Mesa/Boogie Blue Angel 2x10 Combo

It is what it is. It's a blues and classic rock amp- no metal here. The Progressive Linkage is nice to have and is a feature you won't find elsewhere, so that adds points. It also has all of the perks like effects loop, etc. that you won't find in vintage clones. The reverb is outstanding.

Here's where I'm torn. I like the sound with my Les Paul 58 reissue- very nice tone. Very sweet overdrive and back off for clean. I'm not as big of a fan with my Strat. I play with fuzz pedals so I've got lower output '68 style Strat pickups in it. I just can't really get it to break up without getting harsh. I've some to the conclusion that it needs a higher output pickup and maybe new speakers. I hate the Mesa alnico 10" (which may just be a licensed Jensen). When I've plugged it into a 2x12" with Celestions it's great. So just straight in with the Strat a 5- with the 2x12" cab a 7- with the LP a 9. You may also want to try a 12AT7 in a few locations and old 6V6s to clean up honkyness, Sino and Rusky 6V6s suck and slightly used, matched US 6V6s are a steal and last longer.

No problems since I got it new over 10 years ago.

It takes a while to figure out all its quirks but it's a nice amp. Built tough and the reverb alone is worth what these go for used (think about it, a Reissue Fender Reverb is $300 and it doesn't amplify, this may not go quite as far but how many of us are in Surf bands?). its worth the time to work out the kins and old glass and different speakers make it sound great. Just don't use you Hendrix Strat.

Handbuilt in the USA

Progressive Linkage??? power section allows you to switch between or combine 2x6V6 & 4xEL84 for 15, 33, or 38 Watts, of Pure Class A Power / 5x12AX7, 1x5AR4

Two Inputs (1=Normal, 2=Low)

Bright/Fat Switch

Spring Reverb

Parallel FX Loop
w/Mix Level Control

Slave Out w/Level Control

Fan Cooled

Please have to realise if you see less than 10 knobs on an amp there is a reason for this. If you need 1000 knobs and flashing light show pony this is not the amp you should stop here and look at another amp. However if you are connoisseur of pure and sweet Class A sound that makes your guitar come to life this is the amp for you and is why I bought mine.

I could not be happier. I play funk, blues, rock etc... This is not a heavy metal amp however it does have some great dynamic range.

I would recommend having a play with the settings with an open mind. One thing I had to do was unlearn what I did to Fender amps. Once this unlearning was done oh my God!!! I know why this is called an Angel. This amp can truely sound ballsy to super sweet cleans that will make you cry.

The reverb is particularly awesome one of the sweetess that I have tried.

Progressive Linkage is a cool feature for all the technos...

As you know like Mesa gear this is built like a tank. When I first bought this second hand the amp still had the original tubes and got hiss. As soon as you change the tubes to knew ones wow!! Tone Tone Tone!!

Have not had to contact them but I assume by the other forum members they are good.

If it was stolen I would buy another one in a heart beat. Only problem is where do are find one since they are now out of production and a used one keeps going up in price. But I would buy one even if it was double the price.

The features have been somewhat covered here by other reviewers, although I have to admit I'm puzzled by the tendency of some to rate the amp low in this category simply because it lacks an extra 12ax7 and a gain pot. Oh yeah, and an extra "channel". What now, has Marshall's master volume/gain tube driven fuzztone become the industry standard? Jeesh. I suppose these same knotheads would rate a tweed deluxe, or a Marshall Plexi for all that, as lacking "features". I personally would call sensitive and exquisitely voiced tone controls a great feature. I would also call attention to the bright/fat switch, and just about everyone has overlooked the fact that the #2 (low) input is voiced very differently on the highs than #1. More on this later. If you really like footswitches and screwing around with your sound constantly while playing (and haven't mastered the controls on your guitar) I suppose you could buy an inexpensive A-B switch and schitz back & forth between 1 and 2. This could, with the controls set just so, give a simulation of a hands-free cleaner/dirtier channel and/or boost switch. The only thing I might derate the features for is I might possibly enjoy a footswitchable power tube selection. I say this reluctantly, since I've owned plenty of amps with various footswitchable features, and would rarely even set the things up. They can get in the way of playing. Okay, okay, I'll get off my soapbox now. For anyone that didn't see the reviews below, the features that distinguish this amp as a musical instrument are these two: 1)This amp is designed without any radical gain stages in the preamp, but is rather designed to effortlessly overdrive the power tubes, which run in class "A" and break up smoothly and with stunning harmonics but will never allow you to sound like Neal Schon or Carlos Santana, and 2)They actually run two different sets of power tubes (2 6V6s and 4 EL84s) which you can choose between or run simultaneously. These two items alone ought to rate this machine at least a 13 on the 1-10 scale, but I'll try to stifle my enthusiasm a bit in deference to you high-gain channel-switching fiends out there.

