Mesa/Boogie Nomad 55 112

Before I bought this amp, I almost went towards orange and other 1 channel amps for their lack of bells and whistles. I like changing my sound here and there while fiddling around on my own in my basement, but most of that goes out the window when you play loud, and with others. Who wants to fiddle with a ton of knobs when youre actually playing? I didnt .. but decided to try the boogie due to the fact that I really do vary my musical styles. This amp has let me find my ideal clean and raunchy sounds on channel 1 and 3, and I found new sounds in channel 2. I was never much for moderate distortion -- I either want it roaring or I want it crystal clear. Channel 2 has changed my approach to using distorion. Nice feature, and great versatility on all 3 channels. Very responsive controls on each channel -- I dont set the gain past 2 oclock -- even at low volumes. The only place it loses marks is that the reverb channels are in the back, and that too many friggin nobs make pre-planning sound options a neccessity. I still secretly want a plug-and-play orange, but for the cost, I sure as hell wont be buying both. On the whole: very versatile, just as promised.

I love a mark knopfler shimmering twang with my strat, and a raunchy high gain riffing sound with my Gibson LP. So, if I could find one amp that could actually do both feasiblly, and at high volumes, I would be a happy camper. Sure enough -- this puppy gets such a big ballsy sound with my gibson. I dont know who says this thing cant do high-gain -- I think they just need to learn how to play. This thing just assaults me, and I use no pedals for distortion. I may get a distortion box later just to get compressed EVH noodling ability, but as for power chord riffing -- wow. And my the clean is nearly fender clean -- lacking a touch of warmth, but still sparkling. Reverb only gets a 7 or 8 though. Not bad at all, but not fender spacey-huge. Many great sounds at low, mid, and high volumes (this guy can get surprisingly loud for a small combo). I cant see myself buying another amp -- i can do without the total reverb sound, cause this amp does EVERYTHING ELSE. 9 is too low, and 9.5 isnt available, so Ill rate it a 10.

p.s. -- i really dont use the 'modern' settings at all. Just the vintage. The modern has too much....um...attack.... the vintage has the warmth I like.

Only 2 weeks old, so no verdict yet.

Never called em. The store i bough it from seems ready to back it up, though.

Ive played for about 12 years, and honestly havent really run the gamut as far as amps. I know big and meaty from playing a couple of marshall amps, and I know clean from a music man 65 212. The distorion is better than the marshalls, and the clean approaches the music man (but man I loved that music man...) Again, to have both of these sounds in one amp, and have it done well at all volume levels make this amp a real prize. The fact that it costs so much isnt surprising -- im not sure whats involved for this kind of versatility, but I dont know of another company that matches this thing for under 2000 canadian. Again, 9 is too low, and 10 is too high -- and since theres no 9.5, 9 it is. This amp may be the last amp I ever buy.

One of the up sides of this amp is its features. It has three seperate channels each with two modes. I don't really use the mulitpul modes much, but I guess they are a nice feature. It also has seperate reverb controls for each channel. I don't really like reverb so I never really used them. It comes with a foot switch that has a selector for each channel, a solo control (to increase volume), and a reverb acctivator.

This is another high point of the amp, it has some really good sounds. I play an Ibanez RG320 with the stock pickups (I only use the bridge pickup though) The clean channel is pretty good, but a little too warm for me (unless I crank the treble almost all the way up) When you switch the first channel to "pushed," it could be used as a moderate distored sound. The second channel is the best of the three channels. When it is on "vintage," it sounds pretty good. However, if you switcht it to "modern," then you get the best sound the amp has to offer. The distortion is a little tighter than that of the third channel is the best for the kind of music I play (mostly punk) The third channel is good, but a little too bassy for my likings. That can be solved by cranking up the treble and the presence, but the second channel is still a little better. I never use the "vintage" setting on this channel so I don't know how good it is.
Overall, the sound is pretty good for punk and maybe some hard rock, but if you play heavey metal, you probably shouldn't get this amp (not quite enough distortion for metal).

Reliability is the major down fall of this amp. I've had it for about three of four months now and I've had three different sets of tubes in it. Tubes shouldn't last just a month. I've talked to some people and they say that most of the Nomads have this problem. Its a huge annoyance changing tubes about every month. And I thought Mesas were supposed to be reliabile...

All repairs I've had done so far have been covered by warranty, but I think the warrenty is only a year. That is way too short. It was a little tricky trying to find a warrenty shop, but I eventually did.

