Mesa/Boogie Studio Caliber DC-2

studio caliber dc-2 with contour

bought to have a different sound from my super champ. Play rock, blues, alt country , a little jazz. Have American Strat, Les Paul , Howard Roberts. It's good with all. After 6 months I wanted to clean up the 1st channel and tone down the lead. I found an EV 12L which I like better than the stock Celestion Vintage 30, Which is now in a seperate cab. When using both is big. I have also swapped tubes in V2 and V3 lead gain to 5751's , 70% gain of the 12AX7's, this toned down the lead gain some. I also put a 5751 in V6 Phase Inverter , it really added sparkle to the top end,still not Super Champ ice pick but alot crisper.

No problems bought used

no dealings

I have been playing on and off 30 years, Have owned a Super Champ With an Ev since 82. I,m a basement hack, who wants good tone at lower levels. This said the Dc-2 25 watts is very ample. I did build a birdseye maple cabinet for it, it deserved better than vinyl.I am very happy, I liked the amp before the changes. Now it's great. It sounds great by it's self and is interesting when using the 2nd cabinet or with the Super Champ.

Mono tube guitar amp made c. 1991 or 1992. I bought it used out of Pianos N Stuff rental department in 1992 (it had been rented for like 2 months prior to that by one person).

I've played just about every style of music, including an acoustic gig or dozen, with it and it never fails to impress.

2 Channels with a foot switch, mono effects loop with mix control, headphone jack, line out and speaker outs. 20+ watts with all the volume you'll ever need unless your in a peeing-match with some Marshall stack-head.

I've never owned, player through or heard a finer mono guitar amp.

Its only "faults" (if you can call them that) would be:

No balanced inputs nor outputs.

Effects loop and line-out are mono.

Some of that legendary Mesa-ness comes from the fact that it weighs more than my truck.

Have mainly played 1979 American-made Stratocaster with it in many styles: Jazz, Blues, Country, Hard Rock, Lounge, Show tunes....

I've never had noise problems with it. It has always been rock-solid.

The lead channel is more punch than crunch so I've tended to use it in combination with separate distortion/overdrive devices.

I have never carried a backup with me since starting to use this amp 16 years ago. I replaced the tubes just 3 or 4 years ago and that is the only service that it has ever required.

I've never had to deal with Mesa over the amp since it is perfect. For that reason I give them a 10 in customer support. What better support can one ask for than to never need it?

I've been playing "out" since 1984 and have owned crates and fenders and roland and custom-builts.

If it were stolen or lost it would hunt the person down to the ends of the earth.

I love this amp for everything that it is. At 3:00 in the morning I hate all gear.


I compared it to dozens of other amps then played it on rental for two months before purchasing it. I chose it because Mesa is the best.

Wish it was stereo or stereo-capable.

I don't know the year of manufacture. I bought it used. This amp is very versatile for just about all styles of music. Blah, blah, blah, all the features have been covered. This small amp has more than adequate power for just about any small to medium size club. It has all the features that I feel are important.

I play classic R&R, country and jazz. This amp suits all styles in my opinion. The amp can get a little noisy at higher volume. For moderate volumes there are no complaints. I've never cranked it enough to distort the clean channel. The distortion can be brutal and harsh, but when using Contour you can get a nice fat driven sound. I bought a Mesa extension cab for mine. The amp really shines with the addition of a second 12" speaker.

I haven't had it long enough to know about the long term reliability.

I haven't dealt with customer service so I don't know.

25 watt ALL TUBE (i've read here it is 22 watt also, whatever) 1x12 combo amp with 2 independant channels with indeoendant reverb settings, well, indiependant everything.....

Headphone jack, speaker outs for 4 and 8 ohm, recording out, slave out.

I've used this amp for about 10 years and it is the most beautifull sounding peice of equioment i have ever owned. It really is an investment and I will never sell it even though I could easily get more than what I paid for it (400 bucks).

This thing is freikin loud.

the clean channel is gorgeous. Very versatile.

I like to have the gain at about 5 where the sound warms up but doesn't distort too much, it is an omnipotent amp.

the distortion is orgasmic. nuff said.

no distortion at high volumes, but i rarely turn it past 3. Sometimes just to get a hard on, when nobody is home, I turn it up to like 9 with the gain and levels up and picture frames fall off the wall and i have tinitus for a couple of days.

I play classic rock and blues but dabble in jazz and just about everythihng else except for siberian folk music.

I have never ever had a problem with this amp.

I bought it used and the slave switch was burned out. I never used it so it wasn't a prob, but i replaced it myself just so it would be like new....see below.

this is another facet of boogie that really shines. As I mentioned before, the slave knob was burned out on it and i wanted a new one, I emailed boogie and the guy there was very helpfull and sent me the part, the schematics and even had the patience to deal with my stupid self when I asked the same stupid question like 5 times.....very proffessional people. I have all the praise in the world for boogie staff.

overall i would rate this amp and the company a perfect 10.

