Mesa Express 5:25

[Hendog]

Ok, I think I found it...

Beautiful cleans, Rectifier gain, switchable power, small package, affordable.

Is the Mesa Express 5:25 the perfect amp?

 

[Sweat]

Would not call it perfect, really dont like the burn channel, but it is sweet can get alot of tones from mine, mostly use the clean or blues setting, but for the price a great amp

 

[roburado]

Just my opinion, I don't like it at all. Prefer F-30 by a mile.

 

[luv]

Would not call it perfect, really dont like the burn channel, but it is sweet can get alot of tones from mine, mostly use the clean or blues setting, but for the price a great amp

fing-

just out of curiosity, did you get the 1x10 or the 1x12?

 

[Sweat]

fing-

just out of curiosity, did you get the 1x10 or the 1x12?

Custom 1x12, custom is pretty much a fancy tolex but got a killer deal.

 

[mikeller]

I haven't played thru the 5:25 but I am quite fond of my 5:50. Just purchased an extension cabinet earlier this week

 

[Hendog]

Just my opinion, I don't like it at all. Prefer F-30 by a mile.

Would you mind explaining this ^^^?

I'm about to blow my entire wad on this amp and then be stuck with it forever. LOL

 

[Hendog]

Would not call it perfect, really dont like the burn channel, but it is sweet can get alot of tones from mine, mostly use the clean or blues setting, but for the price a great amp

So it doesn't nail the mesa rectifier high gain?

 

[Grand Wazoo]

Ok, I think I found it...

Beautiful cleans, Rectifier gain, switchable power, small package, affordable.

Is the Mesa Express 5:25 the perfect amp?

...wispering in Hendog's ears.... "Lonestar, my friend...."

Mesa Boogie Lone Star Guitar Amplifier

shhhhhh

And here it is played with an EBMM Axis
[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MDzzFbp8iNM]YouTube - Mesa Boogie Lonestar Special - Tone Demo[/ame]

 

[Hendog]

fing nice! ^^^ I love that amp.

Wouldn't the Express offer more gain for my Petrucci leads?

 

[Astrofreq]

Yeah, I'm in the amp market too and from what I've heard the Express is a killer amp, but doesn't do high gain too well. Great for most styles, but not a metalish tone.

 

[Sweat]

So it doesn't nail the mesa rectifier high gain?

Rectifier high is not my thing but have tied them at GC before, while it is a high gain just sounds too solid state to me on the burn channel but you can get great tones and high gain that sounds great on all others, dont get me wrong i recommend it.

 

[ScoobySteve]

Would not call it perfect, really dont like the burn channel, but it is sweet can get alot of tones from mine, mostly use the clean or blues setting, but for the price a great amp

I haven't played thru the 5:25 but I am quite fond of my 5:50. Just purchased an extension cabinet earlier this week

I've been looking into these as well.

Comparing it to the Lonestar Special, and the ENGL Thunder Reverb.

Keith, Mike

How does the 25 and the 50 hold up with the drums? I plan on getting the head unit, and running it through my 4x12.

I really like the 50 watt, but I was curious if the 25 has enough oomph in it to be able to play a decently sized gig.

 

[Purple ASS]

...wispering in Hendog's ears.... "Lonestar, my friend...."

Mesa Boogie Lone Star Guitar Amplifier

shhhhhh

And here it is played with an EBMM Axis
YouTube - Mesa Boogie Lonestar Special - Tone Demo

Fabulous amp I agree. I have a Lonsestar (Classic) and it's an awesome gigging amp but not for hi gain leads at least not on its own. Which Lonestar are you suggesting GW ? Lonestar or Lonestar Special, two very differently voiced amp? Can't speak for the Express , but I have a DC3 which I believe was the predecessor to the F30. 30 Watts and will cut through my 9 piece band without any problem....very very loud. Very usable hi gains too and fantastic cleans. Great for home use too.

 

[roburado]

Would you mind explaining this ^^^?

I'm about to blow my entire wad on this amp and then be stuck with it forever. LOL

So it doesn't nail the mesa rectifier high gain?

Yeah, I'm in the amp market too and from what I've heard the Express is a killer amp, but doesn't do high gain too well. Great for most styles, but not a metalish tone.

I don't think that either the 5:25 or Lonestar Special are going to do the Petrucci thing you're looking for. I think the F-Series is going to get you closer. I really like the feel of the F-30 and the F-50 better than these Express amps. I don't know what it is about the 5:25, which, I imagine, is supposedly the replacement for the F-30. The 5:25 and Lonestar Special just feel short on gain for me. I also think the Express sound a bit too (I don't know what's the word) compressed (?) for me. Both the 5:25 and Lonestar Special are kind of flubby on the low end. If you're looking for Petrucci lead, you're probably looking for Petrucci rhythm too, right? Neither of those amps are going to do it for you.

