The BEST Tube Amp for Gigging Guitar Players - Mesa Boogie California Tweed

Website: www.michaelkissinger-music.com
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Golden Boy Review:
• The Last Overdrive Ped...

[@mattf8595]

Great Review! Thorough, to the point and showing many usable tone options with singles and humbuckers. Well done. Sweet amp!

[@michaelwhite8737]

🔥I just bought the 12 inch yesterday. Absolutely in love with this thing.👌🤘

[@jamesnelson1443]

I am so close to buying this beast!!! I am amazed at the clean headroom in 1 watt setting! I have demoed this with master cranked & set clean on 1 watt & was floored!! Was using my PRS 594 & loved that creamy tone on the neck pickup!! Boogie Cali Tweed has this sweetness I have sought for years!!! Contrary to comments it IS NOT FLUBBY OR FLABBY!!!!

[@HatefYaminiOnline]

Thanks for the great overview. Just ordered one.

[@JackFossett]

Great video!

[@zvuksvetla]

Thank you, Michael! It means a lot to us, to be able to hear how good amp like that really sounds.

[@santosmadrigal3702]

I was lucky to have played and recorded in every situation one can imagine . I remember I always used a 15 watt with a 10 inch speaker . It would be unfair to your fellow musicians and the listener if I made a bigger amp scream .

[@jamessator5564]

I have one, love it !! The overdrive I get is fantastic for the rock an blues tunes I like to play

[@peterhughes8699]

ok Michael but the Mark V 25 combo is much more versatile and weighs the same

[@kwyatt261]

I just recently got a Supro Amulet. 10" speaker with 15 watts, but it's power scalable to 5W or 1W. Plus o get real spring reverb and nice built in tremolo. It's basically a power scaling Princeton Reverb

[@gregmullins6927]

Max Peck is right,I've got a Rectoverb 50 I've had repairs carried out on it and the channel change pedal still doesn't work but every gig I've played with I get compliments on the sound,their still a great amp.

[@JLP-333]

cool amp, im digging the fillmore too

[@NoCoverCharge]

I’m thinking about this one !!

[@Kevdog97]

Cool amp great demo, I’m a Marshall origin guy myself, gotta have the 12 inch speaker for me !

[@RJ-pu6nc]

12 ALL THE WAY

[@1mattbutch]

Sounds like it would sit great in a mix. The 10" speaker helps.

[@jerryhorton5708]

Nice review, sir. I’m considering a small Mesa combo for country/Americana/red dirt. Good info here!

[@WScott-gd2mj]

Excellent overview and review! I am not a gigging player but would like to have a small tube amp for home use. Is it quiet enough on the 1W setting to use that way and still be able to get some decent breakup?

[@greg6162]

I’m wondering if it’s loud enough to cut through a drummer in live play? As a new player I learned the hard way… bringing a Yamaha THR10II to jam 😂

[@mdl12321]

It is better to have 1 amp than many. More amps just get you lost, 1 will allow you to grow. This amp is perfect. I would sell all other stuff. Tele is ok, but the older you get, the more you will appretiate es330 or es335 style guitar. There are so many collectors on youtube, and reviewers.. your gift is to learn to play. Btw not many reviewers understand guitars. It is not about speed or practicing and learning stuff. It is about playing as slow note and finding harmonies. Even ob one string. It takes ages to reveal the neck of guitar that way. Do not waste your time playing short notes abd learning what others play ir with practicing. The guitar is mystery. Forget everything and espetialky chords. Good luck discovering it❤

[@mdl12321]

the slower the better

[@randolphcarlisle2976]

Okay, thanks. Lol.

[@buzzfretwear2906]

Is this post meant to be funny?

[@crusheverything4449]

@@buzzfretwear2906- Is it meant to be actual words and sentences conveying actual thought?

[@hootowl6354]

I have ten, from 100-watts to 15. It's nice to have a few options, to suit the mood. Ten is more than I need, however, and I'll be sellliing some.

