Mesa Boogie Fillmore 50

In this episode I test the Mesa Boogie Fillmore 50. I'm looking for a portable, versatile amp and this might be the one.
I'm a Mesa Boogie fan and user for almost 30 years, and this Mesa Boogie Fillmore 50 really ticks a lot of boxes.
You can listen to my music here:
/ buddapowerblues
/ donacarioca
/ triopagu
www.doctorguitar.net
buddaguedes
buddaguedes

[@guyfromnj]

I watch a lot of amp demos and I've never heard the eq explained like that and now it all makes perfect sense.

[@BuddaGuedes]

Carmen Rago thanks a lot.

[@christianklaszky2788]

Best description and method of EQing an amp that I've seen yet. Great video man!

[@BuddaGuedes]

Thanks a lot

[@craiger2399]

You know Budda, I not only learn about shaping tone from you, and how amps are set up, but I also noodle along and steal licks from you. Thanks for doing these videos man, they are really useful.

[@BuddaGuedes]

Thanks a lot. That is the hole purpose of the show!!! I’m really happy to know that from you!

[@bringit2ya122]

Wow! Great demo! Clean funk and SRV tone. I like it!

[@BuddaGuedes]

Thank you. I also like it a lot

[@billtice5057]

I’ve had the pleasure of putting this amp through it’s paces and I must say it’s truly amazing!

[@BuddaGuedes]

I loved it, for what I was looking for.

[@bishlap]

Always a pleasure to hear the DOCTOR.

[@BuddaGuedes]

🙏

[@eltorpedo8844]

Amazing demo man. You actually picked apart the usable topology of the amplifier in a way that is useable for a player to understand. I have one and and didn't understand why the two drive channels were so different in terms of eq and compression from the clean channel. Looks like I'll stick with mine to have 2 channels of clean... one more gained than the next for my purposes. Thanks again!

[@BuddaGuedes]

That’s exactly what appealed to me!!!

[@gregs8685]

I just got a Fillmore 25 combo and it is a fantastic amp. Does everything I need in a small light package. 2 channels with tons different sound available; Great cleans ( I’m selling my Princeton Reverb), great crunch and overdrive, great spring reverb. Built like a tank. No it is not a Mesa metal amp like a Mark ii or iv but it does cleans, Blues, jazz and most rock up to hard rock. I don’t think the sound in a KZbin video through an iPad can really do it justice.

[@BuddaGuedes]

Greg S I also love the 25 size. It’s a killer amp. Mesa has a lot of amps that are not for metal. Dual caliber, lonestar, transatlantic, stiletto, electradyne, California Tweed, Just to name a few.

[@freddiebishop2553]

@@BuddaGuedes what do you think of the California Tweed? I like the Lonestar, Electradyne, California Tweed and my wife originally bought me a Transatlantic 15. We took it back and bought the mini rec. I'm regretting it now.

[@roncarter2188]

Always some tasty playing Budda, nice amplifier for sure, super sweet cleans.

[@BuddaGuedes]

I love it’s clean channel

[@_RLP]

Hey man. Big fan here. Kudos on this demo. Very accurate. Honestly, the LS kicks it outta the park. But yeah, I agree that it's pretty damn heavy and might not be adequate for all scenarios. Cheers, bro'

[@BuddaGuedes]

Ricardo Lima Pereira the only downside to the lonestar is its weight and size. Otherwise it would go for it definitely!!

[@duaneadam]

One of my all time favorite amps and I've had a ton of them. One of the best clean channels at any price, not sure why you'd need to spend thousands more on a boutique amp. Great review, thanks!

[@BuddaGuedes]

👌

[@sharplespaul]

Fantastic as always!

[@BuddaGuedes]

Thanks

[@csu111]

Great demonstration!

[@BuddaGuedes]

🙏🙏🙏

[@davidthomas3725]

Thank you! Excellent demo!

