All user reviews for the Mesa Boogie Express 5:25 1x12 Combo

Does everything said,

5 watt fashion's great, we can play a small volume while keeping the dynamics of lamps!

USE

configuration is not simple dan sle way or that is not plug and play, you have to know them and know what a tad knob turn, this amp is not destiny to beginners!

For clean and crunch, it's easy to find, now the distortion, I will start by saying that the burn channel is exellent, now when was the critics of this distortion that gear, I invite you to read the following .dropoff window

SONORITS


going to the facts!

For sound, clean sound facielement yes we get a good sound for crunch too. Now I noticed that opinions were fairly shared regarding the "burn" channel of this amp: "not enough gain"; "Distortion feeble," this is what I read when I renseign this combo.

So yes indeed, Electronic Express series is not the same as that of the series rectifer (otherwise the series will express'll call rectifer and nothing will have changed ...), but gnralement when playing on a rectifer, it does not play on a combo of 10 or 12 inches (10 inches for my mesa) while those critical distortion express just trying to plug into a cabinet type 2x12 or 4x12 good quality that can be arreteron there to complain a bit!

Personally when I use my HP combo distortion I find very corecte for a combo, after playing in the background is evident that a is not the better for it (and repeated in concert: when a large volume is required) I add a Mesa 2x12 and is niquel!

I play in a band and Metal Pop rock to another, and of course I love to play with me a little of everything, and all with the same ampl (plus a 2x12 in concert without sound)

NOTICE GLOBAL

aquérir before I was on the engl powerbal and 4x12 of the same mark (50kg ouch!), the kid dreams of having a very big amp and my back having tired of suffering I pass the mesa and I'm not far from! <img class="smiley" src="/images/audiofanzine/interface/smileys/icon_lol.gif" alt="" />

Goodies:
Leger
polyvalant and effective
SETTINGS numerous, precise and efficient
several amps in one!
Very well done!
Method of adjustment of power very convenient!

Cons:

Expensive, but that is the price of quality and this is not a toy!
The very big fan of distortion will add a speaker if he wants to play thoroughly enjoying the max capacity of the amp (and this is the slap !!!
If you're new, better start with a simpler amp, because you may not find your sound and be the!

Yes I remake this choice with the experience and rather than twice!

All lamp (tries picked by Mesa), 5 or 15 or 25 watts, even 5 watt lamp has reverb sounds ... excellent ... amp integrates entirely manufactured by hand in the usa.
Celestion 12 hp with possibility of adding a supplmentaire office ...

USE

it takes a little time to tame the beast, Eq is very sensitive, everything is sharp and prcis, manual franais (without mistakes!) 37 pages, the sound is immediately very good with a good guitar ... comes with a footswitch for channel change, the reverb, eq and the solo mode (a boost) farewell boost pedals ... he also comes with a black cloth cover, class! it has 12 bases DIFFERENT sounds departure splitables with 2 channels (not all walk unfortunately), for example: the clean channel and the clean channel with eq and the clean channel with preset (eq dug mode V) 3 voil dj sounds with a channel, same thing with the Crunch channel, blues, and burn !!!

SONORITS

we can all play with, country, jazz, blues, sublime sound clean, rock falls in with the Crunch channel and Mtal with burn channel, throw anything, all sounds are perfect, j 'I sold my fender and my vox ... I play stratovolcano, les paul and telecaster ... and I redcouvre my guitars ... if you add the pedals put the delay, chorus and other modulations in loop and overdrive live front. (as true bypass)

NOTICE GLOBAL

in 30 years of guitars, I had time to try a lot of amp, this one is very versatile, powerful, a small mark V actually, you just take time to find its own rglages ... ngatifs point: the weight (! have the back) and the price ... but everything is relative, it can not have a Porsche for the price of a Twingo! and damage that we should make a mod or even to have the 4 bases sounds foot (Clean, Crunch, blues and burn) but ultimately rarely uses 4 diffrent sounds in a same song ...

All Tube
Connectivity: perfect
complete two separate channels with reverb and distortion and a boost
5 or 25 W power, but the VERY BIG
3 different distortions: crunch, burn or blues
and an adjustable boost (called outline) on each channel
many settings and equalization very effective

UTILIZATION

configuration that fits what you can dream.
you still have to search with equalizer and juggle the gain and master on each channel used by the guitar ...
English manual but useful. this combo has so many options that you do not even imagine ...
clear or crunch sounds like blues or burn or on disks that make us dream is obtained ...
even at low volume.

