Changed my mind on the Transatlantic TA-30....

[duhvoodooman]

....but I did stick with Mesa Boogie. After digging around some, I decided this had all the features I was looking for, plus the advantage of being a combo that could be played on its own or through an extension cab....or both! Between my mega-modded Blues Jr. and the Rubin Rocket, I have all the clean tones I'll ever want. It's really the Mesa crunch/distortion I'm looking for in this amp, which offers it in spades. Plus, it has a lot of the other features I was looking for in the TA-30: single-ended class A or Class AB at the flick of a switch, tube reverb, effects loop, footswitchable channels (+ reverb and contour, as well!), and multiple speaker jacks (1 x 8 ohm, 2 x 4 ohm). Plus I found one in as-new condition on eBay and nailed it for $500 less than the TA-30 would have run me. Hubba-hubba!!

So here are the specs plus a few photos from the eBay listing--a Mesa Boogie Express 5:25 10" combo:

Amp Features:

• Open-back combo
• 1 x 10" 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 (Clean, Crunch, Blues & Burn)
• 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

 

[MAXIFUNK]

SWEET............... once you get to know her please report back what you think. CONGRATS

 

[Eric]

Cool beans. What's the difference between the 5:25 and the 5:50? EL84 vs. 6L6 or something?

 

[duhvoodooman]

What's the difference between the 5:25 and the 5:50? EL84 vs. 6L6 or something?

Exactly. And the 5:25 is available in 1x10 or 1x12 combo form, where the 5:50 comes in 1x12 and 2x12 versions. Both are available as heads, as well.

 

[Eric]

Exactly. And the 5:25 is available in 1x10 or 1x12 combo form, where the 5:50 comes in 1x12 and 2x12 versions. Both are available as heads, as well.

Cool. Nice score, DVM!

 

[marnold]

Phew! I thought you were going to ask for your TA-15 back

I hear some companies make really nice amph kits too oke

 

[duhvoodooman]

I hear some companies make really nice amph kits too oke

I thought the clergy were supposed to be encouraging and uplifting in their comments!

 

[Robert]

I played that amp when it came out, it's really nice. Can you give a few words on how it compares to the TA-15?

 

[duhvoodooman]

Can you give a few words on how it compares to the TA-15?

Sure will when it arrives....

 

[Tig]

Sweet! That is still one of my favorite Mesa amps.
I demo'ed the 1x12 version and was so blown away, I vowed to never play one again... to save my marriage!

Happy new amph day!

 

[FrankenFretter]

Very nice, DVM! If you're going to get a tube combo, the Boogies seem like the way to go. Looking forward to clips when you get her!

 

[duhvoodooman]

Good news/bad news:

First, the good news--the amp shipped today, and delivery is scheduled for Thursday. :dance

Now, the bad--it's coming by (shudder) UPS. :thwap Say a prayer for my amp, wouldja, Rev?

 

[Tig]

Amp via UPS mojo sent!

 

[duhvoodooman]

The Express 5:25 arrived safely yesterday afternoon, as scheduled. The guy wasn't exaggerating in the least when he said that it was essentially brand new. It came in the factory carton, with the original packing, and the paperwork and amp cover had obviously never even left the box. The amp is clean as a whistle, not a mark on it anywhere. I didn't bother to take a bunch of photos, since they wouldn't come out any better than the ones posted on eBay shown above.

Anyway, I fired it up to check out all the functions and it's 100% operational, including the 3-button footswitch. Has a very nice clean tone (though that's definitely NOT why I bought it!), and a great sounding reverb. The four modes--Clean, Blues, Crunch & Burn--walk up the gain ladder, and all sound great and will be very useful. The Burn setting gets up into that M-B Rectifier realm of distortion/sustain (minus the huge bottom end), and has noticeably more maximum gain than the Transatlantic did. The difference between the 5W and 25W power settings is very distinct in all four modes, so it's more like having 8 mode settings. I've only started to play around with the Contour control, but that has quite the tonal impact, too, though most pronounced at higher gain settings.

So far, I've only played it through the onboard 10" driver, but I was quite amazed at how "big" the amp sounded through it. Will plug into my 2x12 cab tonight, which should sound HUGE with the amp. I haven't gone past about 10 o'clock on the Master volume control thus far, so I can't even imagine how loud this sucker gets. I'll need to run it through my Weber Mini-MASS to see how it sounds with the Master dialed up.

More later....

 

[bcdon]

So far, I've only played it through the onboard 10" driver, but I was quite amazed at how "big" the amp sounded through it. Will plug into my 2x12 cab tonight, which should sound HUGE with the amp. I haven't gone past about 10 o'clock on the Master volume control thus far, so I can't even imagine how loud this sucker gets. I'll need to run it through my Weber Mini-MASS to see how it sounds with the Master dialed up.

More later....

I'm really curious how it sounds cranked up with that Mini-MASS. On my Boogie, I've never put it past 10-11 o'clock and at that level it is loud as hell. I wish I could find a place to put it in 90Watt mode and dime it.. :dude

 

[Monkus]

I'm glad its working out for you! That seems like an awesome tone farm. Congrats !!!