NAD Mesa

Lets all drool over your stuff :)

Moderators: Slowy, Capt. Black

User avatar
werdna
Vintage Post Junkie
Vintage Post Junkie
Posts: 2711
meble-kuchenne.warszawa.pl
Joined: Wed Mar 31, 2010 8:16 am
Has liked: 590 times
Been liked: 458 times

Re: NAD: Mesa Express 5:50 Plus

Post by werdna »

I installed a 5751 in the V4 position. The clean sounds better and blooms.

All the gain sounds, while clearer, sound quacky and farty, if you know what I mean.
In life, don't sweat the petty stuff, and don't pet the sweaty stuff.

User avatar
blackstratblues
Gibson
Posts: 715
Joined: Thu Jul 14, 2005 1:34 pm
Location: West Auckland
Has liked: 412 times
Been liked: 487 times

Re: NAD: Mesa Express 5:50 Plus

Post by blackstratblues »

werdna wrote: Sat Jan 15, 2022 3:44 pm I installed a 5751 in the V4 position. The clean sounds better and blooms.

All the gain sounds, while clearer, sound quacky and farty, if you know what I mean.
Hmm could be the case with the non EQ model, I run the bass almost off on the burn channel and boost the lows on the EQ.

User avatar
jeremyb
Chorus of Organs
Posts: 40878
Joined: Sat Dec 06, 2008 9:03 am
Has liked: 7685 times
Been liked: 4157 times

Re: NAD: Mesa Express 5:50 Plus

Post by jeremyb »

werdna wrote: Sat Jan 15, 2022 3:44 pm I installed a 5751 in the V4 position. The clean sounds better and blooms.

All the gain sounds, while clearer, sound quacky and farty, if you know what I mean.
Whattabout if you push the clean channel with an OD?
Slowy wrote: That's the problem; everything rewarding is just such hard work. Regret takes much less effort.

User avatar
werdna
Vintage Post Junkie
Vintage Post Junkie
Posts: 2711
Joined: Wed Mar 31, 2010 8:16 am
Has liked: 590 times
Been liked: 458 times

Re: NAD: Mesa Express 5:50 Plus

Post by werdna »

jeremyb wrote: Sat Jan 15, 2022 6:34 pm
werdna wrote: Sat Jan 15, 2022 3:44 pm I installed a 5751 in the V4 position. The clean sounds better and blooms.

All the gain sounds, while clearer, sound quacky and farty, if you know what I mean.
Whattabout if you push the clean channel with an OD?
If I was going to get an overdrive pedal to give a crunchy nice OD sound (classic rock, Marshall or similar), what would you recommend?
In life, don't sweat the petty stuff, and don't pet the sweaty stuff.

User avatar
blackstratblues
Gibson
Posts: 715
Joined: Thu Jul 14, 2005 1:34 pm
Location: West Auckland
Has liked: 412 times
Been liked: 487 times

Re: NAD: Mesa Express 5:50 Plus

Post by blackstratblues »

werdna wrote: Tue Jan 18, 2022 10:53 am If I was going to get an overdrive pedal to give a crunchy nice OD sound (classic rock, Marshall or similar), what would you recommend?
Fulltone OCD, instant gratification.
Z Vex Box Of Rock, JHS Angry Charlie and Carl Martin Plexitone also are worth checking out.

User avatar
robthemac
Vintage Post Junkie
Vintage Post Junkie
Posts: 8518
Joined: Sun Apr 28, 2019 3:47 pm
Has liked: 1102 times
Been liked: 1419 times

Re: NAD: Mesa Express 5:50 Plus

Post by robthemac »

blackstratblues wrote: Tue Jan 18, 2022 11:06 am
werdna wrote: Tue Jan 18, 2022 10:53 am If I was going to get an overdrive pedal to give a crunchy nice OD sound (classic rock, Marshall or similar), what would you recommend?
Fulltone OCD, instant gratification.
Z Vex Box Of Rock, JHS Angry Charlie and Carl Martin Plexitone also are worth checking out.
+1 for the OCD (and not just cos I'm selling one). Such a good plug-and-play overdrive. Not finicky and temperamental like a Hot Cake or TS. Put everything around noon, it'll sound great. Twist any knob in any direction and it'll probably still sound good.
Jops wrote: Sun Sep 18, 2022 7:46 am Spring is the comic sans of reverbs anyway.

IMOCD
Vintage Post Junkie
Vintage Post Junkie
Posts: 1743
Joined: Tue May 10, 2016 9:04 pm
Has liked: 479 times
Been liked: 221 times

Re: NAD: Mesa Express 5:50 Plus

Post by IMOCD »

blackstratblues wrote: Tue Jan 18, 2022 11:06 am
werdna wrote: Tue Jan 18, 2022 10:53 am If I was going to get an overdrive pedal to give a crunchy nice OD sound (classic rock, Marshall or similar), what would you recommend?
Fulltone OCD, instant gratification.
Z Vex Box Of Rock, JHS Angry Charlie and Carl Martin Plexitone also are worth checking out.
A vote for Box of Rock. Great crunch. There's one on TM at the moment.

User avatar
jeremyb
Chorus of Organs
Posts: 40878
Joined: Sat Dec 06, 2008 9:03 am
Has liked: 7685 times
Been liked: 4157 times

Re: NAD: Mesa Express 5:50 Plus

Post by jeremyb »

werdna wrote: Tue Jan 18, 2022 10:53 am
jeremyb wrote: Sat Jan 15, 2022 6:34 pm
werdna wrote: Sat Jan 15, 2022 3:44 pm I installed a 5751 in the V4 position. The clean sounds better and blooms.

