View other reviews for this product:
iamqman « Wizard of Boogie »
Published on 07/18/11 at 14:01This amp is a mega masterpiece of amp goodness. It has all the same features and tone as the black standard and emerald both with a British Marshall bluesbreaker style front. You get the standard black tolex and then you have the wheat grille that looks very Marshall-esque. The same tone and features are all there just in a much cooler front.
I love this amp because it takes the best of what I enjoy in an amp. The sweet midrange of a good British amp and the heavy thickness of a solid built Mesa Boogie.
My favorite amps from Mesa have to be the Recto's but this is an amazing amp. It does what Marshall has failed to do in getting a huge versatile amp. Everyone has to modify Marshall because they have a good starting point with the JCM 800's, JMP's, and Plexi's. However, you have to get them modified to sound like anything off of your favorite record.
This amp is basically the standard of Mesa's British tone. It is an absolute stellar combo and heavy and pile bricks. You can't get a bad tone out of this amp. I'm sure someone will try but Mesa really has done their work to make it idiot proof. This amp has a custom tolex covering that is an emerald green covering and wheat gold grill. Same features as the black standard but just in a nice custom green color.
UTILIZATION
Specifications:
* 50 Watts, Class A/B Power / 2xEL-34, 5x12AX7, 1x5U4
* Fixed Bias for Consistent, Maintenance Free Performance
* 2 Fully Independent Channels with 6 Modes (Channel 1 = Fat Clean, Tite Clean or Crunch (Cloning Channel 2), Channel 2 = Crunch, Tite Gain or Fluid Drive)
* Channel Assignable Dual Rectification with Recto Tracking™ (Diode or Tube Tracking – Patents 5,168,438 & 7,193,458)
* Independent Gain, Treble, Mid, Bass, Presence & Master Controls per Channel
* Bold/Spongy “Variac” Switch (Patent 5,091,700)
* Output Level Control (over all channels when activated)
* Footswitchable Solo Level Control – Patent 6,724,897 (over all channels when activated)
* All-Tube FX Loop with Send Level Control (over all channels when activated)
* True “Hard” Bypass Switch that removes FX Loop, Output Level & Solo Level Controls from signal path
* Slave Out with Level Control
* External Switching Jacks for Channels 1, 2 & Solo
* 2 Button Footswitch (Channel 1/2 & Solo)
SOUNDS
This amp will feel a little smaller in the tone that the 2x12 simply because there is less air being pushed. The tone will be there but feel more contained. If you are recording you wouldn't even know the difference.
This is a rockers amp. You will blown the hinges off the doors when you crank this thing up. I have been on the wrong side of this amp a few times where it just lit me up and thump my chest. The best feeling I got with this amp is a Les Paul and clean boost like pedal in front of it. This amp gets that pounding feeling but a full bodied warm tone. I find this amp not to be much of a lead amp per se but rather a solid rhythm guitar player amp. It doesn't cut through as much as I would like if I was the only player in the band, but it does thicken the walls of the sound for the band quite well.
OVERALL OPINION
At new these amps come in right at around $1800. Not a bad price for a solid sounding and build combo amp. The cosmetics alone are worth the price of admission. I think this is the best looking stiletto that they have put together. The combination of the wheat grill and black tolex is a dream come true.
This amp is no slouch at all. You feel the pain of this amp when you get this thing cranking. I really like the deep thick tone that it has and being built by Mesa Boogie you know that it is going to knock over some heads. It will be a big amp to compete with if you have another guitar player in your band. Great for rhythm playing though.
I love this amp because it takes the best of what I enjoy in an amp. The sweet midrange of a good British amp and the heavy thickness of a solid built Mesa Boogie.
My favorite amps from Mesa have to be the Recto's but this is an amazing amp. It does what Marshall has failed to do in getting a huge versatile amp. Everyone has to modify Marshall because they have a good starting point with the JCM 800's, JMP's, and Plexi's. However, you have to get them modified to sound like anything off of your favorite record.
This amp is basically the standard of Mesa's British tone. It is an absolute stellar combo and heavy and pile bricks. You can't get a bad tone out of this amp. I'm sure someone will try but Mesa really has done their work to make it idiot proof. This amp has a custom tolex covering that is an emerald green covering and wheat gold grill. Same features as the black standard but just in a nice custom green color.
UTILIZATION
Specifications:
* 50 Watts, Class A/B Power / 2xEL-34, 5x12AX7, 1x5U4
* Fixed Bias for Consistent, Maintenance Free Performance
* 2 Fully Independent Channels with 6 Modes (Channel 1 = Fat Clean, Tite Clean or Crunch (Cloning Channel 2), Channel 2 = Crunch, Tite Gain or Fluid Drive)
* Channel Assignable Dual Rectification with Recto Tracking™ (Diode or Tube Tracking – Patents 5,168,438 & 7,193,458)
* Independent Gain, Treble, Mid, Bass, Presence & Master Controls per Channel
* Bold/Spongy “Variac” Switch (Patent 5,091,700)
* Output Level Control (over all channels when activated)
* Footswitchable Solo Level Control – Patent 6,724,897 (over all channels when activated)
* All-Tube FX Loop with Send Level Control (over all channels when activated)
* True “Hard” Bypass Switch that removes FX Loop, Output Level & Solo Level Controls from signal path
* Slave Out with Level Control
* External Switching Jacks for Channels 1, 2 & Solo
* 2 Button Footswitch (Channel 1/2 & Solo)
SOUNDS
This amp will feel a little smaller in the tone that the 2x12 simply because there is less air being pushed. The tone will be there but feel more contained. If you are recording you wouldn't even know the difference.
This is a rockers amp. You will blown the hinges off the doors when you crank this thing up. I have been on the wrong side of this amp a few times where it just lit me up and thump my chest. The best feeling I got with this amp is a Les Paul and clean boost like pedal in front of it. This amp gets that pounding feeling but a full bodied warm tone. I find this amp not to be much of a lead amp per se but rather a solid rhythm guitar player amp. It doesn't cut through as much as I would like if I was the only player in the band, but it does thicken the walls of the sound for the band quite well.
OVERALL OPINION
At new these amps come in right at around $1800. Not a bad price for a solid sounding and build combo amp. The cosmetics alone are worth the price of admission. I think this is the best looking stiletto that they have put together. The combination of the wheat grill and black tolex is a dream come true.
This amp is no slouch at all. You feel the pain of this amp when you get this thing cranking. I really like the deep thick tone that it has and being built by Mesa Boogie you know that it is going to knock over some heads. It will be a big amp to compete with if you have another guitar player in your band. Great for rhythm playing though.