SOUNDS

should be anything but metal, though some pedals with bare fingers, it must, I suppose ???
befits guitar head of satisfactory quality.
I love the clean sound.
distortions are extraordinary, crunch, burn or blues. with Strat or Gibson or other

OVERALL OPINION

I bought it 18 months ago, after having had a mesa boogie F30 for 4 years, which was good but far below side distortions.
I was full of very old Fender lamps and new, peavey lamps, carvin (not bad) but the sound is much smaller and fender and fender equalization is much more limited. Fender sounds good but same as 77 million guitarists on earth.
I want to sound very good and very differently and have an extraordinary distortion and mesa allows me, I who am but a small guitar.
I am convinced that when you have not the talents of a guitar hero, he must surround himself with very good matèriel that sounds, we can keep long rather than frequently changing gear and get frustrated (I knew ...)

I own version 1x12, 2 channel with reverb eq + gain + + contour (hollow mids) on each channel, this amp is surprisingly for its size and weight. It has a switch to change from 5w (class A) to 25w (class AB) which is really handy for playing at home and in group, see on small stages, after if you want more you have to to dub the sound system and eventually it means adding another 1x12 cabinet.

UTILIZATION

simple configuration but take the time to find the sounds that you want, if you add pedals frontage or in the loop, take only the quality bypas tru ... etc.

SOUNDS

obviously it's the lights, I play it with a std strat and a 96 Les Paul Std 98 and there are all the sounds you want, except for the extreme metal, but otherwise no pb .. médaitor game ...... or fingers or both in rock, blues, funk, heavy, reggea, rock-blues no problem ......... Ultra-Flexible
with the clean sounds are really good strat (just below fender anyway ..), the crunches are excellent and the lead, whether "blues" or "burn" ......... one little thing, you have to practice to know and find out the sounds, it's not "plug and play" all that is great corrective equalization.

OVERALL OPINION

I utiliose for about 9 months now and I do not regret my purchase even if the price / quality ratio is questionable, nine it is still very expensive ..... take the time to find a good secondhand.
one can move without breaking with the back and rabbatre the rear seats of the car.
In my opinion, this is really very good stuff, dear, it's true but you should know what one wants

EL 84 tube amp.
5w Class A and A / B 30w
12AX7 preamp 5
Preamplifier madness that makes Grace's 2 +2 channels all types of styles.
The Master associated with each channel reduces the volume of play while maintaining the color of the selected channel. C d is incredibly effective for use in your room or apartment.

UTILIZATION

You must read the manual (in English) to understand how a minimum the amp is built for proper use.
After qques trials, there are of course the sounds that we seek, but I think that it takes time to tame the interactions between all channel settings + own a guitar.
It may be noted that in addition to med bass treble knobs, one last pot. Contour used to sculpt the tone.

SOUNDS

Attention! Ultra wide range of sounds possible:
- Its compressed or not
- More saturation
- Reverb per channel
- Contour tone

The clean knoplflerien ACDC has saturated everything is possible.

OVERALL OPINION

Very very good material that enhances the game: you hear all the nuances of the game, c is phenomenal.
This amp is a revelation for any guitarist.
Forgot my fender amp and other monolithic stereotype at play: the horizon s finally opened on a real chameleon amp: the worst c is that all sounds are excellent, of course just to find it.

One can dare anything, follows the amp without any problems.

Try to emergency!

J had a trying koch Studiotone is also very good but does not reduce the amount of game as much as the boogie medal. However, it boasts a headphone jack and a more complete connectivity (line simulation with HP to send directly to a PA system)

Tube amp of course ... power to choose 5 or 25 watts but beware, it's hard !!!!!

Connector: input jack, effects loop, pedal jack provided (change of channel, reverb, contour)

Setting clean, crunch, two types of distortion, adjustable contour, too, to bring her a "lead"

Really lack an output for recording or PA system recovery (XLR ...)

UTILIZATION

Amp very simple to use, very small switch can change the type of sound (clean to crunch) or two different distortion.