[@TimMilliken]

I have the 4:40. It does amazing classic Fender tones with reverb, eq and power scaling. I find the bass a bit hard to control as it changes with the master volume. Probably why the flubby 335 is getting some negative comments with a flat eq. The louder you run it the better it sounds though. Ten inch speakers sound great mic’d up. Sometimes I actually prefer them. The Filmore is also amazing if you prefer blackface tones. Yes you can buy two tonemasters if you want something lighter and are concerned with tubes and repairs. I love playing through real glass though. Something magical about it.

[@Returnality]

That's actually pretty common in Mesas. Every time I try a Mesa I turn down the bass a little every time I turn up the volume.

[@howabouthetruth2157]

No solid state amp will ever capture the warmth & touch-sensitive tone of a good tube amp. Not happening, and never will. Only a good tube amp sounds like it's literally "alive" when driven. The only downside to tube amps of course is price and long term cost of maintenance........and even though there are still nice sounding tubes nowadays, they are definitely not of the quality & durability of the tubes made years ago by companies like Mullard. The modern tubes simply will not live as long, especially in an amp that is wired "on the hot side" like Matchless amps. Fantastic amps with real point to point wiring, expensive as all hell, but they will eat up modern tubes if not modified to go easier on those new tubes. It wouldn't be a problem if the old Mullard tubes ( and a couple other brands ) were still produced today.

[@TimMilliken]

Yeah I agree and I’m careful not to bias and run my amps too hot anymore. I think JJ sacrificed tone for longevity 20 years ago. I think groove tubes and mullards sound ok but Tung-sol and maybe ehx has been my best new product experience close to real old spec rca stuff.

[@funkyfurballs1078]

I'd be interested in the 12" version...The Rivera Deux Recording is another light do it all combo.

[@godbyone]

12 is always better

[@jezmez68]

Wait until I tell you about the Boogie Fillmore 25, which weighs 1.6 lbs less than this and has an extra channel. Also, we used to gig with half stacks. I like the Cali Tweed as well, but I had to go with the Fillmore 25. Just had a wider variety of tones. Also a great pedal platform, plus that C-90/Black Shadow speaker is what I've always wanted.

[@tribedescribe]

This video is about the 26lb 1x10 cali tweed. You seem to be describing the 1x12 tweed vs. 1x12 fillmore which is 1lb or two less. It would be cool if they made a 1x10 fillmore.

[@gRosh08]

cool

[@warnerlohse]

what about a dual rec combo? this better?

[@MoreMeRecording]

The "Best" is always great clik bait when in reality, it's your "favorite" for gigging ;) I have a MK5:25 and MKIV combo thatI bought direct from Boogie in 94' so I know and love Boogies very well. For "gigging", in my personal opinion there are many many *many* low watt amps (including other Boogies, like the MK5:25 for eg) that are better if you're covering a lot of bases, once again IMHO of course.

[@Lowtech14]

Sounded great, especially w the es335.

[@ryanhalliwell6671]

What about the lone star special… I’ve used that for gigs. Also the peavey classic series kicks ass….yea I said it peavey.

[@dfwlistener7593]

These are decent amps. Just got a 4:40 version. The flabby-splatty sound from this demo is DEFINITELY not the best sound this amp can produce.

[@howabouthetruth2157]

Let's see a good amp tech expose the guts of this thing and then find out "how great it is"...........because Boogie amps are notorious for being built full of problems in such a way that makes them even more difficult & costly to repair. Seen it many times. Many amp techs don't even wanna work on some Boogie models. Lots of modern tube amps are built using some very cheap components that are a rip off considering the price range of the amp. For example, I really do love the tone of the little Marshall SV20 combo studio version of a Plexi.......but come to find out, as decent as the overall construction is, they used really cheap pot's, and for the price, is a rip off. They are the same crappy pots you would expect to find in a $400 amp. The Friedman Runt 20 combo costs considerably less money than the Marshall SV20, and has all killer components for the price, including GOOD pot's, and sounds even better. The Runt 20 even comes with one of the best 12" speakers ever produced by Celestion, while the little Marshall and this Boogie only have a 10" speaker........and I can already guarantee you that neither of those 10" speakers found in the Boogie or the Marshall sound anywhere near as good as that bad ass 12" found in the Friedman Runt 20.

[@crusheverything4449]

@@howabouthetruth2157- Is it pot’s or pots? Pick one.