[@BuddaGuedes]

🙏🙏🙏🙏

[@pipedreamfretworks]

Love your playing.

[@BuddaGuedes]

Thanks a lot

[@phil4960]

Beautiful playing man

[@BuddaGuedes]

Thanks a lot

[@frankkramer9064]

Just bought one today. I like the Clean tone a lot

[@BuddaGuedes]

Great

[@simonwarner3601]

The amp sounds great, but you make everything sound awesome!

[@BuddaGuedes]

Oh thanks a lot. The thing is that I don’t make videos on things I don’t like. Eh eh

[@daveravens51]

Something is not quite tonally correct sounds like there's a rip in the speaker

[@gslide06]

Having watched about 6 demos on this exact model, your cleans sound the best with a richness and air I couldn't hear before. What's odd though is the bottom has been robbed blind from the overdrive portion of your demo whereas others demos had fuller sounding low end.

[@BuddaGuedes]

I ended up not getting this amp

[@jon-nolanacousticsingerson9920]

Great chops brother!

[@BuddaGuedes]

🙏🙏🙏

[@whimpypatrol5503]

This may be the best old school, pre-dumble era amp yet. It captures all the beautiful blackface tones that took lots of sculping by 60's artists to get. It is voiced for gretsches and hollowbodied Gibsons as well as LPs, strats and teles. It doesn't have to be played wide open to blossom. It doesn't cost $8000 like great boutique amps. It has a fast response. It doesn't need high gain or tons of reverb to sweeten up its tone. It doesn't get in the way of your notes and camouflage your playing. It doesn't produce ice picks in the trebles. It's bottom end doesn't flub out. But if you can't play, it might not be for you.

[@BuddaGuedes]

Thanks for sharing

[@tristanweb]

I enjoy your videos, very detailed and great 👍.

[@BuddaGuedes]

Thanks a lot

[@seanyiscubsfan1]

I got this amp last month. It’s fantastic. It covers both the tweed and blackface sounds quite well. It leans more tweed to my ears because there’s more mids than any Blackface Fender I’ve ever heard.

[@BuddaGuedes]

It’s a cool amp indeed

[@seanyiscubsfan1]

@@BuddaGuedes would it be safe to describe this amp tonally in the ballpark of the Tweed Twin and Tweed Bassman amps?

[@BuddaGuedes]

I feel it’s more like a blackface

[@seanyiscubsfan1]

@@BuddaGuedes Fair enough. I definitely felt it had that vibe. Especially when you roll the gain off on the clean channel. I’m playing a Les Paul, Strat, and Custom 24 through it. I usually set the eq on the clean channel flat as to not scoop too much midrange. Presence at 10 o clock.

[@BuddaGuedes]

Great!

[@Starch1b2c3d4a]

I think the best sounds are in that high bass setting spectrum... You kind of had it perfect there in the beginning. Right when you turned the reverb on the first time. Killer tone! But this is how it is when you dial in a Mesa. You go from nirvana to s*** real quick 😂. The rollercoaster is in full effect in this vid.

[@BuddaGuedes]

They are difficult amps to know for sure. Keep in mind I’m always looking for how it would work in a band context, and too much bass will cloud your tone.

[@Starch1b2c3d4a]

Great video! I Would love to see you work the eq and options on a Stiletto stage 1. 🤘🎶.

[@BuddaGuedes]

That’s a nasa amp, ah ah

[@BuddaGuedes]

Thanks for your comment

[@zZbigbang001]

Fantastic intro song, could you give us the chord prog? I can see it’s Bb min, but you seem to be targeting the flat 7 a lot over Bb? Any tips would be appreciated, would love to play over those changes!

