Mesa/Boogie Blue Angel 4x10 Combo

Purchased new in 2003/2004. Versatile for R&B, soul, blues, country, and more but not necessarily a good choice for high gain situations.
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I consider this unit feature rich! Efx loop (that works!!!), slave out with level control (that works!!!) choice of speaker outputs (4, 8 or 16 ohms!!!), great reverb that is footswitchable, 3 options for power (6v6, EL84 or both!!!), fat/clean switch (for tone shaping!!!), AND !!!!!!! eq that truly works !!!!!!!!

Fender strat, tele and G&L guitars. The sound quality is exceptional when used for the styles I mentioned above. I think this amp would fail if used for any kind of metal etc... Not noisy. A variety of sounds. No brutal distortion.

Great! No need for back-up. I do use at least 2 combos when performing. I had to replace the EL84 tubes--they got a bit old/tired and one of them went out completely. Thank god it's a tube amp.
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If something fails in a solid state amp and the reset button DOES NOT cure the problem you are in BIG trouble--might as well dump it.

What for? The amp is supremely reliable. It is out of warranty. I did not just purchase this amp and in my excitement write this review! What good would this review be if I had only had it for a day? a week? a month? 6 months? A YEAR? No. I waited for some time before writing this. I've owned it for about 5 years now and in that time I've purchased 5 other amps. And guess what? Those other five amps are gone.

I've been playing for sometime now. I own some other gear/junk. If stolen or LOST??? uhm i wonder how i would lose this thing... Oh. Anyway, if stolen I would look for something similar--these amps are no made. I love how this thing sounds. I hate how heavy it is. i looked at fender, ampeg, line 6, rivera, marshall, crate, ...i can't think of all of them. I chose this unit for it's features!!! and sound. I wish I had a Victoria amp. It's funny, Egnater came out with an amp with the same idea of combining a 6v6 and El84 power sections--i wonder if they will have any luck...

Not a very "feature oriented amp"

It's meant to be a plain vanilla, workhorse, bassman type of all-round tone monster.

Versatility and features is not why I bought it. It's got what it's supposed to have

Want to say terrible so nobody else buys it.
But it's fantastic.

Works best with pedals before it to get the variety of tones.

Never a problem in the two years I've had it.
Took it on one live gig cuz I'm afraid of messing it up.

But it seems to be very BOOGIE durable.

Strange whir coming from somewhere since the day I bought it. Even on standby

Not coming from the speaker...

Typical boogie, write legibly in the box.
Since it's out of warranty. Don't bother with the factory.
Love the Boogie guys...

Called them about the whir and they couldn't figure it out.

Been playing for 46 years. Professionally for 30+ years.
Have many different, expensive Boogies. All their best.
This one is VERY different. Not meant to be your final go to last amp if you're looking for variety. Great with a pedal board cuz it's just pure tone. Very warm. Like butta.

Takes hot inputs well. Kevin Eubanks can't be wrong for using one of these for years on the Tonight Show, his tone kills cuz he uses pedals before it and the amp for projection of the signal.

A great choice for the ultimate, guitarist's monitoring amp.
If you buy one, DON"T DESTROY it as it's a work of eloquence.

Not quite sure of the year, probably Early to Mid ninties model, PERFECT condition. This isn't a feature loaded cab, just 5 knobs, the most basic EQ and that's it. I love how the Reverb is footswitchable and you can choose between different tube configurations. 2 6v6 tubes, 4 EL34 tubes, or both, called Simul- Link. This amp isn't geared for a bazillion knobs to nail that impossible tone. The tone is already there, just spend time with your gear and you have your tone. I play mostly alternative rock, some pop and BLUES with this thing. And, for those applications, you're hard pressed to find anything better.

I primarily play this amp with my Les Paul and Fender Esquire. I hated this amp at first because of the annoying buzz it produced. Over time, I hardly noticed and now I don't even pay attention. THIS IS NOT A BEDROOM AMP! It gets really loud, but that goes without saying since it's a Class A amp. On the 6l6 setting, which is the closest "bedroom" setting, you get a really nice clean tone- RHCP/John Mayer anyone? I haven't played with the EL34 setting much, but some people think this setting reminds them of an AC30- I've never played an AC30, but I would like to check one out to see if this is actually true. The Simul-Link feature is really nice- ALL the tubes are fired up and pushed hard. On a Les Paul, the best thing is to use the Neck Pickup with the volume turned down a bit and leaving the Bridge Pickup full volume, then you can switch pickups for a nice blistering solo. When you turn the amp up really loud, you can get a really nice beautiful overdriven tone. Granted, it's not a metal tone, but that's not what this amp is made for. Pending on what guitar you're playing with, you can cop a John Mayer clean, a Black Sabbath overdrive... Pretty versatile, yet very unforgiving and revealing of mistakes. If ever an amp was made that could make you a better player, this would be it, bar none. What I love the most about the overall tone of this amp is that it isn't Ice Pick-ish, it isn't shrill at all. It's very full, and emphasizes the bass and mid end of the spectrum, and that makes for a very satisfying musical experience. The reverb isn't mechanical sounding either- this is probably one of the best reverbs out there that isn't Fender- nothing can realistically beat a Fender reverb, but this seems to be the best alternative- at least one of the best tube driven reverb units around.

When my BA came in, there were tubes missing and broke, but that has nothing to do with the reliability of the product at hand. Poor soul who sold it to me didn't know how to properly ship a tube amp! That being said, this amp has not one scratch or flaw. Got this thing re-tubed and it is Magick! This amp and my Les Paul will definitely out live me and grow with me as I get older. I would take this and the ol' Les to a show and not even think about backup. I am that confident in it's ability to do live gigging.

I've never had to deal with Mesa Engineering for customer service- this guitar is WELL out of warranty, but getting the thing re tubed and new chassis was no problem. Like I said, this amp is set for life now- ready for the rigors of the road.

I've had some good amps, and some crappy amps as well. I've had this horrible 2x8 Crate from 1980 something- and man it was garbage! It had an appeal from the pawn shop at the time, but inspired absolutely no love. I still have a Crate with the effects and tuner on it- my first real amp and it was alright for when I got it 5 years ago when I was starting to get serious about playing guitar. After having a hybrid Marshall, I decided to go all tube and haven't looked back since. I own 2 Mesa's- one for a more organic tone, which is the Blue Angel I just got done reviewing and a Nomad 45 which I reviewed sometime ago. This is definitely an amp for life- I got it coming back from Iraq nearly 2 years ago, and it's going strong like I just bought it. It feels like I bought it in a shop in 1994 or something- it has that vibe and I love it. I was waiting for this amp to be resurrected and was anxious. I never researched it, and wish I would've, but I really didn't like the amp when I first got it. Now, I'm not going to buy another amp as long as I can help it. I love it's simplicity and the vibe it exudes. It's a modern take on a vintage design. Probably one of the best executions of modern features on a vintage foundation. It has the same configuration as a Bassman- although loyal Bassman owners will definitely trash this thing. Some days, I wish I had a old school Marshall or a Vox and others I wish I had a Fender- this is my answer to satisfy those lusts. One day, I'll buy a Strat and see how well this sounds with Strats- it seems like it would be a perfect match- at least for clean tones anyway.

Tone, tone, tone. Lush tone, sweet tone, rich tone. Features enough! My Mesa Boogie Blue Angel is the 4x10" speaker model in blue tolex with wheat grill cloth made in 1994. Other reviewers here have amply covered the specs on these models, but suffice it to say it doesn't get much simpler than five knobs and single channel. I wanted one guitar amp that was simply a guitar/cable/amp arrangement (no pedals) and this answers that need well. Turn it and your guitar up and get natural overdrive/tube saturation. Turn down your guitar and it's clean city. Talk about getting back to basics! I also greatly appreciate the ability to switch tube types with the front panel control. To go from the 6V6 sound (Deluxe) at 15 watts to the four EL84 sound (AC30) at 30 watts to the combination of both together (Deluxe AC30?) is awesome. And because the speakers are grouped in pairs and run from separate jacks, I can set it at the 15 watt setting, disconnect two of the tens, and wail downstairs in the Smokin??? Lizard Music Lounge and not disturb my wife sleeping two floors above. Mesa should probably have named this one the Blues Angel because for the blues, it doesn???t get a lot better!

