Mesa/Boogie F-30 112 Combo

* Year: 2006 240VOLT Version
* Play Everything from Jazz to Prog-Rock to some NuMetal (with more notes added... jk;) )
* 2 actual Channels, but acts like a 3 Channel, great pedal but wish the pedal-cable was longer or an extension was available.
* Has the effects loop, recording out, silent speaker shut-off, headphon jack etc.
* I bought this amp on a whim because I had a gig to do in Italy and planned on taking my hot-rodded Laney combo as I have done for the past 20 years... unfortunately as of the beginning of this year (2006) the lazy-ass baggage handler sissy-bitch union won't allow checked baggage over 70pounds, so i had to get someone to come to the airport, pick up my amp, jump on the flight to Italy and Hope that I could find some high-gain amp in Rome within the 4 days before the gig. Since I have other boogie amps (dual recto/rec pre/v-twin etc), I called mesa, got the distribuitor's name/phone in italy, called and all they had was a dual rectifier full stack and an F-30... hmmmm the dual-recto full stack was (get this) 4700 EUROS, yes folks that's $6345 American Dollars... cough..cough... and the F-30 was 2100 Euros (2835 U.S. Dollars)... cough cough... why does my rectum hurt???.... with not many options and time running short I went down to Cherubini (the only place in Rome you can get a boogie)... cranked up the f-30 and... much to my amazement, it sounded awesome... ok... i'll buy it... fortunately the employee in the amp dept. was a fan and had tickets to my show and I only paid 1400 Euro (that's still $1890, almost exactly double of the list price here in the US)... played through the gig... perfect,perfect,perfect... more gain and more sustain than even my hotrodded Laney....

* I use a variety of RG Ibanez guitars, most have dimarzio X2N pickups at the bridge and superdistortions at the neck...
* This little F-30 turned out to be much better suited to the songs I play as it acts like a 3 channel, versus the Laney where I was using 2 channels plus pedals (basically I've done away with all the pedals except the weeping demon for gigging in Italy, and am actually right now looking for a used F-30 on eBay for here at home in the US also)
* The F-30 "Mic'd properly" can actually do a modern recto sound... but requires that you or your mixer guy how to get that sound if you need it. but it does do hellacious distortion, definitely creamier than my recto for leads and tracks very very well for high speed lead work.

* I would only assume its reliability is the same as my other mesa stuff, basically bulletproof... no issues ever... (I take care of my gear, so i'm not sure if i'm a good measure of how much any gear can withstand abuse)

* Mesa Customer Service is the Model of Proper Customer Service, the guy I talk to (just questions usually, especially when I was in a jam with the recent italy gig thing)... since EL-84 tubes are hard to find in Italy (and because someone at the store turned on the amp before removing the plastic foam tube protectors which melted on the EL84s)(Cherubini didn't even have them), Mesa sent me a bunch (free), just to keep at home in italy as spairs... not that's what I call customer service!!!

* Never hesitate to call Mesa, even if you think the issue isn't due to a defect...

Playing since I was 13, own tons of gear... if the f-30 was stolen or lost, I would have to track down the culpable party, tie his head with his ear facing the speaker to the f30 and let the howling begin... if not, i'd still replace it.

* in US prices, there is simply nothing out there under a thousand with this much tone period!

I bought my F-30 new in the December of 2005, when I wanted to move from modeling to tubes. Beforehand I just used a POD XT for my tone and plugged into various amps. There was also a more growing need to bring my own amp for the gigs (I used to borrow one always, even at the rehearsals).

I use both channels, but the lead channel contour stays always on, and I don't need the reverb or effects loop. I could use a second distortion channel though. There's more than enough power in this small beast. These are very loud 30 watts. Must be the combination of the EL84 tubes and V30 speaker. I've played shows without PA and the volume has never been past halfway.

One complaint for this section is the safety grill in the back of the amp, which blocks the access to the footswitch jack. I've had the plug come off and it's really hard to get it back in. I hope it won't happen during a gig.

I play a Gibson SG and PRS Santana SE into a POD XT Live (for effects) into the front end of the F-30. The XTL boosts the signal a tad, giving the distortion more clarity. My band Jermaine plays a mix of soft post hardcore and indie rock. The other guitarist plays mostly just powerchords with a dark tone and I play chords and octaves higher with a more mid-heavy tone. In many cases, the bass player is the only one defining the chord progression.

