Mesa/Boogie 20/20

I don't know what year my amp is, but it is a black face unit with black knobs. This suits my setup very well, with a Triaxis (of course) and an Intelliflex in a home-made black case.
It is versatile enough for me, regarding it is a poweramp. I like the 'presence' in particular: I found out it is very conveniant to adapt your sound to the place where you have to play. I had to play with my band in a place that was very 'harsh': all concrete, low ceilings and tiles on the floor. I just had to lower the presence of my 20/20 to have the sounds I wanted. Very nice feature.
Futher one is a well build amp, very proffesional gear in a small package and it is damn loud if you want it to!
As other people have written: hey, it is a Boogie!
Perfect amp for me: the combination with the Triaxis and Intelliflex makes killer tone in a small package!

As I wrote before: I use a Triaxis pre, Intelliflex, a George Dennis wah in front of the Tri, and a Behringer FCB 1010 midi footcontroller.
I use a Blade RH 4 classic (beats Fender!!), best Strat ever made, or a Epiphone Les Paul with bird-eye maple top, with Seymour Duncan '59 pickups instead of stock.
This combination is holy grail for me. I can go from classic, smooth jazz to glassy strat clean to bouncing rockabilly, to bluesy rock to screaming rectifier in just a click with the foot.
The 20/20 is very musical and can follow all the nuances with no problem. It is not an amp, it is an instrument itself that flawlessly follows your picking technique and the nuances of your playing and choice of pickup/guitar.
It is very dynamic and it suits the Triaxis very well. I am a very happy guitarplayer with this setup!
Besides the little build-in fan, the amp makes no noise but the noise you put into it....
It is loud enough to play on a large stage. I was considering a 2:90, but as more people stated here in this review section: considering the weight, the size of the amp, the volume I need and the job and money when changing tubes, I chose this little friend, especially after reading the remarks of other reviewers here.
Thanks mates!

Hey, it is a tube amp. I take care of my gear, and I am never surprised in a bad way by Boogie (look at my name). I am using Boogie amps for 14 years now and never ever regretted doing so.The only problem is I have trouble selling them.
I am going to replace the stock tubes with JJ's, as more reviewers here have done. I am very curious what the result will be.
That is also a benefit of tube-amps, and Mesa amps in particular: you can create you own sound by using different brands of tubes. With Mesa, you don't even have to worry about biasing etc.
Very well built, very dependable, no I don't use a backup, just some spare tubes, just in case.
Never had any problems with Mesa however and don't expect it with my 20/20.

I never dealt with Mesa directly, although I use their amps quit a while now. Last year I broke down a pot in my Mark IV. The dealer in Holland told me to send and e-mail. Three weeks later I recieved a telephone call from a very nice lady, telling me the pot was on its way. The next day it was delivered, costing me a little more than the postal fee. Very good service.
The Mesa website is very nice. I like the benefit of finding manuals of out-of-production models, so you can always have a backup in finding your sound when you buy second-hand.

I would defenitely buy it again. I also have a Caliber .50 (+): my first Boogie and the one I will never ever sell. Then I have a Studio 22+, wich I use for practice and 'quick gigs'. The 20/20 and the Triaxis replace the Mark IV head I used till then. I was very happy with this amp, but the versatality and convenience I have now, beats everything. I still have the wonderful sounds of the Mark IV and so much more....I think I will never end up knowing all the beauties hidden in this combination. I am on a tribe for guitar sounds, that will never be halted.
I play in a band that plays (rock) covers: from early '70's rock up to modern rock and I play with a choir that sings pop: from ballads from musicals to 'Within Temptation': a Dutch Gothic band.
With this setup I can change my sound in an eye blink and always have a good sound and volume.
This combination can never be beaten by any modeling crap: this is no effects, no copy of whatever what sound. This is about musicality, dynamics, pure tube sound that suits your guitar and your playing style. Don't let the advertisements of those modelers fool you: what sounds do they try to copy? Why spend almost as much of your money on copy when you can buy the original (and have more musical satisfaction with it in the end).
Believe me: you are going to end up with the (as stated by the arrogant advertisements of the modelers) old fashioned, pre-war technology tube amp that gives you the musical insparation the modelers can never offer you. O.k., what they offer you looks impressive, in the beginning, but not after a while when you are going to make music instead of sounds...

22 watts per side, simple to use. A very LOUD 22 watts. If you are a 2:90 owner, you'll notice that there is no mode switching - no half-drive, modern or deep. You probably will not miss them and the lighter weight will make up for the missing modes. I run a Triaxis through an Intellifex out to the 20/20 and then out to 2 Pacific Woodworks 1-12 open back cabinets. I have a small pedalboard in front of the rack with 5-6 pedals. You might think that the EL-84 tubes would not have the bass response of the 6L6s in a 2:90. So far, I haven't noticed a major difference yet. Probably would in situations where more headroom is needed.

