Mesa Blue Angel and the ongoing mojo module debacle

[andythomas]

Hey guys

I'm looking for someone to give me a magic diagnosis... I know how excited amp techs get when someone says "Mesa."

My Blue Angel stopped working the other day - almost no volume - so I figured she must be due a re-tube.

I took it in to my amp tech (who's fantastic), and he said the tubes were testing fine and he'd tracked the issue to the Mojo Module, but that's a tricky repair because Mesa (in their infinite wisdom) gunk it up. Presumably for extra mojo.

After reading whatever I could find online, it seemed the Mojo Module is just an output buffer for the Effects Loop - a graphic eq set flat. And I don't use the effects loop. Soooo...

I told my tech to bypass it, which he did. When I got the amp home, it sounded awful - as if I'd rolled all my tone off - even plugged straight in (no pedalboard).

Apparently, it SHOULD sound great without the mojo module.

Does anyone have any light to shed on this?

 

[Authorized Boogie]

Hey guys

I'm looking for someone to give me a magic diagnosis... I know how excited amp techs get when someone says "Mesa."

My Blue Angel stopped working the other day - almost no volume - so I figured she must be due a re-tube.

I took it in to my amp tech (who's fantastic), and he said the tubes were testing fine and he'd tracked the issue to the Mojo Module, but that's a tricky repair because Mesa (in their infinite wisdom) gunk it up. Presumably for extra mojo.

After reading whatever I could find online, it seemed the Mojo Module is just an output buffer for the Effects Loop - a graphic eq set flat. And I don't use the effects loop. Soooo...

I told my tech to bypass it, which he did. When I got the amp home, it sounded awful - as if I'd rolled all my tone off - even plugged straight in (no pedalboard).

Apparently, it SHOULD sound great without the mojo module.

Does anyone have any light to shed on this?

Give our service manager a call for a repair here, or take it to an Authorized Mesa tech...it should sound great with the module bypassed, so thats probably not the issue. We can install a new module as well, if that interests you. Thanks!

 

[andythomas]

Thanks for the reply!

I live in New Zealand, so there's nowhere really to take it practically.
I've emailed Mesa, asking to purchase a replacement mojo module, and my tech can install it - I'd like my amp to sound the way it did before if possible!

Just waiting to hear back from Mesa...

 

[Authorized Boogie]

Thanks for the reply!

I live in New Zealand, so there's nowhere really to take it practically.
I've emailed Mesa, asking to purchase a replacement mojo module, and my tech can install it - I'd like my amp to sound the way it did before if possible!

Just waiting to hear back from Mesa...

OK! Have your distributor (Rockshop NZ) order that for you...no problem!

 

[Analog Kid]

I sent my Angel to the Monsta in Maui and he put a switch to bypass or engage the mojo- sounds great both ways- must be something else.

 

[green_henry]

I sent my Angel to the Monsta in Maui and he put a switch to bypass or engage the mojo- sounds great both ways- must be something else.

That sounds like an interesting mod. How would you describe the tone difference?

 

[Analog Kid]

I don't know if my description will help, but I would say without Mojo the sound is a little more open, and when you flip the switch it's a little more gnarly. If I had to choose one option I'd leave the Mojo on.

 

[andythomas]

I sent my Angel to the Monsta in Maui and he put a switch to bypass or engage the mojo- sounds great both ways- must be something else.

Did your guy bypass the effects loop as well, or just the Mojo Module?

My guy swears that's all he's done, and I've lost all my tops - I have to crank the treble, and lose almost all my bass just to get a useable tone.

 

[Analog Kid]

Um, no... it all works. There just has to be another problem with your amp- the Blue Angel has always been the sweetest, most immediately satisfying boogie in my collection. I do hope you can fix it.
Andy Turner, aka Monsta-tone, did my mod. He is in Hawaii, but sending him just the chassis wasn't too very expensive. I'm not sure if he still has time to tinker with amps, but you never know. His mod on my Heartbreaker was great.

 

[JimAnsell]

i had a blue angel that needed the mojo module replaced. this was probably 8 years ago, so my memory is a bit fuzzy, but Mike B said it functions as a sort of built in compressor.