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To my amazement my epiphone 339 gets stunning fat yet clean bebop jazz sounds out of my mesa rectoverb 25. No idea why it should but it just is superb. Took me very much by surprise.
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11-21-2018 09:28 PM
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Mesa gets a bad rap because of the metal, Dual Rectifier connotation but the Mesa Lonestar is hands down one of the best amps I have played and is perfect for jazz or fusion. I had one for years and years and regrettably sold it. The clean tone is way better than any current Fender blackface reissue and the reverb is incredible.
The downside? Brutally heavy. I had the 1x12 and it was around 60-70 lbs. and just unwieldy. This is why I sold it. I figured the upside in tone wasn’t worth the effort for rehearsals and gigs.
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My 80's era Mark III can get a terrific jazz sound, except for the reverb, which I was never crazy about. Also, fan noise is noticeable in low volume settings, usually in rehearsal, not on a gig.
The negatives are weight and complexity. It can be difficult to dial in a sound.
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I think the new Mesa Fullerton Series, excuse me: Fillmore Series offer some great cleans for jazz, especially the 50 watt version IMHO:
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I used to play MarkIII's and sometimes used two of them for a stereo effect. I totally agree, they sounded great for jazz, but to the negatives you mention i'd like to add that both my MarkIII's were very hard on the tubes. They usually didn't last long, i needed replacements every half year or so which finally was more than i was willing to pay. The solid state amp that to my ears sounds closest to the Boogies is the Mambo, but it is not as adjustable to room acoustics as the fully loaded Boogies with their almost unlimited possibilities for EQ-ing.
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My early 90's Mark 4 with an EV speaker sounded great for jazz, but also went through tubes far too quickly and weighed as much as a Twin. I was quite happy to watch my buyer, who was 20 years my junior, roll it away.
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There was a factory update on the tube issue.
This is the update of the manual, from Mesa.
NOTE: In the past, MESA/Boogie advertised the "interchangeable power tubes" feature of the Mark III Simul-Class. We told playersthat they could use either EL-34's or 6L6's in the outer (Class A) power sockets. However, in recent years we've observed a muchgreater reliability factor with the use of EL-34's in these outer sockets, with much fewer incidents of tube failure. Therefore, today westrongly recommend using EL-34's in the outer sockets and 6L6's in the inner sockets of your Simul-Class Boogie.
I no longer use my Boogie much because of the weight. But, iirc, I preferred the sound of the 6L6s and I never had a problem with reliability.
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Just bought this amp used yesterday. I don't remember how I found it but sure glad I did.
Mesa is at 50 years this year. This amp is considered a go back to roots kinds thing.
A couple of item;
The amp weights 49 pounds.
The is a head and 2 cabs, 1x12 and 2 x12.
There are 4 Mesa 6v6 power tubes. 5 Preamp tubes. In these regards Mesa supposedly buy from varies vendors then test them to their stands with an emphasis to durability.
CHANNELS One
CONTROLS Gain, treble, mid, bass, presence, master, reverb, multi-watt switch
TUBES Five 12AX7s, one 12AT7, four 6V6s
POWER 40 watts max
EXTRAS Multi-watt switching allows operation at 40, 30, 20, 10 and two watts. All-tube reverb. Buffered, tube-driven series FX loop. Three speaker jacks (1x8?, 2x4?). Normal and low input jacks
SPEAKER Jensen Blackbird Alnico 12
WEIGHT 47 lbs
BUILT USA
KUDOS A straightforward, great sounding and very flexible amplifier. Multi-watt feature is very useful
CONCERNS None
An endless array of power options
Mesa’s Patented Incremental Multi-Watt power amp, featuring Duo-Class and Dyna-Watt technologies, provides five power, two operating-class, and three wiring options. And you can access everything via a single 5-way power switch!
- 40 watts — 4 x 6V6 Class A/B Pentode
- 30 watts — 2 x 6V6 Class A/B Triode + 2x6V6 Class A/B Pentode
- 20 watts — 2 x 6V6 Class A/B Pentode
- 10 watts — 2 x 6V6 Class A/B Triode
- 2 watts — 1 x 6V6 Triode + 1x6V6 Pentode, Single-ended Class A Parallel
Mesa/Boogie California Tweed 6V6 4:40 Combo Features:
- A 6V6-loaded 1x12” combo amp with Tweed-based performance
- Multi-Watt power amp with Duo-Class and Dyna-Watt technologies yields 5 power, 2 operating class, and 3 wiring options
- Normal and Low inputs give you a stylistic choice of voicings
- Boasts a 3-band EQ and Gain, Presence, Reverb, and Master controls
- All-tube, long-tank spring reverb adds dimension to your playing
- Fully buffered, series tube effects loop for integrating your pedals and processors
- Mesa/Boogie - GuitarPlayer.com
- Mesa/Boogie California Tweed Review | Premier Guitar
- Mesa Engineering California Tweed 1x12 Combo review | MusicRadar
- June 2019
- Mesa/Boogie goes back to its roots with California Tweed 6V6 4:40 guitar amp | MusicRadar
- https://www.premierguitar.com/articl...series-6v6-440
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Huge fan of Mesa's products! Randall Smith keeps pushing the envelope (even when it's forging ahead into the past). The California Tweed should give you some nice "Fullerton" sound, and then some!