Using two Teles, one an '80s Fender with a tapped 1/4lb Duncan br., & an Alnico II Pro vintage (gawd, I hate that word) staggered strat at the neck, And a G&L ASAT Classic w/ Duncan Antiquity '53 Tele br, & Antiquity '60s twang Tele neck. Also an '96 Epiphone Dot (very underated guitar, once you change everything on it not made of wood) with a genny-wine PAF in the neck and a weird I think probably Schaller 3up & 3down Humbucker at the br. That having been declared:
As far as I'm concerned, the amp does what Mesa advertised when it was in production. As mentioned earlier, the tone controls are exceptionally well voiced. The volume sends any output tube configuration into a pleasing overdrive anywhere above half, but it is a gradual saturation and breakup is very easily controlled by fingers or picks. I would also offer that the amp makes very pleasing & warm class A clean sounds at all three power tube selector positions although at a volume far lower than an amp this size might suggest. I'll try to make a comparison: You'd maybe think that in the 6V6 configuration, running at 15 watts in class A, you might get somewhere near the Blackface Deluxe ballpark in terms of relatively clean, ballsy, and the 6V6s breaking up just a little. In actuality, in terms of real clean 6V6 sweetness with a touch of bottom grind, It reminded me a lot more of a really good blackface Princeton, which as we all know sounds great in your living room or playing jazz with a sympathetic brush drummer but is certainly not going to flap your pantslegs much. If you max or even 3/4 the volume, pull back the bass a bit, and put the mid anywhere that sounds good, you have a great and unique filthy simultaneously Hi& Lo-fi blues machine suitable for small venues, especially with Humbuckers. The harmonics that jump out of this thing even with a Tele are a couple of notches above superb, but then that's kind of what Mesa does. Now, to the other tube selections: I've never owned a Vox, and I've not even tried out a Matchless. I only mention this in passing because one other reviewer seemed disappointed he couldn't dial up either with the EL84s. And I'm certainly not picking on the guy, because unlike many negative reviewers, the guy was just so respectful of how subjective any opinion regarding sound can be. And I suppose I'm no different, expecting Fenderish sounds from the 6V6s. I've probably been having more fun than a guy my age deserves to have with the EL84s, 'cause I really don't know what they're supposed to sound like. I have played 'em on other amps (Carvin & Peavey) running class AB, and was not inpressed much. Here, they do not disappoint. 33 watts, much more headroom than the others at 15 (DUH!) and a slightly grittier feel in the breakup but with a very solid, hard twangin' bottom end. As far as I'm concerned, if the amp had only this configuration it would be amp enuff for me. But onward- to position 3: Mesa's so-called "Progressive Linkage", or "Simul-Link": Two sets of dissimilar power tubes running simultaneously in class A. Weird Idea. The idea that the different tubes' strengths might complement the other's shortcomings seems wildly speculative. I'm not too familiar with many obscure & discontinued models of the myriad boutique amp builders we are so lucky to have supporting our obsessive quest for "That Sound", but I am aware of but one other design with a switchable powersection with disimilar tubes built by a Bay area shop with a reputation for world-class unreliability. So I was a bit reluctant about this one, being a discontinued model and all. I tried it out for well over an hour and a half at Dave's, and, having read some reviews to the contrary, was surprised to hear how good position #3 sounded. You can kind A-B the thing best running the thing somewhere around 3/4 or better volume, position #2, 84s really singing and chiming nice, then hit over to three and there they are, the 6v6s unmistakably in there. You first hear them in the bottom end, under the sinewy twang of the 84s, a distinctive fluffy rumble that those of us who love Deeluxes love so well. And not that this thing has a high sound in any position I'd consider un-sweet, but the 6V6s seem to jump in there and sweeten the upper mids/lower highs and put a bit of cutting fluid on the grit. It's one of the best sounds I've ever heard, and I've owned a few tube amps. A note on noise, since so many have seen fit to mention it in the negative, is yes, it's a bit hissy at volumes above half. If you want to record with it, and play music that requires dead silence here or there, there's this thing called editing. And, at lower (clean) settings also certainly worth recording, mine is one of the quietest amps I've ever heard. Two other items worthy of praise and not mentioned much in the other reviews- the low (#2) input has a distinctive and pleasing eq tweak I'd describe as giving the highs a bit more air, and the little fat/bright switch is incredibly useful as well. The low input also helps some with the shortage of clean on the straight 6V6 setting. In response to other reviewers, and maybe myself, this thing really doesn't sound like anything else I've heard. But it sounds EXACTLY like a Blue Angel, and I've come to see that as a real good thing.

