New Mesa Questions / Thoughts

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kalt

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Hey Fellas- Need some advice. Considering if I want a Badlander or a Triple Crown. Ive got a Freidman BE 100, Marshall Silver Jub, Mesa Mark V and a Mesa JP. Had a Roadster I loved but never got along with a traditional recto for whatever reason. Always found them to be too flubby or fizzy (but safe to say, I didn't know what I was doing back then). So, just wanted your thoughts on differences between the Badlander and Triple Crown. Play mostly classic metal, rock and blues. Don't typically downtune past 1/2 to a full step. Any thoughts are much appreciated!
 
This isn’t exactly on point, but for a left field alternative to the Triple Crown you could always try/pick up a Stiletto Deuce or Trident. They’re pretty affordable and if you dial in with your ears and not your eyes they are really good amps. I have a Stage I Deuce and run it with a Buxom Boost out front through Greenbacks. Really like it. Just this week I’ve tried a 10 band EQ in the loop too and am getting some really great tones. Worth a thought as they are a lot of fun for (relatively) little money.
 
Never played a badlander but I was never a fan of rectos, I had a single rec I loved many years ago but it was modified like crazy, I gigged with a tc-50 for a few years and it was a great sounding amp and it could definitely cover the styles you're looking to play, my only gripe was the combo came stock with a V30 and it is totally the wrong speaker for that amp but I switched it to a creamback and it was way better. I agree with the post above on the stiletto as a more inexpensive route to go cuz both Amps were going for the Marshall vibe sorta, only difference would be if you needed the third channel or not. Just avoid V30s with either amp, too damn Ice picky.
 
I have a Triple Crown. It's one of those amps that does everything well, but nothing exceptional. It is one of my favorites for "general use" though, since it has 3 distinct channels, spring reverb, can also do silent recording or headphones and all sorts of stuff. Just super versatile and the 50w I have is pretty lightweight/small too if you care about that. It was my "living room amp" for a while.

The Badlander didn't really blow me away when I played it either. Despite being in the "dual rectifier" series, I don't really understand why and I think it's more of a marketing ploy. It doesn't have rectifier tubes. It doesn't even have a rectifier preamp circuit, it's a completely different thing, and lacks a lot of the key features that make a recto, a recto, such as the presence control being part of the pre instead of power circuit. Annoyances with the naming aside, if you like the amp then by all means, enjoy it.

Best case of course is to compare the two, but the TC is the winner between those two in my book. If you're happy with your Marshally tones, and you have Mark tones covered and want some recto flavor, buy a real recto, not a Badlander. Again, just my opinion. Cheers
 
I haven't played through a Badlander - but there are a few demo clips floating around that really make my reflexively reach for my wallet. Everything we all love about the OG mid-80s JCM800s with just a touch more low-mid punch and clearly more available gain on tap if wanted or needed. They sound like the perfect amp for someone who really knows and loves the various flavors of boosts.
 
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