MESA/Boogie® Dual Rectifier® 3Channel 8Mode Multi-Watt™ 50/100w All Valve Guitar Amplifier Head ★ USED EXCELLENT ★ FREE FREIGHT | 1YR WARRANTY | LIMITLESS LAYBY | MULTIPLE PAYMENT OPTIONS
SKU:
NTM-000232
A$3,295.00
A$2,795.00
A$2,795.00
On Sale
per item
MESA/Boogie® (MESA/Engineering®) Dual Rectifier® 3-Channel 8-Mode Per-Channel Multi-Watt™ 50/100watt Switchable USED | EXCELLENT Guitar Amplifier Head w/- Per-Ch Selectable Dual Rectifier Power Amp Switch, Per-Ch Variac™ Power Switch, Per-Ch Recto Tracking™ Valve Auto-Matching, FX Loops, & 6-Button Footswitch. Balance of 5-Year Manufacturer's Warranty. 240volts Australian Power.
● Diamond Plate Front Panel & Brushed Aluminium Front Vent
FREE FREIGHT | BALANCE OF 5-YEAR WARRANTY | LIMITLESS LAYBY | MULTIPLE PAYMENT OPTIONS | NO INTEREST EVER Finance available.
● THE BEST RECTIFIER EVER BUILT . . . PERIOD ! !
● Shhhh! . . . We are Australia's Cheapest USED PRICE - ONLY AU$2,795.00
● Regular New Price is: $5,595.00 RRP ! ! ! ! ! !
____________________________________________________________________________
INCREDIBLE!
3 Independent Channels each featuring Independent Gain, Treble, Mid, Bass, Presence, Master and Recto Tracking™
8 Amazing sound modes, Channel 1 = Clean or Pushed, Channel 2 & 3 = Raw, Vintage High Gain or Modern High Gain
2 Multi-Watt™ power options: 100 or 50 watts of Multi-Watt™, Channel Assignable Power - Assign either 2 or all 4 Power Tubes to any Channel
____________________________________________________________________________
The Home of Tone®
Over 20 years have passed, two generations of guitarists and several musical trend-cycles since the Dual Rectifier® first unleashed its crushing wall of gain on radio. In that time many have mimicked, modelled, dissected and plagiarised it, but it remains firmly planted at the centre of hard-core… a rock icon. Still leaving the widest, deepest footprint in heavy music and now a long list of chart topping devotees outside the world of heavy, the Rectifier series has grown to include several now famous heavies like the Triple Rectifer®, Road King®, Roadster®, Mini Rectifier®, and Recto®-Verb 25. Welcome to the Rectifier® Series, a line of MESA/Boogie® amplifiers that have shaped modern guitar tone, forever glorified in recording history, influencing guitar amplification technology from the day they were launched on the scene to this very day.
____________________________________________________________________________
MESA/Boogie® Dual Rectifier®
A LEGENDARY ROCK ICON, AMAZINGLY VERSATILE
It’s been more than 20 years, two generations of guitarists and several musical trend-cycles since the Dual Rectifier® first unleashed its crushing wall of gain on radio. In that time many have mimicked, modelled, dissected and plagiarised it, but it remains firmly planted at the centre of hard-core . . . a Rock Icon.
A little over a decade ago the Recto® underwent a massive face-lift that greatly expanded its versatility and took what was a 2-Channel amp aimed squarely at high gain only – to a 3-Channel amp capable of roaming any style confidently.
On the eve of its 20th Birthday, with still the widest, deepest footprint in heavy music, and now a long list of chart topping devotees outside the world of heavy, the Recto was once again re-worked, re-tuned and refined.
● THE BEST RECTIFIER EVER BUILT . . . PERIOD ! !
Better sounding and better feeling than any 2 or 3-Channel version that came before it, we had only one mission – To build the best Rectifier yet. Not an easy task but now with our patented Multi-Watt™ 50/100 (watt) Channel Selectable Power, an Improved Effects Loop, Channel Assignable Rectification with Rectifier Tracking™, a dedicated Tuner Out with Mute and an all-new Footswitch, the new Dual Rectifier® is more menacing than ever.
But what really has us most excited isn’t all the latest features you see on the front and rear panels. While these are great and really useful, it’s the NEW TONE and range that has us most fired-up!
We’ve unearthed a lot of secrets in the last two decades and we’ve used them all in this new rendering. Improved CLEAN and PUSHED Modes in Channel 1. Improved Modes in Channels 2 and 3 include a more soulful, earthiness in RAW, thicker layers of harmonics and more liquid gain in VINTAGE and tighter gut-punching attack in MODERN.
