NAD: Mesa Boogie Fillmore 50 Head and 1x12 open back MB cab.

[tsp17]

After resolving some noise issues (one power tube not seated properly)…we got down to business.  I’ve had it a couple of days now, and I am looking forward to exploring it more.  

Bought from SoundPure, and they were very good, except the footswitch cable was missing.  They are sending one.  SoundPure is one of my preferred dealers as they do free shipping (over a certain amount) and no sales tax for California buyers.  Makes a meaningful net difference to save that 7.75% on a bigger purchase. 

Very old school amp.  Even has the older “Boogie” badge.  Touch sensitive, feels a little more like a tweed deluxe than a blackface amp.  Somewhere in between.   You can really hear your picking technique (or lack thereof in my case).  The kind of pick, angle and attack come through quite audibly.  Great low gain sounds.  Build quality is solid.  It is pretty light for a 50W tube head, so at first lift it feels a little funny, being used to much heavier heads at this wattage, but definitely solid.

At 26 lbs this amp may be the best tone per pound tube amps head I’ve ever played.  My back is not so good these days, so to know i can gig with something portable,  reliable and that can give me a tone that I dig is a big deal.    I’ve been looking for something light, with “that sound” but haven’t been able to find it.  This one is very very close.  

The cabinet is nice too.  Typical good Mesa Boogie quality.    I got the 1x12 23” wide cabinet.  Wider cab makes it sit perfectly under the head; i dont know if it makes any tonal difference.  Maybe, but hard to know without A/B against the smaller cabinet.  Open back.  MB Black Shadow speaker is a good match for this amp. Sounds nice and full even before break in.  I didn’t get the cab to match the head with tinsel grill cloth, which looks cool, kind of like a mini-stack, so I’ve got a little mismatch ‘cause i liked the all black cabinet better.    I might change out the grill cloth on the head so that they match someday.   Might also swap for a Neo speaker for weight.  Eminence Deltalite 2512 might be a good match.  I like that speaker a lot.  Clean, clear.  More like a monitor speaker.  And very light. 

EQ is simple (Treble, Mid, Bass) and there is a pretty wide sweep for each.  All seem sensitive to how much gain you are putting in.  More gain requires backing off of bass or it gets indistinct, but at the right levels the bass is tight enough and lets a lot of “wood” through.  At certain settings it almost sounds like you are playing an upright bass on the low strings. Lots of thump if you want it.  Sound is excellent.    

Treble and presence used in the right combination produces really sweet top end.  I love it.  Mid control is effective to either scoop or bring up the mids.  Very useable.

Reverb sounds just like it should.  I keep it around 9:00 and it gives plenty of depth to the sound.

The on line chatter about it not being very loud for a 50 watt amp is correct, at least with the gain at 1:00 or lower.  With the gain at noon or 1:00  It never gets super loud, even with the Master dimed.  Loud enough for my small to medium gigs though.  I suppose for a bigger/louder show you could just mic it.  I have not pushed it to see how loud it can get and stay clean.    Will try later when no one else is home.

I play clean 95% of the time, so that’s what I’ve been dialing in.  Clean tones are definitely familiar with this amp, but a little different.  Not glassy like a blackface, more like a tweed.  You can hear a little more guitar wood, a little more midrange, etc.  Reminds me a lot of the early Kenny Burrell G175 into a Fender Deluxe recordings or some older Grant Green.   Very organic sounding.  Lots of good presence.    Seems like it will cut through a gig mix very well. 

At the moment my only quibble is that so far it is a little hard to get the low end sounding exactly like I want it, but it is very good nonetheless.  I’m sure I’ll figure that out.   More to come…the real test will be when i gig with it in a couple of weeks.

[Gitfiddler]

Very thorough amp review, especially since you've just begun your sonic journey with this new rig.

