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

This is a great alternative to the standard black on black. his has a black tolex but has a gold grille cloth similar to a tweed design. Very sharp looking and is the same price as the standard amp.


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 $1299. 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.

This is exactly the same amp as the standard black on black. This one is Orange tolex with a wheat grille front. It is a orange dream pop sickle color. Very nice looking!


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.

This tolex combination with the articulation of this amp is a great match. This unit comes in a custom blue/ midnight blue tolex covering with a Fender dark tweed type grille cloth in a brown/gold color. There is a bit of an up charge to this amp so figure that into your decision making.

This amp is basically the exact same as the 50 50 combo but just in half power. So this amp comes in at 25 watts rather than 50 watts. Same great features and same great tone. The good news is that you'll be able to save $100 on this amp over the 50 watt version.

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 $1300. 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.

This Red and wheat grille amp sure looks great! This is already a stellar sounding amp but mix that with this red tolex and wheat brown grille and you have a very special amp. This is going to be a bit of an up charge compared to the standard black so be prepared for that.

This amp is basically the exact same as the 50 50 combo but just in half power. So this amp comes in at 25 watts rather than 50 watts. Same great features and same great tone. The good news is that you'll be able to save $100 on this amp over the 50 watt version.

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.

This amp is the same features and sound as the standard black. The only difference is the custom surf green tolex and custom gold tweedish grille cloth. This is a very cool looking amp that retains all the same tone and sound as the original. However, you will pay an extra $100 for the custom tolex.


This amp is basically the exact same as the 50 50 combo but just in half power. So this amp comes in at 25 watts rather than 50 watts. Same great features and same great tone. The good news is that you'll be able to save $100 on this amp over the 50 watt version.

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 Surf Green 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 $1400. 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.

This amp is basically the exact same as the 50 50 combo but just in half power. So this amp comes in at 25 watts rather than 50 watts. Same great features and same great tone. The good news is that you'll be able to save $100 on this amp over the 50 watt version.

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 $1300. 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.

The Mesa/Boogie Express series is a new series of amplifiers that Mesa released to replace the highly successful F series they used to have. The 5:25 version is the EL84 version of that amplifier. It features two independent channels with multiple voicing switches, an effects loop and reverb. These amps also come in three forms -- the head, the rackmount model and the combo. The combo version of this amp only comes in a 1x12 format.

UTILIZATION

Mesa/Boogie did a great job packing everything in this amp, especially the rackmount model. The switches feel sturdy, the knobs feel great and everything is laid out very intuitively. The Mesa/Boogie manuals are always some of the best. It features various ways on how to dial in the amp, the sweet spots of the controls, how to take care of the amp and clearly explains every feature in an easy to understand manner.

SOUNDS

While the 5:25 doesn't have as much power, it makes up for it in this raw tone. The EL84s give this amp an awesome Class A vibe, but don't be fooled. This amp can actually do everything from country to metal. The amp has some decent gain on tap, but I really preferred boosting it to make it shine. The Burn channel on this is really cool. However, I can't help but feel that the F series amps were a little better. Maybe it's just because I'm a little more familiar with them.

OVERALL OPINION

For the price of the amp, these aren't too bad. However, it might be better to find a used F series that these amplifiers replaced. If you're looking for a new, do-it-all amplifier and love that EL84 sound, I recommend checking this amp out. I'm especially fond of the rackmount model, but that's because I'm a fan of the small, compact series. It reminds me a lot of the old school Mark amps.