Mesa/Boogie

Fat Sound's Take

My first Mesa was a used Mark III combo purchased in the late 80's. When the Mark IV was released I bought one immediately. The Mark IV was excellent at recreating Metallica-like tones, but, IMO, fell short of superlative cleans or in-betweens and could be frustrating to dial-in. Still, given the Mark IV's early 90's, pre-boutique-amp, release date it was highly innovative and pretty amazing.

Now, the long awaited Mark V has been released and it is a truly remarkable amplifier. So much more useable on every channel than any Mark series to come before it. All three channels sound perfect. It's as if Mesa opened their ears, went outside their Petaluma, CA design studio, listened to what was going on in the boutique world and figured out a way to combine some of the absolute best of the boutique amps sounds with the best classic Mesa sounds all in one amp that comes in at just under two grand. The Mesa Mark 5 gives you loads of ways to tweak each channel, but is ultimately very intuitive to use and easy to dial up; something I could never say about the Mark IV.

Regardless of the style of music you play you should take a serious look at the all new Mesa Mark 5. It's a fantastic amplifier in every respect. If a player asked me what one amp they should own as a desert island amp, the Boogie Mark V would be my answer; it's That good and That versatile!

-Stu Carter, Fat Sound Guitars Tone Consultant

Custom Cabinet Spec's

• "Premier Exotic" Bubinga Hardwood Cabinet - Dovetail Joinery
• Wicker Grille

Pricing

• Mark V 112 Combo: $2399.00
• Premier Exotic hardwood (Bubinga): $669.00
• Upgraded Grille (Wicker): $99.00

The feature set is pretty mind boggling:

• Simul-Class™ Power Amp featuring Multi-Watt™ (Patent Pending) and Duo-Class™ technologies which provide three power and three operating class options that are channel assignable via 10/45/90 Watt Power Switches: Choose 2 power tubes operating in pure vintage Class A (single-ended), producing 10 Watts - 2 tubes running in time-honored Class A/B producing 45 Watts or 4 tubes running in Mesa’s legendary, patented Simul-Class Power that blends the best of Class A and Class A/B simultaneously to produce 90 Watts of pure tonal magic / 4x6L6 (or 4xEL-34), 7x12AX7, 1x5U4
• Bias Select Switch (6L6/EL34)
• Fixed Bias for Consistent, Maintenance Free Performance
• Full Power/Variac Power™ Switch
• 3 Fully Independent Channels with 9 Modes (Channel 1 = Clean, Fat or Tweed™, Channel 2 = Edge, Crunch or Mark I™, Channel 3 = Mark IIC+™, Mark IV™ or Extreme)
• Normal/Bold Switch on Channel 1, Normal/Thick Switch on Channel 2 (Mark I mode only), Normal/Bright Switch & Pentode/Triode Switch on Channel 3
• Each Channel features: Independent Gain, Treble, Mid, Bass, Presence, Master, Footswitchable or Auto-Assignable Contour Depth Control, Footswitchable All-Tube, Long Spring Reverb Control, Rectifier Tracking™ (Auto-selects Tube for all 10 Watt Modes, Diode for all 90 Watt Modes, selectable Tube or Diode for 45 Watt Modes on Channels 1 and 2, Diode for 45 Watt Mode on Channel 3
• 5 Band Graphic EQ is Footswitchable, Channel Assignable and Selectable between 1 group of 5-Band Sliders or 3 channel specific, variable depth Contour Controls
• 5 Band EQ
• Footswitchable, Channel Assignable or True Bypassable All-Tube FX Loop with Send Level Control (over all channels when activated)
• Effects Loop
• Output Level Control (over all channels when activated)
• Footswitchable Solo Level Control (over all channels when activated)
• True “Hard” Bypass Switch removes FX Loops, Output Level & Solo Level Controls from signal path
• Tuner Output w/Footswitchable Mute
• Slave Out w/Level Control
• Fan Cooled with On/Off Switch
• External Switching Jacks for Channels 2, 3 (channel 1 is default), EQ & Solo
• Aluminum Chassis • New 4x4 - 8 Button Footswitch (Bottom Row: Channel 1, Channel 2, Channel 3, Solo – Top Row: Reverb, FX Loop, EQ & Tuner Mute)
• Slip Cover
• Kitchen Sink, Ice Maker, Beer Cooler (just kidding) but easier to use than this list suggests (not kidding)!

Fat Fave Award for Sonic Excellence

Fat Sound's Take

My first Mesa was a used Mark III combo purchased in the late 80's. When the Mark IV was released I bought one immediately. The Mark IV was excellent at recreating Metallica-like tones, but, IMO, fell short of superlative cleans or in-betweens and could be frustrating to dial-in. Still, given the Mark IV's early 90's, pre-boutique-amp, release date it was highly innovative and pretty amazing.

Now, the long awaited Mark V has been released and it is a truly remarkable amplifier. So much more useable on every channel than any Mark series to come before it. All three channels sound perfect. It's as if Mesa opened their ears, went outside their Petaluma, CA design studio, listened to what was going on in the boutique world and figured out a way to combine some of the absolute best of the boutique amps sounds with the best classic Mesa sounds all in one amp that comes in at just under two grand. The Mesa Mark 5 gives you loads of ways to tweak each channel, but is ultimately very intuitive to use and easy to dial up; something I could never say about the Mark IV.

Regardless of the style of music you play you should take a serious look at the all new Mesa Mark 5. It's a fantastic amplifier in every respect. If a player asked me what one amp they should own as a desert island amp, the Boogie Mark V would be my answer; it's That good and That versatile!

-Stu Carter, Fat Sound Guitars Tone Consultant

The feature set is pretty mind boggling:

