Mesa/Boogie F 50 vs Marshall
MissYouAllDay
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K my leading candidates for an amp are the marshall DSL 401 and the mesa boogie f 50. How much does the boogie cost?
My favorite bands are like pearl jam smashing pumpkins the strokes ... well I would pretty much wanto play everything.
So I want a which amp is better answer or which amp does what answer not a "It all dpends on you and your style"
*cough* cop out *cough*
My favorite bands are like pearl jam smashing pumpkins the strokes ... well I would pretty much wanto play everything.
So I want a which amp is better answer or which amp does what answer not a "It all dpends on you and your style"
*cough* cop out *cough*
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I miss you already, I miss you all day
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you're better off with the range a mesa can cover though.
as for how much it costs, do your own research.
I hope to soon be in a band. You have to plan ahead you know
Same reason I went with a better guitar first despite the fact that I have only been playing for 8 months or so. I know I am gonna love guitar and music 2 years from now so I don't wanna be stuck with a squire tele then.
I am getting a Tele HS looks like. I am a little worried cause the guitar is unpopular and brand new so it's hard to find reviews of it.
But yah so the boogie is more versatile eh. I must say marshall amps look pretty frikkin cool though.
They both have the 3 channel footswitch feature which I am looking forward too.
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the mesa's are by far a better built amplifier.
I miss you already, I miss you all day
It depends on you and your style!
Get an f 50 for long term diversity. It's their affordable line. about 800 to 900 bucks I think.
or look for a used dc-5. sometimes 500 bucks or so. they were't as popular because they have so many variables to them. Once I figured mine out with the eq and the hundred thousand and twenty two knobs on the front, you can get all kinds of sounds from them. Both those amps you want are LOUD!!!!!
My 50 watt dc 5 with one speaker was louder than my 100 watt marshall with a full cabinet.
Definitely play them before you buy them so you know how loud!
Don't be mankind. ~Captain Beefheart
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You are probably more in the F 30 vein if you are putting it head to head with the Marshall as the F 50 uses 2 6L6 and the F 30 and DSL 401 use EL-84's. 6L6's are traditionally used in American Amps and yield a looser bass with lots of headroom.
The EL-84 is essentially a low wattage version of the EL-34 the tube that is basically what people think of when they think of a British amplifier. EL-84's break up much sooner than 34's because of the lower wattage but still lend a similar tight bass response, the clean is tight crisp and all british (warm mids) Think Vox, Orange, and Marshall.
I think the F-30 would be a better fit and the DSL 40 is priced in the same region I believe at around $699. The amps will be around the same output volume but you'll have to judge for yourself. If you want more headroom the F-50 is certainly there but it costs more too.
you might like it because I think you are a fan of Jack White who uses fenders.
Then again since you dig Eddies sound you might see if you can find a Hiwatt DC-40 bulldog (ebay around $500 usually) Great amps but there aren't many around. You'd love this one if you like the others too.
Damn, you're smart!
Don't be mankind. ~Captain Beefheart
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Pac helped me so listen to the man
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Playing Les Pauls, Teles, Hubers, Gustavssons, Kolls through a Mad Professor amp with a Bob Burt Cab.
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But on to non ass kissing discussion.
Pac or anyone know anything else about the highwat bulldog? Why are these amps hard to find? No longer in production? I see Hiwat commercials in guitar magazines all the time. And as far as that amp goes how much head room would it give.
If you say the mesa boogie is more fenderish than which fender would the f-30 be comparable to in price and features.
It seems to me (through common sense) that the fender or mesa would be better to run effects through like the Big Muff I am always talking about.
Thanks for any input guys
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The fender Blues Jr has the same tube compliment as the F-30 but the tone is far from being close to similar. Because the Mesa frankly is a more highly engineered well built amp. The Blues Jr is somewhat loose and less defined than mesas. THe preamp is a big difference.
I guess I meant the clean tone when I spoke of the F-50.
The big 6L6's being higher wattage tubes will not break up as soon and sound glassy like a Fender Twin or other Blackface amps when turned up louder.
