I almost went with a Soldano SLO and on a friends advice I tried the Roadking. I had allready tried the Lone Star, Stiletto, Single, Dual, Triple Recs, Trans Atlantic, Royal Atlantic, & Roadster and my friend still erged me to try the Roadking. In short I was blown away. Channel 3 and the Pregressive Linkage sold it for me and in truth I would have bought the amp if it just had Ch2 & 3. I have now completely intgrated the RK into my sound and I'm completely happy with this amp!
I have owned one of these (this one) for many years. One problem was increased noise on the loop (a dodgy resistor in that circuit) but other than that it has been perfect. Fave sound? Channel 3 Vintage creates incredible lead guitar :). Thanks.
I agree with you 100%.... that's why I brought a Mesa Boogie dual rectifier ( multi watt ). It's the version that came after 2010. Mesa is the only company in the U.S. That makes amps specific to the voltage in England. I brought mine used from a collector. He used it for less than 3 hours. I admire the principles of the company also. I have a Vader 4X12 cabinet for it. I love the craftsmanship. I especially like the metal grill, I have a cat that thinks that speaker cloth is for scratching....
Ha dig the cat comment :) Great amp and I always wanted to get one of the newer one of those... I'm jealous :) There is no doubt that when you 'open one up' that you see immediately what went in to it all. Thanks for watching.
Thank you for the video. I own the first version of this amp and it's incredible. It's probably the most advanced amplifier ever built, due the posibilities of tubes, loops, reverbs, channels and modes, and I wondered about your video showing the "guts" of this amp.
Hey Tony thanks for the video of the inside of the RK. I just purchased one new... the latest version RKVII.2. I've had a few great amps over the years. I was a Randall MTS Lynch Box guy for about 4 years... Soldano for 10 years before that. I sold the Randalls and took 6 months to look around trying varios amps. I tried lots of stuff not at the shops but at home and in rehearsals where I could get some real time in with the amps.
Hi Tony, Merry Christmas :-) I have a 2011 Mesa Roadster Head and you are correct, the quality is top notch. I had to wait 3 month's for mine to be made. LOL I did get it thru a dealer I cannot mention and did not pay full retail. Mesa would take away his distributorship if known. Almost too many options to choose from. I just got a great deal on a EVH 5150 III 50 watt Head and while the sound is awesome the biggest design flaw is that their is a BIG Vol diff. between the Clean & Crunch Chan.
Thats too funny Tony... hey but there is a good reason why we both commented on the Roadkings third channel... it's one of the best out there. Hey I picked up an Express 5:25 today for toting around... Mine has the 1x10 and i'm really happy with the tones. The contour dial is a great feature. It has a surprising amout of bottom and the it's tonally very versitile.
Can't do a proper reply due to YT changing the format since posting the video but the transformers are Magnetic Components/Classic Tone made OEM for Mesa. They are actually a budget/cheaper transformer in terms of price but still very good quality. The alternatives are Heyboer and Mercury Magnetics, and the latter being severly overpriced and you are basically paying for their magazine adverts when you pay their higher prices. The Magnetic Components and Heyboer trannies use "vintage" paper bobbin and still make them the same way they did "back in the day". MM use plastic bobbins.Thanks for posting these guyshot videos of all of the amps, very useful and interesting viewing.
JonW Great info JonW and I really appreciate that insight... I'm sure others will too. I had Heyboer in a Splawn Nitro a while back and they seemed pretty awesome really. Splawn supplied UK voltage so none of this nonsense of changing out trannys. Yes I love to check inside to see exactly what you are getting really. I think it does show some of the makers up in a rather different light than what they might otherwise want guys to see. Thanks for watching too.
I understand that comment for sure. Actually recently this one had a fault that is reasonably well known - a 'noise' from the loop (sounds like a valve failing). In fact it is a resistor in the circuit that fails and causes the 'fried bacon' effect sound. While I could have done the work, I took it to someone who is substantially better than me and he located the resistor, replaced it and solved the problem. Some of the RKII uses SMT stuff and unless you are really careful you can get in a mess. Thanks for watching.
@@NoLeakzAbsolutely! here you go: www.tubeampdoctor.com/en/shop_Mains_transformers_Mains_Transf_for_Mesa_Boogie/Mesa_Boogie_output_transformer_120W_4x_6L6_and_2x_EL34_for_Roadking_I_II_5617
Yes, the Mesa cabinets really are quite a bit better than the 1960A/B cabs; especially with the Mesa amplifiers. Say what you will, but they are noticeably better, both in sound and build quality. Also, the 75s are not nearly the best match for the Rectifier series as far as frequency response. They are not bad, but there are many that are better. Still, cool video:) Love seeing those gut shots!
Very nice amp!!! To rich for my blood,but I did manage to trade my "beloved" jvm for a duel rectifier,and have been all the happier!!! Again great demo...it's nice to see the inside of these amps before you buy them to get a sense of where your money is really going and that road king looks like a gem!!!
Yes I agree that seeing the inside somehow puts a buyers mind more at rest - especially with some brands. Mesa are always pretty well put together in my experience though. Thanks for watching.
