Has any one played a Mesa Road King?

[barman]

Just wanted to know if anyone has played one or owns one. How is the sound? Is the clean sound any good?

Thanks

[Erik]

I own a Road King Head and play it through a Mesa Recto 4x12. I would only recommend it if versatility is extremely important to you. (There are other amps that are cheaper and will sound good if you only need a few types of tones.) The RK is unbelievably versitile...and does everything well. I would venture to say that it is a very reliable workhorse...but would stop short of saying it is the "best" sounding amp out there. FWIW, I've played many different amps and haven't found anything to be "the best". As for the RK, you can make it sound exactly like a Dual Rec if you want, or put several different spins on it. The clean is very good, if you know how to dial it in. Here's how:

First, turn the master volume up to at least 12:00. (This gives you ample headroom) Then turn your channel volume to the max. Use the Gain to control your volume. Keep it on either the clean or fat setting and only use the 6L6's with Diode Rectification...EQ to taste.

If you wish to flatten the EQ curve (because most Mesa's are voiced rather mid-scooped), on Channels 3 & 4, put the bass at noon, dime the mids, and turn off the treble. Keep the gain below 2:00 and let her rip.

To test this setting, bring the treble setting back into the mix and watch what happens to your tone...it starts to get compressed again. (Which is why a lot of people claim Recto's get lost in the mix.) Use your presence or an outboard EQ to add bite or briteness to the tone. I prefer to run channel 3 with EL34's (Ruby) and 6L6's (Mesa) on the modern setting...great for high gain or metal. Channel 4 is set for the standard Dual Recto tone, channel 2 is running on 2 EL 34's for more of a classic rock to blues tone.

Erik H

[barman]

Hey thanks Eric. I own a Mesa Rect-O-Verb and a Fender Twin and A/B them. It is a hassle to lug both around. I was looking for something to do the job of both. It sounds like maybe in theory the Road King would do this, but reality maybe it does not.:confused:

[Erik]

Barman,

It depends...:) , the RK seriously allows you to shape your tone, especially in the high gain realms. If I had to do it all over again, I would check out a Lonestar. The cleans are amazing in that amp and the gain is a nice, creamy, overdriven purrrrrrrrrr. It doesn't do high gain, but you could always slam the front end with an overdrive pedal and have that Zakk Wylde type vibe going. You would still have a ton of options like going from EL34's to 6L6's, 50 watts or 100, etc. I love my RK and don't plan on selling it...but if the Lonestar was available when I needed an new amp, I probably would have bought that instead.

Erik

[barman]

Noooooooooooooooooooo! Not MORE options?!!!!!

Are the cleans on th Lone Stare better than the cleans on th RK?

[Erik]

Noooooooooooooooooooo! Not MORE options?!!!!!

Are the cleans on th Lone Stare better than the cleans on th RK?
This is just my opinion (before the flaming starts)...

I like the cleans on the Road King better overall. The Lonestar cleans sound best through a humbucker, but got too "honkey" with single coils. The Road King sounded about the same through both. Let me just say that I preferred the Lonestar cleans with a humbucker over the RK's...

Erik

[barman]

O.K. Eric, I just spent about an hour reading about the L.S. on the Mesa web site and The Gear Page. It sounds like the L.S. has great clean sounds but not very good high gain(rectifier) sound.:( Is that about right?

[Erik]

Yep, that about sums it up. :D

[Santana Brazilian]

I have both amps, I can't stop playing the Lonestar on clean channel. Just really like that tone, sometimes I enhance it with an RC boost pedal and sometimes dirty it a little with pedals. It is really ggod at that. That being said if I need some rectifier/modern thing I look to the Road King with a big cab. Road Kings cleans are good, but the Lonestar clean has some special mojo to the voiceing. Road King reverb is unuseable (IMHO) Lonestar reverb is awesome. Has anyone ever made the perfect amp, NO and never will. Thats; why we spend the big bucks. Good Luck on your quest

[barman]

I just saw the pics of your jam room.:eek: :eek: :eek: That is unreal! How does the Bogner rate in comparison to the L.S. and R.K.?

[barman]

Hey Eric & Santana Braz., thanks for the input!

