Custom 24 + Mesa ?

Micro7312

New Member
Joined
Jun 18, 2019
Messages
13
Looking to invest in a Mesa amp to pair with my Custom 24 + CE24 for home use only. I very foolishly sold my Mark iv combo 10 years ago (too young to understand this amp at the time) and now am starting back playing right now as a hobby. I value quality gear so money aside I am looking for the best pair with my PRS. I am interested in playing all sorts of music from classic rock to modern rock and everything in between, rhythm and lead.

I have my eye on a used mint Mark V head (I have 1x12 thiele), Mark IV combo Rev B, and a Roadster. Understanding the differences in the Mark sound vs rectifier, what would tonally compliment my custom 24 for the long haul (versatility and resale)? I also see lots of rectoverb 50s available on the used market but I feel that as a long term investment I would be better off with other choices.
 
I love my MK V with all my PRS, including both of my CU24s. Very versatile combination, great hard rock/metal and clean tones. You might look at Friedman amps as well. I'm very tempted by the little JJ Jr.
 
Looking to invest in a Mesa amp to pair with my Custom 24 + CE24 for home use only. I very foolishly sold my Mark iv combo 10 years ago (too young to understand this amp at the time) and now am starting back playing right now as a hobby. I value quality gear so money aside I am looking for the best pair with my PRS. I am interested in playing all sorts of music from classic rock to modern rock and everything in between, rhythm and lead.

I have my eye on a used mint Mark V head (I have 1x12 thiele), Mark IV combo Rev B, and a Roadster. Understanding the differences in the Mark sound vs rectifier, what would tonally compliment my custom 24 for the long haul (versatility and resale)? I also see lots of rectoverb 50s available on the used market but I feel that as a long term investment I would be better off with other choices.

In your case I'd probably go with the Mark, tons of versatility there. That said, of the Mesas I've owned over the years the Rectoverb 50 was my favorite.
 
I have the single Rec 50. Goes very well with the Cu24, but as you alluded to, it's a sound you have to want. It's more modern than classic, but it'll peel the paint off the walls. Nearly literally. I took it to a jam a few of us were doing at work. We met in a tech room where we could plug in and there weren't too many people around after 5:00. After a few minutes they wanted to hear how loud it would go so I turned it up to 11 (little Spinal Tap reference), and hit a power chord. Dust started falling down from the false ceiling.

I also have a Lone Star Classic 2x12. That one will get you everything the single Rec can't. Amazing amp but again, won't go where the Rec can.
 
Truth be told, I have owned a few Mesa amps over the years. My favorite was an original Studio .22 (not a Studio .22+) that I purchased new. I currently own a Mark Five 25 Combo. I only purchased the amp because I figured that another round of reduction in build quality is going to bring Mesas close to being disposable class amps. Thirty years ago, Mesa amps were cutting edge and much more repairable than they are today, not to mention that the American-manufacture tubes that were still in circulation were much more reliable than current production tubes. Today, Mesa amps are designed for entire board assembly swaps, not board-level repair, which is fine as long as there are spares. In my humble opinion, there are much better options today than Mesa. At a minimum, I would not purchase any tube amp that does not have chassis mounted power tubes with flying leads, as a power tube short usually takes the PCB on which the power tube sockets are mounted with it.
 
Last edited:
Looking to invest in a Mesa amp to pair with my Custom 24 + CE24 for home use only. I very foolishly sold my Mark iv combo 10 years ago (too young to understand this amp at the time) and now am starting back playing right now as a hobby. I value quality gear so money aside I am looking for the best pair with my PRS. I am interested in playing all sorts of music from classic rock to modern rock and everything in between, rhythm and lead.

I have my eye on a used mint Mark V head (I have 1x12 thiele), Mark IV combo Rev B, and a Roadster. Understanding the differences in the Mark sound vs rectifier, what would tonally compliment my custom 24 for the long haul (versatility and resale)? I also see lots of rectoverb 50s available on the used market but I feel that as a long term investment I would be better off with other choices.