Part I: Tone, tone, tone. Lush tone, sweet tone, rich tone. Sound quality indeed! I play a 70s Fernandes Strat, a highly-modified PRS SE Custom (great guitar by the way and cheap...good as the fundamental building block to do your own thing) and a modified Parkwood Hybrid (jury is still out on that one) and this amp brings out harmonic richness I have not heard in other amps. Because of the EL84s, it???s closer to a thicker mids British sound than my clean and again highly-modified Fender Super 60. But hey, two great guitars and two great amps will likely be all I???ll ever need. Could I have gone out and just bought a brand new PRS and a brand new Boogie? Sure. But where???s the fun in that? Even if I had, in two weeks I would have been ripping those apart. It only took me lees than 24 hours of ownership to totally void the warranty on the SE. Imagine investing several thousands of dollars only to turn around and reinvest more. I got all of this stuff cheap. My thing has always been to do your own thing and I have.
Part II: OK, thought I was getting a great deal at $440.00. Guy said it was totally blown up. When I got it, I only need to replace one preamp tube. After a while though it started to noise up. My initial examination revealed a visibly cracked resistor. That is when I decided to take it to Doug Weisbrod at Music Technology http://www.musictechnology.com/. Doug, along with his partner Bill Thallman, know more about tube amps and design than anyone I???ve ever met in 40 years as a pro musician and did all of the mods on my Super 60. Bill has been keeping my vintage McIntosh audio gear running in top condition for 20 years. They were both former Conrad Johnson engineers. They design and market the Talos series of guitar amplifiers (and other peripheral electronics, PA stuff, stomp boxes, etc.) which are receiving rave revues in the musical community. Bill Kirchen (tele master) is a notable endorsee of the Talos amplifier. Doug put about 6 hours into the BA because he found multiple issues (resistors, capacitors, etc.) once he got inside. Now, take everything I said in Part I and multiply by two. I couldn???t imagine this amp sounding any better, but OMG, it does! If you read some of the other revues, people talk about some inherent noise issues. Gone! They talk about a lack of headroom. Gone!
Part III: ???OK???, you may well say to yourself, ???he got a deal then ended up spending more money anyway???. Fact is even with the repairs and mods, I still have less invested than any of the other BAs here or currently on the market. Plus, it???s been upgraded and is now probably the most perfect example around. Life is good.

Too early to say, but it???s built tough so should be OK for a long time. I would not hesitate to play out with it anytime, anywhere. In 40 yeas of playing professionally, I have NEVER needed a back up guitar or amplifier. I couldn???t have afforded one anyway during that time. But now I have two amps and guitars and don???t play out much. Kind of bass-ackwards. Go figure.

It's a 1994 amp. I think the warranty expired. At any rate, I must say Mesa has been really very good about answering my needs. When I first got it, I called to establish the date of manufacture and talk about some other aspects. The tech was gracious and did not make me feel like an idiot (I can take care of pretty well by myself) or hurry me along.

I have played professionally since 1964. I was part of a California band in the 60s that charted at #10 on Billboard. I have been signed to three major labels, one major Hollywood movie company, and a major TV network. You may have seen me riding a Honda motorcycle, drinking Folger???s coffee, or heard me sing on a brassier commercial. NO, I WASN???T WEARING THE DANG THING!!! I have owned pretty much everything and regret selling most of it. If someone stole this amp from me, I would hunt them down and remove their reproductive assembly with dull tools, sell them overseas to resell as human body parts, and use the money to buy another BA. I also play bass and have a few basses and bass amps. Plus, I sing so I have some PA and recording gear. This truly is the coolest darn amp I???ve ever had. Most of the older musos around here gravitate towards the vintage Fender stuff. One relatively famous guitarist I jam with on occasion brings his 1966 Fender Pro Reverb and original 1952 Tele along. I???d be the first to agree that the Pro may be the ultimate guitar amp, but he was totally knocked dead by my BA (and the Super 60???and the SE BTW). ???Lush??? was the term he used. But by far the biggest plus in this whole affair was the work done by Doug Weisbrod at Music Technology. If this sounds like an over-the-top endorsement, good! It should be. In these days of cheap ass crap and major musical gear makers releasing less-than-production standard crap, it???s really nice to know there are still some folks who take this stuff seriously???so seriously in fact that playing and technique aside, you can not get better audio results anywhere. Believe me, I???ve tried.

This amp is not about features or extensive tweaking and that is the intention, and beauty of it. It's all about tone which begins in the fingers and this amp is the canvas on which to paint a few particular styles of music. The BA is known as a big round warm and smokey blues amp and nails what I have heard in my head for many years, but it will do classic rock just fine. A few of the subtle features worth noting are the fat/bright toggle switch and the mid control. The fat side of the toggle is much more than a eq boost. It has a wonderful tone enhancement that is very complex with overtones and a slight bump in gain. It really brings out the EL84's creamy stinging tones. The bright switch is more of a lightener of tone and is nothing like the crappy bright switch on most other amps. (It takes the muddy edge off higher output humbuckers). The mid level adjustment is nothing like any other mid from any other amp I've ever played thru. It's is more of a subtle tonal/gain voicing than an eq and I seem to run it pass the noon setting but too much will muddy the voice. The single volume is also something to behold. It's not about volume really. More like a master voice. This is difficult to describe but Mesa seemed to invest alot of research in the volume control and succeeded. The reverb is right up there with my highest expectations and may soon become my favorite. The tubes appear to be the originals from Mesa, which was '01, I believe. The rectifier, 5AR4 appears to be more worn inside and out than the other tubes but this is where a lot of chasis heat is generated. I'm giving it a rating of 9 because "if" you use the features as "intended" and compare to something very, very similar, you will experience what Mesa Engineering intented.

I play loud (relative term) and tend to set it at about 2:30 to fit my room and style. Guitars used were many, vintage, re-issues and new. It sounds great with all types of pick-ups. Effects were not tested. Open tuning and slide souded like liquid swamp tone to die for. Like any great pure class A tube amp, it's not about thrashing. For me, it's like using the accelerator on an exotic race car going around a road course and allowing the breaks to last thru the entire race. Warm up, settle in, dig in, speed up, let up, go slow and so on. Lean into this amp for some great EL84 modern blues tones but don't forget to play some lower volume clean stuff on the 6V6's. In other words, use of playing dynamics is a must on this very touch senstive amp that is not forgiving to unintended sloppiness. This amp is tonefully beautful on the 6V6 setting at lower volumes and I have never heard ANY fender amp of any vintage sound this good. This amp has it's own sound, tone, tibre, voice, whatever. The Progressive Linkage is yet to be fully enjoyed however. I understand it's purpose but either I am in the mood for some blistering blues or I like to play nice and listen to indivual strings warmly ring out during chordal passages. I need to use the guitar volume more on this combined setting to see if that is the inherent secret to using the Progressive Link. It still sounds great linked, I just need to explore more as a rule. The reverb again is sublime. LUSH! (No, not my ex-wife). Great for swampy slide stuff. The 4x12 open back cabinet has some natural airyness but the whoomph of the alnico's are a perfect blend. I appreciate not having the higher SPL's of a closed back cabinet sometimes. Use a footswitch to turn off the reverb before going on standby is suggested. Turning the volume down may also me a good suggestion due to the noticable pop that comes from going to standby with the volume up and the reverb on. Tone wise, the BA is easily a 9 in it's intended category. Perhaps a Bruno Cowtipper is close to a 10 and more complex in tone and gain features, but I can't afford one (most musicians can't) and the BA has a different voice any way. Yeah, yeah. It all subjective. And for those that whine about the idle noise; just shut your pie hole or get some souless new modeling box and listen thru your polite, and politically correct headphones. The idle hiss is not an issue and all rectifier based tube amps should have a fan so get over it. If it doesn't move me and move air, forget it !

I play daily regardless and for hours when I have the energy or stimulation. I play loud. I dig in all the way and hit bottom and love the smell of electronics and tubes getting hot. If I can't smell the amp when I am done, I didn't play long enough or hard enough. (I even play nice and pretty sometimes). This amp seems to take it and like it but the "Blue" in Angel is not about metal or ice pick clean. Any way, I'm still using what appears to be orginal tubes and will have to decide if Mesa or NOS tubes are in order for a change out. Tonally, there is no reason to change them yet and I am guessing that the last owner babied this amp. As for playing out with this amp, I normally take my Lee Jackson/Ampeg VL amp (EL34's)out to play with the boys and will probably leave the Blue Angel at home for some superlative melody making and recording. It' too nice to abuse that much!

There has yet to be a need to contact Mesa Engineering but I hear they are good to deal with, even with used purchases. Amp appears overbuilt (whatever that really means?) so no worries. I would like to get an ATA case on wheels before I do take it out. It's nice to share great tone.

