12 combo. The older version, not the 'Plus' currently out with the graphic EQ.

This amp is surprisingly compact for a 2x12, and lighter than my AC30C2

5 watt mode is quiet, as it should be. 50 watt mode is peeling paint off walls. Good to have both available (and to be honest, the 5 watt mode is perhaps my favorite feature of this amp since we all know stage volume has to be kept low these days)

The four modes I think work best in tandem, meaning clean with blues, and crunch with burn. So far I'm digging the clean/blues modes, but if I get a chance to gig with my friend's band again, is definitely Rock the crunch/burn.

Any fans of the Express line?

 

[soulman969]

Don't own one but I have played through a 1x12 version of a 5:50 numerous times. I thought is was a great amp and had a shot at buying it. It sounded killer with a Tele but it was just a lot more amp than what I needed at the moment.

A 50w Mesa Boogie would peel the paint off walls around my place and turn my neighbors into a lynch mob. It worked out well though because for my needs my BC 60 and Tweaker work out better overall.

 

[Frodebro]

I had a 5:25 some years ago that I really liked. The only reason it went away is because a Mark V followed me home one day.

 

[DannyStereo]

Don't own one but I have played through a 1x12 version of a 5:50 numerous times. I thought is was a great amp and had a shot at buying it. It sounded killer with a Tele but it was just a lot more amp than what I needed at the moment. A 50w Mesa Boogie would peel the paint off walls around my place and turn my neighbors into a lynch mob. It worked out well though because for my needs my BC 60 and Tweaker work out better overall.

Yeah the Tweaker I feel has a really great base tone.

I may have a shot at buying this one from my friend, so I was curious if anyone here had some experience with these. It sounds fat on the clean channel with my teles.


I briefly plugged in my Gibby earlier and I was well into hard rock territory.

 

[DannyStereo]

I had a 5:25 some years ago that I really liked. The only reason it went away is because a Mark V followed me home one day.

I'm interested in learning how you get amps to follow you.

There are a few I'd like to try that on

 

[Frodebro]

I'm interested in learning how you get amps to follow you.

There are a few I'd like to try that on

Well, let's just say it was one of those "unplanned purchases." I stopped by my local store on my way home from work one day to pick up a ten-pack of strings. The place was a bit busy, so instead of standing around waiting for my turn at the counter I wandered into the rear of the store. This store is a Mesa dealer, and they had a Mark V head sitting on a 1x12 cab. I grabbed a guitar and cable (they keep a couple of cables hanging on the wall for test drives) and plugged into it just to see what it sounded like.

Forty-five minutes (and one severely dinged checking account) later, it was in my living room.

I will say, though, that I have never once suffered any buyer's remorse over it.

 

[voodoo tele]

Been gigging with one for about the last four yrs.Great amp able to get any sound u can dream of plenty of clean headroom and the drive channels are to die for.Great amp wished I would've had it twenty yrs. ago!

 

[Tony Done]

I had a 5-25 for a short while. I loved the sound, but the clean channel was too noisy for use in my man cave. We tried swapping tubes but nothing fixed it, so i returned it after about a week, and got an H&K Dual EL 84 instead.

 

[DannyStereo]

I had a 5-25 for a short while. I loved the sound, but the clean channel was too noisy for use in my man cave. We tried swapping tubes but nothing fixed it, so i returned it after about a week, and got an H&K Dual EL 84 instead.

The 5:25 is also el84 based, yes?

 

[gridlock]

I owned a Mesa Express 5:50 non-plus (1x12) and really liked it. The Clean and Blues channels were my favorite. Loved the tone of the 6L6's, real reverb, the stock speaker, and variable wattage. A very versatile amp. Only got rid of it because I already had Fender and Marshall amps and did not need the versatility. Today I just bought a Mesa Mark IIB. Back in the Mesa family.

 

[Frodebro]

The 5:25 is also el84 based, yes?

Yes. The only power tubes Mesa is using in their current production models are EL84s, 6L6s, and EL34s. All of their 25W amps are running EL84s.

 

[Colo Springs E]

In my opinion, the 5:50 is a far better amp than the 5:25. I usually like lower wattage amps, and generally love Mesas... but they missed the mark with the 5:25 in my opinion. The 5:50 on the other hand is a beast, and a very powerful and toneful one at that.

 

[DannyStereo]

In my opinion, the 5:50 is a far better amp than the 5:25. I usually like lower wattage amps, and generally love Mesas... but they missed the mark with the 5:25 in my opinion. The 5:50 on the other hand is a beast, and a very powerful and toneful one at that.

Yeah I usually am a fan of low watt EL84 amps too. But this guy is impressive. Really covers some Fender and Marshall type tones, but with its own character.

 

[rider7]

I do like the Mesa Express 5:50 not your typical hi gain amp for which Mesa is known for. Good clean and versatile. But I already have the TA-15 for home use.

 

[DannyStereo]

I do like the Mesa Express 5:50 not your typical hi gain amp for which Mesa is known for. Good clean and versatile. But I already have the TA-15 for home use.

That TA-15 runs on 6V6s yes?

 

[soulman969]

That TA-15 runs on 6V6s yes?

The TA-15 runs on 6v6s......NO. LOL It runs a pair of EL84s and 4 12ax7s.

 

[soulman969]

I do like the Mesa Express 5:50 not your typical hi gain amp for which Mesa is known for. Good clean and versatile. But I already have the TA-15 for home use.

Yes, very much so. It'll hit you between the eyes with some overdrive but it's not your typical Mesa Boogie. Very true. It's from the more well behaved side of the family.

 

[DannyStereo]

The TA-15 runs on 6v6s......NO. LOL It runs a pair of EL84s and 4 12ax7s.

Jeez. I guess you gotta get the gain from all those preamp tubes.

That's a classy amp though

 

[DannyStereo]

I got to play this morning's Church service with the Express at 5w, clean/blues mode.

Fantastic tone. I've been playing Voxes for so long I had forgotten about the bigger tube roundness.

I actually played quite a bit on clean, and it handled delay and other effects ridiculously well. It's just a beautiful amp. Lighter than my AC30, and compact for a 2x12 combo.

 

[soulman969]

Jeez. I guess you gotta get the gain from all those preamp tubes.

That's a classy amp though

That's kinda what Mesa's are known for isn't it? For a lunch box style amp a TA-15 is ballsy little beast. It can rattle windows and make the dog hide under the bed.