The clean channel does what it should and the lead channel with the contour gives me my basic drive tone, which is very controllable with playing dynamics and volume knob/pedal. I don't find much use for the non-contour lead channel. I could use a third channel for a light overdrive though, but like just mentioned, I can do that with a volume pedal.

I can't really get a metal tone with this amp. This amp sounds best when the gain is way below halfway. Even then, there's much of it. Also, the distortion channel eq's don't seem to do very much. I have to turn off most of the mids and bass and turn the treble high, but then again, that gives me my tone.

A major complaint is the hiss on the distortion channel. No matter what I do, it just stays there. I wonder if it would go away with changing tubes.

Mesas are known for reliability, but I've had a Mesa power amp blow fuses and know two people with Rectifiers having constant trouble. My F-30 has been good for me since the beginning, but I won't trust any amp 100% ever. 6 months of playing and nothing gone wrong yet.

I'm halfway of my year-long warranty and I haven't had to deal with that yet. On my previous Mesa poweramp, I got it fixed when it broke down, so I can tell they do their job well.

I've played now for 11 years and this is almost the perfect amp for my current situation. It gives just the sound I want and fits the band, and my playing style. Like mentioned, I could use a third channel, but I can live without it, and it's not typical for combos of this size anyway. I hope I don't get a GAS if something like that comes around.

I think I tried an Orange AD30 combo and a Marshall TSL before making my decision. Marshall lacked in tone, Orange in versatility. The F-30 just felt best with its great tone and compact size. A huge discount for Mesa products in the shop at the time helped a bit, too.

2006 model, blond Taurus with tan cane grill. Very loud, with really fine clean tones, rich and sparkly. The clean channel is all I need, as you can get some gain with it, however lots of gain on channel 2 if you want it. I wish they made a 2x12 combo. The clean channel is cool for blues and rock.

I use a cheap Strat and a cheap PRS soapbar. Classic rock, blues, some country. There is some noise, but it is not intrusive on my amp. The clean channel is very fine, and has real good body and richness without being muddy. For me, its great, very soulful.

too new to rate

I wish they answered email.

Playing since the 60s, so far very satisfied with this amp, only time will tell. Will probably get a 1x12 extension cab for it. I would probably replace it if it were gone. I had a Marshall JTM 30, which is also a 30 watt 1x12 combo, 10 years old, and I like this amp quite a bit better, has more guts and bottom end, and I think it is made much better, but it is more expensive, too. I considered this amp and a new Marshall dsl-40, decided on the Mesa due to its superior clean tone. The Marshall was nice, too. I think Mesa is trying to do its best work, and is giving the player a very good product at all price points. At this point in my life, I buy affordable, good sounding guitars, and am trying to put my money in the amp.

Bought used, it's a 2005. The amp is actually more versatile than I would normally need. I play a mix of styles from country to metal to jazz. Whatever pays. It's a 2 channel tube amp (EL84's) with a contour switch for more aggresive gain. 30watts and LOUD for it's size. It blows away the EL84 equipped fender blues junior which is actually a little smaller but not nearly as loud. I usually prefer a good single channel tube amp since I use my pedals to sculpt the sound after I have a good beginning tone so I probably won't use the 2nd channel at all.

I'm currently playing a Gibson ES-135 with '57 classic pickups and a Hamer USA Daytona (strat) with Lindy Fralin vintage hot pickups. Channel 1 sounds great (clean) and breaks up nicely at high volume. You have to play with the EQ though. These things are BASS heavy. With both guitars I have to run the bass at 3, the mids at 7 and the treble at 9. The second channel is even more bass heavy. The second channel I have to run the bass at 1 or less, the mids at 5 and the treble at 9+. The distortion settings on both Channel 2 and Channel 2 + contour are pretty muddy. Notes don't ring cleanly but I didn't buy the amp for the 2nd channel. The first channel rocks and that's all it needs.

Boogies have always been very rugged for a "boutique-like" amp. They use a hefty circuit board and good tube sockets. Of course with any tube amp you have to have a backup just in case something drastic happens on the way to the gig (mine's a Peavey Bandit, sounds like crap but NEVER breaks). Amp has never broken down and shouldn't. I take very good care of my equipment.

Never dealt with them and never want to. If they're as snotty about their customer service as they are about sales then I would never, ever, deal with them.

I'd rate it pretty high overall. It's a great little amp, that's loud, easy to carry and has great tone on Channel 1. It's all I need. There are and always will be better amps than this one out there but I believe there are few under it's price. Maybe a couple of the Fenders, particularly the '65 reissue deluxe or maybe a good twin reissue but the only other better amps cost a lot more. Try one of these, you'll be surprised.

