Mesa Boogie Express 5:25 Head
Whilst the Mesa Boogie F series was a popular selling amp, we all felt that they were a little too simple & that the over drive sound was a bit honky. When Boogie announced that the F series was being replaced by the new Boogie Express series, we were very keen to hear what changes had been made. We were hoping for a similar sized amp but with a few more features, & we got just that & a whole lot more! For a start, the new Boogie Express looks great - they're compact in size & weight, & the new graphics on the panel look a lot nicer than the old F series. We totally love the output power switching too - this is probably our favourite feature. Both the 25w & the 50w models are switchabe down to 5 watts, & in that mode they sing so sweetly - even at home use levels. Although the amps are effectively just two channels (clean & dirty), you have two mode switches on each channel, plus a footswitchable contour control on each channel - this makes the amp much more versatile than the old F series. Choose the EL84 loaded 5:25 if you like the more spongy sounding British tones, or choose the 6L6 loaded 5:50 if you want more sparkly clean tones & ballsy overdrive tones. These amps are perfect for home, studio or small gigs. We love 'em/P>
The 5:25 comes as either a 1x10" combo or as a Short Chassis Head.
Here's what Mesa Boogie say about the Express 5:25
NOW ARRIVING! The Express Line to Tone!
Take the 5:25, running EL-84's out of London straight to the studio for the ultimate big sounding, little amp. Or, catch the 5:50 running 6L6's out of Fullerton, heading uptown to the gig. These new amplifiers are the direct line to Tone City.
Both 25 and 50 watt models feature four inspiring modes from two oppositie personalities spread across two fully independent channels. If Dr. Jeckyll and Mr. Hyde had to share one platform, this would be it.
Say you're a traditionalist: Select Clean and Blues for your two footswitchable sounds. Or, if you're addicted to Gain, choose Crunch and Burn. Then stand back as the well-mannered soul of Dr. Jeckyll morphs into the maniacal Mr. Hyde, hardcore beast. Most important is the classic authenticity of all these iconic tones. No matter what your stylistic destination, the Express will take you there, Fast.
Up front, that number "5" indicates the low power, single-ended magic of pure Class A. The "25" and "50" refer to the rated push-pull output. Together, these make up Duo-Class our patented new power circuit, the first to offer both single-ended and push-pull configurations in the same amplifier.
But even that's not the last stop. Each channel is further equipped with its own Contour depth control for added shaping that's both assignable and footswitchable. Used subtly, Contour adds a halo of depth and chime to gleaming clean sounds. Higher Contour settings, especially in Crunch and Burn, take you into Recto turf, tight, huge and menacing.
Don't be fooled by their compact size: most players mistake the little 5:25 with its ten-inch speaker for a 1x12. You'll be shocked when you hear this little monster! And for truly stunning performance, take the 5:50. Both 1x12 and 2x12 pull like a freight train, locomotive torque.
MODE SWITCHES
Two Incredible Channels, Four Fully Evolved Modes give you a boarding pass to all the classic guitar styles. The pristine, blooming CLEAN and tight, grinding CRUNCH cover the rhythm territories in Channel 1 while Channel 2 roams the wide open spaces of soloing with howling BLUES and soaring BURN modes.
CONTOUR Controls
Both Channels feature Assignable / Footswitchable CONTOUR controls that pack the sonic power of a multi-band EQ into one simple control. Blend this dynamic, bouncy circuit with the musically rich TONE controls for a sound far bigger than you've ever heard from a combo.
External Switch Jacks
Switch tracks remotely with the EXTERNAL SWITCH jacks where CHANNELS, REVERB and the CONTOUR controls can be patched to an external master switching system for remote access. The transparent series EFFECTS LOOP handles the interface to all outboard processing.
Patented Duo-Class Power Switching let's you switch the Class (operating class) and Configuration (wiring style) in tandem, giving you two dialed power-voice ranges with the flick of a switch.
Features on the Express 5:25
Duo-Class Power Amp (Patent Pending) allows you to select either 1 power tube in pure Class A (single-ended) producing 5 Watts or switching to 2 power tubes in Class A/B to produce 25 Watts via a 5/25 Power Switch / 2xEL84 & 5x12AX7.
Fixed Bias for consistent, maintenance free performance.
2 Fully Independent Channels with 4 Style Modes (Channel 1 = Clean or Crunch, Channel 2 = Blues or Burn).
Independent Gain, Treble, Mid, Bass, Reverb, Master and Contour Controls per Channel.
Footswitchable Variable Contour Control on each channel provides the power of our 5-band graphic EQ all from 1 rotary control.
All-Tube, Long Spring Reverb.
All-Tube FX Loop External Switching Jacks for Channel 1/2, Contour 1, Contour 2, Reverb.
3 Button Footswitch (Channel 1/2, Reverb & Contour).
Slip Cover.
