Love affair with Boogie is over

[Mellowtronic]

Ladies and gents,

I tried, I played, I rocked with both a Nomad, and a Mark III and have finally unloaded both. They both had their great sounds,but just not for me I suppose. The Nomad, while with great clean, and great rhythm channel, was lacking in it's lead channels cut ability. It would drown in the mix. The Mark III had a decent clean and a decent lead channel, but a garbage R2(pretty useless actually, with all the woof). To top it all off, it felt dated, like it was made to be stuck in 1986. I know I love to hear the Mesa Boogie sound, I just don't know what else I might like.

Maybe I need a more modern/smooth sound, but dual recs are surely not my thing.

I played an Orange Rockerverb yesterday and was blown away.

Any other suggestions before I leave the family behind?


C

 

[Alivefor5]

Too bad.

What style music do you play, how loud do you play and what instruments are you using?

 

[PMcC]

out of boredom I keep trying other amps, brands, other Boogies etc,..then whenever I plug into my 2C+, I'm reminded how killer it is...then realize, I'm just bored,.. lol

Buy one,...your search will be done and in a year your 2C+ will be worth more than you pay while anything else you buy will be worth much less...

PMcC

 

[Mellowtronic]

I play indie/electronic rock. Influenced by a good deal of new wave(cure, joy divison, depeche mode etc etc.) One or two guitars, bass, drums, and synths. Vocals of course.
A decent amount of effects are used.

Would a Mark IV be a suitable solution? I was kind of looking for a simpler amp, but the mark IV yikes!

 

[PMcC]

I've been playing Boogs for many years, I got my first in like 78,.. I think ?
It seems people love them or hate them. One thing I try to tell friends who "try" one, is. You can't approach them like you would most amps.

i.e Fender or Marshall, you'd put the tone controls anywhere from 6-10 for all 3 controls, same with presence.....and they amp works fine. Doing this with a Boogie will give you an awful sound. So; they really do need a different approach, I think this is where Boogies loose many guys.

A few years ago I bought a MK 1 RI and a MK IV, and had my 2C+. I eventually realized even though the 1&4 are great amps. The 2C+ had everything I needed. I sold the others.
It is simple in it's approach and sounds fantastic no matter what you play, I play jazz to metal.

Buy once, cry once.. get it done and get a 2C+, you won't be sorry, as I said. It will certainly go up in value.

PMcC

 

[Mellowtronic]

I hear you on the tweaking of Boogs. I tweaked my Nomad for two months before I was even ready to hit a stage. I'm just convinced the tone I need isn't in there. Who knows. Maybe it is, I'm just not ready to keep tweaking. So I unloaded it. Maybe what I need is all in an MKII C+, I'm just having trouble believing it. There must be some reason they're so hard to come by, and so dam expensive eh?


C

 

[PMcC]

You have a Mark, IMO, they are Great amps. Take a breather and have a view of the sample settings some of the cats have posted here,
(sorry I don't have the link)

I'd suggest two things, 1, forget Rythmn 2 mode for now,. just get your clean and gain sounds, Bass and Mid between 2-4 each, treble 7-9 depending on axe, should sound like a good solid start. Go from there. but see below.....


2, turn the EQ off at first,..I have no EQ on my 2C+, never missed it, (I hate the scooped mid metal sound) tinsel tone. Cool for guys into that,. just not me, that's really where the EQ comes in handy. It's not NEEDED.

It could be your tubes are beat if this really sounds that bad,... it shouldn't.

have fun,,

 

[Mellowtronic]

Duly noted!

 

[madryan]

No shame going to a Rockerverb. They slay the Stiletto IMO. Try a DC-5 or DC-10. They're easier to dial in than most boogies and they just sound great for everything from pristine cleans to fairly heavy rock. The Footswitchable EQ is a great feature with the DC's as well as other mesa stuff.

 

[rvschulz]

i never played a Nomad ... just never saw when around to test when i look for amps, so i can;t form an opinion on those. however, the guy on the the tonight show plays one and he has a nice tone - it just might not be your tone.

the mark iii on the other hand ... i have swapped a few tubes back and forth. i found a certain combination that reduced some of the R2 "woof" - more clarity, but i still have a nice R1 and the lead can scream. i have revied a lot of settings and really play right on the "suggested" settings.

there is a reason i also have a LSC ... for those situations where i want a "completely different" tone in separate channels. without a "lot" of pedals.

all that being said ... plenty of good amps out there without the Boogie logo. good luck.

 

[Koreth]

FWIW, I discovered that when playing in a band, I had to turn the mids on my Nomad much higher than what I'd grown used to, up to 1 or 2 o'clock, or I would drown in the mix. By itself, having the mids that high sounds kinda harsh, but with drums or another amp going it sounds just right. What were your mids set with the priror two amps?

