TGF’s Original White Meat: Badlander thread

[spawnofthesith]

I used the Badlander extensively on my last album. Ola Englund did too on his last solo album. It's an amazing amp either live with a band or in a mix. I think some people expect a recto or old peavey 5150 type sound in the room and it's just a different beast.

I was particularly blown away with my lead tones last night

My sole complaint now is channel balancing for my live looping stuff….I wonder how possible/difficult it would be to mod in an additional overall master after the channel masters……..

 

[Shredder777]

Its so rare to hear a std tuning lead guitar demo of a Mesa amp. This sounds Marshally, maybe a lower mid push, but hard to tell how the amp would sound alone without backing. Is the Badlander a DR style amp for those who play in standard tuning?



In this one, sounds very similar to EVH, but has a looser and rounder bottom. It also sounds louder in the A/B so difficult to pick it as the favorite although it sounds bigger (louder) in the video. Is the Badlander Mesa's attempt to muscle in on the 5150?

 

[spawnofthesith]

Its so rare to hear a std tuning lead guitar demo of a Mesa amp. This sounds Marshally, maybe a lower mid push, but hard to tell how the amp would sound alone without backing. Is the Badlander a DR style amp for those who play in standard tuning?

I prettt much only play in standard tuning these days (and I have 4 mesas lol)

Despite the fact that the badlander is called a “rectifier” it basically has nothing in common with actual rectos

It is indeed supposed to be more “marshally”

 

[spawnofthesith]

Ironically I feel like there was definitely some ad copy trying to pitch it as “the ultimate recto for downtunee metal”

Which is a bit goofy imo. And before anyone tries to blame Gibson, this was before all that

 

[Shredder777]

I prettt much only play in standard tuning these days (and I have 4 mesas lol)

Despite the fact that the badlander is called a “rectifier” it basically has nothing in common with actual rectos

It is indeed supposed to be more “marshally”

I like it. From someone who hasn't owned a Mesa, my brain groups them into Marks and Dual Recs. Marks are the "lead guitar" amp with finicky EQ and ever present mid grind. The Dual Rec is the "smiley face" hifi sounding Mesa behind most 90s rock.

Based on aesthetics, I would have put the Badlander in the DR category. And based on marketing, I would have put the Triple Crown in the pseudo-Marshall category. The Badlander and Triple Crown seem to occupy a similar space.

So there are three Mesa Categories (in my brain)
Mark
DR
Flavor of the week Marshall inspired (that could be cancelled at any moment because its not a Mark or DR)

 

[spawnofthesith]

I like it. From someone who hasn't owned a Mesa, my brain groups them into Marks and Dual Recs. Marks are the "lead guitar" amp with finicky EQ and ever present mid grind. The Dual Rec is the "smiley face" hifi sounding Mesa behind most 90s rock.

Based on aesthetics, I would have put the Badlander in the DR category. And based on marketing, I would have put the Triple Crown in the pseudo-Marshall category. The Badlander and Triple Crown seem to occupy a similar space.

So there are three Mesa Categories (in my brain)
Mark
DR
Flavor of the week Marshall inspired.

Mesa definitely has a long history of releasing amps that are “Mesa tske on a Marshall”

With wildly varying user takes on how successful the attempts were

 

[Shredder777]

Mesa definitely has a long history of releasing amps that are “Mesa tske on a Marshall”

With wildly varying user takes on how successful the attempts were

Is the Badlander the Triple Crown successor with different marketing?

 

[spawnofthesith]

I have 0 personal experience with the TC reviews seem pretty mixed… as they always is the case with any Mesa that’s not a mark or recto

 

[spawnofthesith]

Is the Badlander the Triple Crown successor with different marketing?

I don’t think so, both are in current production and seem to do different things. A lot of complaints I’ve heard about the TC is that it doesn’t have enough of its own inspiring thing going on and that the channeled all sound wildly different

But I can’t really comment as I have no real experience or knowledge with those

 

[JiveTurkey]

TC=3 boring channels. BL=misunderstood/mismarketed boost eating rock machine.

Obviously; I've never tried a Triple Crown but I know it's a valid statement.

