diezel Vs. Mesa

[hairychris444]

FWIW I replaced a Dual Recto with my 100w Einstein.

Not that I didn't like the Rectifier, which if you dial it in can sound very good, but the Einie just owned it tonally.

The Einstein is simpler, and doesn't have all the modes that the Recto has, but as I just like a clean and a couple of different gain tones it does me great.

 

[jesserides2005]

As a long-time Mesa user I figured I'd chime in here.

I used Mesa's for almost twenty years until August of '07 when I purchased my Herbert & Einstein. I still have a triaxis & 50/50 & a Stage I Stiletto & I dig 'em for a little variety & also for sentimental reasons.......However, since owning the Diezel's I have for the first time in many many years, not GASSED or looked at another brand of amplifier for almost 12 months! The Diezel's were expensive, yet in the long run, have actually saved me money. No more flip-flopping, horse-trading, etc. etc. My bank account & wife are both very happy that I finally found a rig that I can live with for a long period of time!

As for Mesa's, I still like the Mark's, Stiletto's, Maverick's, Heartbreaker's etc. They're great amps & are still my #2 choice. I've alway's hated Recto's & always will because I'm just not into that type of gain. To clarify, pretty much anything described as: "Brootal", "Brewtal", or any other way you want to spell it is just not for me......

Now I suppose you could say that Diezel's can get "Brutal", & even though I don't use them in that capacity, that's what I love about them. The versatility is amazing! From clean to medium to high-gain, it's all there!

 

[Anonymous]

I started playing Mesa amps in 1976 with a pair of MK II A's. I had every amp they made from there on out including the mods done to each amp, up through and including the MK IIIA. I was on their Artist Roster List for 18 years.
After I received the MK IIIA amp, and found it nearly impossible to dial in each channel easily without changing the tone on the other channels, that was it for me. My favorite Mesa is the MK II B+. Actually, the MK II C+ had the same problems dialing in tones as the MK III A's had.

I played Marshall amps exclusively after the Mesa's until I heard about Diezel amps and bought a VH4, then a Herbert. I would not even consider playing another amp then a Diezel, but for a Duesentrieb, which is like the younger brother of a Diezel.

Mesa amps are good quality products, but I personally don't like spending huge amounts of time trying to locate only one decent tone, when with my Diezels, it can be done blindfolded.

 

[van hellion]

I started playing Mesa amps in 1976 with a pair of MK II A's. I had every amp they made from there on out including the mods done to each amp, up through and including the MK IIIA. I was on their Artist Roster List for 18 years.
After I received the MK IIIA amp, and found it nearly impossible to dial in each channel easily without changing the tone on the other channels, that was it for me. My favorite Mesa is the MK II B+. Actually, the MK II C+ had the same problems dialing in tones as the MK III A's had.

I played Marshall amps exclusively after the Mesa's until I heard about Diezel amps and bought a VH4, then a Herbert. I would not even consider playing another amp then a Diezel, but for a Duesentrieb, which is like the younger brother of a Diezel.

Mesa amps are good quality products, but I personally don't like spending huge amounts of time trying to locate only one decent tone, when with my Diezels, it can be done blindfolded.

well said! my thoughts exactly!

peace

A Wood

 

[Deleted member 3520]

I have Einstein, and mesa mark IV...einstein has a much better clean, and low gain rock tone, and a heavy side...lead tones...I like them both, but I cant pick a favorite, although if I had to buy one of the amps, I would buy the Einstein...And I just bought a cornford.........holy shit guys, go to youtube and look up guthrie govan.

 

[Tabs]

I played a Road King II before getting my VH4 and it's really no contest honestly. The VH4 tone is so much more focused, doesn't have that annoying hard to dial out top end buzz/fizz etc. You can really hear every note of whatever you're playing on the VH4 and I never got that with the RK. I did like having the ability to switch between and combine 6L6 and EL34 on the fly, but it causes some issues with channel switching (audible pops, noticeable switching delay etc).

Right at the end of the recording of our new EP, which we just finished this past week, I actually replaced all of my tracks in one of the first songs we did that was originally tracked last year with the Road King right before I got the VH4. The difference was absolutely astounding when our mix engineer put the VH4 tracks in. It's the best recording amp ever made as far as I'm concerned.

