Mesa/Boogie Express 5:50 2x12

This amp was bought new in the UK (2009) and is by far the best sounding 2 x 12 combo I have owned in many years of playing. It has four channels in total and you can use two at a time as other reviews have mentioned. The only disappointment for me is that all four channels aren't footswitchable, which would have been VERY useful indeed. It is a versatile amp nonetheless and has great reverb (one of the best I have ever heard in fact) and a solid and effective series effects loop. Works well for most styles of playing except perhaps for metal or very distortion dependant 'shredding'..(but you can always add a distortion pedal..) The Contour EQ controls perform really well and are most noticeable for me in the 50 watt setting (the amp also works in 5 watts for low volume practice) It's all tube and sounds as good as you'd expect from Boogie.

I play modified Strats and Telecasters mostly, with some having humbuckers and all pickups and guitars work really well with the Express. I play rock and jazz mostly and this amp covers all common guitar sounds very comfortably. The only drawback I have found is that the clean setting on channel one does have an issue with hiss..and in my view should have been sorted out in development. It's certainly not a plus for recording although new tubes and a noise suppressor in the effects loop pretty much sorted the problem for me. Despite the hiss the clean sounds are really heavenly on this amp and this has a lot to do with the 6L6 power valves I'm sure, which offer a very Fender type tone not unlike a Twin Reverb at times. The crunch and blues sounds are top class especially with a humbucker equipped guitar and really sing on single lines if you take time to dial in a good tone (the manual really helps with this) The burn channel (with my Strat) initially disappointed me as I suppose I was expecting higher amounts of gain from a Boogie, but switching to a humbucker equipped guitar soon restored my faith and whilst you won't get Dual Rectifier tones from the Express, you will not be let down in terms of high gain sounds...it really has a voice of its own which is further enhanced when you employ the contour control.

So far the amp has been fine..although I have re-tubed it and it does occasionally make a slight rattling noise on certain pitches. This is much more likely to be a valve issue though and shouldn't be taken as fault with the amp.

Thankfully I've not had to deal with them...but living in the UK I suppose I'd be dealing with the retailer anyway and not Boogie directly. Can't imagine much going wrong here though.

I've been playing professionally for over 30 years now and this is probably the first amp that has truly exceeded my expectations in terms of versatility, great tone and build quality. I've played through a great many amps over the years (including several older model boogies) but few have sounded like this one. If the amp had slightly reduced hiss on the clean channel, you were able to footswitch ALL four channels and adjust the level on the effects loop this would be a true classic..(and to be honest it's really not far off that as it stands)

I've had my amp for one year. This amp is what I've always wanted. What really sells it is the versatility. I just plug in and play. The first amp I've owned that needed no pedals. I'm just getting home from a gig where I had several people comment on the sound I had. This thing can bite!

I usually play a Gibson Les Paul for a live gig. The burn mode is my favorite with a paul. Just a good warm distortion. It can stray into the metal area but I usually don't go that far. I first fell in love with Mesa 15 years ago because of this type of distortion. When I play my telecaster I like the crunch mode. Good for country when you keep the distortion low. Never really messed with clean channel. The blues channel sounds good for...well blues.

So far this amp has been flawless.

I've been playing for 23 years. This is by far the best amp I've ever owned. I honestly don't see ever getting another amp.

2 channels with 2 voicings/modes each, footswitchable channel, reverb and "contour". The latter seems to scoop mids giving a fuller sound while not becoming thin. 2x12 custom celestion speakers, 2x6L6 power tubes, 5x12ax7's in the pre. Effects loop and inputs for external switching of channel and 'verb. You can knock the 50 watts down to a class A 5 watts for bedroom practice and recording. Very cool.