 

[Shredder777]

From the Mesa official demo on Sweetwater, I would place the Badlander as a high gain "rock revival" amp. The demo showcases distorted backing guitars that are transparent, and smooth high gain lead with low mid push. And it has a sorta mini DR aesthetic. 3 Modes per channel so you can tell the amp what to do, (instead of being told) but afaict they aren't switchable so not real time versatile. Pair it with a profiler and you get everything.

Based on the Demo, it sounds great and polished, but I am always looking for lead guitar tone with edge, so Im in the Marshall camp. This is marshally so it might be a fit for me. And it sounds a bit looser than the 5153. But from the KB demo, I thought the 5153 had more aggressive top end than the BL. I'm coming around to liking the 5153 even though it is tighter than I was expecting. I like aggressive top end and looser bottom.

 

[EOengineer]

I like it. From someone who hasn't owned a Mesa, my brain groups them into Marks and Dual Recs. Marks are the "lead guitar" amp with finicky EQ and ever present mid grind. The Dual Rec is the "smiley face" hifi sounding Mesa behind most 90s rock.

Based on aesthetics, I would have put the Badlander in the DR category. And based on marketing, I would have put the Triple Crown in the pseudo-Marshall category. The Badlander and Triple Crown seem to occupy a similar space.

So there are three Mesa Categories (in my brain)
Mark
DR
Flavor of the week Marshall inspired (that could be cancelled at any moment because its not a Mark or DR)

Mesa’s Stiletto series were souped up 2203s with a bunch of different voicing and switching options. People bought them expecting rectifier tone, shoved them through V30s and had their heads taken off…just like a 2203 would with the same speaker. Most complaints are about the brightness. You have to treat it like a Marshall.

The Stiletto through a greenback cab is IMO one of the most undervalued amps out there. Greenbacks make it sounds like a REALLY good modded Marshall that can do plexi and 800 tones.

 

[spawnofthesith]

You’ll need to run the gain on 10 on a badlander to get anywhere even ballpark to a 5153, and even then still some miles away without a boost

 

[Shredder777]

You’ll need to run the gain on 10 on a badlander to get anywhere even ballpark to a 5153, and even then still some miles away without a boost

Alot of people say they live on the blue channel on the 5153, which has less gain than both channels on my Ironheart. But when boosted the blue gets close to red levels of gain.

So I don't hold it against an amp for having less gain. I view that as a sign it was designed to use with a boost pedal. And I'm sure the designers tried it with a TS and SD1 to make sure it sounds great with them.

Edit: Using black treadplate is the only weird thing on this amp. They borrowed the DR look on an amp that isn't a DR. That is what is bothering my OCD, and is uncharacteristic of most branding.

 

[Desertdweller]

You’ll need to run the gain on 10 on a badlander to get anywhere even ballpark to a 5153, and even then still some miles away without a boost

You run the gain about 2/3rds of the way up on crush or dimed on crunch and then add a TS in front with the level at about 2 o clock and the gain low or off. Very effective gain and tightness without being too much.

This was recorded 100% with the Badlander doing that very thing, and I was just in dropped D, so no need to go too far detuned either:

 

[spawnofthesith]

You run the gain about 2/3rds of the way up on crush or dimed on crunch and then add a TS in front with the level at about 2 o clock and the gain low or off. Very effective gain and tightness without being too much.

This was recorded 100% with the Badlander doing that very thing, and I was just in dropped D, so no need to go too far detuned either:

Fuckin a sounds killer!!

 

[2dor]

You run the gain about 2/3rds of the way up on crush or dimed on crunch and then add a TS in front with the level at about 2 o clock and the gain low or off. Very effective gain and tightness without being too much.

This was recorded 100% with the Badlander doing that very thing, and I was just in dropped D, so no need to go too far detuned either:

Yeah I love the Crunch channel with the Gain at full. Takes weird EQ moves good:
Master @ 3
Presence @ around 6
Bass @ full
Mid @ full
Treble @ 4

Add a boost pedal in front & it's one mean, beastly tone.

 

[la szum]

Mesa definitely has a long history of releasing amps that are “Mesa tske on a Marshall”

With wildly varying user takes on how successful the attempts were

Based on sales and duration of production they were all failures.




Stiletto, Electra Dyne, Royal Atlantic, Badlander .

Stiletto being the brightest of the bunch and the Electra Dyne the darkest, in my experience.

I'd take one of each if I could. Killer amps.... just not viable enough to keep them in production
all that long. Props for Mesa not giving up.