Used with a Start, the clean sounds are wonderful, directly. Try it in neutral already gives an idea of ​​the sound, very warm, rich ... I was really surprised.

Side distortion, the amp responds very well in a register from clean to rock ... but I stayed on my hunger for the metal side ...

SOUNDS

This amp is really versatile. If you like the warm clean sounds in the spirit fender, you'll love this amp. but it has a side a bit warmer than the fender (between fender and vox).

Side distortion is the mesa boogie ... I think the guitar greatly affects the final rendering, with a stratum, it's really not the feet ... damage.

I was really disappointed with the distortion, but it's mostly because I feel closer to the marshall sound, and especially Hugh and Kettner peavey 5150. Two different worlds So, this explains that.

So for me, the amp sounds great for clean, crunch and rock. I do not want to leave but anyway, my budget does not allow me .....

OVERALL OPINION

Well, ok, I have not used a long time, it was just a test and I loved playing with, but I do not buy it, it's on. I tried many different amp, this one is for me one of the least convincing in the end, but it is related to the particular style I'm looking for ... I think we should be really used to this type of amp to get out the best, it plays like a guitar is played, we must know all the intricacies and response. and yes ... Everyone is John Petrucci ....

Lamps with 2 amps EL84
Switchable 5 watts or 25 watts class A class A / B
2 channels each with two modes for different degrees of saturation
Reverb
HP 10 inches
I know the rest

UTILIZATION

Very easy to use. Nothing special to be determined. The settings are pretty standard.

It is quite heavy for its size (20 kg anyway), but it is still light. The power actually quite low volume gives a monster. It's pretty impressive. It's mouth very quickly.

A priori than enough for group play with a drummer who bangs. I said that it's still an impression. I have not tried in groups, so no idea how it comes through in the mix.

The fact that HP 10 inches, but the result is impressive. It does not detract from the amp.

SOUNDS

I found this very versatile amp. The clear sound gave me an excellent impression. The sounds are very warm and really nice. I had a lot of fun playing it.

From the moment we like the grain, almost anything goes. We can quietly go to the metal, although the distortion has its limits. It's not a hi gain amp typed for use in extreme metal. So if you want to have some saturation, it is better to try and see if it's enough.

For the rest it's all good.

OVERALL OPINION

I said that I just tried this amp in the store. So to really take criticism with a grain of salt. It is a first (and excellent) impression.

D'hab I do not give an opinion without having tried the animal group and from top to bottom.

But since this site this little beast has only one view, based on a test store that is most (but quite interesting I said) ... I see no reason why I'm going back a little bothered and notes

Question finish is the mesa, so good at all. Only the knobs are worth being metal, it's a bit cheap compared to the rest. But I chipotte ...

The switch 5 / 25 watts is a priori very practical. From there I'd like to know a little how it works, if you regularly switch from one to another without problem ... Sometimes the class system to use only one power tube ...

Price: bah again is very expensive. I have no personal bowl, I love the mesa. It's been great spending, but to me it's worth. From there some will perhaps find the price excessive. 1500 euros for a small amp ... must want.

But for me it's still a purchase perspective. Anyway if I find any better, I think taking it one day or another.

That is, so if you see it, try it! it is well worth it!

First huge advantage: the size of a 30 watt transistor amp almost a journey, but well enough to dtruire eardrums.

Cool the possibility to switch to 5 watts (for "the" sound accompanying a singer even without a microphone) with a volume that can be strong enough dj.
if not, see other reviews for dtails

UTILIZATION

After a few minutes to adapt a work alone, of all sounds a fawn rgler even without the knob (at center)

SOUNDS

Second standard asset: the sound gnrale

power amp makes it quite suitable to live (whatever scne)

the clean sound is round without being fat, enjoyable and dynamic time.
Heavy distortion (crunch, blues, distortion) are prcis, "creamy" and dynamic;

I tried three guitars, ibanez steve vai 90th anniversary MODEL (typemtal and guitar hro) a fender strocaster (versatile, perfect for the big rock), a hohner (rather type blues rock)
the 5:25 complies with the personality of each guitar vai the sounds very easily mtal prsence, the lines sound with fast precision, as the stratum of the NRGi vai but is more balance, less mdiums (more rock), which finally hohner agnralement prsence a tendency to lack of slamming, IDAL is a sound burning to the chorus slow and expressive.

