Hey Thunda...

I see in your profile that you have the Mesa Heartbreaker. I use the Mesa Triple Rec but have been thinking about changing to something a little smaller. If it wasn't for the price I would probably have the Mesa Roadster 2x12 now.

How do you like the Heartbreaker? Can you tell me how you like it?

Thnx..

Mine is The Head version. My friend has the combo version. I was not impressed by the speakers that came in it, but they weren't awful.

The heartbreaker's two channels are voiced a bit different. The "Love" channel is a tad brighter. The "Lust" channel is a bit darker, but I was able to improve it's sound with some new old stock preamp tubes. I use Sylvania and RCA 7025's in the first four preamp tube sections. The other three really have very little effect on the sound. V6 I replaced with a NOS Brimar 12AT7, it is the reverb driver. It improved the reverb a little. The reverb is not as lush as a fender reverb or the reverb on my Pignose G60VR.

Channel two "Lust" in the lo gain setting is very Fender tweed sounding, will start to dirty up around the 2:00 setting on the gain. Gain maxxed out in the low gain setting is very nice, will work for about any classic rock when you need overdrive. It also takes OD pedals very well when in the 12:00-2:00 gain setting. In the high gain, it will almost do JCM800 tones, even with the 6L6's.

Channel one "Love" can get almost sparkly in the low gain setting, but as that is the boost channel, I mostly use it in the high gain setting with the boost switch activated for solos. It *will* cut through a mix!

I'm not a big fan of the effects loop as your master volumes control the effects level. I would prefer that they didn't.

It is a very versatile amp, takes pedals well, many tone options are available, you just have to sit down with it and twiddle the knobs.

Also, your speaker cab selection will have a *big* effect on your tone. For years, I used an old Peavey 4x12 cab loaded with Eminence V12's. These are 120 watts each, and to get the true tone potential had to be played at relatively loud volumes (like in large nightclubs, 300 people). I took a Crate closed back 2x12 cab and loaded it with Eminence Governors. Nice and raunchy, but can get a little muddy. Then I took an old Avatar 4x12 cab I had sitting around since the early '00s and loaded it with Jensen Mod 35 speakers. Wow! Jangly, nice breakup when pushed, sounds good clean and dirty at most any but the lowest possible volume level. It is now my fav cab unless I'm going to be playing a really loud venue, then it will be the old peavey with the V12's.

Overall, I've been really happy with the amp, have had it for 9 years. Been through a lot together. It won't do rectifier tone (without some sort of pedal), but that's not really a tone I particularly like or have a use for a lot. It is very versatile if you do a lot of covers of a variety of styles. I even did a wedding reception with a Nashville cat, most all the music was country (my least fav) and I used my Flying V. He was taken aback at first with my choices, but got over it quick. Got great classic twang. The tone is there, you just have to work the amp.

The perfect amp is not out there (although I can actually do a lot with the Pignose G60VR, and it's single channel), but this a good one. If you want Triple Rec tones, not. JCM2000, not. A lot of tones with two types of preamp both with high and low gain settings, a screaming high gain boost feature, and then there is the "bold" and "curvaceous" settings that affect the overall response of the amp, then you will definitely like it. I leave mine in the tube rectifier setting almost all the time, unless I want a really tight sounding overdrive distortion sound a la Marshall, then I switch to solid state rectifier.

Hope this helps. Any more questions or if you need more particular info, don't hesitate to contact me.

Thanks for the info. I use a Vox V810 pedal with my Mesa Rectifier on the clean channel to get some of my less raunchy tones (EG: john cougar, the doors, etc)

I dont have the matching Mesa 412 cabinet. I use a Marshall 1960a cab. I think the Mesa cab with the Rectifier sounds too bassy. Guitar is supposed to cut through the mix. If all your instruments are really bassy it makes the mix muddy to my ears.

What folks tend to misunderstand is that the electric guitar's frequencies are more in the midrange. I think that's why Greenbacks are so popular. You can hear the guitar.