Honestly they really do sound the best for hard Rock. You can hear the chord definition. They're absolutely awesome . Maybe one of these days I'll be able to afford one!
As kids in the 80s and 90s we all asked ourselves, "Mesa or Marshall?" This is *the* classic metal amp comparison. Throw in the 5150 and you find life is full of hard choices. :) When I was younger in the late 90s I preferred the Mesa sound because it sounded thicker and heavier than the Marshall. But as I am now in my 40s I like the JCM800 with something boosting the front end and the low mids slightly scooped. The amp cuts through well and the bottom end is much tighter and more controllable than the Mesa in my opinion. I am going back to the gear I listened to in the 80s, I guess. Devin Townsend also used to have a rig in his Strapping Young Lad days where he combined a Dual Rectifier with a Mark IV to get his tone. I think the Mark series is kind of overlooked for the sake of the Dual Rectifier. Most people just know them as the Metallica IIC+ amp or the John Petrucci amp. I have not played with the Mark series as much, but they seem more mid forward than the Dual Rectifier, and maybe I would like them as a compromise between the Dual Rectifier and the JCM800. If you have not compared the Dual Rectifier to the Mark series, or the Dual Rectifier to the Triple Rectifier (I think they are similar, just 3 channels and 50 more watts for the Triple), I would love to see videos on those topics, Euge. Thank you as always for your excellent content and knowledge. :)
@@jasongriswold7799 Yeah, they are not cheap. I got mine in an old Randall RG80-112SC combo. Paid $200 for it so it was like buying the speaker and getting the combo for free, haha.
Not as much apples and oranges as people would think. Both killer to be fair. In a mix both are brilliant. Great video! IMO the newly announced NEW OLD Mark II C+ is the quintessential MESA. Those low chugs really define it and set it apart from Marshall.
I have both, the rectifier is not multi watt but anyway, it sounds same. The sound of amplifers is not much different but they give very different sensations when you play them. The jcm is so wild and you never really have control over it...(this is the cool thing) the boogie is solid and reliable but same time punchy and aggressive. I use jhs 3 overdrive with boogie, for me the best. Great job with this videos thank you man!
The Marshall JCM800 wins! I think the tone of the Mesa Dual Rec is more of a nostalgic love: we love it because of certain trends from the 90s and 2000s. The Marshall JCM800 feels just better overall. I've been using Bogner Uberschall tone for years, I hope you can borrow one someday and compare it to your JCM800, maybe the new one called Uber Ultra.
@@guitarlair of course the Marshall JCM800 is also nostalgic, my point is that the tone of the Mesa Dual Rec is not the best, and the JCM800 is overall better (nostalgia aside), my opinion
I did the same test but with the previous gen DR and a 2204. Like you I found that ch2 vintage mode is the only channel and voicing that`s close to 800. I find the mesa has a lower bottom end and a little crunchiness that`s hard to remove, other channels are meh at best (clean especially horrible). I am guessing the multiwatt is better than the previous gen. Marshall for the win yet again ! That 5150 is so aggressive though !
I love them both, I own an early Mesa Dual Rec rev C+. 6505+, Mesa Mark V 90. I need a Marshall in my life. Im going Back and Forth between Marshall 800, Silver Jubilee, or The JVM JVM410HJS. As far as the comparison girs, I like them both.
Great video! Another great video would be the Mesa (Only using the preamp) vs the Soldano SLO! since Mike Soldano has said many times Jim Randall "cloned" the SLO's preamp!! Kiitos Euge!
I have different variants of these 3 and they are all great amps, you can't go wrong with any option. It's all about personal preference and cork sniffing
You can't say one is better than the other, it's a matter of feel and that is determined by our habits. For this reason my favorite heads are mesa mark iv, mesa dual rec mutiwatt, bogner helios eclipse, evh stealth 100w and 50w and marshall vintage modern and mesa dc3. I haven't been able to sell any of these and at the moment I haven't been able to add anything to the team. I would like to try the new ubershall ultra.
