Mesa/Boogie Blue Angel 1x12 Combo

Single channel blues amp. Nothing fancy, just tone.
Fixed it for a good friend (replaced rectifier tube). Tested it out at his gig following evening. Simple set-up, turn it on, adjust knobs until you get the tone and volume you want, close your eyes and play.

Not a Fender tone clone. Has its own voice which is very nice.
Used it with a Clapton strat straight into the amp.
Loud enough to cut through the band and then some.
Two different sets of output tubes 6V6 & el84's.
Used the 6V's on slow quiet songs and it sounded so very fat,
el84's on more typical volume shuffles. Very nice indeed. Although I would probably swap a sweeter sounding tube than those installed (ElectroHarmonix) if it were mine.
I also would drop in some RCA6V6's, and experiment with some NOS pre-amp tubes.
Again - stock it sounded very nice. Not jaw dropping. Although with a little experimenting could become a jaw dropper.

I was told it had a previous transformer problem and had been repaired by a Mesa tech center. Ended up in a pawn shop.
I didn't have to look inside so I can't say if it has been touched with an iron.
One issue - soft steel used on the 6V6 tube retainers. Probably will break if flexed to many times. Everything else was rock solid.

Got the schematic online and the owners manual.

I'll buy one eventually and tweek it to my tastes.
My good friend, I'm sure is playing his heart out through it this very minute.

let face it people, the amp is not geared to have a lot of features. any one that rated it higher than this isn't reading the question. Know before you buy, it is nothing like a pod or any new tricked out effect laiden amp sold it the market today. The tube selector is great. It is the only way this isn't rated lower on features.

HOLY CRAP!!!!! I play a tele, strat, les paul..... They all sound like heaven. This amp has an amazing range of tones and the reverb is wonderful. The amp is loud when not being played. The hiss is loud. Once one note is played I don't remember my name let alone care about the hiss I can no longer hear. This amp focuses on tone... all that matters.

No problems. Its a mesa.

Company great. Called them to thank them for making this amp. Left message and they called right back. found out it was made in the first run back in 94.

I feel like I stole it. The amp is so worth the price. I've had a pre CBS super reverb and a termoverb in my life and this amp has a magic tone that I've forgotten about the loss of the other two. I you want a great tone and have a pedal or two, this tone is to die for.

One channel with fat/bright switch, volume, treble, mid, bass, prgressive linkage which allows you to switch from (2)6V6 power tubes to (4) EL84's or both sets in tandem. The rear panel has a slave out and an effects loop. Fairly simple well designed set of features. Pure class "A". I use the amp at home for practice and out a few times a month. Plenty loud for most live band situations.

I play a '56 Strat Relic and a Gibson ES-335. At low volumes (about 9 o'clock) the amp sounds very full and large. As you approach 12 o'clock this amp just sings with a natural power tube distortion. I play with a Fulltone Fulldrive II in front and I control everything with guitar volume control. Great for jazz, blues or rock. You can even do metal with a Boss Metal Zone type pedal if you're into that sound. I've had the amp for about 6 months now and I love it more each time I play through it. It has a typical "class A" hum which does not bother me at all. I love the simplicity; plug in & play. I give it a 9 only because it's not a multi-trick pony. What it does, it does very well.

Built like a tank, totally reliable and I would gig without a backup bringing only spare tubes should I need them.

I have dealt with Mesa years ago about a different amp and they were very helpful. I bought the amp used and have never had a problem with it.

I've been playing for 19 years. My only other current amp is a vintage Deluxe Reverb. I would consider getting another one if someone stole it. I love it's sound and simplicity. I don't like the weight (about 60 lbs.)

The amp was made in the late ninety's
it's versatile enough for my style of playing. I merely play Blues/Rock/Jazz. I use it with a tubescreamer at lower volumes to crank it up. When playing live, the amp's natural overdriven sound is ok to me.

Use it with a standard USA strat en standard usa Tele.
It suits fine with my style of playing, love the reverb on this thing, much better than the reverb on my Mark IIc+. It's a oner trick pony, but in my aers a very good trick.
At higher volumes the clean channel gets that natural distortion, it depends wich tubes you use (6v6 or EL84 or combination). The only complaint I have is the hum when you switch on the stand by it's humming. You won't notice it though a higher volumes but still...... Thats why I give it an 8

No problems so far.

It's alwasy great, Even here in The Netherlands. When I mail these guys they always respond.

I'm playing for 22 years.
I don't know if I would buy it again when it's was stolen.
Love the sweet tone, love tje reverb, love the simplicity. Don't like the hum.

This amp is not extremely complicated; just the basics here. Verty straight-forward volume, EQ, and reverb. Amp also has a line-level 'slave out' and a parallel FX loop w/mix control. Speaker outputs are numerous, so it can power virtually any standard cab flawlessly. Considering its design goal, it'll give it a 9. This is a purist approach to tone; and it gives all the controls you NEED.

At the moment, I am running a Les Paul Classic and a california series tele as my main guitars. the amp handles both humbuckers and singles with equal grace. I have been through MANY amps from crates to hot rod devilles, to line 6 flextones, and to my present MESA; and the Blue Angel is the king of them all. Noise is not much of an issue, again, its class A, that comes with its natural drawbacks. Playing with its single channel has helped me improve my playing to be quite honest. The distortion comes in as your attack gets harder, so I've learned to vary my style more so I can articulate riffs and progressions. I do run some effects to vary my tones, mainly an old-school VOX od/booster and an old, beat up Danelectro Cool Cat Chorus. I'm adding a wah, a harmonizer, and a delay; but aside from that all the tone is from these fingers baby! It can go from soft-clipping blues to Southern Rock all by your attack on the strings, so even w/o a 'gain' control, the gain is there; and the tone is very balanced, not a typical mesa bass-heavy deal. Once the volume control is about 10 or 11 o'clock, its tone heaven!