Rectoverbs are wretched junk. That's why they are plentiful on the used market.

Mark V all the way. I have a V 25 head right now with the wide 1x12 open back cab. I have had a 90w combo in the past but realized that was WAY too much amp for me.

Another great Mesa option is the Triple Crown.
 
Sorry but musical instruments are not investment vehicles to be looked at for resale. If you want to be safe with your money, look at stocks, hard commodities, currencies or bonds. Don’t buy musical instruments. Musical instruments are, at best, speculative items that may or may not increase in value based on absolutely no predictable criteria whatsoever. They mostly lose money over time. They’re the equivalent of beanie babies in this regard.

Secondly, think about the music YOU want to play - what bands YOU like, what types of music YOU want to create, what types of sounds YOU want to create. Looking to a forum for musical direction will lead to a endless spiral of confusion and misinformation. If you like music from the 90’s, then the CU24 + Recto formula will 100% get you there as it was the basis for dozens of guitar parts you heard on the radio & saw on MTV back then. If you prefer a more bluesy sound, then the Mark series may be more what you’re looking for. Others will disagree, of course. Again, forget resale value.

Third, if you’re uncertain - buy used. You will lose less money in the long haul this way than by buying new.

Either way, best of luck and enjoy your new musical gear.
 
Mesa has a lot of great options, the MK IV and V among the best known, depending on what sort of music you want to do. I have a Road King II, the bigger brother of the already option-packed Roadster, and it’s a truly versatile amp. The RK II has the Lone Star’s clean channel; a great upgrade from the first version. I also have a Nomad 55 4x10, and a California Tweed… both great sounding amps. There are lots of Boogies I haven’t tried, but will say I’ve never had a bad sounding one.

But all things considered, if you know the MK IV sound and like it, I’d say that’s a slam dunk for the IV or V.
 
My gut has been Mark V for some time now. Those of you that played both the iv and V, is the V more versatile?
 
Custom24 + Boogie owner checking in :)

I don't really have much to say other than these two are made for each other. Somehow Mesa/Boogie upper midrange fits like a jigsaw to PRSs rather dark pickups making these two a perfect match.

Currently I'm running both my PRSs in to Boogie Fillmore 50H boosted to nuke with EP Booster and some EQ in 4CM. Best tone I ever had. I'm not stranger to Mesa/Boogie - I had most of their big sell amps in past and currently looking for Lonestar before Gibson will trash this company and good old Boogies will skyrocket in prices. Wouldn't mind a early DR too but I'm way past the stage of one trick ponies
 
I have a Triple Crown 50 that sounds great. I don't have a CU24 but I do play my McCartys (wait, what is the proper plural? McCarties?) through it. Sounds killer in the high gain channel. I run a slight boost in front of the amp for both the high gain and the mid gain channel. The mid gain channel definitely needs it. Without it seems a little lifeless. The clean channel is pretty good. I wouldn't call it great, but pretty good.
 
My gut has been Mark V for some time now. Those of you that played both the iv and V, is the V more versatile?

Yup. Considering that the Mark IV is just one mode of 3 you can choose for the lead channel, that pretty much explains it. I like being able to switch between 2C+ and IV depending on my mood and what I am playing.
 
The idea that there is a "best" combination of guitar and amp is simply nonsense. There are tons of great combinations with a CU24, or any guitar, and personal taste rules.

There is no best. There is only what is best for you.

I do a lot of recording professionally with my CU24. I've owned various iterations of the model since 1991. A good amp is guitar-agnostic. The idea that an amp has to be matched to a guitar is mythology. Any fine amp works just as well with a CU24 as it does with any other fine guitar. It's simply a matter of personal taste.

The question isn't whether a guitar and an amp are somehow a prearranged match. The question is whether you, the individual player, like the tone of the amp, and whether you like the tone of the guitar.