[@BuddaGuedes]

Hey this is Bbm7 Abm7 GbMaj7 F7 Thanks and enjoy it

[@wesleyb_92]

This is one of the amps I’d like to upgrade to from my blues junior

[@BuddaGuedes]

👍🏻

[@michaelcantinieri7890]

Go buy it then..guitar center has a 48 month 0% finance program RIGHT NOW

[@BuddaGuedes]

Great thing

[@heymrguitarman7637]

All sounds great to me but I'd probably run the clean channel quite hot to cover clean - mid level gain. Manage on the guitar volume and run a boost pedal to kick it for solo boost etc. Perhaps even use a good fuzz as the boost

[@BuddaGuedes]

For that purpose I already have a lot of amps. I’m looking for an amp to use on its own. No pedals! The clean channel is a great platform and it can break up. Thanks for your comment.

[@paulcowart3174]

Yeah this is a versatile amp Can use in any situation Maybe a clean boost though This amp shines when you turn it up and get the spks dist and tube cooking Good stuff

[@babagadoush1]

Well done!!! Bought one!

[@BuddaGuedes]

Thanks

[@1willywonker]

wow Budda your back

[@BuddaGuedes]

Back to what?!?

[@1willywonker]

Jammin man. Nice lix

[@BuddaGuedes]

Ah!! Got it. Thanks

[@jasonsapp792]

Wow just the Mids maxed sounded good... Didn't expect that

[@BuddaGuedes]

It’s an old trick from fender amps

[@jasonsapp792]

I have had one of these on my radar but some of these comments have me needing to watch the rest of your play through to get a better idea on the lead tones

[@jasonsapp792]

I am a Mesa guy myself... My go to amp is a Single Rect-O-verb combo .... It can pull some of these tones but maybe not quite the sparkling Fender tones but close if the time is spent dialing it in

[@jsnowdendavies]

"No bass! That's why you have a bass player!" - Budda guides us, not just Budda Guedes! Such sweet playing as always. "It will all depend on the band" - should be the law for all amps over 25 watts, otherwise why do you need all that volume? :) I haven't tried one, but lots of people like the Boss Katana as an all-round amplifier. Have you tried one of those? If so, do they appeal to you?

[@BuddaGuedes]

Hey thanks for your comment. I need a powerful amp to have a clean sound whenever I want no matter the volume. Small amps compress and overdrive at lower volume so you are their slave. The boss katana is a different kind of amp. Not only it’s a transistor amp but also a emulation amp. When I say an amp for every situation I mean my musical every situation (good jazz clean, Strat clean, overdrive, thick overdrive), not all music genres.

[@babagadoush1]

Love this channel

[@BuddaGuedes]

Thanks a lot

[@spotmfd9431]

Sounds great. To bad I only play 5 watt amps now a days or I would consider getting one. Do you ever play in Miami considering all the Brazilians we have? Would love to watch you play live.

[@BuddaGuedes]

Hey there. If you’re playing home this is not an amp for you definitely. I’m looking for a loud powerful amp that can play good at club volume but also at open air stages! As for playing in Miami I would love to. I’m from Portugal so I’m a little far away, but e are organizing a tour in the USA, so it might be coming. Thanks

[@javiceres]

Budda Guedes I didn’t know you were Portuguese!! I’m Spanish, from Extremadura. I love Portugal. I mostly know the Lisboa area. Beautiful!! Great super nice people, amazing food and whatnot ^_^ cheers.

[@BuddaGuedes]

JaBig * great! I’m in Braga, in the north, close to Galiza.

[@1willywonker]

great blues player

[@BuddaGuedes]

Thank you so much

[@paulcowart3174]

Second stage on the Marshall side Cool

[@BuddaGuedes]

Thanks

[@THUNDERWORX]

It is a great sounding amp. I love the Lonestar too, but I'm thinking the head alone is about 50 lbs, and I think the combo is about 90. That means something to people who are actually going out and playing. Great playing and great sounds. Does it come with a foot switch?

[@BuddaGuedes]

Thanks a lot

[@mauritsvanderheld4417]

Yes it comes with a foot switch for channel switching.