____________________________________________________________________________
AMP HEAD OVERVIEW
Quick Overview:
● Multi-Watt modes (100-watt or 50-watt) and Class A/B power
● 4 x 6L6, 5 x 12AX7, and 2 x 5U4 tube complements
● Fixed bias for consistent, maintenance free performance
● 3 fully independent channels with 8 modes
● Independent gain, treble, mid, bass, presence, and master controls per channel
● Output level control (over all channels when activated)
● Footswitchable solo level control (over all channels when activated)
● Bold/spongy variac switch
● Assignable serial effects loop with send and mix level controls
● Slave out with level control
● External switching jacks for channels 1, 2, 3, solo, and effects loop
● 6-button footswitch (channel 1, channel 2, channel 3, solo, and effects loop)
● Handbuilt in Petaluma, CA, USA
● Slip Cover
● Head (Width 25 1/2”)
____________________________
Detailed Specifications:
Multi-Watt™, Channel Assignable Power Amp (Patent 7,602,927) allows you to assign either 2 or all 4 Power Tubes to each Channel for Power Ratings of 50 or 100 Watts of Class A/B Power via independent 50/100 Watt Power Switches / 4x6L6 (or 4xEL-34), 5x12AX7, 2x5U4
Technical Specifications:
Type: Tube
Number of Channels: 3
Total Power: 100w/50w
EQ: 3-band
Preamp Tubes: 5 x 12AX7
Power Tubes: 4 x 6L6, 2 x 5U4 (Rectifier)
Inputs: 1 x Instrument
Outputs: 5 x Speaker, 1 x Slave
Effects Loop: Yes
Footswitch I/O: 6-button footswitch included
Height: 10"
Width: 25.5"
Depth: 9.87"
Manufacturer Part Number: 2.DR.1.B.LC
____________________________
Accessories:
Footswitch: Included - 3 x 3 - 6 Button Footswitch (Bottom Row: Ch. 1, Ch. 2 & Ch. 3 - Top Row: Tuner Mute, FX Loop & Solo)
Slip Cover: Included - Fitted Slip Cover
____________________________
Weight & Dimensions:
Weight: 41 Lbs.
Height: 10"
Width: 25 1/2"
Depth: 9 7/8"
____________________________________________________________________________
MESA/Boogie® HISTORY
MESA/Boogie® (also known as MESA/Engineering®) is an American company in Petaluma, California USA, that manufactures music instrument amplifiers for guitars and basses. It has been in operation since 1969.
MESA was started by Randall Smith as a small repair shop which modified Fender® amplifiers, particularly the diminutive Fender® Princeton. Smith's modifications gave the small amps much more input gain, making them much louder as well as creating a high-gain, distorted guitar tone. Prominent early customers included Carlos Santana, and Ron Wood and Keith Richards of The Rolling Stones. Exposure from these top players helped to establish Mesa/Boogie's position on the market, and it is frequently referred to as the first manufacturer of the boutique amplifiers.
Founder, Randall Smith Early Life
Randall Smith was born into a musical family in Berkeley, California in 1946. His mother and sister played piano and his father was the first-chair clarinet with the Oakland Symphony Orchestra, played tenor sax, had a radio show and led a hotel dance band. Smith believes all of his early musical experiences taught him how to hear tone.
As a young Boy Scout, Smith was interested in earning a merit badge in woodcarving. Stan Stillson, the Boy Scout leader became a mentor. Smith and Stan’s son, Dave, were close in age. They became great friends and built ham radios together. Smith’s father had a good friend, Ernie, who built hi-fi turntables and gave him a couple to experiment on until he was 11 or 12.
He attended Miramonte High in Orinda, CA and graduated in 1964. His freshman year he attended UC Santa Barbara, as his parents wanted him removed from the influences of Berkeley (20 minutes from Orinda). However, he would hop freight trains nearly every weekend from Santa Barbara to the Bay Area to see friends and return to the Beat coffee houses and bookstores of Berkeley. The next four years he attended UC Berkeley studying humanities, English Literature and "invitation only" creative writing courses where he mostly wrote accounts of riding the rails with various hobos, but never quite graduated. Most interesting is that he never once took an electronics course in high school or university. His first major electronics was scratch-building Ham Radio transmitter using 6146 power tube. At only around 60 watts, the signal reached Alaska and most of the US.