Thanks for share this video, it is very informative, that riffs are excellent because probably a lot of us we know how sound Dream Theater or Metallica and for me is the Best perspective we can get when we try to find the amp for us in metal music context. Thank you again .
Like many ppl here, I own the DR and yes it compares favourably to the M (I find the Raw mode in ch 2 is closest to the M). But I can also say that a more accurate Mesa amp would be the Stiletto (version 2 or better yet, Ace). I have both and either is closer to the M sound than the DR (although it all very close) The ElectraDyne, Royal Atlantic and Triple Crown are the other more directly comparable amps to the M. Maybe try to find a Stiletto (or other aforementioned ) and do another comparison?
Please throw also the JCM2000 in the mix to see how our little baby stacks up against these iconic beasts :) (aka Bad Boy, Mesa, 5150) ...it seems like the Mesa is somewhere in between the 800 and the 5150 in terms of mids...I have the impression that the 5150 has a unique "darkness" in its tone that gives me the "fizz"...keep up the good work!! \m/
For some reason I was never able to get the sound I wanted from a Recto. (I've never owned one. Only played through my friend's. So I haven't spent a lot of time working with it). The one in this video sounds great, not as good as the Bad Boy, but obviously... Not many amps compare to that! Rectos do sound great for certain things. Now I want to try dialing one in again. It has been a few years, maybe I'll have better luck this time!
Don't forget that Euge is running these amps WIDE OPEN by running his attenuator setup. These amps will sound vastly different used in a normal bedroom setting.
JCM 800 all the way. Hey, Euge, if you can, do a video comparing Boss Over Drive, Boss Super Overdrive and Boss Overdrive/Distortion (puted all to overdrive) as a booster to JCM 800 - I have them all and for my ears the Boss Overdrive/ Distortion (puted all to overdrive zone) sounds way meaner as a JCM 800 booster, although I have vintage G12M-25 Greenbacks, different from yours Vintage 30s. Maybe thats the pedal-speakers combination? Thanks.
1:40 I recently owned a JCM800 and it didn't have nearly as much distortion even with OD. It would be good to state whether the preamp has hot tone in the first position. Otherwise, it is quite misleading for those interested in this amplifier. The JCM 800 actually doesn't have nearly as much distortion. I have now bought a JCM 900 made in 2024. The manufacturer has 6L6 TADs in the amplifier and I must say that the JCM 800 is not worth comparing to it. Absolutely great sound, Have a nice day
Your one sounds like a not very good one. With proper tubes, biased properly etc. they do. Here's a video I did about the new 2203X and it's pretty much the same than my 800s from 1980s: ruclips.net/video/LIn5YuDsuwI/видео.htmlsi=Jha4IPQ6fpZZVAyt My 800s are stock. Nothing extra in them.
Great comparison - hard to say which one I prefer and would be happy to have all of them as you do! If thats an ADA amp in the rack with blue preset buttons I would like to see how that compares. What sort of output level are you using - are you driving the output stage too or is it attenuated? (Or do your neighbours hate you!)Thanks
Regarding the amp switcher, how does that work each time you switch an amp to the speaker cab? Does the amp switcher put a resistive load on the amps that are not being used?……’cause valve amps don’t like to have the speaker cab disconnected.
EV, firstly I want to thank you for all the videos you post - it would be a lie if i said i did not learn how to tweek and amp from EV :)) ❤ that said i have a question i would love to hear your detailed answer : i once saw a video of Mark Morton 🤘 pushing a Mesa Boogie ( was either a Mark IV or Mark V ) with only a compressor ( the Cali 76 Stacked Origin Effects ) and it sounded amazing. I have both a Mark IIc+ and a Dual Rect., and I just ordered the pedal. I would love to see how you would do the set up and dialing in .. 🙏🦾🦾❤️🙋♂️🤘🤘 Currently i use an SD1 to push the amps - im curious to see what the tonal impact will be.. Love & Respect ,
Do you blend the two in a mix? If so how? Do you pan one left and one right? Do you blend two together and then send it to one side? Any info would be helpful thank you.
