Mesa Boogie

See above or on the mesaboogie site. Being an electrician , I can confirm that the components used by Mesa Boogie are of very high quality (unlike many other renown brands). That allows us to believe in a long and reliable life of such components. I didn't say reliability of the amp, because the tubes can be the source of other problems. UTILIZATION For me, the setup is very simple because it's logical. 2 lines of knobs correspond to two separate amps. A master volume two lower the volume without fiddling with the individual settings. Everything is very powerful. Everything is very good. No need for a manual, everything is logically and smartly thought-out. SOUNDS Fabulous sounds, delicious, dynamic, full of harmonics, which are never too aggressive to the ear. I endorse the other reviews. It's goooood! You can get any sound you want. ANY. The controls are really effective. You can have a very fat or a very biting distortion. Clean, twangy Fender-like or smooth dynamic jazz sounds. The reverb is very good. Jazz, bossa, '60s rock, '80s rock, pop, etc.. It is very versatile. But it only has 2 channels + a solo Boost controlled by the pedal. If you are looking for only one unique sound (JCM800, Deluxe), this amp is not for you. If you are looking for a programmable amp (for cover versions or pop), this amp is not for you either. If you are looking for an amp that you enjoy playing or for studio, this is a great amp. Even cheap guitars sound good with it. OVERALL OPINION I sold mine a long time ago and ever since I have been looking for its dynamic and tuneful sound full of harmonics, with that toolkit and practical side to it. I had the opportunity to repair one last year! It was a job, but I'm truly grateful to the seller for having given it to me. Small, light enough, hyper complete, it's a jewel and I plan to keep it until the end. I already have the spare parts to repair it ;-). You'll forget the price and enjoy the quality.

Same amp as the regular Express with just a smaller speaker. Your tone will be a bit different since the speaker circumference will change but unless you A/B them you woulnd't know. I wish I could work over at Mesa and just play there collection of amps on a daily basis. They have so many wonderful amplifiers to choose from it actually can get a little complicated to pick one.This amplifier is one of the easiest pieces of gear to ever control. It is two channels that has two modes per channel. Which actually makes it a four channel amp because you can switch from them easily with the footswitch. Another cool feature is the Contour control which acts like a V formation like you would see on the Mark series amps. As you turn is to noon you will get that V formation and dial in an out the highs and lows and you turn is around. UTILIZATION Mesa/Boogie Express 5:25 1 x 10 Combo 25-/5-watt Tube Combo Amp Features: Open-back combo 1 x 10" E50 speaker All tube: 5 x 12AX7A, 2 x EL84 Switches from 25-watt Class A/B operation to 5-watt Class A operation Fixed bias for consistent performance Two fully independent channels with four style modes Independent Gain, Treble, Mid, Bass, Reverb, Master. and Contour controls per channel Footswitchable Variable Contour Control on each channel provides EQ from one rotary control All-tube long-spring reverb All-tube effects loop 3-button footswitch (Channel 1/2, Reverb, and Contour) Slipcover included SOUNDS The tone is a typical tone you get and we all have know from Mesa. It is a heavily saturated tone that feels nice and warm and room filling. I started with my favorite mode which is the Burn mode on channel two. Here you will get that familiar Recto tone that you get from the Dual, Triple, Roadster, and Road King rectifier amps. This amp sounds fantastic with a Strat and humbucker style guitar in front of it. Another great option is running the speaker out to a 4x12 or a 2x12 if you want more air pushed through for a bigger gig or a higher power rock band combo OVERALL OPINION This is a great amp for someone in a a need for a simple Mesa combo amp who needs a little less power but a few more options than an Electra Dyne amp. You can get all the recto goodness and have a good clean channel for country or pop music. Plus the addition of a crunch feature gets you a solid classic rock tone if so desired. At new they come in at around $1250. This is good price considering all the features you get with it. I recommend this amp to any guitar player needing a compact amp with enough features to play in any cover band.