When I bought the amp, the power tubes were removed, so I had to re-install them. For the first week I would get this random popping sound which would noticeably happen about once every five minutes. I ened up tapping each tube as my friend played, and the rectifier tube proved to be the culprit. I removed it, looked it over, and re-inserted it and the issue was solved! Aside from that, I have had no problems, and hope I never will. It has 2 kinds of power tubes, so there is eally two options, either use both, or use one kind, and once they go bad, use the others while you save up to replace the first ones! (there's some college-guy logic for ya) Actually, i love the tone I get from running all 6 power tubes, so yea, I'll be poor pretty soon if this baby starts eating tubes, but for now all it well. Once I start gigging again, I'll definitely have a backup with will most likely we running direct. (I can't afford another blue angel yet!)

I have never had to call for help, hope I never will. Warrantee is varied upon the parts, so I'm pretty sure its over already, I've had it a little less than a year, but it was used...

I have been playing for 6 years (seriously)now, and this amp fits my needs perfectly. If some punk stole it, I'd get it back, only after introducing his face to my baseball bat. I will soon have a custom road case for it, then I'll be set. The blue angel is a great value for a purist kind of approach to playing; I like ot set the amp, then mold my sound from my few pedals and ultimately, its all from the fingers. another tid bit of info for ya, I actually found this amp on the Harmony Central Classifieds, so keep an eye out, deals are out there, just kind them...

Same as other reviews

This amp as a 1x12 combo sounded ok for Blues but wasnt very versatile. The cleans were not sparkley like fender and the overdrive seemed harsh. I later found out that this amps downfall is the stock speaker.
I removed the amp from the combo and built a head cab for it. Then added a 2x12 cab loaded with Celestion Blues.
I replaced the pre-amp tubes with Electro Harmonix 12ax7's because the sound great and have no microphonics.
The amp is a totally different beast. The overdive is sweet and the tone...think Mississippi Queen; Skynyrd; it excells at blues and blues rock sweet on the edge distortion and with a tube screamer pushes it into classic Rock and roll tones Zep..AC/DC..Allman Bros.
Before the change I give it a 7 rating now I give it a 9.
10 is reserved for old nasty Marshalls and Fender 59 Bassman's. But this is really close now its great.

Had it for 5 years....no problems. Bullet-proof.

Dump the combo get a head, a cab with Celestion Blues or Greenbacks and stand back and enjoy some great tone.

1997 Blue Angel 1x12 combo. Tons of features (just read the other reviewers as I hate to type). Not many features that I use, however. Amp has "Progressive Linkage" which is two different power stages used individually or together for different tones/power needs.

I use a 1958 Custom Shop Strat/Gibson Reissue L4/ and an '82 Les Paul. Amp is a class 'A' design so, yeah, it's noisy as hell, and it requires a fan to cool all the tubes which also contributes to the noise. Not really an issue if you like a low power class 'A' configuration but forget about recording with this amp. I used it for a pro 'oldies' group, broadway style musicals at local theaters,and some jams at blues clubs. It excelled at none of these. The amp has a sound that just will not go away no matter how you dial it in. This would be great if it was a sound I liked, it is not. I re-tubed the amp wit all types of NOS stuff (quite an expense) still to no avail. I don't think there is any changing the intended sound of this amp. You either like it or you don't. If you don't like what you hear when you demo it, do not get it. There is NO changing what you hear.

I have always gigged without a backup, however it is smart to have all the neccasary replacements on hand,(fuses,tubes, etc). Mesa,although not nearly my favorite amp manufacturer has been nothing, if not reliable. I have owned 3 Boogies and have had NO problems at all.

Boogie excells here as well. Just call 'em and your done.

Playing almost 25 years now,"whew". No, I would not buy it again. Bad move on my part in the first place. I should have known that this was going to be a bad experience when I demoed the amp. ALWAYS trust your instincts when they tell you something is not right. I didn't really like the sound of this thing and I thought that I could pull a better sound out of it when I got to toy with it. Like I said I should have known better.

Late ?90s model I assume. It had clearly been in the store for a while before I bought it early in 2000 for a ?relatively? knockdown price (US amps in the UK are not cheap!) Features (what features?) are fully described in the earlier submissions, and there?s nothing remarkable or unique about this particular specimen, though seeing those 12 valves lit up round the back is a fine sight. Single 8 ohm 12? Black Shadow/Celestian 90 speaker. Very solid build, and the small fan is a nice touch as class A operation can eat up the valves rather quickly. I've been playing 20+ yrs and play mostly rock/blues/pop, though getting more into jazz these days, and John Scofield in particular (not that I play like him ? I wish!) I guess it goes with the greying/thining hair thing??.