[@greg6162]

So I just joined a band (kinda) and as a new guitar player I can’t cut through with me Yamaha THR10II and Fender Player Plus Strat. Is this loud enough to cut through a kick ass drummer?

[@Arkoudeides.]

Yes

[@robertmansfield7844]

You didn't mention the 10 inch speaker. What brand and what model?

[@JHPRS]

He actually did say it had a ten inch speaker, when he was describing it. If his has the stock speaker, it's a Jensen Blackbird Alnico 40. I just looked at the amp on Sweetwater. :)

[@maxpeck4154]

Lots of people like Mesas... until you need to get one fixed. They practically need to be completely disassembled to make the simplest repair.

[@bartoszbilon]

If any man calls himself an amp specialist and says a Mesa amp is hard to fix then you need to find another technician no matter what amp you have.

[@maxpeck4154]

@@bartoszbilon 1) didn't call myself an amp specialist and 2) my eyes work fine. They're hard to fix.

[@bartoszbilon]

​@@maxpeck4154 1) it's obvious you aren't, 2) they are not hard to repair. More time consuming but not hard. Most electrical units need to be disassembled to be repaired and there are much more complicated repairable electronics than guitar tube amps. People complain about complexity of Mesa amps but that's what they are. It is result of someone's engineering thought , striving for perfection ,not making life difficult for customers.

[@sparkyguitar0058]

@@bartoszbilon So why do they and they ALONE bury the simplest parts below other things that don't need to be covered. I'm a MESA fan boy but I've been taught about this B S system every other builder don't do. Mesa is cheap and doesn't think all the way through their designs. Plain and simple. Great amps until......Mine is a S O B, remake of the original Mark. Love it and it's still at the simple stage; no push/pull pots, no stacked circuit boards. But we still had to fix factory F ups inside. Wood and wicker, 12L speaker 60/100 watts, reverb.

[@jerryhorton5708]

A fair point, @Max Peck. Great amps, until they aren’t…

[@andrewsmith177]

It's not a tube amp but my portable gigging amp is the Boss Katana 50. Very light, affordable and sounds great.

[@greg6162]

Do you think the Boss Katana MKII 50 is louder than this? Need it for cutting through a drummer

[@dnews9519]

I went with the MK2 100watt katana and it keeps up with any drummer.

[@phillamoore157]

This amp is absolutely beautiful sounding for it’s clean, and edge of breakup tones. But, for anything resembling a traditional Boogie crunch tone, it’s non-existent (IMO). Which, makes it WAY over-priced. But, like I said, what it does….it does spectacularly well.

[@syfman6]

Nice playing. Constructive criticism, the sound is muffled/flat and fizzy sounding. Got much better mid video...💚🎸

[@antoonhermans8953]

if weight is an issue , then i think the fender tonemasters are the way to go for an gigging musician , but i do like these scaled down mesa california tweeds , although i would get the one with the 12 "speaker .

[@LysanderLH]

I have a Tonemaster Deluxe Reverb. It’s lightweight, sounds great, switchable output wattage etc but the only issue is (as withthe original) no fx loop.

[@RJ-pu6nc]

SAME

[@mikestampede77]

Rock and roll USA

[@patriottothecore6215]

I’ve tried lots of Boogies and owned a few. You can get them to sound great then switch them off without changing anything. Very often when you switch them on again they sound totally different and often crap. You have to mess around for ages to get a decent sound again. I do not have this problem with my Hughes and Kettner amps.

[@lsearchw]

True! 😂 You only need to own one of them to learn this. That’s what makes it funny when someone concludes, “I tried one in the store and it sounded like” this or that, or “I played through my buddy’s for an hour and” so-and-so. They always sound different form day to day.

[@sopwithsnoopy8779]

But will it do Slayer?

[@miguelcarrillo5261]

Fuchs Blackjack 21 combo.

[@acousticguitars123]

Or you could get an express 5 25 which has an OD channel plus its less expensive?

[@hootowl6354]

I had one. Disappointed, was I. Didn't help that it was the 10-inch.

[@LysanderLH]

If that amp stopped working (even if I knew where to take it to get it or any other amo fixed, which I don’t) it would cost more to fix than just buying a Tonemaster Deluxe Reverb, which is what I currently own. Also, it sounds muddy!