My main axe is a Tom Anderson Drop Top with a hum/single/hum configuration. Also have a few modified fender Strats. They all sound great through this power amp. The previous owner had put JJ's tubes in it so I don't know what the stock ones sounded like. The cleans are like crystal - smooth and not brittle. I've only owned this for a few weeks but the thing i love the most (so far) is that Mesa "mid-ness" (my term for that midrange honk that is part of Mesa's sonic fingerprint)is not present. I've even used it without the Triaxis, using my Roland GT-6 as a preamp. It absolutely screams! The only noise you will hear is the fan from the 20/20
I play mostly jazz and funk but also gospel and various sessions and it works well in all situations

Built like a tank.

Have not owned the 20/20 long enough but my first "good" amp was a Mesa Mark IIB, purchased directly from Boogie back in 1981. Currently also own the Triaxis and a Simul:290. Service has always been excellent. If they can't talk to you immediately, they actually call you back and are very knowledgable about their products

I've been playing for 40 years. I've owned Rivera and other rack gear and been through my monster 12 space shock mounted rack phase years ago and it's nice to have such a great TUBE power amp, effects and preamp in a fairly light 4 space rack

My 20/20 is a blackface version made in 2004. I play many different styles of music, literally ranging from Coltrane-influenced jazz to Cannibal Corpse. I love music, love guitar, and possibly most of all LOVE GREAT TONE. I needed a power amp that could handle anything I wanted...and this has it all. It is stereo, sounds great both quiet and loud. My only complaint is a lack of a resonance control...but not an issue.

I use two guitars with this, a PRS Standard 22 w/ EMG 81+85 and a PRS Singlecut with stock #7 pickups. Like I said, I submit this amp to guitar playing ranging from Bill Frisell, to Alex Lifeson, to Chuck Schuldiner, and it loves it all. I have never been so impressed by a power amp (VHT, other Mesas, Marshall, Fender, Peavey, etc) and I am very surprised that I ended up with a Class A EL84 amp.

It is dead quiet (aside from the obligatory fan).

I've never had the courage to turn it up beyond 5...it is insanely loud for a 22w amp. But, I think Mesa's general underrating coupled with it being Class A (rather than AB) contribute to that.

With my Engl tube preamp, I'm capable of generating lovely clean tones all the way to death metal inspired brutality. The Mesa wins, hands down.

I will say this: replace the stock tubes with JJ tubes. They run at the same bias, and will drastically improve your tone. It'll take away some of the "edginess", fatten up and tighten your sound. Trust me. Some individuals modify (the "deep mod") this power amp, but I think that's only necessary if you use this with a preamp that wasn't designed for the characteristic frequency response of an EL84 poweramp.

I've only had it for 7 months, but there hasn't been a glitch at all. It seems to be extremely well-built inside. No worries here.

N/A

I've only been playing for 11 years, but I have been searching and working to achieve the tones I've sought after since then. This power amp was the last piece in my puzzle. Other pieces include my Engl e530 preamp, BBE 482, ISP Decimator, Basson B212 cabinet, and various effects from Maxon, Analogman, and Electro-Harmonix.

As with anything, please try this amp out before you buy it...it might not be what you're looking for. However, I have a feeling that you won't be disappointed.

The Mesa Boogie 20/20 is a single space, rack mounted, two channel power amp that has a three 12AX7 preamp tubes and a four EL84 power amp tubes. The front controls are simple with the power switch, standby switch, front mounted fuse (nice for a crowded rack), and a volume and presence knob for each channel.

The back has an input for each channel as well as multiple outputs to match impedances. One of my favorite features is a pair of post-preamp-tube outputs that allow your signal to chain to a mixing board or larger power amp if on a whim you have to play in a football stadium.

Keep in mind the Mesa 20/20 is a POWER amp, not a preamp. That said, it is the magic ingredient that has warmed up, smoothed out, and breathed life into my otherwise solid state preamp chain. I have a Line 6 Duoverb, Tech 21 Tri-AC, and Johnson J-station that I use for versatility, portability, and silent recording purposes, but all of them suffered from the harshness of their tubeless existance. As soon as I ran the Duoverb's stereo preamp outputs into the 20/20 and powered my 2x12..... BAM!!! I was literally stunned at how the Blackface settings BOUNCED, and the Soldano and Recto sounds growled with that perfect tube sag. I've read reference to the 20/20 as being 22 watts per side. 44 watts would make sense because it's almost as loud as the 50 watt Marshall half stack I had. I'll likely pick up another 2x12 and run 2 speakers per side instead of 1. I keep the presence controls dimed, but subtly dialing them off can darken up the amps tone if you need it.