Prune Music Store
Smith wanted to participate in the burgeoning San Francisco music scene, having been taught clarinet and a little sax by his father, but he took up drums, as it was the easiest to learn quickly. He played with a local blues and jam band and co-founded the band Martha's Laundry, which later morphed into Prune Music store, with keyboardist Dave Kessner. They opened the store in 1967 inside a building that had been a Chinese grocery store. He worked as a repair tech in the back while Dave ran the front of the store. Offshoots of Prune Music continue in Berkeley to this day with Subway Guitars, Sam Cohen (aka Fat Dog) and Guitar Resurrection in Austin, TX with former Martha's Laundry guitarist, Jim Lehman (aka Lizard Slim). They were partners until 1975. Their store never generated a huge profit, but it became best alternative music store in the hippy scene.
"This Thing Boogies"
Mesa/Boogie began with a practical joke: he borrowed a Fender® Princeton (a small 12-watt amplifier) from his friend, Barry Melton of Country Joe & The Fish, and hot-rodded it by replacing the amplifier section with that of a Fender® Bassman and installing a 12-inch speaker instead of the original 10-inch. The resulting amplifier proved to be loud and successful, and Smith made more than 200 of these Princeton "Boogies"—a name allegedly provided by Carlos Santana, who is to have exclaimed "This thing boogies!"
MESA/Engineering®
The MESA name came about through Smith's other job, rebuilding Mercedes engines. Smith decided to set up MESA/Engineering® so he could purchase wholesale parts for amps and engines. He needed an official sounding name through which to buy Mercedes parts and building supplies, and chose MESA/Engineering®. As the demand for his amps grew, Randall decided it would be best to move his workshop out of the storefront to get away from the distractions. He relocated to what was formerly a plywood dog kennel, then, eventually, to his home.
____________________________________________________________________________
THE MESA® STORY
Excellence - Living The Code
The story of MESA/Boogie® is an American story. It’s a musical story and a human-interest story, roots to world-renown. It’s based on simple, basic principles that never change or go out of style. It’s a story of doing the right thing, of not taking shortcuts and of never giving up until you achieve, in earnest, what you set out to do. It involves vision, passion, drive, honesty, wisdom, perseverance, trust and the ever-empirical approach of less talk and more action. Undersell and exceed expectations.
It’s a story of treating people with respect, even when it’s not profitable. It’s the story of one man’s vision inspiring two generations of contributors who have both followed and guided their mentor to a place that eclipsed where any could have taken it alone. It’s the tale of a small business owner that never sold out, despite many enticing offers, in favour of keeping it real and continuing to innovate. It’s the story of a worldwide family of fiercely proud devotees with unwavering loyalty.
The story of MESA/Boogie® represents different things to different people; many sounds for many styles, many solutions for many needs, many roads to what we all seek . . . inspiration. Yet perhaps one phrase–one concept more than any other–best captures the essence of MESA/Boogie®; The Relentless Pursuit Of Excellence.
As sunset fell on the ‘60's, the San Francisco music scene was literally exploding. Great musicians from all styles were mixing it up in this counter-culture epicentre where fans of all ages were ripe for the picking and young musical explorers were becoming pop icons overnight.
At the centre of all this new music was electric guitar. As a vehicle for expression, no other instrument offered the versatility, sonic power, and of course sex appeal, of the electric guitar. And while it was recognised as both a rhythm and lead instrument, a twist of fate found drummer and saxophonist Randall Smith preoccupied with the solo potential of the Bay Area’s six-string darling.
While a musical revolution was raging across the Golden Gate, simultaneously in Marin’s Rock Star-studded hamlet of Mill Valley and redwood-thick haven of Lagunitas, young Randall Smith was doing some serious sonic pioneering. With a rich musical background and a love for tube-based electronics, Smith was working diligently toward a high gain revolution of his own in guitar amplifiers.
Even as he was working for the Bay Area’s biggest stars doing amp repairs, behind the scenes Smith was developing a totally new “cascading” tube pre-amp circuit squeezed into in a compact high power combo amplifier that would change the way guitarists would sound–and play–forever more.
Often using his noteworthy clients as test pilots, one day he had a breakthrough while helping Country Joe & The Fish guitarist Barry Melton. He quickly went home, perfected the idea, and called upon local hero Carlos Santana to plug in and give it a spin. After riding a wave of inspiration for long enough to gather a substantial crowd that afternoon in Mill Valley outside Prune Music’s front window where they met for the maiden voyage, Carlos stopped playing and proclaimed, “Man, this thing really Boogies”! It was a defining moment for the future of electric guitar sounds.
The game-changing little high gain Boogie® would go on to have a huge impact on the music of the ‘70's as guitarists finally had the ability to hold notes indefinitely with their newfound sustain. At the dawn of a new decade, another landmark feature in guitar amplification came out of the Lagunitas shop with the introduction of the world’s first channel switching amplifier in 1980, the MARK II®.
