Mesa/Boogie F50 Head

All features listed more comprehensively in other reviews, but basically it???s two channel (clean and dirty) 6L6 valve combo amp with a contour mode which re-Eqs the dirty channel and adds gain. It also has a pull-bright switch on the clean channel and a footpedal included. Mine is 2006.

I bought my F50 for its strong ease of use qualities. It???s very neatly set out and business-like in appearance and operation. The F50 has everything you need and nothing you don???t. It even has a neat driver mute switch for silent recording or headphones. At this price, you know you???re getting quality as nothing of the asking price is wasted on useless features, gimmicks or overly flashy appearance ??? it???s all spent in getting the best possible product for a fair (but still expensive) price. Great instruction book with lots of good advice and tips.

The clean channel of the F50 couldn???t be improved upon for what is a fair price for the F50 (even in the over-priced UK). It can do anything you would want within reason and includes a perfectly good-sounding reverb. It can be spiky and bright or warm and muffly; the EQs are highly effective, powerful and interact well with one another. I don???t use the pull-bright switch personally on my Clapton Strat or SG Standard as I???ve never found the need to, but doing so results in exactly ???what it says on the tin.??? It adds just the right amount of treble without being painful, whilst remaining wholly musical. With a suitable guitar, if you can???t get what you want out of this channel I wouldn???t know what else you could want . Everything does exactly what it should, as it should, when it should and it does so with a sense of style and purpose. Great stuff, but you would expect that at this price or you wouldn???t buy one.

The dirty channel is a bit of different animal. It can be very bassy indeed and I personally run the gain and treble up to a comfortable level and bring up the mid and bass to taste. This results in settings far, far lower than any other amp I???ve tried (0 to 1, maybe on both mid and bass). Too much mid or bass and neck pickups become muffled. Nonetheless, once you arrive at your settings, the F50 returns you a wonderfully flexible dirty channel which cleans up beautifully with the use of the guitar volume pot. Really expressive. It literally goes from clean with just the slightest hint of break up to outright grit simply with judicious use of the guitar???s volume. Outstanding if you???re this kind of player (which I am). Add the contour into proceedings and you???re just about into a modern metal sort of grind. I haven???t yet found the F50 capable of quite the sort of metal sound I???m after, but it???s 90% there. Not bad considering it???s not a Recto and isn???t meant to be (and it???s a 1x12). It normally comes down into the more modern overdive sounds of metal, but still not quite the sort of Creed/Incubus sort of sound I???m trying to at least get near to. A pedal might get it there, but would be certain to ruin the good work the F50 already does. Again, even with the contour in, the F50 is still highly responsive to the guitar???s volume pot ??? even with the noticeable spike in perceived volume the contour mode gives. A handy addition and one which I have found myself using more and more. Awesome sustain.

The F50 is a fine choice for all manner of popular styles, barring perhaps only the heavier side of modern metal; and even then a pedal or two could get it there. Should be more than enough for most. It also is highly transparent of the guitar you???re using ??? Strats sound just like they ought to, and provide a great contrast against humbuckers which also sound as warm and full as they should. One other thing ??? I have found F50 heffing loud. Disgustingly so. Keeping up with even a loud drummer won???t be a problem, but getting the good sound at a reasonable volume might well be. Things don???t really wake up until three or four on the volume pot and then the volume is very, very sensitive to small changes and a bit too loud for my needs. Takes a little skill to get the levels properly matched but when you do you???ll more than likely be happy with the results. You may need to factor in the price of an attenuator, but even if you do the F50 is still an outstanding product. There's very little noise for a valve amp.

It???s built like a tank. It???s very heavy and solidly-built, with ample protection measures wherever you would feasibly want them. Everything has a sense of quality, which promotes confidence. Haven???t had a single problem (touch wood) in the six months I???ve been using it at home on headhones, at rehearsals, recording and gigs. Comes with a sturdy slip-on cover which should help particularly if you???re carrying it in the rain! Top-notch footpedal included, but then so it should be for this price. Only thing is valve life, but this is all-valve amp and you can???t expect them to last forever. Think of them as consumables, like strings, and always use the standby switch.

I Emailed Mesa with a few questions and was told they could only accept phone calls due to the volume of enquiries Email generates. I was a little disappointed as I???m in the UK and would have to find time to call at a time appropriate to the time difference, but whilst I was considering what to do next, a response to my questions appeared in my inbox. This was just a day later. The mail was detailed, comprehensive and answered everything I had asked perfectly and courteously. You just do not find better service than this, absolutely A1. Class-leading.

I am delighted with this F50 combo. Whilst it doesn't quite do everything sonically I would have wanted; to be fair I (try to) play everything from pristine clean ballads, right through to outright guttural filth. No amp can do everything. The F50 excels at the lower-gain stuff, but is oh-so-close for the heavier side of my playing. Close enough, and certainly plenty close for a high-but-sensible price, a 1x12 configuration and passive pickups. There's nothing serious I wish it had, but if I was being picky perhaps the solo level function other Boogies have which would reduce my reliance on pedals for this function. Also, I'd have liked a LED for the reverb, and maybe some way of knowing of the Contour mode was in whilst you're playing on the clean channel, before you change channel. Standard; you have to remember whether it was in or not last time you used it, before you change channel! Finally, the F50 is very heavy so if there's any way it could be lighter with the same spec and performance, it really would be perfect. I don't suppose for one minute there is, or else Mesa Boogie would have made it this way. If it were stolen, I'd cry and sulk for a while before buying another with the insurance money (without hesitation).

Anything else to share? You may need to factor in the price of an attenuator, which is a shame for a product which is already expensive. Depends on your needs and intended use, but truthfully this goes for all amps and particularly valve amps such as the F50 where volume is a key ingredient to tone. Do your research and don't be fooled by the watts, this thing is seriously loud. Use the right tool for the job and you'll be happy you bought the F50. I tried both the F30 (EL84 powered) and the F100, and the F50 was by far the pick of the bunch.

Made in 2006 (I think) as I bought it early last year.

I am a freelance guitarist and play with a few different styles of bands. I had never been happy with the sound of my guitar until I found this amp.

It gives me really good clean sound, that's why I can muck around with any effect I want to get the sound that I want.

It has 2 channels and it comes with the switching pedal, Effects loops and Headphone jack.

I wish it has more channel, so I have more options of sound, but it really do me a great job as I normally play in pubs, night clubs and parties. It has more than enough power than I even need, most of the time I only have my master volume on 3 o'clock and it's more than enough.

It has a clean channel, distorion and boost (that's it), what more do you want. If I need more channels, I normally use a pre-amp with it.

The clean sound is really fantastic and the distortion good but not as good as the clean one (when press the boost, then you will have a good distortion for playing solos).

I've been paying nearly every weekend with it and never had any problems (touch wood....!!!).

The guys in the shop that I bought it from are really good. One day I have a problem with the whole system with my rack effect and I thought it was a problem with the amp, but the were really helpful.

I don't know about Mesa Boogie themselves as I never talk to them yet. Hopefully I don't have to.

It has 5 year warranty, so it's great.

I've had this amp for about 10 months. Mostly I play Fender Stratocaster (modified), sometimes I also play Ibanez RG.

Please don't steal it from me......!!!! I would catch you and tell you to buy it of me and I will upgrade it to the one with more channels.

I've used a few amps before including Peavy, Marshall, Rolland, Fender and I still like this amp better.

Again I wish it has more channels.