I use a bunch of different guitars through this combo: I?m a Fender/Ibanez kind of guy so there?s a 52 Tele reissue, an American Deluxe Strat, a 1977 Ibanez Artist 2617, and a pair of 1982 Artist AR300s. A Matchless Dirt Box and a Voodoo Lab Sparkle Drive provide extra crunch, and very occasionally I stick a old Ibanez digital delay in the parallel effects loop to cover the holes in my solos. No, ?to provide additional rhythmic and harmonic complexity? that should have read. I switch between the 2x6L6s, 4xEL84s or all six both combined depending more on the headroom I require rather than the tonal differences. These are real, not just marketing blurb, but relatively subtle at middling volumes and moderate gains.
After the initial teething troubles (see below) I?ve been pretty happy with this amp, with one proviso ? the speaker could be a lot better. Hence the 7 rating. All the guitars sound pretty good, but single coils seem to bring out the best in it ? more dynamic, more snappy ? which suits the general vibe. The mid control is the crucial one here: for single coils I tend to have it close to full on, while for humbuckers about midway sounds best. With the volume around halfway or less this gives an essentially clean sound with a nicely gritty edge. Up the volume and things roughen up still further. Using your guitar?s volume control is also pretty crucial to get the most out of this amp, as it cleans up nicely when you shave the guitar output a tad. And the higher gain sounds from the pedals come through very well, very smooth.
It doesn?t do metal, and the loud clean thing would be better with a Fender Twin or a big Roland Jazz Chorus. But that?s not the point. Within the narrow range from ?clean with an edge? to ?a bit dirty but still well defined? it does a good job, and the volumes are just right for almost all uses. Really, do you need 100W? The reverb is excellent, and the bright/fat switch is also very useful.
But having said all that it?s not perfect. The background noise level isn?t exactly intrusive, but I?ve had amps (class A ones too) that were a lot quieter. And in the first few months I was forever tinkering with the tone controls to find the sweet spot. Not my usual style, as I tend towards the ?set it and forget it? approach. At times, particularly with humbuckers, it sounded a bit honky or boxy, and seemed to be lacking something. So eventually I hooked up the amp output to the 15? Eminence speaker in my Fender Vibrosonic combo (4 ohm compared to the 8 ohm 12? Celestion on board). And that really made a BIG difference. Much much better: more top, more bottom, more dynamic, and the whole sound just seemed to breathe easier. Excellent. That?s how I use it all the time these days, which means carting two amps around (though a backup is always recommended, so I guess it has forced me into a good habit) but it?s well worth it. In this mode I give it a 9 for sound within the narrow range of tones it?s designed for. Stock, I?d rate it a 7 at best. Maybe a Vintage 30 would be a better match than the stock Celestion.

I had some problems with this amp as soon as I got it ? bang out a big chord at highish volume and there was a nasty, unmusical distortion going on. I?d spotted it in the store and they assured me it would be fixed when the amp was serviced before I picked it up. It wasn?t - when I got it home it was still there. After a few phone calls and a few e-mails it was all sorted out. There was a poor earth somewhere which was making intermittent contact when the vibration got too much. Since then it has been fine, no worries at all, but surprising to find such a flaw on a Boogie.

After a few e-mails everything was fixed under warranty with minimum fuss, and the Boogie rep. in the UK was both concerned and helpful. I even gained a Blue Angel T-shirt as part of the deal, which pleased me if not my wife. Since the initial fault everything has been fine. My impression is that Boogie take customer service seriously.

I?d love to try some US boutique affair, or get hold of a really good vintage Fender, but my wife?s tolerance does have its limits, as does my bank balance. The new UK Cornford Hurricane combo wasn?t around when I made this purchase ? that would also get an audition if I was buying now. So given those limitations I have to say that overall this is the best amp I?ve owned - set up the way it is now, with the external speaker. A really good sound, for me. But it took a while to find that setup. Plus it?s not very versatile, it?s not the quietest, and it works well only within a fairly narrow tonal range. But in that range it is very musical indeed. If a modestly powered and portable combo with a warm/clean/gritty bluesy tone is what you?re looking for, I reckon you should give this amp a try. Of course, like me you might compromise that portability by ending up lugging around that weighty additional speaker required to reach tonal nirvana. But whoever said paradise comes easy?

Do you know what year the amp was made in?, I think its from 1994.
Is the amp versatile enough for you and the styles of music you play?Very much so
What are those styles?: Blues, rhythm and blues, motown, jazz, and yes, a little country.
Where do you use this amp? Band practice and gig.
Does it have enough power for you? Yes it does.
The blue angel doesn't have a second channel for soloing. It's all about using the guitar volume knob. Feature wise its as basic as it gets.

I have a 74 strat with Barden pickups. My strat sound isn't the "typical" strat sound and that's by design. I also use a 74 LP standard with Fralin Humbuckers...(wow!). A '98 PRS custom 22 with Dragon II's and a 93 PRS Custom 24 with a vintage bass and deep dish II in the bridge. The reason I mention all the different pickups is because the Blue Angel truly brings out the tone of the guitar. I have to tell you at this point that I am also using an Alessandro level 1 guitar cable..from the guitar to several effects; Ibanez turbo tube screamer with 808 mod; Boss TU-2 tuner, Boss tremelo, DC-2, DD-2, and Alessandro level 1 cable from the effects. Ladies and gentlemen, if you are using a bargain, tweed, multicolor, cheap, cable or don't think cable makes a difference...you will not believe your ears. I have been using george L's for a little over 2 years..great sound and vast improvement. The Alessandro level 1 blows away the george L's. I have used the very best monster cable. No contest! I can't wait to get an Alessandro level 2 guitar cable!http://www.alessandro-products.com/main.html. I don't work for George and I am not payed a commission. Do you and your sound a huge favor..get Alessandro's cables!
Ok, so I am enthusiastic about Alessandro..and back to the Blue Angel.
The does use a fan to cool the rectifier and you can hear the fan..no big deal. In fact I am glad to know its there and working! The Blue Angel is a very basic Mesa amp. The sound quality is clean with a bit of an edge. I guess the Blue Angel is simply a tool to express your self. If you are searching for a specific sounding amp or brand..buy that brand. In my opinion, a fender amp has its sound, as does marshall, Bogner, Dr Z, Peavey, line 6, etc. I recently went to live a show featuring, hold on now, Mitch Ryder, Eric Burdon, and Johnny Rivers. Both Ryders and Burdons guitar players using Marshalls. The guitar sound from Ryders band was so different from Burdon's guitar player, who was excellent! Its all in the ears and fingers. So the bottom line is: if the amp gives you a sound quality you enjoy, go with it! By the way I added a second Mesa cabinet with 1-12" Celestion V30. The combination of the two is a very rich sound quality.

I have a Mesa Maverick with 1-12 as well. The amps are very easy to service. I have had the privilage of visiting Mesa in Petaluma. Tien Lawerence gave us a factory tour. The folks at Mesa are dedicated to building a solid product. There is pride in every step of creating, designing, and building Mesa products.