Boogie really is the rolls royce of guitar amps. It's all heavy duty solidly built, great sounding and flexible. nice to look at (I prefer simple elgance to trendy or faddish looks and clutter).

the price evn new is well worth it since YOU WILL NEVER NEED ANOTHER AMP.

My 12 combo boogie can push a 4x12 cab with power to spare, 25 watts you ask?

I don't know how, I just know it does it, and it does it well.

Don't know when it was made, bought it in 99. Two independent channels, headphone out, recording out (very cool), single or double output. I replaced the tubes with groove tubes, and put a celestion speaker in it.

I play various tele's, and PRS's, dano mini pedals, ts-9, crybaby, POD, V-amp, and various borrowed pedals have had the pleasure of being in front of this baby. The best tone I have heard from a 1X12. hands down. I haven't played with a matchless, or many other high end amps, but what ever amp you have, this will sound great sitting next to it. The tone can go from mellow, to cutting, piercing highs. Most amps sound good turned down, or turned up. This amp sounds great AT ANY volume. Ya know the first time you went from a beginner guitar, to a good guitar that just felt right, that is the way I feel about this amps tone.
For a while I had it sitting next to a mesa 22 caliber. The other amp sounded good, but to restricted. It felt like the DC-2 had better acoustical placement, everywhere!

First of all I'm not going to do a reliability test on this amp. You think I'm friggin stupid? I can tell you I have never had a problem with it. I have "set it down hard" a couple of times, it has gone on bumpy car rides, no problems. I did have to replace the input jack, but that's because I'm stupid. We don't need to get into it.

No idea. Never needed to call em.

I paid $450 for this amp (thank you Guitar Center Seattle!!!). Yes, I got a true steal on it. I would not trade this amp for a marshall half stack, or a fender twin. I would easily be willing to pay $800 for another one. I love this little thing.

It has lots of knobs and features which are all straight forward and easy to use and really needs no explanation

Well i bought my first on second hand and loved it sooo much i went and bought another one new so now am the VERY happy owner of two of these absolutely sensational amps!! Single coil guitars are all i use and a few pedals to toy with but these babies stand up without fx and with the two running in stereo its just loud loud LOUD!

Like afew other reviews here there is a small amount of hum,hiss and a few little tube rattles from time to time but hey thats ok..they have never broken down and are built like bricks

never needed support so am standing neutral

I used mostly various marshalls over the years which i still love but these Boogies are the most tonefull,well made, reliable and versitile amps i have ever owned

I bought this amp in 1997. It has two complete set of controls for the rhythm and lead channels and I do mean complete. Bas, mid, low, reverb, presence, gain, level. It also has one over all master volumne for both channels. Very well made amp. Killer record out, I can get very excellent tones going directly into a mixing board so this record out seems to be a professional grade device.. I am not wild about the overdrive on the lead channel as I find it lacks sustain and does not have a full range of sound, however I rarely crank this puppy up so maybe it is tuned for louder playing. For overdrive I a BOSS Metal Zone 2 thru the rhythm channel so to be perfectly honest the lead channel is unused and hence a waste.

This amp sounds killer. Very warm tube sound. The record out sound very good. In fact it is the first record out on any amp that i feel i can actual use to, well, RECORD! Like I mentioned earlier the distortion (or overdrive) on the lead channel is not to my liking. I find it too fuzzy and flat, not that wall of sound effect I look for. I once owned a Music Man amp that had the best built in distortion ever and this does nto even compare. So for me the overdrive channel is actually sort of a waste. I like a more modern distortion sound that I can get out of my Metal Zone. But man this amp on the clean channel with a Metal Zone 2 is an awesome sounding rig.

Awesome amp, worth keeping forever. Quality, well built and very professional.

Very nice and helpfull staff. Very eager to understand and help customers.

I'm not really into the distortion sound but that is mainly due to the fact that a tube amps distortion is more natural and dynamic and has to be tuned to a certain level of output. I use this for recording a practice. When I do crank this amp the distortion sound better and punchier. So I do not want to diss this amp too much just cause of the distortion.

97' DC-2 Studio caliber with contour setting. 2 independent channels
with reverb and presence plus the usual supspects.