• Simul-Class™ Power Amp featuring Multi-Watt™ (Patent Pending) and Duo-Class™ technologies which provide three power and three operating class options that are channel assignable via 10/45/90 Watt Power Switches: Choose 2 power tubes operating in pure vintage Class A (single-ended), producing 10 Watts - 2 tubes running in time-honored Class A/B producing 45 Watts or 4 tubes running in Mesa’s legendary, patented Simul-Class Power that blends the best of Class A and Class A/B simultaneously to produce 90 Watts of pure tonal magic / 4x6L6 (or 4xEL-34), 7x12AX7, 1x5U4
• Bias Select Switch (6L6/EL34)
• Fixed Bias for Consistent, Maintenance Free Performance
• Full Power/Variac Power™ Switch
• 3 Fully Independent Channels with 9 Modes (Channel 1 = Clean, Fat or Tweed™, Channel 2 = Edge, Crunch or Mark I™, Channel 3 = Mark IIC+™, Mark IV™ or Extreme)
• Normal/Bold Switch on Channel 1, Normal/Thick Switch on Channel 2 (Mark I mode only), Normal/Bright Switch & Pentode/Triode Switch on Channel 3
• Each Channel features: Independent Gain, Treble, Mid, Bass, Presence, Master, Footswitchable or Auto-Assignable Contour Depth Control, Footswitchable All-Tube, Long Spring Reverb Control, Rectifier Tracking™ (Auto-selects Tube for all 10 Watt Modes, Diode for all 90 Watt Modes, selectable Tube or Diode for 45 Watt Modes on Channels 1 and 2, Diode for 45 Watt Mode on Channel 3
• 5 Band Graphic EQ is Footswitchable, Channel Assignable and Selectable between 1 group of 5-Band Sliders or 3 channel specific, variable depth Contour Controls
• 5 Band EQ
• Footswitchable, Channel Assignable or True Bypassable All-Tube FX Loop with Send Level Control (over all channels when activated)
• Effects Loop
• Output Level Control (over all channels when activated)
• Footswitchable Solo Level Control (over all channels when activated)
• True “Hard” Bypass Switch removes FX Loops, Output Level & Solo Level Controls from signal path
• Tuner Output w/Footswitchable Mute
• Slave Out w/Level Control
• Fan Cooled with On/Off Switch
• External Switching Jacks for Channels 2, 3 (channel 1 is default), EQ & Solo
• Aluminum Chassis • New 4x4 - 8 Button Footswitch (Bottom Row: Channel 1, Channel 2, Channel 3, Solo – Top Row: Reverb, FX Loop, EQ & Tuner Mute)
• Slip Cover
• Kitchen Sink, Ice Maker, Beer Cooler (just kidding) but easier to use than this list suggests (not kidding)!

Fat Fave Award for Sonic Excellence

Check Out Premier Guitar Magazine's Review of the Mesa Mini-25 Recto Head and Cabs in This Month's Issue!! 4 1/2 Pick Rating!

The owner of Fat Sound Guitars has two amplifiers that he uses in his home studio. This is one of them.

Fat Sound's Take

Admittedly.....despite Mesa having designed and delivered amps in the past couple of years that we found extremely impressive (The Mark 5 and Royal Atlantic models for example.....the best ever from Boogie, in our opinion) the pre-release photos of Mesa's new "Mini Twenty-Five" Head and matching mini-me 112 cabs looked cool in a way that only Mesa really seems to pull off, but we thought might, perhaps smack of a somewhat-late-to-the-"Lunchbox Amp"-party offering. I guess this expectation was understandable, especially in light of Mesa's own, out-of-the-gate, defensive comment: "Don't think for a moment this is a trendy down-line toy or marketing-derived imitation of our mighty Recto."

Ordering only two initially, due to a bit of unfortunate skepticism, ended up being a rather large mistake on our part. We completely underestimated this amplifier and as a result ended up scrambling, with the help of our Mesa rep, to find more pieces for store stock, in a much quicker time-frame than would typically be possible with Mesa's usual build schedule.

After unpacking one of our first two Mini-25 heads and its companion 112 Slant cab, it only took 10-15 minutes to realize we were plugged into much more than we had anticipated. After a weekend spent with one of these mini 1/2 stacks at the home of the shop's owner the verdict was that this amp could easily satisfy a large percentage of our high-end amp, around-the-house only customers. The sonic qualities of both clean and gain channels, the boutique amp feel, the volume versatility and overall features were all found to not only far exceed our expectations, but to actually place this mini rig instantly on our short list of favorite amplifiers.

This is one of only two amps I actually use in my home. Just because you may have 'moved on' to more expensive, point-to-point wired amps don't make the mistake of overlooking this gem from Mesa. The tones and features are awesome, it manages to take all manner of gain and ambient effect pedals beautifully and the volume can be dialed-in for no compromise home use.

Highly Recommended!!™

- Stu Carter, Fat Sound Guitars Tone Consultant

Even in this golden age of amplifiers, effects, and guitars, sometimes you get the sense a piece of gear is destined to become a classic. The Mesa/Boogie [Mini-25] Dual Rectifier, with its brilliant compact design and wealth of delicious tones, might just be one of them.

The Verdict (Premier Guitar Magazine)
Mesa hit the bull’s-eye in their attempt to capture the feel and tone of their flagship amps in a low-watt, compact package. The tiny, 12-pound head is dressed up in the family garb in a way that gives it the aura of a raging and dangerous little tone monster. It wouldn’t be fair to view the Mini Rectifier as just a shrunken iteration of the bigger Rectifiers, though. The EL84 Dyna- Watt power section sprinkles its own brand of tonal spice on the classic tones associated with its big brothers. That combination makes the Mini Rectifier a very special little amp—probably one of the coolest they’ve made in the past decade.

- Premier Guitar, February 2012

Features and Specifications

• All Metal Chassis
• Black Crinkle Powder Coat
• Polished Diamond Plate
• Iconic Recto Tone & Styling in an Ultra Compact "Mini" Design - 12 5/8"W x 6 3/4"D x 5 7/8" H – Weighs Only 12 Pounds!

Dyna-Watt™ Power Amp featuring Channel Assignable, Multi-Watt™ technology providing two power levels with different wiring configurations via independent 10/25 Watt Power Switches: Choose 2 power tubes operating in Class A/B Triode for a sweet, liquid feel at lower volumes, producing 10 Watts, or 2 tubes operating in Mesa's Patented Dyna-Watt™ Class A/B Power for maximum power, punch and tighter attack, producing 25 Watts

• All Tube Amplifier: 2xEL-84 Power Tubes & 5x12AX7 Preamp Tubes
• Fixed Bias for consistent, maintenance free performance
• 2 Fully Independent Channels with 4 Style Modes: Channel 1 features Clean or Pushed Modes - Channel 2 features Vintage High Gain or Modern High Gain Modes
• Each Channel Features a Multi-Watt Power Switch (10/25 Watts) and Independent Gain, Treble, Middle, Bass, Presence & Master Controls
• All-Tube, Fully Buffered FX Loop with True "Hard" Bypass Switch that fully removes FX Loop from signal path
• All Aluminum Chassis
• 1 Button Footswitch (Channel 1/2)
• Padded Gig Bag w/Strap

Available Cabinets (see Mini Recto Cab listing)

112 Slant Front - Celestion Vintage 30 - $449.00
112 Straight Front - Celestion Vintage 30 - $449.00

The Ultimate Companion to the New Mesa Mini Rectifier Head! We recommend the Slant cabinet due to the 1/2 stack rig being so small and low to the ground. The slanted baffle makes dispersion much better for hearing the amp and cabinet properly while either seated on a stool or while playing standing. Of course the full stack is mighty sweet!

