2. Fine Musical instruMents Built upon HigH perForMance tuBe tecHnology
d d
Passionately Designed and, as Ever, Hand Made in California
3. Contents
The Spirit of Art in Technology ™ 4 Rectifier® Guitar Cabinets 51
Mesa Pioneering Innovations 10 Roadster™ Guitar Cabinets 52
The Front Line Family 12 Road King™ Guitar Cabinets 53
Cooking with the Right Ingredients 14 Mesa/Boogie Artists Onstage 54
Guitar Amplification Bass Amplification 60
The Road King™ Series II 16 M-Pulse 600™ 62
The Roadster™ 20 Big Block 750™ 64
Triple and Dual Rectifier® Solo Heads 24 Big Block Titan V-12™ 66
Rectifier® Solo 50 and Recto-Verb® 26 M-Pulse Venture 600™ Combo 68
Stiletto® Deuce™ Trident™ – Stage II Designs 28 M-Pulse Walkabout™ and Walkabout Scout™ 70
The Stiletto® Ace™ 30 The Bass 400+™ 72
The Lone Star® 32 Bass Cabinetry 74
The Lone Star® Special 34 PowerHouse™ Vintage PowerHouse™ Cabinets 76
The Express™ Amplifiers 36 RoadReady™ Cabinets 78
Mark IV Amplifiers 38 Scout Bass Radiator™ Cabinets 79
The Mark I Amplifiers 40 Mesa Bass Artists 80
Triaxis™ All-Tube Preamplifier 42 Custom Options, Reviews and More
Rectifier® Recording Preamp 44 Mesa/Boogie Custom Options 82
Stereo Power Amplifiers 46 Magazine Reviews 84
Guitar Cabinetry Mesa/Boogie Vacuum Tubes 88
Compact 3/4 Back™ Cabinets 48 Mesa Tube Reference Guide 90
Lone Star® Guitar Cabinets 49 Mesa Product Specifications 91
Stiletto® Guitar Cabinets 50 Trademarks 92
4. ®
™
“Visitors to our shop always ask how I got clarinet in the Oakland and the magic that
Randall Smith, started. I’ve been asked so many times, the guys Symphony so there filled the house
Designer President told me to write it down. So here it is:” was a lot of music whenever he played.
Music is in my blood. in the house, live
music. My sister
Years later, my
mother even said,
Guitarists …We’re Lucky! And building vacuum tube
For our craft we have a pioneer of possibilities was five years older “He wooed me with
working every single day to invent tools that elevate
our art form. For 24 years I have had the privilege of
amplifiers has become than me and a good
piano student so I
his tone” remarking
on how they met
working alongside a mad-scientist that is more than my personal art. remember hearing and fell in love.
a little responsible for the rise of guitar to its current
spot in music. Randall Smith has an ear for tone, a
My earliest memories are musical. I can her practice all the When my father
passion for tube technology, a vision for building high still remember lying in my crib and hearing Beethoven, Mozart began teaching me
performance amps and an unwavering devotion to my dad play his tenor sax. He had a hotel and Chopin piano clarinet —which he
redefining what we think of as amplified guitar. dance band and a radio show for a couple sonatas. Those great insisted came before
Every day I am amazed at the energy, persever- of years after the War. He was also first chair melodies and harmonies sax or flute, he had me
ance and commitment Randy still has after 37 years
affected my mood play one note for days
of well-earned success. While most would be basking
in the light of past achievements, Randy is cutting as some pieces until I had pretty well mas-
tape and breathing solder in search of the next magic were haunting and My Dad weaving his tonal magic in tered it before he’d show me
his Forties Dance Band.
sound. At shows I watch others sign autographs, others sunny and the next one. What he was
while he is at home signing off on board revisions so uplifting. I think my really teaching was how to hear
he could make sure customers get the latest improve- brain was processing music long tone, listening to all the separate elements and
ments. I’m bewildered by competitors winning awards
in print for re-issuing mediocre versions of their own
before words began to make bringing them together to
products from yesteryear, while Randy is inventing sense! My first experience with make a musical sound.
ways to footswitch power sections! I guess it’s the the mystical quality of musical Of course that’s vital
way that those who truly contribute, are too busy instruments included the funky now when voicing an
doing what they do, to be out there getting credit for smell of my dad’s open sax case amplifier.
their work.
For inventing High Gain, Channel Switching and
the many revolutionary features (see page 10) we
now take for granted as commonplace, Randy should
be thanked. But for all his many contributions, none
more than this…listening to us guitarists!
(Continued on Page 6) Princeton Boogie ®
130 Bass 130 Lead Heads
1969 1971
First high-power, 1x12 combo. First Mesa bass and Boogie
The pioneering wolf in sheep’s clothing guitar amps that were built entirely
Doug West (AKA “Tone Boy”) that started it all. from scratch.
...testing a “proto” out in the real world
5. Around the time Leo built his first amps, a my carvings over, I started worrying as soon carving things, learning how to handle and
Canadian guy named Ernie, who worked for as the guy opened the door. He was a Marine sharpen his tools and how to work in a seri-
my father, introduced me to tubes. That was Combat veteran and looked like Clint ous shop with a real craftsman. At that time
the era, way before stereo, when hi-fi was a Eastwood on a bad day …tough as nails. I he was building a control console for the
new concept and something you had to build handed him my carvings and he gave me Nautilus, the first nuclear submarine. Right
yourself. He had a studio quality turntable this look. He said, “Follow me.” We crossed in his garage shop. That’s how heavy he was.