My expericence with Mesa has been a very positive one. Tien and Kevin are awesome!

I have been playing since for over 35 years. I also have a 68 ES345 and a 64 jazz master. I purchased this amp for several reasons: The Progressive Linkage feature: I now have a choice of tube sounds. The physical size: easy to get around especially with the flight case. The price I paid: a new one is $1100.00 I purchased the amp from Tim Womack in Nashville. Tim sold this one because he also has a Blue Angel with 4-10's. My Blue Angel has been in the studio and on the road for several years. Fortunately, Tim takes great care of his gear. The Blue angel gets you back to basics. If the amp were stolen or lost I would either purchase another or seek out an Alessandro.

2001, Saddle Tan Leather option. 18,33 and 38 watts. 26V6, 4 EL84 5 12AX7's. 2 inputs. I'm not sure what channel switching is but I suppose you can "switch" your cable from one input to another so I guess it does have channel switching. It has an effects loop but I don't use effects so I don't know how that works. It has a "Clean" and "Fat" switch. I've been playing 30 yrs and play Blues and Jazz.

Vintage Gibson L5, New Gibson Les Paul Custom, Epiphone Sheraton ll with Seth Lovers, Fender USFAT Telecaster. All these guitars sound great through this amp. Is the amp noisy? Well you know when its on. But it sounds great. Comes with a Celestron 90 speaker and I can make that bitch bend over just by accenting my picking- a feature I love. With the variable tube combinations I can get all the sounds I want from this amp.

Just got it so I don't know too much about its reliability however it seems to be very well made and it has a fan that cools the tubes which is a nice feature.

I contacted Mesa before I purchased the amp and spoke to Kevin. I expected some sort of "sell job" and was surprised I didn't get one. He was instructive and casual. Their customer support was easy to reach and I experienced no hold time. It was like talking to a friend. The warranty is one year and 6months on the tubes.

I've been playing 30years. I had a 2000 Fender Deluxe Reverb Reissue, an amp that never sounded good. I have a Peavey Classic 20 that I use in the house for practice and a 1967 Fender Blackface Pro Reverb an incredible amp from an era when Fender had it right. If my Blue Angel was stolen I would track down the thief and have him/her arrested. Then I would buy a new one. I'm not really sure how I could lose it. This amp is a straight ahead Tone unit. If your looking for Tone get it over with and buy a Blue Angel.

No problems here, just not very many features, which is what I wanted. Plug in and play with a great sounding amp that is very responsive to attack and guitar volume. I have had a number of Swiss Army amps and was ultimately dissatisfied with all of them.

I am currently playin an Am Std Tele with stock pickups through a Varidrive into the Blue Angel with a 1-12 widebody Mesa exension cabinet. I couldn't be happier with the tone. With the Tele, the 6v6 tubes sound a little thin for me. Still a very good sound but not as ballsy and juicy as the EL84s. Simultaneous setting is also good but I almost never use it. The amp has some hiss like almost all class A amps- nothing to worry about. This thing is loud for an amp with less than 40 watts. It is as loud as my other guitarist's Pitbull 4-10 so no worries there either. The thing I absolutely LOVE about this amp is the responsiveness of it. Volume on 6/7 and tone controls wherever you like (I cannot get a bad sound out of this amp- it is extraordinarily musical) and the amp is superfunky clean with the guitar on 6/7. Crank the guitar and get some dirty angels singing the blues. Stomp on the Varidrive and hold on! Incredible fat, singing, complex tonal heaven. I have been playing for 30 years or so and this is easily the best sounding rig I have put together. Blues, Funk, Country, Jazz- it doesn't matter. This amp does them all extremely well. No metal sounds here, tough. If you like the sound of an old Deluxe cranked to the limit, you will love this amp! The only reason I didn't rate it a 10 is because i don't think I have heard an amp that rates one ever.

I've had the amp for about 2 years and have had absolutely no problems with it except for the lamp burning out. rock solid and heavy.

Haven't dealt with them yet.

If this amp were lost, etc. I would buy another in a heartbeat! The only other amps I have played that sound as good to me cost about twice as much (at least). I love the portability, looks, responsiveness and ability to cook and deliver the goods!

I believe this is a 1998 model. The Blue Angel is a fairly basic amp, except that it can switch between el48s, 6v6s or combine them in the power section. This is a single channel amp without anything fancy. Reverb is really the only 'extra'. There is a parallel effects loop, but I haven't had the need for it. The controls are simple and highly 'interactive' - especially the mid control, which acts almost as a gain control.

Although it's part of Mesa's Dual Recto series, I believe it only has the tube rectifier.

I use this amp at home and when gigging. I have another amp I keep at the practice hall so I'm not hauling this one around endlessly.

I give it an 8 because there really aren't many features - but that's exactly what I was looking for.

I wasn't sure if this amp would have enough power for gigging, but rest assured it is plenty loud even with the single 12". The other guitar player in my band uses an old Fender Twin (2-12", 85 watts) and the Blue Angel keeps up no problem. In fact I often use a THD Hot Plate to *cut* the volume and mic the amp through the PA anyway. Even without that the amp is plenty loud and can reach that breakup point as opposed to the Twin which can never be turned up the the breakup point without major ear damage. That means I can get the guitar and amp to really sing without any pedals or such. The Twin has a great loud, clean sound, but to get that edge you need some sort of outside help.

The amp has an outstanding clean sound - it's very easy to get it right at that edge where with the guitar volume on 7 it's nice and clean and with the guitar on 10 it breaks up in the nicest way for solos. Very bluesy in that way. The amp seems to make the single coils more sensitive than my other amps - the harder you play the more break up you'll get.

Definitely *not* a high gain amp - very un-Mesa like in that way. You'll need a pedal to do that.For me this amp fits about 85% of what I do. I use a pedal if I need added distortion for a song.

