Boogie Bill!!!!!Mesa ?'s
- Thread starter Dirtyking
- Start date
larry_emder
New member
Re: Boogie Bill!!!!!Mesa ?'s
I got one. I like it lots.
Thats a bloody good price too, i paid $1000AU for mine (2nd hand)
I got one. I like it lots.
Thats a bloody good price too, i paid $1000AU for mine (2nd hand)
J
Jeff Dunne
Guest
Re: Boogie Bill!!!!!Mesa ?'s
It won't go for over 500, those .22+'s go cheap!
It won't go for over 500, those .22+'s go cheap!
DesertRose
New member
Re: Boogie Bill!!!!!Mesa ?'s
never heard of the .22+ studio before.
I think it should still be a nice sounding amp
never heard of the .22+ studio before.
I think it should still be a nice sounding amp
Boogie Bill
New member
Re: Boogie Bill!!!!!Mesa ?'s
Studios are pretty cool little amps. They are loud enough to hang with a drummer for certain types of situations, if you are not getting too loud. They are a better blues/country/rock/pop amp than something you'd use for Metal--I mean, hey, we are talking 22 watts and a 112 combo--not a Triple Rectifier pushing eight V30s!
What makes all the difference in the world in these amps is the Graphic EQ--that's the one to get, because of all the extra tonal shaping you can do with it.
The Studio .22+ Caliber was replaced by the Dual Caliber DC-2, and its big brothers: the DC3, DC-5 and DC-10. These amps have the advantage over the original Caliber Series of dedicated gain, tone, reverb, and masters for each channel. (The bigger amps are simply ferocious. I have a DC-3 and it is one of the nicest amps ever, IMHO.) Nomads took over as being a three channel Caliber--though these amps also have some of the design features of both Mark Series and Rectifier Series amps, as well. The F-30 is now the closest thing in the Mesa lineup with its 2xEL84 power, but the F-30 preamp was a new design by Randall Smith for these amps, and it too, is a winner.
As the trend has been to small amps, these little guys have a lot of fans; and rightfully so. I'm of the generation that daisy-chained two or more Dual Showmans together; so little amps like the Studio .22 would often fail to impress me. That is, until I realized that you could get the sound of a wide-open amp--and actually live to tell about it! The DC-3 has a very different sound than my other amps--and it's a very addictive experience to hear those little glowing glass bottles really working hard.
If you are really looking for something to light up a metal band, I think you are looking in the wrong place. But if the Mesa Studio .22+ sounds like it could be your ticket to sonic paradise, then go for it! I doubt is will go for $280--I think $480 is going to be closer to the sale price. But even at that, it's an amp that can serve you for a very long time, and hold its value exceptionally well, too.
Bill
Studios are pretty cool little amps. They are loud enough to hang with a drummer for certain types of situations, if you are not getting too loud. They are a better blues/country/rock/pop amp than something you'd use for Metal--I mean, hey, we are talking 22 watts and a 112 combo--not a Triple Rectifier pushing eight V30s!
What makes all the difference in the world in these amps is the Graphic EQ--that's the one to get, because of all the extra tonal shaping you can do with it.
The Studio .22+ Caliber was replaced by the Dual Caliber DC-2, and its big brothers: the DC3, DC-5 and DC-10. These amps have the advantage over the original Caliber Series of dedicated gain, tone, reverb, and masters for each channel. (The bigger amps are simply ferocious. I have a DC-3 and it is one of the nicest amps ever, IMHO.) Nomads took over as being a three channel Caliber--though these amps also have some of the design features of both Mark Series and Rectifier Series amps, as well. The F-30 is now the closest thing in the Mesa lineup with its 2xEL84 power, but the F-30 preamp was a new design by Randall Smith for these amps, and it too, is a winner.
As the trend has been to small amps, these little guys have a lot of fans; and rightfully so. I'm of the generation that daisy-chained two or more Dual Showmans together; so little amps like the Studio .22 would often fail to impress me. That is, until I realized that you could get the sound of a wide-open amp--and actually live to tell about it! The DC-3 has a very different sound than my other amps--and it's a very addictive experience to hear those little glowing glass bottles really working hard.
If you are really looking for something to light up a metal band, I think you are looking in the wrong place. But if the Mesa Studio .22+ sounds like it could be your ticket to sonic paradise, then go for it! I doubt is will go for $280--I think $480 is going to be closer to the sale price. But even at that, it's an amp that can serve you for a very long time, and hold its value exceptionally well, too.
Bill
Dirtyking
New member
Re: Boogie Bill!!!!!Mesa ?'s
Thanks Bill, I already have a Randall tube half stack for band practice and gigs. I want something small for practice and recording in house that won't crumble the walls and make me deaf. But its got to be a tube amp with great cleans and open tone. And I got that V-twin pedal to punish it as well. Thanks again for the Mesa info.