Features and Specifications

• 60 Watt
• Celestion Vintage 30 Speaker
• Closed Back
• 8 Ohm
• Slant Front Cabinet
• Marine Grade Baltic Birch Cabinet
• Black Taurus Vinyl Covering
• Black Twisted Jute Grille
• Black Piping
• Slip Cover
   

Dimensions and Weight

• 19-3/4in H
• 18in W
• 11in D
• 32 lbs

Features and Specifications

• 60 Watt
• Celestion Vintage 30 Speaker
• Closed Back
• 8 Ohm
• Straight Front Cabinet
• Marine Grade Baltic Birch Cabinet
• Black Taurus Vinyl Covering
• Black Twisted Jute Grille
• Black Piping
• Slip Cover
   

Dimensions and Weight

• 19-3/4in H
• 18in W
• 11in D
• 34 lbs

Vital Stat's

• Serial Number: BD-000523
• Production Date: 7-14-2009
• Condition: Very Good (see below)
• Warranty: Full Factory
• Usual Selling Price $2028.00 (Base Price $1849.00 / Custom Vinyl and Grille: $179.00)

Condition

This amp has been our store demo Electra-Dyne since July 2009. The cosmetic condition would be considered 'mint' other than some sag to the jute grille cloth. Will ship with a full complement of new, Mesa power and preamp tubes and can be registered as a new amp with full Mesa warranty. Ships with footswitch, Mesa cover and all paperwork. If desired, the baffle panel can be replaced under warranty to resolve the sagging grill cloth, but at this price we'll leave that to the buyer....though we will liason with Mesa to help facilitate if requested.

Fat Sound's Take

The staff at Fat Sound is unanimous; we love the simplicity of this amp and find its easy to dial-in tones to rival many amps costing twice as much.

Considered by many to almost be an "Anti-Mesa" due to its lack of cascading preamp gain, pure power tube overdrive and simplicity. Unlike many Mesa amps you can't really hide behind this one so you need to be a bit on your game like with a Classic Marshall.....okay, maybe a bit more forgiving than that, but not by much.

A 6 knob Mesa.......well......7 knobs......if you count the rear panel reverb potentiometer, is hard to believe at first, but the simple control layout combined with the mode switches and true-hard-bypass switches for the reverb circuits (something Fat Sound Guitars has preached for years) allows for a wonderful range of very organic and soulful cleans to Classic Rock distortion without missing a beat in between.

Features:

• Mesa's Optional British Tan Bronco covering with Tan Grille
• Simul-Class™ Power Amp featuring a 45/90 Watt Power Switch that incorporates concept elements from Mesa's Patent Pending Multi-Watt™ and Patented Duo-Class™ technologies providing two power and two operating class options: 
• Choose 2 power tubes operating in time-honored Class A/B producing 45 Watts or 4 tubes running in Mesa’s legendary, Patented Simul-Class Power that blends the best of Class A and Class A/B simultaneously to produce 90 Watts of pure tonal magic / 4x6L6 (or 4xEL-34), 7x12AX7 
• Bias Select Switch (6L6 / EL34) • Fixed Bias for Consistent, Maintenance Free Performance 
• Single Channel simplicity with the performance versatility of a Multi-Channel amp through 3 Footswitchable Modes (Classic Boogie Clean, Vintage Low Gain, Vintage Hi Gain)
• Channel Control Features: Volume (Gain), Treble, Mid, Bass, Presence & Master Volume
• All-Tube, Long Spring Reverb with Auto Reverb Defeat Switch for Vintage Hi & Lo Modes (Defeat Mode removes Reverb from Vintage Hi & Low Modes but retains Reverb on Clean Mode – Normal Mode applies Reverb to all Modes) 
• Reverb Hard-Bypass Switch removes entire Reverb Circuit from amp 
• FX Loop w/Automatic Hard-Bypass to completely remove when not in use 
• Slave Out w/Level Control 
• External Switching Jacks for Vintage Low/Hi (Clean is default) & Reverb for use with a midi controller device if desired
• 2 Button Footswitch (Classic Clean, Vintage Low/Hi) 
• Celestion Classic 90 12" Speaker
• 26-3/4" Wide Body Version
• Slip Cover

Fat Sound's Take

With the release of Mesa's Royal Atlantic 100, Boogie has matched or even exceeded the tonal qualities of many higher-priced "boutique" brands. This is one seriously fantastic amplifier and while no amp is right for all players, anyone looking for a multi-channel amp with great cleans, great gain tones both classic and more modern would do themselves a disservice to not check out the RA-100.

This new Mesa offering, along with a few other recent Mesa releases, reveals an amplifier design team with a firm grasp on the guitar tones that today's guitarists, having so many fantastic amp choices available, have come to expect from the best amplifiers on the market.

While not exactly a stripped down amplifier, the RA-100 does show a refreshing level of bell-and-whistle restraint by Mesa's usual standards. Features considered by many players as essential such as on-board reverb circuit and a well designed fx loop are included, but even these are fully defeatable via hard bypass switches......a feature we are particularly fond of for its ability to allow the user to create a more straight forward, less complicated signal path for times when reverb and effects loops may not be needed and when ultimate tone is the number one priority such as when recording. The RA-100 manages to stop short of having the number of bells and whistles that look good on paper, but that tend to make an amplifier overly complicated at the expense of sonic perfection or simply to a level that some players don't want to deal with.

One fairly complicated feature that has been included is Mesa's new Multi-Soak technology which is yet another way of saying the amp has attenuation controls beyond the more basic master volume designs. In general we don't find any attenuator, power soak, variable wattage control or whatever you want to call it to be flawlessly effective. The best of these types of designs merely give the user further control over an amplifiers output level, but almost always involve some degree of sacrifice of either actual tone or perceived tone. Mesa's Multi-Soak works well when used for minimal attenuation and the ability to assign different levels of attenuation to different channels is a nice touch, but, as is always the case, perceived tonal quality does suffer at higher attenuation levels. However, when set to high levels of attenuation, based on recordings we've listened to, the amp still seems to get the correct tone "to tape" so this is a feature that should be very useful for folks who do a lot of home recording. And, as with the best attenuator type designs offered by other companies, Mesa's Multi-Soak feature will be very useful for working musicians who play a variety of room sizes and need to be able to tailor their amps output to suit changing volume constraints from venue to venue....as long as the attenuation is used relatively sparingly.

We love the Mesa RA-100 and absolutely recommend checking one out.

Excerpts From Mesa Engineering

CUSTOM DESIGNED AND HANDCRAFTED IN PETALUMA, CALIFORNIA

The All New ROYAL ATLANTIC wears an undeniable crown in the TransAtlantic fleet for delivering all this Tone with a big power gut-punch and three.....Modes of footswitchable performance. Packing 100 watts of EL34 Brit-voiced attitude, this Atlantic takes everything you love about Fullerton and Liverpool and brings it all together with rich, chest-thumping high gain......

The RA 100 also features our......new Channel Assignable Power Soaks.....[that will help you control your].....playing volume independent of power clip. ......Dial up a preamp sound in each of the Modes and crank in the [desired] amount of power saturation at the right volume - and footswitch between them......