I've not owned it long enough to know. For me, old Fenders are the benchmark in this category, which is to say no repairs other than tube replacement and the occasional de-coned speaker until the filter caps start to go. (20-30 yrs) That having been said, Mr. Smith and Co.
have built a fine reputation, or I wouldn't have bought it.

Again, in some ways no news is good news. Mesa's reputation in this field is unimpeachble, but I will venture no opinion personally.

Been playing over 40 years. Guitar, and steel guitar. Sometimes competently, always authoritavely. Since I am now rapidly approaching
pre-curmudgeonhood, and as Leonard Cohen so appropriately sang:"All my
friends are gone, and my head is grey; I ache in the places where I used to play", I have for the last few years been culling the herd of guitars & amps which once confused my desire as to which to play. Not to mention I have no further use for any amp that cannot be carried with one hand, and I have to say that, at 58lbs, this Mesa contraption would be out of the running if it just didn't sing so damned well. I also own a handmade tweed Deluxe clone from a wonderful company called Valvetrain Amplification, and a Tech 21 Trademark 60, which is probably the world's loudest practice amp. I've got a pretty low-tech home studio, and lately play mostly for my own enjoyment as well as the irritation of others.
If this amp were stolen, or more likely lost, since I am getting better and better at losing stuff, I probably would not replace it, not that I wouldn't want to. They never really caught on since they didn't make you sound like somebody else so they are kind of hard to find.
Just so you don't think I'm talking to myself, the questionaire says: "Whut do ya love about it? Whut do ya hate about it?" Well, I think "love" & "hate" are strong terms, perhaps even hyperbolic in this arena of guitar amplification criticism, but I would allow that I am strongly attracted enough to the both musical and unique sound & design of this thing that I was willing to spend enough money on it to get me a dishonorable mention in the court of wedded bliss! As far as hate? Well, lets just say I am not to crazy about the fact that the only thing on the control panel you can read from more than three feet away is the jack-assed giant "DUAL RECTUMFIRE" sign. Hell, just about any fool knows these amps with tubes in 'em have got rectum fires, and a lot of people know that some of these high-end devices have got TUBE rectum-fires, and some of us idjits whut has been around stuff like this a while know that 30-something watts in class "A" makes it desirible to have a glass bottle whut ackshully has 2! 2! 2 rectum-fires in the same bottle, and yes, we know they do some pretty good tricks what with the voltage drops and all, but JEESH! It reminds me of the dumb-assed kids you see driving around in the Ford pickup, but with the giant FORD decal in the back window. As if the world was wondering, and they just needed to clear that up. Worse yet are the semi-educated goobers that one day afford a Porsche and somehow feel the need for rocker-panel decals announcing their automotive affiliation. I know it's just a little thing, and only cosmetic, but really. It's kinda lame. It's like putting a sign across the front of a Peavey 50 saying "MULTIPLE TUBES".

No master, but no need. 3 settings: 6L6, EL34, both. All sound GREAT !! Can be switched on the fly, and each turn just provides more juice.

Using a Les Paul with Tube Screamer -- that's it. Anyone who says this amp doesn't sound good, must be doing something wrong. I probably own 20 amps. This amp just does NOT have a bad tone in it. Mid is very active, and past 1/2 way adds gain. The channel gain is not a volume as much as a drive. Goes from clean to OVERDRIVE. The "simulclass" switch adds volume.

My only problem is finding some in-between. Using the EL34s is loud, using the 6L6s gets very driven at the higher gain levels. I'd like an inbetween for gigs.

I NEVER go a night without someone asking me how I get my sound, so don't listen to me, listen to the people listening to me. My bandbates just shake their head and say "great tone." And I'm loud enough if I want to be -- NOT piercing, but full, rich, and driving.

It's a Mesa Boogie. They are built solid and dependable.

I like Mesa Boogie support. You can talk to a person, and they help you.