with a futuristic tone arm all mounted to a his shop floor. “This is a band saw,” he said, Anyway, the things he built just floored me,
slab of exotic hardwood, and supported by turning it on. Then he stacked my three carv- they were so cool. They exuded artistry, far
four old beer cans …Hamms, as I recall. He ings in a pile, and ran them through –first beyond their primary, functional purpose and
gave me some of his older pieces, hand-built one way, then the other. He looked right inspired me to want to do the same. From
on the kitchen table, which I experimented at me as he tossed the pieces into the trash. then on his son and I spent all our time in
with until I was 11 or 1. “That’s what I think of your projects. And the old man’s shop, learning to hand-build
Then, at this impressionable age, I met that’s what I think of you.” amplifiers, transmitters and modulators from
Stan Stillson, a guy whose business was build- See, his theory was that when a person scratch. All using vacuum tubes.
ing industrial control systems in his garage makes something, he is leaving behind an A few years later my interests turned to
shop. (His father had invented the Stillson artifact that records his values at that time. cars, girls and rock ‘n roll and by mid-Sixties,
wrench.) His son Dave, a little older than He knew I hadn’t put much effort into the I was playing drums in a band while going to
me, was into building hi-fi and ham radio carvings and he wasn’t about to offer any false university in Berkeley. One night on a gig, my
gear as a hobby. I originally went to his father praise to “build up my self-esteem”. No, they friend Dave Kessner’s Sunn 00 amp went up
as part of a Boy Scout merit weren’t very good in smoke. Next day, I offered to fix it for him
badge, which I thought would and I was busted. because we didn’t have two nickels between us.
be real easy. Was I ever wrong! But, severely hum- He looked real worried but finally consented
The requirement for the bled, I hung around. when I assured him I ‘would do no harm’.
badge seemed simple: Carve It seems like I was in Anyway, with the experience from Stan’s
Three Items. Well, when I took his shop for weeks, shop, the burned-up amp was pretty easy
Snakeskin Mark I Boogie ®
Mark II-A
1972 1980
The first cascading preamp and the transi- First modern, channel-switching amplifier with
tional link that offered vintage and modern separate Rhythm and high-gain Lead modes. The
high-gain performance. Still built today! foundation of modern guitar amps.
6. ®
™
Along the way sounds we take for granted as clas- to fix. A day later, Kessner suggested we open a famous -10 Tweed Bassman circuit. After care- including the Fillmore and Winterland …all of
sics, grew from the iconic circuits Randy was creating. music store together. “What do we know about ful measurement, I cut out the speaker board them built up a dirt path in a mountain shack
From the singing Mark I voice of Carlos Santana and running a music store?” I asked. He said, “I’ll and squeaked in a twelve-inch JBL D-10, the I had converted from an old dog kennel.
Larry Carlton in the ‘70s. To the Mark II B and C sounds
of the STONES and METALLICA in the ‘80s. Through the
run the front and you can fix stuff in the back.” hot speaker back then. When I finished build- So…what’s MESA? The Bay Area was run-
crushing Recto sounds of SOUNDGARDEN and LIMP …which turned out to be the meat locker of an ing it, I took it out to the front of the store to ning out of Princetons to modify and I needed
BIZKIT in the ‘90s. Up to today’s thick wall of gain used old Chinese grocery store. He was right about get a good play test and who do you think hap- to augment my paltry income from the music
by the FOO FIGHTERS and LINKIN’ PARK. Over the last the demand: everyone was playing in bands pened to be hanging out right store so I moonlighted a couple other gigs. One
three decades, the records of importance in rock n’ roll in the SF Bay Area back then. I felt a huge then? Carlos Santana. He was jacking up several of the old country hous-
have both featured and closely followed the release of responsibility to do things right because in no just wailed through that lit- es in West Marin, digging footings and pouring
the pioneering circuits that made these guitar sounds
possible. time our customers at Prune Music included tle amp until people were concrete foundations underneath, starting with
Hopefully this catalog will give you an inside view the heavies of the SF scene: Big Brother, the blocking the sidewalk. my own. That old house was so near falling
of an amazing talent and of a devotion to our art form Grateful Dead, Jefferson Airplane, The Sons, When he stopped play- down that one end was 18 inches lower than
that is truly remarkable. Here’s a musician that doesn’t Quicksilver, Santana, Steve Miller and hun- ing he turned and said, the other!
even get to enjoy first hand, the world of tone he cre- dreds more you’ve never heard of. “Shit man. That little My other gig was rebuilding old
ates (Randy plays many instruments, but not guitar)
and yet he puts this quest for new guitar sounds above
Around 199 we wanted to play a prank on thing really Boogies!” Mercedes-Benz engines in a two-
all else. Barry Melton of Country Joe and the Fish. So Word spread fast and story garage/studio I had built with
So if you play guitar and haven’t yet experienced I took his little Fender Princeton amp which, before long there wood trucked down directly from
the magic that happens when you plug in to an amp stock, puts out about twelve watts and has a were over a hundred the saw mills. (The truck was so
that is an instrument…get it together! You wouldn’t ten-inch speaker. I cut up the chassis to fit big little Princeton/ overloaded we had to drive five
paint with sticks, would you? There are amazing transformers and entirely rebuilt it using the Boogies appearing
brushes these days. So don’t limit your playing with
just an amp. Take advantage of the times you live in.
on Bay Area Stages
We’re lucky one guy’s obsession bears the fruit of such
amazing possibilities for our expression. Discovering
Boogies has definitely shaped my music and given
me the freedom to take my playing beyond
what I thought I could do. I sincerely wish
the same for you. From the thousands of
us you’ve helped,
Thanks Randy!
D-180 Rack Mount Bass Amp Mark II-B
1982 1982
First high-power, rack-mount bass Improved Lead overdrive circuitry
amp featuring dynamic “Dual with “cascade” configuration and first
Differential” driver circuitry. ever effects loop.