For starters, this single amp is more versitile than any of my single guitars. That said, with the right guitar this amp is capable of handleing just about any style. Though I first scoffed the bare minimum for mesa standards, 4 modes (my stiletto has 6 and the roadking has somewhere around 1,000) it showed me that a masterfully built amp can reflect both the guitar and the player in a very transparent fashion. What I mean is this: I plug my Gothic Les Paul with the EMG's in (a one trick pony but a badass trick it is), put the gain on the express to 2:00, engauge the contour knob, dial in some eq (very easy) and pump it up to drummer volume with the master knob and the agressiveness of my tone can hang with Machine Head. Take heed that the master volume is very important in acheiving a sick metal tone. It is a tube amp after all and not to be judged until you can push those speakers to barking volume. The 5 watt class A setting does not have the "push" of the 50 watt AB power but still has its own sweetness to it.

Conversely, when I plug in my American Deluxe strat (my swiss army knife guitar) and fiddle with the other modes I can get very satisfying tones across an impossibly wide spectrum. This includes the best clean sound I have heard from ANY amp, and I invite you to take the Pepsi challenge on that claim. This amp has become my go-to for most all of my gigging and recording needs. Only when I play in a large venue and need the punch of 150 watts does my stiletto trident come out to play. But this amp gives me THE tone and saves my ears at the same time.

The only thing I could say that would be negative about this amp is that the footswitch occationally will cut out when stepped upon. When this happens it will switch the amp to the clean channel and disengage the countour knob. This is because the 5 prong cable doesn't hold into the footswitch as solid as a 1/4" cable would. Though I realize that the flimsy 5 prong is necessary because of the 3 function footswitch. I just push it in as best I can and deal with it. Other than that one "design flaw" I got no gripe.

I visited the factory in Petaluma and got the tour. Very cool people. Call them up and they are very willing to help. Heck, they even called me back to anwser a question that they didn't have an immediate anwser to! No one "calls you back" anymore! They rock.

Best amp I own. I initially scoffed the amp as an entry-level piece and didn't test drive it for some time. Im glad I did. I would hate to go to prison if someone stole it and I found out who they were.

I am VERY lucky to live near a dealer where I can try out amps. I tried ALL the Mesas', the Lonestar, the Lonestar Special, the Road King, the Roadster, a Dual and Triple Rec, and the Stiletto series. Each has great points, but I could not get that "sound" I was looking for (think UFO - Zep - Curve). I was suspicious of trying the Express, thinking it was entry level. HOLY MARIA was I wrong. Had I started here, I would not have had to try any others. The 5 watt setting (like the Lonestars) is a very special setting - and LOUD. Here at the practice facility, I can NOT turn the master up past 9:00 O-clock. The 50 watt setting just melts the walls. I use channel one for my rhythm, and switch to 2 for leads. The reverb is also VERY nice and integrated.

Everything you could ever want, with the possible exception of nu-metal. If that's your gig - then get a Recto for that wet, saggy sound. What astounds me is that this amp reminds me very much of my Plexi stack (59 SLP) more than anything else - but VERY versatile, more gain, and a LOT less noise. Just as loud on the 50 Watt setting (I'm not kidding).

These things are built like a fortress, and the Express is no exception. The 2x2 combo is a little heavy, although not as heavy as the Roadster combo.

Never had to deal with them - but I hear you can call them anytime...

This is my new 'old reliable'. I was getting nervous about bringing my older gear out on tour - and I was really let down when the Stiletto did not fill in. I thought it would, being EL34 and all, but the Express is voiced MUCH better for me. I play a couple of Gibson V's - and a 70's Strat - all respond flawlessly. I ue the FX loop for my MoogerFooger Ring Modulator, which is my only effect. This is also the first amp I have used that garnered some very positive after gig praise from gear heads. Do not think of this as an entry level product, or second class citizen to it's more expensive brothers and sisters. This thing is the real deal.

5W CLASS A/B SWITCHABLE TO 50W CLASS A.

Two channels each with 4 modes,

channel 1 : clean/crunch modes

channel 2 : blues/burn modes

Right here we go. my gear consists of a fender mexican custom shop designed 60's strat loaded with custom fender '69 pick-ups and the bridge is now fitted with dimarzio tone zone.

I also own a yamaha pacifica 612v.

Ok so mesa were always considered as the mighty of all amps, and this is the 1st product i've bought from them. The amp was very difficult at 1st to get the sound i wanted...but after minutes i had realised this amp reacts different all across the e.q board. the bass control is very powerful. infact so powerful i had to knock down the bass at 10.00, while treble and mid at noon, to get a nice clear rock sound. rather than go on i shall summerise each mode...