I've been playing too long and yet not long enough. No muscian ever stops learning no matter how old you get, unless you stop playing, then you save your hearing. Anyone who steals from a musician should be publicly flogged or worse. Other questions? I do have some tweak heavy tube amps. One is a Rivera Quianna Studio Head (6L6's) on a K212 Vint. 30 closed back cabinet. All in Ruby Red. Yeah, it's heaven too. I don't get the reference to Marshall for the EL84's btw. The type of tube has less to do with how an amp it voiced and more to do with what a great amp designer can do within the tonal and wattage range. Extract from within as a platform. Tubes are PART of the signal chain. (So is everything else that is connected). Good tubes in a piece of crap like Fender Hot Rod, Crate, etc. won't make them sound better. Sorry. I can apprectiate the EL84 reference however, since I like the old (real) Brittish/classic tones that now cost an arm and an ear and unless you are spending really big bucks for a hand wired Marshall, you won't get close to what you hear on recodings. Plus, where are you going to play a stack, jack, and I like loud. I wish people would stop comparing other amps to Fender and Marshall. True vintage is not re-issue anything and boutique, which I think the Blue Angel is, doesn't require starvation. There are many amps these days that exceed vintage platforms and for far less cost and are far more reliable. The Blue Angel is a standout but I can see why Mesa/Boogie stopped manufacturing this amp. Builders, even great ones need to design equipment for the majority, which I never want to be one of. Mostly, I just like to sometimes plug straight in and play, and have great tone fill the space without tweaking or fiddling. The Blue Angel will one day be a true collectors amp, if it isn't already.

I purchased this amp used in absolutely mint condition. The amp was originally sold at the Guitar Center where I purchased it and they bought the amp back from the original owner who purchased it the last year it was made 2004. The tone from this amp is made for those who appreciate the beauty of minimalism. I would call my style/influences "bluesfunksoulrock". It has one channel and frankly if you don't believe that tone starts with the hands and the notes are an extension of your imagination and creativity, then you're not ready for this amp. Plenty of power and tone, features are as good as any Matchless, Bad Cat or any other Class A boutique amp made. If you want to color your tone add a Roger Mayer or Fulltone pedal and you're on the way. If there is a downside... it doesn't get "Fender Clean", but then, nothing does.

I use Fender Stratocasters and Gibson Les Pauls and get awesome tones with either type of guitar. The beautiful aspect of this amp is that if you push it via the volume and tone controls you can get a creamy distortion that is colorful and natural. If you understand your instrument and how to make your amp work for you, you can make the Blue Angel sound like any Super Reverb or any Marshall. But remember it starts with the hands. The Blue Angel is awesome in small and medium club settings and if you're in a large venue and don't have a good soundman for the entire band, you're better off not doing that gig anyway... so if you mike this amp you'll be just fine.

I would use it without a back up if it was a local gig. If I was on the road and had the space, I'd love to have two of them and run them in stereo!!

I've spoken with the folks at Mesa Boogie and they are responsive and helpful even with products that are no longer in production. So... if you take care of your equipment, both the manufacturer and the amp will take care of you.

I have been playing for almost twenty years and first tried this amp out in 1992 while in college. It was out of my price range then, however, now that I am a grown ass man... well I got one. If it were lost by an airline, I'd be crushed and then I'd get them to re-imburse me for both the amp and the pain and suffering. I'd shoot anyone trying to steal it, need I say more? If you compare this to a Fender Super Reverb or a Marshall half stack you'll find it somewhere in between with a twist. Class A amplifiers have a unique sound and this gives you a lot of room for experimentation... If You Can Just Get Your Mind Together, Then Come On Across to Me..But First Are You Experienced???

The best amp for the money I have ever played or owned. It is a crying shame that Mesa no longer makes this amp.I play all handwired point to point amps. I play rockabilly, blues, jazz.I would buy another one today if they were availably.

I play a Fender custom shop nocaster, A Gibson CS 336, and a L.p. standard and deluxe.I love the clean,and the breakup on this amp.I have had the amp for five years ,so it is not just a honeymoon phase.This is truly a tone machine.I use a Hughs&Kettner Replex ,on all the time.I also use a Klon, or a Banzai Fireball II, or Fulltone Univibe.

Never had any problem with the amp.Very reliable!

I have called Mesa on many occasion, and someone always calls me back.Very helpful

This is one of my very favorite amps .Great tone.If lost or stolen, i would be combing Ebay for another.I love this amp.I use various pedals to get different sounds. It takes pedals extremely well.i know this is a glowing review,but I have no problem slamming an amp that I think is no good.The only drawback is the weight it is very heavy.For the price ,I have found nothing that comes close .

Single channel, class A, no gadgetry, gimmicks, no 30 knobs to "nail that sweet spot" you can't seem to find. Just Volume, bass, treble, mid, and....the option to switch between 6V6 power section, EL84, or both. The feature freaks who feel the need to dial everything in would rate it low, but I'm going to give it an 8, because the power tube selector really give me some great one options.

I'm using the baby with a 1974 Guild S-50 (maghogany SG style with one humbucker in the middle position) and a G & L Asat Semi Hollow with MFD's. Between these two great guitars, and the power tube selection feature, I have all the tones that I look for. With the Guild, the humbucker has that harmonically rich clean sound that inspires me to play longer and forget about sleep. When you increase the volume on the 6V6 section, you get that spongy, Deluxe tone. Then switch to the EL84 section, and the bottom fills in and the highs swirl around. When you crank it on this mode, it gives me that great power tube overdrive, dripping with harmonics. Back off and it's the "brutal Clean" that I love. I have owned all tube Marshalls, Fenders, Ampegs, etc., and this is the amp that does it for me. I wouldn't say that the sound is saturated at all. It's open, airy, and big. I also run a Homebrew CPR compressor and it sustains until I say uncle. Also run a Homebrew Germania treble booster, and then she sings. She's a big one, I don't love luggin her around, but it's worth it.

We'll see, but Boogie's are known for reliability (aren't they) Craftsmanship does look top notch. However, it's a tube amp. Bring spare tubes and fuses and forever hold your peace (or breath)

Don't know

The blue angel is a single channel vintage-style amp as far as controls - volume, treble, mid, bass and reverb. The standout feature is the "progressive linkage" circuit that lets you use 2 6V6 tubes for 15 watts, 4 EL-84 tubes for 30 watts, or all 6 combined for 38 watts. It does have an effects loop and a slave out. The reverb sounds really good - almost like an outboard. It has a foot control that is handy for switching it in and out. I don't need the various bells and whistles found on most modern amps. What I was looking for was a class A amp to get "the one" great tone.

This where it gets tricky. I play rockabilly and traditional country. I was looking for an amp to use with my home made 5F6 Bassman to give a little more class A chime and attack. As you may know, the Bassman has probably the best all-around tone of any amp ever made. Near perfect clean, near perfect dirty. I was thinking this amp would somehow be "more." The tone, though not bad, does not have he complexity of my Bassman. The tone is narrower - not the low lows or the high highs of the Bassman - more confined in the midrange category. Though this helps overdrive the amp, it's hard to get a loud clean tone without some midrange grit. This may be a great blues amp for some folks, just not my cup of tea. Not a lot of clean headroom. The fan, though a needed feature for a class A amp, does make some noise.

So far, so good.

When I called them the tech seemed to be more of a salesman for MESA than a tech. Very friendly though.

This could be a good blues amp for the right player, just not me. The tone is pretty one-dimensional for what I do. It doesn't have the same kind of complexity as say, a vintage Vox AC-30, tweed Deluxe, or Bassman. I will probably just stick to the classic amps from now on.

This is a bit of an update to my earlier review- I had said the 6v6 mode sounds mushy with humbuckers- I actually replaced the stock Gibson alnico humbuckers I had with Duncan Alnico II Pros and it made quite a difference, these p/ups cut through much better and don't push the amp into a flubby-sounding overdrive in the 6v6 mode like the Gibson pickups did. Another thing I have also tried is replace the 6v6s with 5881s. This adds another sound and dimension to the BA, in this amp the 5881s sound like you might expect the "combined" tube setting to sound like, plenty of bottom end yet with the top end of the el84's, none of the mushiness of the 6v6s, and a sweet sustain when pushed. According to to tech at Groove Tubes who frequents the amp forum, this won't hurt the amp at all.
Unfortunately the amp has now been discontinued which really sucks, I can't beleive more people aren't playing these.