The only noise is the quiet, internal fans. You can only hear them when you're right next to the rack.

It's VERY substantially constructed, if not a tad on the heavy side. I have it mounted in a flight case, but even if the case were destroyed, I'd bet that the Mesa would survive. The only thing I would change would be a disconnectable power cable as opposed to the hard wired one it has.

I've owned other Mesa gear in the past and have alot of confidence in their construction and reliability. 12AX7's and EL84's are some of the least expensive tubes out there, so with any tube amp it's always smart to keep a few extra tubes on hand.

I had some questions answered about using a single side of the amp (you can, but you need to use a shorting plug, unused speaker, or some load, keep the presence maxed and volume at zero, and it's a good idea to trade sides once in a while to keep tube wear even) and they were very friendly and professional.

I've been playing guitar for over 20 years, but I don't play clubs and bars like I did in college. I love the sound of a tube amp, but accept that they're not the most practical application where volume needs to be kept low or small home studio recording. I had been frustrated with the practice and recording tones that amp modeling was leaving me with. The Mesa 20/20 is a life saver and a piece of equipment that I will NEVER be without again!

You know what this is?.......perfectly simple !!

Just the Mesa 20/20 and a Lexicon MPXG2, stereo output into two Marshall 2 x 12 1936 cabs.
I play an Ibanez JEM, an Ibanez JS700, an Ibanez JS1000 and an old ESP M100.
The Lexicon produces the most perfect FX once all the parameters are dialled in correctly, and then the Mesa 20/20 unleashes the sound without compromise and at amazing volumes.
I'm a big Satch fan, but also play more traditional Rock/Blues.
Adding the 20/20 to my rig was the best thing I've ever done.

Only had it for 2 weeks.
My friend has had one for 2 years without ANY problems

Never had to contact them.

This little valve amp is perfect. 'Small is beautiful' certainly applies here!!! I was using a Marshall EL34 100/100 rack Amp. Not only does the 20/20 have far superior sound quality and volume, it weighs a fraction as much and takes up 1/3rd of the space. If this little treasure ever went missing I'd replace it without a doubt.
I was lucky to pick up a secondhand one for #400, but wouldn't think twice about paying double for a new one..... I think it's worth it!!

Newer model, brown, with black buttons and silver toggle switch.
2 volume and 2 presence, knobs stereo ins and outs for 4, 8, and 16 ohm
Wish I could sum the the outputs to mono, wish I could split the input signal
to both channels, but this might be asking too much. A y cable should do the
trick for the inputs, have to rewire the cab to stereo.

Current Setup - PRS custom 24 - Soldano SP-77 preamp - Mesa 20/20 - Bogner 4 x12.
As you might guess, I have tone for days. Sweet, liquid, juicy, 12-tube tone..... yum
This review is for this setup, keeping in mind that Bogner cab is mono, and I haven't rewired it, so I'm just using one channel at a time. The sound at 20 watts is unreal.
I found myself backing off of the output on the soldano and using more of the volume of the Mesa because I didn't want to stick a HUSH C or anything in the middle. Super Clean.
Obviously, with the Soldano maxed out, it screams a little, but this is to be expected.
I play hard rock/metal live, but record all sorts of music and this does the trick.
Something I've noticed from this power amp that I also noticed on the Zvex Nano Amp is the greater tonal variety that it brings to the pickups. Switching through the 6 positions,
I found very distinct tones that were not nearly as apparent before.
Below a quarter of the way up, this amp doesn't do much, the highs are muffled and
it begs to be turned up, but once you do it delivers awesome, full, crystal clear tone.
I can't count that against this amp, because tube amps need a little volume to do their
thing, but if you're a bedroom jammer this could already be a bit loud for you. I live
in an apt in brooklyn and my neighbors fu*#ing hate me. Oh well.
Do not underestimate the loudness of this amp. Real tube amps don't need to be
a million watts, for those of you who have played Zvex's 1/2 watt Nano amp know
what I mean. I'm using the 8 ohm output and my bogner cab has 16 ohm V-30's (which I feel also exceed their modest wattage rating) and the headroom is very ample.
I couldn't be happier with the sound of my current setup, I think building your own rig
is definitely worth, I got away this amp setup for less than 1500 bucks. A steal.
Sorry, no 10's from this guy, unless it had a buit-in toaster. hmmm.... toast

No problems so far, but hey, its a tube amp, be careful

Pretty decent, I couldn't take calls at work so I had to get right through to someone
which took about 10 tries, but he was real helpul.

