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Mesa catalog jan07
Fine Musical instruMents Built upon       HigH perForMance tuBe tecHnology



                              d               d




           Passionately Designed and, as Ever, Hand Made in California
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
®




                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 ™




                                                                     “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
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.
®




                                                                                                                                                                                                                ™




         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.
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.
®




                                                                                                                                                                                                                                ™




                  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.
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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.




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Mesa catalog jan07
Mesa catalog jan07
Mesa catalog jan07
Mesa catalog jan07
Mesa catalog jan07
Mesa catalog jan07
Mesa catalog jan07
Mesa catalog jan07
Mesa catalog jan07
Mesa catalog jan07
Mesa catalog jan07
Mesa catalog jan07
Mesa catalog jan07
Mesa catalog jan07
Mesa catalog jan07
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Mesa catalog jan07
Mesa catalog jan07
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Mesa catalog jan07
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Mesa catalog jan07
Mesa catalog jan07
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Mesa catalog jan07
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Mesa catalog jan07

  • 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