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I'm a couple of days late on this- I just set up a new account to host pics.
I'm a sucker for these amps. I had a Studio .22+ a few years ago and always wished it has the graphic EQ. I saw this 1986 Studio .22 on CL at a great price and grabbed it. It appears to be complete and all original except for tubes- even the original (or correct) speaker, footswitch and cover.
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My sister in law played through one of those a few years ago, and loved it. Next time she got to a (Mesa) music store, (Albuquerque), she bought a Recto-Verb 25!
I like it's sound, but have never played through it when we get together.
Nice! I remember looking at a mesa "Heartbreaker"amp years and years ago. I passed on it but that was a mistake that stuck with me over the years. Should not have left the store without it!
I'm a fan of small amps in general and the small Mesas appeal to me. I have an Express 5:25 1x10 as well. I kind of see it as the Princeton Reverb taken to the next level. I have a PR too, but use the Express more. These Mesas are kind of like a blackface Fender with more mids and punch. Maybe a tad less "character".
The Studio is a little more raw, less refined than the Express, yet the Express is more versatile. Kinda like comparing an old car to a new car.
The Rhythm mode on this amp sounds great with a Strat! Blackface Fender with a little more punch. Add a mild OD (Blackstone Mosfet Overdrive) and it's Strat heaven!
It's too bad the Lead mode doesn't sound good with the same settings!
i had a studio 22+ great little amp it sounded fine on the lead with a strat no problem there
I've got a good clean sound dialed in. I need to work on the lead mode now. This amp sounds very different than my 22+ did. It has a slightly different speaker (though they were both the original speaker), but it's more than that. The clean sound (rhythm mode) is better and the lead is more '80s metal (more Metallica than Santana). The lead mode in the 22+ was a little smoother. Also, the mids in this amp are not as "honky" as the 22+. I put the "tone shift" cap on a switch and changed the speaker to an Eminence Private Jack to tame that on the 22+.Quote:
Originally Posted by Del
There are some differences in the schematics between the 22 and the 22+, though not enough to make the differences. That I'm hearing. Maybe, the schematic changes, speaker and parts and tube tolerances all add up to the differences that I hear.
It sounds great clean with a Strat though! Looks good, too!
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how does the clean rhythm work with pedals? I've often found most of the post MKII mesas to have less than (IMHO) pleasant lead tones. That said, I've never owned one to put in the time to dial them in. With most of them having so many knobs to control the gain structure, in store experimentation would quickly get into the "may I help you?" zone before you could find something you liked. And to be brutally honest extremely few of the bands where the guitarists used mesas were bands I enjoyed listening to so the incentive to make the mesas happen wasn't there.
Clean rhythm with pedals is great! These amps take pedals well. I know what you're saying about the lead tones. I prefer their slightly lower gain amps' lead tones. I have a Mesa Express 5:25 and the Blues Mode gets nice fat lead tones. More Santana than Metallica.
I never did try an Express 5:25. Princeton on steroids, eh?
looks like they're discontinued. ZOMG, so many knobs and switches *falls to floor in fetal position*
nice! Does it sound as heavy as it looks? ;-)
I think of the 5:25 as a Princeton on steroids. It's about the same size and has a 10" speaker. The switches and knobs aren't bad. One row is the green channel, the other is the red channel. Kinda like running two amps. The nice thing is that the master volume controls work really well. I can use the amp while my family sleeps and get sounds that I like.Quote:
Originally Posted by DanTheBluesMan
It only weighs 30 pounds. It's in the same cabinet as the 100 watt Mark amps. Put a 200 watt EVM12L in one of those and they can weigh more than twice as much.Quote:
Originally Posted by dirtdog
Oh hell yeah!
i just saw this thread.
very cool
I got to spend some time with the amp tonight and found some settings where the Rhythm and Lead modes both sound really good. It involved lowering the volume ("gain" control on some amps) to about 3-1/2. That was with my Carvin DC150 guitars. With the Strat, the volume control needs to be at about 6 to fatten up the sound in the Rhythm mode. At that point the Lead mode has a ton of distortion.
Of course, this will all be different at rehearsal on Friday night.
This is where they talk about the complexity of setting the controls on a Boogie. It's like spinning plates. Or herding cats? I was able to get some good settings with my Studio .22+ and this is a better sounding amp to start with.
everything I read said it came with a 12" speakerQuote:
Originally Posted by Don
The 5:25 combo originally came with a 10" speaker. They added a 12" speaker option later. The current version, the 5:25 Plus combo, has a 12" speaker, with no 10" speaker option.Quote:
Originally Posted by DanTheBluesMan
I replaced the Mesa branded Eminence speaker in mine with an Eminence Copperhead to reduce the mods and give the amp more of a Fender type of sound. I tried the Jensen C10Q that I love so much in my Princeton Reverb in it but the amp lacked punch with it, maybe due to the speakers low efficiency.
Chit! They shorted me a speaker! The Bastas!
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That's awesome! I'd love to try one of those, or maybe a Mark Five 35. What do you use for a cab with that? I had an old Mesa Thiele with an Electro-Voice EVM 12L that I miss!Quote:
Originally Posted by renderit
I have the Studio 22 and would grab a 22+ if I could for sure. It is a great little amp!
Same as you I guess. Great cab! Love the sound and the portability.
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That's awesome! Dos it have an EVM-2L in it or a C90? Mine weighed over 40 pounds with the EVM-12L in it! But the sound!!!Quote:
Originally Posted by renderit
C90 but it's going to get a JBL-D soon...