All the gain sounds, while clearer, sound quacky and farty, if you know what I mean.
Whattabout if you push the clean channel with an OD?
If I was going to get an overdrive pedal to give a crunchy nice OD sound (classic rock, Marshall or similar), what would you recommend?
I would go with a KoT clone, I have the 68 Pedals King of Clone which is fucking great, you can have either footswitch as a boost / OD / Dist as per the KoT, great for stacking, I have the RH footswitch as the Bluesbreaker OD and the LH as a clean boost, very nice!

You can find the KoC on ebay etc, or these come very well recommended on AliExpress: https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005002789060581.html
Slowy wrote: That's the problem; everything rewarding is just such hard work. Regret takes much less effort.

User avatar
blackstratblues
Gibson
Posts: 715
Joined: Thu Jul 14, 2005 1:34 pm
Location: West Auckland
Has liked: 412 times
Been liked: 487 times

Re: NAD: Mesa Express 5:50 Plus

Post by blackstratblues »

7B8785E8-BAC7-4983-B75B-62966F496AAA.jpeg
7B8785E8-BAC7-4983-B75B-62966F496AAA.jpeg (3.47 MiB) Viewed 1592 times
Plot twist: swapped the Express for this beauty at Guitar Gallery. I was mainly using the clean channel on the Express anyway, and this dual 6V6/EL84 power section is really nice. The 4x 10” Eminence Alnico drivers are a nice addition to my 4x12 and 2x12 cabs. Only downside is it’s a wee bit heavier than the Express, but I have a foldable trolley that does the schlep nicely.

User avatar
olegmcnoleg
Vintage Post Junkie
Vintage Post Junkie
Posts: 5542
Joined: Sat Dec 21, 2013 11:26 am
Location: Awkland
Has liked: 860 times
Been liked: 741 times

Re: NAD: Mesa Express 5:50 Plus

Post by olegmcnoleg »

blackstratblues wrote: Tue Feb 08, 2022 9:08 pm 7B8785E8-BAC7-4983-B75B-62966F496AAA.jpeg

Plot twist: swapped the Express for this beauty at Guitar Gallery. I was mainly using the clean channel on the Express anyway, and this dual 6V6/EL84 power section is really nice. The 4x 10” Eminence Alnico drivers are a nice addition to my 4x12 and 2x12 cabs. Only downside is it’s a wee bit heavier than the Express, but I have a foldable trolley that does the schlep nicely.
You came out ahead on that deal.. Blue Angel is my fave Boogie amp.

User avatar
Molly
Vintage Post Junkie
Vintage Post Junkie
Posts: 24937
Joined: Sat Dec 21, 2013 12:17 pm
Has liked: 2482 times
Been liked: 2794 times

Re: NAD: Mesa Express 5:50 Plus

Post by Molly »

Less knobs for the win I reckon. :thumbup:

User avatar
werdna
Vintage Post Junkie
Vintage Post Junkie
Posts: 2711
Joined: Wed Mar 31, 2010 8:16 am
Has liked: 590 times
Been liked: 458 times

Re: NAD: Mesa Express 5:50 Plus

Post by werdna »

Mesa gear - good cleans and good scooped metal tones, and the Santana Mark I tone.

But they don't do smooth warm bright rock tones e.g. Marshall.

Closest I ever got was a Tonebone to switch between a 1990 blue Marshall 100w and a Mesa Mark V. With Sam the Bogan from the forum. We tweaked until we got it pretty close. It was on channel 1 on the Mark V, but once you had it dialed in, you couldn't switch to a clean tone without dialing it all back out again.

Maybe it can't be done without going down the route of separate power amps in the same amp.
In life, don't sweat the petty stuff, and don't pet the sweaty stuff.

User avatar
Molly
Vintage Post Junkie
Vintage Post Junkie
Posts: 24937
Joined: Sat Dec 21, 2013 12:17 pm
Has liked: 2482 times
Been liked: 2794 times

Re: NAD: Mesa Express 5:50 Plus

Post by Molly »

werdna wrote: Wed Feb 09, 2022 7:31 am
But they don't do smooth warm bright rock tones e.g. Marshall.
You're right. It's definitely a darker thing with Mesa I've found. Recto-Verb 25 became my favourite despite having some flagship stuff from them.

User avatar
blackstratblues
Gibson
Posts: 715
Joined: Thu Jul 14, 2005 1:34 pm
Location: West Auckland
Has liked: 412 times
Been liked: 487 times

Re: NAD: Mesa Express 5:50 Plus

Post by blackstratblues »

werdna wrote: Wed Feb 09, 2022 7:31 am Mesa gear - good cleans and good scooped metal tones, and the Santana Mark I tone.

But they don't do smooth warm bright rock tones e.g. Marshall.

Closest I ever got was a Tonebone to switch between a 1990 blue Marshall 100w and a Mesa Mark V. With Sam the Bogan from the forum. We tweaked until we got it pretty close. It was on channel 1 on the Mark V, but once you had it dialed in, you couldn't switch to a clean tone without dialing it all back out again.

Maybe it can't be done without going down the route of separate power amps in the same amp.
I’ve got 4 other amps that nail the Marshall thing, but the Maxon SD9 into a Fender style clean is really nice.

User avatar
NippleWrestler
Vintage Post Junkie
Vintage Post Junkie
Posts: 2890
Joined: Sat Jan 02, 2016 5:05 pm
Has liked: 78 times
Been liked: 1064 times

Re: NAD: Mesa Express 5:50 Plus

Post by NippleWrestler »

They can get close, you just need to understand the tone stacks. Run the mids at 10, bass to suit, then use the presence to dial in the high end. This way the treble knob essentially becomes a scoop control.

Post Reply