I've been gigging for 20 years. All of my gear is playable. I own Ampegs, Fenders, Boogies, Music Man, Strat, Les Paul, Teles, Line 6, Rickenbacker, etc. etc. I would definitely search for another one of these. It's simply my favorite amp to gig with, despite the lack of master volume. Tone is pure love.

Straight ahead rock and roll amp. I use this in a jangly rock and roll band. This amp is great for what I do. Its also an amazing studio amp especially with the versatility of the power amp section. 30 Watts of class A whup a@#!

I use a Les Paul live with this guy along with a double cut LP. My pedals are: Budda Bud-wah, Pharaoh Class A booster, hand built ts-808, Kendrick ABC switcher (routing to tuner), and monster cables. Only one channel but thats all I need. The Mid range control is cool because it acts as a gain beyond 12 o'clock. Great reverb.

So far, so good.

NA

I've been playing for 13 years now, and this is one of the best amps I've ever owned. I won't bore you with the full list but I have been through some gear. I do wish the power amp selector was footswitchable. I compared this to a Groove Tubes Soul-o 45, an Ampeg Super Jet, a Matchless DC-30 (out of my $ range), and Vox AC30 reissue. The mesa was the best of the lot (other than the Matchless, which was Mark Sampson era).

You know the features. Not too many, but everything I need. If you want more channels, just add some good pedals.

72 Fender Tele Thinline Reissue (Humbuckers) and various true bypass pedals. This is a beautiful sounding amplifier with this guitar. I think it was made for semi-hollows and archtops. It sounds so thick, chimy and 3-dimensional. However, with my Epiphone Les Paul it's pretty bad, too mid-rangey and kind of harsh. Sounds good with my friend's strat though. This amp is very expressive and really responds to variations in attack or bends. Lush harmonics, baby.

Awesome reverb, kind of noisy though.

I love the luscious juicyness of the 6v6's but their output is a bit low for my band (alternative rock) so I use them more for jamming at home with a THD Hotplate to keep the volume at basement approved levels.

The el84's are chimy and overdrive warm and tight. Like my girlfriend. Huh? Sorry, back to the amp... The EL84's are what I use when jamming with my band or playing live. Beautiful tone and it can fill medium clubs. Larger clubs generally mic our amps so I'm not concerned. I generally set the amp so that it is distorting mildly and roll off the volume to clean it up if I want. I use some good pedals like the Z Vex Super Duper 2-in-1 overdrive/clean boost and a Fulltone '70 fuzz for my clean boost/overdrive/distortion/fuzz needs. Sounds great with them all.

The 2 10" alnico's sound pretty good. Perhaps a bit punchy for my taste but great for cutting through the band. I might add a 1x12 cabinet with a Weber VST alnico to add a bit more bottom end and tonal complexity.

I don't like the combined 6V6 and EL84 setting. Sounds weird. And the tubes seem to have different sag characteristics that don't blend well. Perhaps it would sound okay with a different speaker configuration.

Solid as a brick sh&*-house. Although it is class A and therefore eats tubes a bit quickly, I have only ever lost a tube once while gigging (rectifier tube) and I had spares on hand so I was okay. The preamp tubes are a bitch to get at without taking out the power tubes first, though. Very heavy for a smallish club-size amp. 55 pounds. But that's actually quite light for a Boogie.

They have answered all email questions within 48 hours. They seem to really like their jobs and are happy to provide any information on their products.

I have played for 7 years. Mostly a rhythm guitar player/lead singer, but do some leadish stuff here and there.

If it were stolen, I would possibly buy one again. But more likely the head version and then a 2x12 cab. Or perhaps I would spend more and get a used Matchless or something.

I love the tones from the amp and the way it reacts to good quality pedals. I wouldn't mind if it had some more clean headroom (but the ZVex Super Duper's clean boost seems to really help this out). It has a great natural blues overdrive and with pedals you can get more crazy tones out of it, although the 2x10 configuration is not that great for heavy stuff. Definitely has its own character, this amp. People are always complimenting me on its tone.

You all know about this one... I was looking for a simple tube amp with one really good clean(ish) fendery sound - with less weight than the Twin Reverb I had.

Mainly used with strats & ts9. A Voodoo lab tremolo is always ready for use as well... But something is not quite right with the sound. The amp works well with lead pu and some ts9 for raunchy rythm sounds - but when I switch to the neck pu it goes all boomy and not distict AT ALL. The amp gets even boomier when I combine all six output tubes, so I tend to leave it in EL-84 mode. The 6V6 mode is the sweetest sounding, but to flabby and compressed for my taste - unless you REALLY crank the amp.

