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Mesa Boogie Express 5:25 1x12 Combo
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Mesa Boogie Express 5:25 1x12 Combo
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Published on 01/21/08 at 10:56
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.