Interesting that you feel the amp leans more into the vintage bassy 'tweed' tone rather than 'glassy Fender' (scooped?) tones.  Maybe an EQ pedal will help dial in your desired sound if knob twisting doesn't get you where you want to be.  But it does appear from your comments that you really dig the tones you're getting.  Tweaking a new amp at home and again at a live venue is part of the fun and part of the adventure.  Enjoy!!

[tsp17]

13 hours ago, Gitfiddler said:

Very thorough amp review, especially since you've just begun your sonic journey with this new rig.

Interesting that you feel the amp leans more into the vintage bassy 'tweed' tone rather than 'glassy Fender' (scooped?) tones.  Maybe an EQ pedal will help dial in your desired sound if knob twisting doesn't get you where you want to be.  But it does appear from your comments that you really dig the tones you're getting.  Tweaking a new amp at home and again at a live venue is part of the fun and part of the adventure.  Enjoy!!

It is a very good sounding amp.  Different from my usual flavor, but I like it a lot.  Variety is the spice of life!  

I once played a ‘58 Deluxe and have never forgotten it.  This one has a some of that vibe for sure.  I love those old Rudy Van Gelder studio recordings of Kenny, Grant etc.  It is a great sound.  Cuts through really well live too.  

[mtpatty]

ok- so I had been in the market for an amp...after reading this thread, I just pulled the trigger on a Mesa Boogie Fillmore 50...I think that it will be awesome!

[rockabilly69]

On 5/18/2024 at 6:04 PM, Gitfiddler said:

Very thorough amp review, especially since you've just begun your sonic journey with this new rig.

Interesting that you feel the amp leans more into the vintage bassy 'tweed' tone rather than 'glassy Fender' (scooped?) tones.  Maybe an EQ pedal will help dial in your desired sound if knob twisting doesn't get you where you want to be.  But it does appear from your comments that you really dig the tones you're getting.  Tweaking a new amp at home and again at a live venue is part of the fun and part of the adventure.  Enjoy!!

I've owned the Mesa Fillmore 50 combo for about a year and I can say the first position on the gain switch gives up the glassy tones with ease, the second position gives up the tweedy tones, and the third position is classic Boogie.

Randall Smith has said he based the tone stack on the vintage tweeds, but with the mid control down low, and the gain switch at the 1st position you can easily get the classic Fender clean tones.

Another thing these amps are louder the most people give them credit for.The problem is the most people are running the preamp gains too low. When they preamp gains are above the halfway mark which is still very clean on position one, and the master is cranked they are very loud. The volume on the master doesn't really come on 'till the last third, it's way different than most amps which develop most of their volume in the first two thirds of their travel. I have no problem getting clean above some hard hitting drummers.

[tsp17]

13 hours ago, rockabilly69 said:

I've owned the Mesa Fillmore 50 combo for about a year and I can say the first position on the gain switch gives up the glassy tones with ease, the second position gives up the tweedy tones, and the third position is classic Boogie.

Randall Smith has said he based the tone stack on the vintage tweeds, but with the mid control down low, and the gain switch at the 1st position you can easily get the classic Fender clean tones.

Another thing these amps are louder the most people give them credit for.The problem is the most people are running the preamp gains too low. When they preamp gains are above the halfway mark which is still very clean on position one, and the master is cranked they are very loud. The volume on the master doesn't really come on 'till the last third, it's way different than most amps which develop most of their volume in the first two thirds of their travel. I have no problem getting clean above some hard hitting drummers.

Right, with the gain at a moderate spot and the bass and mids set low, it is gorgeous.  I wouldn’t say shimmering Blackface clean, but just different enough and truly beautiful.  More organic sounding.  Wonderful at lower volume.  It will stay clean unless i dig in with a pick.  I was listening to Kenny Burrell’s God Bless the Child version, and Midnight Blue, and it is a lot like that - also much of Grant Green’s portfolio from the 60’s.  Maybe a little darker and less smooth polish than a Blackface clean, more like a mic’d Deluxe.  Truly a gorgeous sound when you get it set right.    I’ve never heard an amp sound so much like it is mic’d.  That intimacy and immediacy…..wow.   Very giggable at 26 lbs.    My drummer is on the loud side, so now I am at risk to get the MB California Tweed 40 watt head to see if it will give me more headroom for louder gigs.  I hear it stays clean longer at higher volume.   I played the 2:20 combo version at Guitar Center the other day.  Wonderful little amp.  Also looking at Suhr Bella.  44 watts/6L6.  