I have owned this amp for a year now. I bought it barely used.
The features are well known.
Those buying an amp for it's made to do, rather than buying an amp unknown and whining that it doesn't meet their strenuous demands, should be satisfied.
This amp does exactly what it says it will do, and does it quite well. I use this amp constantly in clubs, and it has more than enough power to achieve very sweet, well articulated clean and distorted timbres (sorry, not 'tones'). I suppose those playing at ear-splitting, brainless volumes might have problems.

I play Blues in a trio. My guitars are Parkers, a Deluxe Single-2 and a Classic. This amp is supurb at responding to my softest touch, as well as handling my hardest whacks. It plays as musically as I can, and I don't think I have reached it's limitations.

I no longer use a back-up amp, though I carry a set of backup tubes. But what amp would not require this from a prudent player.

I have only called once for an informational answer. I left a voice mail, and it was responded to promptly by an extremely courteous, knowledgable tech.

In the year I have had it, this has become my sole amp.
I have been playing for 39 years.
If it were lost for some reason, I would most certainly get another.
I currently own a Marshall DSL-100, and a RI Super Reverb reworked by Don Butler.
Despite all the hype by the so-called 'tone queers', apparently seeking equipment to subsidize their musical deficits, this amp rivals any of the grossly over-priced, ptp handwired, totally 'acceptable' amps available, not to mention the old stand-bys from the majors.
For those looking for an extremely musical, responsive amp, I can't recommend the BA more highly.

Low-powered tube amp. Unlike other Mesas this amp has few features and is very straightforward. The key is being able to get power amp
distortion at moderate volume levels compared to your typical 50+ watt combo or stack. The sound is meant to be "retro" "rootsy" or "vintage" sounding classic rock/blues distortion. The features are designed to give you quite a bit of control in shaping the tone and overall volume of that specific sound. Mine came with the Eminence alnico speakers.

Sound quality is very good, perhaps just as good as any other boutique amp available. It's a unique mix of Vox meets Fender tonal characteristics, both in the clean and overdrive. The 6v6 is mushy when pushed, for me best suited to single coils while the EL84 is tighter and brighter, sounds good with either single coils or humbuckers. I prefer the greater dynamics and enhanced definition of the Bright setting. Reverb is nice although unlike the surfy sound of a typical Fender's. I use it a bit for clean, and just a touch with distortion. I set the tone controls at 9:00 or one quarter up. This is where I think it sounds best although I may occasionally turn the mid control up a little for a boost. Tone tip: if you think this amp sounds harsh or barky, experiment with the tone controls, you can probably dial out any frequency you think there's too much up. The tone controls, fat/bright switch, tube selection are subtle at low volumes but very effective at high volumes. Tone Tip 2: Try the sweetest sounding pickups you can find in your guitar rather than high output pickups meant for high gain amp settings. The Duncan JB humbuckers I was using in my guitars were too bright for this amp. I switched them for more mellower sounding pickups and it made a very noticeable difference.
I use this amp at about half volume for cleaner sounds and 3/4 volume for distortion sounds, then control the amount of distortion using my guitar's volume control and pick attack, and I also use a pedal for a boost- V-Twin on Blues setting or Fulltone 69 fuzz.
I find the noise of this amp to be negligible.
I'd like to try this amp through other speakers and cab configurations- however the stock speakers sound really good and not harsh or shrill at all. It is a very specific "bluesy"kind of crunch with these speakers though.

This amp is much more well built than the typical mass-produced amps I normally see. I'm confident in it except for possible tube failure.

Mesa has been very halpful. I left a message on their machine with a few questions and a tech called me back a few hours later to answer my questions.

This amp is well built with amazing tone, I could use this amp for the rest of my life and be very happy with it. It beat out all other amps I tried and was on par with Fender's Vibro-King amp although the Blue Angel seems to be better builtas well as IMO being more versatile and less expensive.

This is an update on my previous review below.
First of all however, I'd like to advise anyone considering this amp, not to be misled by reviewers who have tested this amp in music stores(!), or just for a short time!
This amp takes a while to get used to, it must be given a chance to show what it can do, and that cannot be done in a store, or at home in such a short period of time!
The tubes, and the speakers needed changing on mine, which can be expensive of course, and the amp cost enough in the first place, but this is something that I can live with.
I have Weber speakers in there now, 10A125, and 10F150. This is a Ceramic/AlNiCo mix, which makes a huge improvement over the muddy and unharmonic sounding Eminence Legends that were OEM.
The 6V6's are Groove Tubes new 6V6R's from ElectroHarmonix, and the rest are all NOS items: 5751's, GE12AX7's and Philips EL84's.
Another trick I've found out is; using a Roger Mayer Crossroads active splitter, to run both inputs together. This takes the harshness of the top end a little, without changing the EQ.
I would also like to mention that this amp is easily capable of running almost any venue, it can get REALLY loud if you want.
The Blue Angel is also one of the most underrated roots/blues amps on the market, partly due to negative reviews from people who are actually suited to a different kind of amp, maybe............
I don't think this is a bad thing however, they haven't sent many of these to here in Europe, I've heard there are only about a dozen or so 4X10 BA's in Germany, so mine's pretty rare!
Quite a few professionals have been seen using these amps too......
By the way, I've had my BA 4 years now, and it gets played almost every day, gigged every now and then, and....NO blown fuses, NO tube failures, NO breakdowns whatsoever! Reliable-yes-sir!

I do not own this amp. I spent half an hour testing it in a local store, because I thought that I wanted to buy it as a second amplifier. I already own a Fender Deluxe Reverb reissue. It has controls for volume, treble, middle, bass and reverb. It also has a bright/fat switch and another switch which permits the guitarist to choose for output tubes two 6V6s, four EL84s or all six tubes. I like amplifiers with simple controls, which is one of the reasons I was interested in this one.

I was very disappointed with the sound. Previously, I had tried a Mesa RectoVerb and had been very impressed with the clean sound. The Blue Angel's clean sound was not nearly as good as that of the RectoVerb and poor compared to the sound of the Fender. On the 6V6 setting, the amp did not sound anything like my Fender. On the EL84 setting, the amp sounded harsh, nasal, reminding me of a Fender Blues Junior which I had owned for a few years and had disliked. The combined setting, with all six tubes, sounded the best of the three settings, but the sound was sterile. There was no bottom end, and the top end sounded grainy.

I know nothing about the amp's reliability.

I've never dealt with them.

I've been playing since 1976. Over the years I've owned a few Fenders - 1969 Twin, early 1970s Twin, early 1970s Bassman head, 1968 Dual Showman Reverb head, Blues Junior and Deluxe Reverb reissue, a few Peaveys - Rage, Artist, Triumph 60, VTM120 with 412MS cabinet, and a rig consisting of an Alembic F-2B preamp, QSC power amp and Ampeg VT-22 extension cabinet. The Blue Angel sounded lifeless to me.

Made in 2001.I would think that everyone is familiar with the specs,valves,etc,etc.4x10 jensens,fantastic reverb that has an enveloping quality to it,yet it still allows clarity and tone to predominate.The wattage is variable and this is fantastic.Play this amp live with or without a mic.The 15 watt setting with a traditional strat is Peaches and Cream for Rhythm & blues.Speaking of musical styles,this Amp is designed for blues,R&B,Roots music stuff,hence its name!..not heavy bloody metal or Jazz!SO,dont complain if youre strictly a Jazzer and you think this amp sux.This amp does not suck and I would put it on a par with Fenders Vibroking for pure tone! Anyway,now that ive voiced that out of concern for reading others reviews i will move to the next category.

The natural power valve distortion(clipping)is wonderful.Touch sensitive and very expressive for playing the blues!I prefer single coil p/ups and the amp on 15 watts,as this produces a sweet tone very similar to a small tweed Fender.I feel the class A poweramp gives it a bit more of a punchy tone,when compared to an old class A/B Amp like a Tweed Deluxe or Harvard.I love the tones found in the Fender Tweed Bassman reissue and im not sure which of these two Amps I prefer.Maybe the B/Angel is a bit more flexible,but it is always hard to surpass the bassmans thick/stinging tones.The bottom line will always be personal preference i guess,but the Angel cuts it for me and i feel it is a good package with flexability within a musical genere,with GREAT spring reverb added for a nice finishing touch.

Not had the Amp long,cant really say.I do know that Class A Amps chew through power valves quite fast, due to constant current running through the tubes which is part of the nature of this kind of Amp,and the valves run hot too! Good thing the B/Angel has a built in fan to help keep those valves cool.

