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I was in a music store yesterday, poking around at their selection, and just trying out a few of the amps they had on hand. All the while, I was comparing them to the sound of the C30, that has become quite engrained in my head from playing it an average of two hours a day since Christmas morning. I wanted a different perspective.
They (Long & McQuade) have a fairly decent selection, including Line 6, Traynor (they are the authorized Traynor retailer in Toronto), Soldano, Fender, Victoria, Hughes & Kettner, VOX, Marshall, Epiphone and Mesa. I wasn't there to check out the Line 6, Fender HRDx or the Blues Junior, as the latter two were two of the top contenders before I found the C30. Nor was I there to check out the over $2000 Marshall, VOX hand wired, as that is just not going to happen, at least not until my wife gives me patent permission (the Hughes & Kettner as well as a couple of the Victoria models were within the budget, but they were too big in wattage and size). The Marshalls and VOXs that I liked are also physically larger than what I am interested in.
Rather, I wanted to hear the Traynor, as I came across a pile of really high reviews, where there was nothing but praise for this Canadian built amp (9.7 out of 10, and there were dozens of reviews on Harmony Central). I was in the same store before I purchased the C30 (at Steves Music), and tried out the Traynors, but I personally found them lacking, really holding back, dispite the fact that they are very well made, and made in my home town. So, I realized that maybe I missed something. While I was there, I decided to check out some other models, that for what ever reason either seemed at the tme, underwhelming, or were looked over, or I thought were outside of the budget that I was (trying) to work within. I gave the Traynor YCV40 a try, as that is the one that engendered all of the glowing feedback. Its price is reasonably comparable to the C30, well, about $80 more. There are a few more functions on it (its not pretending to be classic in the classic sence of simplicity, though at the same time it doesn't have 50 knobs per square inch either). Also, it is 40 watts, compared to Peavey's 30. To be sure, it is a very well made amp (birch ply cab!), and I'd have to say that if the place where I bought my C30 also carried Traynor, it would have been a tough decision because it does have a great sound, in either channel, with the boost or the bright switches engaged. The basic clean sound is not as throaty as the C30. And dispite the fact that it is larger in size (about the same size as the AC30), it is lighter than the C30 owing to the use of ply wood as opposed to NOVO PLY in the C30. Still, it is larger, and therefore takes up more space. And, do I really need 40 watts??
I then merandered over to other amps that I had passed over, starting with the Epiphone Blues Junior. It looks great, is also 30 watts, it's twin 12" cab, but I found the sound underwhelming, and it is large and very heavy. The store had a great sale price on it at $650 Cdn (regulalry over $900). On to the next one, the VOX Night Train, a dual-power head and cab combo selling for just under $700. Looks great, appears to be well built, though I was left feeling totally underwhelmed, probably the least impressive sounding and limiting of all of them, so far that is. Next, the Soldano. It was either the Astroverb 16, or the Soldano 44. It was white, and resembled both of the ones just mentioned. In either case I thought it was horrid (flat, too mid rangy, no clean tone what so ever), and ridiculously overpriced, dispite the fact that it is "military spec". And yes, I would have to say that it sounds like it was made for the military, not for playing an instrument through. Quickly, on to the next one, the Mesa Express 5:25, a dual-power, lots o' dials and switches little power house selling for around $1450.
Obviously, we have gone out of the ball park here in terms of staying within the same budget as the C30 (mind you, the Soldano was out there too). Out of all of them, this one caught my attention the most. Mesa seems to have a propensity for loading their amps with lots of dials. Some of them looked ridiculous, and they were ridiculously expensive, topping out at over $4000 for a couple of the models. After spending about 20 minutes with the 5:25, it definatley had appeal, and was definately the best sounding of the bunch, and the dual power feature is very appealing living in a 100 year old brick semi, with a neightbout to the south, and a wife and daughter within immediate proximity!
I found that there were great tones to be had in all directions. Does it have a "classic" (not necessarily Peavey) black face or more traditional sound? I'm not so sure about that, though it is a great sounding amp, in just about any direction. And here is where this gets interesting, and what led me to post this story: Physically, it is more or less the the same size as the C30, though lighter owing to, again, the use of birch ply.
Wattage wise, it is close to the C30, build, seems well put together and solid, features, loaded with them with a true 2 channel system, four different sounds (clean and crunch on 1, and blues and burn on 2) a contour control for each channel, numerous jacks in the back for effects etc., bass, treble, mid, master, reverb, foot switchable, and more.
The catch? Its more than twice the price of the C30, and both are engineered and made in the USA. Both use quite a number, I suspect, of parts that are made in China. Does it sound better?