CHANNEL 1 :


CLEAN : clean sound is very reminiscent of fender amps...wet clean and very bell like. the clean sounds are awesome with pedals...and even though i bought this to use without pedals....i plugged my big muff into this thing and my god the sound is so huge!! the clean can go from super clean to slight break up. Its officially the best clean tone i've heard from any AMP PERIOD!


CRUNCH : OK so heres where the fun starts. this mode can get you some really bright crunch tones perfect for blues at low gain settings to all out hard rock/metal. Very tight and fluid like. Very crispy compared to burn mode. This channel is great for tight TOOL 10,000 days songs.


CHANNEL 2 ;

BLUES : This mode takes you to clean/clean break up/to a nice mild warm smooth crunch sound. It really is for blues as you cant get a heavy nor very clean sound outta this mode. Its the warmest setting on this amp. Absolutely awesome.


BURN : Now...there has been much debate whether the express can do the whole metal thing and I SAY YES...YES SIR VERY GOOD INDEED!!!!! I play blues/jazz/alt.rock/metal....and this amp delivers big time. BURN takes crunch into more gain perfect for metal/death metal whatever metal your into!!!! There is only so much gain you can use before your sound mushes and the gain on burn stops right before things get silly gainey. Set at 12.00 will give you 'duality' slipknot gain levels to god of lamb. You really need to use the right guitar witht this amp....using a standard strat wont get you a very good metal sound...any guitar with seymour duncan, emg humbuckers really makes BURN SHINE. its not as tight as crunch...but more smoother and more mids...


i am giving the sound an 8 because i understand where people were coming from saying this amp did not do metal. The amps distortion is very complicated. it did not chug well with my strat, i think because of the nature of my saddles and bridge. Hence the 8. However plugging in my yamaha which is an incrediblty bright guitar the chug is awesome!!! YOU NEED HUMBUCKERS!! obviously randall smith has mastered the art of fender cleans and blues tones and the express does all these tones so easily and maybe better.
what really let people down was the trademark 'mesa crunch' sound not living up to the recto's sound. well guys reality check....randall set out making a whole new amp with a different distortion sound. THIS AMP SOUNDS NOTHING LIKE DUAL RECTO, BUT HAS ITS OWN SOUND, which is more versatile. the crunch tones can bring you into a big muff sound which absolutely sounds amazing. its the 1st amp that i've owned that can give amazing CLEAN/DISTORION/FUZZ tones!!!!!!!

funny i received my amp and reverb was not working. i turned everything off, unplugged the footswitch lead and kettle plug. then started her up and everything works fine. whether i needed to just settle her in or there was a slight fault but works now i have no clue...but..

so far so good....but i hear mesa's are built to last a lifetime. for now i can give it an 10.

never dealed with them but they sound serious about their support and seem reputable.

the performance of the amp in a band environment excels way past my previous marshall combos. However when trying this amp along with a marshall jvm/diezel einstein, the marshall/einstein nails the whole chugga palm mute stuff better than the express. The express's distortion is very creamy and fuzz like, it can chug quite well ASLONG that you have the right BRIDGE/PICKUPS/tonewood. The distortion is very fuzzlike. This amp may not chug as well as a mid scooped-clear marshall/diezel distortion, but gives you a really heavy bassy fuzz chug. it sounded alot more powerful like a big muff when playing heavy open riffs compared to the marshall/diezel einstein i tried in the store. Very HELMET SIZE MATTERS DISTORTION. it chugs well....only in a very different way....and sounds heavier and basier with open playing. Alot of good chugging amps lack.

Features are great. 4 total modes(clean, crunch, blues, burn) I like the 5 watt feature, I can actually play with my band with the amp on 5 watts and cut through just fine! 50 watt mode is ridiculously loud and you have to be very sensitive when adjusting the volume. I dont use effects loops but it does have one. 3 button footswitch with plenty of cable.