Throughout the ‘80's and ‘90's a score of additional innovative and patented improvements saw MESA/Engineering® emerge as the leader in tube amplifier technology. But none of these vital, now-commonplace improvements sparked the kind of attention MESA received in 1991, when high gain was re-defined once more with the birth of the MESA/Boogie® Dual Rectifier® Solo Head, which commanded the Rock airwaves for the next 15 years.
NOW...
Forty-five years and thousands of satisfied customers later, MESA/Boogie® Ltd hand-builds the fifth generational offspring of that pivotal amplifier (and many more) now known around the globe as the MARK I Boogie®; the world’s first high gain, high power, compact 1x12 amplifier. That revolutionary little combo is the “missing link” in amp design... the pivotal nexus between Vintage and Modern guitar amplifiers. When it comes to amplified guitar, there’s really just two epochs… before Boogie®, and after Boogie®.
Today, 30 miles from the mountain shack where those first “Snakeskin” Boogies were born, we still hold true to the simple but increasingly rare principles Randy used to catapult MESA/Boogie® onto the world stage. Hand-building the very best instruments we can and treating each and every customer as we ourselves would wish to be treated has kept us there.
We are still privately owned–one of the last American music companies to be so–and have no profit-hungry investors cutting corners between you and your Tone. Every product we make is hand-built in our one and only shop in Petaluma, California and our artisans are tenured with an average of 15 years at their post, many for MUCH longer. We answer to no one except you and our own uncompromising ethical standards.
We are proud of our place in history as the original “Boutique” amplifier company, but recognise that we must still earn daily, our reputation as one of the most respected and prestigious brands in the musical instrument industry. So as you discover our historically important contributions to the art of amplifier design and journey through our vast product line, rest assured we continue to pioneer and improve–as we have from the start – the possibilities for your expression and our unparalleled Customer Service.
We‘d be honoured to be your amplifier company and welcome you to the worldwide family of MESA® players who have found inspiration and the confidence to reach new musical frontiers through our instruments. We have one goal and it’s deeply rewarding to us; to help you sound your very best and be a catalyst for you to achieve your musical dreams.
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We are the NSW Mid-North Coast Franchise Dealer for these and more quality musical instruments and equipment plus loads more guitar, drums, keyboard, recording, and live equipment brands
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CONTACT US
N E W T O N E M U S I C & GUITAR TRAINING CENTRE
58 COMMERCE STREET | TAREE NSW 2430
(PH) 0 2 6 5 5 2 1 4 4 4 | (PH) 0 4 0 7 1 1 4 1 1 2
[email protected]
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★For more than 25yrs N E W T O N E M U S I C we provide★
✓ FREE SHIPPING depot-to-depot to all states (except WA & NT).
✓ Full 5-YEAR Full Manufacturers WARRANTY on NEW Boogie.
✓ 1 YEAR WARRANTY back to base NEAR NEW or USED items.
✓ LAYBY without time limits & receipts showing remaining balance.
✓ PAYPAL Safe & Secure Payment.
✓ CREDIT CARD phone MOTO & BPOINT payments accepted.
✓ BANK DEPOSIT to:
Groundwater's Guitar School Inc
58 Commerce Street, Taree NSW 2430
( BSB: 0 6 2 6 0 3 / ACC: 1 0 1 7 1 0 9 2 )
✓ PHONE SUPPORT (Long Hours) 02 6552 1444 / 0407 114 112
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STOCK SUPPLY NOTES
A note on our rare, classic, vintage, collectable, and used musical instrument amplifier & musical instrument equipment items. While we offer a warranty on your purchase, because we run on very tight profit margins (meaning cheaper gear - which is good for you, the buyer), it also means that you need to make sure you actually want the items for their incredible tone, durability, and lasting quality rather than perfect looks. Any returns or refunds will incur a re-stock fee of around a third the value of your (already) low purchase price so please remember that while most of our gear is excellent for the age, these items (especially our valve amplifier) are indeed rare and represent the sound of an unrepeatable era. Even though we meticulously service, test, clean, polish and warrant all our gear, there may occasionally be some residual scuffs underneath or on the sides, or perhaps a tiny tolex rip on the rear. So, while our gear will be in EXCELLENT CONDITION (for the age), we will always advise you if the gear is in MINT CONDITION or if we feel that the item is perhaps of only AVERAGE CONDITION.
____________________________________________________________________________
* Footswitches, Cables, etc available if originally supplied to us by the donor
____________________________________________________________________________
● Diamond Plate Front Panel & Brushed Aluminium Front Vent
FREE FREIGHT | BALANCE OF 5-YEAR WARRANTY | LIMITLESS LAYBY | MULTIPLE PAYMENT OPTIONS | NO INTEREST EVER Finance available.
