Re: What is a Boogie Amp?

Jim <askme@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

Squier wrote:

Jim <askme@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:


Lupe Esquibel wrote:


ALSO what brand do they come in, how powerful and how heavy and how
expensive are they and how many Channels are they? el pintada kid


http://community.webtv.net/PintadaKid/THELONGWALK
I COMPLAINED BECAUSE I HAD NO SHOES UNTIL I MET A MAN WHO HAD NO FEET.
EL PINTADA KID ..... LUPE


Read this: http://www.mesaboogie.com/US/Smith/our_story.html

Mesa Boogie is an excellent manufacturer of higher gain amps. They
started out as hot rodded Fenders. The story (legend?) is that when
Carlos Santana played an early modified Fender, he said "Man, that amp
can really boogie!" And so the name was born.

There are several models. If you listen to any "nu-metal," chances are
very high that it's being played on a Rectifier Series, usually a Dual
Rectifier. But they also make other GREAT amps a range of different tones.

I own a Mesa Boogie Mark III "blue stripe" 60W combo with reverb and EQ
and a 90W Celestion speaker. It does a nice clean, not quite up to my
Super Reverb, but very decent. It does a nice mid gain tone, but not
quite up to my Marshall JMP 2204. But I bought it for its high gain
tones. Not bottom chunky like the Rectifier (unless I boost low EQ),
it's more clear and articulate.

The Mark III combo is a SMALL 1x12. They also make a 60/100W version
that comes with an EV speaker, but I like the Celestion and I have never
missed the extra 40W. They are dynamite in a small package!

Because they are well built and powerful, they are not light. They are
not cheap. Mine has three channels. Several models are much more
complicated than your average amp. It takes time to dial in a Mark III.
A novice can make is sound like crap in a heartbeat. There are
several push/pull options, you need to dial in gain levels if you plan
to use all three channels, and then there's an EQ! So it's easy to make
sound bad, but sounds great when you dial it in.



Just a side note about the Mesa/Boogie Mark III -
personally I have found that the Mark III's with the graphic EQ
(and with the graphic EQ engaged) tend to sound very hi-fi and processed
(or at least that is what people wind up making it sound like)
Which to some is a good thing.

But I really like the Mark III's without
the graphic EQ and just the regular tone controls. Sounds a bit more raw
and like old skool rock n roll tube amp should sound (to my ears).

In my experienced opinion, the EQ is a MUST HAVE on the Mark series. It
has a switch that allows it to be locked out (I rarely use that), or
activated ONLY for the lead tone (I usually use that), or on for all
three gain levels. It also works by footswitch (which I have, and often
use).

I've said it before, and I'll say it again. The Mesa Mark series are
amps that are easy to make sound like crap. You may call that
"processed." But once you dial them in, they sound great. ...and the
EQ is an essential part of my dialing the amp in (to my tastes). After
dialing in, I can switch the EQ off for an A/B. Without the EQ, it is
far to mids happy in the lead mode. I want a neutral sounding clean, a
smooth rhythm, but a lead tone that really cuts through with added
punch. If I want a mids happy tone, I use my Marshall JMP 2204.


I really like the Mark III's without all the simulclass nonsense
with just the 2 6L6 tubes (what was Randall thinking with the addition
of EL34's in the simulclass ? Like it was going to be a Marshall ? wtf?)

That's the one I own, blue stripe version. Currently running Mullard
preamp and Sylvania 6L6GC (the ones they designed the amp with).

and without the graphic EQ.

To me these get the Fender on steroids sound
without all the hi--fi processed sound and without the EL34 mid pushed nonsense.

I am in the camp that says less is more and Randall Smith should have
left them this way - raw and gritty with a nice enough clean (R1) to
do any sort of blues or classic rock with just a little inherent dirt.

Ah well - I think any of the older Mark series are great amps
but (to me) the real underappreciated gem(s) are the Mark III's
without the graphic EQ, without the 'simulclass' crap and without reverb.

See, I really like the reverb in the Mesa. One cool feature that I
appreciate is when using a footswitch, you can dial in a wet reverb for
clean. Hit the footswitch, there's still just a touch of reverb for
lead tones. If you want nothing, you dial down the depth knob.


Straight up rock n roll amps (combos and heads) that are tone monsters
and fortunately got out the door before Randall decided he needed to
get a more refined and smoother and processed sound in the next iterations.

ok - that's my take on it.




well we differ in some ways - but one thing is sure -
the Mesa Mark series are really nice amps. good stuff.
I don't find the mids too heavy but then again I am playing
through with a Telecaster and Strat so they are naturally bright
sounding. Maybe I would change my mind on the graphic EQ thing
if I was playing with Gibson SG or LP. But no need for the EQ thing
with what I'm playing (also - the Eminence Swamp Thang speakers I use
are not mid heavy either). Perhaps using some Celestion V30 would
also create a mid heavy thing in the Lead channel.

I'm not a reverb user (in the minority around here) but instead
like a little delay (boss pedal). So the lack of reverb isn't
an issue. (if I lived and died by reverb sound then yeah - onboard
tank reverb would be desirable over using a pedal for reverb)

Hey - at the very least the main thing is that maybe people will
take a look at some used Mesa mark series amps that might never
have thought about it. They might be pleasantly surprised at how
good they can sound. Always good to hear from another mesa user.

You want the extra options - I'll take mine straight up.
it's all good. ok.
.

Relevant Pages

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    ... I own a Mesa Boogie Mark III "blue stripe" 60W combo with reverb and EQ and a 90W Celestion speaker. ... Several models are much more complicated than your average amp. ... So it's easy to make sound bad, but sounds great when you dial it in. ...
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  • Re: What is a Boogie Amp?
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