Well, when I got home, I decided that I would see what google had to say. As I typed the words " mesa boogie express 5:25 vs peavey classic 30" into the google search command I was telling myself that there is no way in this world that there will be a comparison. I braced for disappointment. Was I wrong! Someone started a thread on telecaster.com, and it ended eight pages later! Overall, one is left with the impression, most strongly supported by those who have had the 5:25, or other mesa amps, as well as the C30, that the 5:25 is highly over-rated, doesn't deliver on sound quality, or product reliability and tries to make up for that with a myriad of features.
Most of the respondents weighed in on the price, and many wondered how it is it could be priced so much more given that it is roughly the same size and wattage, mass produced and also made in the USA?? Some pondered "engineering", others said higher quality parts. I threw my $.02 in the ring and posited that there is an astronomical price difference in the cost of real estate in California over Mississippi, as well as a cost of labour difference (and who has to pay the salaries of all those celebrities?). And, Mississippi is better known for low country boils, okra, shrimp, smoked pork and catish, (and hurricanes) all decidedly much more humble foods than California's fusion cousine, zinfandels and mahi mahi.
Seriously though, it is known for its high mid range tone, which can translate into too much bass. I found that when I ran a lead through the e,a,d and g strings it sounded more like a slapping bass run than an electric guitar. Its VERY fat sounding. It really is not comparable to a traditional "classic" type amp that peavey, fender, and the newer marshalls or voxs are modelled after. It might have some better components, and maybe more engineering (someone has to pay for the R&D), but if its not your cup of tea, its largely irrelevant, price aside. Maybe its a california sound, I don't know, but its not for me. I think in terms of a more well rounded tone, the peavey c30 wins hands down.
All in all, it proably comes as no surprise to die hard C30 fans that the California, uptown-mesa boogie express 5:25 takes a pounding over the Mississippi roadhouse, roots and blues, Peavey C30. Some of the more sober comments came down to the fact that regardless of price, people have very subjective interpretations of sound, and what it is we are looking for, and price will not always hold sway over that. The axiom, "less is more" is gaining greater currency in the amp world (and hopefull elsewhere). Additionally, I would say that in this big and more is better world, were capital and advertising (tries to) hold sway over our every decision, we can often be led to beleive that more is better, and if it costs more, and if it says "mesa boogie" on it, it must therefore be better. Right? Not. I find all of this fascinating, almost as much as I like playing my guitar.
They (Long & McQuade) have a fairly decent selection, including Line 6, Traynor (they are the authorized Traynor retailer in Toronto), Soldano, Fender, Victoria, Hughes & Kettner, VOX, Marshall, Epiphone and Mesa. I wasn't there to check out the Line 6, Fender HRDx or the Blues Junior, as the latter two were two of the top contenders before I found the C30. Nor was I there to check out the over $2000 Marshall, VOX hand wired, as that is just not going to happen, at least not until my wife gives me patent permission (the Hughes & Kettner as well as a couple of the Victoria models were within the budget, but they were too big in wattage and size). The Marshalls and VOXs that I liked are also physically larger than what I am interested in.
Rather, I wanted to hear the Traynor, as I came across a pile of really high reviews, where there was nothing but praise for this Canadian built amp (9.7 out of 10, and there were dozens of reviews on Harmony Central). I was in the same store before I purchased the C30 (at Steves Music), and tried out the Traynors, but I personally found them lacking, really holding back, dispite the fact that they are very well made, and made in my home town. So, I realized that maybe I missed something. While I was there, I decided to check out some other models, that for what ever reason either seemed at the tme, underwhelming, or were looked over, or I thought were outside of the budget that I was (trying) to work within. I gave the Traynor YCV40 a try, as that is the one that engendered all of the glowing feedback. Its price is reasonably comparable to the C30, well, about $80 more. There are a few more functions on it (its not pretending to be classic in the classic sence of simplicity, though at the same time it doesn't have 50 knobs per square inch either). Also, it is 40 watts, compared to Peavey's 30. To be sure, it is a very well made amp (birch ply cab!), and I'd have to say that if the place where I bought my C30 also carried Traynor, it would have been a tough decision because it does have a great sound, in either channel, with the boost or the bright switches engaged. The basic clean sound is not as throaty as the C30. And dispite the fact that it is larger in size (about the same size as the AC30), it is lighter than the C30 owing to the use of ply wood as opposed to NOVO PLY in the C30. Still, it is larger, and therefore takes up more space. And, do I really need 40 watts??