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Congrats!
Let us know how you like that Mesa. I've seen the ads and videos for it. It sure seems like it will be a cool amp. And it looks cool! I like this version, too....
I'm looking at an invoice for a potential NGD. Just need to talk myself into clicking the PayPal link.
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Honestly my interest in amps has changed over the years. Initially I was interested modeling amps with many choices. Then over the years I have dropped back to very simple amps. Currently, BF Princeton and Deluxe nonreverb models. The 6V6 tone is what I like.
You are absolutely correct as IMHO this amp pushes the envelope but in a direction I could never imagine. That attenuator blows my mind.
Originally Posted by helios
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Congrats Wildcat!
While I like SS amps for both jazz tone and reliability/portability etc,. I still have a place in my heart for tube amps and Fender and Mesa are my brands as well. I get superb jazz tones from my two tube amps. I have:
1964 (Non-Reverb) Fender Princeton with a Fender Branded JBL speaker
1988 Mesa 50 Caliber (early EL-84 version) with stock Mesa branded Celestion speaker
Your new Mesa looks like a gem!
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Another element to this amp is the Jensen Blackbird stays clean at high volumes. This combined with the multiple watt selection pushed me to pull the trigger.
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Mesa Boogie makes excellent amps that are practical for working musicians. I'm sure there are one trick pony amps that may be superiorat that particular tone.But for real world gigging,it's hard to beat Mesa Boogies for a quality tube amp.
Being 62 years old has made me move to lighter Solid State amps ( Quilter Aviator amps ) And although I've been really happy with my Clean Tone, I do miss my Mesa Boogies sometimes.
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Congrats, Wildcat! I bet that will sound great! I'm a longtime Mesa fan. I still miss a Boogie Studio .22 Caliber I sold several years ago.
The California Tweed has really caught my ear too. And yeah, I think you'll like the attenuator. I have one on a Carr Mercury. I'm in a condo...at this point, I couldn't live without it, lol!
I'm really looking forward to your thoughts after you get to know the Cali Tweed, how it compares to your blackfaces and such.
Have fun!
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Sweet amp. Here’s a decent demo with some clean/jazz-influenced sounds:
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Folks just got the amp. Met the UPS guy in the yard as he pulled into the driveway. The immediate first impression, the Jensen Blackbird speaker is/takes this amp to places I have never known. Straitup honest truth. Please keep in mind I have been using the BF Princeton and Deluxe nonreveb as my daily amps. So that is my frame of reference.
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See my recent post. The Jensen Blackbird IMHO makes this amp work at all of the various wattage levels. Also this is my first Mesa amp so my frame of reference is limited. However, the various wattage levels, 5, with 6v6s takes me to nirvana. BTW I bought a Mesa tshirt and zip hoodie. That's a huge commitment on my part. Lol
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Just chiming in - new to the forum but saw the thread and thought I'd throw in my proverbial 2-cents.
I used to own a Mark III "back in the day" - the Mark Series are versatile powerhouses
However, today I played my father's 1966 Gibson Barney Kessel through the Mesa Fillmore 25...NICE!!!
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Nothing but love for Randy Smith and Mesa Boogie. Have owned numerous models from 1975 to just a few years back. If I were younger I'd still be playing them.
Being 62 years of age Quilter Aviator amps are my current amps. Plus pedals have improved so much that overdrive sounds great now.
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Since my earlier post in this thread (over two years ago), I have acquired a third Mesa amp that is working very well for me.
It is a 1988 first generation .50 Caliber. I bought it off a local Craigslist ad as it was advertised for half the price that I see being asked for these amps on Reverb. I was surprised at what a great jazz sound I get with it. A bass player that I gig with from time to time is a good friend of Randy Smith and tells me that Randy is a jazz guitarist. No surprise given what a great jazz tone his earlier amps are capable of.
My .50 caliber weighs 45 pounds and has enough headroom to play a stadium. It is an EL-84 amp with a Mesa branded Celstion speaker. This amp was originally made to bridge the gap between the Studio.22 and their then flagship Mark III. It is a two channel amp (switchable) but only has one set of tone controls that are shared between the two channels, hence rockers who want very different sounds between the two channels did not favor this model. But for a jazzman like myself (who only needs the clean channel), this amp gets superb, glassy, Blackface tube amp tone.
At 62, carrying 45 pounds is about my limit, but for now, this Mesa stays in the arsenal.
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I played a Mark III Red Stripe for years. Standards jazz and rock.
It sounded great for everything, once it was dialed in properly.
I once had a guitarist come out of the audience and offer to buy my entire rig right there.
But there are two negatives. One is weight. The other is the way the controls interact. Want a little more treble? You may have to adjust every knob on the amp. Once you get it dialed in, though, it will sound terrific.
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Those "wicker basket" Boogies have gotta be on the Top 5 Coolest looking amps on the planet" list.
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The Express 5:25 will get a nice jazz approved clean sound while remaing sufficiently portable. Most Mesas fail at that latter part
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I friend of mine has the 6L6 + version. Great amp. The controls are tricky and interactive (gain as well as tone controls). I play a lot in rehearsal studios and so I wind up encountering a lot of different amps, including a lot of different. In that setting (clock is running, and I don't want to waste time finding a sound), the complicated controls on most of them tend to stump me.
John
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