Mesa/Boogie .50 Caliber 112 Combo

Made some time in the 80s I'm guessing, not completely sure as I bought it used. Basic two channel amp, rhythm and lead with effects loop, 5 band Graphic EQ, 3 band Parametric, Master, volume, presence, verb. I play a a variety of styles but mainly a sort of Heavy/alternative-rock/metal.

My main guitars are a LP standard, LP Custom (with Bareknuckles) and a '72 tele thinline reissue. I have this amp tubed with a quartet of Shuguang el84s (adjusted bias) and mixed Preamp Tubes (Shuguang, Svetlana Winged C, JJ, EI and Sovtek, I think)

Clean channel - Reasonably good cleans, very thick and unsuitable for big six string chords at most settings. Quite Dark timbre unless Bass is down. With the Volume pushed and the master kept quite low, a nice light overdrive can be attained. The Reverb isn't too bad, not often you see tube driven reverb circuits in more modern amps.

Drive Channel - No Warmth! This channel is usable for little more than medium to heavy rhythm. I keep the volume at around 4, any higher and it gets muddy and loses definition. The Gain is very similar to the Mark series, and very much buzzy preamp distortion with the Master low. Can get some great 'Chunk' with the bass and mids pushed on the Graphic EQ (try to keep it low on the Parametric.) Leads for me are absolutely unusable with this channel, it's just SO COMPRESSED! Using the Neck pickup you get absolutely NO note definition, they just blur into one another And using the Bridge pickup is just toneless and Brittle, no warmth or harmonic character Whatsoever - this is with All of my guitars. There is a reasonable amount of Sustain on this channel. Best sounds are with Master at 4 or higher and the tone really starts to thicken, but volume and other controls must be adjusted as Master is Raised.

As with ALL mesa/boogies, there is a certain art to EQing this amp right. Pay no attention to what the Parametric knobs say they do, lowering or raising the mids on the paramtric EQ does little to raise or lower the mids of your actual tone. This is what I've found - Keep the mids and bass below 5, raising the mids seems to affect the 'stiffness', the Feel of the amp. and Raising the Bass any higher on the Parametric gets VERY flabby. If you want to scoop the mids, keep them around 4 - 6 on the parametric and scoop them using the Graphic EQ. I use a lot of Bass and Mids in my drive, but like a tight low-end response, SO, I keep the bass at around 2.5 on the Parametric so it remains tight and boost it up using the Graphic EQ. I keep the mids around 4.5 on the Parametric to keep a less stiff feel, and I boost them using the Graphic EQ. The Treble Pot is the most Sensitive band on the amp, one piece of advice, find where you like it best and LEAVE IT. Of course, you'll have to change it if you adjust the Master or Volume.... Or anything else really.

I bought my amp used, so I can't speak for any previous owners' problems.

This amp is VERY hot, previous owner mustn't have known too much about how an amp works, the Tube Sockets were completely rooted and the PCB had actually been badly damaged by the heat. Also had an open circuit in the Reverb which was causing some noise and the Driver was a 12ax7 as opposed to a 12at7, which works a LOT better. NO SHIELDED WIRING ANYWHERE ON THIS AMP! Stupidest thing about all Mesa (next to the fact that they continue to make High gain amps in Combos.)I've had continual Grounding issues with this amp, and excessive noise problems that seem to be unsolvable.

Never used it, this amp's no longer in production.. and I work in Guitar amp and audio equipment production/repair, so I've never needed any technical help.

If this amp were stolen, I'd not look into buying another. This was a purchase made because at the time, it was within my budget and good value.

It's an alright semi-professional amp with plenty of usable tones, just massive lack of character or anything that I could really like over a long term.

All of the ratings I've given in this review have been relative to the ammount paid.

2 ch. shared eq. Reverb. Bought it used around 1989. Serial fx loop. EL-84s. Decent features for that era. When I got it the clean ch was much louder than the distortion ch. I had a separate vol. knob put in the back to control the clean ch. I also got the fx loop mixable for both send and return.

I play prog rock, modern heavy rock, & experimental stuff & prefer gtrs w/humbuckers. A Tele HH, Epi LP Stan., Kramer Baretta. Expected a Gibson LP Spec soon. Clean ch is fine, but the single preamp knob controls both channels & I require lots of gain. The distortion ch is seriously lacking after getting used to Soldanos. I don't even use the gain ch anymore & just use the clean w/a Soldano Supercharger GTO pedal. So at the very least the stock amp req. a graph eq. to get more crunch.

I gigged reg w/it during late 80s/early 90s & never had a problem. Never could afford a backup amp back then. Good to carry spare tubes anyways. Now I have no need to gig w/it as I have better equip.