● THE BEST RECTIFIER EVER BUILT . . . PERIOD ! !
● Shhhh! . . . We are Australia's Cheapest USED PRICE - ONLY AU$2,795.00
● Regular New Price is: $5,595.00 RRP ! ! ! ! ! !
____________________________________________________________________________
INCREDIBLE!
3 Independent Channels each featuring Independent Gain, Treble, Mid, Bass, Presence, Master and Recto Tracking™
8 Amazing sound modes, Channel 1 = Clean or Pushed, Channel 2 & 3 = Raw, Vintage High Gain or Modern High Gain
2 Multi-Watt™ power options: 100 or 50 watts of Multi-Watt™, Channel Assignable Power - Assign either 2 or all 4 Power Tubes to any Channel
____________________________________________________________________________
The Home of Tone®
Over 20 years have passed, two generations of guitarists and several musical trend-cycles since the Dual Rectifier® first unleashed its crushing wall of gain on radio. In that time many have mimicked, modelled, dissected and plagiarised it, but it remains firmly planted at the centre of hard-core… a rock icon. Still leaving the widest, deepest footprint in heavy music and now a long list of chart topping devotees outside the world of heavy, the Rectifier series has grown to include several now famous heavies like the Triple Rectifer®, Road King®, Roadster®, Mini Rectifier®, and Recto®-Verb 25. Welcome to the Rectifier® Series, a line of MESA/Boogie® amplifiers that have shaped modern guitar tone, forever glorified in recording history, influencing guitar amplification technology from the day they were launched on the scene to this very day.
____________________________________________________________________________
MESA/Boogie® Dual Rectifier®
A LEGENDARY ROCK ICON, AMAZINGLY VERSATILE
It’s been more than 20 years, two generations of guitarists and several musical trend-cycles since the Dual Rectifier® first unleashed its crushing wall of gain on radio. In that time many have mimicked, modelled, dissected and plagiarised it, but it remains firmly planted at the centre of hard-core . . . a Rock Icon.
A little over a decade ago the Recto® underwent a massive face-lift that greatly expanded its versatility and took what was a 2-Channel amp aimed squarely at high gain only – to a 3-Channel amp capable of roaming any style confidently.
On the eve of its 20th Birthday, with still the widest, deepest footprint in heavy music, and now a long list of chart topping devotees outside the world of heavy, the Recto was once again re-worked, re-tuned and refined.
● THE BEST RECTIFIER EVER BUILT . . . PERIOD ! !
Better sounding and better feeling than any 2 or 3-Channel version that came before it, we had only one mission – To build the best Rectifier yet. Not an easy task but now with our patented Multi-Watt™ 50/100 (watt) Channel Selectable Power, an Improved Effects Loop, Channel Assignable Rectification with Rectifier Tracking™, a dedicated Tuner Out with Mute and an all-new Footswitch, the new Dual Rectifier® is more menacing than ever.
But what really has us most excited isn’t all the latest features you see on the front and rear panels. While these are great and really useful, it’s the NEW TONE and range that has us most fired-up!
We’ve unearthed a lot of secrets in the last two decades and we’ve used them all in this new rendering. Improved CLEAN and PUSHED Modes in Channel 1. Improved Modes in Channels 2 and 3 include a more soulful, earthiness in RAW, thicker layers of harmonics and more liquid gain in VINTAGE and tighter gut-punching attack in MODERN.