Also the MB open back cabinet is terrific sounding.  More room filling, lush, ….All my other cabs are closed or ported.  I forgot how great open back cabs are….i ordered an Eminence 2512 Neo speaker to try in it.  I’m on a little amp bender so I need to sell some more stuff….

[rockabilly69]

Oh bad news, my Fillmore died today, first the reverb wouldn't work, then all the volume went away. Tried new tubes in every spot and nothing worked. It's under warranty, I hope the repair is solid and doesn't take to long. I'll talk to Mesa tomorrow. It's a bummer, because I was testing a guitar that I just got today, another Teye, a Fox...

 

[tsp17]

Bummer on your Fillmore!  Hopefully an easy fix. 
 

but amazing new guitar!

[tsp17]

Handsome couple, eh?

[rockabilly69]

35 minutes ago, tsp17 said:

Handsome couple, eh?

I can almost hear it from hear! Looks great!

[tsp17]

Uhhh…not sure exactly sure how it happened other than a GAS attack combined with some insomnia. Doh!  🤦‍♂️🤷‍♂️

2d new Mesa amp in a month arrived a couple days ago.  A Mesa Boogie California Tweed 4:40 head.  Photos and review to come in a future thread.   Currently getting to know it now.  Super amp. 

gotta sell some more stuff.

 

@rockabilly69- how’s your Fillmore?  

[rockabilly69]

3 hours ago, tsp17 said:

Uhhh…not sure exactly sure how it happened other than a GAS attack combined with some insomnia. Doh!  🤦‍♂️🤷‍♂️

2d new Mesa amp in a month arrived a couple days ago.  A Mesa Boogie California Tweed 4:40 head.  Photos and review to come in a future thread.   Currently getting to know it now.  Super amp. 

gotta sell some more stuff.

 

@rockabilly69- how’s your Fillmore?  

Congrats on the new California Tweed. I would like to try one of those too!!!

Good news on my Fillmore, one half of one of my 12AX7s shorted out and a new tube fixed that. In the process though, a JFET in my reverb circuit was taken out. The whole repair only took two days and it's now good as new!

[tsp17]

4 hours ago, rockabilly69 said:

Congrats on the new California Tweed. I would like to try one of those too!!!

Good news on my Fillmore, one half of one of my 12AX7s shorted out and a new tube fixed that. In the process though, a JFET in my reverb circuit was taken out. The whole repair only took two days and it's now good as new!

Nice!!! Glad to hear it.  Mesa is pretty good that way.  Even if it is now a G subsidiary.  Seems like they are holding on to their culture.

New Cali Tweed is a looker (IMHO).

[rockabilly69]

14 minutes ago, tsp17 said:

Nice!!! Glad to hear it.  Mesa is pretty good that way.  Even if it is now a G subsidiary.  Seems like they are holding on to their culture.

New Cali Tweed is a looker (IMHO).

Actually I didn't send it to Mesa. I wanted my amp back quick so I had a local guy (who is Mesa certified), fix it for me. The guy is a great tech, and immediately got to work on it. If I would have sent it to Mesa I would have never got it back in time for my next gig. Not that Mesa wouldn't have stood by their amp, it's just I wanted it back asap. 

[tbonesullivan]

9 hours ago, rockabilly69 said:

Actually I didn't send it to Mesa. I wanted my amp back quick so I had a local guy (who is Mesa certified), fix it for me. The guy is a great tech, and immediately got to work on it. If I would have sent it to Mesa I would have never got it back in time for my next gig. Not that Mesa wouldn't have stood by their amp, it's just I wanted it back asap. 