This is a recent model all-tube combo amp from Mesa Boogie, designed to evoke the tones of British amps (most obviously aimed at Marshall) while still having that Mesa Boogie preamp flavor that they're known for. It has: -Two channels, each with three modes (Fat Clean, Tite Clean, and Crunch on clean channel, Crunch, Tite Gain and Fluid Drive on lead) -50 watts of EL34 power, with a tube or solid state rectifier, selectable for each channel -Full power or "Spongy" mode, which is a simulated "Variac" kind of effect -One 12" Celestion V30 speaker -Serial effects loop with adjustable level, hard bypass available -foot switch for channel switching a solo boost UTILIZATION Unlike many Mesa amps, with their myriad of controls and dials, the Stiletto Ace, while still feature-filled, is a relatively easy amp to dial in. Setting the EQ dials at noon results in a punchy, even tone that's heavier in the midrange than its Recto brothers, but still very pleasing to the ear. What's nice with this amp (besides the versatility) is that it can get an amazing, chimey clean tone that's sometimes difficult to get with EL34-based amplifiers. It also excels in the mid-gain and high gain tones, covering the gamut from clean, classic crunch, 80's style high gain, and even can reach thrash metal levels of gain. This all without the assistance of any pedals. The ability to dial in a mixture of tones over the two channels is fun. For example, a spanking clean tone on channel 1, and a crunch tone on channel two. Or perhaps you want a crunchy tone for rhythm, and a singing lead tone for solos? No problem. Simply dial in a pleasing crunch on channel 1, and then a Tite Gain tone on channel 2. The manual is still a must to read (and enjoyable too, I might add) as it allows you to truly get comfortable with how the dials effect each other, recommended settings, and explanations of how everything works within the amp. SOUNDS The guitars I've used with the Stiletto are: -PRS SE Singlecut Korina -Fender Mexico-made Stratocaster -Ibanez JS2000 -Ibanez RG421 (hard tail) -Ibanez SC420 It takes nicely to all of them, however it seems to really favor the PRS and the strat. With the PRS and the Stiletto set to Tite Gain with the gain at noon, it is as close to I've ever come to a pure, amazing rock tone, enough so that I let out a bit of a laugh when I hit an A chord, because it sounds that good. With the amp set to Crunch, the classic neck/middle selection on the Strat sounds awesome. I can't say there are any sounds I "hate" on this amp, per se. However I will tell you that I won't likely be using Fat Clean very often, as it's a bit thin compared to Tite Clean. In high gain settings, it still manages to maintain note definition, even when hitting first position full chords. Providing you don't dime the gain, it maintains a very musical, usable overdrive. OVERALL OPINION I would have happily forked over full price for this amp, however the price I got it for seems like a steal. I simply cannot imagine a better amp for the money. The versatility is there, the tone is there, and the durability is there. The only thing I can vaguely say that is negative about this amp is the weight. At a shade over 60 pounds, this is one hefty beast, one deserving of its included casters. If this thing ever gets lost, stolen, or otherwise, I wouldn't hesitate to replace it.

