What exactly does each of the 3 volume knobs do on mesa .50 caliber +.

[Young Angus]

Ive just been playing around with my new mesa .50 caliber + combo and this thing really sounds awesome! Cleans are lovely and full and the gain (although i havent been able to crank it right up yet) sounds pretty darn rockin!

There are three volume knobs on this amp, one marked "volume", one "master", and one marked "lead master" which is only active when playing on the lead channel.

They all seem to do different things when playing on the lead channel, i just have no idea what exactly they are doing and im sure if i knew id be able to more accurately dial in my tones.

So what exactly do these three volume knobs do?

Thanks in advance :13:

 

[Artie]

Re: What exactly does each of the 3 volume knobs do on mesa .50 caliber +.

Generally, "volume" controls how much of your guitar signal makes it to the pre-amp. "Master" generally controls how much of the pre-amp makes it to the power section.

"Lead master" is probably somewhere in between, but I couldn't say for sure.

 

[Kent S.]

Re: What exactly does each of the 3 volume knobs do on mesa .50 caliber +.

Ive just been playing around with my new mesa .50 caliber + combo and this thing really sounds awesome! Cleans are lovely and full and the gain (although i havent been able to crank it right up yet) sounds pretty darn rockin!

There are three volume knobs on this amp, one marked "volume", one "master", and one marked "lead master" which is only active when playing on the lead channel.

They all seem to do different things when playing on the lead channel, i just have no idea what exactly they are doing and im sure if i knew id be able to more accurately dial in my tones.

So what exactly do these three volume knobs do?

Thanks in advance :13:

It's been a while since i messed with a 50, as I remeber though ...
The first marked volume affects the gain of the others as it's the first, it's literally the first block of gain stages, the higher it is the more over the top your overdrive will be, it also serves as a dirty rhythm channel if you crank it to ten and turn down the master (as I remember at least ) the volume and master work as a master volume amp if you want it sparkly clean set your volume low and your master higher, the lead channel tossing in extra gain stages in kinda a preset amount, hence the higher that first volume knob is the more availble gain there is to work with, the lead master serves to balance out the volume difference between the normal and lead mode, it can also if the master is turned low enough kinda function as a gain control as well, of course at that point there is no way the amp is going to be clean. So the volume is first with it's gain, then comes a boat load of gain, then the lead master, then the master then on to the power stage driver/splitter.
I forget exactly where the treble, middle, bass controls come into play in the chain... I want to say it's split up between the two stages of gain on the volume control (much like a fender ... big shock there ... ). Anyway, that's the way it works ... even though it sounds as if it would limit your tonal options, well it doesn't seem to most of the time. In other words the maxed out gain would be volume 10, lead master 10, and master 1/2 or so, (then again double check that with the manual off of mesa'a site, the reason is that I forget if the it bypasses the master in lead mode ... if it does you wouldn't want to try that setting [amp at full volume/gain]), you'd get maximum overdrive that way, but the amp couldn't get clean ... most times there will be more than enough drive for whatever style you are playing, and no need to go to that extreme of gain. Like wise if you are playing a clean rhythm part jumping into a full bore melt down lead tone probably won't be required ... so their system works out pretty good.

 

[Kent S.]

Re: What exactly does each of the 3 volume knobs do on mesa .50 caliber +.

What I forgot to mention was, generally try to set your volume as high as possible with out the guitar distorting on chords (unless you want it to), then balance the volume (loudness) of that sound with the master, turn the lead master all the way down, then hit the lead mode and bring that up to wherever you want, and that's pretty much it with the 50s. there is a good amount of compression in the boogs preamps (natural that is), so the gain/overdrive increase allows a wide range of tones without a super large volume increase in the lead mode, depending on where your controls are set.

 

[Zerberus]

Re: What exactly does each of the 3 volume knobs do on mesa .50 caliber +.

Kent more or less hit it. IIRC, "Volume" = "Preamp Gain", "Master" = "Clean master Volume", "Lead Master" is the Master Volume for the Lead channel

 

[Falstaff]

Re: What exactly does each of the 3 volume knobs do on mesa .50 caliber +.

YA...forgive me if you already knew you could find this stuff at the MB site...


http://www.mesaboogie.com/manuals/50 Caliber Series.pdf

http://www.mesaboogie.com/manuals/50 Caliber Plus.pdf