Mesa Boogie F-30

[astrozombie]

any experience with this model? Would you consider this an upgrade from my marshall dsl401?

[regan]

Re: Mesa Boogie F-30

No experience of the F series, but would say Boogies are generally better than most modern Marshalls,
Is it a recent acquisition? how much did you pay for it?/how much is it going for?

[Vasshu the humanoid typhoon]

Re: Mesa Boogie F-30

O_0 amp adhd much??

[astrozombie]

Re: Mesa Boogie F-30

O_0 amp adhd much??

there is cash involved and im a little stripped

[regan]

Re: Mesa Boogie F-30

Have you tried the amp? and do you like it?
I understand the F30 has a 30 watt output stage with 2 el84's while your marshall has 40 watts with 4 el84's.
I wonder if this has a impact on clean headroom and this may make/break the deal depending on your preference

[dystrust]

Re: Mesa Boogie F-30

In terms of reliability & durability, the Mesa is absolutely a better amp than a DSL-401. Have you had a chance to play one? I personally don't care for most Mesas, especially that F-series and wouldn't make the trade for that reason unless I was planning to flip it.

[Vasshu the humanoid typhoon]

Re: Mesa Boogie F-30

^Eh I know Boggiebilly will kill me for this, but Mesa sucks just as much as Marshall reliability wise....
We get just as many Mesa's as Marshalls in for amp repairs...

Dunno what you want with a F-30....thought you where into the LP Marshall sound!

[ItsaBass]

Re: Mesa Boogie F-30

It's a good amp, and a DEFINITE upgrade IMO. It is what evolved into the Express 5:25 (which then evolved in the Express Plus 5:25, the current offering). I had the F50 head, which is the 50 watt version in that series. I only got the 50 because it was a blowout deal that I couldn't pass up; otherwise, I would have got the 30 because it's a better sounding amp IMO. The F30 and F50 are pretty much like the Express and Express Plus 5:25 and 5:50, but without as many useful features. They don't have the clean boost, foot switchable 5-band e.q., variable power modes, or a few other cool things. I now have the current evolution of the amp (the decked out Express Plus 5:25 mentioned earlier).

The F30 is an inherently "better" (IMO) sounding and significantly more versatile amp than your Marshall, in terms of tone and malleability. I'd take one over that Marshall without even thinking about it. That said, I gravitate toward lower wattage, dual-EL-84 or 6V6 amps most of the time. I like the way they respond, and I'm used to it, so I would of course tend to favor the F30, even if it didn't have all the extreme tonal versatility.

[Boogie Bill]

Re: Mesa Boogie F-30

I like the F-30 a lot and was actively hunting for one when a great deal on a Mark V:25 stack was too good to pass up.

Supposedly, the F-Series preamp was designed to deliver clean tones in the BF Fender realm, with the LEAD CHANNEL still delivering Mesa's singing lead tones. It's a simpler control panel, with fewer switching options, but it is no one-trick pony. I've seen guys use them for jazz, rock, country, blues and metal gigs. Fender had their "Evil" Twin, but the F-100 has a much better distorted lead tone, and far more versatility in the clean channel. The 112 F-50 combo sits in the middle, more portable than the 212 combo...more headroom than the F-30.

With only a 2xEL84 power section the F-30 should give some nice compression and crunch at tolerable volume, and should be able to hang with a drummer in small clubs. Set it on top of a Mesa 112 Thiele cab for some additional bottom-end punch and projection, and you'll have a tremendously versatile rig.

Bill

[Myaccount876]

Re: Mesa Boogie F-30

From word of mouth (so take that for what it is worth), the F series is supposed to have some of the best clean sounds out there, that tends to take "amp in a box" preamp/pedals well. Never tried it, so I wouldn't know for sure, but for a while I was considering an F-50 before I settled on a Bassman 70.