My set up Fender strat plus or Italia modellio - morley wah- boss cs2 - mesa bottle rocket - boss ds1 mesa DC-2 with matching theile 1x12 closed back cab. I play straight up wall of sound rock (foo fighters, Mud Honey, System of a down) This set-up is a problem, it gives me a stiffy and my guitar ends up in a lap steel position. At even low volumes this rig sounds massive. I use a ART FX-1 in the effects loop for a little more gush when needed (The fx-1, although limiting is probably more useful than my intellifex on my other rig in terms on dial in with wet vs dry input. I am way stoked on this set-up. I hardly ever push the master volume past 2, yet it sounds like a fully cranked dual recto.

mesa...yeah right. I have a mesa 50/50 and 2x12 recto cab in my other rig, along with a mesa v-twin (killer pedal). This is professional equipment right thru the entire product like. Mesa does not make mass consumer junk. If you want to compare this equipment to the buzzbox crap like peavy or fender, dont. Mesa is unequaled in quality. I have owned nearly all of em at some point in time.

Dont expect to get a deal on Mesa stuff. It costs and is worth it. Do expect to get a call back from Mesa tech support on the most dumbass question you may have about your out of production Mesa product. And
expect that dumbass question to be answered from a person who is passionate about the products the represent. Mesa sets the standard. I have delt with Mesa on a few issues, and have been blown away with their support and knowledge

I have been playing some 23 years now. I have played in bands off and on, but mostly I play alone. I have owned alot of gear in my Tone quest. This Amp is a keeper. I highly recomend.

A pseudo three channel amp (actually two channels with a third one that is a Boogie "scoop" eq) with reverb, presence, low, mid, hi, pre-gain, post-gain(master) controls for each of the two channels. There is also a seperate Master Volume that cover both channels. It has effects loop, direct out, headphone out, footswitch, etc. All kinds of control for a little 22w combo.

I am comparing this amp to others I have owned: A 1971 Marshall 50w head, Mesa Boogie 50 cal+, a Fender Princeton, Fender Bassman, Ampeg Jet, Carvin X-100, etc. This amp is the smoothest amp I have ever played, and has the sweetest distortion you could ever ask for. I cannot sing it's praises high enough. I play pretty straightforward rock and roll aka AC/DC, Molly Hatchet, Van Halen, etc. This amp has it all and clean sounds too.

Just after buying the amp it would get loud all of a sudden or quieter all of a sudden as if someone had turned the volume. Turned out the power tubes were bad, in a new amp. I ordered a new set from Mesa Boogie and it is still performing well. Also, some of the screws vibrated loose and it turned into a rattle trap. I tightened them and it is much better now. I still need to isolate one little rattle so I can record with it.

I read all of the dazzling customer reviews and hate to be the lone dissenter but within days of buying this amp new from a Mesa Boogie dealer that had just lost their dealership agreement with Boogie I contacted them about my Power Tube problem. I had to pay them for my new power tubes, which according to my warranty documents were covered for 90 days. It seemed that my warranty also expired when my dealer lost it's deal with Boogie the best I can figure. I sent in my warranty card. On the positive side they are very good about sending wiring diagrams so you can do the work yourself (Odd that a company would advocate one working on a new under warranty amp, but hey, most won't give you a good schematic.)

I love this amp and would not trade it for any other. It defines my sound. But I will not buy a new Boogie amp again because the advantage of having the company stand behind it's new product proved to be worthless to me. I will buy them used and save some dough and fix them as needed myself.

I don't know in wich year the amp was made. It has two channel (or should I say three channel since their his a contour switch on the lead channel). Their is everything an amp should have for me; headphone, effects loops (with a mix control between dry and wet), a direct out for recording. You can use it to fuel up a 4x12 with the power amp.
Talking about the power of this amp, don't be fooled by the wattage. I don't know wich food they feed this little monster but my wall tremble at 3 on the master volume!
The only little details that puzzle me is that I can't have a very <metal> sound with it. It's no problem since I use a multi effects with it.
I could use a little extra push and more presence by buying an extra 1x12 but this is alreday one of my project so...

I use a Fender Telecatser American Standard, a Washburn WG-208 and a Korg AX1000 for my effects. I like to play mostly jazz and blues but I can play a little harder when i'm in the mood.
I get a very nice jazz sound on the clean channel with the telecaster and cool blues one when a I add a little gain. I just can't get a high distortion even with the washburn. I tried it with an Ibanez Roadstar too and a Godin (i cannot remember the brand though) and the same thing happened. This little inconvenience can be easily solved with my effect pedal.
You do not have to put this amp on very high setting to have a high volume. As I've said, this is a little monster.

I can't really answer that one because i never used it on a gig but I think i would not bring a back up.

I bought it used so I never ask Mesa/Boogie anything.

I have been playing for seven years and i've previously owned a 8 watt Crate amp, a Peavey Bandit 112 and played with a peavey stereo chorus and a crate 80 watt and this is the best amp I owned. I would definitly buy another one. The only other amp that I would buy is a line 6 or a johnson millenium.