[@BuddaGuedes]

👌

[@michaelcantinieri7890]

The combo is a bit less than 60..the head is less than 40

[@BuddaGuedes]

🙏🙏

[@MaxPower-js1sk]

Como vai, Budda? That’s a great sounding amp. 👍

[@BuddaGuedes]

🙏

[@timmitchell1547]

I commented on your other vid with the Fillmore 25. When you are on the low strings the low end does some weird distortion. I'm guessing it's the speaker since it's happening on both amps. I really like the sound of the Fillmores on your vids but that bass distortion that sounds like an octaver is super weird. 6:25 - you only hear it for a second at this spot but it's there.

[@BuddaGuedes]

That was the microphone unfortunately

[@paolog5679]

the price difference is not much.... are you suggesting the 50 watt over 25 for versatility?

[@BuddaGuedes]

No I was just trying to figure out which one I like the most. I need a loud amp that I could use just with guitar. I was inclined to the 25 due to its size and weight and because I don’t have any power amp with 6v6 tubes. I ended up buying the Fender Deluxe reverb for that purpose. Please Watch the video about it.

[@paolog5679]

@@BuddaGuedes would it be possible to modify the 50 fillmore tubes to 6v6.. would it achieved the same sounds as the 25?

[@paolog5679]

@@BuddaGuedes i found the amp to save for California Tweed mesa boogie ... this solves all the questions i asked thank you

[@BuddaGuedes]

I’m also very curious about that amp. Thanks for sharing

[@BuddaGuedes]

The cabinet is also difference what makes a little difference

[@dw22509]

Damn man, you make me want every amp you demo lolol

[@BuddaGuedes]

Eh! Eh! I hope that’s a good thing!!

[@dw22509]

@@BuddaGuedes lol yes and no, I got the TA-30 after watching your video and now I think I need the Fillmore

[@BuddaGuedes]

Eh! Eh! The TA is no longer made and it will be highly collectible

[@leftchicago]

With the mids and bass off it sounds like an AC-30.

[@BuddaGuedes]

Eh eh

[@DavidC119]

great video! could you do a video comparison of the Fillmore and the lonestar classic maybe? I'm in search for a lighter version of my lonestar combo cheers from Germany!:)

[@BuddaGuedes]

David C. That’s exactly what I’m looking for in the Filmore. They are different but similar enough.

[@DavidC119]

@@BuddaGuedes different in which way?:)

[@BuddaGuedes]

It’s different sounding. I find the lonestar better sounding and more versatile. But it’s so heavy!!!! So for small gigs the Filmore is great and its reverb is just incredible!!

[@DavidC119]

@@BuddaGuedes thank you for your answer! looking forward to the next video:)

[@javiceres]

Budda Guedes Fenderish, I guess, right? I might be wrong but I’ve recall reading that the discontinued Mesa Maverick (from the dual rectifier series) is algo a great Fenderish offer (I think Jeff Buckley used to play one, again IIRC) Thanks for your videos (-;

[@cazziebb1707]

Was that buzzing from the Strat?

[@BuddaGuedes]

Yes. It’s probably the single coil normal joise

[@scottagar6061]

Boogies are noisey as soon as you add gain. Got rid of every one I've owned because of hiss n hum

[@BuddaGuedes]

Really!! I love boogies

[@scottagar6061]

I love the tone Boogies have but that noise is a deal breaker. I think it's because they cram all that circuitry too close together. Lot going on under the hood of Boogies.

[@BuddaGuedes]

I didn’t like this one, but I love boogie amps

[@122Music1]

Tried one... As with all Boogies, it sounds good, but HURTS my ears..Fender dual showman 1968 , sovtek mig50h., Bedrock 1400, phaez McClane 18 , Bedrock Lead100, Soniccord Toad 30/18... Loud amps but they don't HURT!!

[@BuddaGuedes]

I get what you mean. Thanks for the tips.

[@CatDieselPwr]

Maybe an Electra-Dyne head with a 1x12 cab with an EV12Classic in it ;-)

[@BuddaGuedes]

That could be a solution but I’m looking for a combo and a portable solution

[@SamHooperGroup]

What amp did you decide on?