I'll skip this and go straight to my verdict.

I've been playing for 16 years now, and I've had the same ideal guitarsound in my head, but never found it in any amp. I think I've been through the most now. Marshall, Peavey, Crate, Engl, Bogner, Matchless, Vox, Fender, Orange, Egenater, CustomAudio, Diesel, Carvin, Line6 and many more. I've spent a fortune on racksystems, stacks and combos in my quest for the ultimate guitarsound. There's allways been something missing untill I tried tha F30 for the first time 6 months ago. I actually started to cry because I was so glad. This amp is just me! I can't think of anything that I don't like with it. It's perfect!!!!

Never had any problems with Mesa in the past.

Mesa customer support is very good, but I've never had to complain about anything.

Well as I've allready mentioned, I've bee through the most of them, but never found my sound. Most of the amps I've had are really good, but they didn't have my sound. The F30 is perfect for me, so my rating would of course be 10.

This is a 2006 Mesa Boogie F-30 with Vanilla Tarus and wicker grille. It has 3 channels(Clean, Lead and Contour. Two Sets of EQs(Gain, Treble,Mid,bass,reverb and master.) Comes with a footswitch to toggle between the 3 channels and to switch the reverb off and on. Mine was brand new, purchased from Local Music store here in PA, They are a mesa dealer and they have tons of other boutique amps. They had 2 f-30s one standard(black tarus with black grille and this one. They go for about 940. and I got mine for the same price as the black one. It was priced 170$ higher but the owner said he'll sell the custom covered on for the same price. (YEAH) Came with 5 year warranty and six month warranty on the tubes. You also get that cool "portfolio" with your babys papers and ***a STATE BY STATE repair guide" for qualified mesa repair. It's 30 watts, with a 12" Vintage 30 Celestion Speaker. On the back panel; you have a headphone jack, FX send and return with a Loop mix control. Has a mute switch for speaker for silent recording. 3 speaker inputs, two are 4OHMS and one is 8OHMS. As for Tubes, (4)12AX7s and (2) EL84s. This a Mesa so no bias will be needed*. EVER! This only applies though, if you replace the powe tubes with Mesa EL84s or ones with the same spec. Very simple layout. Easy to use, unless you have never played an AMP.

Well Im a different Soul here. Im 25 and I love CHICAGO(their older stuff w/ Terry Kath) I love that Jazzy Rock FUSION and Jamm they used to due(think Carnigie Hall Album) Blues, Classic Rock and JAmm bands. Some Cream, Some CCR(Love Fogerty), Phish, ALLMAN BROTHERS, EAGLES, and I will admit it but I dig some Journey too! (My girlfreind hates them)
I play an American Start(mostly the neck pickup) straight into this amp. Only 2 effects which i will expalin below. The clean channel is beautiful. It's responsive, bouncy, alittle brite, and warm at the same time. Setting Mesa EQ are diffrent than any other amps. (I will use #S instead of clock setting witch most people use here)So think 0-10 5 being MIDDLE! I keep the Gain around 4, Treble at 4.5, Mid at 5.5, Bass at 5, reverb at 2-3 and master on 2. This gives me great cleans for rytham or even blusey jamming. For Lead I use Gain at 2.2, Treble 4.8, Mid 3.8-4.5 and bass at 4.5, reverb at 1.5(it's strong) and Master 2. Now you can crank the the master to 3.5-4 for Live jamming. YES it will play over drums at that level. I don't belive anyone here is playing at stadiums, but if you need it, there is enough volume here to go around. IF you go louder than 3, you may want to adjust your eq, as you are opening up more head room. I play at cafe's and small bars once in awhile. (I used to have a bad where we palyed every weekend.) I enjoy jamming and oce in awile small gigs. The countour channel is too much gain for me, but if I use it, I do yo boost a crunchy rythm or very dirty solo.

Oh I do use my Classic Dunlop Wah and Small Stone Phaser thoough it. Both sound great. I play some Pink Floyd (dark Side of the moon) and the reverb does well at half way with my phaser.