The Mesa Dual Rectifier 2 Channel Head Features: - (4) 6L6s in the power section @ 100w - (5) 12AX7s in the preamp - (2) 5U4 rectifier tubes - Bias Select switch (6L6/EL34) - Fixed bias for consistent, maintenance free performance - 2 fully independent channels with channel cloning - Independent Gain, Treble, Mid, Bass, Presence and Master Controls per Channel - Output Level Control (over all channels, when Loop is activated) - Selectable Rectifier switch (tube or solid state) - Bold/Spongy "Variac" switch - Assignable parallel effects loop with Send and Mix Level controls - Slave Out with level control - Single button channel footswitch (must be set to Orange channel on back to work) - Single button effects loop footswitch (must be set to external switching on back) - (1) 16 ohm, (1) 8 ohm & (2) 4 ohm outputs - Handbuilt in Petaluma, California UTILIZATION If this is your first time using one of these amps, you'll definitely want to read the manual. There's a lot of features on this amp that can get very confusing, if you don't know what you're doing! While a lot of people say the Rectifiers are hard to dial in, I find it pretty hard to get a bad tone out of the 2 channel versions, no matter where you set the controls. Starting with all the knobs at 12 o'clock and moving on from there is always a good starting point. EQing is pretty simple if you've played with any other modern voiced amp. SOUNDS These amps sound great! One of my all-time favorite amps I've ever had the pleasure of plugging into. These amps are unique and there's not a single amp out there that can do the same sound as these amps. If you want that Recto tone found on countless '90-'00's grunge/punk/metal records, don't even bother with anything else, this thing will get you there in a heartbeat. I mainly play metal, and this amp definitely delivers. While the rhythm channel (clean) doesn't have the greatest cleans, it's certainly easy to coax out a decent clean tone out of the channel. If you don't need a clean, you can use the channel cloning feature to dial in a distorted rhythm tone that will rip your face off! Channel 2 is where this amp really excels. The Mesa Rectifier series is usually classified by its loose lowend and chunky "wall of sound." While that loose lowend is certainly true of the newer, 3 channel, models, the 2 channels are fully capable of getting a tight, grinding distortion, without a boost. This channel can go from fat leads (which are almost non-existent on the newer models), to searing rhythms with a couple turns of the dials. These are, without a doubt, the "biggest" sounding amps I've ever heard. Especially with the matching Mesa OS 4x12 cab, they create a giant tone that crushes the first, second, third AND fourth row of people in front of the stage (haha)! Only have one guitarist in your band? No problem! These things create such a 3D sound, that one can completely fill in the spectrum left void by a second guitarist. For recording, this is the go-to amp for many studios, and for good reason. These amps tracking amazingly well, and with little effort, which is the reason they're used on practically every popular rock album since they came out in 1992. These amps love Celestion Vintage 30s! Using this amp, a Peavey 5150 and a Marshall JCM 800, you have probably close to 95% of every rock/pop/metal tone ever created in your studio. This, and the Peavey 5150 are my favorite amps to use in my studio, and only on very special occasions does my Diezel Herbert get pulled out. OVERALL OPINION If a huge amount of versatility isn't needed (ie: If you don't need prestine cleans and a great low/mid gain tone), these amps are EXTREMELY hard to beat at their price. Why these sell for less than the 3 channel models is beyond me, as they sound about 5 million times better. The gain is clear and brutal, a recipe for destruction. These amps are built like tanks and can easily withstand abuse on the road. I've owned almost every high gain amp Mesa currently produces, and has produced over the years, this amp is by far my favorite. If you don't already have one of these in your arsenal, buy one!!

I only saw one pro recording example. I am glad I chose this amp. I had fx loop modded to serial. Very easy to do. I use a Two Notes Torpedo Captor 8 with the amp. I use an Empress ParaEQ to take the excessive mid range. Also, to add Depth and Brightness adjustment to the amp Globally. I used the Graphic EQ in the Mesa Nomad 100 for a solo boost. Borrowed the idea from the Mesa JP -2C. I send line out from the Two Notes Torpedo Captor 8 to drive my stereo fx into a stereo pair of Two Notes Torpedo Cab M plus boxes and Stereo pair of Orange Micro Terrors. I use 3 1x12 cabs on stage for wet/dry/wet. I also, use a Boss NS-2 connected to the input and fx loop to tame any high gain noise. I run a Xotic SP Compressor and Maxon OD 808 and wah infront of the amp. I have 4 Blocks of stereo fx. I get a super clean Fender tone on the clean channel 1. I go for a plexi crunch on channel 2. Vintage mode. For Channel 3 is my Higher gain Modern mode. I use 12ay7 tubes in V1 and V2 positions. I can do a lot with this amp. I might try to get a 2nd head or seek the combo version.