To be fair, I haven't started messing with different tubes yet. Surely some of the current tube craze (NOS this, Mullard that) has to be hype, but it's starting to get to me anyway; I'm told that the OE Mesa tubes aren't all that - and I believe it. I also think that the boomy sound is partially down to the 10" speakers (I have always preferred 12s). I don't know...

BTW - yes it's noisy! I can't understand how a low gain amp can have so much background hiss - even with the volume off. And the cooling fan is even noisier - to the point that the amp is hard to use in the studio. On one session I actually had to wedge a piece of (soft) candy in the fan to stop it.

It works just fine. When I temporarily stopped the fan in the studio, I thought that it might get damaged - but I didn't care, since I wanted to replace the fan for something quieter anyway. But - when I took the candy out of the fan, it worked just fine. Hasn't missed a beat since... "Bulletproof" is not just a saying - it's reality.

Bought the amp used, and have never had any reason to talk to Mesa. I wanted to get a cover for it, but I'm gonna get it made locally. Mesa gear is hideously expensive in Sweden...

I wish it had a tremolo, or at least a serial loop so I could put the tremolo pedal where it should be: after the reverb. As is, I have to turn the reverb off since it doesn't sound right. I noted that Boogie have replaced the 2x10" version with a 1x12" - maybe that is the answer? Before I give up and sell it, maybe I should give it a 1x12" baffle with Celestion V30 - that mod and new (quality) tubes might do the trick, because now it's just gathering dust in a corner.

Youve Read It All Before

Sounds great i play a style o dobro through it fitted with a barcus berry humbucker and steel finger picks ,,,,,,,,the sound is unique and haunting i love it

mmmm not impresed in the reliability department at all, the main transformer smoked up on stage took out a few of the valves and some componants,i have since been told this was due to the valves it was shipped with,groove tubes but i dont know for sure. My advice to any owners out there is that if your using your amp a lot change those valves every six months because class a amps really suck the life out of them ........

the warranty was 3 mths out of date however the company supplied the parts and the repair man billed me for the labour 350 dollars australian

throw out those gainy groove tubes ...........put a warmer set of speakers in the cabinet and get a electrical protection unit for the power supply

For a small blues or club amp, the features are fine. This amp doesn't really sound good until you get the volume control to 11 o'clock (using a strat). The slave out and effects loop are nice, but I never use them. Changing the preamp tubes is pretty difficult. They are positioned towards the center of the chassis and it's hard to see the actual socket when you are replacing tubes. However, I do love the look of the amp.

I bought this amp for the sole reason of low power, using the power tubes for overdrive. I was initially very impressed, especially with the tone of the reverb. Well after getting it at home and using it for a few gigs, I was no longer as excited. The problem (for me) is that the amp has an underlying honkiness in the tone. It is some middle frequencies that you can't dial out. I realized that I am partial to a Fender Deluxe type of tone and this amp just won't do it. I tried retubing, using different speakers and ext. cabinets, but I am just not happy with the tone.

Had it for about a year, and never had a problem

I've spoken to the people at Mesa/Boogie a number of times and they always returned my calls.

This is a beautiful amp, and I'm sure it would suit some players just fine. But I favor a vintage Fender tone, and this amp really does not get close.

No master, treble, bass, a mid that boosts breakup as it's increased, reverb, and the famous "progressive linkage" that switches between tube types (and wattage ratings), and also lets you combine. See other submissions for more details. Frankly, for me, all that was a headache. If you like twirling dials, maybe you'd like this. I just got sick of fooling with it. I'm not a tweaker. I like to plug in and go. Simpler is better for me.

I play blues-based music, mostly with Les Pauls, and I just could never really get a sound I was crazy about. It's not like the thing sounds bad, it just left me uninspired. Clearly, others feel differently, based on other submissions, but I could never get tone I could get excited about. It sounds like you should like it, but all I ever thought was it just wasn't enough of anything. Not sparkly, not ballsy, not soulful, not...anything. Again, I don't have the patience for a lot of tweaking, so maybe it requires spending a lot of time finessing the tube choices and tone knobs. I clearly bought the wrong amp for my personality. But I spent some time with it and could never get it to where I was happy. The reverb, which has come in for praise, I thought was distinctly inferior to Fender's. And there was this faint, high whine when I turned it on. Not enough to really be a problem once you started playing, but annoying all the same. (Took it back to the dealer, but of course, it didn't sound the same there. Maybe it was interacting with something at my place, but none of my other amps has ever made this sound.) All in all, a disappointment.