I have had tons of amps before this. I settled on this because I loved the way i can get a wrm sound from my clean and a smooth creamy sound from the lead. I spent a good week tweaking it.(which i think is fun if you really love gear and music) to get my sound. I also lowered my neck pickup on my strat on the treble side for a more mellow sound. It was a VEY BITTING at first. But you just have to mess with the eq. Im used to seeting Fender amps with High mids,(7-8) Bass at 7 and treble at 5 to get a bluesy jammy sound. But you can't do this with the F-30. I love this amp! I rate it 9 because it does have some background hum. When i first purchaed it it did not. I think most amps(especially TUBE AMPS have this. You can't hear it when you play. I think im just being alittle silly., but for 1000 bucks i thought it shouldn't do this.

Well MESA is awsome on the phone. I have the 5 year warranty. No problems beside s that humm, but this is a high gain amp. And Im using it for non High gain. Sometimes I don't even hear it. I have been thinng about getting some Lower gain 12AX7s for my musical taste and to see if it will trim some hum out. Other than that it is built well, seems sturdy, more than other amps. Hand built in CA, and it's BOOGIE.

Made one phoen call to mesa to ask about the hum. I they said it's almost normal for high gain amps. i wasn't really complaining. I was just kinda wondering if it was a big problem or not. I do my research and saw alot of happy f-30 owners have this hum and other amp owners as well. I have the 5 year warranty. So im assured. I also saw that on the repair list there are 3 shops within 30 miles that are Mesa qualified to repair it if needed.

I have been playing for 13 years now. I have owend a Crate vintage club 30(loved it but it died) Fender Twin reverb(great amp but I needed 2 overdrive pedals to get a good palete.) I did own an F-50 two years ago it was used and it sounded ok, but it went through power tubes , 2 fuses and it statred to sound very weak. Im like most of you that have cycled though tons of gear to find "your sound" This is probably not what most people who play my style would turn to. But i wanted a Brand NEW, WELL BUILT AMP that delives the goods. I have had all types of OD pedals. And I still may get a Maxon OD-9 or 808 just for the clean channel. I have had about 10 of them! I love them. But this doesn't mean im not satisfied with my F-30. I was just thinking I may want something to boost my clean channell so I can have 2 types of clean.
This amp would never get stolen cuz I take care of my MUISIC! I belive im set on this Mesa Boogie!

It basicly has 3 channels, 2 of which are overdriven (the channel 2 and channel 2 contour, the latter gives a more direct drive and has more volume and distortion, great for lead work). It's a pretty basic tube amp, having the 2 sets of controls: gain, treble, mid, bass, reverb and master; one for the clean channel and one for the 2 overdriven channels.
On the back, there is a separate chain for an effect loop (existing of a send and a return jack) with a knob for adjusting how much effect you hear.
2 Switches, one to turn it on and one for stand-by, very usefull (explanation a bit below).
Then a switch to change between the 3 channels, a footswitch is included. Makes no noise whatsoever when switching.
So, besides the reverb no other built in effect, which I like. I like my amp to be simple and ready to go.

The sound, clean and boosted, is massive. No muddy sound, no thin sound, just perfect. I use it with an epiphone les paul and a fender standard strat (2005) and with both, it sounds great...one little flaw is that sometimes you can hear it hiss, but it's nothing that a good noise gate won't solve.
I play all sort's of music, from jazz to metal and then back again for blues and this baby can manage it all.

So far the amp never broke down, the salesman warned me however to always let it warm up 2 minutes in stand-by before playing, this is where the stand-by switch comes in handy.

Haven't been forced to use it so far.

A very, very, good and powerfull amp. If it were stolen, I'd cry, kill the guy who stole it, kill myself, ressurect and buy a new one, right away. It's only my second amplifier (the first one being a fender champion 30 dsp). In the shop I compared it to a fender twin reverb, a Peavey classic 50/410 and some other amps but this one caught my eye and never let go...I fell in love with it immediatly, the sound compared to the others was just amazing and the clean channel even stood proud to the twin reverb.

I have a 2000 Les Paul Standard all stock, and a 1981 Fender Strat with a few updates like pickups and a new neck, but I mostly play the Paul, so my views are mainly from the perspective of a Les Paul man. I like my guitar to sound similar to artists such as Angus Young, Joe Walsh, Tom Petty, Brian May, and Solley from David Crowder (check them out; they have amazing tone!).

30 HUGE watts from four pream tubes and two EL84s. Two channels: clean w/ bright switch, and overdrive w/ contour switch. The countour switch basically boosts the gain and scoops out some of the mids. There is also an FX loop.

I can get a "tasteful" raunchy overdrive and dial that down to a nice jangly rhythm just by working my guitar's volume knob/s.