Thanks Bill, I already have a Randall tube half stack for band practice and gigs. I want something small for practice and recording in house that won't crumble the walls and make me deaf. But its got to be a tube amp with great cleans and open tone. And I got that V-twin pedal to punish it as well. Thanks again for the Mesa info.
Falstaff
New member
Re: Boogie Bill!!!!!Mesa ?'s
I had a .22 with the EQ many moons ago and really wish I didn't sell it. It's very versatile and when you use it a Tele sounds like a Tele and a Les Paul sounds like a Les Paul, if you know what I mean. It's not going to give you the 'modern' Recto tone; it does give you a nice classic rock crunch kind of thing, though. Sounds especially great with P90 guitars...Rickenbackers too!
Like Bill said, you can crank these and they sound great.
I have some clips I can dig up for you if you want.
I had a .22 with the EQ many moons ago and really wish I didn't sell it. It's very versatile and when you use it a Tele sounds like a Tele and a Les Paul sounds like a Les Paul, if you know what I mean. It's not going to give you the 'modern' Recto tone; it does give you a nice classic rock crunch kind of thing, though. Sounds especially great with P90 guitars...Rickenbackers too!
Like Bill said, you can crank these and they sound great.
I have some clips I can dig up for you if you want.
CapoFirstFret
New member
Re: Boogie Bill!!!!!Mesa ?'s
I have a Mesa/Boogie DC-2 Studio Caliber which is the 25 watt version, no contour or EQ but I paid $360 american for it, and it's amazing....I love this amp..and it has a direct record out so I can silent record (has a switch for turning the speaker off! how beautiful is that!) ..it's a great sounding amp, does a lot of different stuff. Can't go wrong with these
I have a Mesa/Boogie DC-2 Studio Caliber which is the 25 watt version, no contour or EQ but I paid $360 american for it, and it's amazing....I love this amp..and it has a direct record out so I can silent record (has a switch for turning the speaker off! how beautiful is that!) ..it's a great sounding amp, does a lot of different stuff. Can't go wrong with these
Re: Boogie Bill!!!!!Mesa ?'s
hey everyone
i've had a studio caliber for a few years now, and its really awesome, such a nice clean channel. this amp has made me very narrow minded when it comes to amps, nothing sounds as good as boogies now.. the lead channel on this thing is pretty crap but i reckon, it seems so saturated and midrangey,even with the gain quite low
hey everyone
i've had a studio caliber for a few years now, and its really awesome, such a nice clean channel. this amp has made me very narrow minded when it comes to amps, nothing sounds as good as boogies now.. the lead channel on this thing is pretty crap but i reckon, it seems so saturated and midrangey,even with the gain quite low
Boogie Bill
New member
Re: Boogie Bill!!!!!Mesa ?'s
Jaydub's post brings up a great point.
When we talk about amps, are you talking about an amp for live performance; or for studio work, or as a practice amp? My thought is that a Peavey Blazer isn't what you'd want to use for live performance, but it's fine as a practice amp, and would probably give you some great recorded tones. Your 200-watt Marshall Major is perfect for deafening the people in the back row at Woodstock, but it's not suitable for a practice amp.
One of the big knocks on some of Mesa's amps is that, "Well, it gets a great clean/crunch/distortion [pick one], but then the clean/crunch/distortion [pick a different one] SUCKS!"
Let's look at the Studio .22+. AHA! There's a tip right there! "STUDIO"!!! In a studio, you don't need an amp that channel switches! You are going to set up the rig, play the track, and then punch in any overdubs and additional tracks with a rig designed to lay down the best tone for that track. Nothing is in REAL-TIME.
Having a versatile, channel-switching in the studio can be a real asset. A Studio .22 or a Mark IV can sound like many different amps. In a STUDIO, where you can take the time to tweak the tone of each track (and not just with amp settings, but using different mics and processors, etc.), a Swiss-Army knife amp like a Studio .22 or Mark IV can actually SAVE a lot of time.
I've been using a Mark IV for live club use for about three years. There are about 15 different amps in that box; considering the three channels, the Class A/Simul-Class option, the Presence Shift on the R2 and LEAD channels, the Harmonics/Mid-Gain Shift, TWEED/FULL POWER and the various tube options. For me, I've been happy using just a few of those options for my live gigs; but I'm sure that in a recording environment, I'd be exploring many more of them.
The disadvantage of an amp like the Mark IV is that it does take a bit of a learning curve. A lot of guys just aren't willing to do that. They want "turn-everyting-on-10-instant-gratification". That won't work with most Mesa amps. I think for live use, my Mark III amps are probably the easiest to use. I just set all the knobs where Boogie tells you to set them--right at the sweet spots--and the tone is killer! I may do a bit of tweaking here and there for various guitars or different songs, but generally the sweet spot is where I like to stay. In turn, what is SO amazing about the Mark IV is that it has so many different sweet spots.
