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Mesa Boogie Caliber amps... any insight to the different iterations?


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Posted

Does anyone have any literature on the differences between the different iterations of the Studio Caliber series?

 

I know there was a 22, 38 and then 50 Caliber. They also had the Plus. Then the name was dropped and then they came in as a DC-3 and DC-5.

 

What was different about the plus? What was different when they got named DC?

 

What I am looking for is the most basic version that has the slider EQ. 22w would be the likely preference.

Posted

Ended up finding what I needed to know.

 

I'd be after the Studio 22 Plus with the optional EQ if anything. Like I said though... had I picked up the Express 5:25 Plus instead of the Express 5:50 (non plus), I'd probably still have it. I just couldn't get the mids the way I wanted. It sounded really good. For blues and rock... and a REAL tough time getting a bad sound. It was just the jazzier tones I couldn't quite nail it with.

Posted

Be careful with the Studio.22. There were some instances of of the traces on the PC board lifting off. It was due to the intense heat generated from the power section.

The .22s' may or may not have been some of Randall Smiths' earliest sta s at 6BQ5/EL84 amps. I had 2 of them neither were the plus models. The first one had the problem, the other did not. Make sure you check them out throughly.

Posted

Be careful with the Studio.22. There were some instances of of the traces on the PC board lifting off. It was due to the intense heat generated from the power section.

The .22s' may or may not have been some of Randall Smiths' earliest sta s at 6BQ5/EL84 amps. I had 2 of them neither were the plus models. The first one had the problem, the other did not. Make sure you check them out throughly.

Will do. The likelihood I will get one is very much in question. It still has more knobs and all than I'd want. Besides... once the Starlite is done... I will be tough justifying anything else. :)

Posted

Be careful with the Studio.22. There were some instances of of the traces on the PC board lifting off. It was due to the intense heat generated from the power section.

The .22s' may or may not have been some of Randall Smiths' earliest sta s at 6BQ5/EL84 amps. I had 2 of them neither were the plus models. The first one had the problem, the other did not. Make sure you check them out throughly.

 

First I've heard of this issue. I have a DC2.

Posted

First I've heard of this issue. I have a DC2.

 

There's some info around the Web about it. I believe that it was limited to the original studio .22 series. I'm guessing they had the issue worked out by the time the DC series were launched. I also had a DC2 and DC5 both were just fine.
Posted

Jazz and Mesa Boogie go together like a Stratocaster in the Gibson Production line...

In a general sense, I can see that... but the Mark V and Express Plus series do a wonderful job with the jazz sound.

Posted

Jazz and Mesa Boogie go together like a Stratocaster in the Gibson Production line...

 

Hold on, DB...Jazz guitarist, Lee Ritenour is a Mesa Boogie Road King user. He gets great tones from his rigs.

 

http://leeritenour.com/links/

 

http://www.vintageguitar.com/3513/lee-ritenour-2/

 

"Ritenour admits to “having lots of Mesa Boogies” throughout his career, and still favors the Road King. “I actually have a kind of combination. I use the Road King with a 2×12 Boogie speaker cab as a middle setup. On the left and right for stereo, I use two Fender Vibroluxes.”

Posted

Jazz and Mesa Boogie go together like a Stratocaster in the Gibson Production line...

:icon_scratch:

Lee Ritenour just as a start.

 

Took me 11-12minutes to post that :D

Posted

 

Hold on, DB...Jazz guitarist, Lee Ritenour is a Mesa Boogie Road King user. He gets great tones from his rigs.

 

http://leeritenour.com/links/

 

http://www.vintageguitar.com/3513/lee-ritenour-2/

 

"Ritenour admits to “having lots of Mesa Boogies” throughout his career, and still favors the Road King. “I actually have a kind of combination. I use the Road King with a 2×12 Boogie speaker cab as a middle setup. On the left and right for stereo, I use two Fender Vibroluxes.”

You know... I have messed a little with a Road King and I did get a nice tone with it... but this was a half stack so I didn't dwell. haha.

Posted

There was also a DC-10 amp.

 

The great part about the dual caliber amps is that the two channels are pretty much complete separate. The thing has like 7 preamp tubes.

Posted

When the topic of "jazz tone" comes up it's easy to forget that there are so many; Barney Kessel didn't sound like Al Di Meola doesn't sound like John McLaughlin doesn't sound like Joe Diorio. I was originally going for a classic jazz guitar sound from the Charlie Christian stream, or like Joe Pass. At the time my main amp was a 50 Caliber + (see, I'm keeping it relevant!) It worked pretty well with an ES 175 and I got a due amount of compliments on my sound at the time. It was easy to dial in, all tone controls on 5 and the gain control about that too. I've come to prefer my Evans and for my spruce top guitars, I don't care for the Boogie much. I'm thinking with your 575 it could work very well, but it might depend on what "jazz tone" you're going for.

Posted

"The artist formerly known as pressure" plays a Heritage Johnny Smith through a Mesa King Snake and he thinks it sounds Fab.

 

You do sound fab through that amp!

Posted

When the topic of "jazz tone" comes up it's easy to forget that there are so many; Barney Kessel didn't sound like Al Di Meola doesn't sound like John McLaughlin doesn't sound like Joe Diorio. I was originally going for a classic jazz guitar sound from the Charlie Christian stream, or like Joe Pass. At the time my main amp was a 50 Caliber + (see, I'm keeping it relevant!) It worked pretty well with an ES 175 and I got a due amount of compliments on my sound at the time. It was easy to dial in, all tone controls on 5 and the gain control about that too. I've come to prefer my Evans and for my spruce top guitars, I don't care for the Boogie much. I'm thinking with your 575 it could work very well, but it might depend on what "jazz tone" you're going for.

That would be true for any style, but I do think there is a stereotypical sound for any genre... even if not true for everyone or there are small differences from player to player. While I can agree that Montgomery's tone compared to Pass' tone has plenty of differences... they are far more similar to each other than to, say, SRV or BB King. ...and the reverse is true. There are always outliers for sure... but there is often a common thread tone-wise. Typically, when I say jazz, blues, or whatever tone... I am speaking in stereotypes unless otherwise qualified. :)

 

...and then there's Larry Carlton. :D

Posted

That would be true for any style, but I do think there is a stereotypical sound for any genre... even if not true for everyone or there are small differences from player to player. While I can agree that Montgomery's tone compared to Pass' tone has plenty of differences... they are far more similar to each other than to, say, SRV or BB King. ...and the reverse is true. There are always outliers for sure... but there is often a common thread tone-wise. Typically, when I say jazz, blues, or whatever tone... I am speaking in stereotypes unless otherwise qualified. :)

 

...and then there's Larry Carlton. :D

 

Well, then there are stereotypical jazz amps. One of those would make it simple most probably. Maybe one of these:

 

http://www.musiciansfriend.com/amplifiers-effects/marshall-dsl100h-and-mx412ab-100w-all-tube-full-stack

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