Mesa/Boogie Subway Blues

not incredibly versitile, but people don't buy these little buggers for the versitility. if you've read the other reviews you know what to expect.

*the model i'm using is the ealier single input with the bright/fat switch.

*surprisingly powerful for a 20 watt 1x10 combo. much more bottom end and projection than my fender pro junior (w/blue alnico 10") and silvertone 1482 (1x12 combo).

*the reverb is a nice touch. not too overpowering, blends in well.

*the halfpower output is cool if you wanna rock out by yourself at a more reasonable volume, but i almost never use it.

*i really dig the tone of the 50watt black shadow speaker. i tried some other 10s in it and the blackshadow is the best suited for this amp. more projection and body.

*there is a little noise (bare in mind this amp is cranked) but it varies a lot depending on tube selection. i've tried a variety of pre-amp tubes and trust me, it's worth experimenting!

*i recently started coupling this amp with a mesa widebody 1x12 (3/4 back) cab and ...wow! i liked the sound before, now I LOVE IT! i highly recommend running this little guy through a bigger cab to at least see what kinda results you can get.

*wonderful "crazyhorse" style tone when cranked with my les paul. drive the front end with a good overdrive and it sounds like it's about to explode!

i've experienced a few issues with this amp. the reverb tank had a nasty acoustic rattle. a small amount of foam insulating tape on the top of the tank fixed that. some microphonic issues. this seems to be mainly to do with the close proximity of the speaker to the preamp tubes. different tubes react differently. now that i'm running the subway blues through an external extension cab this isn't an issue. the stock speaker developed a bad rattle but i've since replaced it. who's to say if these problems were my fault of defective construction?

all of my issues with this amp i have been able to handle at home, myself with little effort. i'm used to working on stuff so it doesn't really phase me.

all in all i wouldn't say this thing is built like a tank.

*when the stock 10 crapped out on me i called mesa a couple times to find out about speaker options. the customer service guy was helpful but not very well informed on discontinued items.

*been playing about 15 years
*current live rig also includes - 70s tele with rio grande pickups, '56 reissue les paul gold top (p90s), boss tuner, mxr distortion +, analog man modded boss trem, vintage ibanez ad-9
*if this amp were stolen or lost i'd definitely consider another subway blues or maybe investigate the blue angel or maverick models.
*love the tone (especially now with the 1x12 widebody cab). sounds great with both my tele and my les paul.

Mine is an older one, no 1/2 power switch, no fat switch.

One channel is all you Need!

With Humbuckers this Amp rules. P90's also great.
It sounds best when plugged into a 2x12 cabinet.
The stock 10" sounds OK, but the low-end clips a bit when
the Amp is cranked (& it's always cranked)!

I use this Amp as a Head, straight into my 1x12 or 2x12 cabinet.

It is as close to Pure Tone as you'll ever find. Why Mesa hasn't
started making these again is beyond me. I guess they're too busy
making Multi-Channel amps to be bothered with the best sounding amp
they've ever produced.

It's a solid little Amp with Huge Tone.

It's rehearsal/studio amp. Or a Small club.

Mesa does return phone calls & do try to please their customers.

Always searching for tone. I can't wait to record with this little monster. It's very hard to describe how killer these amps sound. I'm not a huge Mesa Boogie fan, I dislike their multi-channel amps & hate anything that has push/pull knobs on it. That leaves only a few models left that I dig.
This is the Best Amp ever to come out of the Mesa plant! It has the Mesa Gain, plus the transparent tone that most Mesa's lack.
It is one of my Favorite Amps of all time. If they had the same preamp section & 10 more watts I can't imagine how many thousands of these they would have sold.

That being said, it still is one of the Best Tube Amps on the planet
even at 20 watts. Simple is better!

The 10" speaker may not deliver the goods all the time. If not, plug it into a 2x12 cabinet & you won't believe your ears.

Hey Mesa, try & keep it simple - you might just end up pleasing some people!

Not sure, but it is the later version with the 1/2 power jack on the back. One channel,very minimal, but extremly usable in that you can keep it cranked up in either power range with some killer overdrive. Just basic killer tone, Perfect for blues or rock!!

This amp has enough crunch to sound awsome with single coils, but it really cruises with humbuckers, not very noisy considering it's almost always on ten. Not alot of variety, smooth blues distortion, killer tone!!!

Very reliable, Have not called about this amp, but in my experiance they have been extremeley helpful and generous in their support way after the sale.

These guys are the best, extremely accessable, just a phone call away, too reliable to need a repair.

Off and on, 35 years, loads of equipment, I love this amp!! This is definitley the last amp I would sell if I were forced to sell my equipment.