OVERALL OPINION

-Essay for a week.
-I adhore this sound standard in this tiny amp;
It rvle the personality of each of my guitars (blues rock burning in mtal progressive rock through the energetic)
- Expensive, but the price is truly justified by the quality he has no weakness rel
-For comparison, in the entry-level tube combos, the marshall tsl 601 (clear sound flat and less powerful) and vox AC30 CC2 (saturation bizare trs) seem generally less well.
I do it again-this choice? a little early to say ...

Amp all lamps (2xEL-84 & 5x12AX7)
25w
HP 10 "
About 17kg and not a huge size so EASILY TRANSPORTABLE

Front:
- Input Input
- Switch Clean / Crunch on Channel 1
- Switch Blues / Burn on Channel 2
- Contour switch On / Off / Footswitch on Channel 1
- Contour switch On / Off / Footswitch on Channel 2
- Channel switch 1/Footwsitch/Channel 2
- Switch on / off the amp
- Standby switch on / off the amp

Behind:
- Send (effects loop tube)
- Return (effects loop tube)
- Channel 1 (with a footswitch to control a part)
- Channel 2 (with a footswitch to control a part)
- Contour 1 (with a footswitch to control a part)
- Contour 2 (with a footswitch to control a part)
- 2 inputs and 1 x 4 Ohms 8 Ohms (combo)
- Switch Dynawatt 30w / 5w Class A

Settings (independent for each channel)
- Gain
- Treble
- Middle
- Bass
- Reverb (tube)
- Master
- Contour

Included: Footswitch Channel / Reverb / Stroke

UTILIZATION

Take the time to make adjustments to find his own sound.
The knobs are very precise, so many possible combinations with all sound different.
But in any case, the resulting sound is lovely.

We really in the hands a very versatile amp.

The manual (in English) is very comprehensive.

SOUNDS

My musical style is more Pop / Rock / Punk
In these three books really get the sound I'm looking for.

I play an Epiphone Les Paul Standard (I still have the original pickups on it and it is so I can not really get a perfect trick)
For effects I use mainly a Boss CH-1 chorus and an overdrive Behringer TO100 (really a small wonder off for a price).

A really superb clean, crunch that does not right away, you can really turn up the volume without it crunch. I would love to try the clean channel with a Stratocaster, it should be even more beautiful ...
For distortion, it can play in the "modern" style and a style as a little old. Depending on the settings chosen.
The bottom contour and gain in depth on Channel 2 Burn mode allows to approach the Dual Rectifier. /! Please note this amp is not high gain /!

I play almost all the time 25w, because I find that in class A (5W) it lacks a little low. I'd love to try to connect a Mesa 4x12 V30 equipped to see what happens, but I think I will not be disappointed!

OVERALL OPINION

I use it for a little over a month.
Power is more than enough I think, just turning the knob as Master Volume is already quite big!

For me there is a defect: it is not being able to switch modes (Clean / Crunch, Blues / Burn) with footswitch. Basically you have to choose which mode you want for each channel, and if we want change, must be done by hand. It's a shame. (That's why I put 9 / 10)

Before you buy a few models I tried, but I had a lot of criteria in mind (I wanted a combo, 2 channels, reverb, 30W maximum, clean one that does not crunch too fast, a pretty impressive disto , and the maximum € 1500 ...) so there was not a lot of amps: p
So I tried:
- Marshall JVM: I found too complicated and too powerful
- Fender (2 models which I can not remember the name): crunch too fast (because of the humbuckers in my guitar) and distortion too "modern"

The value for money is not bad, since the sound is, the quality and construction as well. It's solid. But still generally amps are expensive!

I do not regret my choice at all, because I really found the sound I was looking for, versatility and quality.