2 Channels, 3 Footswitchable Modes

...each mode with Independent Channel Master & Multi-Soak Power Controls (Multi-Soak Controls on back panel)

• Channel 1 (Clean) features: Gain, Treble, Mid, Bass, Master & Multi-Soak (on back panel)
• Channel 2 (Footswitchable Vintage Lo-Gain & Vintage Hi-Gain Modes) features: Gain, Treble, Mid, Bass, Master-Lo, Master-Hi, Multi-Soak Lo & Multi-Soak Hi (on back panel)

Features and Specifications

• All-Tube Amplifier: 4xEL-34 (or 6L6's), 6x12AX7, 1x12AT7
• Proprietary Multi-Soak™, Channel Assignable Power Attenuator provides each channel with a 5-position power attenuation switch (-16db, -12db, -8db, -4db & 0db) for Power Ratings ranging from 3 Watts to 100 Watts of Class A/B Power
• Bias Select Switch (6L6/EL34)
• Fixed Bias for Consistent, Maintenance Free Performance
• A duplicate Footswitch Input is located on the Rear Panel to accommodate racking of the RA100 into large format rack systems where all switching is handled by a master(usually midi) switcher. The jacks (Front and Rear) respond to simple "tip to ground" logic and this is commonplace on most all master switching devices. It is usually preferable to have all wiring originate from the rear of these bigger rack systems and the Rear Panel Footswitch jack supports this "pro" wiring scheme.
  All-Tube, Long Spring Reverb with Auto Reverb Defeat Switch for Vintage Hi or Vintage Hi & Lo Modes ("Defeat" removes Reverb from selected mode/modes – "On" applies Reverb to all Modes)
• Reverb Hard-Bypass Switch removes entire Reverb Circuit from amp (all modes)
• Fully Buffered FX Loop w/Automatic Hard-Bypass, which completely removes itself when not in use
• Slave Out w/Level Control
• External Switching Jacks for Vintage Low/Hi (Clean is default)
• 22" Aluminum Chassis
• 2 Button Footswitch (Clean, Vintage Low/Hi)
• Black Taurus • Gray & Black Weave Grille
• Slip Cover
• Width - 26 ¾"

Mesa's Royal Atlantic 100 Overview

Two Channels house the three distinctively different footswitchable Modes

In the RA-100, each mode is dedicated to a region of musically useful gain and capable of iconic sounds. These are comprised of CLEAN, LO and HI and they cover the continents with inspiring soulfulness, conviction and authority.

Channel 1 - CLEAN
A decidedly American circuit, that chimes with bell-like clarity on the top and is filled out with bouncy, tight low-end that's warm and rich, but doesn't get tubby.

Channel 2 - Hi / Lo
Pays tribute to both classic and modified British sounds, and though the two Modes in this Channel share Tone controls, they are adept at delivering amazing, no-compromise footswitchable performance.

LO focuses on that touch-sensitive, dynamic region of gain produced by classic Brit circuits of the late-60's through early-70's
HI is tweaked for higher gain, moddified Big Iron Brit tones ranging from the 800-style Crunch tones of players like Slash and Zakk to the highest gain British style tones created by American Boutique builders.

These two Modes in Channel 2 interact with the one set of Tone controls virtually seamlessly and deliver their respective characters with surprising accuracy and detail. This enables you to switch across styles with a minimum of tweaking and a level of compromise that is well worth the trade in simplicity.

MULTI-SOAK™ - Channel Assignable Power Soaks.
While almost everyone loves the raw power, headroom and bold authority of a 100- watt power section pumping away beneath the deck, most of us have trouble finding a venue for all that muscle. While you can use the Front Panel 100/50 watt Half Power switch to berth two of the 4 power tubes for some cool applications, it's not the ultimate solution.

On the Rear Panel Panel, Multi-Soak™ appears as a row of 3 rotary controls – each assigned to one of the footswitchable Modes – that give you a choice of Bypass (no power reduction) and four popular levels of power soak volume attenuation. A master BYPASS/Engage Soaks switch resides on the Front Panel allowing you to remove the Multi-Soak Attenuators from the signal path completely. Whether you end up relying on the Multi-Soak feature for all your sounds or you only use it for specific Modes and applications, the versatility it creates is extremely powerful in both recording and live environments.

REVERB
Lush all-tube Reverb drenches the RA100's three Modes with a beautiful 3-D halo and assignable choices on where to use it for the best footswitchable results. A 3-position Reverb MODE DEFEAT mini toggle in the REVERB section of the Rear Panel lets you have the Reverb active in all Modes "ON" (toggle center), Defeated in HI (on in CLEAN and LO) or Defeated in LO and HI (on in CLEAN). The RA100 also provides a master REVERB BYPASS switch that enables you to remove the REVERB and all associated tubes and circuitry from the signal path for a more true-to-(at least Brit)vintage response. And if you still need more control than this sophisticated approach to applying REVERB offers… we've provided a "hidden Reverb kill" jack on the tube side of the chassis giving those who "don't mind the dance" total control.

BIAS SWITCH
An old favorite, we've included our handy BIAS SWITCH that allows you to swap the stock compliment of EL34 with the fatter, rounder sounding 6L6… for those who want to lean heavily on American citizenship when it comes to crunch time (and even more so in CLEAN).

2-SPEED FAN
Keeping a cool head is always a good idea, but for those times when passion gets the better of you (or you just have to play real quiet) we've fitted the Royal with a 2-speed fan switch. We recommend keeping it set to HIGH for the longest tube life and trouble-free operation, but the LOW (quieter) setting is there for recording sessions.

EFFECTS LOOP
A transparent Series EFFECTS LOOP handles outboard signal processing aboard the RA100 and provides a seamless interface for units that don't want to be "in front of the preamp" such as Delay, Chorus, Flange and Pitch Shifting based effects. The Loop Send is derived from a source at the end of the preamp and the RETURN is inserted back into the signal path near the input to the power section. The Loop is basically a patch point at the junction of preamp and power amp and this delivers the best signal to noise ratio and the least degradation of signal for most outboard devices. The RA100 EFFECTS LOOP incorporates switching-type jacks and when there are no patch cords and/or devices connected, the LOOP is HARD BYPASSED and all associated circuitry is removed from the signal path.

Fat Sound's Take

The Dual Rec was initially marketed as an amp for the Metal and Hard Rock crowd with some mention of Classic Rock style modes thrown in for good measure and, as a result, has achieved great success over the past 20 years primarily with players who focus on the heavier genres of music.

We actually feel that what this amp does best is Classic, *recorded*, Marshall style tones and modern American Modified Marshall tones. We really enjoy playing Classic Rock covers through this amp and find it extremely easy to dial in great rock-n-roll tones ranging from the late 60's through early 70's as well as the higher gain, nore saturated Brit tones from the late 80 and early 90's.

If you have always thought this was purely an amp for the Metal guys, give one a try when you have time to really get a handle on dialing it in or with someone who already is very familiar with the subtelties and nuances of tweaking the Recto for maximum tone and we think you might be very pleasantly surprised.

Mesa On The 2010 Dual Recto Revision

On the eve of its 20th Birthday, with still the widest, deepest footprint in heavy music and now a long list of chart topping devotees outside the world of heavy, the Recto has been re-worked, re-tuned and refined again.