[@LysanderLH]

@@buzzfretwear2906 So you know where to take a Mesa amp to be repaired, how much it would cost (you didn’t specify the fault) - yet you somehow know that it would not cost more than a Tonemaster Deluxe Reverb would to repair. Okay

[@tribedescribe]

@@LysanderLH Ive owned four mesa boogie amps for past 25 years and have had several repaired including screen resistors, knobs jacks etc.. Every time the cost to repair was $50-$150 at my local shop. One time mesa sent me a tone pot for free and I soldered it in myself.

[@andrewclemons8619]

Would this be better than a Matchless Lightning Reverb

[@NathanNagel]

My opinion, they are different amps. This Mesa is going for Fender Tweed sounds like Tweed Deluxe, Tweed Princeton, Tweed Champ. The Matchless Lightning is going for a stronger AC15 kinda vibe. It all depends on what kind of amp you’re looking for.

[@johnbrown4568]

Single 10 inch speakers are not typically gigging amps (unless you are a jazz player or folk music guy). Try a new Fender Deluxe Reverb Tone Master one 12 inch Celestion speaker at 24 lbs. Yet...one man's ceiling is another man's floor.🤷‍♂

[@Michael-bm8hi]

Mesa Boogie stopped sales in Europe silently some two years ago and left behind their client base without any service and supplies - not even a notice. Speaking to amp techs I learned that it will be very hard to find a tech for servicing their amps. Their PCB boards are crowded with parts including multiple opto couplers and more. Difficult to service, difficult to find errors, difficult to repair - in Europe now almost impossible. Even their color coded replacement tubes are not available, which is crucial for their fixed bias design. I am now waiting for the day to come when my Mesa turns silent and from there directly into a piece of expensive electronic waste.

[@jaygreer7430]

Have you called Mesa directly and asked them about this? I own lots of Mesas including a vintage Mark iic+. When I needed it to be recapped and generally tuned up, I called them to get a recommendation of a local tech I could use. Instead, they suggested I just ship it back to them. My amp is a combo, but they gave me instructions on how to pull the chassis and safely ship just the chassis to save weight and cost. They did the work and sent it back to me. I can’t remember the exact cost, but at the time I remember it being reasonable. This was as of about six years ago. I don’t know what it would be like today, and I live in the U.S., not Europe. But if you’re concerned, I think it’s worth trying to talk to Mesa directly and see what they have to say.

[@adamlanghans]

European sales were paused due to industry-wide issues with getting parts. It is one of the reasons prices have shot up recently. I believe Thomann said they are hoping to have stock again later this year.

[@sathira_anuk5179]

Even in UK?

[@williamd1891]

​@@sathira_anuk5179 Andertons have them for pre-order

[@jimdep6542]

Hasn't that situation changed now the Gibson bought Mesa ?

[@jupjuck]

Put an evm 10 in there!

[@joelsmith4816]

Sounds pretty mushy. All I know is my Bluguitar amp1 Mercury frigggin KILLLZZZZZ.

[@augustusbetucius2931]

20 watts and a ten inch speaker? How much headroom does it have? Have you ever had to use it with a loud drummer? If so, does it stay clean? I've found 50 watts is the minimum if I want to not be overwhelmed by the drummer and still have clean headroom.

[@GuyHarrison-nm1xt]

What gigs u get. I think u should put more hours in. Just as a thumb up

[@Johnny-oy9fh]

The best non tube gigging amp ...is a Boss Katana MK2 100 combo

[@Arkoudeides.]

50w

[@Johnny-oy9fh]

Boogies are tube eaters!!!!!

[@joemasse4568]

This amp is nice,but I have been trying many amps over the years and after all those years, my favorite amp to gig is my Vox s12 ac30, not to heavy 5 knobs one for reverb, sounds better than this amp for a lot less money, plus louder , you should check one out, I think you might be surprised.

[@anwaypradhan6591]

Yeah..😁. You gotta try something which have much more efficiency and effectiveness, being much more sharp, being much more vibrant, much more reverbing, cost effective, reliable, trustworthy, reluctant might be manipulated and controlled and coordinated by every virtues of highly technically effective and efficient computerized software application.