____________________________________________________________________________
AMP HEAD OVERVIEW
Quick Overview:
● Multi-Watt modes (100-watt or 50-watt) and Class A/B power
● 4 x 6L6, 5 x 12AX7, and 2 x 5U4 tube complements
● Fixed bias for consistent, maintenance free performance
● 3 fully independent channels with 8 modes
● Independent gain, treble, mid, bass, presence, and master controls per channel
● Output level control (over all channels when activated)
● Footswitchable solo level control (over all channels when activated)
● Bold/spongy variac switch
● Assignable serial effects loop with send and mix level controls
● Slave out with level control
● External switching jacks for channels 1, 2, 3, solo, and effects loop
● 6-button footswitch (channel 1, channel 2, channel 3, solo, and effects loop)
● Handbuilt in Petaluma, CA, USA
● Slip Cover
● Head (Width 25 1/2”)
____________________________
Detailed Specifications:
Multi-Watt™, Channel Assignable Power Amp (Patent 7,602,927) allows you to assign either 2 or all 4 Power Tubes to each Channel for Power Ratings of 50 or 100 Watts of Class A/B Power via independent 50/100 Watt Power Switches / 4x6L6 (or 4xEL-34), 5x12AX7, 2x5U4
- Bias Select Switch (6L6/EL34)
- Fixed Bias for Consistent, Maintenance Free Performance
- 3 Fully Independent Channels with 8 modes (Channel 1 = Clean or Pushed, Channel 2 & Channel 3 = Raw, Vintage High Gain or Modern High Gain)
- Each Channel features: Multi-Watt Power Switch (50/100 Watt), Independent Gain, Treble, Mid, Bass, Presence, Master, Channel Assignable Dual Rectification with Recto Tracking™ (Diode or Tube Tracking – Patents 5,168,438 & 7,193,458)
- Footswitchable or Completely Bypass-able Fully Buffered FX Loop with Send Level Control
- Output Level Control (over all channels when activated)
- Footswitchable Solo Level Control (Patent 6,724,897 - over all channels when activated)
- Bold/Spongy “Variac” Switch (Patent 5,091,700)
- True “Hard” Bypass Switch that removes FX Loop, Output Level & Solo Level Controls from signal path
- Tuner Output w/- Footswitchable Mute
- Slave Out w/Level Control
- External Switching Jacks for Channels 2, 3 (Ch 1 is default), Solo & FX Loop
- New 3x3 - 6 Button Footswitch (Bottom Row: Channel 1, Channel 2, Channel 3, Top Row: Tuner Mute, FX Loop & Solo)
- Slip Cover
- Head (Width 25 1/2”)
Technical Specifications:
Type: Tube
Number of Channels: 3
Total Power: 100w/50w
EQ: 3-band
Preamp Tubes: 5 x 12AX7
Power Tubes: 4 x 6L6, 2 x 5U4 (Rectifier)
Inputs: 1 x Instrument
Outputs: 5 x Speaker, 1 x Slave
Effects Loop: Yes
Footswitch I/O: 6-button footswitch included
Height: 10"
Width: 25.5"
Depth: 9.87"
Manufacturer Part Number: 2.DR.1.B.LC
____________________________
Accessories:
Footswitch: Included - 3 x 3 - 6 Button Footswitch (Bottom Row: Ch. 1, Ch. 2 & Ch. 3 - Top Row: Tuner Mute, FX Loop & Solo)
Slip Cover: Included - Fitted Slip Cover
____________________________
Weight & Dimensions:
Weight: 41 Lbs.
Height: 10"
Width: 25 1/2"
Depth: 9 7/8"
____________________________________________________________________________
MESA/Boogie® HISTORY
MESA/Boogie® (also known as MESA/Engineering®) is an American company in Petaluma, California USA, that manufactures music instrument amplifiers for guitars and basses. It has been in operation since 1969.
MESA was started by Randall Smith as a small repair shop which modified Fender® amplifiers, particularly the diminutive Fender® Princeton. Smith's modifications gave the small amps much more input gain, making them much louder as well as creating a high-gain, distorted guitar tone. Prominent early customers included Carlos Santana, and Ron Wood and Keith Richards of The Rolling Stones. Exposure from these top players helped to establish Mesa/Boogie's position on the market, and it is frequently referred to as the first manufacturer of the boutique amplifiers.
Founder, Randall Smith Early Life
Randall Smith was born into a musical family in Berkeley, California in 1946. His mother and sister played piano and his father was the first-chair clarinet with the Oakland Symphony Orchestra, played tenor sax, had a radio show and led a hotel dance band. Smith believes all of his early musical experiences taught him how to hear tone.
As a young Boy Scout, Smith was interested in earning a merit badge in woodcarving. Stan Stillson, the Boy Scout leader became a mentor. Smith and Stan’s son, Dave, were close in age. They became great friends and built ham radios together. Smith’s father had a good friend, Ernie, who built hi-fi turntables and gave him a couple to experiment on until he was 11 or 12.
He attended Miramonte High in Orinda, CA and graduated in 1964. His freshman year he attended UC Santa Barbara, as his parents wanted him removed from the influences of Berkeley (20 minutes from Orinda). However, he would hop freight trains nearly every weekend from Santa Barbara to the Bay Area to see friends and return to the Beat coffee houses and bookstores of Berkeley. The next four years he attended UC Berkeley studying humanities, English Literature and "invitation only" creative writing courses where he mostly wrote accounts of riding the rails with various hobos, but never quite graduated. Most interesting is that he never once took an electronics course in high school or university. His first major electronics was scratch-building Ham Radio transmitter using 6146 power tube. At only around 60 watts, the signal reached Alaska and most of the US.