Now with our patented Multi-Watt Channel Selectable Power, an Improved Effects Loop, Channel Assignable Rectifier Choices with RECTIFIER TRACKING, a TUNER OUT jack with SILENT TUNE feature and an all new Footswitch, the new Dual Rectifier are more menacing [Fat: we'd say "more versatile"] than ever!

Mesa Engineering has totally hit it out of the park with this amp. It's diminutive to the point of being ultra portable, but packs a serious wallop in terms of versatility and low end.

The entire Fat Sound staff was completely in shock when we first tried this amp.

Clean channel offers pristine cleans in "clean" mode that remain clean up to the volume levels most would ever need even with humbuckers. And I'm not talking about ho-hum clean, I'm talking boutique quality swirly, bloom and dynamics.

In "Crunch" mode the clean channel does an amazing SRV "Little Wing" tone at lower gain setting, but can be pushed in to Classic Rock rhythm crunch with higher gain knob settings.

The Gain channel starts off with a "Blues" mode that ranges from pushed, fat overdrive to thick meaty crunch and when set to "Burn mode you have infinite sustain with a round smooth top end.

The footswitchable contour controls for each channel allow you to gradually dial in the smiley face EQ settings of the 5:25's more expensive brethren, the Mark V. These controls do a remarkable job of allowing you to tailor the midrange setting of the amp to suit your individual tastes or the tonal characteristics of the guitar being used.

A mind-blower for sure!

Features:

• Duo-Class™ Power Amp allows you to select either 1 power tube in pure Class A (single-ended) producing 5 Watts or switching to 2 power tubes in Class A/B to produce 25 Watts via a 5/25 Power Switch / 2xEL-84 & 5x12AX7 
• Fixed Bias for consistent, maintenance free performance 
• 2 Fully Independent Channels with 4 Style Modes (Channel 1 = Clean or Crunch, Channel 2 = Blues or Burn) 
• Independent Gain, Treble, Mid, Bass, Reverb, Master and Contour Controls per Channel 
• Footswitchable Variable Contour Control on each channel provides the power of our 5-band graphic EQ all from 1 rotary control 
• All-Tube, Long Spring Reverb 
• All-Tube FX Loop 
• External Switching Jacks for Channel 1/2, Contour 1, Contour 2, Reverb 
• 3 Button Footswitch (Channel 1/2, Reverb & Contour) 
• Slip Cover

Mesa Engineering has totally hit it out of the park with this amp. It's diminutive to the point of being ultra portable, but packs a serious wallop in terms of versatility and low end.

The entire Fat Sound staff was completely in shock when we first tried this amp.

Clean channel offers pristine cleans in "clean" mode that remain clean up to the volume levels most would ever need even with humbuckers. And I'm not talking about ho-hum clean, I'm talking boutique quality swirly, bloom and dynamics.

In "Crunch" mode the clean channel does an amazing SRV "Little Wing" tone at lower gain setting, but can be pushed in to Classic Rock rhythm crunch with higher gain knob settings.

The Gain channel starts off with a "Blues" mode that ranges from pushed, fat overdrive to thick meaty crunch and when set to "Burn" mode you have infinite sustain with a round smooth top end.

The footswitchable contour controls for each channel allow you to gradually dial in the smiley face EQ settings of the 5:25's more expensive brethren, the Mark V. These controls do a remarkable job of allowing you to tailor the midrange setting of the amp to suit your individual tastes or the tonal characteristics of the guitar being used.

A mind-blower for sure!

Features:

• Duo-Class™ Power Amp allows you to select either 1 power tube in pure Class A (single-ended) producing 5 Watts or switching to 2 power tubes in Class A/B to produce 25 Watts via a 5/25 Power Switch / 2xEL-84 & 5x12AX7 
• Fixed Bias for consistent, maintenance free performance 
• 2 Fully Independent Channels with 4 Style Modes (Channel 1 = Clean or Crunch, Channel 2 = Blues or Burn) 
• Independent Gain, Treble, Mid, Bass, Reverb, Master and Contour Controls per Channel 
• Footswitchable Variable Contour Control on each channel provides the power of our 5-band graphic EQ all from 1 rotary control 
• All-Tube, Long Spring Reverb 
• All-Tube FX Loop 
• External Switching Jacks for Channel 1/2, Contour 1, Contour 2, Reverb 
• 3 Button Footswitch (Channel 1/2, Reverb & Contour) 
• Slip Cover

The staff at Fat Sound is unanimous; we love the simplicity of this amp and find its easy to dial-in tones to rival many amps costing twice as much.

Considered by many to almost be an "Anti-Mesa" due to its lack of cascading preamp gain, pure power tube overdrive and simplicity. Unlike many Mesa amps you can't really hide behind this one so you need to be a bit on your game like with a Classic Marshall.....okay, maybe a bit more forgiving than that, but not by much.

Listen to just how little gain there actually is in the second clip above. That's all 6L6 power tube break up and a hard right hand.

A 6 knob Mesa.......well......7 knobs......if you count the rear panel reverb potentiometer, is hard to believe at first, but the simple control layout combined with the mode switches and true-hard-bypass switches for the reverb circuits (something Fat Sound Guitars™ has preached for years) allows for a wonderful range of very organic and soulful cleans to Classic Rock distortion without missing a beat in between.

A Classic in the making!

Features:

• Simul-Class™ Power Amp featuring a 45/90 Watt Power Switch that incorporates concept elements from Mesa's Patent Pending Multi-Watt™ and Patented Duo-Class™ technologies providing two power and two operating class options: 
• Choose 2 power tubes operating in time-honored Class A/B producing 45 Watts or 4 tubes running in Mesa’s legendary, Patented Simul-Class Power that blends the best of Class A and Class A/B simultaneously to produce 90 Watts of pure tonal magic / 4x6L6 (or 4xEL-34), 7x12AX7 
• Bias Select Switch (6L6 / EL34) • Fixed Bias for Consistent, Maintenance Free Performance 
• Single Channel simplicity with the performance versatility of a Multi-Channel amp through 3 Footswitchable Modes (Classic Boogie Clean, Vintage Low Gain, Vintage Hi Gain)
• Channel Control Features: Volume (Gain), Treble, Mid, Bass, Presence & Master Volume
• All-Tube, Long Spring Reverb with Auto Reverb Defeat Switch for Vintage Hi & Lo Modes (Defeat Mode removes Reverb from Vintage Hi & Low Modes but retains Reverb on Clean Mode – Normal Mode applies Reverb to all Modes) 
• Reverb Hard-Bypass Switch removes entire Reverb Circuit from amp 
• FX Loop w/Automatic Hard-Bypass to completely remove when not in use 
• Slave Out w/Level Control 
• External Switching Jacks for Vintage Low/Hi (Clean is default) & Reverb for use with a midi controller device if desired
• 2 Button Footswitch (Classic Clean, Vintage Low/Hi) 
• Slip Cover

This all-tube thoroughbred shares a class with only one other amplifier - and that position is held by its brother – the mighty Road King™. In fact, the Roadster is a Road King without Progressive Linkage™ and other rear panel features that some players fear need a higher education to navigate.