[@BuddaGuedes]

Ok this Quires I ended up buying the Tone Master deluxe reverb

[@robertburkarthiii168]

You forgot to put it back on 50 watts after showing what 25 watts sounds like. Half the review/demo is at 25... Ignore the weenies who say it, and all Mesas, sound like crap, etc. They only have Line 6 Spider II's that they can afford and probably only play in their basement when their mother lets them. Which truly sound like crap. As one who's had at least 20 Mesa amps since my first DC-2 in 1997 (bought, sold traded, etc . - Nomads, Mark III, IV, V...) I just ordered a custom order Fillmore 100. And have sold my Super Reverb, Custom 68 Vibrolux, Mesa Express 5:25 Plus, Subway Blues, Egnater Rebel 30, Blue Angel, etc.. to get this amp. It's a no-brainer... Thanks for the education on the tone stack!

[@BuddaGuedes]

Thanks a lot. I really love Mesa Boogie amps. I Still have my DC5 and it’s a superb amp!!

[@dangitdan9938]

Still rolling my nickels... someday it will be mine, oh yes, someday....

[@BuddaGuedes]

Eh eh

[@hatuliko2009]

Tried it in the shop.. Clean sounded great.. overdrive not so much

[@BuddaGuedes]

I share the same opinion. But in a band context the overdrive is great!!

[@hatuliko2009]

@@BuddaGuedes BTW Budda.. My mom saw you play at Nesher (my hometown in Israel). She sent me a pic of your band's singer and on the edge i could see your arm, coily guitar cable and little sister guitar.. so i recognized you from that!!!! That is so cool you were in Israel!!! shame that i couldn't come to a show. Good luck my man!

[@BuddaGuedes]

That’s great!!! I’m still in Israel and tomorrow I play the last show here in Telaviv. This time I’ll play with budda Power blues. Your mom saw trio Pagú

[@hatuliko2009]

@@BuddaGuedes Where will the last show be?

[@BuddaGuedes]

In Telaviv terminal 4

[@hieronymus932]

Sounds gorgeous. Here’s another great clip of the Fillmore I saw the other day: kzbin.info/www/bejne/bKWkgKWQe6h2a6c

[@BuddaGuedes]

Thanks a lot

[@SuperHotrod4]

This amp sounds really small compared to the Lonestar. I’m surprised Mesa put this out with such a lack of bottom end. It kind of sounds like an a.m. radio.

[@BuddaGuedes]

And the worst thing about it is that the discountinued the Lonestar!!!

[@yaniv-nos-tubes]

hi, mesa are great amps when they work...if it's for the studio than no problems but don't take a mesa on the road.. i work in live shows ,we bought 2 lonestar 212 combos and one 8:88 bass amp, all were sounding great out of the box but didn't survive a couple of shows -fuses blowing, chinese mesa labeled tubes failing(maybe robotube took a break....), and all kinds of problems. after a while we stopped using them and they were quite pricey.... for comparison on average a fender amp needs a tube swap or repair every five years on the road, a mesa amp needs repair every five gigs. it's known that for an amp tech mesa is a nightmare to work on. if you want a light ,responsive amp that sounds amazing i suggest the marshall 1974x great for home , studio and small gigs(you can rent and add any cab if you need more volume on stage). it's marshall's answer to all the fender small amps, made for the studio it's 18w but feels like 30, handwired not like the pcb on mesa amps. if you insist on reverb from the amp nothing beats a deluxe reverb.