Out of curiosity, what was wrong with it? Component failure?  I keep thinking about a Fillmore, but as I already have WAY too many amps, and a bunch of mesas in that gain level, I can't really justify getting one.

[rockabilly69]

9 hours ago, tbonesullivan said:

Out of curiosity, what was wrong with it? Component failure?  I keep thinking about a Fillmore, but as I already have WAY too many amps, and a bunch of mesas in that gain level, I can't really justify getting one.

1/2 of a preamp tube shorted out and it took out a JFET in the reverb circuit. the repair was done in one day. I ran it pretty hot today and compared it to my Marshall it was a fun day of rocking. I've said it before but I think the Fillmore is the best amp that I own, and I own quite a few good amps (Victoria, Clark, TopHat, Marshall, Vox, Vintage Fenders, Dirty Girl, Ampeg).

 

[tbonesullivan]

3 hours ago, rockabilly69 said:

1/2 of a preamp tube shorted out and it took out a JFET in the reverb circuit. the repair was done in one day. I ran it pretty hot today and compared it to my Marshall it was a fun day of rocking. I've said it before but I think the Fillmore is the best amp that I own, and I own quite a few good amps (Victoria, Clark, TopHat, Marshall, Vox, Vintage Fenders, Dirty Girl, Ampeg).

Ahh, that's no fun when a tube goes and takes stuff with it. They really did make an amp that appeals to a lot of people. A lot of people were confused when it came out, as they always expect something like a Rectifier or a Mark series amp, but Mesa definitely did their home work. They made a relatively simple amp that is easy to dial in and sounds great while covering a lot of sonic ground. Sure it doesn't have all the bells, whistles, and mini switches that a Mark Series amp does, but it more than gets the job done.

I may have to pick one up, though first I need to make some room. Too many amps around that I am kinda "meh" on.

[rockabilly69]

1 hour ago, tbonesullivan said:

Ahh, that's no fun when a tube goes and takes stuff with it. They really did make an amp that appeals to a lot of people. A lot of people were confused when it came out, as they always expect something like a Rectifier or a Mark series amp, but Mesa definitely did their home work. They made a relatively simple amp that is easy to dial in and sounds great while covering a lot of sonic ground. Sure it doesn't have all the bells, whistles, and mini switches that a Mark Series amp does, but it more than gets the job done.

I may have to pick one up, though first I need to make some room. Too many amps around that I am kinda "meh" on.

I had an original Mark series amp, and I was always twiddling knobs to get a tone I liked. I just don't get along with that type of amp. I almost gave up on Boogies 'till I found a used Studio 22+ that sounded great, unfortunately someone stole that amp out of a club I played at (we were the house band and would leave our equipment there and I will never do that again). I tried a bunch of smaller Boogies (Studios, DC, Nomad, Blue Angel,etc) and wound up with a particularly good sounding DC2, which I still have, and that is the amp that I use when rehearsing with the band in my studio. I have a Weber 12A125 speaker in it and it really sounds great. But like most Boogies the dirty channel is just a bit too middy. But the Fillmore to me sounds lot different to me than any other Boogie. The middle position has the most wonderful tweed like sound and the reverb is great. You can get high gain out of it when you need (high as I need anyway), and the low gain position is scooped and does the blackface Fender thing. But the best thing is having two identical channels making it very easy to dial a lead tone that works with your rhythm tone. The best of any Boogie I've ever tried!

[tsp17]

Yep-  the Fillmore is kind of its own thing.  Very different from a classic MB.  
 

having played the Cali Tweed for a few days now - it is also outside the MB norm.  Different from the Fillmore too. Sweeter.  Easier to dial in.  Great sounding.  Kind of like a Fender Deluxe Reverb but warmer and richer to my ears.  The multi-watt function is a real plus.  Amazing how good the 2 watt setting sounds and the volume it can produce at that setting.  Kind of weird how that works.  It will be hard to decide which one  to keep and which one to sell.  Hmmm…

gigging with the Cali Tweed tonight.