Mesa boogie amp = kurt cobain sound or grunge

rockman1994

I need answers from people who own mesa boogie amps. I was thinking of getting a mesa boogie amp but you think it will make the kurt cobain sound or grunge sound. I'm thinking about the mesa boogie express 5:50 2x10?

JamesJ

mesas cost alot of money, and it doesnt gurantee that kurt sound, you have to know your settings, start with turning the mids all the way up, work your bass and treb to where it begins to sound balanced. and listen closely to the in utero tour, and hone in that sound, you dont have to have the exact stuff kurt had to get that sound, its fairly easy.

rockman1994

James J said: mesas cost alot of money, and it doesnt gurantee that kurt sound, you have to know your settings, start with turning the mids all the way up, work your bass and treb to where it begins to sound balanced. and listen closely to the in utero tour, and hone in that sound, you dont have to have the exact stuff kurt had to get that sound, its fairly easy.

yea but i heard it gets like a grunge sound too.

P.S. I have the In Utero album and it already tells you the treble and bass settings

melvin-man

rockman1994 said: yea but i heard it gets like a grunge sound too.
P.S. I have the In Utero album and it already tells you the treble and bass settings

lol, isn't that your suggested stereo settings?

I wouldn't base my amp settings on that!

If you want that sound then get a fender twin reverb, used for recording in utero...

jellybelly

I have a mesa express 5:50 2x12. It is an intensely versitle amp; blues, jazz, pop, rock, grunge, all possible, though it lacks a little in the gain department (it sounds ace, but there just isn't as much as I would have liked: I'm getting some new tubes from 'doog' for more gain/slightly tighter bottom end). For Kurts sound, all you need is:

fender guitar with humbuckers in it

fenderish clean/slight break up clean channel

boss DS-2 and ehx small clone

If you buy a mesa, please let it be for any other reason than wanting to sound like someone who really didnt care what he sounded like. a fender hot rod deville and pedal can do the job at half the price

rockman1994

jellybelly said: I have a mesa express 5:50 2x12. It is an intensely versitle amp; blues, jazz, pop, rock, grunge, all possible, though it lacks a little in the gain department (it sounds ace, but there just isn't as much as I would have liked: I'm getting some new tubes from 'doog' for more gain/slightly tighter bottom end). For Kurts sound, all you need is:
fender guitar with humbuckers in it
fenderish clean/slight break up clean channel
boss DS-2 and ehx small clone
If you buy a mesa, please let it be for any other reason than wanting to sound like someone who really didnt care what he sounded like. a fender hot rod deville and pedal can do the job at half the price

I kno im not those people who want to be kurt. A guy a guitar center told me tht is has a good gain tht gets that dirt sound. But are mesa boogie's good for grunge and alternative rock

jellybelly

Rectifiers are good for metal, all the other models like the lonestar and express series are good at pretty much everything, thats why they are so expensive; you can get a fender clean and a marshall crunch and a mesa high-gain lead for the same amp. Can it do grunge? anything can with a clean channel and humbuckers and a decent pedal, there isn't a specific type of sound for grunge other than a slightly bluesy clean sound and tons of gain. So yes, the mesa express can do grunge just as well as it can do metal or blues or jazz. I'd still say that it'd be more than you would need, a fender deville and a pedal would do just what you're after too.

rockman1994

jellybelly said: Rectifiers are good for metal, all the other models like the lonestar and express series are good at pretty much everything, thats why they are so expensive; you can get a fender clean and a marshall crunch and a mesa high-gain lead for the same amp. Can it do grunge? anything can with a clean channel and humbuckers and a decent pedal, there isn't a specific type of sound for grunge other than a slightly bluesy clean sound and tons of gain. So yes, the mesa express can do grunge just as well as it can do metal or blues or jazz. I'd still say that it'd be more than you would need, a fender deville and a pedal would do just what you're after too.

cool thx 4 the advice

kieran-grunge

you cant definately get the kurt cobain sound from just the amp. he used a lot of different amps to start with, so id go with the models he recorded with like the fender twin reverb amps that cost less (as he only really used the mesa for live performances). http://www.kurtsequipment.com has a nearly complete list of every amp he used.

nirvana23freak

kieran-grunge said: (as he only really used the mesa for live performances).

wrong. nevermind was recorded with it, a bassman, and a vox

tragictravisty

kurt cobain was not a guitar tone god. i dont care what anybody says. stop obsessing about his gear.

nirvana23freak

tragictravisty said: kurt cobain was not a guitar tone god.

i agree. i dont see anything wrong with people wanting his tone. it might not have been the best tone, but its still good

tragictravisty

im just annoyed at people who obsess with their idols gear

rockman1994

Yeah I'm not trying to be exactly like him. my neighbor has a twin reverb for 600 bucks so i might get it there. I'm not getting a mesa since I'm a more alternative rocker. Kurt didn't give a #### of how he sound liked. He doesn't do most of the songs solo's live and he messes up too (kind of why he got Pat Smear in In Utero Tour). He just loved his music

nirvana23freak

rockman1994 said: Kurt didn't give a #### of how he sound liked.

i garentee you that is total bull####. ever guitarist cares how they sound. kurts no exception.

tremolo

rockman1994 said: A guy a guitar center told me tht is has a good gain tht gets that dirt sound. But are mesa boogie's good for grunge and alternative rock

Man, guys at guitar center are on commission, so they are going to tell you that a $6000 1964 Strat in their vintage room is the best guitar for speed metal...if they think you would buy it.

not saying your gullible, but guitar center (and yes i have and do shop there occassionally) is about as corporate as you local ford dealer...so beware of guys in that shop.

think of them what you will....but courtney taylor of the dandy warhols once said that they play at their best when they are hanging out and playing through low dollar practice equiptment incl. thru a home stereo.

rockman1994

rockman1994 said: Kurt didn't give a #### of how he sound liked.

Kurt didn't give a ####. In every live show he doesn't sound like the recording, sometimes he puts on alot of distorsion, he used guitars that were not the ones used in recording. I'm not saying he didn't give a #### period, just tht he at least wants to have the solid sound

tragictravisty

i was trying to use an ebow at daddy's junky music when one of the salesman walking by told me to try just using a violin bow. so they arent all just trying to get you to buy absolutely anything, but still beware.

nirvana23freak

he still cared. and he used the same stuff in the studio and live. JAGUAR COMP STANG and STRATS. all used live and in recording. mesa pre and fender twin used in the studio and live. all pedals, used in studio and live. how can you say what kurt cobain felt. some one who died before you were even born. my statement is becuase every one cares how they sound. yours is just stupid

tremolo

tragictravisty said: i was trying to use an ebow at daddy's junky music when one of the salesman walking by told me to try just using a violin bow. so they arent all just trying to get you to buy absolutely anything, but still beware.

oh, by no means are all music stores in that game. i have just found guitar center to be really car salesman like. i am sure that isn't the case at all gc's...or maybe i just need to take off all my bling before i go in 😆