When I was a youngster, I dreamed of owning one of each of the Fender Blackface amps, c. 1965; and at one time or another I have owned most of them over my career.
About 1995, I bought my first Mesa Boogie amp--the Mark III 200-watt Coliseum head listed below. The Mesa really changed my life, and it certainly helped to make me a better player. It remains one of my all time favorite amps to play through. So for the most part, I already have the amps of my dreams. Here's a complete list of all of my Mesa gear:
DC-3 112 Combo
Maverick 212 Combo (2)
Mark IV 112 EVM Combo
Mark III Coliseum 200-watt Head
Mark III Sim-Cls/EQ/Rev 112 EVM Combo
112 O-B Boogie
112 EVM Theile (2)
212 Recto Horizontal
212 C90/MS12 Halfback
412 C90/EVM Halfback
As you can see from my list of amps, I have several Mesas these days, and now I dream of adding a Lone Star Special and a Classic; a Tremoverb, a Heartbreaker, and maybe even a Stiletto Ace.
But I try to remember this important mantra--the amp, or even the guitar, will NEVER be the PERFECT amp. The ONLY thing that can be PERFECT is the LOVE that I put into my songs and my music and my life--the reward is perfect JOY. Sometimes, its fleeting--but it is a great feeling. The guitars and the amps are just tools--the power of self-expression is the joy.
Bill