Very nice amplifier, loud, clean, versatile, and yeah, only 1 rack space.
Which makes me wonder why my SP-77 had to be 2 spaces, I opened it.
WHY, MIKE?

One rack space, light weight, tubes easy to change

Used in a classic rock band. Excellent tone.

Never broke down on me after 4 years. Always use mesa tubes with little problems.

I use the power amp with a Peavey rockmaster, digitech twin tube and a 2x12 vintage 30 cabinet. I have a really great setup where I can run the poweramp at full blast and control my volume. I run the line out of my Peavey rockmaster to the return of my twin tube. The output of the twin tube goes into the mesa. With the effects loop turned off I can steal the effects only from the twin tube and also use it as a master volume. With the poweramp at full blast the tone is incredible. Also with the cabinet rated at 120 watts I have tons of headroom. This setup will sing for days...And the volume, well I am killing my other guitar player who uses an all tube 120 watt Peavey head.

This setup is perfect for the classic rock covers we play. The only problem is that sometimes the life of the tubes is cut short. Sometimes they get changed every 5 months. Some of them can last up to a year, but there is a drop in volume.

Nice, compact, and simple.

This is the best sounding power amp hands down. Don't let the 20 watts fool you -- it's loud.

Never had a problem in 2 yrs, even on the same tubes. Own two of them, they're so good.

Mesa has some of the best customer service around. On my old 20/20, a pot went bad. I called them up, and they sent me the part in a couple of days at NO COST. It was out of warranty and I wasn't the original owner. What other company would do this? Mesa is just the best.

Good value, and sounds better than my 50/50. Perfect rack amp.

Perfect !

I use the Luk Music Man guitar, into Triaxis and before I got my 20/20 I had Marshall 8008 power amp. Cabinet is 1936 ( 2x12 ) from Marshall.
It was like night and day to go from 8008 to Mesa :-) Now I finally love my Triaxis. All my preamp needed was a good power amp ! !
My only problem now is to set the volume : As told I set Triaxis volume between 5 and 7, and almost without touching the 20/20, my volume is too high :-) :-) ( If 8008 = 80 watt, I think Mesa is 800 watt ! ! )

You can always trust a Mesa !

No need for this after I bought Mesa !

Mesa is the best !

The features of this amp are quite simple. There is only volume, presence and a standby-switch. But it's quite enough for a power-amp. And power it has!! Its amazing how loud this amp is with only 2x20 watts! I play mostly progressive rock and need crispy cleans and a smooth medium/high-gain distortion. Both are possible, although I would prefer a little more presence.

I use the 20-20 in combination with a Marshall JMP-1, a Boss GT-5 effectboard (with midi!) and a Marshall 1936 (2x12"Celstion, stereo). A great combination. Before I bought my Mesa, I used a Marshall 20-20 EL84. As you can read in the reviews of this Marshall, this amp gives you al lot of trouble and this also occured to me. I prefer the sound of this Marshall-amp but the Mesa is is a good substitute.
The guitars I use, are: Blade (R6, R2), Parker P44, Ibanez S540MAV and PRS Santana SE. All sound good, beside my Blades. It lackes a bit of definition.

As I said, I used to have a Marshall 20-20. The construction-design of this unit fails. As many others, I had a lot of trouble with the cooling. Once it burned-out during a gig and that's at least very "anoying"!! I didn't want this to happen again and wanted to have a reliable amp, so I turned to this Mesa. And I am rewarded. I use this amp for over 2 years now and never had a problem. The fan is quite enough (the Marshall-fan was a lot more louder) and the overall-construction of this Mesa is sturdy enough for gigging over years.

Never dealth with.

I am a satisfied user of this amp. Although I liked the sound of the Marshall 20-20 a bit more, I prefer a RELIABLE amp slightly beyond its sound. Besides that, is the compact size of it very important to me. Before I switched to the 20-20 unit (19", 1 rack-space), I used a Marshall 9200 EL34. This one is much to loud AND has (very!!!!) to much weight!!!. If you want a 19" unit with tube-power, not to much power and -weight, there is not much to choose from. It's Marshall or Mesa. For me, the Mesa is the winning amp!

P.s.: I would like to thank Mario, who posted a review at 10-3-2002. He discribed a simple modification of the Mesa 20-20 to get a customized sound, with appeals very much to me. I certainly will try this out soon. Leo