This would be my second Mesa Mark IV, first being "A", my current being "B". The main difference I find between the two is a very slight darker tone and slight more gain. There are about 18 knobs on the front, some are push/pull, there are more on the back, as well as an EQ on the face. It can be a very daunting task, each turn can vastly change the tone and sound you receive out of the amp. UTILIZATION As I said above it is difficult to get your perfect tone, because there are so many knobs and the EQ, you can just about get any sound you want out of it. I find myself spinning knobs around multiple times when I'm playing just to try different things out, not because it sounds bad, because I'm looking to see "What else can I get out of this thing". SOUNDS Now here's where I'm gonna rain down on this review, the sound/tone of this Amp is phenomenal to say the least. I mainly play metal such as In Flames, or Black Dahlia Murder even ranging to Megadeth and power metal. There used to be a misconception this amp cannot handle that type of music, but that couldn't be further from the truth. It's very easy to get the typical heavy metal (Rectifier) sound by doing a typical "V" shape and mess around with the lead channel settings for a minute or two. You can crank up the mids, reverse the EQ and get a ballsy/pissed off Marshall. You may get discouraged turning knobs and not quite getting what you want, but you cannot be afraid to change the EQ, that will let you change and master your tone on this amplifier. The clean channel is really something to be admired. The R1 (Clean) Channel shares one or two knobs with R2 Channel, Mids and Bass I believe. This does not interfere with the sound or function of each channel. You can still dial in spacious cleans, alongside with the built in spring reverb. The Lead Channel is one of the favored channels, I admit to using this channel about 90% of the time. It will range from grunge, rock, thrash all the way to heavier death metal. It can get tight for something technical, or get real loose and have a grunge/industrial type of rock sound. Alongside with the EQ it makes it very easy to have multiple tones ready just by clicking EQ on and off. OVERALL OPINION Overall I believe this is a top notch amp that any serious player should have the opportunity to own or at least try out. I sold mine in a rash spur of "gear flipper mode" or "Gear Acquisition Syndrome" right before they discontinued and regretted it for a long time. The prices these go for now-a-days are really worth it and hold up to more modern amps being put out. This amp won't leave my rig, and I'm sure a lot of people who own it feel that way. If you have the available cash, and the opportunity you should really consider buying one. If you would like to hear some actual applications of this amp in professional studio recordings, here is a list of Artists and Bands that have used Mesa Mark IVs exclusively or at least in one album: Lamb of God, Neurosis, The Offspring, John Petrucci, Orpheus, Nevermore, Maco Sfogli, Liquid Tension Experiment, Chevelle, Faith No More, Metallica, Sevendust, Anberlin.

all-tube, two 6l6, six 12ax7, 50 watts, more than 40 lbs, FX loop, reverb, 2 independent channels, switchable EQ....and that's it: Not too bulky and it fits in the trunk of a small car. VERY POWERFUL UTILIZATION A bit difficult to adjust: 2 channels with very different personality, the EQ is very effective, useful user's manual. You can get lots of different sounds, with the switchable EQ you almost have a third channel. the clean channel can crunch (it has a boost), while the distortion sound distorts already when set to "2" SOUNDS rock and punk rock: Telecaster that suits the distortion channel perfectly, huge strat with the clean channel, PRS very dense with the crunch. I prefer: the clean very clean and silky, the distortion that can be very fat OVERALL OPINION It has been my rehearsal and concert buddy for three years now: It is reliable, relentless, heavy, and sturdy. It never complains and can sound clean under all circumstances. An old traditional Mesa without a single wrinkle. sensitive souls should refrain.