I find that this amp really likes a strat. My strat has the Kinman AvN Blues set and they seem to go well with this amp - it really lets them sparkle and brings out the nuances really well. I also have a home made strat with an old Dimarzio PAF in the neck position that sounds amazing. I've never heard that pickup sound so good through another amp. OTOH, Carvin pickups don't work well with this amp. They sound pretty flat. Those pups sound great through my high gain amp where they really drive the amp and get a great crunch, but that's not the Blue Angel's strength.

I saw some complaints about the noise level, but don't be scared off. I suspect they must have some tube problems or something. To be certain, there is hiss, but at least in my amp it's not as loud as some seem to say. At gig volume my hiss is only slightly higher than the other two guitar amps in the band - an old blackface Fender Twin and a newer Fender Hot Rod Deluxe. It is higher than my Peavey Triumph practice amp on the clean channel, but lower than the Peavey's crunch or ultra channels. It's not an issue for me.

This amp has plenty of lumps and has been banged around a good amount. I've never had a problem (only been gigging with it about 6 months), but I worry about it because it's got all those tubes. I've had many tube amps over the years and never actually had a tube fail on me. Still, I like to have backups with me so I can at least finish a gig then get it to a shop.

Mesa's got a great rep, so I'm hopeful it'll stay strong. I don't bring a backup amp, but I do bring a couple of amp modelers just in case (Tech 21 GT-2 and Boss GT-3).

I've always heard great things about Mesa's support, but never had the need for - and hopefully I won't! The manual for the amp is online, and that was nice to get since I didn't get one when I bought the amp (used).

I've been playing 26 years (gasp!). I own several amps and guitars. I'm pretty sure the Blue Angel is a keeper for me. I've really been liking the sounds in this amp a lot - especially with the strat, and they've been getting better each gig as I get more comfortable with it.

If this amp disappeared I would definitely look for another one.
No need for any extra features as far as I'm concerned. In fact they could lose the effects loop and the ability to switch power tubes and I'd probably like it even better (that much simpler).

I tried a number of other amps out before buying this one. In my search at various times I seriously considered getting an old blackface Fender Bassman, a Mesa Maverick, a Rivera Chubster, Rivera M60 and a Rivera R55. Those were also very nice amps. This one had that something 'extra' that really works for me.

The Rivera's are more flexible - no question, and they might actually make better gigging amps for a cover band (2 distinct [good sounding] channels, each with boost).

I also tried a number of newer Fenders (actually bought a used HRD and then sold it), other Mesa amps, a couple of Flextone amps and several Peavey's (I don't hate Peavey's unlike some folks :) What can I say - this one speaks to me in a way those didn't.

I think the BA is a great value amp - relatively simple, good sounding, well made and not too expensive. The fact is I didn't try any 'boutique' amps because I can't afford them and can't justify the cost and would be afraid to haul them around to smokey bars and such. This amp is reasonable enough and solid enough that I'm not afraid to take it wherever I go, and so far it has always sounded great.

2000 model of the 1x12 combo. I was interested in the variable power settings to be used for home and jamming with others. 15 watts with 2 6v6's and 33 watts with 4 EL84's and then the combination of the 2 sets of tubes for 38 watts. Fenderish tube reverb. 1 channel with volume, treble, mid and bass only. The features were just what I wanted.

In the rather noisey store, the amp sounded very good in all three power settings. You could really tell the difference between the 6V6's and the EL84's when you switched between then without touching the other controls. I could hear a little hissing noise above the rather noisey backround in the sore but I thought that was just because I was right underneath a flouresent light. I got the salesman to get a fresh one out of their warehouse to do the final check before I layed down the $$. This one had a bad preamp tube right out of the crate so my only otion was the floor model. I took it home and plugged it in. Man!!!! The fan in the back was whinning so loud I tought something was wrong with it. Then I took the amp off standby and the hissing became as loud or louder than the fan depending on the volume setting. Totally unusable for home use. And I question its use for small clubs in a quiet jazz setting. I was really disappointed! I took it back and bought a Fender '65 RI Deluxe Reverb. Much better!!! Fender designs very quiet amps in general and their noisey one, the Custom Vibrolux, is dead quiet compared to the Blue Angel.

Bad one out of the box in the sore. But it was probabbly a bad preamp tube. This was the only mesa amp I ever liked the sounds of and it was a real disappointment. I really wonder about the idea of designing an amp that has that much idle noise. I guess mesa amps are used only for playing loud.

I called them several times about the blue angel when I was researching my next amp. They called back and really tried to help.

I've been playing 3 years. Have a Fender Blues Jr., '52 Ri tele, '57 RI strat, Gibson Howard Roberts. I loved the idea of the Blue Angel's 3 power settings. It had a good sound when you played loud. But it is NOT a bedroom amp and could not be used for recording. WAY too noisey!!!! This is only mesa amp I like the sound of and it was a failure in my eyes.

All you need, a volume, treble, mid, and bass. Add the best combo reverb available and something called ?Progressive Linkage? and you have every knob you need for great tone. My Blue Angel was special ordered with a hard rock quilt maple cabinet with a clear black stain and a gold grill cloth. It is truly a work or art.

I have been playing for three years and still struggle playing. During these three years I have been a gear gear-oholic acquiring guitar and amp after guitar and amp. For guitars I have owned a Fender Strat, G&L Legacy, Godin LG, Gibson Les Paul Reissue, PRS CE-24, Dean Cadillac, Heritage H-150, and a Anderson Drop Top Classic. For amps a Peavey 112 Transtube (for about a weak! Solid state amps suck!!), Fender Hot-Rod DeVille 2X12 (too loud for home use!), Fender Blues Jr. (a great little tube amp), Marshall JCM2000 DSL-401, Smicz 112H (a very cool, great sounding battery tube amp), a Mesa Boogie Nomad 45 (way to many knobs and features) and my Blue Angel.

