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Also it suggested that banging everything on 10 is really not the way to go.
I'm not sure that this is still the case but it might give a headstart on dialling in.
It might also be worth checking online manuals for the models you're interested in, it might give similar advice on the model?
With ch2 Modern mode (which is very aggresive with gain past noon but surprisingly sweet and toneful at lower settings) use the presence sparingly otherwise it gets far too fizzy.
As @Flanging_Fred suggests, have a look on Mesa's site and download the manual, it will tell you whats what and give you some recomended settings. Maybe put it on your phone so you can access it quickly in the shop.
The Mini Rec is a great amp, very versatile. It sounds best turned up a bit though so to get the best out of it crank it up a bit.
It was undoubtedly really good overall and certainly versatile, flexible, and dial-in-able (to the point that the controls can be quite sensitive but you can also set them to their extremes and get good sounds), but it always had the Mesa "thump" which is lovely in some contexts and a bit annoying in others.
Most of all it showed me that I don't need sort-of-4-channels in my amps, and one great sound is absolutely fine for my uses.
YMMV!
Dial in the sound by your 'ears', if that makes sense, and not what you would traditionally...
If it's an express (not +) then turn the contour knob down, set up any combination of other settings you like (you'll struggle to get a bad sound) then gradually bring the, pre-set V eq, contour in. Also don't think of it as a MESA, just think Amplifier. Don't forget the 5:25 switch is on the back so try it at both.
As always when trying out in shops, choose a test guitar similar to your own one. Even better, take yours along.
I discovered much the same thing about my Mini Rec by experimentation. Everything's in the treble knob. Took a while to get used to coming from Marshalls, but in the end there are only so many dials. Tweak them until it sounds good (and it will). There's really nothing to be afraid of, it's not like programming a NASA mainframe as some would have you believe.
The other thing is, it's not just for that Foo Fighters-style thump. I use a lovely, loose drive on the red channel set to 'Vintage' mode. The green channel is very, very flexible and works well pushed by a standard drive pedal (I use an SD-1).
Also loud.
Really quite astonishingly loud.
And this too. I once bought a drive pedal using a Mexican Strat which, whilst it was a perfectly nice guitar, sounded very very different from my own. More different than you'd think two Strats could sound.
Also if buying a head, get them to hook you up with a cab similar to that which you'll be using. No good testing with a 4x12 if you're going to be using three fewer speakers.
Set everything at noon - dont be tempted to dime it all on 10 like a Marshall. As said above set your treble first, if it's got an EQ set your bass almost off and add it back with the EQ.
Other than that dont be afraid to have either weird high or low settings - as said above set it with your ears!
Oh and all Mesa's are very, very loud - enjoy it immensely
The clean channel has all the clarity and sparkle you’ll ever need, I believe the next option is “crunch” (?) and this is where you’ll get all your classic rock tones. It comes scarily close to a Marshall. The Burn channel is all out rock. Plenty of gain and plenty of distortion but the clarity is still there.
The spring reverb is superb, you’ll have no problem dialling in a good tone. Start with everything straight up at noon and go from there.
I miss mine but owning a Lonestar has softened the blow
• Youtube - https://www.youtube.com/@Goldeneraguitars
To that end, they’re well made and cover many tones convincingly - but individual single channel ‘specialist’ amps are generally better in absolute terms.
Tone controls aren’t intuitive - they generally need high treble settings - and very low mids/bass to sound comparable with most amps set at 12 O’clock.
I have a Lonestar Special and rate it - so my comments aren’t intended as criticism - just trying to make you aware of how different they tend to be from most amps.
https://i.imgur.com/a1nl615.jpg
I have the lead channel pushed hard because I don’t have PSU for my Peacekeeper just now so this provides all my drive. But the bass on the Lonestar is incredible. I enjoy the slightly “fatter” tones the presence control allows by rolling it back a touch. But when I’ve got the Gibson plugged in I turn the presence up to about 2-3 o clock and it’s got an outstanding classic Marshall tone.
@paulphoenix these amps are outstanding. I don’t know why they get such a bad rep for being too fiddly and sensitive. If you sit in front of it and play it for a few hours you’ll be able to dial in some incredible sounds and tbh this is what I’ve done with any amp I’ve had. Not even the JMP was a “plug in and play” affair. I thought the fun part of the journey was playing the gear to get the best out of it... when did that become a chore?
• Youtube - https://www.youtube.com/@Goldeneraguitars
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