The Roadster now offers the plug-and-play minded guitarist a way to enjoy a myriad of footswitchable preamp choices without the power option anxiety.

Throughout two lower gain Channels, 1 and 2, you’ll discover a wide range of classic clean sounds in the pairs of CLEAN and FAT modes. Once you’ve dialed in your ultimate clean sound, you can duplicate it in the other Channel and modify it for single note applications, a more pushed version or decide to switch to another mode for a radically different sound.

Meanwhile dedicated American Blues and English Rock sounds reside in the easily clippable mid-gain realms of TWEED and BRIT. These dynamic and incredibly expressive modes would make an amazing amplifier all by themselves as they roam the zone between clean and clipped with authentic finesse.

Channels 3 and 4 contain all the mind-altering iconic sounds of the legendary Dual Rectifier® Solo Head and hand you the keys to the world of high gain…both retro and future. The RAW, VINTAGE and MODERN modes cover the entire range of gain from a sweet clip, through liquid voice up to a crushing wall of tight grind and are duplicated in both Channels. This again allows you to either find a favorite sound and dedicate the channels to slight differences or, configure them for wildly different styles.

The Roadster also features Mesa's Multi-Watt™ Channel Assignable Power feature allowing you to choose either 50 or 100 watt power for each preamp Channel. This simple to use feature expands the potential of each Channel mode exponentially by enabling you to lower the power-clip threshold or, tighten things up as needed.

The two power choices also offer different personalities; 50 watts with its brighter, elastic bounce or 100 watts of tight-tracking low-end girth and mid punch authority.

Add to this power shaping magic Mesa's patented Tube Rectifier Tracking feature. Each channel features the ability to choose between the saggy bounce of the 5U4 Rectifier Tubes or the tight, bold authority of the Silicon Diodes. Selecting TUBE RECTIFIER TRACKING brings on-line one 5U4 when in 50 watts and two 5U4s when 100 watts is selected.

Reverb is paramount in an amplifier this versatile and the Roadster gets the best! Mesa has taken their all-tube circuit from the widely acclaimed Lone Star and the result is lush, ambient Reverb that blooms with sweetness as it bathes each note in old school glory. And because the Roadster's modes offer such a wide range of gain levels and sound styles, each Channel is fitted with a dedicated REVERB mix control located on the Rear Panel so Reverb can be optimized for each sound.

Additional features:

• Multi-Watt™, Channel Assignable Power Amp allows you to assign either 2 or all 4 Power Tubes to each Channel for Power Ratings of 50 or 100 Watts of Class A/B Power via independent 50/100 Watt Power Switches / 4x6L6 (or 4xEL-34), 6x12AX7, 2x5U4
• Bias Select Switch (6L6/EL34)
• Fixed Bias for Consistent, Maintenance Free Performance
• 4 Fully Independent Channels with 12 Modes (Channel 1 = Clean, Fat or Tweed™, Channel 2 = Clean, Fat or Brit, Channels 3 & 4 = Raw, Vintage High Gain or Modern High Gain)
• Each Channel features Independent Gain, Treble, Mid, Bass, Presence, All-Tube, Long Spring Reverb, Channel Assignable Dual Rectification with Recto Tracking™ (Diode or Tube Tracking, All-Tube FX Loop with Send Level Control (over all channels when activated)
• Output Level Control (over all channels when activated)
• Footswitchable Solo Level Control (over all channels when activated) • Bold/Spongy “Variac” Switch
• True “Hard” Bypass Switch that removes FX Loops, Output Level & Solo Level Controls from signal path
• Tuner Output w/Footswitchable Mute
• Slave Out w/Level Control
• External Switching Jacks for Channels 1, 2, 3, 4, Solo, Reverb, Tuner Mute, FX Loop
• 8 Button Footswitch (Channel 1, Channel 2, Channel 3, Channel 4, Reverb, Tuner Mute, FX Loop & Solo)
• Slip Cover

This amp has received much critical acclaim from magazine editors, pro players as well as hobbyists for good reason; it's a simple to operate, well-built, great looking, versatile and fantastic sounding amplifier. A Fat Sound Guitars™ favorite.

Features:

• Pure Class A, Multi-Watt™, Channel Assignable Power Amp allows you to assign either 1, 2 or all 4 Power Tubes to each Channel for Power Ratings of 5, 15 or 30 Watts per Channel via independent 5/15/30 Watt Power Switches / 4xEL84, 5x12AX7, 1x5Y3 
• Rectifier Tracking™ (5&15 Watt Mode = Tube, 30 Watt = Diode 
• 2 Fully Independent Channels each with Gain, Treble, Mid, Bass, Presence, Reverb & Master Controls 
• Channel 1=Boutique Vintage Clean/Classic Breakup 
• Channel 2=Clone of Ch 1 or Cascading High Gain 
• Drive/Clean Switch activates Ch 2 “Drive” Control (Multi-Stage Cascading Gain Circuit) 
• Thick/Normal/Thicker Voicing Switch (Channel 2) 
• All-Tube, Long Spring Reverb with Bright/Warm Reverb Tone Switch 
• Output Level Control (over all channels when activated) 
• Footswitchable Solo Level Control (over all channels when activated) 
• All-Tube FX Loop with Send Level Control (over all channels when activated) 
• True “Hard” Bypass Switch that removes FX Loop, Output Level & Solo Level Controls from signal path 
• Slave Out w/Level Control 
• Fan Cooled with On/Off Switch 
• External Switching Jacks for Channels 1/2, Solo & Reverb • All Aluminum Chassis 
• 2 Button Footswitch (Channel 1/2 & Solo) • Slip Cover

After about 20 minutes of swapping out the stock 6L6 power tubes for a quad of Mesa rated EL34's, turning knobs, throwing switches and getting a general feel for this amp I was actually, quite literally, blown away by how great this amp sounded. The cleans, the in-betweens and the higher gain tones are all simply first rate and bring a rare combination of boutique tones and feel, extreme versatility and relative affordability to the market.

All of the features really *work* and work very well.

An exceptional amp for anyone who needs tons of great tones at a reasonable price point!