Prune Music Store
Smith wanted to participate in the burgeoning San Francisco music scene, having been taught clarinet and a little sax by his father, but he took up drums, as it was the easiest to learn quickly. He played with a local blues and jam band and co-founded the band Martha's Laundry, which later morphed into Prune Music store, with keyboardist Dave Kessner. They opened the store in 1967 inside a building that had been a Chinese grocery store. He worked as a repair tech in the back while Dave ran the front of the store. Offshoots of Prune Music continue in Berkeley to this day with Subway Guitars, Sam Cohen (aka Fat Dog) and Guitar Resurrection in Austin, TX with former Martha's Laundry guitarist, Jim Lehman (aka Lizard Slim). They were partners until 1975. Their store never generated a huge profit, but it became best alternative music store in the hippy scene.
"This Thing Boogies"
Mesa/Boogie began with a practical joke: he borrowed a Fender® Princeton (a small 12-watt amplifier) from his friend, Barry Melton of Country Joe & The Fish, and hot-rodded it by replacing the amplifier section with that of a Fender® Bassman and installing a 12-inch speaker instead of the original 10-inch. The resulting amplifier proved to be loud and successful, and Smith made more than 200 of these Princeton "Boogies"—a name allegedly provided by Carlos Santana, who is to have exclaimed "This thing boogies!"
MESA/Engineering®
The MESA name came about through Smith's other job, rebuilding Mercedes engines. Smith decided to set up MESA/Engineering® so he could purchase wholesale parts for amps and engines. He needed an official sounding name through which to buy Mercedes parts and building supplies, and chose MESA/Engineering®. As the demand for his amps grew, Randall decided it would be best to move his workshop out of the storefront to get away from the distractions. He relocated to what was formerly a plywood dog kennel, then, eventually, to his home.
____________________________________________________________________________
THE MESA® STORY
Excellence - Living The Code
The story of MESA/Boogie® is an American story. It’s a musical story and a human-interest story, roots to world-renown. It’s based on simple, basic principles that never change or go out of style. It’s a story of doing the right thing, of not taking shortcuts and of never giving up until you achieve, in earnest, what you set out to do. It involves vision, passion, drive, honesty, wisdom, perseverance, trust and the ever-empirical approach of less talk and more action. Undersell and exceed expectations.
It’s a story of treating people with respect, even when it’s not profitable. It’s the story of one man’s vision inspiring two generations of contributors who have both followed and guided their mentor to a place that eclipsed where any could have taken it alone. It’s the tale of a small business owner that never sold out, despite many enticing offers, in favour of keeping it real and continuing to innovate. It’s the story of a worldwide family of fiercely proud devotees with unwavering loyalty.
The story of MESA/Boogie® represents different things to different people; many sounds for many styles, many solutions for many needs, many roads to what we all seek . . . inspiration. Yet perhaps one phrase–one concept more than any other–best captures the essence of MESA/Boogie®; The Relentless Pursuit Of Excellence.
As sunset fell on the ‘60's, the San Francisco music scene was literally exploding. Great musicians from all styles were mixing it up in this counter-culture epicentre where fans of all ages were ripe for the picking and young musical explorers were becoming pop icons overnight.
At the centre of all this new music was electric guitar. As a vehicle for expression, no other instrument offered the versatility, sonic power, and of course sex appeal, of the electric guitar. And while it was recognised as both a rhythm and lead instrument, a twist of fate found drummer and saxophonist Randall Smith preoccupied with the solo potential of the Bay Area’s six-string darling.
While a musical revolution was raging across the Golden Gate, simultaneously in Marin’s Rock Star-studded hamlet of Mill Valley and redwood-thick haven of Lagunitas, young Randall Smith was doing some serious sonic pioneering. With a rich musical background and a love for tube-based electronics, Smith was working diligently toward a high gain revolution of his own in guitar amplifiers.
Even as he was working for the Bay Area’s biggest stars doing amp repairs, behind the scenes Smith was developing a totally new “cascading” tube pre-amp circuit squeezed into in a compact high power combo amplifier that would change the way guitarists would sound–and play–forever more.
Often using his noteworthy clients as test pilots, one day he had a breakthrough while helping Country Joe & The Fish guitarist Barry Melton. He quickly went home, perfected the idea, and called upon local hero Carlos Santana to plug in and give it a spin. After riding a wave of inspiration for long enough to gather a substantial crowd that afternoon in Mill Valley outside Prune Music’s front window where they met for the maiden voyage, Carlos stopped playing and proclaimed, “Man, this thing really Boogies”! It was a defining moment for the future of electric guitar sounds.