EL-84s being lower output tubes usually used with lower wattage speakers have a chimey break up to thier sound whereas the 6l6's are cleaner longer and are said to have more headroom (meaning they are more open sounding)
Basically its up to you man. I think the Mesa F series may be the best working mans amp series ever created because there is such a variety of tones and flexibililty that you can get from each one. Quite possibly the F-50 may fit what you want to do better but if you plan on playing in an apartment plan on getting an attenuator because its really really fucking loud.
The F 30 can achieve that same tone at a somewhat more sensible volume although it's still incredibly loud. Currently I have a 15 watt rated Orange in my apartment and I'm in the market for an attenuator because the damn thing dosen't get to the sound I want untill the tubes are smoking and my neighbors can't handle that.
I can't really tell you which one to buy although I think you are on the right track with the mesas. The marshalls are fine as well but play them back to back and I'll bet money that you like the mesas much better, Marshall simply doesn't put the attention to detail or care into thier building like mesa does no matter what they say on the website. Big business is big business. That being said Jim Marshall has come up with some extremely fine amplilfiers in his lifetime. I'm certainly not knocking Marshall but the DSL 40 simply isn't what you want when it comes to Marshall, you'd be much happier with a 50 watt head and 4x12 cab. Put them head to head and find out for yourself.
The Hiwatt DC40 is as far as I know discontinued I believe they are currently built by Fernandes inc of California I believe. There is a new 20 watt Hiwatt tube amp out currently but I haven't heard it yet. The DC 40 was a very nice 40 watt 2 channel combo that was all hiwatt. Look around you'll find some good deals on old hiwatt gear.
http://www.musictoyz.com/hiwattamp.htm nice but probably not exactly what you are looking for.
Good luck with your search.
Here's an Ebay DC 40 for $500 bucks great deal.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2372021864&category=10171#ebayphotohosting
When you guys tell me the f 50 is really really loud what exactly does this mean?
Like I am in an apartment situation but I assume the thing has a volume control right?
Does it not gain out until higher volumes or what?
How much is an atenuator? I am still hoping to get some insight about if the mesas are the best amp to run distortion (big muff) through cause of their super clean, clean channel.
BTW what does the gain channel sound like on the F-50.
As far as playing it before I buy I have the same problem as with my telecaster HS. No stores carry them and won't order without a down payment.
Hey pac or anyone else if you ever get your hands on a tele HS let me know what its like. I am still kinda going out a limb buying and really trusting the quality of american made fenders.
Thanks again for all this info
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What does everyone else think about the above comment concerning nu metal and mesa.
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Overdrive in the F series is rich and creamy to searing but you don't have to scoop out all the mids and play death metal warm natural rock overdrive and distortion are in there just like the rectifiers as well It's just that they do the high end crunch so well. THey are among the best built amps but it's all relative.
Soldano Orange VHT Mesa Hiwatt THD Bogner etc all build very nice amps
This guy picking up an F50 the other day at Guitar Center was blazing through some blues riffs on a Les Paul Standard. THe volume was on 2 yet it filled the whole store with rich velvety extremely smooth overdrive. I thought it was a Matchless Lightning at first but I walked around the corner and it was just an F 50 roughly $800 cheaper. A lot of it obviously is in the player and the tweaking of the amp but Mesa's are much more flexible than they are often given credit for it's just a common assumption that they are one trick pony's because so many Metal people buy Mesas after they realize their Boss Metal Zones just don't cut it.
There are lots of Mesas built soley for Rock. The heartbreaker, Mavricks, Blue Angel, Nomad etc. The F series are for working people no frills bad ass flexible amps. That's my opinion and I play an Orange.
I hope you check out the Mesa's I think they will be a good fit for you and your style. In fact the hell with it go for the F 50 you can worry about having too much volume later I think you'll love having a big really loud rock amp. It will certainly blow away the DSL 401.
Let the savings begin
I miss you already, I miss you all day
Carlos Santana played one of the first prototype at Woodstock in 1969! a modified fender Princeton. That's where he got his sound.
He said,"this thing really boogies", thus the name mesa boogie.
Fender Deluxe reverb and Mesas are what I use now.
Good luck!
Don't be mankind. ~Captain Beefheart
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