Small, Loud, Versatile

I've owned the 1x10 version of this combo for three years, having purchased it as a smaller, simpler gigging alternative to my larger Roadster rig. It has never let me down, onstage or in the studio. For a long time, I just ran it clean, using pedals to add my drive and distortion. But lately, I've found myself utilizing all it has to offer. With EL84s, it definitely produces tighter low end and a lot of chime available on Ch. 1 (especially using the Contour control). "Crunch" mode absolutely nails the Nashville sound perfectly, and Ch. 2's "Burn" mode has way more grind than you'd expect. When hooked up to a closed back external cab, you can actually get into early Dual Rec territory. The Dyna-Watt feature is awesome, too; perfect for low level practicing (this thing can get loud, despite its size).

Great Amp, very versatile

Wonderful sounds with a Strat, and very versatile with the 4 (!) channels - Clean, Blues, Crunch and Burn says it all :-) With a weight of about 20kg one can still carry it around in the house, and the 5W / 30W switch allow to play with decent sound at decent levels. Great package overall.

A great combo amp

I have a Mark V and because of its size and weight I bought a 5:25. Its a sweet amp. It gives me the basics of my tone and is easier to take around with me. It sounds great, has a big amp sound, the cabinet is very well designed. You can definitely gig with this amp as well. When I was a kid I wish I could have bought something like this for my first tube amp.

Mesa/Boogie Express 5:25 1x12 Combo

I love this amp.

I am a bedroom/den hobbyist player. No gigs. Just me playing for myself. That being said, this amp rocks for what I want it to do. The 5 watt setting allows me to play to my heart''s content without having the cops show up to tell me the neighbors said to shut it down. The 25 watt option is there for playing times when a nice, reasonably loud, sound won't be a problem.

I have read reviews from foks who use this amp in small gig settngs and they say it produces adequate volume there. Mesa also makes an add on speaker cab and this amp will accomdate that, so you have that as an option too.

I enjoy playing traditonal rock like Chuck Berry, Rolling Stones and Aerosmith. I also like to just pick up a tune I hear on the radio, TV or the movies and find tabs for it and go from there.

The range of tone and contour controls on this amp when combined with the two separate channels and two settings on each channel provide an array of options that is incredibly versatile. You can go from a total clean sound to a heavy cruncn overdrive to a soaring/screaming lead.. Just tweak the settings. It comes with a foot switch so it makes it easy to experiment too. The amp also has an effects loop so if you are into that, there ya go!!

Would this amp satisfy the user who wants to rep an AC/DC Marshall stack sound? NO WAY!! However, if you want a decent amp that allows you to explore a wide range of tones and styles in a compact package, this is a definite keeper.

I play a '65 Gibson SG with P 90s and a 2010 Les Paul Trad Pro thru this amp and the range of tones I can get with the amp and guitar controls is awesome!!

Mesa Engineering delivers big time in this package!!!

Mesa Delivers!!!

When I went shopping for my first valve amp, I originally decided on a Marshall DSL100. After my purchase I quickly fell out of love with the product because of it's unresponsive EQ section, and uncontrollable tone. I soon decided to take it back. Then I found this amp. This is by far the most versatile amp in this price range! The problems I had with the Marshall were nowhere to be found here. The EQ functions much better on this amp. Most notably, the bass response is beautiful. The dual EQ's are a welcomed feature as well since you will grow accustomed to using both channels regularly. The contour adjust is also a nice feature. The more you twist the knob, the more effect the contoured EQ will have on your tone. This is perfect for adding a little edge on your solos!
The Clean/Crunch and Blues/Burn modes are simply amazing! The clean mode is crystal! The crunch is perfect for your rhythm parts! The blues mode is a delight to hear, and the burn mode pushes the 12AX7's and EL84's into a thick and creamy overdrive that's rich with harmonics! I'm not even sure if I need my overdrive pedals anymore. I also enjoy this amp's spring reverb. To my ear, it sounds perfect. I might not need my reverb pedal either! You have to try this amp! It'll handle anything you need it to!

A ton of tone with out the ton!

I have and have owned a lot of amps over the 40+ years i've been playing. I've always thought thet the '77 Peavy Classic was the most versatile amp. This thing takes it a step beyond. 2-channels that can be used as 4... The contour makes like 8. and the 5-25 switch will give you another set of textures. Since we always mic, I use the power select more for tonal quality than volume. So you can almost say it has 16 variations. If you can't at least find a couple with that much choice?????

Mesa/Boogie Express 5:25 is a winner

First off, I was able to hear the amp with the 10" speaker and 12". No comparison, the 12" speaker offers a bigger, fuller sound. Simply put, it sounds better. The clean channel is very nice and with the contour and gain knob you get a lot of different sounds. Crunch offers a creamier type of distortion over a Marshall Triple lead. I found it sounds great with a Strat and Les Paul. Les Paul though saturates fully at about 6 or 7. So it sounds best to me at gain control from 4-6 for Rthy. With single coil pickups, you can put the gain on 10 and it won't over saturate the sound of the Strat. Blues is a clean type of sound but with a little balls. Burn mode sounds great on Strat's and Les Paul's. I prefer the more British distortion on this model over the 50 watt express that uses 6L6 tubes. Very nice manual with some good settings examples to use. 5 watt mode reduces headroom, but a more garbled distortion that can be great with the right type of sound. Great amp for studio and small club situation where you will mic your amp to the house.