Mesa/Boogie cleans...

[musicbox]

I've been considering selling my blue angel for awhile, but now i've found a buyer and I'm starting to wonder... My only concern is, will the next amp I get compare in cleans? The powramp distortino can be reproduced by 6v6's in another amp, but will a heartbreaker even touch the cleans of the blue angel? I need something will enough versititliy to do some heavier chunky-er punk and metal, but still pull off the jazzy bluesy cleans...which I play 80% of the time. Any help?

The thing that has me with the heatbreaker is the versatitily. I can run 4 6l6, or 4 el34, or 4 6v6, or two of any of the above. Plus there is the negative feedback switch like on the nomad 45, plus a variac switch like the dual rec, plus a recitifer select like the dual rec... I can run between 20 and 100 watts and everythign in between...

 

[fdesalvo]

I may be of no help as my M/B experience is limited, but I can vouch for the DC series. The clean is just beautiful and very fender-like (I know, I've cloned many of 'em). And the lead channel is just about untouchable in terms of thick, saturated, and articulate gain. But! Speaker choices will make or break any amp's tone!

DC-3s run 6BQ5s and with some nice alnico speakers- or even GT-75s (!) they are the dog's danglies with cleans! Nice and chimey with a bit of sizzle when pushed!

Personally, I like big fat cleans with no power-amp clipping- ala Twin Reverb, so my DC-10 is the ticket for me. It's got HUGE, spacious, and richly textured cleans with a neat MV, to boot! She's got tons of syrupy jazz and blues tones waiting on the clean side.

 

[Dann'sTheMan]

Randall Smith had this to say about the Mesa F-50:

“What excites me about the F-50 is the way it sounds. It may be simple, and we’ve tried to make it affordable, but there’s been no compromise on the performance. Many players, including some jaded ‘vintage only’ guys, have raved about the clean sound, calling it the best ever from Boogie and saying it gives their precious old amps a run. I like the low-end breath with that morphing harmonic complexity I described earlier. Doug (West, resident Boogie tonemeister) can make a musically satisfying event out of plucking a single note. But it also rocks hard, especially in Channel 2 with contour. It’s a little more mainstream than a Rectifier, a little less aggressive, but not a lot. After all, we already make the Rectifiers for players who want total sonic annihilation, including the Single Rec. So, if that’s what you’re looking for, it’s available. This is more rock and hard rock rather than overthe- top Recto. The other cool thing is that Channel 2 without contour really plays the blues in a way that just wasn’t possible with either the Caliber or the Subway amps. Here, in the F-Series, the rotary tone control circuit is different from either of those and has the further refinement of switching the treble frequency between contour and straight – just to provide some bluesy treble sting.”

Big smiles,

Andy.

P.S. Full interview here: http://www.mesaboogie.com/Reviews/guitarist-F-50/Designing_f-50.htm

 

[dylan7620]

IMO the F-50s cleans are great. its no blue angel. sorry man, that blue angel has THE best cleans i've ever heard out of any amp. i dunno what it is... even with those old tubes that were in it. if you want a 2nd channel you are going to have to compromise on the cleans. NOTE: i only say compromise because you've now been spoiled by the blue angel. :lol: i absolutly love the cleans on the nomad 45 you traded me... but its not quite as transparent and i really needed the extra channels.

 

[musicbox]

i think you're right dylan. the thing is, a dc30 will play clean, but i can't dig the distortion, and it would never have the headroom! then again, a dc10 would be too clean and id never get decent distortion, plus i cant run 6v6! the f series do have DECENT cleans, but compared to the angel they are stale and the high gain sounds are unusable to me...i need something thatll do low wattage cleany breakup, but also high wattage headroom like a twin. plus i love 6v6 and the option to use el34 is pretty much a must...so i guess its a heartbreaker or a mark iv.

 

[dylan7620]

there was a heartbreaker at the same place i picked up the BA. very cool looking amp, i didnt get a chance to try it out i really wish i had. nothing has that pure class A breakup like the angel. if SRV played a mesa... that would be it.