The Mesa Boogie Stiletto Trident is a 150 watt tube amp handbuilt in Petaluma, California USA. Multi-Watt, Channel-assignable power amp allows you to assign either two or all six EL-34 power tubes to each channel for power ratings of 50 or 150 watts of Class A/B power via independent 50/150-watt power switches Tube complement: 6xEL-34, 5x12AX7, 2x5U4 Fixed Bias for consistent, maintenance free performance Two fully independent channels with six 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) Independent gain, treble, mid, bass, presence, and master controls per channel Bold/spongy "Variac" switch Output Level Control (over all channels when activated) Footswitchable Solo Level Control (over all channels when activated) All-tube effects loop with Send Level Control (over all channels when activated) "Hard" bypass switch that removes effects loop, Output Level and Solo Level Controls from signal path Slave out with level control External switching jacks for channels 1, 2, and Solo Chrome chassis 2-button footswitch (Channel 1/2 and Solo) Slip cover included UTILIZATION It is fairly easy to get a good rock and clean sound out of this amp with minimal tweaking. The manual is clear and gives you good sample control setting starting points. Although it is easy to get very usable sounds right from the start, there are a vast array of tone shaping options on each channel so you can fine tune your sound, which might take awhile to dial in. SOUNDS I have used Gibson V's, Les Pauls and ESP KH-2 guitars with this amp and it lets the characteristic of each guitar through. I primarily used a Mojotone 3x12 cabinet with Celestion CL-80's. My favorite sounds are the rock and 80’s rock sounds, which I think this amp excels at.It is possible to get a nice Plexi lower gain sound on the clean and/or crunch and then adjust the controls for a JCM 800 tone on the crunch channel. The clean tones are really nice, as well. I have been through a lot of amps and this is one of the better clean channels I have used. It really shines in a loud, live setting. In the past, I have had trouble with my clean channel being able to be heard through the band mix and this one has been great for that, due to the fact that there are very useful tone shaping options to choose from on this channel. I usually go for a nice thick Jerry Cantrell AIC tone, to use with my modern rock/metal band. This amp fell short for me in getting this tone. It could get close but just didn't have "it". It is a very bright amp and didn't have quite enough saturation to get the heavy tone I needed. It took a Boss SD-1 nicely but in the end still didn't do it for me. It would work best in a classic rock type of band. OVERALL OPINION My favorite thing about the amp was the buildt in solo boost feature on the foot pedal. This was the first amp I bought that had this - great feature! I also liked the clean channel, but since I rarely use cleans in my music, it is a wasted feature for me. I bought this on closeout and for the price it was a good deal, even though it fell short for me. Boogies are buildt like tanks! Overall, this is a fantastic amp for bright classic rock and rock tones but does not do well for heavy rock or metal. This amp is a well built tone generator that can give you many classic tones, but for what I needed it to do it was just ok. Knowing what I know now I would not have bought this when I did.

The Mesa Boogie 3-channel Dual Rectifier is a 100 watt tube amplifier. This revision of Mesa's popular 2-channel Dual Rectifier that debuted in the early 1990's adds another channel, giving this already versatile tone machine an even bigger arsenal of tonal and sonic options. (This is the early 2000's model, not to be confused with the newer "Reborn" revision) Each channel has its own eq section, consisting of bass, mid and high controls, as well as separate gain, presence and volume controls. Also included on the front panel are toggle switches for each channel that can select a dedicated voicing for that channel. These voicings cover everything from spanky cleans to blistering high gain and everything in between, which I will describe in detail later in the review. Rear Panel: The rear panel is home to many useful controls and connections such as a "slave-out" jack and level control, which allows you to run the Dual Rec's pre and power collectively out to another power amp and line-level effects unit. This is a popular method for wet/dry or stereo setups, or for the player who doesn't like the impurities of using an effects loop. Speaking of effects loops, the Dual Rectifier has a parallel loop with controls for send level and overall mix of the wet sound. The loop can be assigned to all channels, a specific channel only, or hard-bypassed from the signal. I personally don't care for the amp's loop and don't use it due to the fact that no matter the setting, the dry signal is always present and can cause phasing issues between the dry and wet sounds. 