I then merandered over to other amps that I had passed over, starting with the Epiphone Blues Junior. It looks great, is also 30 watts, it's twin 12" cab, but I found the sound underwhelming, and it is large and very heavy. The store had a great sale price on it at $650 Cdn (regulalry over $900). On to the next one, the VOX Night Train, a dual-power head and cab combo selling for just under $700. Looks great, appears to be well built, though I was left feeling totally underwhelmed, probably the least impressive sounding and limiting of all of them, so far that is. Next, the Soldano. It was either the Astroverb 16, or the Soldano 44. It was white, and resembled both of the ones just mentioned. In either case I thought it was horrid (flat, too mid rangy, no clean tone what so ever), and ridiculously overpriced, dispite the fact that it is "military spec". And yes, I would have to say that it sounds like it was made for the military, not for playing an instrument through. Quickly, on to the next one, the Mesa Express 5:25, a dual-power, lots o' dials and switches little power house selling for around $1450.
Obviously, we have gone out of the ball park here in terms of staying within the same budget as the C30 (mind you, the Soldano was out there too). Out of all of them, this one caught my attention the most. Mesa seems to have a propensity for loading their amps with lots of dials. Some of them looked ridiculous, and they were ridiculously expensive, topping out at over $4000 for a couple of the models. After spending about 20 minutes with the 5:25, it definatley had appeal, and was definately the best sounding of the bunch, and the dual power feature is very appealing living in a 100 year old brick semi, with a neightbout to the south, and a wife and daughter within immediate proximity!
I found that there were great tones to be had in all directions. Does it have a "classic" (not necessarily Peavey) black face or more traditional sound? I'm not so sure about that, though it is a great sounding amp, in just about any direction. And here is where this gets interesting, and what led me to post this story: Physically, it is more or less the the same size as the C30, though lighter owing to, again, the use of birch ply.
Wattage wise, it is close to the C30, build, seems well put together and solid, features, loaded with them with a true 2 channel system, four different sounds (clean and crunch on 1, and blues and burn on 2) a contour control for each channel, numerous jacks in the back for effects etc., bass, treble, mid, master, reverb, foot switchable, and more.
The catch? Its more than twice the price of the C30, and both are engineered and made in the USA. Both use quite a number, I suspect, of parts that are made in China. Does it sound better?
Well, when I got home, I decided that I would see what google had to say. As I typed the words " mesa boogie express 5:25 vs peavey classic 30" into the google search command I was telling myself that there is no way in this world that there will be a comparison. I braced for disappointment. Was I wrong! Someone started a thread on telecaster.com, and it ended eight pages later! Overall, one is left with the impression, most strongly supported by those who have had the 5:25, or other mesa amps, as well as the C30, that the 5:25 is highly over-rated, doesn't deliver on sound quality, or product reliability and tries to make up for that with a myriad of features.
Most of the respondents weighed in on the price, and many wondered how it is it could be priced so much more given that it is roughly the same size and wattage, mass produced and also made in the USA?? Some pondered "engineering", others said higher quality parts. I threw my $.02 in the ring and posited that there is an astronomical price difference in the cost of real estate in California over Mississippi, as well as a cost of labour difference (and who has to pay the salaries of all those celebrities?). And, Mississippi is better known for low country boils, okra, shrimp, smoked pork and catish, (and hurricanes) all decidedly much more humble foods than California's fusion cousine, zinfandels and mahi mahi.
Seriously though, it is known for its high mid range tone, which can translate into too much bass. I found that when I ran a lead through the e,a,d and g strings it sounded more like a slapping bass run than an electric guitar. Its VERY fat sounding. It really is not comparable to a traditional "classic" type amp that peavey, fender, and the newer marshalls or voxs are modelled after. It might have some better components, and maybe more engineering (someone has to pay for the R&D), but if its not your cup of tea, its largely irrelevant, price aside. Maybe its a california sound, I don't know, but its not for me. I think in terms of a more well rounded tone, the peavey c30 wins hands down.
All in all, it proably comes as no surprise to die hard C30 fans that the California, uptown-mesa boogie express 5:25 takes a pounding over the Mississippi roadhouse, roots and blues, Peavey C30. Some of the more sober comments came down to the fact that regardless of price, people have very subjective interpretations of sound, and what it is we are looking for, and price will not always hold sway over that. The axiom, "less is more" is gaining greater currency in the amp world (and hopefull elsewhere). Additionally, I would say that in this big and more is better world, were capital and advertising (tries to) hold sway over our every decision, we can often be led to beleive that more is better, and if it costs more, and if it says "mesa boogie" on it, it must therefore be better. Right? Not. I find all of this fascinating, almost as much as I like playing my guitar.
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