The F-50 is really more my speed, but the F-30 is okay too. I'm a big 6L6 fan. So, the nod goes to the F-50 more than the F-30 (EL-84) for sound, but the F-30 is more affordable. Granted, I'd like to dump my F-30 for something better, but I'm not going to do that unless I can get a Mark V or an Egnater Mod-50. I don't intend to make that move anytime soon, though--just a money thing.

 

[elroy]

greetings,
i have found the 5:25 to be a great amp. i own a 1x12" (30w speaker)combo. it has almost become my main amp for everything i do around town here in nyc. some times i have trouble cutting through certain bands, so i have a companion extention 1x12" (90w speaker), or a recto 4x12" that i can run it with to compete. the 5:25 has no problem running those cabs...
as for high gain, i think it does pretty well on its own, but i'm using an Albert Lee w/ high output pickups (x2n, super dist., megadrive), and to truly achieve the high gain i prefer i have to goose it with an overdrive or distortion to truly soar where i need to go...
overall i am very happy with mine for guitar applications as well as some pedal steel applications. its easy to get in and out of a cab, and doesn't take up much room on stage.
i hope this helps...
-e

a sidenote: JP uses one as his backstage practice rig

 

[Grand Wazoo]

Fabulous amp I agree. I have a Lonsestar (Classic) and it's an awesome gigging amp but not for hi gain leads at least not on its own. Which Lonestar are you suggesting GW ? Lonestar or Lonestar Special, two very differently voiced amp? Can't speak for the Express , but I have a DC3 which I believe was the predecessor to the F30. 30 Watts and will cut through my 9 piece band without any problem....very very loud. Very usable hi gains too and fantastic cleans. Great for home use too.

I haven't heard the Lonestar Special but I have had the pleasure to borrow the Lonestar for a few months and having owned a MesaBoogie Mark III, I have some sort of benchmark idea of what a boogie amp should sound like.

I am not someone who is fond of extremely high gains, I believe the Lonestar offers the best compromise because it keeps that beefy characteristic sound reminescent of the Mark III without sounding like its coming out of a tin can. I believe this amp is the ultimate and of course if people were looking for searing leed sounds the use of a pedal will provide exactly what they need.

However this amp is not to be underestimated, it's VERY LOUD and whilst he its been played loud it retains a clear level of presesnce and it is able to amplifiy a guitar sound in the purest way possible without mudding the sound up.

Crunch and overdrive sounds must be heard to be believed, sweetness doesn't come sweeter than this amp imho.

 

[roburado]

I haven't heard the Lonestar Special but I have had the pleasure to borrow the Lonestar for a few months and having owned a MesaBoogie Mark III, I have some sort of benchmark idea of what a boogie amp should sound like.

I don't think that there's one definitive Boogie sound. I think that there have been a lot of them. I don't think a Mark Series is really going to sound like the Express Series, the F-Series, or the old Caliber Series. The Rectifiers are a whole different ball game as well. My F-30 doesn't sound like my .50 Caliber+. Neither sounds like a Mark IV. However, that doesn't mean that they don't all have some tasty tones within.

 

[Ripper]

but i'm using an Albert Lee w/ high output pickups (x2n, super dist., megadrive), and to truly achieve the high gain i prefer i have to goose it with an overdrive or distortion to truly soar where i need to go...

Elroy you need to talk bout all your ALs in a separate thread.

 

[mikeller]

I've been looking into these as well.

Comparing it to the Lonestar Special, and the ENGL Thunder Reverb.

Keith, Mike

How does the 25 and the 50 hold up with the drums? I plan on getting the head unit, and running it through my 4x12.

I really like the 50 watt, but I was curious if the 25 has enough oomph in it to be able to play a decently sized gig.

The 5:50 is very loud. We use a soundman and everything is always mic'd up, but I gotta tell you, I can never get that puppy off 2 or 3.

To address the gain channel, as I said, I have never played the 5:25 - it is an EL34 amp and the 5:50 as 6L6 power tubes, so there are obvious tone difference. The burn channel on mine to my ears if very gainy, certainly along the lines of my MI Audio Crunchbox with the gain at 3:00.

I also have a dual rectifier Maverick which I believe was the predecessor to the Lonestar - which is a great sounding amp, but I find the burn channel to be much better on the 5:50 than the gain channel on the Maverick, the 5:50 has more gain on tap and is tighter.

The 5:50 seems equally happy with single coils or humbuckers (in other words, it loves my balls!!) and dosen't break the back.