Even though the sound is pretty good and its fairly versitile, whatever you do... don't get this amp. I've had way to much trouble with it. If you don't find spending tons of money on tubes and repairs, then go ahead and get this amp. Otherwise stay as far away from this as you can. I don't know if all the Nomads have as many problems as mine, but it seems that other people have had the same problems that I have had. If my amp has stolen or lost, I would not get another.

This is an add on to the review I just submitted. Forgot about one little annoying thing. The knobs on the front, all 20 of them, and on the back, all 5 of them, are black with a black arrow on black amp faces. Try to figure out a setting on a dark stage. Good luck!
I took some white pinstriping tape and stuck it to the pointy side of each knob so I could tell what my settings are without a flashlight.

True three channel amp with seperate gain, volume, pres, and eq for each channel. Solo boost for each channel and seperate reverb. Nice footswitch included.

I play classic rock in a cover band, and I have been looking for this amp for a long time. Covers it all. Good clean sound, great lead sound, and good crunch. All a tweak and a stomp away without hassles. Distortion is so fine, notes bloom like they should, settings of 10 oclock to 2 oclock are the sweet spots, you can go higher if you want that of course. Wish the clean sounded like a twin reverb, but it is the closest I have experienced in a actual versatile combo. PS plenty of power in this compact 55 watt package.

Boogies are known to be reliable, I just got this a coupla weeks ago, and have only gigged with it once. We shall see.

Warranty is one year, 6 mos on the tubes. Haven't had to contact them.

I have been playing since before electricity. Have Ernie Ball Axis Sport and G&L S-500. Both sound great through the Nomad. It sounds so pro! I feel i can get any sound I want by just tweaking. This is the one I'll keep forever. If someone were to steal it, they couldn't run very fast, its 55 pounds. So I'd run them down and drop it on them. Overall, a great amp, thought it was too expensive, but now I understand what a bargain it really is at this price. Only wish it had the shimmering clean.

This Amp is so hard to control cause its got so much roomfor sound that im still working on my sounds so much,you cant just find your sound, I used to have a marshall 50 watt 79 2x12 blues combo and i thought that was good but it really only had one good sweet spot but the boogie well no comparison.
I would like a tremelo. I have an art foot effects but to hard to drive, pedals are the easiest

Great sound can get the Santan a sound and many others but now wish had got the 2x12 in a way for fatness with lead but i will make a box and have a double anyway. I suits me so far and the thing is that there is so much room for different sounds that i cant see myself getting bored with this for ages. When you play outside though you gootta turn bass down to 10.00 o clock or it goes flubby at high volumes but just getting used to settings early days yet.

It had one crash already and no problem, so far and i don't think there will be any either. One sligghtly microphonic valve came with it but i will keep using and then replace when i need new ones

amp made good for it twas made in 1999, yeah it got features.

it sounds good for it is a son bitch

One tube was bad, i was told by my generous dealer(if you know what I mean) That it was a reoccuring problem with the 6l6's, not the amp, he replaced my tubes for free per instruction from Mesa Boogie

They sound very nice and helpful, it's just that they never return my messages, except for one time when i wasnt home, they left a message on the machine and the first thing i hear is bweee, and then some guy talkin' it was funny uncle jesse!

I have a lot of bum hair, no amp has ever made my bum hair stand on end...that is until I bought my nomad...Thanks Mesa Booty....Boogie

I am a long time Boogie user, having owned a Studio Calibre, a DC-5 and most recently, a Triaxis. I haven't been gigging for some time, and don't intend doing so in the near future so it was with some regret that I sold the Triaxis and bought the Nomad, which leaves a much smaller footptint in the lounge room than a full stereo rig with 2x2x12s. This is probably the most flexible analogue combo around. It has three fully independent channels, each with their own treble, mid, bass, presence, master and gain controls on the front of the unit and independent reverb controls on the back. Each channel has two modes (channel one clean/pushed; channels two and three vintage/modern)- there is a difference in the level of the modes and some minor variations in tonal characteristics. Each channel is foot-switchable, as is the reverb. Another button on the footswitch provides you with a volume boost for solos without adjusting the tone (personnally I would have liked to see a slight increase in the mids also - maybe a tone control as well as the level control, but no, where would they fit it?). The amount of volume increase can be adjusted with a knob on the front of the combo. There is an effects loop with a very handy mix control and a headphone/recording out jack which outputs a modded signal suitable for recording (don't do this much so can't comment on the quality - OK for headphone use). There is a speaker mute switch for late night partying. You can select to use either 6L6 or EL34 power tubes. The Nomad comes stock with the 6L6s which I tend to prefer for their 'rounder' bottom end. You can also connect a variety of different speaker configurations with both 8ohm and 2x4ohm outputs available. There is also an output suitable for input to a slave power amp. As I said this is one very flexible amp.