7. miles through a pear orchard to avoid the County country bliss was interrupted by a wouldn’t take no for an answer. So the first The main complaint was that ‘loudness’ and
Highway Patrol weight station!) I had grown tough looking but friendly stranger from the Mesa amp was a snakeskin bass amp made for ‘drive characteristics’ were inseparable. There
up with a little Austin-Healey Sprite, which ‘hoods of Oakland who showed up on my ‘the inimitable’ Patrick Burke, a great guy who was only the one volume control and thus
is very ‘character building’ in the sense that back porch. He’d heard the Princeton/Boogies became such a good friend, I later traded him there was no way to get the amps to break
it forces ingenuity …just to make it home! and wanted an amp. He was a bass player my half ownership in Prune Music for a guitar! up and sound loud without actually having
It required an engine rebuild every couple —but he still wanted me to build him an amp The fact that this total stranger was trusting to be loud. Some players were having Master
of years so when I got an old Mercedes with me with the astonishing sum of $00. inspired volumes added to their amps. That was a
a blown engine, I wasn’t afraid to give it a me to promise I would build him the best mod I didn’t offer because it didn’t really do
try. And that started an ‘old Mercedes’ trend bass amp ever. Thirty years and countless gigs much. There just wasn’t enough gain in the
amongst my friends. Those engines were an later, that Mesa 0 still has tone. The first standard Fender circuit. Everyone had that
inspiration and the difference between them Mesa guitar amp I scratch built was a Boogie® complaint, especially Santana. Even with his
and the British motors was shocking. It was 10 Lead Head, also snakeskin, which English jacked up Princeton, he couldn’t get enough
yet another lesson in the virtues of “getting rocker Dave Mason took on the spot when I sustain. I guess we were both after the same
it right”. showed up at a Winterland sound check. elusive sound.
Anyway, I needed an official sounding name Even with the success of those dozen or so Then as a result of a pre-amp project I was
to buy amp parts, pistons from Mercedes snakeskin heads, I was still hearing a tone in building for Lee Michaels to drive his new
and ready-mix trucks full of concrete. “Mesa my mind, more like a sax, with harmonic monster Crown DC 00 power amps, I stum-
Engineering” (a name I made up on the spot) Randy Carlos jammin’ in the 70’s richness and long sustain. For years guitar bled onto the Holy Grail. I didn’t know how
seemed familiar and pro- players had been complaining about the much signal the Crowns needed to drive them
fessional sounding. and I sorely needed the 00 green dollars he limitations of their amplifiers – amps that so I thought I’d cover my basses by adding an
One day my Marin was literally stuffing in my shirt pocket. He now would be considered hot vintage prizes. extra complete stage of tube gain to the basic
“From the moment I plugged into the C+ in 1984, I
knew it was the sound I was searching for. The sound
shaped a new level of riff. Captain Crunch meant more
than just cereal now!” James Hetfield
M-180 M-190 Mono tube rack power Mark II-C+
1983 1983
The “Dual Differential” driver Legendary sounds from “dual cascading”
circuitry in high-power, rack mount lead stage and so sought-after today that they
packages for guitar. command three times their original cost.
8. ®
™
DOUG WEST, aka “Tone Boy”
Doug thinks he’s lucky, no …I’m the one who’s had the pre-amp architecture, adding three variable would sustain forever. That was the beginning At first, I was hand-building all parts of
good fortune to get up with another guy as crazy devoted Gain controls at critical points in the circuit. of high-gain cascading pre-amp architecture. these early Boogies by myself including silk-
to the pursuit of tone as I am. He’s When we hooked it up in Lee’s studio, it didn’t This wasn’t an incremental increase of 0 or screening the control panels and etching cop-
the one with the patience to sit work at first because we mistakenly plugged even 100 percent, this was an increase of 0 per printed circuit boards in a hot acid bath.
there hour after day after week (and
sometimes for months) working on a the speakers directly into the pre-amp. We kept times the normal gain of an amplifier and an I formed and punched the sheet metal chassis
sound, while I’m working on the cir- turning up the three gain entirely new realm of per- and built and finished the cabinets all with
cuit. I’m telling the truth when I joke controls because we could formance. skills I had learned back in the ex-Marine’s
about him having the entire resources hear a little faint sound. I knew at the time this shop. As demand grew, I enlisted the help of
of Mesa/Boogie® to indulge his gui-
tar fantasies. But he’s worth it. Then, when we plugged was a real breakthrough my wife and some neighbors. Mike Bendinelli
He can play like an angel …or play like a devil. How else it in right, Lee hit a big and I couldn’t wait to who, at the time was painting the ceiling,
can you explain products ranging from Mark IV’s clean sound power chord and practi- build up a Boogie size was put to work on power supply boards and
to the Rectifier’s heinous modern crunch. He’s the only player cally blew both our bodies 100 watt combo for twenty-five years later remains the keeper of
I know who’s basically mastered all styles of guitar and can
play any one of them with burning conviction. But there’s
through the back wall! We Santana using four Ls. the archives (mostly in his head) and the best
more. To do the job he’s got to be able to start playing or looked at each other with I was pretty sure it would restorer of those early amps. Back then it was a
stop on a dime while I make adjustments to the electronics. big grins and got down do just what he’d been true cottage industry with various friends doing
And he’s got to be able to repeat phrases accurately, over to adjusting those Gain searching for. And it came sub assemblies all right there in the mountains
and over, so we can decide if we’re going forward—or back- The Original Home of Tone.
wards—in development.
controls. It was monstrous! The Doghouse Workshop in Lagunitas. together just in time for of West Marin. At one point I was returning
We tend to hear things much the same way and have
You could dial in previous- Crescent moons on door are remnants from the his great Abraxas album from my daily exercise which comprised walk-
ly un-heard of amounts of original Princeton baffle boards, having been which introduced this ing up the mountain behind the house with
developed a specialized vocabulary to describe the sounds. cut out to hold 12” speakers.
But there’s another element, equally vital, and that’s how an gain with the first two con- new high-gain sound to the the dogs. As I came back down through the
amp feels to play. I know how important that is on sax but trols, while adjusting the loudness level with world and started putting that mountain stu- redwoods, I could see the girls sitting on the
not being a guitar player myself, Doug’s input is crucial. Just
to give you an example, our work developing Dyna-Watt led
the third control. It was huge sounding and it dio on the map as the Home of Tone®. deck, stuffing circuit boards in the sun with
to a patented circuit that actually makes the guitar feel easier
to play. I’ve never met a rock star who could do all this plus Keith Richards with an
stay focused and repeat the same lick! early Mark series combo.