I feel like the only real way to do this comparison is with the best of the best of dual recs also, and the multiwatt just isnt it. I only say that because that actually is the best of the jcm 800s(in my opinion, of course). You have to do this again with an early revision dual rec (rev c,d,e,f) and no mods to either amp (including a hot mod or mr scary mod 😉 ) and also with their proper matching accompanying cabs and visa versa. If you are going to compare a new dual rec to any 800 it should also be a new one also??? I will be honest, i never liked marshall cabs, especially for something more low-mid heavy like a dual rec or simillar. Just a thought. Great comparison video though!
Probably like the jcm 800 most here but I eq different than you. The 5150 ii was what I owned, always wanted a boogie but never got one. Rocking a Revv now.
5150 II is missing the bottom end girth that the Marshall has. Channel 2 on Boogie was better than channel 3. The Marshall and Boogie channel 2 were pretty close for heavy riffing. Boogie a bit more focused than Marshall. I like the Marshall best for lead.
You can mix EL34s and 6L6GCs even though many people say you can't. I am not a tech or electrician but I think it is a case by case basis. Back in the early 00s, Bob Pletka with Eurotubes helped me put 2 E34Ls (J&J's EL34) and 2 6L6GCs into my 2000 Carvin MTS3200 head (at the time in Carvin's lineup, it replaced the x100B that Vai and Zappa used and was available at the same time as Carvin's V3 3 channel amp and the first Vai Legacy amp). I did this retube so I could keep some bottom end and have a thicker sound but have more upper mids as well. The "integrated quad" as Bob called it didn't help thicken the distortion much without a boost (the amp is voiced like a JCM800/900), but the cleans were much more like a Fender--and the stock cleans were already good. Crucially, the bias was also increased so the tubes run very hot. I only use it for recording because of that. It would probably burn through tubes every few months if I gigged with it. The MTS3200 comes with 6L6GCs stock and the bias set cold to prolong tube life. It has a switchable bias from EL34 to 6L6GC (I am not sure which setting my amp is on). On that amp, you have to choose one setting (I forget which) and leave it there to keep from damaging the tubes. So, you can mix tube types depending on the amp. Mesa Boogie says you should not, but that might just be on their amps. So I would check with various people who mod amps to see if you can get away with it. Bob also does extensive retubes and mods on 5150s, Dual Rectifiers, and Marks. I am not sure how Euge biases his amps, but I imagine they are probably pretty hot if they are used for recording. Setting the bias is often a tradeoff between better tone and tube life. A word on safety--I had my friend from the USAF with electronics experience rebias the amp to Bob's specs. I would not touch the inside of a tube amp unless you know what you are doing. The voltages are lethal. Bob says the bias on the Carvins can be measured across the standby switch, which I understand is a fairly safe and easy method. Newer amps have bias test points and external adjustable bias, but I have heard they are not as accurate as measuring the amp's current from the inside.
You should buy it. Its ok to have more than one. :) Both are good. BUT!! you have that 800 sounding better than any 800 on the planet. ITS TRUE!!. I have a jcm 2000 TSL 100watt full stack. I have that sounding like the God amp that it is also. I do have it with mesa boogie tubes in it. :) The jcm 2000 tsl is so dam versatile. Tough to beat that.
Everytime I google someones tone I like its always a Marshall. It sounds so so good!
Honestly they really do sound the best for hard Rock. You can hear the chord definition. They're absolutely awesome . Maybe one of these days I'll be able to afford one!
@@luxuriousfirit's ridiculous how much jcm 800s are selling for today.
Around twenty years ago people were selling them for £200-300
Damn dude, you are pumping these comparisons out. I like it
Glad to hear thanks!
Another really good comparison. Your reviews are really good and high quality.Thx man🤘
Thanks!
You just convinced me to keep my marshall. I've been really needing this comparison. Thank you so much!
Glad to hear! Thanks!