1/4" jacks for external switching and selection of channels, solo boost function, and fx loop on/off are included for those who like switching with a device other than the included footswitch, such as a Voodoo Lab GCX or RJM unit and a midi controller. The amp in its stock form does not have midi capability. A bias selection switch is located on the rear. Stock, the amp ships with 6L6 power tubes, but EL34s can be installed also. The switch must be set to match the type of tube in use. (other tubes such as KT77s can also be used in "EL34" bias mode due to the amp's fixed bias level. Just be sure tubes are properly matched by the supplier) You can select the type of rectifiers you want to use with the power section of this amp. A toggle switch on the rear lets you choose between Vacuum Tube rectifiers (the amp ships with 5U4 tubes), or Silicon Diodes which tighten up the response of the amp giving it more immediacy in the attack. Finally, a switch on the rear lets you select Bold or Spongy mode, which sound and respond exactly as described. Bold is tight and punchy, while Spongy cuts the power a bit giving the amp more sag and a "browner" sound. EDIT: I recently had my Dual Rectifier modified by amp guru Dave Friedman. This review is based on the stock version of this amp, but I will eventually do another review based on the modifications he made. Read on for the review of the STOCK Dual Rectifier. UTILIZATION Most Mesa Boogies have a reputation for being difficult to dial in, and this amp is no different. The controls of most Boogies are very sensitive. A minute tweak on the presence control for example, can change the tone drastically and will also affect the way the other controls respond. There are sweet spots to be found in the Dual Rec's eq section, and only time spent with your own rig will warrant optimum results. One thing I can say about Boogie; they can write a manual! They are extremely thorough, describing every function of the product in-depth. While reading the manual upon purchase, I was pleasantly surprised with a very descriptive walk-through of each of my amp's features, examples of settings and starting points for finding my own signature tone, and even a bit of humor! After reading it front to back, I had a better understanding of what the amp was capable of and a sense of pride in my purchase By far, the best product manual I've ever read. (I gave this point a rating of 7, due to the difficulty in dialing in the amp, which may be intimidating or discouraging to some players. Otherwise, this would've been rated an 8 or 9). SOUNDS Given the sensitivity of the Dual Rec's controls and the extreme results they produce, not to mention the many tonal options this amp provides, it would be nearly impossible to cover everything in this review, short of writing a novel! I'll try to cover the most significant sounds and features: With the clean channel's toggle set to "Clean" and the gain set low to moderate, the amp displays a very round and full sounding clean tone, which can be very spanky and tight, or lush and pristine depending on where the mid, treble and presence are set. This is one of the best clean sounds I've ever experienced on a channel switcher! The tone begins to clip and break up when the gain is cranked up past 1:00. This can be very desirable for blues or for modern alt-rock cleans. Setting the toggle to "Push" takes this channel firmly into the gritty blues or classic rock realm, and has a very dynamic and bouncy, addicting feel. It is a joy to bash out AC/DC riffs or classic double-stop type riffs and lead lines. This voicing spews out a bubbly thick grit. This is truly a great clean channel on its own merits when so many companies tack on a mediocre or dull sounding clean channel as an afterthought. Well done! Shifting over to channels 2 and 3, which house the Dual Rectifier's classic and trademark aggressive tones, we have three voicing options; Raw, Vintage and Modern. These channels are almost identical to each other, save for the presence control which is set much brighter on channel 3 giving this channel a more modern sound. Let's back up to channel 2; set the toggle to Vintage and you've got the definitive "Recto" sound that found its way to hundreds of recordings. This is creamy and crunchy gain with a bit of rectifier sag in the low end response. Playing this channel is a joy, as harmonics jump out of the speakers and just the right amount of compression and "give" make the amp forgiving, yet crushing and always present in a band mix. Select Raw mode and you have a gritty blues or classic rock tone which is still very responsive. This mode is similar to Pushed mode on channel 1, but is more open and clear with more complexity in the high end. Move on to Modern mode, and set the Rectifier toggle switch to Silicon Diodes, and you've got yourself a searing high gain tone that remains clear and defined and has an aggressive edge that will cut through any mix! This is one of the most recognizable and definitive modern tones around! Channel 3 can be set up to sound almost identical to channel 2, but as mentioned above, the presence taper is much different on this channel. In my opinion, this channel was designed as the Modern channel while channel 2 suits the Vintage mode perfectly. Feel free to experiment however, as any mode can be used with either channel! Personally, I prefer using both gain channels in Raw or Vintage mode when playing at lower volumes, as Modern mode can sound very shrill and harsh until the amp is turned up quite loud. This mode isn't practical for home use in my experience, and is made for playing at band volume levels. OVERALL OPINION The one thing I don't like about the Dual Rectifier is the effects loop. (which Boogie claims to have improved in the latest revision) The