Doug also has the primary responsibility for road test- Over the years, the Stones
ing amps on the gig and in the studio. Of course we value have bought 42 Boogies!
the opinions of others, but none are as clear and precise as
Doug when it comes to evaluating musical performance. And
because he’s been so involved in the RD process from the
initial concept to the final useage, Doug is the perfect guy to
write our outstanding Owner’s Manuals. Not only are they
informative and thorough, they are actually enjoyable to read,
another Mesa first!
Quad™ Studio Preamps Strategy 400 Stereo Simul 295™
®
1986
Don’t get the wrong impression, we try to have a good
time but RD is mostly tedium and hard work. But when
Doug freaks out and goes off on a monumental burst of
amazing guitar playing, I know for sure we’ve closed in on
1987-8
something magic. Something you – and guitarists the world
over will find inspiring.
Quad Studio Preamps revolutionized Strategy 400 Stereo Simul 295 com-
LA rack scene and intro’d tuned record- pleted rack revolution, trimming size for
ing outs. Mark III. First tri-modal amp stereo to 4 spaces. Twelve cylinder
8 offering clean, crunch, and Boogie lead. Bass 400 still going strong today.
9. JIM ASCHOW, Vice President
their tops off. I just stood there for a couple of we’re still hand-building Mark I’s and quite a the cabinets, is entirely made in our one loca- Where do I begin? There aren’t enough hats made to
minutes realizing that I had achieved the perfect few other models. tion here in Petaluma, California where we’ve cover all the jobs Jim does. He’s like a Conductor --with a wry
smile and a distant calm-- orchestrat-
gig (for me at least!) and I told myself never to We’re no longer the latest underground been since 1980. ing the furious pace of supplying the
stray too far from the contented, productive boutique darling but we’re still pioneering the These days a lot of big name amp manu- guitar world with high performance
and creative feeling of those happy times. frontiers of tone. And we’ve barely changed the facturers choose to have their products built amplifiers. This is no easy gig. In fact
By the time we moved Mesa out, that moun- way we design and build our amplifiers. What out-of-country, and that’s OK with us. We look no one before him was even able to
do it …we’d burn ‘em right out! And
tain “house” had grown into a ,000 square changes we have made are all based on my to a couple of our favorite icons and take heart: yet, he makes it look easy.
foot mini-industrial zone with a wood shop, years of experience as the designer and builder. a Ferrari wouldn’t be the same if it were made Because Jimmy is Mesa/Boogie.
electronics shop, loading dock, two offices and And every little thing is calculated for one pur- in China. And closer to home, Harleys deserve He literally grew up here. Over 20
several full time employees. Before we left there, pose only: To Hand-Craft A Better All-Tube to be made in Milwaukee, not Mexico, because years ago and right out of high
we were exporting to 9 foreign countries. Amplifier. Each chassis is still entirely hand- they – like us – are American. school, he started sanding cabinets and soon was covering
for his older co-workers when they were too burnt from their
I want to stop right now and give thanks to wired, checked out, teched-out and as always, I promise we won’t let our increased visibility gigs the night before. Now, as Vice President and General
everyone involved. And that certainly includes bashed repeatedly with a hammer while turned spoil us. We’ve been approached with many Manager, Jim Aschow basically runs the joint and enables me
all the musicians who trusted us with their cash full up. Then there is a play test, followed by offers over the years and could have sold out. to focus on my real passion, product design.
and their tone. Thank You All So Much! In a -hour burn-in, another electronic check, But this is what we do, and we love doing it. That’s how it is here at Mesa/Boogie: We work more like
total we built around 3,000 Mark I Boogies in installation into a cabinet and a final play Our goals remain unchanged from day one: a band than a company, and Jim’s a great coach helping each
member of team Boogie discover their own level of contribu-
that house. test given by a different musician then a last Build the best musical amplifiers possible, and tion. And Jim does way more than manage, he’s a fine crafts-
Looking back, I guess we were the first inspection before packing. Every Mesa/Boogie® treat each of you as we ourselves would wish to man and designer in his own right. Not only does he create
“boutique” amp company, though I never from the most expensive to the least uses the be treated. We want every musician we serve the myriad of production fixtures that enable us to maintain
thought of it that way. Now, 0 years and identical top grade materials and assembly to become a life-long member of the Mesa/ our precise quality, he also works throughout our plant with
the people using them. Remember, every Mesa/Boogie is
0 miles from that original Tone Shack, techniques. Every Mesa/Boogie including all Boogie family. hand-built and requires a high level of expertise to emerge
from our shop as an instrument you’ll treasure for years. This
kind of tightly knit groove means there’s no room for
bureaucracy to come between us and your tone.
And Jim doesn’t stop when the sun goes down. In
his “spare” time, he’s our chief cabinet designer constantly
elevating our existing designs as well as creating many
new ones. Check out Jimmy’s 4x12 TQ …in fact all of the
Three Quarter Back and Recto cabinets. And if you play bass,
explore the entire line of PowerHouse™ enclosures. Working
closely with the speaker manufacturer to create custom bass
drivers, Jim spearheaded that entire line from the elemen-
tary components to the final finished enclosure. And that
includes tricky hardware and features such as the patented
Mark IV Dual Calibers™ Track-Lok™ heavy-duty caster mounting and the Tilt n’ Roll™
1989 1990 transport system.