As kids in the 80s and 90s we all asked ourselves, "Mesa or Marshall?" This is *the* classic metal amp comparison. Throw in the 5150 and you find life is full of hard choices. :)
When I was younger in the late 90s I preferred the Mesa sound because it sounded thicker and heavier than the Marshall.
But as I am now in my 40s I like the JCM800 with something boosting the front end and the low mids slightly scooped. The amp cuts through well and the bottom end is much tighter and more controllable than the Mesa in my opinion. I am going back to the gear I listened to in the 80s, I guess.
Devin Townsend also used to have a rig in his Strapping Young Lad days where he combined a Dual Rectifier with a Mark IV to get his tone.
I think the Mark series is kind of overlooked for the sake of the Dual Rectifier. Most people just know them as the Metallica IIC+ amp or the John Petrucci amp.
I have not played with the Mark series as much, but they seem more mid forward than the Dual Rectifier, and maybe I would like them as a compromise between the Dual Rectifier and the JCM800.
If you have not compared the Dual Rectifier to the Mark series, or the Dual Rectifier to the Triple Rectifier (I think they are similar, just 3 channels and 50 more watts for the Triple), I would love to see videos on those topics, Euge.
Thank you as always for your excellent content and knowledge. :)
Very similar. Must be fun either way. Must be awesome to run them dual mono to blend the tones.
What your last few videos have really convinced me of is that I need some CL-80s!
They're so good! If you can find the original Rola G12-80s, they are holy grail speakers.
@@low_e_music Sadly, the prices I'm seeing are telling me that others are catching on.
@@jasongriswold7799 Yeah, they are not cheap. I got mine in an old Randall RG80-112SC combo. Paid $200 for it so it was like buying the speaker and getting the combo for free, haha.
Yeah it's a really good speaker and nice to use something else every now & then than a good old V30.
I like that recto. Sits up in a certain way.
They pair together really well... sometimes I use a stereo rig with a dual rectifier and a 5150 and it blends really well and sounds HUGE.
God that 800 just always sounds great
Yeah it's a pretty good one.
I run the JCM 800 and a triple rec stereo they really work great as the Mesa covers that chunk and the 800 just scorches the top end
First riff, the guy from Riffwars plays all the time (Jarrod), but he plays it like an amateur. You are a real player 👏
Not as much apples and oranges as people would think. Both killer to be fair. In a mix both are brilliant. Great video!
IMO the newly announced NEW OLD Mark II C+ is the quintessential MESA. Those low chugs really define it and set it apart from Marshall.
Thanks!
Hard to tell without being in the room but I bet that mesa low end flub is way more prominent. Either way great comparison of two great amps!
Thanks!
Nothing beats the Badboy!
great comparison video, thank you.
Thanks, glad you liked it!
I have both, the rectifier is not multi watt but anyway, it sounds same. The sound of amplifers is not much different but they give very different sensations when you play them. The jcm is so wild and you never really have control over it...(this is the cool thing) the boogie is solid and reliable but same time punchy and aggressive. I use jhs 3 overdrive with boogie, for me the best. Great job with this videos thank you man!
Euge ,No matter what amp you play through I gotta say nothing touches the JCM800 Bad Boy that amp has that bite !!!
Yeah it's a pretty good one.
The Marshall JCM800 wins! I think the tone of the Mesa Dual Rec is more of a nostalgic love: we love it because of certain trends from the 90s and 2000s. The Marshall JCM800 feels just better overall. I've been using Bogner Uberschall tone for years, I hope you can borrow one someday and compare it to your JCM800, maybe the new one called Uber Ultra.
it depends on what you grew up listening, to me the JCM 800 is the nostalgic one since I grew up on Slash, Zakk and basically 80s tones.
@@guitarlair of course the Marshall JCM800 is also nostalgic, my point is that the tone of the Mesa Dual Rec is not the best, and the JCM800 is overall better (nostalgia aside), my opinion
Wow I thought for sure I would prefer the Recto but the Marshall sounds better to me in this video.