The clean channel is awesome, I seriously cant get a bad sound out of it no matter where the eq knobs are set. Reverb is great too. Channel 2 is made more for single note picking than big rock chords in my opinion. If your used to big creamy marshall rock chords your going to have to really do some tweaking with this channel or use the crunch setting on channel 1 for it. And then use the blues setting on channel 2 with the gain low for your clean channel. I still have not quite found the sweet spot on this amp for big rock power chords. I also feel the gain on the burn channel is no where near metal/recto range. Overall though the clean channel is enough for me.

Built like a tank! Awesome slide off casters and a nice padded cover comes with it as well. Totally reliable. I gig every weekend and dont bring a back up.

Never had an issue with any boogie ive owned.

2007 mesa express 5:50 2x12 combo. Thought I would be the first to review the 2x12. Same features. This amp is as simple as it gets. Really hard to get a bad sound. Simple yet amazingly flexible. You will need a rack processor as the serial loop has no level controls. Loop sounds great( tube!) and does not eat tone. 2 modes per channel. Clean/ crunch channel goes from beautiful mass headroom clean to pushed( great for blues) to classic overdrive and heavy chunk in crunch mode. This channel alone is enough to sell it. Channel 2 offers blues/burn modes. Footswitch for channel, reverb( spring tube driven and sooo nice!!!) and contour, a brilliant tone shaper that acts like a V shaped eq pattern that most guitarists use with boogies in a single knob format. When cranked, the clean is fat and shimmering, crunch is tight and thick, and burn mode is full on metal. Missing is the solo function and maybe a loop bypass. Neither is a big deal for me, this amp feature wise is perfect with all you need and will actually use and nothing you don't.

This is a great sounding amp. I play a wide range of styles and this amp delivers inspiring tones from the cleanest fendery to the fattest distortion. It is my first mesa. A bandmate had a Mark IV that was sweet and I think this amp has similiar high gain sounds if that helps someone researching this new boogie. Brutal dist? Uh kinda but excels at a smoother singing kind of lead sound. The reverb is great. It doesn't interfere with your tone and you actually forget you have it on. Until you turn it off. Transparent. Beats my fender deville. Not extreme if you do surf. The amp is very quiet. The stock black shadow speakers sound good with great low end capability and smooth top. It sounds great with all my guitars and really lets the sound of the gtr come thru. Single coils are not gonna push the amp enuf if you want heavy distortion. This amp features a 5 watt mode that I predict is gonna be a huge selling point with this amp as more hear what amazing sounds are possible at lower volumes( not low, its still loud, loud I can compete with my drummer). I run a rack processor and use it as a master volume. This way I crank the channel volume up in 5 watt mode and push the pre amp harder for more gain for practice at low vol. of course in 50 watt mode its stupid loud. The contour control adds necessary sparkle. Amp is a little middy without it engaged. I set the amp brighter so it sounds good when off, then set at moderate level to engage sparkle and bass (scoop). Mesa deserves major credit for such a great design. This amp is a bargain in my opinion especially when you add the cost of all the amps and fx you likely go through in your tone quest. The quality of tone overall is just so good. I think maybe the simplicity of this amps design could be the reason. Less is definately more in this case. I think it would suit plug and play types wonderfully and knob turners will have plenty to play with. A very inspiring amp.

Newish so ??. I always have backup but would trust this solid beast.

Heard great things

Highly recommended. I have or have had fender marshall and carvin tube amps. Beats em all. I wanted a 1x12 combo but this came up on craigslist. kinda glad I got the 2x12 though cuz its not too heavy( same as my deville) and I like wider sound and ability to have 2 different spkrs. This amp is a beautiful looking thing too. Tough. I really couldn't be happier with it. I cant imagine any serious guitarist not loving it. Try it if you can b4 you buy. As they say, if you want a fender, marshall or a rectifier BUY ONE. This amp is none of those but will do ALL of those TYPE sounds. That is flexibilty that none of those offer in my experience although they are all great amps. The 5 watt feature really makes this a everything practice to stage kind of amp. Get one This is a true jem. Mesa really nailed it with this amp. Great value. Love set bias that allows you to swap tubes easily.