Express 5:25+™

Available Formats

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Overview

NOTE! - This product is no longer in production.

INTUITIVE AND EASY TO NAVIGATE.

Express 525 Plus Front Panel

Express 525 Plus Rear Panel

Express 5:25+ 1x12 Combo in Trans Amber Stained AAA Quilted Maple with a Cream & Tan Grille

Choose 25 watts in the Express 5:25 for Class AB running in a Push-Pull configuration or kick down to 15 watts for Class A Pentode and a more silky, vintage voice with enhanced clip potential. Knock it down to the 5 watt mode… now you’re running one tube in Class A Triode wired in a Single-Ended configuration.

With uniquely inspiring Tone and a layout that’s intuitive and easy to navigate, it’s no wonder the Express™ Series has become one of our most popular amplifier lines. All-Tube and hand-built in our only shop in Petaluma, CA, the Express Plus 5:25™ offers genre-defining sounds, near-limitless versatility, and unbeatable value that others can only imitate. How do we do it? We’ve been doing this since 1969 with many of the same people…it’s our Experience – and there are no shortcuts to this level. The Express Plus 5:25 features many exciting features that take it even closer to the flagship status of our award-winning MARK FIVE®.

MULTI-WATT™ POWER, ALL TUBE REVERB, AND OUR FAMOUS 5-BAND GRAPHIC EQ

Express Plus 5:25 features a dramatic enhancement in the EQ department with the inclusion of our time-honored 5 Band Graphic Equalizer!

Both Express Plus™ models use the same super versatile, tone-packed preamp featuring two fully independent Channels, each of which contain two style enhanced modes to choose from when creating your footswitching preferences.

Channel 1 hosts the blooming low-gain sweetness of CLEAN or the snarling mid-gain percussiveness of CRUNCH and covers the rhythm territories. Channel 2 offers a different face to mid-gain with the howling honesty of BLUES or a high-gain adventure through the searing layers of molten harmonics in BURN. Together these two inspiring modes invite years of solo exploration. Both Express Plus models, the bouncy 25 watt 5:25 with its 2xEL84 9-pin power tubes and the bolder 50 watt 5:50 running 2x6L6 octal-base pentodes, now feature our patented Multi-Watt™ Channel Assignable power switching.

It is our belief, and practice, that our commitment to you after the sale be the perfect match to the performance of our legendary handcrafted amplifiers. This means world-class service and support that lasts a lifetime.

This valuable feature allows you to run the output tubes in your choice of three different wattage ratings per Channel - very cool right? But what's amazing is this - each power mode has it's own tone-spawning operating class and wiring configuration!

Choose the full power mode of 25 watts in the Express 5:25 for Class AB running in a Push-Pull configuration for punch, authority and headroom. Or, kick down to 15 watts for Class A Pentode and a more silky, vintage voice with enhanced clip potential. And for the ultimate in low wattage power, knock it down to the 5 watt mode... now you're running one tube in Class A Triode wired in a Single-Ended configuration.

The custom covered Express 5:25+ in Purple Bronco Vinyl with Tan Jute Grille

Building on a long list of powerful features, a rich all-tube REVERB enhances the spatial quality of your Express 5:25 Plus and each Channel provides an independent Reverb Mix control so you can get the perfect blend of this beautiful effect for each of your footswitchable sounds. The Reverb effect can be triggered on and off via the included Footswitch.

Finally, the Express Plus 5:25 features a dramatic enhancement in the EQ department with the inclusion of our time-honored 5 Band Graphic Equalizer! The sliders are added in addition to the original Channel Assignable PRESET contour controls and you can now choose whether you want to use the Sliders or the PRESET in each Channel with the EQ Assign mini toggle. The EQ, whether set to call up the Sliders or the PRESET controls, is also footswitchable and can be called up at any time via the Express Plus Footswitch. Select a format below for full feature speifications.

FORMATs AVAILABLE

Head (Width 19")
Rackmount Head
1x12 Combo (Width 19")

Videos

Official Demo Video

Ch. 2 BURN – Modern Rock

Ch. 1 CLEAN – Sparkling Tele

Ch. 2 BURN – Metal

Ch. 1 CRUNCH – Rock

Ch. 1 CLEAN – Jazz

Ch. 2 BURN – Single Note Solo

Ch. 2 BLUES – Overdrive

Artists

Billy Iuso

Billy Iuso & Restless Natives

Reviews

"These combos will successfully bridge the gaps between practicing at home, playing on stage and recording in the studio, whether you play country, blues, rock or metal. For ease of use, versatility and tonal range, and pound-for-pound value for money, the Express 5:25 and 5:50 are hard to fault”

David Greeves
Guitar Buyer
"Just about every great Mesa/Boogie tone (and then some) lurks inside this compact powerhouse. Channel 1’s Clean mode combined with the luscious Accutronics spring reverb produces one of the best clean tones I’ve heard from a Mesa, with a fat roundness and three-dimensional clarity that rivals a vintage Twin Reverb.”

Chris Gill
Guitar World
"The Express 5:50 speaks in a variety of voices and sounds great doing it. The low-powered, old school tones were extremely convincing and the A/B full-powered gain sounds were huge. You could spend hours dialing in variations, yet the amp still feels simple and thoughtfully designed. Its variable power makes it perfect for home recording situations, but the amp will shine in studio and live applications as well. If you want to cover a lot of ground with speed, ease and quality tone, this is a winner.”

Brett Petrusek
Premier Guitar