1-12" Maple Wicker Combo. In1 / In2 / Vol1 / Vol2 / Trb / Mas / Bas / Mid / Pres / Lmt / 5Graph / Haf-Ful / Stndby / Pwr. "Simulclass" logo & patent #s painted over. 1/2-fullpower switch instead. Huge magnet on speaker, no obvious brand. 2 fans. Reverb. 6-way voltage converter. Mic input. Mysterious switches w/abbreviated labels, that I'm scared to touch! "Son Of Boogie" back panel centered on top of the original back panel, lots of width on each side of it, seemingly to allow drilling custom inputs. Weighs 80 lbs. Front panel alone seems unusual,(8 knobs), since I can't find a photo of another one like it. Rumor is the 1st owner was in a Chicago band that had 'Mojo' in the name, and had another Mesa just like this one. What have I got here???
What Is My Frankenstein Mesa?
- Thread starter MarkL
- Start date
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RectoStudioGuy
Well-known member
Pics?
RR
Well-known member
Its a MESA SOB. If you are not into hi-gain saturated MESA tone, but rather a Fender with some overdrive this is an excellent amp.
Google MESA SOB. Plenty of information.
Google MESA SOB. Plenty of information.
Skyless7620
Well-known member
A SOB with an export tranny? cool!
(I'm trying to get some clear pics.) It's way wider than any SOBs I've seen. It has Presence AND Limiter to fill the added width. (Reverb controls are on the back.) SOB wouldn't explain the scratching out of the "simulclass" & patent #s. In any case, it looks nothing like any SOB I can find.
>Photi G<
Well-known member
Maybe a Series 300 prototype? :?:
Can't be 300: 4/6L6s, not 300's power. 1/Was there a pre-'91, single-12", 22.5" combo w/Presence & Limiter on front? I can't find one. 2/A Simul-Class frame w/an SOB plate is so wrong. Is there an SOB orphan out there w/no serial#, or is this a Simul-Class frame that -never was- Simul-Class, w/an SOB plate that belongs right where it is? Weird either way. I'm told Mesa never installs 2 fans, so that's one question answered.
RR
Well-known member
well we do know its large chassis Mark series (22.5"). Single 1-12" is strange since usually or rather never heard of a large chassis combo with 1-12" Usually they come with 1-15".
the control layouts you mentioned above possible could be Mark I, SOB or a Caliber Series. Mark II has an extra volume control (vol. R, vol L, vol master L, master I think. [don't have my Mark II in front of me])
Do you know if the Simul-Class is active or just emblem writing on the control plate?
When you say Frankenstein Mesa? you ain't kidding. Best is to send an image to MESA and see if they have an explanation. Then again, don't know how fast they respond to e-mail.
Post pictures. That is a curious MESA. How does it sound?
the control layouts you mentioned above possible could be Mark I, SOB or a Caliber Series. Mark II has an extra volume control (vol. R, vol L, vol master L, master I think. [don't have my Mark II in front of me])
Do you know if the Simul-Class is active or just emblem writing on the control plate?
When you say Frankenstein Mesa? you ain't kidding. Best is to send an image to MESA and see if they have an explanation. Then again, don't know how fast they respond to e-mail.
Post pictures. That is a curious MESA. How does it sound?
(I didn't account for Chicago-Petaluma time difference & called Mesa too late Fri. Had to wait until now for a response): Mesa tells me it's not all that weird for an SOB to be wide-bodied, have presence & limiter on the front panel, & be built on a simul-class stamped chassis. The guy I spoke with gave me the impression Mesa was bordering on being custom shop at the time, & anything could happen. So there we have it: It's an SOB after all. I've never seen one like it, but so what? All the crazy after-market stuff doesn't require explanation..it's crazy after-market stuff.
Reprise: No,it's not Simul-Class, nor does it appear to have ever been ...just the stamp on the left-side-back of the chassis, (which is one of things that threw me off course). It sounds like a steroided Fender: Instead getting irritating the way many Black-Face Twin Reverbs will at some point, the tone just keeps warming up more, almost Tweed-like, but with no mush. Nothing like what I'm hearing from newer Mesas..not suitable for any rock harder than mid-period Stones.
RR
Well-known member
Cool!MarkL said:
Yup, this might rub MESA owners with the newer amps wrong but I lost interest with MESA after Mark II. They were going in the hi-saturated gain tone direction. I don't blame them, that's where the market was going.
That's why I like the Mark Is, IIs, Calibers, SOBs. (As well as Blue Angels, Mavericks, Heartbreakers, Lonestar Classics, Specials)
Then I do like the extreme side of MESA Engineering the Dual Rectifiers.
tony777
Well-known member
His amp has to be a Mesia........the chinese copy.
pics...hint hint hint.....
pics...hint hint hint.....
>Photi G<
Well-known member
Pics or it's not real!
As I read over it again, it seems more and more like a copy.
As I read over it again, it seems more and more like a copy.