I feel this is a package well worth checking out.It has TONE offered to the guitarist who desires to dig in and let rip!!It sounds good with H/buckers too,and it has a Bright/Fat switch to adjust things to suit.I heard a 335 through it at the shop i purchased it from and this guitar did suit this Amp.The 335 sounded like a soulful blues Axe through this little amp.

I am not sure of the year my mesa boogie was made. I play alternative, pop rock, punk, with a little blues mixed in. The blue angel has one channel with a bright/fat switch, volume, treble, mid, bass, reverb and a progressive linkage switch which allows you to select the type of power tubes you wish to use. It has an effects loop and a slave out on the back. Also you can hook up different speaker cabinets: 16ohm, 2 8ohm, and 2 4ohm. Since it is a single channel amp, you cannot switch channels. There is no head phone jack, but you can add a reverb footswitch if you want. The only feature I wish this amp had is a lead channel, but that is not what the amp is designed for. I use this amp for band practice in my basement as well as for gigs. Even though this amp is only 38 watts, these are class A, and it is loud as hell! It will cut right through any mix of drums and bass. This is an all tube amp, 12 tubes!

I own two guitars: an american made fender stratocaster with a jb jr. in the bridge position, and a fender mexican made toronado with no modifications. This amp suits my music style just fine. When I first purchased this amp, I was looking for an amp which has great clean tones. Recently before owning the blue angel, I had owned a silver face twin reverb. The blue angel in my opinion, has equal too, if not better clean tones then the twin. Since I love pop rock and punk, I use several distortion boxes with the amp. Currently I am using a budda phatman and a big muff. There is hardly any noise coming from the amp except for the normal hum of tubes and the fan in the back. In every situation I have used this amp, both indoors and outdoors, I have never had a problem with too much noise. Since this is a single channel amp, you can get basically two different sounds: a clean sound, and the sound of tubes being over driven. The overdrive on this amp is crunchy, but not heavy. It is decent for solos and blues if that is your thing. The clean channel does distort at high volumes, but that is what this amp was designed for.

Since I have had my blue angel, which has been about six months, I have replaced the power tubes twice. This is my only complaint. The first time I replaced them because I was not sure how old the original tubes were. The second time, the amp broke down when I was playing a gig. It could have been the heat or a faulty tube, but it made some real weird sounds. After replacing the tubes, it has been working fine. I do gig without a back-up because I am a teacher number one, and number two I am getting married in five months.

I have had mixed results with mesa boogie. The first time I called them, they never called me back. The second time I received a call the same day. They seem pretty good, but I would have liked to have been called back a day or so later. The first time I left a message, they never returned my call for a month.

I have been playing guitar now since 10th grade. That would be about 9 years. I own the blue angel, and the two guitars mention above. I have previously owned a peavey bandit, fender m80 half stack, a bandmaster, and a twin reverb. In my opinion, this is the best amp I have every owned. It does what I want, is plunty loud, and sounds great. I do not know though that I would buy it again. I might try to get a budda super drive 30. I love the sound, but I do wish it had a lead channel. All in all the blue angel is a great amp. It does fender clean very well. I have come to the conclusion that if you want great sound you really need two amps. If you want fender clean, get a fender. Then buy a high gain amp for your lead tones. Split your signal between the two amps and off you go! Bottom line: for clean sparkling tones, you cannot beat the blue angel!

Amp made in 2000
Anyone that says this amp is Not about tone should drop an MXR Dynacomp in front of it and check it out again
The EL84's have a tight sound and this amp works out great with almost every effect box I ever put on my pedalboard.
Not a lot of features, but I didn't buy it for that.
With pedal combinations it becomes a type of "guitar monitor"
smooth tone, never harsh or bitey. A perfect "miked amp"

Custom shop Tele and Custom shop Strat
Versatile in what I need, being able to switch from R&B to Rock to Country simply by switching out guitars
I don't turn the amp up much past 11 o'clock position
works well with the single coil sound.

I've owned 3 Boogies and never had a problem.
Before that I was a rock solid fender man

Never had to call for service

Playing professionally 25 years
I probably would look around at first, but always with this amps sound in mind

I have a 1997 Blue Angel. This amp is fairly versatile but it's definitely not for heavy metal, blues, alt. rock,etc. One channel, class A, and the use of either EL84 or 6V6 tubes makes this amplifier well worth owning. It's more power than I need but I'm glad I get to play through it while it lasts.

The clean sounds from the amp are ungodly. I use a Les Paul(Epiphone) Goldtop w/ SH-4 JB pickup in the bridge. The amp stays pretty quiet, usual hum you get from tubes. This amp would be great for any blues-oriented guitarist. I am not very blues influenced and it still does great at what I want it to(Fuel). Anyone looking for more distortion should try the V-twin w/ it. I've heard it is really something to behold. Has a very cool vibe, all around.

No problems thus far.

Mesa support team has been very friendly and helpful with any questions I've had(even the dumb questions).

I've been playing a little over a year and I always thought the amplifier should be only as good as the player(so I have to downscale). I wish I could keep it but I'll be looking for another in a year or two. I could say I wish it had more distortion but anyone who buys this thinking it's going to distort like a triple rectifier is sadly mistaken but it does get some nice classic crunch. If you have neighbors and want to buy this amp, invest in an attenuater.

This has been told in other reviews,however amps with loads of features, are great for musicians still looking for their ONE perfect tone. Once you have that sound in your head,and it's anything apart from heavy metal,a single channel amp like the Blue Angel is perfect to base your sound on. The rest you can do with good quality pedals.I use Fulltone effects,they harmonize perfectly with the Angel. This way you stay flexible,you can change at any time;that's not easy when it's all in the amp!!

It has taken some time to find my "perfect sound"-I don't think I ever will find it! Every time I thought it was great I tried some different tubes and it got even better.This is something that every Angel owner should try,throw the mesa tubes out! They come mainly from china.My experience shows that Groove Tubes are great,but here is my recommendation for my personal base-tone: (looking from the rear)PRE-AMP first right-(V1)GE-5751,(V2)GE-5751,(V3)GT12AT7/6201,(V4)GT12AX7R2,(V5)GE-5751. POWER-AMPS 4 X Philips 6QB5/EL84, 2 X Brimar 6V6, 1 X Sovtek 5AR4/GZ34. The NOS tubes in this set-up are obtainable from- www.watfordvalves.com The others from- www.groovetubes.com This arrangement gives me the kind of "TEXAS/SRV/CESAR DIAZ" tone pretty closely. The rest comes from your own fingers,(in this case mine!!) The sound I am getting from the Angel now is the sound I think it was ment to do in the first place, really fat and loud, but never harsh or flubby, and with a nice portion of true grit!!

Nothings gone wrong yet, I gig without a back-up because it's the only one I have!! I don't expect it to go wrong, mesas are really tough you know.

This is where I have my problems. When I phone Mesa, They are always helpful and friendly, but they have never have answered my emails,(I live in germany),and the price of mesa gear here in europe is absolutely mental. The old rumour that the Americans keep everything cheap for themselves and let the rest of the world pay the higher prices, seems to be apparent here, this is just not fair. My message for Mesa; THINK MORE INTERNATIONALY, or your international customers may run away from you, if you make your products unobtainable, who's gonna profit from that? I see what americans pay for the Blue Angel In the USA, (About $1000) I paid in 1997, DM3200, That was about $1900 back then. The Blue Angel now costs in Germany about DM4500!! (over $2000) with even more price increases in sight. These are crazy price politics and definately NOT RIGHT.

I play a Warmoth strat and Am.std strat through the Angel. Great amp-Lovely sound-Mental price politics. I would recommend anyone to buy this amp if you are looking for the ultimate blues-amp, just don't buy it outside the states!!!!

Features have been described.
Good for the intended purposes of playing blues classice R&R

Beatiful with either single coil or Humbucker pickups. A fat switch helps to beef up single coils or thin out humbucker. Beautiful sweet reverb. Clean spakling tones that make you shiver. Nice growl when cranked. Remember this is a Blue Angel not a Heavey Metal Harlot! This is a limited "jack of all trades" amp. What it does it does very well. Loud enough for small clubs, but has many beauty tones at living room levels too.

Never had any problems.

I bought this slightly used. I have never had a problem, so I have never called customer support.

I have played on and off for 30 years. I have a couple of Marshals, and a fender Champ. I love the Blue Angel best of all. I play a Fender Custom Shop 54 reissue, a Lonestar Strat, and Yamaha SG2000. All sound great, but the Yamaha I really like. The tones are just great. I would buy another if lost/stolen. I wish I had the 2x10 version for playing at home.