[@anwaypradhan6591]

So, how are you doing now a days ✌️❤️😄❤️

[@motokev2727]

I like my 40

[@GuitarGearGyan]

Very nice video

[@JackTheSkunk]

I have no interest in an amp with a 10" speaker......I imagine it would sound great through a 1X15 speaker cab.

[@BenBreard]

Nice demo. I like these little Boogie amps, but I disagree with your premise that this is the best for gigging guitarists. ......particularly when a Tweed style amp is not a fit the gig or music! :)

[@RJ-pu6nc]

NEED A 12 TO SMALL NO LOW END

[@hootowl6354]

I've compared 10-inch and 12-inch speakers. I play nothing but 12-inch. I also know that every single amp I have sounds better through my Marshall 4x12. You mentioned two things you don't like. Another one that I don't like, and this is endemic with MESA, is that there is no 16-ohm speaker tap. Most of my cabs are 16-ohms. Come on, MESA. What the hell?

[@justincase4925]

Very tinny sound

[@konnektlive]

Hmmm... thanks for the video, but honestly to my ears and for the most parts it's not a useable tone for me. I'm not a high gain player at all, but this sounds very very loose, undefined, inarticulate and overly boomy with a lot of low end response that is gonna be taken out of the mix anyway. How would anyone utilise such a sound in any music project is beyond me as it has a lot of frequencies that are simply unneeded for guitar. I mean, sound is subjective for sure, but too much low end and low mid is just not helpful...

[@JM-eq3sx]

Muddy

[@Johnny-oy9fh]

Sounds like it's broken😮

[@pauleuro123]

Tubes are great BUT they fail. For the semi-pro gigging musician with only one amp - it has to be digital.

[@Sledr1994]

This seems miked up very badly. Overdrive sounds like the sound you can get from playing through a metalzone and then directly in the mixer.

[@GuyHarrison-nm1xt]

10 inch speaker to small

[@guitarman3968]

Gosh that sounds like crap. Muddy as all get out.

[@billyclub9863]

Maybe a workout routine, to balance the Nightlife. A little strength training would make you feel better, look healthier, live longer & give you more options of Amps to carry. Respects!

[@digitalslw]

Harsh.

[@briguy1960]

Not super impressed but not terrible. I'll keep my 1968 Deluxe and Princeton (not reissues)

[@4jrbirdman]

muddy mush

[@sparkyguitar0058]

Not a great gigging amp cause repairs could take long getting parts. Earlier easier to repair Boogie's might be more reliable and so much quicker to repair.

[@marvinmartin3438]

Dude, I need this amp! Is it true bypass? Does it have a sweet spot? Is it transgender friendly? Covid compatible? Can it get Eddy's "Smells like teen spirit" tone? Asking for a friend

[@geneparmesan8827]

Sounds so flubby . 12 inch speakers fix that

[@godbyone]

Yes. 12 inch always. Better

[@DanielDavis730]

I think he should learn how to play. Befor he demo a great amp

[@teleuser]

My Rivera era Concert sounds way better.

[@zoomzoom3950]

No.

[@user-uo7lh7cf4q]

Over $3000 can buy a kick ass valve amp for 500 .put a kick ass distortion threw the clean Chanel. To much money just for gigs. Total rip off

[@cynthia6389]

Wait until something goes wrong. They are very poorly designed and cheaply built. Junk parts inside. Good luck getting it fixed

[@Starch1b2c3d4a]

Tune your guitar bro

[@mca1960]

What a muddy and dull sound. Nothing to go for, really.

[@milosherman]

this amp doesn't sound good driven in any way

[@hybridjohn1]

ok full stop: (1) As much as I appreciate a gear review can we stop with "the best...for gigging musicians" type talk from obviously not a gigging musician? (2) The amp sounds like trash in this vid. (3) @Michael: bro I support your attempt to grow your channel but lets be realistic about the level of expertise please

[@josephhulsey7662]

The over drive tones made me homicidal. I wanted to kill the amp.

[@denmar355]

Bloated, flubby. First two examples terrible.

[@failinginreverse138]

Its.gpt a 10 in it. The break is probably awesome.