Been playing for 24+ yrs. I just got a Decatone which is my favorite amp. If I'm to get another Boogie I'd get a Mark IV. The 50 Calibers w/graph eq were probably better.

I have no idea when it was made...but I hope not recently (older the better!) I can't fathom how many sounds can be got from this pig! It's ridiculously versatile. Single channel, but whatever cos' both clean and lead sounds are sick, and you can use a simple stock footswitch to go back and forth no problem. I wish nothing more from an amp. Direct out is kinda dumb cos' with an $89 sm57 upclose against the grill, (for proximity effect) you get bigger sounds than AC/DC records when recording. I use this amp for every situation, practice, home, studio and gigs...Even If my band ever does arena rock shows I know I would still use this and just mic it and maybe have it sent out to a 4x12 cab or something. Mesa is analogous to an $89 bordeaux or a jaguar, or mediterranean caviar. Nothing compares.

I use mostly a mexican made fender strat, and sometimes a fender telecaster and sometimes an epiphone Les Paul. The thing about this amp is that it is a simple lesson is signal path, because honestly you can play the shittiest guitar through it and it will still sound badass. It really suits any style, the clean is really shimmery and ideal, and the leads are thrashy as all hell. Plus, you can get a really vintage sounding authentic distortion by just cranking the clean, which is really useful for certain sounds.

It's definitely a dependable product and I would never have any reason to have to think about a backup cos' these pigs are handbuilt and crafted pretty seriously. My only backup would be another mesa.

I have had no problems with it at all. I dunno any of the warranty stuff or anything cos' I bought it used for $600 US...but this thing is worth whatever risk, cos' it would absolutely make sense to repair it than to buy something else dumb like a line 6 or some crap.

I have had it for like three years or something. Mesa stuff is all I would ever use...I would only replace this with the same thing...I love it all, I hate nothing about it. I have compared this (brand) amp to everything on the market, and for years before I tried a mesa I felt as though no amp could achieve the perfect sounding guitar I had in my head and had heard on records: this really is the only brand of amps that I was more impressed with than I was scrutinizing...It is really close to absolute ideal sound, and for all styles. Basically, mesa doesn't really have any "low end" models, for if this is the least expensive, cool, cos' anything more is really just a ridiculous luxury...of course very nice to have, but nothing more is necessary than what this particular model has.

This amp, as far as I can determine, was manufactured in the mid eighties. It has a rhythm channel which can go from very clean to a sort of vintage crunch and a lead channel which can go from bluesy overdive to liquid sustain. It has a basic series effects loop and a great sounding reverb. Mine has a 150 watt Black Shadow speaker and is really loud for 4 EL 84's running in Class A, which can't add up to more than 40 Watt nevermind the name of the amp. I sent it off to Mesa in 1999 to have a Lead Master and Lead Drive coptrols added to the amp. That cost about $100 plus shipping and really helped with my only real grip with the amp - before I had those controls the rhythm channel was always louder than the lead at my gain settings, unless I used the EQ on only the Lead Channel to compensate. NOw I can use the EQ on both channels and get proper level matching between the two channels. Also, the Lead Drive lets me tweak the distortion, beyond what the gain (volume control ) does. This amp does not have a lot of features, but hte ones it does have are very useful, so I am giving it a 9.

I bought this amp used, without a footswitch from a guy who used to play with Dolly Parton. No wonder he never needed a footwitch, he was only using the rhythm channel. I would say that at the clearer low gain setting the clean channel is fairly clear and shimmery, which is how I like it. With more gain (volume control on the amp ) is gets fatter and more muscular. The Lead Channel is more or less typical Boogie. Somewhere between the sound of the Mark I and the Mark IV. However, what sold me on this amp, was the crunch in the lead mode. It sounds so much like the Scorpions old records to me. It is so versatile, Boogie fatness for single notes, and somehat plexi-like crunch for chords. It is not noisy to me, but is is high gain, so if you have single coils, it will magnify the hum. I have used this amp with several guitars over the years - mainly a G&L S-500 ( a strat with magnetic field pickups) and more recently a PRS Custom 24. To me it has a great classic rock sound and its own unique version of the Boogie solo voice. And when you turn it up, it just gets sweeter, although you have to be careful with the EQ or it can sound brittle. The speaker in mine is a little dark, but I fix it with the built in EQ. I have plugged it into Celestion equipped 4 by 12's and it realy cooks then.I like this amp a lot. I like Mark IV's more, but even if I could afford a Mark IV, I could not bring myself to sell this amp. \
Some reviewers complain about not having separate gain controls for each channel, but really all you have to do is use your guitars volume control to help clean up to rhythm channel. This has been my only amp for several years now and I would recommend trying to find one if you want a good amp but have restricted budget. I am docking it a point for the speaker being a little dark.