I think if you look at features as "4 channels" "built-in digital amp modeling" "10 band EQ" "built in stereo chorus" well yor barking up the wrong amp. If your looking for features such as tube reverb, no master volume (hey that it a feature nowadays) and tube rectifier and a comliment of 6v6 and el84 tubes that beak up nicely with real power section distortion, well here ya go

This is a dynamic amp, very articulate to subtle nuances in playing style. If you play at with the same dynamics, you'll never see the true beauty of this amp. It's made to be used with the volume control of your guitar and subtle finger raking and such. The amp has a wonderful tweed (think deluxe ) sound with perhaps just a little more bark so you don't have to bother with the tube screamer. I think the reverb is one of the best verbs I've heard on an amp in years. I found the amp to be quiet although with tubes, one bad tubes can create alot of noise and with the quality of tubes from the east lately noise in any tube amo can be a potential problem

I've never had any problems with mesa products. Vey durable. As with all Mesa equipment the componets inside are top notch, Sprague caps and high quality resistors throughout. I can't imagine I'll have any problems

Never needed it, guess that says something in itself. I've heard that Mesa is quite accomodating with repairs

I've been a guitarist for over 16 years. I don't believe there's one amp that can do everything but for what I do, this amp really fits a niche that I couldn't find in other amps. I love old tweeds and voxes but I certainly wouldn't take them to a gig. This amp makes a great "player amp" Some may think the wattage isn't enough but from playing and doing sound for years, I've realized one of the best things you can do is find a tone you like and mic your amp. If a song needs more or less guitar let the sound main do it. I personally think this amp is loud enough for almost all clubs if you want power amp distortion (I think pre-amp distortion sounds weak and fuzzy) Remember a Vox is only rated at 35 watts and The Edge has used one for years on stage. Class a amps are a strange breed and they seem alot louder than there rated watts and have a harmonic complexity not found in other amps. I recently played a 68 super reverb that I don't feel had the tonal nuances and dynamics that this amp posesses but it looked cool and hey "it's vintage" and thats what alot guys want, buy with your ears not your eyes. For me the Blue Angel is a keeper

You've read it all before. I bought this amp because Randall Smith said it was his take on a vintage Fender and he would put this amp up against any of them. Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha.....He's a great deaf comedian. With the different valve complement arrangements, this should have been a fab little amp.

This amp just sucks. It lacks broad tone. It has the usual Boogie harsh nasty midrange. Next to a quality Fender, it's just a joke

No problems. But I don't think I'll be using it enough or owning it long enough to find out

Untried

Considering all the blurb says this amp is all about tone and is to be judged on that, I'm afraid it's a Turkey

Read other reviews, same features...
My amp was made in '94 and has the Eminence speakers. I never really liked Eminence, but these sound much warmer and fuller than the Jensen Alnico speakers. Black with a wheat covered grill. Specially wired seperating the 4 speakers into two sets of two. That way one can use 2x10's or 4x10's. Great idea. Have plugged into a 2x12 cabinet. Using the 4x10's and an external 2x12 cabinet gives an very full sound! This amps sounds great with just 12's but, but like the 10's better. Would have liked a tremolo, that is why the '8' rating. I love the Progressive Linkage switch. If you want distortion, pure tube even at lower volumes, the 6V6 can get the job done. To clean it up and bring in a British sound, the EL84 and combined do a great job.

Using a Fender '68 Strat Reissue (Japan) made in 1998. Ash body with a maple neck. Just replaced the pickups with Texas Specials. These pickups really drive this amp to a sweet distortion! Love it! To get a clean sound, turn down the amp or guitar. Fan on amp is a little noisy, but not through the speaker, just a normal fan sound. This is a blues amp! On the 6V6 setting, overdriving is so, so easy, sometimes a little to easy. Chord on this setting simply is great. To get a clean AC30 sound, use the EL84 setting. Clean, but not to bright. This not a metal amp, but really with a good pedal or two, this amp can do anything. For 18-33 watts, this amp can cook. On the 6V6 setting, you start to distort around 10:00, the others around 12:00. Using the middle as a gain (turning up all the way), you can get some over the top distortion. A great solo amp (to bad I'm not a lead guitar player!). Have a Fender '68 Pro Reverb (BF curcuit). I like this amp a little better (mainly at low volumes). I sold my son my Mesa Tremoverb to get this amp. The Tremoverb is a overall better amp, but this is more suited to my style and taste. I have read reviews on this amp. No it doesn't sound just like a Fender Deluxe or a Vox AC30, but it does get very close. It's much better than carrying around two amps and paying the price for a real vintage Deluxe or AC30. In some ways, the Blue Angel is actually better than the Deluxe and AC30. It can play with the vintage boys and some if not most times, eat there lunch. I like class 'A' power.

It's been around for 6 years and still has most of the orginal tubes. A very tough built amp, as with all Mesa products.

They are the best, no kidding, the very best. They return your calls and always are very, very friendly!

This is about my 10th amp. I'm going to keep this one and my Pro Reverb. Been playing for 28 years. If lost I would buy one, but would look for one with the Eminence speakers, couldn't be a new one, they have Jensens (very very bright). Again, I wish it had a Tremolo, but a pedal can do that if I really need it.

As past reviewers have said, this is your bare-bones one channel tube amp. It has basic passive EQ controls, reverb, and a choice between 6V6 power tubes, EL84's, or a combination of the two. I almost always use both for maximum headroom and volume. If you try to crank it while only selecting the 6V6's, it starts to fart out.

I use just about any guitar you can think of,(Tele, Strat,LP,SG,ES-335) and this amp responds well to all of them. This amp is SWEET with beautiful reverb. If I only played blues this would probably be my amp for life. However, at times it lacks the headroom necessary for funk,reggae,jazz etc. But you really can't complain, this amp was designed to breakup, and the power tube selector switch helps you decide when that should happen.
I use a V-twin preamp pedal either on the clean or blues setting with the gain knob at 4o'clock which works great for a Santana sound.
Also, I prefer the bass response of 12" speakers but I got a good deal on this amp used.

This amp did start to make some noise once, it was a tube problem most likely from road damage. but it was easily solved by a retubing

Never contacted them

I'm 17 and have been playing guitar for almost 10 years and this is the first great sounding amp i've ever bought. Though for my preference I wish they would make a 2x12 combo with a little more wattage. but that's more heartbreaker/tremoverb territory, I'll probably end up buying a t-verb soon just to fit my personal preference but I strongly reccomend this amp for anyone looking for a great one channel blues amp.

Fist of all, it doesn't have the rectifier selector which they say that it has in the manual. It's got nothing but real basic stuff: volume, three-band eq, reverb, a fat/bright switch, effects loops and...oooooh..the high-tech Simul-Link crap...bull shit. I can't stop laughing at their ridicules. Anyone with decent ears would notice in a second that this Simul-Link bull shit is just another scam that Mesa/Boogie pulled to confuse and make innocent buyers believe that everything done at Mesa is SOOOOO different, great and right, while in reality that isn't true. This is called "differentiation strategy" folks, where companies emphasize that their products are of higher quality and thus have higher prices. Sometimes, the difference in quality really exists and other times it doesn't. I admit that some of the other Mesa/Boogie amps are of higher quality, but even that doesn't justify their ridiculously high price tags compared to the amps from other companies. Now, these other companies have raised their amp prices, seeing people spend their fortune for Boogies. Just be aware and don't get ripped off by companies like Mesa/Boogie.

It has nice clean sound that breaks up at medium volume. It doesn't get as distorted as other class-A boogies like Maverick. I find this amp to be very suitable for blues or classic r'n'r. However, my initial intent for buying this amp was to use it for my jazz combo in small venues. I wish it had just a little more headroom or a separate gain control. This amp is very, very specialized amp for blues without modern heavy distortion.

I'll have to wait and see what this amp is made of. (I'm expecting this amp to easily outlast me considering its price.)

At their product price range, they better be good. They did answer my questions promptly, on several occasions.

Now, don't get me wrong. I'm not saying that Boogies are bad sounding. If you have tons of money sitting in your living room, go ahead. But if you are a reasonable person like me, think seriously before you buy a Boogie. I paid $700 for a used Blue Angel, which still a little steep for the amp. I'd give this amp a nine if it was $550, but at $1199 my rating for this amp is 7.

