Members steverags Posted September 28, 2006 Members Share Posted September 28, 2006 I finally got my Mesa Roadster 1x12 combo. I order it from Guitar Center. The said it would be 6-8 weeks, but it showed up in 5. I've had it a week, and I've used it at bedroom volumes, and in a live setting. Since I couldn't find much info about the amp in the forums, I thought I would give my opinions on the amp to possibly help others decide if it is amp is right for them. I went for the 1x12 combo because the 2x12 is super heavy, and I already have a Mark IV head. I wanted something portable and versatile, so this seemed perfect. Lets start with the sound. {censored}ing awesome. I should point out that I'm a tone whore, and I am very picky about my sound. I've literally spent tens of thousands of dollars on gear over the years. This amp sounds really good. I have channel one set to "tweed" for a nice fender sounding blues clip, Channel 2 is set for clean, Channel 3 is a "vintage" boogie drive, and Channel 4 has enough gain to melt your face off. Each channel is extremly versatile with 3 modes, plus you can set the channels to 50 or 100 watts, plus you can choose tube rectifier or diode on each channel. The reverb is independent on each channel, and it is the best I've heard on a Boogie. I would almost say that it was impossible for someone to not find a sound on this amp to suit there needs. The FX loop is an extremely important feature for me because I am a big user of delay, and we all know how delays can sound in front of an amp. This amp has a serial loop with a level control. I was able to get great delay sounds on all channels (pedals used include Diamond Memory Lane, T-Rex Replica, Boss DD20, and a Line 6 DL4). I even tried my Fulltone Deja Vibe, Cusack Tap-a-Whirl, and my MXR EVH Phase 90 in the loop for fun, even though I usually run them in front of the amp. They sounded great in the loop too! This is the best sounding 1x2 combo I've heard. Because of the new closed back design (actually ported), there is an incredible amount of low end, so much that you need to run the bass pretty low. It is very {censored}ing loud too. At band practice, I put the amp on top of my Genx Benz 2x12 cabinet. I figured it would sound great when running them together. I ended up not even plugging the cabinet in because the amp sounded so good and full on its own. So I pretty much ended up leaving the Roadster on top of the Genz Benz cabinet for better projection. I play in a pretty loud band, and I cut through with the Roadster 1x12 just as good as I cut through with my Mark IV running through my Mesa 4x12 half back cabinet. The tuner out jack is a welcome feature. It allows you to footswitch to a muted tuner out. In my opinion, this should be a feature on every amp. It allows you to get more pedals out of your signal path, hence better tone. The amp came with removable track-lock casters (absolutley necesarry), and a very nice amp cover and even a cover for the HUGE footswitch. Now, I will give my opinions on what I DON'T like about the amp. While for the most part they are insignificant compared to the fat tone you will get, they are worth noting for potential buyers. First off, this is a heavy amp. It is 94 lbs. For a 1x12 combo, this may seem ridiculous for some. For me, I can just handle it. With the caster plus a top handle and 2 heavy duty side handles, I was able to lug it up my stairs without breaking my back. Another thing I do not like is the way the footswitch is layed out. It is as follows. from left to right- ch1, ch2, ch3, ch4, reverb, tuner mute, loop, solo. To me, if you have a footswitch for the tuner that completly cuts out your sound, you should put it off to the side as far as possible, to avoid accidentally hitting it mid song. I already hit it by mistake a few times. I guess this is something I will have to get used to. But, the thing that bothers me THE MOST about the amp, is that when switching channels, there is a very quick volume drop. I am not talking about the reverb fading in. There is actually a slight mute you get. If you are ringing out a chord, and switch channels while it is sustaining, you will notice it. I know alot of amps do this. My Marshall DSL 50 did, my Mesa Rectoverb did, and My Ampeg Reverb Rocket did. However, my Mark IV does not. Footswitching channels on the Mark IV is instant and seamless. I called Boogie today to see if this was a problem, or if the Roadster is just made that way. The tech told me it was normal for the amp to do that. (I just don't understand why the Roadster does this but not my Mark IV. Maybe something to do with the rectifier tubes? I'm not sure, but if anyone knows why, or if there is a way to modify it to stop the delay, please let me know.) Alot of people will be fine with this, and I don't think it is that big a deal, but to me, when you spend $2,000 on an amp, you should not get glitches like this. All that being said, I will say that I am very happy with the amp. You can seriously get hundreds of sounds out of it. For someone like me who plays many different styles of music, this amp is versatile. It is compact and portable, yet plenty loud for gigs and practice with a loud band. Like I said, I am very picky when it comes to my gear. What it comes down to is that this is one of the best amps I've heard, it is perfect for getting many different tones, it has great reverb and FX loop, and is actually very easy to tweak, even with all the knobs and switches. If you aren't turned off by the weight or the channel switching delay, I would say definitly look into the Mesa Roadster. {censored}, I've never wrote anything so long! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members tuna141 Posted September 28, 2006 Members Share Posted September 28, 2006 Nice review. Thanks for taking the time to post. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members TomCTC Posted September 28, 2006 Members Share Posted September 28, 2006 Sounds like a beast! I'd love an oppourtunity to try the head version of the Roadster sometime. I think it may escalate my gas formula to "New Amp > New Guitar". Thanks for the review! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members gskuse Posted September 28, 2006 Members Share Posted September 28, 2006 Great review, thanks for taking the time to write it. I am jonesing a Roadster pretty bad and will likely end up with one. I don't gig but since I am playing for my own enjoyment I may as well maximize it. I do have a question. I talked to a guy at the local Guitar Center and he quoted me a price, from the Mesa price sheet, but said I had to pay freight to get it to the store. That is significant in light of the weight of this beast. Did you have a similar experience? If they have one in stock you don't pay for shipping but if they order it you do. That doesn't leave me with a warm feeling. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members 30secs Posted September 28, 2006 Members Share Posted September 28, 2006 mmmm.... roadster.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members cdp Posted September 28, 2006 Members Share Posted September 28, 2006 Nice review! Sounds like a killer amp, I looked at the 2 page ad in Guitar Player just a few days ago. Did you order it sight-unseen, or had you been able to demo one at GC? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members pink freud Posted September 28, 2006 Members Share Posted September 28, 2006 94lbs in a 1X12 daaaaaaayum. how much does the 2X12 weigh? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members hal9000 Posted September 28, 2006 Members Share Posted September 28, 2006 Steverags, thanks for the nice review. Does you amp have the standard cosmetics? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members scottkahn Posted September 28, 2006 Members Share Posted September 28, 2006 Originally posted by steverags Since I couldn't find much info about the amp in the forums, I thought I would give my opinions on the amp to possibly help others decide if it is amp is right for them... Steve, You should have checked MusicPlayers.com! :-p Here's an in-depth review of the Road King Series II, which includes a section at the end that details the differences between the amps. http://www.musicplayers.com/reviews/guitars/2006/0906_MesaBoogieRoadKing.php I agree with you though... amazing sounding amp. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Bucketboy Posted September 28, 2006 Members Share Posted September 28, 2006 Pics. PICS!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Mr. Brady Posted September 28, 2006 Members Share Posted September 28, 2006 Sounds awesome, I'd love to try one of these out. How does it compare to a Mark IV for tone? The volume drop would worry me a little though. For a $2000 amp this should not be an issue. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members musicdog400 Posted September 28, 2006 Members Share Posted September 28, 2006 Thanks for a great review. I am very interested in this amp. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members simbasa Posted September 28, 2006 Members Share Posted September 28, 2006 The Roadster is a Recto and the cleans are supposedly from the Lonestar. Funny thing is I tried it out and the cleans sound nothing like a Lonestar. Then again, I was running it thru a 2-12 closed recto cab. I would recommend the Roadking II over a Roadster if you can save up 700 bucks more. the cleans really should be run thru a open back cab and you can a/b your cabs on EACH channel of the Roadking. I wanted to get the new one but they told me it was a 6 week wait. Try the Roadking against the Roadster if you get a chance. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members steverags Posted September 28, 2006 Author Members Share Posted September 28, 2006 Wow, lots of responses. Well lets see, I did order it without hearing it. I scored a new Boogie catalog, and it looked damn sweet, so I went for it. As for the weight of the 2x12, I was told it was about 125 lbs! Thats too much for me. I did order the Roadster with standard cosmetics. I was considering getting some custom options, but the increased price and longer waiting time turned me off. The standard coametics actually look cool. From the pictures, I didn't think much of it. I was never a fan of the whole diamond plate thing. But, when I got to see it up close, I changed my mind. It looks sweet! I like the black diamond plate over the silver. Plus all the multi color LEDs look cool. There are some pics on Boogies site. I considered a Road King series 2, but there was some features I didn't have any use for, such as the dual loops. The Roadster seemed to fit my needs better. I paid $1,999 plus tax. Guitar Center didn't charge me shipping fees. As for comparisons to the Mark IV, well, they are both awesome, yet different. I found that tweaking my Mark IV could be a little difficult. Setting up the back switches certain ways would make one channel sound great, but take away from another. I was never a huge fan of channel 2 on the Mark IV, but I love the clean and the lead channels. Plus the graphic EQ is fat. I find that the heavier gain settings on the Roadster is much more saturated than the Mark IV. (no doubt from the Rectifier tubes) The cleans are great on both amps, but you have more options with the Roadster. The Mark IV is more natural sounding. I really like that I can have 2 clean channels on the Roadster, and assign each channel the options I want, whereas on The Mark IV, some of the back switches are for all channels. Plus all of the push-pull knobs on the Mark IV can get a little confusing at times. I am a huge fan of both amps. The only thing ticking me off about the Roadster is the delay of the channel switching. I can see how I may end up using the Mark IV live because it doesn't do this, but I have to wait and see if I can get better at switching channels earlier to try to make the delay not as noticable on the Roadster. Let me know if you guys have any more questions. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members jimSG Posted September 29, 2006 Members Share Posted September 29, 2006 Thanks for the review! My Roadster head is due in any day now. I really can't wait so it was nice to read your review (though it would have been easier to read if you broke it into smaller paragraphs). Regarding the channel switching delay: I take it from your original post that the problem is a volume drop as opposed to an actual switching delay. Could this be the source of your problem (quoted from the Owner's Manual)?: When switching Channels with Reverb applied or switching the Reverb itself in and out of the signal path with the Footcontroller,it is normal to experience approximately 1-2 seconds of delay before the Reverb effect is mixed back in with the dry signal. SeeNOTE: under REVERB in the Rear Panel section of this manual for more info. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members jimSG Posted September 29, 2006 Members Share Posted September 29, 2006 Originally posted by simbasa The Roadster is a Recto and the cleans are supposedly from the Lonestar. Funny thing is I tried it out and the cleans sound nothing like a Lonestar. You know, I had read that in postings around here too. But when I went to research the Roadster prior to my purchase the only reference I could find regarding the Lone Star dealt with the Roadster's reverb circuit: ------ We Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members steverags Posted September 30, 2006 Author Members Share Posted September 30, 2006 The reverb delay is not what I am talking about. The reverb does fade in when switching channels, which is not a problem at all. I actually like that feature. But, there actually is a quick mute when changing channels. If you let a note ring out and switch channels while it is sustaining, it is very obvious that there is a quick moment of silence before coming back in. I talked to boogie about it and they said it was normal. Just a quirk you have to live with on this particular amp. Its the only thing that I really don't like about the Roadster. As for the cleans being the same as a Lone Stars cleans, I couldn't say because I never played a Lone Star, but the cleans are FANTASTIC!. Plus, you have 2 seperate channels dedicated to clean sounds, with 3 modes each. I am able to get super clean, almost jazz like tones, I can almost duplicate the clean channel on my Mark IV, I can get a clean Fender sound (vibrolux to Bassman), plus I can get a "pushed" Fender sounding clip, which is great for blues playing. I know I said it earlier, but if you can deal with the delay in channel switching, the awkward position of the "tuner mute" on the footswitch, and the weight of the amp (combo), then this amp is DEFINITLY worth checking out. In my band we go from funk and jazz to reggae, punk and metal. This amp does it all with ease. Still, it gets me mad when I have to do quick channel switching while continuolsly playing and I hear that damn volume drop. I know alot of amps do this, but for the price of the amp, I feel like they should have tried fixing this. All in all, I have never had a combo amp be so versatile, and trust me, I have had ALOT of amps in my time. Heres a few I've had over the years- Fender Supersonic, Stage 100, Deluxe reverb, Roland Jazz Chorus, Marshall DSL 50, JCM 900, Ampeg Reverb Rocket, Mesa Tremoverb, Rectoverb, DC3, Nomad 100, Dual Rectifier, Mark IV. I have sold alot of these amps, but I'm sure that, even with the few quirks, I will be holding onto the Roadster. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members xbryanx Posted September 30, 2006 Members Share Posted September 30, 2006 glad you like it! i could never bring myself to try a roadking head at the music store, i just look at the footswitch and go "this is too much amp for me":D im a set it and forget it kinda guy (on multipul amps) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members simbasa Posted September 30, 2006 Members Share Posted September 30, 2006 Originally posted by jimSG You know, I had read that in postings around here too. But when I went to research the Roadster prior to my purchase the only reference I could find regarding the Lone Star dealt with the Roadster's reverb circuit: ------ We Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members hal9000 Posted October 2, 2006 Members Share Posted October 2, 2006 Originally posted by simbasa Yea the catalog says 'The Roadster is a Road king but with less features" But which one? I say it's the clean of the first version and not the new. Hmm... I think a call to Mesa is in order. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members ratter Posted October 2, 2006 Members Share Posted October 2, 2006 Very nice review. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members jimSG Posted October 2, 2006 Members Share Posted October 2, 2006 Originally posted by simbasa Yea the catalog says 'The Roadster is a Road king but with less features" But which one? I say it's the clean of the first version and not the new. I haven't compared the Roadster to the Road King so I really can't say. However I think that production-wise they would want to keep as much circuitry in common with the series 2 Road King as they could. This is what the web site says about the differences: ----In fact, the Roadster is a Road King without Progressive Linkage Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members jimSG Posted October 2, 2006 Members Share Posted October 2, 2006 Originally posted by jimSG You know, I had read that in postings around here too. But when I went to research the Roadster prior to my purchase the only reference I could find regarding the Lone Star dealt with the Roadster's reverb circuit: ------ We Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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