So behind every Mesa/Boogie stands a man of quiet
passion, intense focus and deep integrity. I’m honored and
deeply thankful knowing that Jim maintains the same depth
of commitment that I have, as he carries out the responsibility
Voted Amp of the Year three times in The Dual Calibers: DC-3, DC-5, DC-10. of insuring that each and every Mesa/Boogie lives up to my
Europe and still one of our most popular Starting in 1984 with the Studio .22 and evolving original vision.
models, includes fabled II-C Lead sound. through the DCs to today’s award-winning,
three-mode F-Series amplifiers. 9
10. M MESA PIONEERING INNOVATIONS
Did You So many features now considered standard were first three decades wouldn’t exist without the revolution-
introduced by Mesa/Boogie®. In fact it’s fair to say ary circuits that made them possible. We’re honored
Know… that many of the important guitar sounds of the last by so many great players who have found their
1969: First High-Power 1x12 Combo. The giant 1973: Multiple Impedance Speaker Outputs for reliable 1986: Dyna-Watt™ power circuit. Enhanced dynamic
killer is born matching of different cabs. power envelope. Pat. 4,713,624
1969: Half-Power Switch. The 60/100 switch matches 1978: Lead/Rhythm Dual-Mode Amplifier. First Channel 1986: Modified Dual Mode front-gain preamp. Used in
power to venue. Switching. Pat. 4,211,893. Calibers F-Series Pat.4,701,957
1970: Pull Gain Boost Switch. Extra mid-gain for playing 1981: Effects Loop. Offered signal level and impedance 1986: Mark III. Tri-Mode Amp, footswitches Clean, Crunch
the Blues. matching for outboard FX Overdrive.
1971: High Gain Cascading Pre-amp. The Birth of 1982: Simul-Class™. Combines Class A tone and Class AB 1987: Simul 295™ and Strategy® 400 Stereo. Stereo Tube
Overdrive power. Pats. 4,532,476; 4,593,251 Rack Power.
1972: On-Board Graphic Equalizer. Provided alternate foot- 1984: Footswitchable Reverb Mixes. Alternates between 1989: Mark IV. External control ports, assignable loops
switchable EQ ‘ambient’ and ‘drenched’. and switchable power voicing
1972: Slave Output Level Control. Enabled multi- amp 1984: M-180 M-190 high-output rack mount tube 1989: Tweed™(Bold) Power. Switchable Mains reduction,
and FX set-ups. power. Started rack revolution. like on-board variac. Pat. 5,091,700
1973: Pre-Out, Power In jacks. Predecessor to modern 1985: Quad™ Preamp. Dual Channel Rack Preamp with 1990: Simul 395™ and Strategy® 500. Dual Mode, foot-
FX loop. four footswitchable modes. switchable Smart Power™.
1973: Exotic Hardwood Cabinetry with dove-tailed joints 1985: Dual reverb tanks. Combined short and long decay 1990: Tri-Axis™. Midi control full programmability run 8
and wicker cane grille. for ultimate richness. all-tube modes. Pat. 5,208,548.
TriAxis™ Simul 290™ Dual Triple Rectifiers® Maverick™ Blue Angel™ Nomads™
1990 1991 1994 1998
The ultimate all-tube rack rig packing Redefining the guitar stack, this A tribute to simplicity and vintage power Three complete channels deliver
8 programmable modes and 200 stereo fearsome legend continues on toward clip, their touch-sensitive magic is avail- vintage clean and the subtle sides of
watts into three rack spaces. world domination! able today in several configurations. brown, for the player with finesse.
10
11. unique sounds using our instruments, the exact same out the list below and see how many of these features
ones available to you. We’re proud to be part of their you rely on every time you play.
voice because our quest for tone is relentless. Check
1991: Dual Rectifier®. You know this one. Patent 2000: Road King™. Progressive Linkage, five power tube 2003: Venture 600™. First high powered, full featured
5,168,438. options per channel. 600 Watt Bass Combo.
1991: Parallel FX Loop with Mix control. Reduces tone 2000: Road King™. Dual FX Loops, Series and Parallel, 2003: Multi-Watt™ Channel Assignable Power. Selectable
loss. Pat. 6,522,752. assignable per channel wattage options per channel. Patent Pending. Used on Lone
Stars®, Stilettos® and Roadster™.
1991: Channel Cloning™. Allows duplication of gain 2000: Road King™. External Switching Trigger, for activat-
structures in different channels. ing outboard effects. 2003: WalkAbout Scout™ Convertible Bass Combo.
Converts from a combo to a stand-alone head.
1992: Triple Rectifier®. When excess is barely enough. 2000: Road King™. Speaker Cabinet Switcher, assignable
per channel. 2003: Scout Bass Radiator™ Cabinets. Passive Bass
1995: Progressive Linkage™. Selects different types of Radiator System diven by Neodymium Speaker.
power tubes. Pat. 5,559,469. 2000: Recto® Tracking™ auto-matches rectifier to power-
amp. Patent Pending. 2004: Tri-Port™ Bass Cabinets. Individually tuned triangu-
1996: Simul-State™ Power. Tube driven MOS FET lar front porting system for enhanced fidelity.
power for bass. 2000: Channel Assignable Rectifier®. Patent Pending.
Used on Road King™ and Stiletto® 2004: Player Control™ Bass Cabinets. First Bass Cabinets
1998: Nomad™ Full array of controls on each of three with built-in adjustable Crossover Instant Reset Horn
independent channels. 2001: Rec Pre™. Pure analog recording circuitry faithfully Protection.
cops sound and feel.
1998: Solo Control™. Presettable, footswitchable volume 2005: Push-Pull to Single-Ended switches power ampli-
boost. Pat. 6,724,897. 2001: WalkAbout™. High Powered Compact Bass Amp. fier configuration. Used in Lone Star® Special™. Patent
300 Watts from a 13 pound, 12”x12” box!
2000: Road King™. Four complete 3-mode channels. Pending.