Don't know the year the amp was made. The Blue Angel isn't especially versatile because it's built pretty much for one thing: blues. It can also be used to play rock, but it won't do hard rock/heavy metal. But blues is my thing, so this class A amp is perfect. The four 10-inch speakers are 20-watt Emminence, and they're really warm. I tried a Celestion-loaded cabinet and didn't think it sounded as smooth.
No channel switching, but there are hi and lo inputs. I always use hi input. The amp's controls, from left to right, are volume, treble, middle, bass and reverb. No master volume - it's mostly power tube distortion, which to me is so much more pure and sweeter than front-end based amps.
There is a fat/bright switch, too. The fat switch emphasizes low mids. There is a parallel effects loop with a mix control on the back, a slave out, a single 4 ohm speaker out, and two each at 8 and 16 ohms. I don't use any effects, but I know the parallel loop and mix control work well.
The amp uses two Chinese 6V6s, four Russian EL84s and a Chinese 5AR4 rectifier and five Chinese 12AX7s. They're OK, but my plan is to substitute the 6V6s with NOS Phillips, the EL84s with new Czechs and the preamp tubes with Groove Tubes ECC83s (Czech, I think). I can make all these changes without worrying about bias because the Blue Angel is cathode biased.
But the Blue Angel's magic is in it's "simul link" setup. With the flick of a switch, I can go from 15 watts with the two 6V6s, 30 watts with the EL84s or combine both tube types for 38 watts. The differences compliment each other well and balance out the lows, mids and highs. It's nice and smooth.
38 watts might not sound like much, but it's plenty for gigs. My problem is that this amp is actually TOO LOUD to use in my apartment without a stomp box for low-volume grind. But give the opportunity to really open the amp up gives all the sweet distortion I need. Class A output distortion sounds and feels so much better to me than high-gain preamp type amps.
I give this category a 5, but only because this amp is intended to deliver one basic sound, and that's what I was looking for.

I use two guitars - a Heritage H150 (Les Paul-style) with stock Schaller humbuckers, and Korean-made Hamer Flat Top with cheesy Duncan humbucker copies, but those are soon to be history. On both guitars, I've upgraded the 500k volume pots to 1 meg for more presence and connected special capacitors to maintain highs when the volume is rolled off. It really works well with this setup, because the Blue Angel is very touch and attack sensitive, so using the volume control on my guitars help when I want to back off the distortion. Any good amp should do this for you, but most amps with hot preamp sections generally won't.
The Blue Angel starts to really break up with the volume somewhere between 11 and 12 o'clock. It gets thicker with more complex mids as you go higher, but 5 o'clock is about my limit. Thereafter, it gets too noisy. The distortion is very, very smooth and sweet. Listen to Kevin Eubanks on the Jay Leno show - he uses a Blue Angel, too.

I will depend on the amp once I get better tubes in it. I don't trust the Chinese or Russian-made tubes. They just don't last. The amp hasn't quit on me, but I haven't really used it night after night, either. It's mostly used for playing at home. I plan to get into the performing scene again once I get all my gear in order. I used to use a big MIDI rack when I played professionally, but I've simplified things to just a couple of guitars, no effects and a simple combo amp. I can't really offer an opinion here other than the fact that Mesa doesn't make cheap stuff.

Mesa's customer support is the best I've ever encountered, and I've had all kinds of amps over the years (I've been playing for close to 20 years now). When I first got the amp, it was too noisy - too much hiss, even at the lowest levels. But I was certain it was something that could be adjusted. So I took the amp to their factory, and after a wait of a couple of weeks (because their amp engineer was on vacation), they invited me back to make a simple adjustment of this teeny master volume control inside the chassis. A few turns and the noise problem was solved without hurting the tone. I lost some volume, but volume wasn't a concern. You can do this yourself or have a pro do it for you if you have the same problem. The Boogie people say this amp has a natural noise floor that is just "there," and adding circuit features to kill the hiss would kill the amp's attack responsiveness. But just making that little adjustment worked for me.
Tien Lawrence is Mesa's customer service chief. He was very helpful and friendly. He let me go into the tech room and check out the factory. He made the adjustment for me in just a few minutes. I am highly impressed with Mesa's service. They've always answered my questions and returned my calls. Defintely a 10.

I would not hesitate to get another Blue Angel if I lost this one. The only thing I wish Mesa would do is use better tubes in their factory models.
Other than that, this amp is perfect for me. I can get soft, clean sounds and in-your-face vintage blues without any stompboxes or channel switching. And the reverb is great, too. The 4x10 sound is for me, and this amp delivers. You can get one used for probably no more than $700, and it really sounds great.

Its a single channel amp. No BS just one channel. Its got all the knobs you need--volume, treble, mid, bass, and reverb. and has a knob that lets you change between power sections which puts this amp in a class of its own. It has enough power to fill up small clubs with sounds, but the cool thing is that you get to turn it up and use the power because it is only 15-30-38 watts. It does not need any other features--go get yourself a couple of good stompboxes on or off and you are on your way to the fattest of tone.

I use a custom shop telecaster. I play the funk, blues, and jazz. its not very noisy and I do crank the animal up. This amp will get you the best and smoothest sustain imaginable. It gets a little nasty at times, but just go to the 38 watt power section and turn the mid down and it gets much cleaner.

I use this amp hard and take it on the road a lot. It broke twice.. once because my Dumb A.. droped the thing and smashed a couple of knobs(it weighs alot). The second time it broke there was a fire behind it on stage and a few small things had to be replaced. both things costed about 60 bucks

Mesa has been very customer supportive of me. After I ordered it it took over 2 months before it arrived though. It has a 1 year warranty which I think is very cheap of Mesa.

I am 21 and have been playing for 10 years and have had many amps and none compare to this amp at all --except for fender pro reverbs, and vibrokings which I also use on the road. It has great tone and I love the thing. My advise is to pay the extra 300 bucks and get it covered in leather-because you are never going to want to get rid of it.

Features? We don't need no stinkin' features! Truthfully, I got this amp because of its simplicity. The output tube selector is a neat idea. The reverb is good, too. I could care less about the effects loop--I never use them.

My main guitar is a 1995 G&L Legacy with Fralin Pickups. It's considerably warmer and more "Tele-ey" than a stock strat. One would expect the 6V6 stage of the Blue Angel to be in the Deluxe realm, and the EL84 mode to sound Vox-ish. Not so. My crappy Crate Vintage Club 30 produces MUCH more credible AC30 tones than the Blue Angel. The 6V6 mode sounds better IMHO, but not quite there. I play lots of semi-overdriven stuff, and use effects heavily. Every pedal I tried through this amp sounded terrible. Vintage Rat, TS-9, Boss CE-1, EH Small Stone--all absolutely terrible. I had to sell the amp. If I had been a blues or even a country player, I could have dug this amp, but as it was, I found the overdrive when pushed to be harsh and barky.

Seemed reliable enough. You know about Mesa's policy, don't you? You're supposed to buy their Russian and Chinese relabled tubes exclusively so you can drop them right in without rebiasing. No bias pot is present, and installing one voids the warranty. Well, ha ha, the Blue Angel is cathode biased, so I tried NOS 6V6GTYs and Sylvania EL84s. This yielded a slight improvement.

I hear customer support is good.

Sorry to bad mouth for what many is the holy grail of amps, but for me the Blue Angel doesn't live up to the hype. The clean sounds ARE very nice. This amp will suit many players, just not me.

Year built: 1998 Versatility: I have two other amps: a rack mount Carvin Quad 4X/Peavey Clasic 50/50, and a Sundown 50. Despite the variety of sounds, I rarely use them all, so the Blue Angel is plenty versatile for MY needs; nevertheless, others might find the lack of channel switching to be a problem. Despite the apparent lack of options, the amp IS capable of producing a variety of sounds, albeit not at the tap of a footswitch. Again, this is a single channel amp, though it does have an effects loop and a slave output jack as well as provision for a reverb footswitch (though I have never actually used one of these, considering the price of the amp, Mesa might have included it rather than making an option. Once again, I chose this amp specifically because of its simplicity, so there really aren't any features I'd like to see added. Also, the 15-33-38W configuration is precisely the range I find most useful for jamming, playing small gigs and home recording.