Mesas don't have a lot of bass; they design them to keep your tone from muddying up the sound of the band. You don't need to blast away in the low register--that's for the bassist. If you need more bass from a Mesa combo, look into getting a Theile cab. And the EL84s of that amp will attenuate the top-end, too. You won't get the open, airy top-end of a 6L6 or 6V6 Fender. You will get a rounded, chimey top-end. If you're used to a Fender amp, this can take some getting used to. Just remember, it isn't "wrong", it's just different.
That fat mid-range tone makes your guitar sing ever so sweetly. You won't get buzz-saw gain, but these tones are perfect for blues and classic rock. And what Falstaff said is so true--the tone of YOUR guitar comes through. Every guitar I have ever plugged into my Mesa amps has sounded its best! With my G&L Legacys, my Mark III produces solid clean tones; a dark crunchy R2 tone; and searing lead tones.
Mark Series amps are better at getting great tones LIVE. You can use the Studio .22 and the .50 Caliber live; but by their very nature, there are some compromises. In the controlled environment of the studio, the need for instantly-gratifying channel-switching is a non-issue.
As so many of the other posters pointed out, for DirtyKing's intended uses as outlined in his original post--the Studio .22+ should be a great amp to have.
Bill
Jaydub's post brings up a great point.
When we talk about amps, are you talking about an amp for live performance; or for studio work, or as a practice amp? My thought is that a Peavey Blazer isn't what you'd want to use for live performance, but it's fine as a practice amp, and would probably give you some great recorded tones. Your 200-watt Marshall Major is perfect for deafening the people in the back row at Woodstock, but it's not suitable for a practice amp.
One of the big knocks on some of Mesa's amps is that, "Well, it gets a great clean/crunch/distortion [pick one], but then the clean/crunch/distortion [pick a different one] SUCKS!"
Let's look at the Studio .22+. AHA! There's a tip right there! "STUDIO"!!! In a studio, you don't need an amp that channel switches! You are going to set up the rig, play the track, and then punch in any overdubs and additional tracks with a rig designed to lay down the best tone for that track. Nothing is in REAL-TIME.
Having a versatile, channel-switching in the studio can be a real asset. A Studio .22 or a Mark IV can sound like many different amps. In a STUDIO, where you can take the time to tweak the tone of each track (and not just with amp settings, but using different mics and processors, etc.), a Swiss-Army knife amp like a Studio .22 or Mark IV can actually SAVE a lot of time.
I've been using a Mark IV for live club use for about three years. There are about 15 different amps in that box; considering the three channels, the Class A/Simul-Class option, the Presence Shift on the R2 and LEAD channels, the Harmonics/Mid-Gain Shift, TWEED/FULL POWER and the various tube options. For me, I've been happy using just a few of those options for my live gigs; but I'm sure that in a recording environment, I'd be exploring many more of them.
The disadvantage of an amp like the Mark IV is that it does take a bit of a learning curve. A lot of guys just aren't willing to do that. They want "turn-everyting-on-10-instant-gratification". That won't work with most Mesa amps. I think for live use, my Mark III amps are probably the easiest to use. I just set all the knobs where Boogie tells you to set them--right at the sweet spots--and the tone is killer! I may do a bit of tweaking here and there for various guitars or different songs, but generally the sweet spot is where I like to stay. In turn, what is SO amazing about the Mark IV is that it has so many different sweet spots.
Mesas don't have a lot of bass; they design them to keep your tone from muddying up the sound of the band. You don't need to blast away in the low register--that's for the bassist. If you need more bass from a Mesa combo, look into getting a Theile cab. And the EL84s of that amp will attenuate the top-end, too. You won't get the open, airy top-end of a 6L6 or 6V6 Fender. You will get a rounded, chimey top-end. If you're used to a Fender amp, this can take some getting used to. Just remember, it isn't "wrong", it's just different.
That fat mid-range tone makes your guitar sing ever so sweetly. You won't get buzz-saw gain, but these tones are perfect for blues and classic rock. And what Falstaff said is so true--the tone of YOUR guitar comes through. Every guitar I have ever plugged into my Mesa amps has sounded its best! With my G&L Legacys, my Mark III produces solid clean tones; a dark crunchy R2 tone; and searing lead tones.
Mark Series amps are better at getting great tones LIVE. You can use the Studio .22 and the .50 Caliber live; but by their very nature, there are some compromises. In the controlled environment of the studio, the need for instantly-gratifying channel-switching is a non-issue.
As so many of the other posters pointed out, for DirtyKing's intended uses as outlined in his original post--the Studio .22+ should be a great amp to have.
Bill
Dirtyking
New member
Re: Boogie Bill!!!!!Mesa ?'s
Wow! Awesome post Bill. Thanks again for your input on the .50 cal/Studio Boogies. I'm gonna save a little more cash so I can actually win one of these auctions and still afford shipping. I got a fever and the only perscription is more Boogie.......
Wow! Awesome post Bill. Thanks again for your input on the .50 cal/Studio Boogies. I'm gonna save a little more cash so I can actually win one of these auctions and still afford shipping. I got a fever and the only perscription is more Boogie.......