Road King™, Rec Pre™ F-Series™ Lone Star® Stiletto® Lone Star® Special™ Ace™, Titan™ Roadster™
2000-2 2004 2005 2006
Three busy years of R D make sure all bases are covered - from Opposite ends of the stylistic spectrum find new icons; the The first amplifier capable of switching tube wiring Stylistic diversity is celebrated with the introduction of three stun-
the focused simplicity of the F-Series, to the fleet of amps in the Road LoneStar pays tribute to the Blues - Texas style, while the configurations: Single-Ended (5 watts operating Class A) ning models; the Recto-bred four channel Roadster, the new British-
King, and the studio prowess of the Rec Pre. Stiletto takes deadly aim at classic British EL34 sounds. to Push-Pull (15 and 30 watts operating Class A). inspired 50 watt Stiletto Ace and, for bass, the Titan V-12. 11
12. Operformance amplifiers
high
ur reputation for hand-
building exceptional quality
Debbie Anderson is the
friendly voice that greets
you when you call the
Mike Bendinelli is keeper of
the archives and Mesa’s very first
employee, Mike has a keen eye and
George Mueller is a
man in demand. His 20
years of tech experience
Home of Tone. She cheer- a trained ear for what makes an amp qualifies him to watch
is exceeded only by our rep for fully handles the immense magic. His 35 years of experience as over production and
customer service. Our goal from task of routing the hundreds Final Tech for production, combined make sure Randall Smith’s
day one has been to treat you, of calls we get a week from with his long list of real world big- construction techniques
stage house calls for our touring are followed so that each
the customer, as we ourselves players around the world
artists, makes him uniquely equipped and every amp is full
in search of their musical
would want to be treated. voice. She also responds to to oversee production. In the unlikely of artistry and tone. He
Following this simple and most the thousands of letters and event you should ever need help, he also handles Technical
basic practice has earned us information requests we also manages our Repair Department Assistance calls making
and Mike has the chops to ensure sure that customers, as
the loyalty of legions of faith- get. So be sure to treat her
any Boogie, from any era, will per- well as our worldwide
nice…we don't know what
ful players around the globe. we would do without her. form like the day it was born. In his Authorized Warranty
Unlike bigger companies with spare time, Mike puts those golden Stations, have the
vast Service Departments, we’re ears to use as a toneful Engineer, information they need.
doing front of house for Deaf Louie,
available to talk to you instead his own live sound company,
of assigning you a number. Yet
because we have been suc-
cessfully helping musicians get
great tone for 37 years, we have ™
resources smaller operations
or boutique builders simply
can’t provide. Our flexible “mid
size” organization enables us to
respond to your needs quickly
and efficiently making us big
enough to serve, yet small
enough to care.
You can call us direct at the
shop and speak to a Product
Specialist that will help you get
the most from your amp and
define a sound that is uniquely
yours. Our dedicated Dealer
Reps perform like Deacons as
they roam the nation and the
world, ensuring our retail outlets
are knowledgeable and up to Michael Taylor works his mojo on Marcus Daniel brings his vast Kris Dilbeck joins Customer Service Tim Mckee has been using Mesa Richard Duvall reviews Warranty Claims
customer’s needs every day, lead- experience with our products to as a true Specialist. He has tested every products for years and knows the impor- and coordinates our nationwide Authorized
speed with the latest tonal devel- bear on your questions as he joins amp shipped over the last few years tance of great tone at the gig or in the Warranty Stations as well as Service Returns
ing them to Tone in mysterious but
opments. All of these musicians effective ways. Before finding his Customer Service after 6 years of and knows Mesa Tone from the inside studio. He can help you find that sound coming to the shop. His experience and
have hands on experience here niche in Customer Service, Michael scrutinizing finished amps in our Final out. His vast experience here in Final you hear in your head, patch up your expertise is invaluable and gives him the
at the Home of Tone and are put his magic to work testing finished Testing Booth. His hands-on knowl- Assembly has produced a troubleshoot- favorite outboard gear or troubleshoot a direct line to tech support, cutting through
amplifiers in Final Assembly and later, edge and troubleshooting expertise ing Jedi, and should you ever need tube problem with the confidence that “tape” and getting your concerns handled
well aware of each step’s impor- are complimented by his fiery play- help, he will get you flying again fast. comes directly from his first hand experi- promptly. His talents as a keyboardist and
assisted our huge list of touring stars
tance in the process of building in Artist Relations. His experience with ing ability on both guitar and bass. Before life at Mesa, Kris earned a degree ence. He joins Tien Lawrence in Artist producer are equally impressive.
your amp. Like you, they rely our products is greatly embellished by Marcus can relate firsthand to your in the Recording Arts at Berklee Music Relations to assist our ever expanding
on their own Mesa every time his crafty skills as a songwriter, guitarist needs as a fellow gigging and record- College in Boston and continues to hone family of Artists-in-Tone around the
and drummer. ing musician. his mighty skills as both Engineer and world.
they gig, which gives them the Producer.
ultimate understanding of your
needs and the skills to ensure
your lasting satisfaction.
1
13. Steve Mueller defies the John Rinkor Tien Lawrence
laws of physics and most Director of Sales is our Front Line Guru and truly
certainly a title. As our John is our High Priest of Tone and the a man for all seasons. His years
Ambassador at Large, he embodiment of Mesa/Boogie’s commitment spent working through every
orchestrates a worldwide sym- to excellence in everything we do. He has aspect of the shop with an infec-
phony that reaches every point the honorable distinction of several years tious up-tempo style all his own
on the compass. His experience of successful, hands-on experience at our eventually landed him the gig as
is vast and his talents are factory in Customer Service, as well as an our Customer Service Manager.
diverse and we rely on them illustrious five-year record as one of our There he crafted our dream team
to keep us continually on the most successful Divisional Sales Managers that continues to impress. Still in
higher road when it comes prior to being promoted to Director of Sales. that loop, he now takes on Artist
to our representation in the His vast experience has garnered him with a Relations and the immense task
marketplace. His musical talents phenomenal range of product, service and of making sure our incredible ros-
are no less valuable and are put sales knowledge that is only outdone by ter of Artists is in tune and taken
to use frequently in the many his accomplished talents as a guitarist and care of around the world.
stages of product development. songwriter.