Sorry Tony, yes I meant stock. I watched the video again and I see the choke and then there's another little choke is there one for the 6l6 valves and a little one for the el34s?
Tony, I just noticed that you don't have any of your home country's Orange Amps, reviewed or otherwise. Been looking at the Dark Terror and the OC-15 I think that is the correct one. They have a 50 watt also. I had the chance to get a Thunderverb 50 that was brought back to the store for $1199 USD. But it's way more than I need. But at least it has an attenuator. ;-) What's your feeling on those amps?
Hi Tony, I know your not overjoyed about gear made in China but I was thinking about an Epiphone Sheraton II to add to the collection. Just can't see the price of the Gibson ES-335 :-( That would be my 1st guitar made overseas, everything else is US Made. BTW, the EVH 5150 III 50 watt head I finally received sounds kick ass, great tone and gain a plenty. LOL I saw a add locally for a 1986 Gibson SG 62-re-issue :-) Pretty good price too, do you know much about the 62 re-issue?
Haha:) Actually, I really don't mind a 75 or a K100 with the rectos, but usually mix em with v30s or a high powered GB type speaker. Either way, great amp! Love the Mesa Cabs though! I also use a 1960B and an older Carvin cab with Eminence made spkrs. All are good for different applications.
Nice video but I can hear f*ck all, mind re-uploading with the sound normalized/compressed? BTW I have an RKII too and it's an European version, according to the schematic they still use the US transformer and use a step-down in front of that, maybe you can get it from Mesa and have it put inside yours.
+cheater00 TBH too much aggro to upload this but the volume is a little low. BTW here's what I did with my RKII : th-cam.com/video/b1beyNTs0rc/w-d-xo.html which has decent sound quality.. Thanks for watching.
@tonymckenziecom I'll go check them out and demo them somewhere, but I might try to save up for something really good rather than being too egar and buying something crap xD But thanks Tony!
I almost went with a Soldano SLO and on a friends advice I tried the Roadking. I had allready tried the Lone Star, Stiletto, Single, Dual, Triple Recs, Trans Atlantic, Royal Atlantic, & Roadster and my friend still erged me to try the Roadking. In short I was blown away. Channel 3 and the Pregressive Linkage sold it for me and in truth I would have bought the amp if it just had Ch2 & 3. I have now completely intgrated the RK into my sound and I'm completely happy with this amp!
I really wanted one of these. Still do kinda.
The versatility and multiple options this amp offers is second to none
I have owned one of these (this one) for many years. One problem was increased noise on the loop (a dodgy resistor in that circuit) but other than that it has been perfect. Fave sound? Channel 3 Vintage creates incredible lead guitar :). Thanks.
I agree with you 100%.... that's why I brought a Mesa Boogie dual rectifier ( multi watt ). It's the version that came after 2010. Mesa is the only company in the U.S. That makes amps specific to the voltage in England. I brought mine used from a collector. He used it for less than 3 hours. I admire the principles of the company also. I have a Vader 4X12 cabinet for it. I love the craftsmanship. I especially like the metal grill, I have a cat that thinks that speaker cloth is for scratching....
Ha dig the cat comment :) Great amp and I always wanted to get one of the newer one of those... I'm jealous :) There is no doubt that when you 'open one up' that you see immediately what went in to it all. Thanks for watching.
Thank you for the video. I own the first version of this amp and it's incredible. It's probably the most advanced amplifier ever built, due the posibilities of tubes, loops, reverbs, channels and modes, and I wondered about your video showing the "guts" of this amp.
Hey Tony thanks for the video of the inside of the RK. I just purchased one new... the latest version RKVII.2. I've had a few great amps over the years. I was a Randall MTS Lynch Box guy for about 4 years... Soldano for 10 years before that. I sold the Randalls and took 6 months to look around trying varios amps. I tried lots of stuff not at the shops but at home and in rehearsals where I could get some real time in with the amps.
Hi Tony, Merry Christmas :-) I have a 2011 Mesa Roadster Head and you are correct, the quality is top notch. I had to wait 3 month's for mine to be made. LOL I did get it thru a dealer I cannot mention and did not pay full retail. Mesa would take away his distributorship if known. Almost too many options to choose from. I just got a great deal on a EVH 5150 III 50 watt Head and while the sound is awesome the biggest design flaw is that their is a BIG Vol diff. between the Clean & Crunch Chan.
Thats too funny Tony... hey but there is a good reason why we both commented on the Roadkings third channel... it's one of the best out there. Hey I picked up an Express 5:25 today for toting around... Mine has the 1x10 and i'm really happy with the tones. The contour dial is a great feature. It has a surprising amout of bottom and the it's tonally very versitile.
Can't do a proper reply due to YT changing the format since posting the video but the transformers are Magnetic Components/Classic Tone made OEM for Mesa. They are actually a budget/cheaper transformer in terms of price but still very good quality. The alternatives are Heyboer and Mercury Magnetics, and the latter being severly overpriced and you are basically paying for their magazine adverts when you pay their higher prices. The Magnetic Components and Heyboer trannies use "vintage" paper bobbin and still make them the same way they did "back in the day". MM use plastic bobbins.Thanks for posting these guyshot videos of all of the amps, very useful and interesting viewing.