 

[babow2]

Hi,
I have played Boogies exclusively since 1981- MarkII, MarkIV, Nomad, Rectoverb, Roadking, Lonestar, Heartbreaker. The Nomad never did cut it, like you said. Agreed that it just isn't nearly the quality of most other amps, especially the Mark and Rectos as well as the more recent offerings.

Playing Indie, if you don't need a lot of high gain, you might try the Lonestar. Gorgeous cleans and nice OD, but not singing high gain, either mark or recto, in the Classic. The special has more bite to it, but it doesn't have as much clean headroom, so getting a pristine clean at higher volume is a challenge.

I've played so many Mesas (living in Petaluma), and the one I still stick with is the Heartbreaker. Very versatile for a 2ch amp, with a very good Mark channel (both clean and lead) in the Love channel, and with a little tweaking, some great Brit type tones in the Lust channel. I had a JCM mod done on the Lust channel, and it screams. These are highly "under-appreciated", but worth a listen.

 

[Tuna141]

I messed around with a friend's Nomad for a couple days and did not like it. The clean was pretty good, but I could not get into the lead channel at all.

I'm surprised that you couldn't find your tone in the Mark III. These are great amps. Running EL34's in the Class A may have helped the lead cut through more. The EQ with some of the higher frequency sliders set on the high side and the bass low should have really allowed the lead to cut through the mix.

If you didn't like the Mark III, then I don't think you'll like the Mark IV, as they are voiced similar (Mark III is a little more aggressive/in your face than the IV). Of all the Boogie amps I have played, I've found a Mark IIC (not the + version) cuts through the mix the most - almost too much at times.

Another choice for you may be a Vox AC30.IMO, those are great amps for Indie Rock.

 

[Lesgoldy]

I've had a MKIII since 1988. The amp keeps growing on me. Still to this day I am not 100% satisfied with the amp. So, I 've had several other quality amps since 1988. And currently I own a Suhr Badger that kicks major butt. But in the end I always go back to the MKIII.

I happen to like the sound I get from R2 on the MKIII as well. Of all the amps I've had, I get more tone compliments when I use the MKIII.

As a matter of fact, as much as I love my Badger right now, I don't get near as many compliments as when I crank up the old "red stripe". The whole reason I bought the Badger is because the MKIII has some issues when I'm in a situation where I need to control the volume, because the way I set it up,... it is LOUD!

I probably should get a C+ myself, but I'm going to wait until I get a chance to play through one first, to make sure it is not just a bunch of hype.

 

[Mellowtronic]

You've all said some interesting things here. Who knows, maybe some time away, and a retube and I'll find what I need. Who knows, maybe I'll get the Rockerverb, fall in love, and still need the MKIII. Only time will tell.

 

[lyman]

also think about the fact how many more pros actually use fenders and marshalls vs. boogies. drink and play, not tweak settings, pray and play.
.

sure but there's a confounding variable: fender and marshall have been around considerably longer and make many, many more amps per year than boogie ever could. of course they're going to be more widely used.

 

[Lesgoldy]

also think about the fact how many more pros actually use fenders and marshalls vs. boogies. drink and play, not tweak settings, pray and play.

I remember seeing George Lynch play with what appeared to be a wall of Marshalls. I got backstage and saw a whole bunch of Soldano amps. The Marshalls heads were actually gutted and were on stage purely for looks,... actually endorsement money!!

So you can't always believe what you see.

 

[Mellowtronic]

Interesting. Marshall or Mark V. What your post highlights is an attitude I find among some Boogie maniacs who refuse to admit the short comings of their amps. R2 blows. Let's be honest.
You are the first person to suggest a Mark V.

On the Marshall tip, I agree, all it takes is a few knobs twiddles and you're off and running. Mostly because the knobs don't do much! ha!

 

[dmcguitar]

What about the Elctro Dyne, or Mark 5... the 5 should have all the old sounds.. and might appeal.. and unfortunatly there is no audio on the ED, but Its a simple layout with 3 "tones" maybe thats what you want...

What do you mean by wanting a more modern tone?
Framus /ENGL make a hot rodded marshall sound (thats modern)

Most modern bands are playing Rectos or 5150s , but thats modern hard rock / metal... i havent a clue how to get a new wave tone...

 

[madryan]

also think about the fact how many more pros actually use fenders and marshalls vs. boogies. drink and play, not tweak settings, pray and play.

I remember seeing George Lynch play with what appeared to be a wall of Marshalls. I got backstage and saw a whole bunch of Soldano amps. The Marshalls heads were actually gutted and were on stage purely for looks,... actually endorsement money!!

So you can't always believe what you see.

I like watching my Led Zep dvd. They didn't have soldano or any other "modern" b.s. back then.

did jimmy page ever use a mesa?

No, he uses Orange's currently.