Got My Mesa Triaxis Fired Up!

I am completely blown away! I got the Mesa 2:90 for it about a week ago and just had to wait for my Triaxis. So I got it late yesterday and got it installed in my rack today.

Now I must admit that my particular Triaxis rig had the deck stacked in it's favor right out of the packing box. The Triaxis was already loaded with some handpicked JJ's. It's a version 2.0 without the Phat mod.

I plugged my guitar straight into the Triaxis and then fed my TC Electronic G Major in series and lastly into the 2:90. I tried several different configs going between mono and stereo through my Recto 4x12.

I did an exhaustive amount of research on this rig that started literally years ago. I read so many reviews and listened to so many opinions on it and heard all the likes and dislikes. I knew going in what were considered the most common complaints and was expecting them to show through quickly.

In the end all I was hoping to find was a rig that would be versatile as hell and deliver tones similiar to my Rectoverb & Mk IV in a much more compact and managable package.

This rig is an absolute success in what I was looking for. I can get incredible clean tones that range from bright and sparkly to fat and slightly driven. It was the business of the lead settings that I was most surprised.

One of the chief complaints I heard about the Triaxis is that it wouldn't really do Recto. It's a pretty true statement. I definitely would be able to tell the difference in a blind test between the Tri/2:90 and my Rectoverb. What I didn't expect though was that I actually like the Triaxis' take on the Recto tone even more! It's modern and big and heavy but it also has an edge of sophistication to it. There's plenty of gain available and with the modern mode on the 2:90 engaged it does get pretty close. The fact that I've been using my Rectoverb in Vintage mode a lot lately has probably helped my transition.

Coping the tone of my Mk IV was too easy. I've always tried to set my Mk IV for that liquid squishy Mesa tone and getting the Triaxis to do this is like second nature. What I hadn't realized was that all these years I'd been trying to get my Mesa heads to sound like a Triaxis.

The second most common complaint about the Triaxis is it's naturality. So many commented on how the Triaxis had great feel and tone but didn't sound as natural as heads do. I actually find these to be my favorite thing about it. This thing sounds like a guitar rig that has been recorded, mixed, and mastered right out of the speakers. I equate it a lot to the Line 6 feel.

I always loved the tone and versatility of my Vetta rig but it felt wrong to me. Like it was a cold, lifeless thing, I just couldn't get into it. Now, I'm getting all the versatility I was out of my Vetta but with a very tube feel.

A lot of people complained about the difficulty in getting sweet tones. Maybe because I'm used to Mesa amps or maybe because I've read the manual a zillion times but I found it to be a fun and easy thing.

I'm loving both the clean modes, each has it's own character and use. I've found several tones I like in the Lead 1 Red, and pretty much everything in the Lead 2 section.

If you haven't done so and you like Mesa tones I highly recommend checking a Triaxis / 2:90 rig soon. I love my Mk IV and my Rectoverb but I'm getting all the tones I wanted out of a nice little 6 space rack. I just need to add a Furman and one of the new custom shop rack wahs and I'll be rolling!

The beautiful thing is, I got the Triaxis and 2:90 for less than $1700!

Hopefully, clips will follow soon! Remodeling the new house has taken the studio off line for a little while!