« British tone and flavor »

This the big brother of the TA-15 and TA-30 series amps. This one dos have a bit more bit and grind than the other amps do. You get a 100 watt British flavored amp that comes standard with El34's or the option of 6L6 power tubes.

This amp is a nice addition to the Mesa Boogie family. The have about an amp for any style and any guitar player out there. This one has a bit of the familiar Mesa Boogie tone but just a direction pointed across the Atlantic Ocean.


Mesa/Boogie Royal Atlantic RA-100 Two-channel Amplifier Head Features:

* Color: Black Taurus w/black grille
* Class A/B
* Custom designed and handcrafted in Petaluma, California
* All-tube amplifier - 4 x EL-34 (or 6L6s), 7x12AX7
* Proprietary Multi-Soak channel-assignable power attenuator (3 watts to 100 watts)
* Multi-Soak includes 5-position power attenuation switch (-16dB, -12dB, -8dB, -4dB, and 0dB)
* Bias Select switch (6L6/EL34)
* Fixed bias for consistent, maintenance-free performance
* 2 channels, 3 footswitchable modes
* Each mode with Independent Channel Master & Multi-Soak Power Controls (Multi-Soak Controls on back panel)
* Channel 1 (Clean) features: Gain, Treble, Mid, Bass, Master, and Multi-Soak (on back panel)
* Channel 2 (footswitchable Vintage Lo-Gain and Vintage Hi-Gain modes) features: Gain, Treble, Mid, Bass, Master-Lo, Master-Hi, Multi-Soak Lo & Multi-Soak Hi (on back panel)
* All-tube, long-spring reverb with auto reverb defeat switch
* Reverb Hard-Bypass switch removes entire reverb circuit from amp (all modes)
* Fully buffered effects loop w/Automatic Hard-Bypass (which completely removes itself when not in use)
* Slave Out w/level control
* External switching jacks for Vintage Low/Hi (Clean is default)
* 22" aluminum chassis
* 2-button footswitch (Clean, Vintage Low/Hi)
* Slip cover

UTILIZATION

Details
Type Tube
Number of Channels 2
Power 100W Class AB
No Effects
Reverb
EQ Ch 1 & 2: Bass, Middle, Treble; Master: Hi, Lo
No Amp Modeling
Number of Tubes 11
Preamp Tubes 7 x 12AX7
Power Tubes 4 x EL-34
Inputs 1 x Instrument
Outputs 2 x Speaker, 1 x Slave
Footswitch I/O
Effects Loop

SOUNDS

This amp sound great with just about any guitar you throw at it. I personally like the the distortion when coupled with a nice Gibson Les Paul. The British tone and from a Mesa Boogie with a good Gibson Les Paul is a match made in heaven. They compliment each other very well.

Also, a good Fender Stratocaster sounds excellent on the bluesy channels or clean channel. You get a good singing sustain that feels rich in tone and warmth.

The amp is very easy to dial in and Mesa Boogie has several videos demonstrating the EQ settings and how to dial in a specific tone. The master high and low is a unique feature and makes this amp really stand out. It allows you to tweak you tone even more to your liking or guitar's sound

OVERALL OPINION

Overall this is a great amp for someone who needs a solid build British flavored amp. Marshall has been failing to do so in recent years and Hiwatt is outrageously expensive. You can always buy a Reeves amp for half the price of a Hiwatt if that tone is your thing. Or you can pick this amp relatively cheap.

At new these amps come in at around $1899. I know that might not be cheap for some people but given the custom hand made quality of this amp and you are getting a great deal comparatively to a JVM or a Hiwatt