What Mesa to get?

J

Jimbo513

New member
I am taking the advice of you guys and not getting a half stack. I want a 2x12 combo. Am considering the Nomad 100. Lots of features there. Basically want something with good features and a power select switch. Also looked at the lonestar. I am looking for good distortion sound. Good cleans would be great too, but mainly looking for powerful distortion.

Whats a good price for the Nomad 100 2x12? There's one on ebay now for $995. What about the lonestar? Have seen them around the $1200 mark.
 
Last edited:
Jimbo513 said:
powerful distortion
Click to expand...


What does that mean?

AC/DC could be considered to have "powerful" distortion, but that isn't anywhere near the amount of distortion that nu-metal bands use.
 
Eh, just something with a heavy sound. Don't get me wrong, I want a versatile amp, but I want something capable of producing heavy tones. I play alot of Metallica type music.
 
Um, don't get a rectifier then. Nothing wrong with the rectifier at all, i love em, but it's really not that versatile. I wouldn't count out the Triple xxx either, it's one of the more versatile amps i've ever played.
 
I played a Nomad 100 for about a week, and I actually didn't like it too much. However, if you're looking for versatility it might be good for you. You could get a lot of different sounds out of that thing, but none of the sounds were great to me. Also, I found it much too loud for a combo. Not to mention extremely heavy.

Now the Maverick combos look sweet. I haven't played one, though so I can't comment. Maybe someone has can fill you in. I know the guy from Incubus plays out of those things, not that that's the sound you're going for, but I saw a clip of them playing live, and they sounded great...playing out of two at once.
 
My friend has a Maverick. He gets a really nice bluesy? tone out of it. Like clean with a bit of grit. Sounds really full. The distortion on it isn't too massive.

I personally love my 5150. If you don't mind a gritty clean.. then i think it would work out for you. You can get a reallllllly heavy distortion out of them too. I play in a what would considered emo band. I normally play with the gain set around 3 or 4.

The only problem with it is that it's not super versatile. It's always going to sound like a 5150.
 
Have a look at the traynor 40, 50, and 80 watt combos, they have great distortion and lots of sound option. There's two channels and a boost switch, it's pretty badass, and inexpensive.
 
You may want to check out the Line 6 Spyder II 2x12 combo. I use one and its very versitile. It has "powerful distortion"
 
gitrguy87 said:
You may want to check out the Line 6 Spyder II 2x12 combo. I use one and its very versitile. It has "powerful distortion"
Click to expand...

Yeah, don't do that if you want to record the amp. Modeled amps hardly ever sound as good recorded (or live, in my opinion) than a true tube amp. If you've got your heart set on a Mesa, then the Triple Rec is probably going to be your best bet. On the other hand, if you're after that classic "BIG" rock distortion, you can't go wrong with one of the Marshall JCM amps.

If you need to keep that cost down, take a look at the Fender Hotrod Deville. This is what I play. Now, it comes in two configurations, 2x12 and 4x10. The stock tubes don't do the thing justice. Even still, it sounded fantastic when I first bought it. About two months ago, I through some Mesa tubes in it and WOW! That is one HUGE sound.

Just a few thoughts.
 
I didn't read enough to get the budget range but if you can swing it, buy the Mesa Boogie Triaxis and a 20 watt power amp. get a 2x12 cabinet and you'll have a great start. It seemed really versitile when I demo'd it.

My next suggestion would be a single recto and buy a bunch of different distortion pedals like Boss MT-2, Ibanez tube screamer, Bigg Muff, Etc.

Third would be to get a used single recto and a used marshall JCM and a 2x12 cabinet with various distortion pedals and an a/b switcher.

2x12 combos are good but for a little more money you could land a killer rig that's just as compact and versatile.
 
I already have a Line 6 SpiderII 210. Want a tube amp and kinda set on a mesa. I was going to get something like a Triple Rec and 4x12 but some of the guys on here said it is just too loud for home use and even small venues. I would have to crank up the volume to get the tubes really cookin right? That's why I was gonna go with something a little smaller.
 
I have a Mesa DC-3, an old 30-watt 1x12 combo. It's too loud for home use and small venues. I'm looking into an attenuator for it.
 
Jimbo513 said:
I already have a Line 6 SpiderII 210. Want a tube amp and kinda set on a mesa. I was going to get something like a Triple Rec and 4x12 but some of the guys on here said it is just too loud for home use and even small venues. I would have to crank up the volume to get the tubes really cookin right? That's why I was gonna go with something a little smaller.
Click to expand...


That changes everything.

Anything over 15watts that is tube is (for the most part) going to be way too loud for home use if you want the tubes to start "cookin".

I haven't played the Mesa .22+, but it be should be something to look into because its a Mesa and its not 100 watts. Its 22 watts buts it going to be LOUD. And by LOUD I mean LOUD.

Even for gigging you won't have much to worry about...but thats why they make extention cabs.

22 watts and 100 watts are not very different in the tube world. 100 is only 2x as loud (+/- a little) as a 10watt amp (all things being equal - ie speakers and such). And a 100 watt amp has so much more head room, you will have to crank it almost all the way up for the power tubes to get saturated.
 
wlel that's the rule but nowt in real life. I have the mesa .22 and for live situations i ouwldn't use it. i did and it;s hard. but anyway, for recording it sim ply rocks , with a littel isolation you can put that monster on 6-7 and it just fucking ripps your head off. Forget al those winers that say it don;t do metal. They didn;t try., I tb eats the marshall DSL for recording metal tones hands down.
 
Mark 4!

Check out the Mark 4. Very versatile sounds, from beautiful clean to screaming lead. With all the circuit variations available (Simul-class; Pentode/triode, full/reduced power on-off switch), you can get very over driven sounds at fairly low volumes, by attenuating the power down to something like 15 watts. At full power (85 watts), you can blow the walls down. I use a short chassis head, and two Mesa cabinets, each with a single 12" speaker (one closed back Thiele design with a Mesa speaker for more low end, and one open back with a single 12" EV speaker). It's a very portable set-up, with no one part likely to give me a hernia, yet plays plenty loud even outdoors. My only regret with this rig is that I didn't buy it a long time ago!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top