Lamps
CHARACTERISTICS See site
9 honnte weight but because too lour even if less than 20 pounds
When an amp manufacturer will release a good level of less than 15 pounds ...?
It's all in the amp
Cable not top of the footswitch (Unplug was in concert)

UTILIZATION

Fairly simple config
Trs good footswitch
The sound is good but we must quickly work the Tone SETTING THE trs effective and master ...
Its pretty bland ....
OK Manuel

SOUNDS

I play several styles:
Jazz (jessaie. .. <img class="smiley" src="https://fr.audiofanzine.com/images/audiofanzine/interface/smileys/icon_lol.gif" alt="" /> ) A half box Duesenberg
funk and rock with a team of strato mexico seymour SSH 4
all sounds are possible crystalline fatty Finally an amp that did not used to compare the fender vox ... etc.
The limit of 10 HP feels that it supports in the lower
+ clear the sound does not saturate ..
I sold my clothes that hide the sound .. .. a rigor and a TS9 whawha
new add:
Dpuis problem I play a marshall JMT BPS 45 and a fender twin ... I could compare
rpt in with brass section 4 of volume I play on the mesa is clear, but TRS prcis and own ...
sound distortion dpend volume of the guitar ...
I tried with my body half ca normment lack bass but it's li gnral the lack of an HP 12
I'm from the lack of characters of this amp is ... tasteless even if it's clean
it is the pros who want an all in one



OVERALL OPINION

I've had 15 days and he will have three months to tame ...
The particular feature is the versatility and power (it has under the foot and it is clean and prcis)
Many do not like the mesa because it forces her to form her and not that of Eric and John C Petrumachin etc ...
Breads and errors are more Submitted guitar but the notes come out much more prcises cheeks ...
The saturation is excellent if you know the notes to attack ...
In jazz you have to know to play with fingers and mdiators
in fact it is an amp for those who play music on guitar.
The less weight to competitors but it's the same or worse ... Could be the HP 10 trs neutral color and not as a clestion
Tr-s big sound and policy enrpte
I have not tried before Classic 30 trs clear end in the best quality price, Hot Rod too powerful and too little fender and me, the blues great Junior saturates too fast .. but the Vox ac 30 vox too not too heavy versatile, Hughes and K trs impersonal, cold, not versatile, the Marshall JCM ... too far from a real JCM 800 1985 who had a clear ... Anyone who I really like the silent LANEY VC30 ecellent clear but its too heavy and powerful ...
Report playback quality at unbeatable prices
with the exprience I say yes to dpart
NO

Since I returned to the JCM 800 and Fender Deluxe MESA so except it is below the MODEL 3000 ... but good quality zero-price

Combo Compact with HP 10 ", pretty convenient transport, power 5w pure class A 30 watt lamps Defines enmarche before putting the amp. Trs important! Term this could damage the amplifier to at least stand by ...
Two Channel 1 Clean / Crunch mode is changed manually, the second Blues / Burn (distortion)
Equalizers settings, reverb and Contourindpendants for each channel, the contour and the reverb can switch to the feet! So Foot Switch with Three Switch!
I put 9 for the lack of control piedsdes modes in each channel!

UTILIZATION

I prfre prcis be simple and clear, If You do not have a good ear, If you run out of patience, if you want to play rock n'roll Manir is not to say to make the head turn and play, then immediately zap!
The configuration is typically found on all the amps but the impact is not the same as a fender in the comparaisonpar exempleo of equalization knobs are limited dco .. ..
Will have one running prvoir with the purchase of this amp, I mean a familiar sound in the behavior!
Eg rglages in position 5 watts do not have the same impact as in position 30 watts ... see more

SOUNDS

APRS test and multiple weeks back:
Position 5 HP 10-watt ":
Mediums fall!! Treble bright enough without tropprendre head of revancheunmanque significant BASS!
Advantage: More precision sound including parts Lead for work in the studio, I will do selection personally!
Inconvnients: lack of BASS nepeut but not have it all ... and also a lack of contour ffective!? limit dcoratif

Position 30 watt HP 10 "
Warning your exact sonorechange really, rglages are being scaled up, more depth, the use of contour becomes intrressant in Lead, I think I think, but this is subjective, that the we gain a little depth in serious dtriment of sharp scalpel desmdiums!

Test With External Baffle 2x12 Marshall "Rsultat bass, bass, bass, a net loss of precision but still a sound opening dcoiffante! Configuration idalpour the scne.

Instructions Gnral Canal clean / crunch can cover all of lestypes sounds outside the Hard Rock and Mtal, So the Raggae to Funk, Blues to Rock surely. But do not expect this amp sounds VINTAGE! Then the channel Blues / BURN, channel Blues do not really convinced and finds himself a bit redundant mode between Clean, Crunch and Burn them to cover all the sounds you are looking for. A Big Sound exclude extreme typeMETAL Type Hard Core, Death Metal Etc ... ncessitent that more thickness in the Distortion. The mesa express is not a DUAL RECTIFIER!