The game-changing little high gain Boogie® would go on to have a huge impact on the music of the ‘70's as guitarists finally had the ability to hold notes indefinitely with their newfound sustain. At the dawn of a new decade, another landmark feature in guitar amplification came out of the Lagunitas shop with the introduction of the world’s first channel switching amplifier in 1980, the MARK II®.
Throughout the ‘80's and ‘90's a score of additional innovative and patented improvements saw MESA/Engineering® emerge as the leader in tube amplifier technology. But none of these vital, now-commonplace improvements sparked the kind of attention MESA received in 1991, when high gain was re-defined once more with the birth of the MESA/Boogie® Dual Rectifier® Solo Head, which commanded the Rock airwaves for the next 15 years.
NOW...
Forty-five years and thousands of satisfied customers later, MESA/Boogie® Ltd hand-builds the fifth generational offspring of that pivotal amplifier (and many more) now known around the globe as the MARK I Boogie®; the world’s first high gain, high power, compact 1x12 amplifier. That revolutionary little combo is the “missing link” in amp design... the pivotal nexus between Vintage and Modern guitar amplifiers. When it comes to amplified guitar, there’s really just two epochs… before Boogie®, and after Boogie®.
Today, 30 miles from the mountain shack where those first “Snakeskin” Boogies were born, we still hold true to the simple but increasingly rare principles Randy used to catapult MESA/Boogie® onto the world stage. Hand-building the very best instruments we can and treating each and every customer as we ourselves would wish to be treated has kept us there.
We are still privately owned–one of the last American music companies to be so–and have no profit-hungry investors cutting corners between you and your Tone. Every product we make is hand-built in our one and only shop in Petaluma, California and our artisans are tenured with an average of 15 years at their post, many for MUCH longer. We answer to no one except you and our own uncompromising ethical standards.
We are proud of our place in history as the original “Boutique” amplifier company, but recognise that we must still earn daily, our reputation as one of the most respected and prestigious brands in the musical instrument industry. So as you discover our historically important contributions to the art of amplifier design and journey through our vast product line, rest assured we continue to pioneer and improve–as we have from the start – the possibilities for your expression and our unparalleled Customer Service.
We‘d be honoured to be your amplifier company and welcome you to the worldwide family of MESA® players who have found inspiration and the confidence to reach new musical frontiers through our instruments. We have one goal and it’s deeply rewarding to us; to help you sound your very best and be a catalyst for you to achieve your musical dreams.
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We are the NSW Mid-North Coast Franchise Dealer for these and more quality musical instruments and equipment plus loads more guitar, drums, keyboard, recording, and live equipment brands
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CONTACT US
N E W T O N E M U S I C & GUITAR TRAINING CENTRE
58 COMMERCE STREET | TAREE NSW 2430
(PH) 0 2 6 5 5 2 1 4 4 4 | (PH) 0 4 0 7 1 1 4 1 1 2
[email protected]
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★For more than 25yrs N E W T O N E M U S I C we provide★
✓ FREE SHIPPING depot-to-depot to all states (except WA & NT).
✓ Full 5-YEAR Full Manufacturers WARRANTY on NEW Boogie.
✓ 1 YEAR WARRANTY back to base NEAR NEW or USED items.
✓ LAYBY without time limits & receipts showing remaining balance.
✓ PAYPAL Safe & Secure Payment.
✓ CREDIT CARD phone MOTO & BPOINT payments accepted.
✓ BANK DEPOSIT to:
Groundwater's Guitar School Inc
58 Commerce Street, Taree NSW 2430
( BSB: 0 6 2 6 0 3 / ACC: 1 0 1 7 1 0 9 2 )
✓ PHONE SUPPORT (Long Hours) 02 6552 1444 / 0407 114 112
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STOCK SUPPLY NOTES
A note on our rare, classic, vintage, collectable, and used musical instrument amplifier & musical instrument equipment items. While we offer a warranty on your purchase, because we run on very tight profit margins (meaning cheaper gear - which is good for you, the buyer), it also means that you need to make sure you actually want the items for their incredible tone, durability, and lasting quality rather than perfect looks. Any returns or refunds will incur a re-stock fee of around a third the value of your (already) low purchase price so please remember that while most of our gear is excellent for the age, these items (especially our valve amplifier) are indeed rare and represent the sound of an unrepeatable era. Even though we meticulously service, test, clean, polish and warrant all our gear, there may occasionally be some residual scuffs underneath or on the sides, or perhaps a tiny tolex rip on the rear. So, while our gear will be in EXCELLENT CONDITION (for the age), we will always advise you if the gear is in MINT CONDITION or if we feel that the item is perhaps of only AVERAGE CONDITION.
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* Footswitches, Cables, etc available if originally supplied to us by the donor
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