I play a variety of styles from classic rock, metal, shred to a bit of rock fusion and whatever is currently on the local FM rock station ... any requests from my teenage kids ... My main guitar is a Les Paul with Seymour Duncan pick-ups (a '59 in the neck and a 'Jeff Beck' in the bridge)gold hardware and a luvvvly maple top. I also use a Japanese Strat (whenever I am likely to be a position where my Les Paul will get knocked around), plays well but the pick-ups are crap so I am changing them over to a '59 and JB also (Hey, I know what I like!). I have the Nomad eq'd for the Les Paul and use an outboard EQ to adjust the tone when using the Strat - just don't like tweaking knobs endlessly, much prefer to set an forget barring those changes needed to adjust for the room and signifcant changes in volume levels. I have channel one set for crystal clean, as follows (just in case you might wnt to try it out in the shop): 'Clean' G:11.30; M:11.30; P:1.00; T:1.00; M:11.00; B:1.00 - remember I am playing in the lounge room so the combo output is very low - The tone that is produced is lush and clean, a full bodied sound which warms up nicely when you goose the output level. Add a bit of chorus and delay and you have the biggest clean sound available in a combo. It was this tone which sold me on the Nomad in the shop. IMHO this is a better clean tone than in the Triaxis (although I suppose this is not a fair comparison as the Triaxis was always destined to be known more for its high gain channels which, again IMHO, are staggering). The second channel is clearly for lead playing. Turn up the gain and this channel is not much use for chord work, even with the mids sucked out. But it has the sweetest lead tone, fat and full of harmonics, notes just hang on forever ('Modern' G:1.00; M:8.00; P:1.30; T:1.00; M:1.00; B:4.30). Channel three is EVH city. There are all the dark, chunky tones for chord work and absolutely razor sharp lead tones (took five minutes to nail a good replica of both Gary Moore and EVH lead tones, try: 'Modern' G:1.00; M:11.00; P:12.30; T:2.00; M:7.30; B:5.00). I think I read in an earlier review a comment that the two lead channels had the same tonal characteristics (might be the 'modes', can't remember - apologies if I got it wrong) - sorry, but I gotta disagree, the tones are way different - channel two, for me is sweet high gain lead territory or for low gain chording - it is way too fat for open E riffing for example. Channel three is just made for dark, heavy chording or for that searing lead tone. You can spend a lot of time in each of these channels. The tonal variety and the quality of the tones is exceptional. I've gone through many amps, I s'pose I'm a bit of a gear junkie, but this amp, this is a keeper.

Never had a problem with any Boogie product. Sorry to hear about the troubles that others appear to have had, but you gotta be reasonable about the tubes. Hey, amps get tossed around by all sorts of non-guitar playing cargo handlers, tubes get damaged. You can't blame Boogie for that. Get some new tubes and let rip on this flexible amp with some staggering tone. Would I gig without a back-up, never (well at least some spare tubes) but as I am not gigging now, doesn't really matter.

Always friendly and helpful, but a hell of a phone bill!! These guys need to be accessible by email - get with the times Boogie!

Stolen? I would be extremely upset, as would the shit who took it once I got a hold of him/her. This is the only Nomad 112 in private hands currently in Australia, the other is on the shop floor and they are taking orders off it. I would have a long wait for a replacement. I love its flexibility, I love the three channels (but now that I have them, what about four??? - kinda miss the Triaxis in this respect only), I love the tone, my tone. This amp is a lot of fun, and that's what it is all about isn't it? I'm having a ball!!

This thing wins in the features section. There are 3 separate footswitchable channels, each with multiple options. It's laid out pretty well and is a bit easier to negotiate than the Mark IV. Kinda sucks that the knobs don't have numbers on them. It took awhile for me to figure out where everything was. Also, a really killer feature is that you have control over the volume of the boost feature--quite an innovation, IMO. The Vintage/Modern and British/American voicings on the channels is a nice touch. I've had this amp for about a month. I played it live and in rehearsal...with all the features, it took me awhile to figure out what worked best for me. Plenty loud, and I like the 6L6 vibe, although I tend to prefer EL34's. For the flexibility, it's hard to beat the price, though.