I did the same test but with the previous gen DR and a 2204. Like you I found that ch2 vintage mode is the only channel and voicing that`s close to 800. I find the mesa has a lower bottom end and a little crunchiness that`s hard to remove, other channels are meh at best (clean especially horrible). I am guessing the multiwatt is better than the previous gen. Marshall for the win yet again ! That 5150 is so aggressive though !
Спасибо за обзор и за ваши впечатления от усилителя MESA.
I love them both, I own an early Mesa Dual Rec rev C+. 6505+, Mesa Mark V 90.
I need a Marshall in my life. Im going Back and Forth between Marshall 800, Silver Jubilee, or The JVM JVM410HJS.
As far as the comparison girs, I like them both.
Man I love the bad boy! Have a good day 🤘🤘
Likewise :-)
Great video! Another great video would be the Mesa (Only using the preamp) vs the Soldano SLO! since Mike Soldano has said many times Jim Randall "cloned" the SLO's preamp!! Kiitos Euge!
I have different variants of these 3 and they are all great amps, you can't go wrong with any option. It's all about personal preference and cork sniffing
If you still have the recto you need to try the treble at zero on the gain channels. It opens the amp up and gives it a ton more mids.
Both sound brtutal man!! Cheers from Argentina.
You can't say one is better than the other, it's a matter of feel and that is determined by our habits. For this reason my favorite heads are mesa mark iv, mesa dual rec mutiwatt, bogner helios eclipse, evh stealth 100w and 50w and marshall vintage modern and mesa dc3. I haven't been able to sell any of these and at the moment I haven't been able to add anything to the team. I would like to try the new ubershall ultra.
Thanks for share this video, it is very informative, that riffs are excellent because probably a lot of us we know how sound Dream Theater or Metallica and for me is the Best perspective we can get when we try to find the amp for us in metal music context. Thank you again .
Thanks!
i love soooo much my MULTI WATT MESA , ( still got a JCM800 too btw...) but...
I prefer the 800, it just hits the spot.
Marshall for me. I do like plugging a bass into Mesa amps. They can get a good chunky bass sound.
Perfect comparison man, thanks
7:45 sums up the video. More content like this pls :)
Like many ppl here, I own the DR and yes it compares favourably to the M (I find the Raw mode in ch 2 is closest to the M). But I can also say that a more accurate Mesa amp would be the Stiletto (version 2 or better yet, Ace). I have both and either is closer to the M sound than the DR (although it all very close)
The ElectraDyne, Royal Atlantic and Triple Crown are the other more directly comparable amps to the M.
Maybe try to find a Stiletto (or other aforementioned ) and do another comparison?
Mesa for me🎉
Please throw also the JCM2000 in the mix to see how our little baby stacks up against these iconic beasts :) (aka Bad Boy, Mesa, 5150) ...it seems like the Mesa is somewhere in between the 800 and the 5150 in terms of mids...I have the impression that the 5150 has a unique "darkness" in its tone that gives me the "fizz"...keep up the good work!! \m/
For some reason I was never able to get the sound I wanted from a Recto. (I've never owned one. Only played through my friend's. So I haven't spent a lot of time working with it). The one in this video sounds great, not as good as the Bad Boy, but obviously... Not many amps compare to that! Rectos do sound great for certain things. Now I want to try dialing one in again. It has been a few years, maybe I'll have better luck this time!
Mesas normally require time to dial in
Don't forget that Euge is running these amps WIDE OPEN by running his attenuator setup.
These amps will sound vastly different used in a normal bedroom setting.
Marshall sounds more proper. Boogie always never quite got the Soldano vibe. But Marshalls still cover the right frequencies
Giving it a loose listening you could definitely go with either of them. Probably it would just become a matter of personal feel.
Awesome Video! Thank you!
Glad to hear thanks!
I have both, and tbh I never play my rectifier.. I also love orange but when I play with a band, marshall cuts thru no problem every time
JCM 800 all the way. Hey, Euge, if you can, do a video comparing Boss Over Drive, Boss Super Overdrive and Boss Overdrive/Distortion (puted all to overdrive) as a booster to JCM 800 - I have them all and for my ears the Boss Overdrive/ Distortion (puted all to overdrive zone) sounds way meaner as a JCM 800 booster, although I have vintage G12M-25 Greenbacks, different from yours Vintage 30s. Maybe thats the pedal-speakers combination? Thanks.