Trent Blake Matthew Smith Matt Schuster Rich Longacre Shawn Farbman
Divisional Sales Manager International Sales Manager Divisional Sales Manager Divisional Sales Manager Divisional Sales Manager
Southern United States Puerto Rico Matthew is our top Ambassador of Tone to Northeastern United States Canada Western United States Canada Central United States Canada
Trent is our Senior Deacon of Tone who the world, currently responsible for bringing Matt is our Evangelist of Tone to the East Rich is our Reverend of Tone to the West who Shawn is our Minister of Tone to the
personifies the unbridled spirit and pas- the diplomacy of “Toneful Freedom” to our who shares our fanatical love for great has spent the last 21 years garnering all of “Heartland”, who has spent the last decade
sion of Mesa/Boogie in every element network of Distributors in over 40 countries tone and exceptional service. His spirited the experience the music industry has to offer. bringing the good news of Mesa/Boogie to
of his being. His depth of experience worldwide! He draws from years of success- enthusiasm and friendly, conscientious His dedicated tenure and expertise, combined all of those in search of a higher experience
in our industry is unsurpassed, having ful experience in our industry, both in retail approach have attributed to his shining with his contagiously positive “can do” attitude in Tone. He has extensive experience in our
worked in virtually every aspect of music and in high-end distribution. His innovative record in our industry as a top performer in lead him up the ranks of management at one industry and has long been respected as
retail for one of the nations largest contributions toward our continual improve- sales and service for the past 13 years. His of the worlds largest musical retailers, where a top performer in the sales and service of
chains, encompassing front line sales, ment in training, service and support have expertise in all facets of music retail comes he specialized in managing multiple stores in Mesa/Boogie products. His broad knowl-
store management and multi-store been immeasurable. He also provides us from real world experience, having worked all facets of amplifier merchandising product edge of Boogie products, his personable
purchasing. His exceptional work ethic with a wealth of added insight and direction his way through the ranks to a store man- training. His peerless spirit and passion for personality and his remarkable aptitude for
and incredible talent for fresh innovative through his native British perspective, both ager position, prior to joining our team. His amplifiers and his dedication to providing first- dialing up great Tone are just a few from a
ideas have made him an invaluable in business and as a talented player. As an devotion to Dealer training, creative mer- class service shine through on a daily basis. long list of attributes that make him an irre-
asset to us for the better part of the last advocate of Mesa/Boogie for the last 16 years, chandising and customer satisfaction have Known for creating excitement and enthusiasm placeable member of our family. He is also
decade. Equally impressive are his musi- he brings a sincere dedication to the success made him an essential member of The on the sales floor, he understands what it takes an immensely gifted player and songwriter
cal talents as a singer, songwriter and and overall well being of our entire network of Home of Tone. He is also a skillful guitarist to keep a retail environment looking and feel- – Pretty handy on a Hockey Ring as well!
guitarist/bassist! International Distributors. and songwriter. ing its best. Talk about feel… Rich is also an
astounding guitar player!
1
14. One of the things that first drew Whether you’re building pianos, flutes, violins or ponents and construction techniques are the same for built on a light piece of bent-up metal with no sides,
amplifiers, there are time-tested methods of construc- every Mesa/Boogie® from the most expensive to the least. no flanges, no welds, no paint and simple plastic name-
me to musical instruments and has tion and a code to fine instrument building. We strictly There are no “budget” models or off-shore imports. plates front and back that only look heavy-duty.
kept me interested ever since, is the adhere to this tradition, and yet there is no limit to the Everything is hand-crafted by the same builders who From the very first, all Mesa/Boogies have been
way they’re built. They’re not like amount of additional finesse and quality that can be lav- average more than ten years here. built using hand-drawn printed circuit boards for the
ished upon even the smallest of details. This is in stark Let’s start with the chassis. Our rack-mount mod- electronics. With high-gain musical amplifiers, the
toasters or TV sets. They’re not just contrast to the cost-driven, high-volume approach most els are built on .080 and thicker aircraft aluminum. location of parts and conductors is critical. Only a care-
disposable consumer items. Rather manufacturers use. Combos and heads use 1 gauge, cold-rolled steel, fully fully designed p.c. board can duplicate the magic of the
they’re built to inspire magic and to Shown here is an inside view of one of our most formed into a flanged box, with welded seams and a original prototype, which itself used a printed circuit
last for a lifetime. popular amplifiers, the Triple Rectifier®. But all com- heavy powder-coat finish. Most modern amplifiers are board. This insures that every amp is an exact replica of
1
15. the golden proto by eliminating the variations that often bottom and throughout the barrel, creating a reinforced are custom designed and selected for their musical per- even have special “artist series”. Not us. At Mesa/Boogie,
occur in “one-off” construction. sandwich of solder. formance. Tolerances are tight, one percent for resistors we only know one way to do things. We don’t have a
We don’t rely on the single-sided phenolic boards Wherever point-to-point wiring is better, we use it. In where the industry standard is % to 10%. Tubes, pots, custom shop …we are a custom shop. Our artists don’t
commonly used, rather ours are epoxy-based, double- most other amps the control pots are mounted on a p.c. transformers, capacitors, connectors, sockets and switch- use some specially chosen or modified amplifier, they
sided with plated-through holes. This means a conduc- board where damage to the pot breaks the board. Notice es are all custom made and benefit from our decades of play the exact same amp you can buy. We just want to
tive barrel has been formed inside each hole, with pads that our pots are bolted directly to the chassis and con- experience. Many of our suppliers have come to trust us build the very best amplifiers we can. And we want to
on both sides. In a conventional board, only the strength nected with flying leads. Thus, if one becomes damaged, as a reference and a resource for themselves because we’re treat each player as we ourselves would want to be treat-
of the glued-on foil supports the parts. On our custom replacement is easy and doesn’t imperil the circuit board. so relentless. ed. These are our founding principles. It’s been working
boards, each lead is soldered on the top, on the Component quality is as important as construction. Some instrument companies divide their manufac- now for thirty years and we see no reason to change.