[@BuddaGuedes]

I agree with you, but I just add that I’ve been using the lonestar live for over 10 years and never had an issue. But both the Marshall and Deluxe Reverb are super great suggestions

[@yaniv-nos-tubes]

it makes sense since you probably take very good care for your amp, where i work the amps take abuse in transport and sometimes a few gigs in one day, the circuit is crowded with many options(tweed ,class a etc...) and the tubes are mounted on the pcb so the amp can get extremely hot. heat causes all the problems. as a backliner i have to move these things on stage and they break my back,after the mesas failed ive upgraded the shit out of a mexican hotrod deluxe with nos tubes and a celestion alnico cream speaker and now i have a fantastic sounding lightweight reliable amp that can take any stage. btw notice how the lonestar sounds much better through a different cab even vintage 30's sound better than the black shadow and there many other good speakers.

[@BuddaGuedes]

👍🏻

[@donofly]

I have a Fillmore 50 head, and it sounds great, and doesn't have tons of knobs like most mesa amps do, but I have been having an issue with the reverb knob changing the volume, on one channel, I don't know if it's a factory flaw? It's my first Mesa Boogie, so i thought I'll get a model with basic settings, so less to go wrong,...or so I thought. I think I'm finally over modern style amps with circuit boards. I'm looking into fully handwired amps, so even if they do fail, it'll be a simple and easy to fix.

[@BuddaGuedes]

Thanks for sharing

[@SuperHotrod4]

Sounds very small compared to the lonestar! No bottom end at all. I’m surprised mesa put this out with such lack of bottom end.

[@BuddaGuedes]

I actually was a little disappointed too

[@tattooguy413]

Bottom end is one of the first things in our guitar tone that disappears in a mix though... I wonder if this still cuts well in a mix as a result

[@BuddaGuedes]

This should cut well. It’s not an amp for me though.

[@adicide9070]

overdrives sound real shitty. had this amp and must say this is an honest representation, so kudos for that. real cheap sounding overdrive. the hi channel--bad for rolling down the volume, says so even in the manual. too bad. there's amps out there that do the same thing with one channel better than this with two channels and three modes.

[@BuddaGuedes]

I agree the overdrive isn’t that good but the clean channel is heaven. Overdrive has a strange midrange but in a band context it makes a lot more sense. What amp would you recommend for a do it all scenario? Thanks a lot!

[@adicide9070]

@@BuddaGuedes if the Lone Star is too heavy, and for some reason your little Transatlantic is also too much, then perhaps Fender Super Sonic 22 combo

[@_RLP]

@@BuddaGuedes How about the Cali tweed?

[@BuddaGuedes]

Ad Ici De that’s a great amp too. I completely forgot about that!!! Thanks a lot for reminding me

[@adicide9070]

@@BuddaGuedes no sweat, so are you keeping the Fillmore after all?

[@motokev2727]

I've owned maybe 5 mesa amps, didn't like a single one.

[@BuddaGuedes]

That’s persistent behavior!!! I actually own 7 and love them all

[@MrRFasters]

Why did you go for the next four then? Hard learner? 😮😅😅😅😊

[@awwwyeaboyeeee]

I'm surprised. I thought I would like it more. It sounds thin and lifeless.

[@paulschelling3467]

Q

[@gregjandt2841]

You should be able to tell ow shitty this amp sounds!!!

[@BuddaGuedes]

I don’t think that at all! The clean tone and the reverb are just incredible!! The drive channels don’t convince me totally, though!

[@bestregardsband6912]

- just bought the head version yesterday. Absolutely love it! Crank the master volume and use as a pedal platform - oh my goodness!

[@rmGuera]

Absolute all-crap sounds. You must be working against Mesa - or yourself maybe (?)...

[@BuddaGuedes]

I’d like to watch your review! Maybe I could learn how to do it!

[@rmGuera]

You or amp. One of those is crap. Anger no anger included. Both being crap is benefit of the doubt given... tsa fact of having ears mate, nothing else... piece.

[@BuddaGuedes]

Thank you for opening my eyes! I’ll be looking forward for your great review of this amp. Please let us all know when you upload it!

[@rmGuera]

Oh, OK. Willdo.

[@JW2692]

@@rmGuera where's your review? Been looking forward to it.