I'm using a stock Fender Telecaster, various Strats, and an old SG. The amp sounded good regardless of the pickups, but just not great. This Boogie did retain the guitars' tones better than some of the other Boogies I've played, though, but I still had to keep all the midrange controls around 2. I'm a Strat man for the most part, but this amp impressed me the most when using a Tele.
In a smaller club situation (which is my usual deal), this thing had tons of power and sounded good. I also played it out in 3 rather large rooms, but with mixed results. Our soundman always tossed a Shure M57 on it, but I did crank it a bit for the big gigs. I was less than thrilled with channel 3--there was too much gain (I never ever thought I'd mutter those words!!). It just got too muddy, and even though I did whatever I could to clean up the sound (switch to single coils, adjust the eq accordingly, lower the preamp gain a bit), it still was too...too "thick", as opposed to "rich". I play 70's-style rock, kind of in a jam band situation, but I just did not find channel 3 very useful (bummer). Noisy as hell--even with the SG's humbuckers. I use very few effects--a wah and a phaser and not much else. I wish this amp sounded better. It's good, but the holy grail it ain't. I think the old DC-5 was a bit easier to negotiate overall. I hope the folks at Boogie can figure out a way to make this thing easier to use...I think many of us like this amp's versatility, but we'd like it to be easier to get tones that are more focused and rewarding. I guess I'm kind of ambivalent here...if I change my mind, I'll write an update, but for now I think I'm expecting more from a new Boogie.

Everyone else has been complaining. It's been smooth sailing so far. I hope it continues. If I have a problem, lord knows with the Boogie I'll be ill-equipped to fix it myself, but so far so good. I really take issue with the knobs on the amp in particular...it's a heavy well-built amp for the most part, but the knobs and some of the other components just seem to have this flimsy feel about them. Hopefully they'll last a good long time.

Haven't had to deal w/em yet

Cannot beat the flexibility and the range of tones available, and the footswitching and solo features kick butt. However, the clean sound leaves a lot to be desired, and conversely I find that some of the distorted tones are simply overkill. Everything in between is way cool, and that should satisfy most guitarists who are likely to buy this amp anyway.

Update from my previous posting. I have had this amp for several months now, and I was impressed and coniue to be impressed with the range of tone you get from all three channels. I found that you need to read the manufacturers manual which is very well laid out, and try the various suggested tone settings with your guitar. It is all in there folks!

I tried my Fender Strat through this amp and it just doesn't sound good. I tried the PRS and this amp comes alive. Also, this amp sounds best if you place it on an amp stand - the kind that tilts it back - this thing really comes alive - the sound opens up and it breathes. Sorry, its the only way I can describe it.

The other guitarist in my band plugged in his Les Paul Standard, and this thing sounds enormous. Thus, in my humble opinion, this amp sounds best with humbucker equipped guitars, and even better when you put in on an amp stand and turn up the volume - its all in there folks!

The Nomad developed a loud hum, then a warbling hum! I took it back to the dealer and he had to replace the two 6L6 output tubes. I found this very disappointing from a manufacturer whose claim to fame is quality. The tag on the amp shows that 12 people at MB inspected this amp before it went out the door! On the positive front, my dealer
"The Guitar Shop" in Port Credit, Ontario, fixed it immediately and at no charge, which I appreciate.

The Nomad was fixed quickly and at no-charge. This is generally not the case with most things you buy these days. However, I am still a happy customer and recommend this amp because it does do what MB says it will.

I am reserving judgement on this and will see if the repairs made to the Nomad hold, or if other problems develope. Will post another update.

3 channels, each with 2 modes & independent controls for bass,mid,treble,post,pre,presence & reverb

Sounds ok, clean not as good as Fender or Rivera.

Can you depend on it? HELL NO!!! Had problem with the foot switch. After contacting Mesa Boogie, they sent me a new one. Look like some one had just started taking Solder 101 class & was failing.

They was prompt to send a replacement foot switch but it was in worst shape than the original.

The idea behind this amp sounds good on paper but Mesa Boogie seems to be slipping in the quality department. I would not recomend buying one of these amps. I got rid of mine to the first sucker I could find.