Features:

• Handbuilt in the Petaluma, California
• Multi-Watt™Power Amp featuring Duo-Class™ allows you three power options that are channel assignable via 10/50/100 Watt Power Switches:Choose 2 power tubes operating in pure Class A (single-ended), producing 10 watts, or 2 or 4 power tubes running in time-honored Class A/B, producing 50 or 100 watts respectively / 4x6L6 (we prefer EL34's and supply the amp with that tube set unless otherwise requested), 5x12AX7, 1x5U4
• Bias Select Switch (6L6/EL34)
• Fixed Bias for Consistent, Maintenance Free Performance
• Selectable Diode or Tube Rectifier Tracking
• 2 Fully Independent Channels each with Gain, Treble, Mid, Bass, Presence, Reverb & Master Controls
• Channel 1=Boutique Vintage Clean/Classic Breakup - Channel 2=Clone of Ch 1 or Cascading High Gain
• Drive/Clean Switch activates Ch 2 “Drive” Control (Multi-Stage Cascading Gain Circuit)
• Thick/Normal/Thicker Voicing Switch (Channel 2)
• Full Power/Tweed™ “Variac” Switch
• All-Tube, Long Spring Reverb with Bright/Warm Reverb Tone Switch
• Output Level Control (over all channels when activated)
• Footswitchable Solo Level Control (over all channels when activated)
• All-Tube FX Loop with Send Level Control (over all channels when activated)
• True “Hard” Bypass Switch that removes FX Loop, Output Level & Solo Level Controls from signal path
• Slave Out w/Level Control
• External Switching Jacks for Channels 1/2, Solo & Reverb
• All Aluminum Chassis
• 2 Button Footswitch (Channel 1/2 & Solo)
• Slip Cover
• Standard Finish: Black Taurus, Black Grille, Silver Piping

After about 20 minutes of swapping out the stock 6L6 power tubes for a quad of Mesa rated EL34's, turning knobs, throwing switches and getting a general feel for this amp I was actually, quite literally, blown away by how great this amp sounded. The cleans, the in-betweens and the higher gain tones are all simply first rate and bring a rare combination of boutique tones and feel, extreme versatility and relative affordability to the market.

This isn't the old, "40-options-no-truly-inspiring-tones" amp designs of Mesa's mid 90's phase (sorry Randall); this is a no excuses tone monster! 

All of the features really *work* and work very well. 

An exceptional amp for anyone who needs tons of great tones at a reasonable price point!

Features:

• Handbuilt in the Petaluma, California
• Multi-Watt™Power Amp featuring Duo-Class™ allows you three power options that are channel assignable via 10/50/100 Watt Power Switches:Choose 2 power tubes operating in pure Class A (single-ended), producing 10 watts, or 2 or 4 power tubes running in time-honored Class A/B, producing 50 or 100 watts respectively / 4x6L6 (we prefer EL34's and supply the amp with that tube set unless otherwise requested), 5x12AX7, 1x5U4
•  Bias Select Switch (6L6/EL34)
• Fixed Bias for Consistent, Maintenance Free Performance
• Selectable Diode or Tube Rectifier Tracking 
• 2 Fully Independent Channels each with Gain, Treble, Mid, Bass, Presence, Reverb & Master Controls
• Channel 1=Boutique Vintage Clean/Classic Breakup - Channel 2=Clone of Ch 1 or Cascading High Gain
• Drive/Clean Switch activates Ch 2 “Drive” Control (Multi-Stage Cascading Gain Circuit)
• Thick/Normal/Thicker Voicing Switch (Channel 2)
• Full Power/Tweed™ “Variac” Switch
• All-Tube, Long Spring Reverb with Bright/Warm Reverb Tone Switch
• Output Level Control (over all channels when activated)
• Footswitchable Solo Level Control (over all channels when activated)
• All-Tube FX Loop with Send Level Control (over all channels when activated)
• True “Hard” Bypass Switch that removes FX Loop, Output Level & Solo Level Controls from signal path
• Slave Out w/Level Control
• Fan Cooled with On/Off Switch
• External Switching Jacks for Channels 1/2, Solo & Reverb
• All Aluminum Chassis
• 2 Button Footswitch (Channel 1/2 & Solo)
• Slip Cover
• 1x12 Combo
• (Width 26-3/4 in), C90 Speaker, Casters
• Standard Finish: Black Taurus, Black Grille, Silver Piping

"It's a bit funny while simultaneously sad and a bit frustrating when a player tells me that he tried one of these amps out at a Mega Chain Store and didn't think it sounded all that great. Trust me, if you've had this experience or heard of someone who has, I guarantee you the shop employee who was "dialing" in the amp didn't know how to operate it. It really isn't that difficult if you have even a rudimentary understanding of the unit. Once understood there are very few multi-channel amps that can touch this beast and the ones that can are a whole lot more money.

My first Mesa was a used Mark III combo purchased in the late 80's. When the Mark IV was released I bought one immediately. The Mark IV was excellent at recreating Metallica-like tones, but, IMO, fell short of superlative cleans or in-betweens and could be frustrating to dial in.

Now, the long awaited Mark V has been released and it is a truly remarkable amplifier. So much more useable on every channel than any Mark series to come before it. All three channels sound perfect. It's as if Mesa opened their ears, went outside their Petaluma, CA design studio, listened to what was going on in the boutique world and figured out a way to combine some of the absolute best of the boutique amps sounds with the best classic Mesa sounds all in one amp that comes in at just under two grand. The Mesa Mark 5 gives you loads of ways to tweak each channel, but is ultimately very intuitive to use and easy to dial up; something I could never say about the Mark IV.

Regardless of the style of music you play you should take a serious look at the all new Mesa Mark 5. It's a fantastic amplifier in every respect. If a player asked me what one amp they should own as a desert island amp, the Boogie Mark V would be my answer; it's That good and That versatile!"

-Stu Carter, owner Fat Sound Guitars

The 40th Anniversary Mark V, released in 2009, is unlike any other Boogie Mark series to come before it. Filled with stellar tones, loads of options yet easy to dial in a huge variety of perfect tones. Throughout the mid 80' and early 90's I owned every Mark series Mesa every created and none of them ever came close to achieving the tonal quality that this amp is capable of. This new model is also the easiest ever to dial in.

The front panel appears daunting at first, but it took me no more than thirty minutes to have it completely figured out without ever opening the owner's manual and I had three channels of fantastic tones dialed in within the first 10 minutes! Tons of options, but very intuitive to operate with excellent UI.

Demand is very high with all units currently arriving pre-sold. We recommend calling us toll free at 888-FAT-SOUND or emailing to reserve your head or combo today!