I use a number of guitars through this amp: A Gibson Howard Roberts Fusion-III with stock Humbuckers, a '57 reissue Strat, also with stock pickups (single coil), and a '61 Melody Maker 3/4 with a Semour Duncan Hot Rails pickup. In general, I like the Strat a bit better through this amp, but everything sounds good through it.
I tend to play Jazz and Blues, and the amp is excellent for those styles. I don't know that it has the gumption for thrash or metal, but it does sound just fine for more moderate rock styles as well.
The amp is VERY quiet, even with eerything wide open. The scarcity of controls is deceptive, and the amp can produce a reasonable variety of sounds through appropriate combinations of the tone controls. For example, the Middle tone control acts like a crunch dial after the half way mark, and the treble control interacts significantly with the other two. All this is well documented in the manual, and with a little practice you can get a reasonable palate of sounds. Nonetheless, it's not like playinbg through a Triaxis or even the Carvin Quad-x with respect to variety. This is an amp that aspires to do one thing and does it extremely well. If that thing is what you want, then it's perfect.
Since it has only one channel, if you're looing for clean sounds at high volume, you're pretty much out of luck. I would use an A/B switch for this and run the signal through a more powerful amp. The clean sound at low-mid volumes, however, is sparkling and among the best I've ever heard. If more clean volume is needed, another option, of course, is to mike the amp, or use the slave-out to drive another opower amp.
Driven to distortion, the sound remains smooth and tight; reminiscent of a black-face Super Reverb (the 4-10s may contribute to this similarity as well.)

Can't comment on this aspect, since I haven't owned it for long, but if the Mesa reputation is any indication, I don't expect any problems. Visual inspection suggests a VERY well made amp.

Again, I have no direct experience (and hope I won't have to), but I've heard nothing but high praise for Mesa's support.

I've been playing since 1966, and have owned MANY amps since my first Epiphone back then. I've owned solid state and tube, Marshalls, fenders, Kustoms, Bruces -- you name it. I can say without hesitation that this is the best built and best sounding amp I've ever owned. This of course is subjective, and the next person might not like it quite as much, but I can't imagine ANYONE saying they HATE it. I will admit that, for some situations, and some sounds, I like my Quad-X rig better, but that's a huge, heavy unit that serves best anchored in one spot. Also, after a few beers I often find myself slobbering over the controls trying to find just the right sound. The Blue Angel is simple enough to operate regardless of how sh*t-faced you get 8^)

The Blue Angel is a very good amp for straight ahead blues. There's no master volume, but the amp distorts nicely at about half volume with a strat (texas specials) and about 10 O'clock with gibson humbuckers. It is difficult to get a good clean sound though; there is not much headroom. It also doesn't sound very good at low volumes... it lacks 'tone'. Not good for surf, jazz or country, but like I said, great for straight ahead blues. The reverb sounds great. It's all tube, one channell, standard tone controls and a nice array of doo-dads on the back panel such as an effects loop. It's a little lacking without a master volume or a little more headroom though.

Very noisy at low volumes (pre-amp swish sound). I also pick up a radio station regularly on it. Not very versatile, but it is good for blues and blues only. Sort of a medium distortion sound; lacks clean, especially on humbuckers.

No problems. This is my third mesa amp, and all have worked flawlessly. Seems to be well built.

I called Mesa to ask about the pre-amp noise and the service person (Tian I beleive) was very knowledgeable and concerned with providing a good product and good service. He sent me 2 new 12ax7 pre amp tubes to try and get the noise down. It didn't help with the noise, but the radio station went away.

I've been playing for 44 years (wow that freaked me out when I calculated it!) It's a good amp but I wouldn't buy another blue angel. It's a little too limited for me. My other current amp is a Matchless Cheiftan 2-10, which suits my purposes a little closer. I would suggest to Mesa to back off a little on the pre-amp hotness to give it a little less distortion and a little more headroom. That also might help clean up the noise so you can use it low volumes. It's still a very good amp for what it is though.

This amp has very few features but that's the Idea. It dose on thing very very well...it give you pure class A, power tube tone. It has one: volume,bass,treb,mid,and reverb. Thats it. No channel switching,EQ,presance,push pull pots etc.... If your style is about getting one really good tone for the night, this is a dream set up. It's so nice to be totally into making music on stage rather than looking over my sholder all the time wondering what dial to turn to find the tone for the song. This amp has a switch to select tube type. You can use two 6V6's at 15 watts, 4 EL84's at 33 watts, or all six at 38 watts. Thier is a Fat/bright switch as well. This is nice because in a way the bright just cleans things up a bit which I think of as my ( sort of ) clean channel. Thiers a effects loop and direct out on the back of the amp.

I play in a successful blues band in San Francisco. My style is all over the place including a lot of over the top tones as well as some Wes licks with a fat jazz tone, and everything in between. I've tried this amp with a G&L ASAT tele but my main guitar is a 335 and this review reflects the sounds I get from humbuckers. I think this is the best amp for my needs. I love putting it on 2 6V6's at 15 watts and turing the volume up almost all the way. It's just pure power amp drive.You get that magic feeling of playing the whole amp at a volume that fills up big clubs and yet keeps the sound man off my back. Set at 33 watts you get a bit cleaner at high volume. This is the most responsive amp, Dig in harder and it gets louder. It also responds well to the guitars volume pot, allowing you to have a great deal of control from the guitar. This amp will not stay clean at higher volumes but some it still sound big and warm enough for jazz even though it's a bit dirty. I founf that using the Tele kept things cleaner longer than the 335 due to the difference in pick up output. I don't use much reverb but have to say this is the best reverb I've ever heard on any combo including my 65' Twin. Clearly this amp is not for every one, but if your playing blues this thing is king.

So far so good. I always have extra tube and fuses. Plus, I take a back up amp to very gig.

I'm going to get a few more down the road in different sizes. For what I do this thing is just the best. When turned way up it gets the best drive. Plenty of sustain but not a hint of LA-hair-band-tone. I sold a new Fender Hot Rod Diville to get this. The Fender was a great amp but at 60 watts I could'nt get the volume over 4 even in big clubs with out the sound man coming down on me , so I was stuck with pre-amp fuzz. It would be great if it had tremolo. I got a great deal on this from a guy that didn't seem to use it at all. I know they go for about $1100 new and I would gladly have paid that had I not run across this one.

This isn't a multi-purpose amp. It does one thing, and does it incredibly well. That one thing is a killer, "bluesy" singing tone. One channel, no master volume. Variable effects loop. Line out tapped from the speaker jack, so you get the power tube distortion in the line out sound. Footswitch jack for reverb. Volume, Treble, Mid (more later), Bass knobs. Selector knob for 2x6V6 (about 18W), 4xEL84 (33W), and Simul-link, i.e. both power stages for 33W. Bright/Fat switch. I give it a high versatility rating because it does have quite a few features for what it is, which is a plug and play kind of amp.

I fell in love with the sound of this amp. (It's very quiet, btw.) It has that great Class A, responsive, brilliant sound. Doesn't stay clean at middle-high volumes, but breaks up in the most delicious way. Has quite a lot of gain on tap, actually. The best sounds are in the middle to mid-high of the volume range. Very sensitive, dynamic amp. The mid control acts as a conventional mid control up to about 10 o'clock. From 10 to about 12, it boosts the lower-mids. From 12 on, the midrange gain gets boosted. This is a very useful control, giving quite a range of sounds. The sounds available from the different power settings are also very cool, and quite different in their break-up characteristics and harmonic content of the distortion. I use the amp with a THD Hot Plate power attenuator. Otherwise, it's quite loud for home use. It will do fine as a club amp, but won't stay clean at those volumes. But the distortion is so good, you won't want it to stay clean. :-) The reverb is also very, very good. Much better than any combo amp I've tried.
I compared it to Matchless 15W amps before buying it. Less money, more flexibility and power, and the sound is every bit as good.
The Guitar Player review actually does a very accurate job. I recommend reading it. (Sep '94).
Imp: It comes as a head and three types of combos. There's a 1x12 which I never tried. I tried a 4x10 with Celsetions, and a 4x10 with Alnico speakers. I liked the Alnicos better. The top end is sweeter, and the distortion is smoother, I felt.

I've never taken it out of the home, but Mesa does have a reputation for reliability. It looks very solidly built, plenty of hand-wiring, etc. It's well put together. You might want to change the thin strap holding the reverb tank if you're planning on gigging with it, though.

I called them when I was trying to decide, and they seemed very helpful and willing to answer all questions with patience. I can't really rate this, though.

I would buy it again in a second! The sound is so incredibly sweet, and the response and 'feel' are so springy and dynamic, that it practically becomes an extension of your guitar. I just wish it also had tremolo. As mentioned above, I compared it to some Matchless 15W amps, and some other Mesa, like the Subway Blues and the Maverick. Buy it if you don't need a lot of sounds from one amp, and if you love that 'just breaking up' sound. It does have a lot of gain on tap, but you need to crank it for that, or use a power attenuator like I do. It's expensive, but still much cheaper than most of it's competition. If you're in the $1000 ballpark, check it out.