After going through all this equipment I have found the guitar and amp that I will never sell. The Anderson Drop Top and my Blue Angel. These two companies work together in harmony on products so your assured to get the best sound possible when you combine their products.

The Blue Angle sings for me playing blues material. Every pick stroke is perfectly articulated through the amp. I can go from a whisper to a scream just by backing off and digging in with the pick. I play on all three setting, (2) 6V6 tubes, (4) EL84?s or all six combined giving me both the bottom end of the 6V6?s and the spank and sparkle of the EL84?s.

I could go on forever about how I love the tone of this amp. For my taste it gets an 11! This amp gives excellent tone a low to moderate volumes. Something I had been searching for all the time.

It?s a Boogie! They last forever and hold there value like no other amp on the market.

The only complaint I could have is the amount of time I waited for the amp to be built. I was told 4 months ands it turned into seven. Was it worth the wait? You bet! The hard rock maple cabinet is gorgeous and will only add to the value of the amp as the years go by.

For me this is the tone I have been searching for. I will cherish this amp forever.

I have owned my blue angel for two years and have been very pleased with the features of this amp. The only feature I would add would be footswitchable tremolo and bright fat switching. Once you tweak this little bruiser a bit,it can do the deluxe thing or (with the right speakers ) the vox ac-30 thing very convincingly.

I use this amp for mostly blues guitar, leaning to classic rock and haven't found much of anything that it doesn't excel at. I use a 57 reissue strat with several mods including vintage tall boys and a 62 reissue strat with fralins for my main guitars. These babies really chime with this amp. I use the power combination or tube combinations that match the venue I'm playing. This baby really responds the the amount of attack you throw at it, and I've never heard another amp do this any better. You are not going to get an over the top ,high gain thing out of this amp, but if your bag is fender clean and vox sparkle, this amp may be for you.

This amp is worked like a rented mule and has never given me any trouble. I take my princeton blackface just in case but have never had to use it or the tube mic it pretty much requires for headroom. This baby is a "real" workhorse!

Great guys who have never neglected to return my calls and answer my questions.

Once I changed out the junky preamp tubes and replaced the 6v6 power tubes with JAN Philips NOS tubes, this baby shined! I traded a guy even for a Kendrick brown frame 12in. speaker and it was "shame on them". I'd put this amp up against any "boutique" amp in the business that is class A, and dare them to show me one that sounds better. I"ve been playing guitar for 24 years and this is the best all around amp I've come across yet. I've got an extension cabinet with two 12in. blue frame speakers for that vox EL84 tube configuration sound, and it nails it (even better). Closest thing I've heard to a top boost AC. If something happened to this amp I'd replace it in a heartbeat. By the way if you don't mind losing a little headroom, this amp sounds fantastic with Jan 5751's!

1x12 combo. It certainly is versatile enough for the music I play (blues-boogie etc.)One channel,I can't stand channelswitching amps.
Effects loop.I WISH IT HAD TREMOLO. I only use it in the 4 x EL 84 mode, never the 2 x 6V6 or combined. I like 6V6's but not in this amp.
Effests loop works well with my old Boss analog delay but surprisingly not with the Marshall Vibratrem or whatever it is called I bought recently. (Good pedal, better anyway than the others I have tried, but as I said I want tremolo in an amp. It certainly has enough power. It is only 30 watts, but that doesn't say much. Boogies always seem to be very loud. I use a Koch power soak, but I always put it trough the PA. That way the sound spreads better and I get less complaints from the rest of the band.(Theoratically)I leave the tone controls all on 12 o'clock and the fat switch on, I turn the volume up for "the blues" and back for cleaner sounds.

I use it with a Gibson SG from around '73 with the original mini-humbucker in the neck and an old Di Marzio humbucker in the bridge position, a Fender Telecaster and a new Japanese Strat. I never change the settings on the amp when using different guitars- I believe that you once search for the "right" way to set up a particular amp and then leave it like that. That's the way it seems to work for me anyway, but that is probably the very reason why I am attracted to an amp like this in the first place. I must say that I never liked Boogies, had a Mark 2 and did not like it,had a Maverick and quite liked it , so I tried the Angel and really am very happy with it. Is it versatile ? Probably not very, depends on your perception of that word. If you want to drastically change your sound, use different guitars or effects ( personally I don't use an overdrive or something I use the volume knob on my guitar to which this amp responds beautifully but in all fairness there are sounds in this world that you can't make without pedals.)

I bought it secondhand from a shop. It looked new enough, but broke down on the second gig.Tube failure, someone had a switch installed to switch off the internal fan, maybe not a good idea.That was 1 1/2 years ago, no problems since and I use it a lot. I always have a backup amp with me, that has nothing to do with Boogie, there products seem to be very reliable.

I can't comment on this, I live in Holland , you go to a shop here or your local amp-guru who as a rule are very slow.

I have been playing for 35 years. I also own a Fender Pro junior and an Ampeg Jet. If I lost it, I would buy it again . Yes, I have compared it to other products ,like all the different amps I have owned over the years. Too many Fenders and Marshalls to mention, I like this better than any of them except maybe the old JTM 45 trough a big bass cab combination I once had (but to me the reissue didn't sound as good although I usually don't believe in the vintage hype)
I only wished it had tremolo !

Bought it new. No channel switching. Progressive linkage lets you choose output tubes, 2- 6v6's, 4- EL84's or all 6. It's in the Dual Rectifier series but only uses tube rectifier. Not many options but has everything I want.