[Erik]

...Road Kings cleans are good, but the Lonestar clean has some special mojo to the voiceing. Road King reverb is unuseable (IMHO) Lonestar reverb is awesome. Has anyone ever made the perfect amp, NO and never will. Thats; why we spend the big bucks. Good Luck on your quest
All 100% true!!!

[Santana Brazilian]

I just saw the pics of your jam room.:eek: :eek: :eek: That is unreal! How does the Bogner rate in comparison to the L.S. and R.K.?I will updating the Jam Room pic in the coming weeks. I have some new goodies to add. The Road King in the pic is a demo they let me use until my special order one comes in. It's on the Mesa Web site under Custom Designs, new arrivals. Combo in Imbuya with matching 2X12 recto cab. Tan grill. I am very excited about it. Waiitng almost 1 year. Should be here this week. The Boger sounds very Rock in Roll on the gain channel, with some really nice cleans on Channel 1, great reverb. I just ordered a 4x12 cab and will use it in a recording room I am building in a new house. Now for for what you don't want to hear. NONE of my amps sound the same. They all have suble differences that my ear \head seems to appreciate. I need more, just hope I can afford them.

[Daddyo]

Do a search on the Fender Discussion Page. There was a long thread about the Lone Star with some actual owners.

[barman]

Thanks Daddyo!

[ImageKing]

I have a Road King combo and the clean channels 1 & 2 can sound very very clean. With a strat & the CH1 tweed setting it nails the SRV Lenny sound with just a bit of gain.


beware it is very addicitive and its got so many settings & options that you must keep a note of how its set up once you THAT sound you are looking for.


http://www.imageking.biz/stuff/abcc2167_std.jpg
http://www.imageking.biz/stuff/abcc2166_std.jpg

[Santana Brazilian]

I have a Road King combo and the clean channels 1 & 2 can sound very very clean. With a strat & the CH1 tweed setting it nails the SRV Lenny sound with just a bit of gain.


beware it is very addicitive and its got so many settings & options that you must keep a note of how its set up once you THAT sound you are looking for.


http://www.imageking.biz/stuff/abcc2167_std.jpg
http://www.imageking.biz/stuff/abcc2166_std.jpg
I will be posting pic of the new King I ordered 10 months ago with Imbuya wood, tan grill, Combo and Cab. I have a combo and 2X12 recto cab with V30's (from England). I played a demo combo at my house during the wait. You have to hear with recto cab. Channels 3/4 don't come to life until then simply stunning with the combo cab. I think it should be illegal to sell the combo without the 2X12 recto cab it's that GOOD. Do youself a favor and check it out.

[ImageKing]

I will be posting pic of the new King I ordered 10 months ago with Imbuya wood, tan grill, Combo and Cab. I have a combo and 2X12 recto cab with V30's (from England). I played a demo combo at my house during the wait. You have to hear with recto cab. Channels 3/4 don't come to life until then simply stunning with the combo cab. I think it should be illegal to sell the combo without the 2X12 recto cab it's that GOOD. Do youself a favor and check it out.
Cool
Have you used that Hotplate with the RoadKing with success?

[Santana Brazilian]

Cool
Have you used that Hotplate with the RoadKing with success?
No, might need to try that. Even with master I was blistering my ears this morning. Can't get off channel 3/4 with V30 recto cab and combo speakers. Just knocks me on my ass. Everytone I ever wanted out of Boogie. Used a IRW McCarty Soap, with it this morning, just can't get the tone out my head.

[NOMAD]

While we're on the subject of Mesa Amps,

I picked up a used 45 watt Nomad 2x12 combo, that still had the tags on and manual inside the back. One clean, two distortion channels, and a switch on each channel for a modern or vintage feel (dirty channels; clean channel switch is for really clean, or "pushing the envelope" clean). The footswitch allows for channel selection, reverb (each channel has it's own reverb setting in the back), and a solo (volume boost which is adjusted on the front panel). Very nice amp, though the reverb is rather a bit disappointing on the dirty channels, but very nice on the clean channel. Not as heavy as the vintage 70's Fender Twin reverb I used to have, but worthy of respect when needing to be moved around. I would recommend checking this one out if you're looking for a versatile combo.
Brian :cool:

[ImageKing]

No, might need to try that. Even with master I was blistering my ears this morning. .
Please do and report back...I am close to buying a 8 ohm Hot plate to save my ears