1:40 I recently owned a JCM800 and it didn't have nearly as much distortion even with OD. It would be good to state whether the preamp has hot tone in the first position. Otherwise, it is quite misleading for those interested in this amplifier. The JCM 800 actually doesn't have nearly as much distortion. I have now bought a JCM 900 made in 2024. The manufacturer has 6L6 TADs in the amplifier and I must say that the JCM 800 is not worth comparing to it. Absolutely great sound, Have a nice day
I have a 2203 from 1983 that would absolutely melt your face off with a TS in front. I also own a Badlander which kind of sounds like my 2203
Your one sounds like a not very good one. With proper tubes, biased properly etc. they do. Here's a video I did about the new 2203X and it's pretty much the same than my 800s from 1980s: ruclips.net/video/LIn5YuDsuwI/видео.htmlsi=Jha4IPQ6fpZZVAyt
My 800s are stock. Nothing extra in them.
Sounds to me like you got a what I like to call "post 1993 LaBrie" there.
Great comparison - hard to say which one I prefer and would be happy to have all of them as you do! If thats an ADA amp in the rack with blue preset buttons I would like to see how that compares. What sort of output level are you using - are you driving the output stage too or is it attenuated? (Or do your neighbours hate you!)Thanks
Had a dual rec first ans then the jcm800 2203 she's the best ❤❤❤
I have both
Regarding the amp switcher, how does that work each time you switch an amp to the speaker cab? Does the amp switcher put a resistive load on the amps that are not being used?……’cause valve amps don’t like to have the speaker cab disconnected.
Yes: ruclips.net/video/-_WpuZW22D4/видео.htmlsi=29_epjCgwnpcpg91
All are great!
EV, firstly I want to thank you for all the videos you post - it would be a lie if i said i did not learn how to tweek and amp from EV :)) ❤ that said i have a question i would love to hear your detailed answer : i once saw a video of Mark Morton 🤘 pushing a Mesa Boogie ( was either a Mark IV or Mark V ) with only a compressor ( the Cali 76 Stacked Origin Effects ) and it sounded amazing. I have both a Mark IIc+ and a Dual Rect., and I just ordered the pedal. I would love to see how you would do the set up and dialing in .. 🙏🦾🦾❤️🙋♂️🤘🤘 Currently i use an SD1 to push the amps - im curious to see what the tonal impact will be.. Love & Respect ,
Killer tones and comparison.
I love and hate the SD-1. Sounds good but everything sounds like it when it’s engaged
I think the jcm800 and the 5150 sound the best...
Do you blend the two in a mix? If so how? Do you pan one left and one right? Do you blend two together and then send it to one side? Any info would be helpful thank you.
Sure if I feel like so. Whatever works the best in any given situation & mix. There's no formula.
the 800 sounds so much more dramatic, if it makes sense, the way you use it.
My ear always goes for the Boogie. Idk to me it has a depth to it. All sound great tho.
Wait maybe is the sd1 but they are really similar
Conclusion: they both bite
Yes.
Jälleen pirun laadukasta matskua!
I feel like the only real way to do this comparison is with the best of the best of dual recs also, and the multiwatt just isnt it. I only say that because that actually is the best of the jcm 800s(in my opinion, of course). You have to do this again with an early revision dual rec (rev c,d,e,f) and no mods to either amp (including a hot mod or mr scary mod 😉 ) and also with their proper matching accompanying cabs and visa versa. If you are going to compare a new dual rec to any 800 it should also be a new one also??? I will be honest, i never liked marshall cabs, especially for something more low-mid heavy like a dual rec or simillar. Just a thought. Great comparison video though!
Nice demo. Is that recorded with a mic, interface or room mic?
Sorry just seen the part with the mic. I walked away from the vid when you mentioned it.
