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Trying to get opinions on either of these amps. My amp exploded last night and I'm supposed to sit in with a few bands in the next week or so I need to find one soon. Local store has both used in the $500-600 range. Any info greatly appreciated!

I personally like Mesa's.

If you happen to get a Mesa, and havent played one before, try rolling your mids down to around 8-10 oclock. If you have the mids at noon or higher they just seem to overwhelm the sound to my ears. The 50 caliber for classic rock I would set my bass and treble around noon, the mids at 9 oclock, and just set the gain to taste, for me Im ussually around noon to one oclock on the gain. I use a classic les paul and I roll off the treble and set my pickup volume around 3-6, and I get a really good classic rock sound, to where you can roll the volume on the guitar up and down depending on how much breakup you want.

Honestly both of those amps are great amps, its just a preference you have to make.

What amp exploded out of curiosity?

It was a Marshall mx 250 solid state P.O.S 2x12. Speaker literally fell out! Wanted a real tube amp for a while but now I have the motivation to get one. Thanks for the advice!

Dither either of those amps would be a step up from what you had.

Ive had a little Mesa Subway Rocket, 20 watts tube, real simple little amp for about 15 years. I dropped out of a band I was playing in. But they would call me to sit in occasionally so I brought this little amp. 2 guitarist replaced me cause Im so badd ass, LOL in my own mind, but one of them had a Marshall Solid State half stack, I dont remember the model number, well I set my little Mesa on a chair next to his, he was laughing, what are you gonna do with that little bread box. It was a large club so I basically set the controls on my little amp at 5 and used the volume control on my guitar to regulate the distortion, by the end of the night the other guy had dimed that half stack out trying to run with my little amp.

I think you will love a tube amp.

Learn to crank the amp, and use the volume control on your guitar, if you set it up right, you can go from clean to mean with just your guitar volume control and use your guitar tone controls. SS amps just tend to be distorted or clean, there seems to be no in between.

Have fun with the new amp, you cant go wrong with either one.

JW

I use a Marshal 4x12 cabinet with a Fender Mustang V head. The Fender does a lot of interesting stuff since it is a modeling amp.

However, at it's very best (which is damn good) it remains just a bit behind a good tube amp.

Talbot

Mike that Fractual Axxis rig, from the reviews Ive read is as close to a tube amp as you can get without a filament.

Plus the versatility.

But I cant lie, last night my Mesa Triple was sounding so good.

Im a tube guy thru and thru.

I totally agree with JW... Get the tubes and scoop those Mids, Son!

Get the .50 cal. It is much more versatile than the Marshall. You will also have better resale value in the long run with a Mesa than a Marshall.