The clean channel on this baby shimmers. It's very Fender-esque but dialed back a bit as it is not as piercing. I play with the bright on, gain at about 1 o'clock, bass and mid at about 10 o'clock, and the treble at about 2 o'clock. I don't often play clean, but when I use this channel it does make me want to play it more.

The overdrive channel is what I usually use the most. I modify my sound mostly by working my guitar's volume knob/s. I put the gain at just a tad under 9 o'clock, treble all the way up, mid at about 10-11 o'clock, and bass at anywhere from 9-11 o'clock. For my venue I usally only have my master volume at about 9 o'clock and I mic it with a '57 perpendicular to the center of the cone. This gives me a nice overdrive that I can beef up to a dirty, harsh sound by really digging into the strings or back off by strumming lightly. I'd compare it to about an AC/DCish tone down to a Tom Petty rhythm-ic tone.

The contour channel gives a nice boost for solos or just a heavier tone with a little extra volume. I don't like having the gain up past 12 o'clock because it really smooths out the overdrive. If I ever want more of a power-chord rhythm sound, I'd use a stomp box.

I held back from giving a 10 because I don't like how creamy and smooth the overdrive sounds as you turn the gain past 2 o'clock. I also think it would be a good idea to have a bright switch on the overdrive channel just to add some punch.

In the back of my mind I'm always a little worried. After I had it for 6 months the tubes kind of pooped out on me. The tube started glowing abnormally bright and orange and the volume dropped to almost nothing. It happened twice, but has not happened in several months since I changed the tubes. This leads into my experiences with customer support.

After the stock tubes pooped out on me I called customer support to see if this was a normal thing. They sent me two brand new tubes and they were there within a couple of days. I've been very happy with their response.

I came into this after having a Marshall 100 watt valve combo. It was not what I had originally been looking for, but it has really grown on me. After I bought this I discovered I loved most players' tones who used Vox AC30s and Marshalls. So I did some more research and discovered that I liked the combinations this combo offers better than the others (except Bad Cats, but let's face it I will never be able to afford a Bad Cat). I would like an AC30, and a Marshall half stack, but I would never get rid of my F-30. And, holy crap is it loud! I'm always happy to answer any questions.

RESEARCH! Always read about and play products you're interested in!

As I am in it for the tone, I have been searching for a tube amp that would allow me to get that great tube tone and distortion without rattling the old ski bum's teeth down the street.

Since I bought the amp three weeks ago at Guitar Center down in Salt Lake City, I have been playing mostly AC/DC, Led Zeppelin, Grateful Dead, Allman Brothers, and various rock and roll through the amp and love both channels' sounds. The search for my new tone has begun again with this new little Boogie. SICK!

For my tastes and budget, it gives me the feeling of a much pricier "boutique" amp, without the more than double the price range. This little tone-monster is just three weeks old and seems to be breaking in well. I have been playing it here at my house non-stop before and after work and also taking it to my buddy's house occasionally. It is powerful, tweakable, and yet very portable. It is almost too loud--as it should be ;) ;)

I really dig how it looks and did not get any special custom treatment (as in cabinet design or anything like that) This is the f-30--bare bones rocker, black on black.

Laugh if you will, but I am calling it "Darth Tonar" because it looks like something straight off the Death Star...

May the Tone be with you.

Since I have bought this amp, I have enjoyed playing my 1997 American Standard Stratocaster and 2005 Epiphone Les Paul Classic (with two Pearly Gate humbuckers) electric guitars, as well as a Martin electrified acoustic and an Ibanez electrified acoustic 5-string bass, each with stock Fishman pickups.

Each guitar shines through this amp making the proud owner smile from ear to ear. The Strat quacks beautifully on the clean channel and lays down the sweetest SRV swampy tones on the dirty channel. Each channel having its own controls is great or did I say that already? The channel footswitch comes with a long cord perfect for how I have my room setup and also has reverb and contour switches.

The Epi Les Paul really shines on the dirty channel and ala Duane and Warren, really kicks that Southern rock's ass. Great brightness with the Martin acoustic and the bass tones this little combo are very surprising. Diversity in a small package, to say the least. It sounds awesome loud or turned down. But again, I don't know what too loud or turned down means. This thing rocks my house!

It does have some *minor* background hiss/fuzz/noise when sitting idle. This gave it the 9 (it should be a 9.75) I need to make some more money after spending the loot to buy this amp. I am not fussing as all I wanted was Mesa/Boogie, and I got Mesa/Boogie and I am being SO F'ING NIT-PICKY anyway. So new tubes will wait...