 

[sean106ESP]

IMO..........just will not compare the two brands but let's put it this way. I had rectoverb first.........then moved to a dual recto head.........then to a road king..........then to a VH4..............been Diezel ever since until I bought triaxis and 2:90 power amp and made a small rack with G-Force and and X2 Wireles............and kept comparing it to the Vh4S and Herbert and just had to sell it. IMO it was just to my tone likings and sound I was looking for. Also even the cabs. I had two Boogie 4x12's.......once I got a Diezel rear loaded with V30's.........out went the boogies and got two more Diezel cabs one front and one realoaded. The front loaded to mix up the other stereo side of the VH4S. Sothe mesa's were solid amps and sound good, but just for the cleans and crips unforgiving clear distortion of the Diezel's I found my home. Another example is how I buy and sell gear like I change my undies (yes every day ) and the Vh4S is the one amp I have had for a couple of years. So just wanted to share my experience.

Not the greatest example as I need to still mix it better and I may re-do the dirties with different mic placements, but gives you an Idea of a new demo song I wrote just two weeks ago for my band. Still trying to get my mixing chops down
https://soundclick.com/share?songid=6709661

Here is another example of all Vh4S
https://soundclick.com/share?songid=6586231

 

[TheMagicEight]

I've got a Mesa Triple Rec and the thing I love about it is the amount of balls it has. When it's cranked, there's just no other amp that will get you that kind of sound.

For a long time, I would spend hours trying to get a good sound out of the thing. I actually owned a 3 channel Dual before going with a used 2 channel Triple (2 ch Rectos are the only ones worth getting). I now have a parametric EQ in the FX loop, and that's just what it takes to get it to sound good. However, once I set up my sound with the EQ, I stopped changing knobs and just played, and I'm now very happy with it.

That being said, the Rectifier can't compare to the Diezels in a lot of ways. I'd love to own a Diezel and hopefully within a couple of years will be able to because they're incredible amps.

I think a lot of people play through Mesa amps expecting to plug it in and sound like whoever has used it on their album, and that just doesn't happen. Take Metallica's setup, for example. Their tone is amazing, and done with Mesa (haha, although, I know, they use Diezel now). But with the Mesa amps, they use EQs to get that tone. People plug in a Mesa and expect it to sound perfect right off the bat, and it doesn't happen. I guess my point is I love the Mesa sound, but it takes work to be consistently good.

 

[scottph]

Another example is how I buy and sell gear like I change my undies (yes every day ) and the Vh4S is the one amp I have had for a couple of years. So just wanted to share my experience.

Dude, kinda OT but you've only had your VH4(S) for a few months...

 

[supersonic]

As mentioned here, the problem with the Rectifier is you don't get a decent sound at low volumes. You need pinpoint acuracy on the dials at earbleeding volumes. Unlike the Herbert which sounds amazing at bedroom levels on almost any eq setting. This is a huge draw back for the Mesa in the real world.

 

[sean106ESP]

Another example is how I buy and sell gear like I change my undies (yes every day ) and the Vh4S is the one amp I have had for a couple of years. So just wanted to share my experience.

Dude, kinda OT but you've only had your VH4(S) for a few months...

Huh? I got the VH4S a loooooong time ago off EBAY. I guess I should have been clearer. I got a Vh4 in 2006, then found a Vh4S about a year or so ago and sold the Vh4. So what I meant was I have been using Vh4(S)'s for a while. When I first got it, I had it changed to EL34's with Ruby BSTR's as it had 6L6's for some reason.

 

[Hartmut]

Mesas have a good sound but one thing: Why do you have thousands auf mods per chanel? I tried a TR and the RK and had to offer a lot of time to find a nice sound. The Clean CH is ok with the Mesas, but not as well as the one of the VH4. (best Clean I ever played was the one of the Triamp by Hughes Kettner). The Crunch and of course the Rhythm of the TR are nice. The Lead is too compressed (in my opinion perhaps i used too much Gain ) . This is why i love my VH4: all of the 4 Channels are KILLA

 

[Tabs]

I think a lot of people play through Mesa amps expecting to plug it in and sound like whoever has used it on their album, and that just doesn't happen. Take Metallica's setup, for example. Their tone is amazing, and done with Mesa (haha, although, I know, they use Diezel now). But with the Mesa amps, they use EQs to get that tone. People plug in a Mesa and expect it to sound perfect right off the bat, and it doesn't happen. I guess my point is I love the Mesa sound, but it takes work to be consistently good.

Well... "which Mesa?" is really the bigger question as far as Metallica goes. They used the Mark IIC+ for MoP and AJFA and then Mark IV and Triaxis/2:90 for the Black Album. The Rectifier series of amps sound nothing like that tone. I also remember reading about them cascading amps into one another, like plugging a IIC+ into a cranked Marshall's power section. You can definitely get really close to the Metallica sound using a Mark IV though with the built-in graphic EQ set for that midrange scoop.

 

[CorkyTart]

Every Mesa I've worked with (quite a few) I've been able to get sounds I that I'm really happy with. Difference with the Einstein and Bogner cab I have is I got a sound I loved right off the bat with hardly any effort.