JonW Great info JonW and I really appreciate that insight... I'm sure others will too. I had Heyboer in a Splawn Nitro a while back and they seemed pretty awesome really. Splawn supplied UK voltage so none of this nonsense of changing out trannys. Yes I love to check inside to see exactly what you are getting really. I think it does show some of the makers up in a rather different light than what they might otherwise want guys to see. Thanks for watching too.
Awesome inside view an overall explaination, thanks!
I work on my own amps (usually vintage), but I wouldn't touch that if a problem happened, and problems do happen.
I understand that comment for sure. Actually recently this one had a fault that is reasonably well known - a 'noise' from the loop (sounds like a valve failing). In fact it is a resistor in the circuit that fails and causes the 'fried bacon' effect sound. While I could have done the work, I took it to someone who is substantially better than me and he located the resistor, replaced it and solved the problem. Some of the RKII uses SMT stuff and unless you are really careful you can get in a mess. Thanks for watching.
@@tonymckenzieofficial I NEED TO REPLACE THE OT IN A RKII. IS THERE A REPLACEMENT OT? SUGGESTIONS?
@@NoLeakzAbsolutely! here you go: www.tubeampdoctor.com/en/shop_Mains_transformers_Mains_Transf_for_Mesa_Boogie/Mesa_Boogie_output_transformer_120W_4x_6L6_and_2x_EL34_for_Roadking_I_II_5617
Yes, the Mesa cabinets really are quite a bit better than the 1960A/B cabs; especially with the Mesa amplifiers. Say what you will, but they are noticeably better, both in sound and build quality. Also, the 75s are not nearly the best match for the Rectifier series as far as frequency response. They are not bad, but there are many that are better. Still, cool video:) Love seeing those gut shots!
Very nice amp!!! To rich for my blood,but I did manage to trade my "beloved" jvm for a duel rectifier,and have been all the happier!!! Again great demo...it's nice to see the inside of these amps before you buy them to get a sense of where your money is really going and that road king looks like a gem!!!
Yes I agree that seeing the inside somehow puts a buyers mind more at rest - especially with some brands. Mesa are always pretty well put together in my experience though. Thanks for watching.
No problem...After I graduate from my new dual rec.solo head,I'll have to get the roadking.
Sorry Tony, yes I meant stock. I watched the video again and I see the choke and then there's another little choke is there one for the 6l6 valves and a little one for the el34s?
hand drawn PCB? What's the advantage in that?
Do you have the original high res video??
Tony, I just noticed that you don't have any of your home country's Orange Amps, reviewed or otherwise. Been looking at the Dark Terror and the OC-15 I think that is the correct one. They have a 50 watt also. I had the chance to get a Thunderverb 50 that was brought back to the store for $1199 USD. But it's way more than I need. But at least it has an attenuator. ;-) What's your feeling on those amps?
Hi Tony, I know your not overjoyed about gear made in China but I was thinking about an Epiphone Sheraton II to add to the collection. Just can't see the price of the Gibson ES-335 :-( That would be my 1st guitar made overseas, everything else is US Made. BTW, the EVH 5150 III 50 watt head I finally received sounds kick ass, great tone and gain a plenty. LOL I saw a add locally for a 1986 Gibson SG 62-re-issue :-) Pretty good price too, do you know much about the 62 re-issue?
Haha:) Actually, I really don't mind a 75 or a K100 with the rectos, but usually mix em with v30s or a high powered GB type speaker. Either way, great amp! Love the Mesa Cabs though! I also use a 1960B and an older Carvin cab with Eminence made spkrs. All are good for different applications.
That looks tasty man!
Tony does this road king ii have 2 chokes?
And if so was this a stick model
Confusses me looking at it xD Hey tony any recommendation for a reasonably priced tube powered amp?
that is spectacular
Thanks and I hope it helps in some way. And thanks for watching.
@tonymckenziecom yeah the one i had back in the day messed up my back carrying it once
No, there is a choque and a reverb transformer.
@tonymckenziecom Yeah thanks man ;) I think I might start saving up loads so I can get something really good. But yeah I live in London. Thanks man ;)
Nice video but I can hear f*ck all, mind re-uploading with the sound normalized/compressed? BTW I have an RKII too and it's an European version, according to the schematic they still use the US transformer and use a step-down in front of that, maybe you can get it from Mesa and have it put inside yours.
+cheater00 TBH too much aggro to upload this but the volume is a little low. BTW here's what I did with my RKII : th-cam.com/video/b1beyNTs0rc/w-d-xo.html which has decent sound quality..
Thanks for watching.
dot hey still weight a ton like in the past LOL
@tonymckenziecom I'll go check them out and demo them somewhere, but I might try to save up for something really good rather than being too egar and buying something crap xD But thanks Tony!
so gangster
Really?
what?