Features:
 

• Simul-Class™ Power Amp featuring Multi-Watt™ and Duo-Class™ technologies which provide three power and three operating class options that are channel assignable via 10/45/90 Watt Power Switches: Choose 2 power tubes operating in pure vintage Class A (single-ended), producing 10 Watts - 2 tubes running in time-honored Class A/B producing 45 Watts or 4 tubes running in Mesa’s legendary, patented Simul-Class Power that blends the best of Class A and Class A/B simultaneously to produce 90 Watts of pure tonal magic / 4x6L6 (or 4xEL-34), 7x12AX7, 1x5U4
• Bias Select Switch (6L6/EL34)
• Fixed Bias for Consistent, Maintenance Free Performance
• Full Power/Variac Power™ Switch
• 3 Fully Independent Channels with 9 Modes (Channel 1 = Clean, Fat or Tweed™, Channel 2 = Edge, Crunch or Mark I™, Channel 3 = Mark IIC+™, Mark IV™ or Extreme)
• Normal/Bold Switch on Channel 1, Normal/Thick Switch on Channel 2 (Mark I mode only), Normal/Bright Switch & Pentode/Triode Switch on Channel 3
• Each Channel features: Independent Gain, Treble, Mid, Bass, Presence, Master, Footswitchable or Auto-Assignable Contour Depth Control, Footswitchable All-Tube, Long
• Spring Reverb Control, Rectifier Tracking™ (Auto-selects Tube for all 10 Watt Modes, Diode for all 90 Watt Modes, selectable Tube or Diode for 45 Watt Modes on Channels 1 and 2, Diode for 45 Watt Mode on Channel 3
• 5 Band Graphic EQ is Footswitchable, Channel Assignable and Selectable between 1 group of 5-Band Sliders or 3 channel specific, variable depth Contour Controls
• Footswitchable, Channel Assignable or True Bypassable All-Tube FX Loop with Send Level Control (over all channels when activated)
• Output Level Control (over all channels when activated)
• Footswitchable Solo Level Control (over all channels when activated)
• True “Hard” Bypass Switch removes FX Loops, Output Level & Solo Level Controls from signal path
• Tuner Output w/Footswitchable Mute
• Slave Out w/Level Control
• Fan Cooled with On/Off Switch
• External Switching Jacks for Channels 2, 3 (channel 1 is default), EQ & Solo
• Aluminum Chassis
• New 4x4 - 8 Button Footswitch (Bottom Row: Channel 1, Channel 2, Channel 3, Solo – Top Row: Reverb, FX Loop, EQ & Tuner Mute)
• Slip Cover
• Kitchen Sink, Ice Maker, Beer Cooler (just kidding) but easier to use then this list suggests (not kidding)!

Limited Edition

This 40th Anniversary, Commemorative Mark 5 Combo is one of only 75 to be built for worldwide distribution. Hand-Signed by Randall Smith, Housed in a beautiful, Private Reserve, Flamed Walnut, finger-jointed cabinet with wood specially sourced and hand-selected by James Aschow, Mesa VP & Master Cabinet designer and inlaid with Custom hand-jeweled Paua Abalone & Mother of Pearl emblems on top of cabinet as well as inside the cabinet with the production number. The ultimate example of the finest Mesa amplifier ever built and frankly, one of the best channel switchers ever built.

Also features vintage style wicker, cane grille cloth and signed letter of authenticity.

This Limited Edition amplifier represents one of the finest sounding, channel switching amplifiers ever built, in one of the most gorgeous cabinets imaginable and only 35 people in the US will ever own one like it!

Photo's above represent the actual amplifier we have for sale which has been repackaged and will remain in its box until purchased.

Fat Sound's Take

It's a bit funny while simultaneously sad and a bit frustrating when a players tell me that he tried one of these amps out at a Mega Chain Store and didn't think it sounded all that great. Trust me, if you've had this experience or heard of someone who has, I guarantee you the shop employee who was "dialing" in the amp didn't know how to operate it. It really isn't that difficult if you have even a rudimentary understanding of the unit. Once understood there are very few multi-channel amps that can touch this beast and the ones that can are a whole lot more money.

My first Mesa was a used Mark III combo purchased in the late 80's. When the Mark IV was released I bought one immediately. The Mark IV was excellent at recreating Metallica-like tones, but, IMO, fell short of superlative cleans or in-betweens and could be frustrating to dial in.

Now, the long awaited Mark V has been released and it is a truly remarkable amplifier. So much more useable on every channel than any Mark series to come before it. All three channels sound perfect. It's as if Mesa opened their ears, went outside their Petaluma, CA design studio, listened to what was going on in the boutique world and figured out a way to combine some of the absolute best of the boutique amps sounds with the best classic Mesa sounds all in one amp that comes in at just under two grand. The Mesa Mark 5 gives you loads of ways to tweak each channel, but is ultimately very intuitive to use and easy to dial up; something I could never say about the Mark IV.

Regardless of the style of music you play you should take a serious look at the all new Mesa Mark 5. It's a fantastic amplifier in every respect. If a player asked me what one amp they should own as a desert island amp, the Boogie Mark V would be my answer; it's That good and That versatile!

-Stu Carter, owner Fat Sound Guitars

The feature set is pretty mind boggling:

• Simul-Class™ Power Amp featuring Multi-Watt™ (Patent Pending) and Duo-Class™ technologies which provide three power and three operating class options that are channel assignable via 10/45/90 Watt Power Switches: Choose 2 power tubes operating in pure vintage Class A (single-ended), producing 10 Watts - 2 tubes running in time-honored Class A/B producing 45 Watts or 4 tubes running in Mesa’s legendary, patented Simul-Class Power that blends the best of Class A and Class A/B simultaneously to produce 90 Watts of pure tonal magic / 4x6L6 (or 4xEL-34), 7x12AX7, 1x5U4
• Bias Select Switch (6L6/EL34)
• Fixed Bias for Consistent, Maintenance Free Performance
• Full Power/Variac Power™ Switch
• 3 Fully Independent Channels with 9 Modes (Channel 1 = Clean, Fat or Tweed™, Channel 2 = Edge, Crunch or Mark I™, Channel 3 = Mark IIC+™, Mark IV™ or Extreme)
• Normal/Bold Switch on Channel 1, Normal/Thick Switch on Channel 2 (Mark I mode only), Normal/Bright Switch & Pentode/Triode Switch on Channel 3
• Each Channel features: Independent Gain, Treble, Mid, Bass, Presence, Master, Footswitchable or Auto-Assignable Contour Depth Control, Footswitchable All-Tube, Long Spring Reverb Control, Rectifier Tracking™ (Auto-selects Tube for all 10 Watt Modes, Diode for all 90 Watt Modes, selectable Tube or Diode for 45 Watt Modes on Channels 1 and 2, Diode for 45 Watt Mode on Channel 3
• 5 Band Graphic EQ is Footswitchable, Channel Assignable and Selectable between 1 group of 5-Band Sliders or 3 channel specific, variable depth Contour Controls
• 5 Band EQ
• Footswitchable, Channel Assignable or True Bypassable All-Tube FX Loop with Send Level Control (over all channels when activated)
• Effects Loop
• Output Level Control (over all channels when activated)
• Footswitchable Solo Level Control (over all channels when activated)
• True “Hard” Bypass Switch removes FX Loops, Output Level & Solo Level Controls from signal path
• Tuner Output w/Footswitchable Mute
• Slave Out w/Level Control
• Fan Cooled with On/Off Switch
• External Switching Jacks for Channels 2, 3 (channel 1 is default), EQ & Solo
• Aluminum Chassis • New 4x4 - 8 Button Footswitch (Bottom Row: Channel 1, Channel 2, Channel 3, Solo – Top Row: Reverb, FX Loop, EQ & Tuner Mute)
• Slip Cover
• Kitchen Sink, Ice Maker, Beer Cooler (just kidding) but easier to use than this list suggests (not kidding)!

Highly Recommended!!™