@@MC-dj7ri 😎
That is a raw bad to da bone geetar you got going on there dude. I wouldn't reject any of those amps either.
Be cool if you blended them
Probably like the jcm 800 most here but I eq different than you. The 5150 ii was what I owned, always wanted a boogie but never got one. Rocking a Revv now.
800 is the one, but in a live setting, the audience wouldn’t hear a difference.
Marshall 🤘
Both AMPs are great but for me the DR sounds better. Play with the Mids or Presence of the DR.
More mids and more presence?
@@bqvsgravity8956 no try more or less mids or the same with the presence. that can be a more in your face sound. but you have to try.
Is the bad boy EL 34 or 6550?
The bad boy runs 6550 tubes
6550
5150 II is missing the bottom end girth that the Marshall has. Channel 2 on Boogie was better than channel 3. The Marshall and Boogie channel 2 were pretty close for heavy riffing. Boogie a bit more focused than Marshall. I like the Marshall best for lead.
More like MARSHALL JCM800 2203 & MESA/BOOGIE DUAL RECTIFIER :D
🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏
Both at the same time.
Should try the Dual Rectifier with EL34s :D
You can mix EL34s and 6L6GCs even though many people say you can't. I am not a tech or electrician but I think it is a case by case basis.
Back in the early 00s, Bob Pletka with Eurotubes helped me put 2 E34Ls (J&J's EL34) and 2 6L6GCs into my 2000 Carvin MTS3200 head (at the time in Carvin's lineup, it replaced the x100B that Vai and Zappa used and was available at the same time as Carvin's V3 3 channel amp and the first Vai Legacy amp).
I did this retube so I could keep some bottom end and have a thicker sound but have more upper mids as well.
The "integrated quad" as Bob called it didn't help thicken the distortion much without a boost (the amp is voiced like a JCM800/900), but the cleans were much more like a Fender--and the stock cleans were already good.
Crucially, the bias was also increased so the tubes run very hot. I only use it for recording because of that. It would probably burn through tubes every few months if I gigged with it.
The MTS3200 comes with 6L6GCs stock and the bias set cold to prolong tube life. It has a switchable bias from EL34 to 6L6GC (I am not sure which setting my amp is on). On that amp, you have to choose one setting (I forget which) and leave it there to keep from damaging the tubes.
So, you can mix tube types depending on the amp. Mesa Boogie says you should not, but that might just be on their amps.
So I would check with various people who mod amps to see if you can get away with it. Bob also does extensive retubes and mods on 5150s, Dual Rectifiers, and Marks.
I am not sure how Euge biases his amps, but I imagine they are probably pretty hot if they are used for recording. Setting the bias is often a tradeoff between better tone and tube life.
A word on safety--I had my friend from the USAF with electronics experience rebias the amp to Bob's specs. I would not touch the inside of a tube amp unless you know what you are doing. The voltages are lethal.
Bob says the bias on the Carvins can be measured across the standby switch, which I understand is a fairly safe and easy method. Newer amps have bias test points and external adjustable bias, but I have heard they are not as accurate as measuring the amp's current from the inside.
Bad boy all day long.
Triple Crown 100w is the closest I've heard both of these put into one amp.
I like the Mesa. But the Marshall wins.
🤘sick
IMHO the Boogie has more presence and grit.
800 sounds better in this video
It’s a tossup they sound so alike, but then again the rectifier was Mesa’s answer to Marshall
The marshall sounded better to my ears.
800 always wins.
I'm drunk AF, can't tell the difference. In a live setting I'm assuming I won't be the only one or maybe I'm just drunk
I think any of these amps will give you what you're looking for but that could be the bourbon speaking.
The Marshall smoked that boogie imho.
You should buy it. Its ok to have more than one. :) Both are good. BUT!! you have that 800 sounding better than any 800 on the planet. ITS TRUE!!. I have a jcm 2000 TSL 100watt full stack. I have that sounding like the God amp that it is also. I do have it with mesa boogie tubes in it. :) The jcm 2000 tsl is so dam versatile. Tough to beat that.