I really like the sound with all of the output tubes on. I use a PRS CE-22 Maple top, Nady UHF wireless, Way Huge Green Rhino overdrive, Boss OD-3, Boss PS-3 Pitch shifter delay into the front end and a Morley Volume pedal through the effects loop. The clean sounds are incredibly clean but have a lot of harmonics so notes and chords don't sound dull or muddy at all. Takes a little tweaking on the tone controls because they interact with each other, but once you've found your sound, you will be grinning form ear to ear. It sounds big and full for a 1 x 12 combo. My drummer has even commented on the big warm sound of this amp. But, what do they know?

This is where I am a little dissapointed. It was missing the Preamp retaining tray and clips that hold it in place. (see cust. support section) and the switch had a problem where I couldn't turn on all of the tubes at the same time. I almost gave up on this amp because it wasn't giving me the same sound as the head I owned. But I did find the problem and I am happy I stuck with it.

When I called about the Preamp retaining tray, they really went out of their way to contact me and get the parts to me, at no charge whatsoever. I have also talked with them on other occasions and they really impressed me.

I have owned about 15 amps in as many years and this is the one I hope to use indefinately. I could have rambled on about this amp in each of the categories listed above but this covers the main points.

This is a simple, straight-forward, vintage-style amp. Six knobs: volume, treble, mid, bass, reverb and progressive linkage. 2-6V6's, 4-EL84's, solid-state and tube rectifiers. 15 watts with 6V6's, 30 watts with EL-84's, and 38 watts with progressive linkage kicked in (all the tubes together). Class A power.

I play a Rickenbacker 620 with vintage single-coils. This amp is great. Input two is padded, so I don't use it. It hisses a bit at idle, and whines a bit when you first take it off standby, but once you're cooking it's heaven for sound. Actually with the unique "mid" control you can dial in several different sounds. Till you get about halfway up on the mid, it acts as a normal mid control. After that, the mid acts as another gain control. With the 6V6's going it's mainly in the Deluxe realm, perhaps just a bit harsher. With the EL84's kicked in, it does the AC-30 thing quite well. With progresseive linkage going I'm just not sure. I think it sounds a bit strange, but I haven't really experimented that much with it yet. It also has the best reverb I've ever heard in any amp period! With the single coils on my guitar there's more than enough headroom and I really haven't distorted it all that much yet. Like any amp with a simple preamp, it sounds great with pedals. I use a Boss blues driver and a Boss OD-3. I haven't gigged with it yet, as I'm not currently in a band, but I'm sure that when that day comes I won't need anything more in an amp than this one gives me. The clean sound is just awesome!

So far, so good, but I wouldn't gig it without spare tubes. Other than that, there's not much to go wrong. It's built like a tank. It's absolutely the best-built amplifier I've ever had.

Mesa has been very good. Before I ordered it I called them and they gave me alot of good advice so I couldn't be happier.

I've been playing for 35 years, but haven't done much in the last 15, but I'm at it again and really enjoying myself. I would most definitely buy this amp again, it's the best I've ever owned and played through. It kind-of takes me back to my Kalamazoo and Silvetone days, (no master volume) and that's not all bad. I think one improvement that Mesa could make would be to forget about the reverb footswitch and make the Bright/fat switch footswitchable instead. This would give it just a bit more versatility, but I'm not complaining, I've always wanted a really high-quality amplifer and this one has answered the call. If you need channel-switching, 18 knobs and all those hassels, this is not your amp. But if you love a great clean/mildly distorted tone and have a couple of pedals you like you just can't beat this amp. I wish I could afford another one so that I could use the Rick-o-sound on my guitar. Maybe if I'm real nice to the wife?

An all tube, class A 1X12 combo. This amp uses a pair of 6V6s' and/or 4 EL84s' for power. A knob ( named Progressive Linkage ) on the front panel allows you to select power tube types or combine them. The pair 6V6s' are rated 15 watts, with the quartet of EL84s' it's 33 watts, or combine them for 38 watts. Very very cool indeed. The preamp is all 12AX7s with both a solid state and tube ( GZ34 ) rectifier, hence the name Dual Rectifier. Controls are Volume,Treb, Mid, Bass, and Reverb. As well as the "Progressive Linkage". Two inputs, number 2 seems padded down a few dbs. There is also a Bright/Fat toggle. In the back there a variety of speaker outs for different ohm matching. An effects loop, Slave out, and Fuse round out the rear panel. No channel switching, graphic EQ, or master volume. In my opinion this one of the most well thought out amps available for real world working musicians. For me anyway, I don't want three different channels and endless knobs for EQ and such. I want one great responsive tone, maybe two with a Tubescreamer, and put the rest of my concentration into making music.

For a long time I used a 4X10 Angel as my main amp. It was fantastic but it seems like as you do better and better in clubs you need smaller and smaller amps due to improving PA's and sound men...er...sound people. In order to overdrive the 4X10 (w/84s' at 30 watts) it was too loud, I ended up using baffles too often. So I got this 1X12 and it's perfect. Since I'm leaning toward a cleaner tone these days it 's just right when micked or doing small gigs running all six tubes at 38 watts. I have an Analog Man modded Tubescreamer I use for more dirt once in a while. I plan to get an extension 1X12 for un-miked gigs with louder bands or jazz gigs when I need a loud very clean tone. The Angel has a class A configured power section which is very responsive to picking dynamics, this is what the Angel excels at. Not only does this amp sound great but it "feels " great to play. Using it with EL84's at 30 watts lends itself to the Vox AC30 thing but a bit more aggression. Using the 6V6s' alone and full up in the studio is great for a "Deluxe on Viagra" tone. However, combining the tubes for a good almost clean tone is where it's out for me. When you really push this amp, with a 335 in my case, it's the best overdrive out there and at a volume you can use in the real world. The clean tone, of which there isn't a great deal of headroom, is great. Not unlike a good Twin with the mids rolled back and the Fat switch off. The amp doesn't stay clean long with humbuckers but the way it breaks up is so great you'll never miss it. The reverb is just great. Some of the best on any combo, nice for just a splash as I tend to use it, but go heavy and any Surf player would be in envious. I should mention that I switched out the rather harsh sounding Black Shadow/Celestian 90 watt speaker for a Celestian Vintage 30 and it made a huge difference. The Vintage 30 just smoothed it right out. It's beyond me why they don't use the Vintage 30 as the stock speaker since they use it many of their other models.