OVERALL OPINION

I bought this amp new, I had tried many other before 5:50, the 5:25 Hp 12 ", the HP 5:25 12" Subwoofer in Custom MAHOGANYet the last that I I bought mainly for its sound down the precision of Crunch and its convenient transportation ct, What I like about this amp is the crunch sound with 5 watts practice trs as a good sound without playing the ultra sound Fortet Clean and Burnens 30 watts, I have not found a specially 5:25 in HP 12 ". On a 5: 50 While I do not have AIM, trs his drooling!! Everyone's goutset the little one that instantly msa is really accommodating!
With exprience yes I do it again this choice HP 10 inches without hsiter.

Lamp, 5 or 25 Watts
Compared to competitors such as Koch missing practices qqs connectors (XLR, headphone ...)
T I have to return it to the mag because of a problem with the pdalier apparently is super frquent for this amp for 6 months ... in short more trouble!
Hp = vintage30 in 12 "

UTILIZATION

The cleans are good trs, in personal 5W Class A only I play jazz, I find it perfect with the Jazzmaster.
25W in a trs sounds pure and sweet, right under my engl.

Crunch mode is really good too but not rev very practical to use (have to switch on the amp)

The blues channel is fat he likes the boost!

Burn mode has a grain that does not please me so I do not use it.

SOUNDS

My amp is everything, jazz duo, blues-funk band, composed of progressive rock.
Unlike the engl I have a bad back APRS RPET ...
Vintage30 the fact that it has a high frquences rponse important, in my case I had to put the treble and midrange 3 4 for a sound balance.
He collects all the pedals of my gains (the fuzz KR, Tonebone plexitube, homebrew paradrive)
The base of the clean is really perfect, thanks to the gain knob you can avoid it crunch trs same high volume.

OVERALL OPINION

I've had 6 months.
I had a Studiotone koch fender and Princeton before him.
The koch Crunchant a little too quickly, the problem posed Princeton reliability of high volume.
The mesa Has a good compromise.
I bought it in 1450, I find a plutt honnte.

Lamp course, HP 12 "bass to donf!

UTILIZATION

The equalization of each channel is not too obvious,
as I had a Marchemall here suddenly it works!

It's a combo amp, and he loves mediums it!

The contour function is very useful - it can dose the addition of a dip in the midrange down to a particular rhythmic momentum increased.
With the right pickups (Seymour Duncan, DiMarzio) even the styles of metal are found in all.

SOUNDS

Even a combo of luxury is a compromise ... I hope soon to buy a cabinet body to do it justice to this little muscular.

I play with Gibsons, I tried it with Fender Start and Tele, Jackson EMG, etc. Custom Démicaisse. Never disappointed.
As he shows in a row against what is lacking in your guitar, often it will be the quality wood or pickups quality

OVERALL OPINION

It's been two years since I, and since I feel at ease.
Whether it's at home in home studio, on stage or in repeats.
It is clear that more distortion would have been welcome, but with the right pickups you can do anything. Limit one can add a booster and a Tubescreamer to push the beast into the fire end.

The Mesa Boogie Express 5:25 1x12 combo amp is designed to be sort of a more portable amplifier that offers all the versatility and features of its bigger brethren. It's a 25w combo amp that is powered by two EL84 power tubes. For those instances where volume is an issue, the amp is switchable down to 5w of power... great for home jamming. It has two channels, each loaded with an identical set of controls. These are gain, volume, bass, middle, treble and contour. Each channel also has reverb and two separate modes on each channel. Here is the full list of specs from Mesa:

Duo-Class™ Power Amp (Patent 7,173,488) allows you to select either:
1 power tube in pure Class A (single-ended) producing 5 Watts
or switching to
2 power tubes in Class A/B to produce 25 Watts via a 5/25 Power Switch / 2xEL-84 & 5x12AX7

UTILIZATION

Getting a good sound out of this amp was far more difficult than I would have liked. Maybe I'm just not a fan of the express series, but I found myself struggling to get a tone that wasn't weak, thin and harsh sounding, especially in the top end. The clean channel was the lesser of the two evils, as after some serious tweaking I finally managed to get a good pure EL84 based clean tone that at its best reminded me of a slightly broken up VOX AC15. The drive channel was a sheer pain to dial in and I could not get the clear singing type of gain sound that I've come to know and love from many Mesa amplifiers... instead I was just greeted with a buzzy and very muddy tone overall. Definitely not easy to get a good sound.