I bought the amp from mesa/boogie in Hollywood, probably sometime around 1993 or 1994. I needed a small amp to take along with me to the gigs at small places and for blues jams. At first I bought the Subway Rocket, and it didn't work for me so I took it back to Boogie, and they told me try the Subway Blues. And I thought this is it!!! Payed the difference or they gave me back difference (I forgot)and took home the Subway Blues. Controls are simple, fat sw, vol, treb, mid, bass, did it have presence?, and reverb. Had an effects loop, recording out too. 1-10inch speaker. And a special gig bag, which comes in handy when you need to carry it with you. Never used the recording out but records well when mic'd. Has great lead overdrive when the volume knob is at 3or4o'clock. Usually used it around 12 or 1o'clock.

Used it with both strat and lespaul. It's great blues amp. Great sustain and reverb is also pretty good. If your style is jazz, blues it does its job really well. when I need volume or play rock, fusion, I used an splitter and ran another combo (most of the time some peavey) together with the Subway Blues amp. I needed another amp to take of the lack of head room problem with the SubBlues amp. Peaveys were set pretty clean so I would get great tube overdriven sound and crunch sound from the Blues amp and peaveys would keep the articulations when the volume is needed. Never used it in a big venue but at most of the small, medium sized venue, I never had problems. I used the amp most of time with volume at around 12'o'clock, and it gave me great clean/crunch tones to overdriven tone with the guitar volume and your picking. Past 3or4o'clock this amp can't stay clean. Overall, it has a nice warm tube sound and this sound feels great to play, and big point is that it has a tone that's friendly to anyones ear. I love 22watts deluxes too but I bet this one won't make harsh sounds to your ears. It doesn't mean it can't scream. Goes well with drive pedals, and the parallel loop is pretty good too when you record. Remenber, this is a 20watt amp, so don't expect volume and headroom of a 50or100Wtube amplifier. But, try it with a 4X10 or 2x12, you should be able to get a little more volume. Speakers and spk configurations makes a big difference. Or try the Blue Angel if you need similar sound but bigger. Blue Angel(quad of EL84) can go louder but seems a little less forgiving(faster) amp compared to the subway blues.

I've dropped it few times, but nothing goes wrong. owned it for about 3years, and changed the pair of EL84 power tubes just once. never had a problem with it. The guys at mesa/boogie are just great. They really care about your satisfaction. They seem to have pride there too, not just there amps sounds. My friend even got one for himself since he loved the tone from it. Just mike it well and get monitored when you need more vol.

They're great! Only dealt with them twice. First time was when I didn't like the Subway Rocket. They took back the rocket and told me try the Subway. I loved it and took it home. The second time, I went there and told them that I love the tone, but need more vol, and they showed me the Blue Angel. Took that home too.

I actually don't have it with me now because I had to trade it for new gears. But I kind of regret it now. I don't have any boogies left. I used to own the subway blues, blue angel, and a re-issue Mark1withJBL12inch. They are all great!!! Just have to get used to their interacting preamp tone section. If you need tips, I bet the guys at boogie will help you out( at least they'll probably send you some sample settings to start you off.). Although subway Blues is an EL84amp, I think it's closer to a fender. And boogie made history with fender based small combos, they really know what they're doing.

Ihave this amp for six years.Although there are only five knobs what else do you need if you have a good effects set?It sounds really amazing and i think there s no better sound for a 20watts amp.
The half power plug allows you to crunch with lower volumes for small places.I ve already done few recordins and it sounds really great.
I also use it in several small and medium places gigs,i think its really better to amplify this combo than uses some jcm 900 and stuff like that.

I use a Fender Stratocaster with a noiseless pick up on it and i ve never heard a better clean sound!
Its a crunch sound if you want something heavier you will need a distortion effect and it also has few of completely clean volume cause its a saturatin amp, but i guees people who buy this amp knows exactly what is looking for,or should cause its a Mesa!
Perfect for blues soun like Stevie Ray Vaughan stuff specially when added by a TS-9 pedal.And awesome for alternative stuff when you want the power of distortion with the clean brightness.
Actually its good for almost any kind of sound.

It's really a tank! I use it for a long time and i've made the first tubes change few months ago(in this six years i ve probably made about a 2 gigs per month medium)It s also started some pots hum after 4 years.

When i had this pots problems the answered my mails on the next day with the pots informatio...till now they were great!

If it were stolen or lost i would look for another one.To me Mesa and Vox are simply the best tube amps with no doubt.If you have the chance dont let it pass by...buy it!