parallel design doesn't allow the dry signal to be completely taken out, therefore I can never attain a completely wet mix with my time-based effects. This makes the amp slightly difficult to use for lead players who prefer to use reverb and/or delay. I have been using a BB+ preamp and a Lovepedal Eternity along with an MXR Carbon Copy analog delay pedal into channel 1 set clean for my lead sounds, and it's working just fine! It should also be noted that for the player to get the most out of this amplifier, switching to a hotter brand/type of power tubes should be considered. Mesa Boogie amplifiers have fixed bias levels, and the stock tubes they ship with are not graded hot, meaning the bias level is actually a bit lower than it could safely be. With a change of tubes (I prefer JJ or Tung-Sol) my amp's tone improved dramatically! This is to be done at the user's risk however as Mesa recommends using only their brand of tubes with their amps. The Dual Rectifier can be challenging to set up and dial in, and isn't for everyone. If you are a "plug and play" kind of guy/gal, you may want to look elsewhere. If you are willing to put the time in and enjoy tweaking and want an instrument that will grow with you as a player, then I highly recommend this amp!

- Amplification technology (tube, solid state, ...)? Tubes! Two EL84 power tubes and four 12Ax7 preamp tubes - Output power? 18w, class AB feeding a Black shadow speaker (50W into 8 Ohms). - Connections? Instrument input & 3-way footswitch, power/Stand-by, effects loop with headphone output & silent recording, in addition to a speaker-mute switch to silence the speaker without disconnecting it physically and preserving the amp from any impedance problems in case of silent use. One 8-ohm or two 4-ohm outputs for eventual external cabinets. - What about controls, effects etc.? Independent volume & gain for both channels and shared bass/mid/treble/presence equalizer. Also note that there is an effect amount control for the effects loop. UTILIZATION - Is it easy to dial in? Yes and no, insomuch as the EQ is very interactive, but if you take as a starting point the advice in the very clear and instructive manual, you can easily find a good basis to then fine-tune your sound. The fact that you have independent volume controls requires some adaptation time in the beginning, to reach a balance between both channels, but after a certain period it all comes naturally and it becomes the easiest amp in the world! - Is it easy to get the right sound? Most sounds are very good. It is fairly easy and quick to find the sound you want! - Is the user's manual clear and comprehensive? No issues at all, like with most boogie manuals. It's a serious brand! SOUNDS - Does it fit your music style? It's an amp aimed at Big rock mainly, but it is nevertheless possible to play other music genres with it, like jazz, blues...classic rock, '90s rock. You can even venture into metal, to a certain extent and under certain conditions, for example, adding a cabinet like the VHT 2x12 fat bottom, to transform it into a merciless beast! - Which guitar, bass or effects do you use? Gibson les paul with EMG or seymour duncan, but also strat and telecaster, and I haven't had a problem with any of them. It's worth pointing out that the amp responds very well to the guitar's own tone. It's actually the only amp I like with the telecaster, which I don't like with a marshall, for example. - What kind of sounds do you get and with what dialings? Resolutely fat but with a unique precision and character that I can't compare to other amps because it's very peculiar. The clean sounds aren't its main strength, even if it performs very well, but the distortion is very aggressive and musical. - Which sounds do you prefer / hate? I'd say the contour mode, without hesitation, a preset EQing of the lead channel that is amazing, rich in harmonics with enhanced, highs and lows, a truly extraordinary channel that I use with great pleasure. It doesn't have any sounds that I hate, so to speak. None of its settings produce unpleasant frequencies to the ear, even when pushed to the extremes. The EQ must be set to the minimum, if you set all four controls to 0, there is no sound at all. Also note the middle control, that responds in completely different ways, depending on the range used. OVERALL OPINION - How long have you been using it? I've had it 8 years, more or less. I've used it mainly for studio sessions. I recently dug it out again because I had strayed away from my 800 sound towards a stoner sound, and I must confess that it's a great pleasure to use it again. - Which features do you like the most / the least? + A sharpness and boldness that can usually be found only in posh gear + Its stunning power, in regard to its size, which has left more than one sound engineer dumb-founded + Its compact format and lightness, which make it easy to transport + Its versatility and manufacturing quality from an era when mesa still hadn't sold its soul to big business + Its respect for the instrument you use + A very nice responsiveness to tube changes - Unfortunately out of production… :o( - Did you try any other models before buying it? No, it's the first one I stumbled upon by chance and I bought it on a gut feeling! - How would you rate its value for money? Good! - Based on your experience, would you buy this product again? Absolutely!

