Roadster GAS has overtaken me....

[HighGain510]

Well I sold my Randall MTS halfstack last weekend so I finally have funds for a new amp! Looks like I'm going to buy a Mesa Roadster! Just a few questions for current owners:

1) Can you get smooth/liquid lead tones out of the amp at lower volumes?

2) Anyone who has one play blues? Does it work well for bluesy stuff?

3) After reading reviews, does the amp really make a loud popping noise when you switch channels?


I think I might order a custom one with an all-black diamondplate grill, still debating on the tolex. I'm excited!!! Now I just need to keep myself from buying any more guitars in the meantime so I don't blow my funds!

 

[loktide]

1) Who cares if a tube head sounds good at low volumes? the reason you buy a tube-head, is for playing it LOUD! *otherwise loktide recommends a power attenuator

2) I'm sure a roadster covers blues WAAY better than most other hi-gain amps. Just switch to spongy, lower the gain on the vintage mode, or crank the clean channel till breakup

3) Can't comment. Never footswitched channels on a roadster

 

[HighGain510]

1) Who cares if a tube head sounds good at low volumes? the reason you buy a tube-head, is for playing it LOUD! *otherwise loktide recommends a power attenuator

Well, the obvious answer to "who cares" would be ME, since I posed the question. I didn't ask it out of stupidity, I asked a specific question for a reason. I've played some tube amps with GREAT Master volumes so you could still squeeze a very nice thick/fluid lead tone out at lower volumes, so I was curious if the Roadster still sounds decent for a SPECIFIC type of lead at lower volumes or if it HAD to be cranked to sound decent enough.

The reason you buy a tube head is up to the user. I'm buying it because I've heard it loud and liked the sound of it, not because I have to play loud. If the only reason for buying a tube head was to play loud there wouldn't be any guys selling 8 watt all-tube amps, would there? Not everyone HAS to crank a tube amp to own one so back to the topic at hand...

 

[loktide]

easy, dude.... i didn't mean to be an asshole, if that's how you interpreted me.

i'm just saying that a 100W+ tube head is not really meant for playing at low volumes...

If you want to use it for playing at reasonable levels, i would recommend getting a power attenauator and maybe pulling out two tubes to make the head 50W, like with dual rectos (does this work roadsters, too?)

 

[HighGain510]

No worries dude, I'm not offended at all. I was just saying, I won't have it cranked to hair-blowing levels all the time so I was curious about the low-medium volumes, say living room conversation levels. I'm most likely going to be keeping the amp and my Vader 4x12 at my girlfriend's house as she rents it alone and she loves letting me crank the amp a little bit and just sits and listens. It's a good deal for both of us... I don't get evicted and I get to ENJOY having a tube amp! Anywho, I wasn't bothered at all just explaining why I asked the question I did. Note there were no angry smileys in my post!

 

[loktide]

she loves letting me crank the amp a little bit and just sits and listens

that's really cool, dude. Especially the fact she let's you crank it!

 

[HighGain510]

that's really cool, dude. Especially the fact she let's you crank it!

Definitely, she's the only one in the house now! I was like, "doesn't this hurt your ears at all?" and she said "nope, I like it when you play for me!" My girlfriend is awesome.

 

[7StringofAblicK]

Jealous. I use headphones when she's in the room (my gf, not yours haha) and I'm still too loud when I 'Pluck the strings.'

 

[sakeido]

easy, dude.... i didn't mean to be an asshole, if that's how you interpreted me.

i'm just saying that a 100W+ tube head is not really meant for playing at low volumes...

If you want to use it for playing at reasonable levels, i would recommend getting a power attenauator and maybe pulling out two tubes to make the head 50W, like with dual rectos (does this work roadsters, too?)

The Roadster lets you switch channel by channel between 50 and 100 watts. No need to pull tubes!

From what I could tell, the "brit" setting on channel 2 at lower gain levels sounded pretty good for the blues. Couldn't comment on a fluid lead sound, but I would think you could get a good one out of channel 3 vintage. I've only messed around with Roadsters in the store though, I don't own one.

 

[noodles]

1) Can you get smooth/liquid lead tones out of the amp at lower volumes?

2) Anyone who has one play blues? Does it work well for bluesy stuff?

Ch2/Brit/50w/Spongy is amazing for bluesy lead work. Fat, warm, and squishy, it feels like the amp is fighting back.

3) After reading reviews, does the amp really make a loud popping noise when you switch channels?

Nope.

 

[HighGain510]

Ch2/Brit/50w/Spongy is amazing for bluesy lead work. Fat, warm, and squishy, it feels like the amp is fighting back.



Nope.

Thanks Dave! How well does the THD work with the Mesa though? Do you lose much of the "feel" or "tone" going through one of those? I had one with my 5150 II and hated it, so I wasn't sure if it would work better with the Roadster?

 

[eaeolian]

Thanks Dave! How well does the THD work with the Mesa though? Do you lose much of the "feel" or "tone" going through one of those? I had one with my 5150 II and hated it, so I wasn't sure if it would work better with the Roadster?

It depends on how hard you attenuate. I usually don't use more than -8. It does change the tone (and the bright switch makes things brittle), but I find it usable with the Triple...

 

[noodles]

What Mike said. Neither of us use them live with Division, since the tone does suffer. More so for Mike, since he has to attenuate more than I do. However, a heavily attenuated amp sounds a million time better than the amp alone at apartment volumes.