SOUNDS

I tried this amp with various Gibson and Fender guitars. I tended to prefer it with single coil pickups as it was less muddy and got back a little bit of the brightness that was lost on the drive channel when I tried to set it up for a singing, liquid lead tone. I didn't mind the cleans, like I said they reminded me of an older VOX amp at the best of times, and the crunch mode added a little bit more girth and punch to the sound. The drive channel just sounded sterile and fairly lifeless unless I turned the treble down, whereby the sound got fairly muddy and lost nearly all sustain. After about 45 minutes of messing with this I gave up and moved onto another amp... life is too short for bad tone.

OVERALL OPINION

All in all I think Mesa has a good concept with this amp. I'm sure it's great for players who need something with a few more features than the average 25w tube amp and it has a good feature-set. However I just could not jive with the tones of this amp and can't really recommend it based on my experiences. They're about $1,200 new which is fair, but I wouldn't bother looking at them. Personally I'd say that something like the Hughes and Kettner Statesman is more my speed, but that's my opinion.

One of the best looking Express amps out thee in the market. This one has all the same features and tone in the standard amps, but just in a custom color combo. This one comes cream tolex and brown corner covers. Then they have the grille cloth a wheat color which matches real well. It fits the tone of this amp better than the others.


I wish I could work over at Mesa and just play there collection of amps on a daily basis. They have so many wonderful amplifiers to choose from it actually can get a little complicated to pick one.This amplifier is one of the easiest pieces of gear to ever control. It is two channels that has two modes per channel. Which actually makes it a four channel amp because you can switch from them easily with the footswitch.

Another cool feature is the Contour control which acts like a V formation like you would see on the Mark series amps. As you turn is to noon you will get that V formation and dial in an out the highs and lows and you turn is around.


Mesa/Boogie Express 5:25 1 x 12 Combo 25-/5-watt Tube Combo Amp Features:

* Open-back combo
* 1 x 12" speaker
* All tube: 5 x 12AX7A, 2 x EL84
* Switches from 25-watt Class A/B operation to 5-watt Class A operation
* Fixed bias for consistent performance
* Two fully independent channels with four style modes
* Independent Gain, Treble, Mid, Bass, Reverb, Master. and Contour controls per channel
* Footswitchable Variable Contour Control on each channel provides EQ from one rotary control
* All-tube long-spring reverb
* All-tube effects loop
* 3-button footswitch (Channel 1/2, Reverb, and Contour)
* Slipcover included

UTILIZATION

Details
Type Tube
Number of Channels 2
Power 5W Class A or 25W Class AB (Switchable)
Speakers 1 x 12" E50
No Effects
Reverb Yes
EQ Treble, Mid, Bass
No Amp Modeling
Number of Tubes 7
Preamp Tubes 5 x 12AX7
Power Tubes 2 x EL84
Inputs 1 x Instrument
Outputs 3 x Speaker
Footswitch I/O Yes
Effects Loop Yes
Height 17.75"
Width 19"
Depth 11.25"

SOUNDS


The tone is a typical tone you get and we all have know from Mesa. It is a heavily saturated tone that feels nice and warm and room filling. I started with my favorite mode which is the Burn mode on channel two. Here you will get that familiar Recto tone that you get from the Dual, Triple, Roadster, and Road King rectifier amps.

This amp sounds fantastic with a Strat and humbucker style guitar in front of it. Another great option is running the speaker out to a 4x12 or a 2x12 if you want more air pushed through for a bigger gig or a higher power rock band combo

OVERALL OPINION


This is a great amp for someone in a a need for a simple Mesa combo amp who needs a little less power but a few more options than an Electra Dyne amp. You can get all the recto goodness and have a good clean channel for country or pop music. Plus the addition of a crunch feature gets you a solid classic rock tone if so desired.

At new they come in at around $1399. This is good price considering all the features you get with it. I recommend this amp to any guitar player needing a compact amp with enough features to play in any cover band.