That’s why most of our parts –not just the major ones, turing into “production” and “custom models”. Some
1
16. E N H A N C E D R E L E A S E
T T h E R O A d k I N G™ SERIES II
1
17. NEW! SERIES II...
Improved Channel 1 2 now features CLEAN
and FAT from our acclaimed Lone Star® – our best
clean ever – along with incredible new TWEED™
and BRIT modes. These two channels alone would
make a mighty amplifier.
All New, All-Tube Reverb also from the Lone
Star is deeper, more lush and ambient and sticks
tighter to the notes. Reverb control now rides in each
Channel Strip.
Nothing’s more satisfying than Our patented Progressive Linkage™
provides five different all-tube power
a great old tube amp …except amplifiers which you can harness in any
a fleet of great old tube amps. combination to the King’s four preamp
channels to create – not a cyber mock-
And that’s exactly what the up, but the real, authentic circuits found
Road King™ is..... in those classic amplifiers.
Here’s How Once in a while a product This simple yet powerful
comes along that redefines its concept allows you to assign
It Works : genre …changing the way we different power amplifiers to
think, and ushering in a new era. each pre-amp channel …and
1. Pick a Channel: 1 and 2 are the
kings of low gain finesse. Channels The Road King™ does just that. footswitch between them. You
3 and 4 are pure Dual Rectifier® from This seriously over-the-top can match any power amp
purring mid-gain fur to modern high
gain aggression. Simple control layout is Recto® offers four discreet chan- to each channel and create
duplicated for all four channels. nels that each house an incredible your own fleet of dedicated,
three modes of hyper-tuned pre- all-tube amplifiers from input
2. Choose a Mode: The Clean,
Fat, Tweed™ and Brit voicings
for Channels 1 2, cover the preamp
amp expression. Yet as if all this
shaping power wasn’t enough, the
jack to speaker, from 30 watts
to 120. The Road King even
spectrum from Fullerton, California to Road King goes on to revolution- lets you assign a choice of
Liverpool, England. Channels 3 and 4 ize amplifier design by offering an speaker cabs per channel!
each offer Raw, Vintage and Modern
modes that are 100% pure Recto®
entirely new dimension in channel Colored LEDs on the front
authority. switching: Progressive Linkage™. panel keep you informed of
1
18. your channel selection and power one U rectifier tube for enhanced EL-s for a chiming power clip. Or, new frontier in crushing gain.
combinations. But there’s more to low power bounce. When selecting if you need alternate clean sounds, set These few examples offer a mere
power than wattage and tube types two pairs of output tubes, both U Channel 1 to Tweed and Channel glimpse into the incredible domain
alone. It’s all about the feel. And part rectifier tubes are engaged to support to Fat, choosing power amps for each ruled by the Road King with
of providing a perfect power response the increased power and retain the that best suit your style. Progressive Linkage. Take the world
is selecting the proper rectifier. This is dynamic feel. And finally, selecting Applying Rectifier Logic further, tour of classic all-tube circuits from
the device that converts high voltage all six power tubes triggers the tighter Channels and each include Raw, vintage to modern and on into the
AC into Direct Current for the power sounding, more efficient silicon diode Vintage and Modern modes, just like future. Understand, the Road King is
tubes. And two of the Road King’s rectifiers to produce an authoritative the fabled Dual and Triple Rectos. But what modeling technology wants to
eight patents cover the rectifier choic- 10 watts of headroom. And just like with the Road King you can combine be. Not algorithm simulations, rather
es available and the way they track. the famed Dual and Triple Rectifiers, each mode with any of five differ- combinations of the original circuits,
Choosing Rectifier-Tracking™ in you can over-ride Recto-Tracking ent power sections. For example, try using the real technology, to create the
any channel matches the power har- anytime by merely selecting the strapping Raw to a pairing of EL’s and actual amplifiers.
ness you have selected to the perfect Silicon Diodes. L’s for a snarling harmonic spread What would you rather play …a
amount of juicy rectifier sag for the Imagine a bubbly Clean sound, with British attitude. Or run Vintage, cyber mock-up? Or a fleet of real,
number of output tubes in use. Here’s using the incredible dynamics of a 0 through four Ls, to cop the Dual hand-made, all-tube amps. The Road
how it works: When you select one watt pair of tube-rectified Ls. Now Rec Solo Head exactly. And if you can King is the new frontier, in authentic
pair of output tubes, either Ls or footswitch to the threshold-clean Brit stand more, hit Modern through all tube tone.
EL-s, Recto-Tracking™ brings up voice on Channel , driving a pair of six power tubes, diode rectified, for a
3. Select a Power Amplifier, one for
each Channel. This is where Progressive
Linkage™ gets fun, giving you instant access
for an authentic English accent on another
channel...and so on. There are five distinc-
tive power tube combinations: some classic,
4. Choose a Rectifier. Or let Recto-
Tracking™ auto-match the perfect recti-
fier for each power amplifier you select. One
and delivers more attack, Jack. And to satisfy
the demands of all six output tubes, Recto-
Tracking automatically kicks in the silicon
to your fleet of classic power amps. You can some new-born, each inspiring in sound and 5U4 rectifier tube provides the juice and sag diodes for tight, fast punishing response. Or
have huge, breathy 4:6L6 headroom for one feel, ranging from 30 watts to 120. that gives two 6L6s or two EL-34s a truly you can over-ride Recto-Tracking anytime by
channel and set up a snarling pair of EL-34’s magic dynamic bounce. When you run four selecting the Diodes…just like the famed Dual
power tubes, a second 5U4 comes on track and Triple Rectifiers.
18