Okay, the gray lining of this review...I had the amp in the trunk of my car for about a month and when I got it out the second time, it wouldn't work. it would light up, but it wouldn't work. That is when I sent it off to have to mod done. It came back about a month later with a new power cord and two new knobs on the back and it was better than ever! Still, I was bummmed that it went down on me. Still the amp was probably 15 years old when this happened. So I guess it would be best to have a backup.

Everyone should treat their customers like Mesa. Every amp I ever buy will be a Mesa if fo no other reason than their excellent service and of course the great sounds their products make.

Oh I got a footswitch at a dealer for $35 right after I got the amp. I've had this amp about eight years of the eleven I"ve been playing. It is the only amp I won right now.
If it were stolen I would wish a hernia on the thief. I would definitley try to find another one. When I was shopping I tried out the Peaver Classic 50, the Hughes and Kettner, and the Tubeworks MosValve. This blew them all away. The only amp that you can get that really competes to me, even though it is a totally different vibe, is the new Fender Hot Rod Deluxe and Deville. I think they are equally good values, but still not as cool as the Boogie.
The best thing about this amp is that it is a compact tone monster. PLus the EQ makes it more versatile than your average combo byfar. I wish is had a parallel effect loop, but that wasnt that common when this amp was made. Um it does sound better with humbuckers, generally. I would give it a 10 if I had a speker I like better. Sometimes I wish it were a separate head and speaker.

I only just bought this amp, in fact I'm still paying it off. I've been told it was made somewhere between '86-'88. This amp is capable of handling anything you throw at it. This amp has got THE sound I've been looking for. I even sold my Marshall 100watt Valvestate stack to get this. The best thing is though, I only paid $700 for it, and that's Australian! I use this amp for everything. Playing at home or with my band, it can do it! And for a 50watt it SCREAMS!!! I am able to get any sound I want out of this little beast. Although, I would have liked seperate channel knobs. Through this amp, I play punk, some stuff a little heavier, and some stuff a little easier. Either way, I can tweak this amp to suit any style I play. My guitars are a Maton Mastersound, Ibanez gio grx20(hmmm... it's good for a cheap guitar), and I also have an Ibanez ex360 but I don't like it, coz it doesn't tune properly. If I tune it, it will be out of tune when I play it, but it still sounds in tune playing the open strings? If you know what's going on, please email me.

As stated above, this amp gives any sound wanted. The distortion can be really BIG, but can also be tweaked to give a really subtle vintage crunch. The clean is just great. I'll never be going back to solid state or a single valve preamp again. The clean whines at you, just like a big, bluesy sound. At high volumes, this thing goes off!!! What ever it is you use it for, it will be cool!

I'm not too sure on reliability, as I have only had this amp for a short period of time. As for now, it's been treating me like a king. When I do gig though, I'm going to have to realy on it as I have no other backup. I shouldn't need it though I hope.

Customer support is great. I emailed with questions about this amp and I got a reply the next day! Way to go Mesa!!!

I've been playing for about 4 1/2 years now and I've learnt enough to know the difference between a good amp and a crappy amp. If it were stolen or lost, I would definately replace it(that's if I had the money). Like I have already said along with other reviews on this amp, seperate knobs for each channel would make it a little better, but then, it's designed to be easy to use, which it is!

It has these knobs: volume, master, treble, bass, middle, reverb, and presence. In addition to these, it has a graphic equalizer. A foot switch is included to change from rhythm to rhythm/lead, but I don't really use it. It has a 12" Celestion speaker. You can also hook up your effects through Send - Return I/O in the back of the amp

It ROARS! I only set the volume between 1 - 2 when practising. Damn man! I thought I was gonna miss my Marshall, not a chance!!! The difference is like night and day!! I have ESP KH-1 with 2 EMG pickups! I get that warm Metallica sound right away. I also have metal zone, zoom 505(as a compression/sustainer), wah wah 535, and boss delay and chorus pedals. I use Monster Cable to hook up these stuff. By the way, my BOSS equalizer (GE-7) is really helpful in enhancing that warm and fat and heavy sound (set everything to 0 except raise the treble a bit). That's it! I'll never go back to Marshalls'.

This is a MESA BOOGIE amp!!!

My friends said they are pretty good, unlike BOSS's

I have been playing for 6 years now. About a year ago, I started looking for that Metallica 'tone' which I found none in any amps. Finally, I read the reviews at this site + some readings on guitar magazines! I don't want to buy a new one because:- 1). they are expensive 2). I don't know how they really sound After I got the amp, I will definitely buy a new MESA when the time comes!