 

[sparky51077]

1) Can you get smooth/liquid lead tones out of the amp at lower volumes?

To me the Roadster has the best lead tone I've heard in a recto. It's smooth/liquid even in modern mode.

2) Anyone who has one play blues? Does it work well for bluesy stuff?

I bet you could get a decent blues sound out of every channel if you set it right.

3) After reading reviews, does the amp really make a loud popping noise when you switch channels?

I have had no popping issues at all. Just cycle through all the channels in standby before you kick it on, like any other recto.

The roadster/Roadking II is the best sounding recto of all time. All the recto strengths none of the weaknesses. With my triple it took awhile to dial in a good tone, on the roadster I can't get a bad sound out of it no matter the setting. What ever they changed in the preamp was exactly what the recto needed. Couldn't be happier with this amp. Having the 50w/100w option on each channel is awesome,just one more way to shape the tone. The tone is just so tight and smooth at the same time.You will not regret buying one.

 

[Jerich]

matt why in the hell would you get a an amp that you need to crank to get killer tone from it? the Roadster is a 1/2 the man of my Road Kings and my road Kings sound like Fizzy mudd without the mass Volume...if you insist on playing in a bedroom ..get a amp modeler and play at low volume with headphones...you know i use the Gibson stealth (basically it is a 16 ohm THD) and Like dave and Mike said it does suck your tones at larger volumes but at lower it works fine..but i am sorry you need to hear it from me? but...100 watt amps sound good cranked plan and simple ...buy the amp come over to my studio and we shall rock out load and proud!!!

 

[ShawnFjellstad]

if i had $1800 i would already own one!

how did you like the Randall MTS?

 

[HighGain510]

matt why in the hell would you get a an amp that you need to crank to get killer tone from it? the Roadster is a 1/2 the man of my Road Kings and my road Kings sound like Fizzy mudd without the mass Volume...if you insist on playing in a bedroom ..get a amp modeler and play at low volume with headphones...you know i use the Gibson stealth (basically it is a 16 ohm THD) and Like dave and Mike said it does suck your tones at larger volumes but at lower it works fine..but i am sorry you need to hear it from me? but...100 watt amps sound good cranked plan and simple ...buy the amp come over to my studio and we shall rock out load and proud!!!

Well I'm moving my nice gear to my girlfriend's house, where I CAN play loud again! I'll keep my cube 30x for practicing in my apartment and low volumes! I'll bring it by the studio when I pick it up!

if i had $1800 i would already own one!

how did you like the Randall MTS?

The MTS gear is interesting. The concept is great and the power amp section is fantastic. The tones are good, but IMHO, not the greatest and I guess for what I'm looking for I don't want what someone THINKS they should sound like, I want the real deal. I have always loved Mesa tone so I guess I should just bite the bullet and get a real one already! Now that I have access to a place where I can crank it, there's no reason not to!

 

[Drew]

http://www.sevenstring.org/forum/ge...le-under-tone-you-would-not-expect-recto.html

Rectoverb's distortion channel, this'd be 3 on a Roadster. Raw mode, TS9 out front set to unity with the gain at 0, and el34's (though actually I've come around and think it sounds more liquid with 6l6's in it). Not a GREAT clip, but it'll give you the idea - it's very selt-titled-era Joe Satriani, which is as bluesy as he's ever gotten.

What Mike said. Neither of us use them live with Division, since the tone does suffer. More so for Mike, since he has to attenuate more than I do. However, a heavily attenuated amp sounds a million time better than the amp alone at apartment volumes.

Basically. The Roadster isn't meant as a bedroom amp, but with a Hot Plate it'll work. The tone isn't as good as the thing running wide open, but it's WAY better than what you'll get without an attenuator.

Jerich, the Road King you have is a v1, whereas the Roadster is based on the v2 circuitry. They're really not comparable - they've changed up the preamp modes a bit, and they've also heated up the bias in the last couple years. On paper, they're the same amp wiith a different power section, but in reality they're two totally different beasts.

 

[Jerich]

(quote)
Jerich, the Road King you have is a v1, whereas the Roadster is based on the v2 circuitry. They're really not comparable - they've changed up the preamp modes a bit, and they've also heated up the bias in the last couple years. On paper, they're the same amp wiith a different power section, but in reality they're two totally different beasts.[/QUOTE]

I agree with you to a certain amount believe it or not they share alot of the same components.....if you simply put both amps alongside each other completely appart on your workbench you would see the structure of these two amps are very similar. Yes I agree they do have different,things to make each amp thier own such as 1N40007 and Mr 250-5's. but the basic grid revisions,and most of the resistors are all 50-75 microfarad. The Road king has alot of bells and whistles included making it a much more complicated amp,but they share alot.

Do not belive all the marketing hype that is out there..alot of amps out there are repeats of something else.

now that ampeg is completly out of Business they have been purchased by the same company that owns CRATE..you will see Crate/ampeg influenced amps surfacing soon.....has anyone trying to repair a ampeg lately there is no parts availible for bass/or guitar amps in ampeg....

and to get back on point 100 watt amps need to be played loud to get that cranked amp tone. with or without a soak.

 

[Karl Hungus]

and to get back on point 100 watt amps need to be played loud to get that cranked amp tone. with or without a soak.

All tube amps do. If you're playing 50 watts, or 30 watts, it still needs to be given a good bit of volume to sound at it's best.