The features are basically non-existent. It is simply put, a 20 watt tone machine. Simple, efficient....awesome

The sound is simply incredible, I plug in a strat and get lost. the sound is pristine. Lower volumes are scary good and when turned up, the gain increases and sounds are very articulate. my only reservation is the 10" speaker. I can't wait to plug this baby into a cabinet!

It's a Boogie.....Probably the best made amps ever....I have had everyhting and this is on par with the best regarding build quality. I am a huge fender , Vox and rivera fan and this is right there!

My only experience was to call them regarding an F-50 and they were very accomodating...probably second to none

I have played and owned everything. this is a great little amp. The speaker causes some reservation, but it's a "small" amp. The ebst practice or small club amp i have every heard. i don't gig with it much because I play large venues, but it is the best sounding amp I have....

Don't know when made. I play it through a Marshall Power Brake and it kicks ass! You can really get lost in the sound of it and it has nice bottom too.

A Stratostien that I built. A Carvin Bolt with a lot of changed out parts over the years. Fender Custom Shop Texas Special pickups that I use with the Bright setting - they wail nice. I have a Moses graphite neck with thick frets also.

It's a tank.

Easy to get tubes through them. No biasing required too.

They don't make them anymore - so buy one if you see one. They are a great recording amp and have nice gain. I use mine to drive half of a half stack (8 ohms) and it sounds nice [Behringer 412H 100 watt 4 ohmers].

First of all, there are 5 knobs, not 25. This is a simple amp that sounds killer with any setting... What people should say is with featuring 5 knobs what can this amp do.... It can do more with 5 knobs than most with 10 or more knobs. Remember sometimes LESS IS MORE.

This is probably the best sounding amp for it's price in the world as far as I'm concernced. Use a couple of your favorite stomp boxes, tube screamer and maybe a little delay, you will loose your mind.

so far so good, no probs. this thing has head room for days for 20 watts. You won't play a large venue with this but for what it is it's great.

Boogie really is great with support

I have been playing for a long time and have had many amps. If you need power get a powerful amp, For a practice amp this exceeds anythig that I could imagine. You could play a small club with this. If it were stolen I would look for another... Just out of curiosity I have looked but I can't find another one anywhere. The sound from this amp will fill the room. I will never get rid of this amp unless someone offers me something rediculously stupid for it.

you know the features......5 knobs indepentdent to each other.
A relationship like no other......All knobs from one fat mother.......
reverb is lush....run for cover. EL84.......wiill never smother......your face....
and speaking of face let's talk about the solid face plate. Mesa Boogie logo.....
Pin it on the front with pride, take it off that's a no-no.
Little amp wonder what shall i deed you...electricity runs through your tubes and stings you 12Ax7....seventh heaven...on the WB......wait and see....take your ticket...let's ride the subway....and never get off.

Lipstick single coils......ring with antiquity...seymore made them for me...custom bridge and texas hot.....put the butter in the pot..and cook with it....
it's better than corn oil......Humbuckers spoil........who says two coils are better than one. Let's have fun and BREATH DAMN IT. I can't sleep with a plastic bag over my head. Noise is nota factor in the quietzone. I can't hear the 60 cycle hum...dum-ditty-dum....politics run through the air in this trying time of "election".....Once chanel is all I need.....keeping me healthy and clean. Washing
my private. Spear me and I'll screem...pintch me and i'll thank you for days. Distortion will be king when the rulers of the anti-christ take over the sceen....until then I'll stay with grit grime and pushed tubes....."STEP DOWN PRE_AMP! DAMN IT. " I'll wait for you outside...CLASS A is GOD HERE....and HERECULES IS DEAD!!!. Sounds like silk is being woven in my basement.........standard smooth.....you sound like a tube amp.....are you "why yes master I....I am....please don't hurt me....please make me safe" You did a bad thing today" (I did a bad thing last week to...but you never found out) Just don't hit me...I...I...I don't desever it......

YES

mesaboogie.com

The features on this amp are subtle.
The guy who reccommends turning the tone controls fown to start gets a big kiss!
I really love small amps . This one is very refined.

A great sound. Almost a cross between vox and fender.
It sounds especially good with my Tele-Sonic guitar w/ DeArmond pickups.
It made a noise and I had tthe board replaced. It still makes some noises so I live with it.
The first preamp tube is hard to get the right one.
Great recording output .

This is an amp you can carry with two fingers into a gig and be just fine.
Use a tube pedal.(when you need it)
Again It hummed badly and needed the board replaced because of the epoxied circuits. Pain in the butt.

They gave me a break on buying the board. I had it done by a graet guy locally. But Mesa was not "up front" about the problem.

played 40 years. Always wanted some small amps. This one =was a good choice.