Didn't wind up using it enough to really say for sure. It certainly feels substantially built. (A plus and a minus. Feels rugged, but is also somewhat heavier than you'd think an amp of this size should be.)

They were very nice at Mesa/Boogie, I got the impression they'd be attentive, etc. Again, this just never really came up.

I've been playing some 35 years, have a few other amps -- Matchless Chieftain, Fender Deluxe reissue, Vibroverb reissue, all of which I like better. Each has a specific tone that is easy to dial in and that I find incredibly useful, none of which could be said about my experience with the Blue Angel. Again, this isn't necessarily a slam on the amp, maybe it's just who I am as a player (and god knows, there's nothing so subjective as tone), but it did nothing for me. I sold it and don't miss it. My personal opinion is that it tries to be too many things at once, rather than just going for one great tone. Just a word of caution to counter-balance the other raves.

a single channel 2x10 amp that will do the Delux reverb trick at 2 6v6 or the vox trick at 4 EL 84's or kick butt with both combined. low to med gain, not a high gain amp, thats why it says Blue Angle not Marshall. a great amp for blues or roots music.

Sounds good with humbuckers, single coils and reall good with hollow body guitars (PRS Hollowbody & ES350 of mine). Even has a reverb that is close to a Fender tube reverb and Mesa's reverbs usually stink. responds to how you play. the best blues amp i've found for small to med sized clubs

Built like a tank, just wish Mesa would come up with a better covering on all their amps.

Cant beat Mesa

Been playing for a long time, owned them all, this is the real deal for anyone needing a good blues amp.

This is a single channel amp with low to medium gain capability. Mine has 2 10" alnico speakers. The amp has a parrallel effects loop and several jacks for speakers and a DI out. It also features a tube driven reverb. Selectable output tubes. No master volume; just plug in and turn up. For a plug and play amp it is pretty versatile.

This amp sounds incredible. The bass stays tight all the way up. I had a Fender Prosonic and this amp blew it away; so I sold the Fender. The distortion on this amp is pure power tube; FAT and SMOOTH. Absolutely no preamp BUZZ. The distortion is smoother than any amp I have heard including Fender Deluxe Reverbs, Pro reverbs, and Supers. This amp is very dynamic and responsive (class A). If you want more drive, just dig in. Very responsive to the guitar volume changes. However, this amp is very transparent. Every nuance comes through; whether good or bad. Simply put, I love the sound of this amp. The best I have heard. I play jazz, blues, and some classic rock sounds through it. The reverb is as good as Fenders. Almost chorus like if set deep. I play a Hamer Studio through it most of the time. I also use a 1954 ES175 with P-90s as well. For over the top solos and melodic lead I use an Ibanez TK999 for a mild boost (gain set low). I had a TS-9, Blues Driver, and Metal Zone and none sounded as good through this amp as the TK999. The TS9 was close, but didnt have the EQ capability.

I have only owned it for 5 months. I gig with it once weekly at church. I practice with it daily.

I love it. I would definately buy it again.

This is a single channel amp with low to medium gain capability. Mine has 2 10" alnico speakers. The amp has a parrallel effects loop and several jacks for speakers and a DI out. It also features a tube driven reverb. Selectable output tubes. No master volume; just plug in and turn up. For a plug and play amp it is pretty versatile.

This amp sounds incredible. The bass stays tight all the way up. I had a Fender Prosonic and this amp blew it away; so I sold the Fender. The distortion on this amp is pure power tube; FAT and SMOOTH. Absolutely no preamp BUZZ. The distortion is smoother than any amp I have heard including Fender Deluxe Reverbs, Pro reverbs, and Supers. This amp is very dynamic and responsive (class A). If you want more drive, just dig in. Very responsive to the guitar volume changes. However, this amp is very transparent. Every nuance comes through; whether good or bad. Simply put, I love the sound of this amp. The best I have heard. I play jazz, blues, and some classic rock sounds through it. The reverb is as good as Fenders. Almost chorus like if set deep. I play a Hamer Studio through it most of the time. I also use a 1954 ES175 with P-90s as well. For over the top solos and melodic lead I use an Ibanez TK999 for a mild boost (gain set low). I had a TS-9, Blues Driver, and Metal Zone and none sounded as good through this amp as the TK999. The TS9 was close, but didnt have the EQ capability.

I have only owned it for 5 months. I gig with it once weekly at church. I practice with it daily.

Cant beat Mesa

I love it. I would definately buy it again.