Mesa are some of the best built amps out there. In fact it's amazing how well they hold their values over 15 or more years. How many cheap used Boogies have you seen? Because this amp is Class A, tube life is shortened due to increased heat. I always have a full set of tubes, fuses, and a Sansamp to go into the board just in case. I like having easy access to the fuse but in the past the fuse cap has come off getting out of the car, maybe they could put it on the underside

I've never talked to them

This is a serious tone machine and gigging/recording work horse. As a mid powered class A amp I think it wants to be opened up at a good club gig much more than sitting on 1 at home. If you're at the point that you want one great foundational tone on which to build, and want the simplicity and freedom of an amp with just a few knobs, it would be hard to beat this Angel. If you need ultra loud clean tone at unmicked gigs this may not be your amp. If you need a great Blues tone or a fat mid -volume jazz tone this amp has it in spades. Like all Mesas' stuff it's heavy, but It's built like a tank and I feel that much more confident at gigs when I grunt moving it.

Well another one trick pony amp, no make that two,no three! I have used it for about a year on a country gig and it was great! I used it on the EL 84 section alone and that ping was fantastic! The 6v6 section was way to mushy almost to the point of being behind the beat, know what I mean? BUT the 6v6s do have a trick of their own. The stock speaker was not for me, it sounded way to harsh even after breaking it in. So I used a 70 watt celestion from an old peavey cab and it was twang heaven, I also used a THD hotplate to knock it down about 8 db. So there I was with this great country sound kinda like Brent Mason's tone but ballsier. It sat in the mix great. I took it in to the sudio and it sounded...........bad. Now the 6v6 section came into its own. With an old JBL-D 120 and the 6v6s it was great on tape! Oh, I also used input two on the amp for more air around the attack. There was the tone I was getting live on tape! Trick #3? Oh yea, if you run this amp with a clean tone on the EL84 section and paralell it with an overdriven amp { I use a Hound Dog Bloodhound} , you can balance the two and get Sammy era Van Halen tone no problem! Chorus the Blue Angel and you will have that clean attack with wicked crunch. Any way that is the three ways I use this amp.

Like I said I use two diferent speakers and the two power sections for different sounds. The stock tubes sounded fine but I think class A eats them fast. Seems to need new tubes every 6 months. There are alot of tubes in this amp too! It can get expensive. But I love those two or three sounds. Progessive Linkage? Ha, do'nt even use it. I think it sounds weird. Reverb is very smooth, but I don't use alot. Effects loops are not something I use alot either. I also don't overdrive this amp, sounds too mushy. I play it right on the edge.

Aside from the tubes { big surprise } it seems to be bullet proof. Not one problem for a year and a half playing it at least 4 times a week.

Mesa has always been great to me even when I sugessted modifications to the amp. They didn't freak and sceam about voided warranties, they offered sugesstions and guidlines and good vibes. Great company.

For what i use it for it is great. I would buy another with out delay if this one broke down. I'd have too, its a part of me now {sniff}.

I play mostly contemporary county music, which is very diverse now, and this amp does the job very well. It has an effects loop but I have'nt used it yet Only one channel and it has a wonderful tone. My amp is a one 12 combo with a mesa 90 watt celestion.

My main guitars are a home made tele thinline with Fralin pick-ups and a Hamer tele with Fralins The Blue Angel is the best amp I've owned. I sold my AC-30 reissue, too heavy for an old man and I sold my Mesa Mark IV, too complicated. The mark IV had the trademark distortion tone but could not find the tone in the clean channel I wanted. I do not use this amp for the output distortion that was designed for. About 1/3 volume is all I use. I use a TS-9, Klon and Fulldrive or V-twin for that. In thirty or so years of playing I have'nt found a two or three channel amp that can do it all. It is best to build on a great clean sound. An old Deluxe Reverb with a TS-808 or TS-9 is another good example. I would like to hear the Blue Angel hooked up to a pair of Vox blue speakers! Class A amps hiss at idle but otherwise it's quiet

It has been trouble free for the three or four years that I've owned it. I've replaced the power tubes once. That's great for a Class A amp.

The folks at Mesa are great about answering questions and they always return my calls. I had lots of questions about my mark IV. I called Mesa about cabinet options for my Blue Angel but that's all.

I've been playing about 30 years and I have collected a few good amps but I gig with this one only. The only thing I might change would be to have a pine cabinet for less weight but then again I'm old! I would definitely buy it again.

This amp is of course a vintage type (meaning no master volume) amplifier that has a few very cool twists! I generally use it in the low power mode (dual 6v6 tubes) in small clubs. It's more than powerfull enough for this application. I also use a THD Hot Plate to reign in the volume, highly recomended. My amp is an early example with a Celestion Vintage 30.

I generally play blues in small clubs and I think I've found my tone! I am a vintage Fender guy and long ago sold my original Fenders (BAD MOVE)! This amp gives me anything I need for my style of playing. Low to medium gain tone at moderate volumes is what this baby does as well as anything out there at ANY PRICE.

I can't honestly witness to it's reliability as I've only used it for twp months. I have owned other Boogies however, and they have to be among the best built, most reliable amps made. I'm sure this one is no different.

Mesa is without a doubt very much interested in customer satisfaction and relations. They always return calls and e-mail corrispondance promptly. Much better than other companies I've delt with

I would buy it again in a minute. It stands up to pricier amps with no problem, including Kendrick, Budda, THD etc. If I could add anything to improve it, I would only include Tremolo, the coolest most underrated effect in the world!