50-watt tube amp 2 6L6, 4 12AX7 Two channels Clean Gain + Contour mode for solo players Spring and tube reverb Bright control for the clean channel, to get a Fender-like sound Insert loop Speaker bypass switch Direct recording output Footswitch for the clean and gain channels, contour and reverb USE Simple configuration Easy to dial in SOUND Very versatile, from jazz to fat metal Clean sound worthy of a Fender class A The distortion is MESA BOOGIE, there's no sound like it! It's great for anything It truly respects the guitar and the dynamics of the guitar player OVERALL OPINION Three years I tried out the Dual caliber, a mark IV (much more expensive), an express (a real disappointment) I've had an all-tube marshall jcm900 (clean sound without punch, it stinks, although it was okay for ac/dc with my sg, but the clean sound was really bad!) marshall valvestate fender hot rod deluxe (nice clean sound) vox ac 30 (very British but without a fat distortion and the clean sound was shitty, especially to play ballads and switch to distortion, not practical at all) What I love about this amp is that it's very powerful, the clean channel is fabulous and well separated from the quite violent gain channel: Two master controls, two gains, two EQs, the Contour mode to cut better through a mix during solos, the natural-sounding reverb. There's no need for a single pedal, a plug is more than enough. It practically makes no noise at all, compared to the power it delivers if you equip it with good tubes. I paid for it new what an Express costs today and I don't regret it at all. You can get it secondhand for about $1000, and you can't do any better for such a versatile and recent amp. If I ever sell it, it would be to move on to the category above, but after having had other legendary amps, what I like about this one is that it can do anything (it's a bit annoying to have a Fender hot rod and a Marshall jcm to change channels, it's not very practical...)

The Mesa Boogie Nomad 45 is a guitar combo amp that delivers 45 watts of power. It has a 1/4 inch input in the front and has three channels, each with its own set of basic parameters for EQ, gain, volume, etc. It also has both a power and a standby switch. UTILIZATION The configuration of the Mesa Boogie Nomad 45 is easy to follow and shouldn't take much time at all to figure out what everything does. Getting a good sound is easy because the amp has a great inherent tone to it that is full and warm sounding. The three channels and various parameters allows for a great deal of control over your tone and a good amount of versatility. The manual for the Mesa Boogie Nomad 45 is pretty complete, but the amp is easy enough to use that you shouldn't need the manual if you don't have one already. SOUNDS The sound quality of the Mesa Boogie Nomad 45, like most Mesa Boogie amps is pretty great. It is a versatile amp that is capable of both great lead and rhythm tones, both clean and overdriven. I usually use this amp without effects with a Fender Strat or a Gibson SG, always with great results. While I have only used this amp for recording, it is also great for live shows because of its small size and huge sound. Overall, the Mesa Boogie Nomad 45 is a great sounding amp. OVERALL OPINION I've been using the Mesa Boogie Nomad 45 guitar combo amp for about a year and have found it to be a great guitar amp. It is easy to use and even easier to get a good sound from this. The price of this amp isn't cheap, but it is a high quality amp that is great for recording, gigs, or practicing. While there are other guitar amps that I would rather have for the price, like a Fender Twin Reverb, this is a great amp that is definitely worthy of a try. Highly recommended for amateurs and professionals alike.