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SonicPulverizer « Simple as pie »
Published on 09/01/12 at 21:38The Mesa Boogie Electra Dyne is a stark contrast to the Mark V. No graphic Eq. No myriad of toggle switches for finetuning. Instead, the Electra Dyne is a no nonsense 6l6 based rock machine. With that in mind, Mesa Boogie still brings smart features to the table. The rear panel boasts bias select for 6l6/el34 function, a reverb that can be bypassed from the circuit, as well as a gain trim control. An effects loop is also present.
UTILIZATION
With all three modes (clean and vintage LO/HI) sharing a single tone stack, I found it difficult to find a true tonal balance between them. If you like very bright sounding gain yet far bottom heavy clean, you may have to compromise in one area. The Build quality is very rugged. I did not get to play this amp in a live setting but I did play it at giggable volumes in rehearsal. It is plenty loud enough, even when running at 45 watts.
SOUNDS
Played with a Gibson Explorer. Mesa 4x12 cab. No pedals.
The cleans are very pristine on the Electra Dyne. Wonderful sweetness in chords and the onboard reverb pairs very well with the naturally dark voicing of the amp. I felt the Vintage LO mode suffered at lower volumes. The Electra Dyne is an amp that needs to be turned up loudly to be experienced. Vintage high permitted decent rock tones, but lacked enough gain to really deliver in more aggressive styles. I believe that if using a boost pedal, the ED could make a passable effort. The Gain trim was a very useful tool but may take time for a user to find the potential of it. Running the amp at 45 watts and pushing the master volume is the key to getting the ED to growl.
OVERALL OPINION
I enjoyed the Electra Dyne immensely, but I found it to be a strange offering. The cleans are not quite as rich as on other Boogies and the dark voicing of the preamp may seem sterile to some. Without boosting the amp, it is not capable of fluid leads or high gain riffage. However, the amp does maintain great clarity at all volumes and would excel as a rock rhythm guitarist's amp. I do not believe you could get the full potential of the ED at home. What is it then? A sensible, gigging musician's amp. An amp for someone who wants to blend in a mix and not overpower it. Is it worth the price of admission? Yes.
UTILIZATION
With all three modes (clean and vintage LO/HI) sharing a single tone stack, I found it difficult to find a true tonal balance between them. If you like very bright sounding gain yet far bottom heavy clean, you may have to compromise in one area. The Build quality is very rugged. I did not get to play this amp in a live setting but I did play it at giggable volumes in rehearsal. It is plenty loud enough, even when running at 45 watts.
SOUNDS
Played with a Gibson Explorer. Mesa 4x12 cab. No pedals.
The cleans are very pristine on the Electra Dyne. Wonderful sweetness in chords and the onboard reverb pairs very well with the naturally dark voicing of the amp. I felt the Vintage LO mode suffered at lower volumes. The Electra Dyne is an amp that needs to be turned up loudly to be experienced. Vintage high permitted decent rock tones, but lacked enough gain to really deliver in more aggressive styles. I believe that if using a boost pedal, the ED could make a passable effort. The Gain trim was a very useful tool but may take time for a user to find the potential of it. Running the amp at 45 watts and pushing the master volume is the key to getting the ED to growl.
OVERALL OPINION
I enjoyed the Electra Dyne immensely, but I found it to be a strange offering. The cleans are not quite as rich as on other Boogies and the dark voicing of the preamp may seem sterile to some. Without boosting the amp, it is not capable of fluid leads or high gain riffage. However, the amp does maintain great clarity at all volumes and would excel as a rock rhythm guitarist's amp. I do not believe you could get the full potential of the ED at home. What is it then? A sensible, gigging musician's amp. An amp for someone who wants to blend in a mix and not overpower it. Is it worth the price of admission? Yes.