Its only three weeks old, but hey, no problems here. I play it morning and night sometimes for a couple of hours at a time and it rocks. I do consider myself religious about the standby/warmup/warmdown and hope that helps in the long run. I would like to have this amp for the next 30 years.

I actually have traded emails and phone calls with Mesa/Boogie in the three weeks I have owned this f-30 and they were AMAZING and full of cooperation. I have nothing but the highest respect for that company and will remain loyal for that reason (and that their amps are the best.) I had to buy the t-shirt! ;)

I am a relative newbie player as I have only been playing over the last year or so but have gone off the deep end with no satellite tv for that entire time playing many many many times all day during the off season. From the beginning it was always about the tone. It still is. In the past few months, I have been researching tube amps and all things connected and decided to go with the f-30 after comparing it to several differently configured(above and below the price) amp heads, combos including Fenders, Hughes and Kettner, Marshalls, other Mesa/Boogies, and various smaller boutique amps. Even before I played guitar I knew about Mesa/Boogie. There are plenty of other amps that do more for less money. They are not Mesa/Boogie. I do not care for "modeling" amps and am only interested in a TUBE TONE that is real, not copied. While looking around on ebay as well as in the local guitar center and guitar shops, I would continue leaning towards a used Mesa over any new Fender or Marshall because on ebay I could get more Mesa for my hard earned Boogie that way. But I didn't feel comfortable getting my hard earned tone in that less than secure method and I suppose I went with the new one because of the warranty and the fact it was just gonna be MINE. I am greedy with my Boogie.

I guess if it were stolen, I would collect the insurance and save up for a Lone Star Special, as a few hundred more is easier to come up with than that 1700 list (or whatever it is today.) One day, I will save up and have something like a Lone Star Special, but for now, I am COMPLETELY SATISFIED with my f-30 and my search is over.

Features are the plus in this gear. Two chann with independent reverb for each one (long tank reverb)! as well as independent gain, mid, treble, bass and master knobs. Well made 3 button footswitch, headphone jack, a switch that cuts the speaker from sounding (silent record mute switch), parallel effects loop with mix knob, Celestion Vintage speaker, 6 tubes (4 12aX7 and 2 EL84), cover. All the knobs are very responding. I find the clean chann way more versatile than the dirty channel. More than the sound, I believe the features on this amp is what makes the price worth paying.

Plus:
Gtrs PRS, Tele, Les Paul. All sound very good with this amp, with preference for the PRS in my opinion. It suits rock, alternative and blues very well. Great responding EQ knobs. The mid feels like a compressor, treble is very responding and very much involved with the volume as well (if you have it at the minimum the amp doesn't sound at all even with the gain and master at max), tons of bass maybe two much, specially on the dirty chann. Reverb is good. Clean chann is very versatile from Fenderish to real Mesa tone. The clean headroom in this amp is awesome. Built extremely tough. Good access to the tubes, good looking amp, good investment since Mesa product seem to hold their value better than other brands, great sound overall.

Contras:
I don't know why anybody have mentioned about the headphones jack! It sounds acceptable for the clean channel but for the dirty sound is totally useless with Headphones. There is no decent setting on this channel when using Headphones. It is better to use only the clean chann or not use it at all unless you want to throw up for all the farting like tones.(Note: I use professional Senhaisser HP). Is not big deal unless you plan to use it mostly late at night at home.
A few guys have mentioned about the constant hiss with the dirty chann. It is true. It makes it difficult to record with it because of this flaw. More than a hiss the sound is like when there is a cable problem or dust in a circuit. But I won't change the tubes seems it seems to be normal.
The sound on chann 2 with the contour on is great but without it is not up to my expectations.
It is very heavy if you are looking for a light 30 Watt tube amp this is not it.
I can't rate it 10 because of the hiss and the sound with headphoes mode. Otherwise it is a great tube vintage sounding amp.

Tonka will like to check on the confection of this amp.

Haven't dealt with the company, but a close friend has and I can testify on the great service he received from the Mesa guys.

I've been playing for 20 years and have own quite my share of gear. I love the features, the clean headroom, how well it is made, the clean channel, the contour mode on the dirty chann, the reliability. If it were stolen I will like to check on a Crate Palomino 30 watts, the Peavey Classic 30 or the Vox AC15 so I can compare. If they don't match the F-30 with their own attributes, I would buy the F-30 again.