Currently I have two Mesa amps (Fillmore, Lone Star 100W), have owned many others, including the MkV, the Maverick, the Blue Angel, the Tremoverb (precursor to the Road King). In addition I currently own two of the hand-wired PRS amps (HXDA and DG30), have owned Two-Rocks, Bogners, Fender and many others. My experience with amps goes back to the late 1960s.

You know what my favorite amp to play the CU24 through is? The DG30. No, wait...maybe it's the HXDA. Hang on, it could be the Fillmore or Lone Star...you get the picture.

My choice of amps actually will depend on the needs of the song.

I mention my background because I play through lots of amps, from modern to vintage, and the CU24 hasn't met an amp it didn't sound great with, provided I like the tone of the amp in the first place. Nor have any of my other PRSes (I think I've had around 35 of them, and currently have 6).

The last thing anyone looking for an amp should do is take the advice of strangers on the internet without a large grain of salt (including my advice!). If you're not sure about the amp you like best, don't sit on your rear end and listen to the advice of people whose music, skill levels, and experience you know nothing about! You have unique tastes, unique playing style, unique hands, and a unique brain. Use that combination of uniqueness to choose your amp.

You might listen to some internet demos to narrow down your amp choices, but fergodsakes, then go out and play through the amps with your guitar. That's the only sure-fire way you'll know what works for you.

Also be aware that the CU24 has powerful volume and tone controls that can be used with the controls on most amps to shape the tone to be what you hear in your head.

I use the guitar controls and tone controls on my single-channel amps to get exactly what I want. There's no mystery to this stuff. It's just a matter of what you want to hear. If what you want to hear can't be dialed in on Amp A, move on to Amp B, etc., until you can find what you want.
 
Last edited:
The idea that there is a "best" combination of guitar and amp is simply nonsense. There are tons of great combinations with a CU24, or any guitar, and personal taste rules.

There is no best. There is only what is best for you.

I do a lot of recording professionally with my CU24. I've owned various iterations of the model since 1991. A good amp is guitar-agnostic. The idea that an amp has to be matched to a guitar is mythology. Any fine amp works just as well with a CU24 as it does with any other fine guitar. It's simply a matter of personal taste.

The question isn't whether a guitar and an amp are somehow a prearranged match. The question is whether you, the individual player, like the tone of the amp, and whether you like the tone of the guitar.

Currently I have two Mesa amps (Fillmore, Lone Star 100W), have owned many others, including the MkV, the Maverick, the Blue Angel, the Tremoverb (precursor to the Road King). In addition I currently own two of the hand-wired PRS amps (HXDA and DG30), have owned Two-Rocks, Bogners, Fender and many others. My experience with amps goes back to the late 1960s.

You know what my favorite amp to play the CU24 through is? The DG30. No, wait...maybe it's the HXDA. Hang on, it could be the Fillmore or Lone Star...you get the picture.

My choice of amps actually will depend on the needs of the song.

I mention my background because I play through lots of amps, from modern to vintage, and the CU24 hasn't met an amp it didn't sound great with, provided I like the tone of the amp in the first place. Nor have any of my other PRSes (I think I've had around 35 of them, and currently have 6).

The last thing anyone looking for an amp should do is take the advice of strangers on the internet without a large grain of salt (including my advice!). If you're not sure about the amp you like best, don't sit on your rear end and listen to the advice of people whose music, skill levels, and experience you know nothing about! You have unique tastes, unique playing style, unique hands, and a unique brain. Use that combination of uniqueness to choose your amp.

You might listen to some internet demos to narrow down your amp choices, but fergodsakes, then go out and play through the amps with your guitar. That's the only sure-fire way you'll know what works for you.

Also be aware that the CU24 has powerful volume and tone controls that can be used with the controls on most amps to shape the tone to be what you hear in your head.

I use the guitar controls and tone controls on my single-channel amps to get exactly what I want. There's no mystery to this stuff. It's just a matter of what you want to hear. If what you want to hear can't be dialed in on Amp A, move on to Amp B, etc., until you can find what you want.

This post should be required reading for anyone looking at buying new gear. Les, you're awesome. :D
 
Back
Top