Mesa Blue Angel

[Tim Swartz]

Anyone familiar w/ these? I've never been smitten w/ anything Mesa, but aside from the convoluted output section these look old school to me. No master volume or gain channel, just vol, treb, mids, bass, reverb... Then the output section; 2 6V6s for 15w, 4 EL84s for 30w or all tubes for 38w. I have a chance to buy a 4x10 combo at a very fair price... Just looking for some input.

Thanks

[jmaidlow]

I think that is one of their best ideas in an amp. I have an original Boogie from the seventies before they even called it a Mark I and I use it to gig with. I like the clean headroom. I don't use the gain channel and mine actually doesn't even have channel switching. I think the Blue A series is a class A style amp and sounds more like a Matchless than a Boogie. If you can get it right I think you might like it. The 4x10 configuration is, however, very heavy so get a two-wheeled cart to move it around or a really good back brace. You can get an empty "head" cabinet from them and just use a nice little 1x12 cab and that would sound great.

[concrete boots]

Hello Tim.. This is a coincidence I just bought a Blue Angel head and matching 2x10 cab..this replaced a Marshall Bluesbreaker.. anyway .. I am well pleased with it. sound quality is superb..it is as easy to use as the Marshall, just plug in and play..as you say one channel and a few knobs but quality all the way. I would recommend this amp to anyone...

[marshallmelloman]

Tim,

I have not heard one of these and also have never been into anything I have heard by Mesa Boogie for the same reasons as you probably- too many doodads and too many unusable (for me) tones. I can say that 2x6v6s in a tweed deluxe is one of my favorite tones and 4x el84's in my Winfield is my favorite all around amp yet, but who knows if all that works well with the same transformers and circuit ? ----You do if you try it and love the way it sounds! I agree with J though, my days of lugging a 4x10 around are over. Old at 32 who knew?

[Deacon Blues]

Many say this is one of the best amps that Mesa has ever built. I agree, though it was the only Mesa I've ever owned. Mine was a head with a 4x10 cab loaded with P10Rs. It was one of the sweetest sounding amps I've ever owned.

[Tremo]

Best sounding Mesa I've ever played. Most Mesas sound like poop and have too much crap bells and whistles, too many knobs, and all that nasty harsh high gain. Not so with the BA. Yeah, the output stage is kind of funky, another abomination from Smith's brain, but regardless of all the foo-foo, it still sounds good. Mind you, it's no BF Super Reverb, but it's still nice none the less. Trash all the crappy Mesa tubes, put in good ones and bias it yourself. If you really want a 4x10, and the price is right, why not??

[stantheman]

Some of You know my favorite Amp in all the world is the Victoria Double Deluxe that said I have to admit that
I like a lot of Mesa Products. I've played the 4X10 Blue
Angel on 4 or 5 occasions and in my humble opinion it
is a most worthy Amplifier.
I love "simple" but I must confess one of the greatest "Tones" I ever got which resulted in non-specific
gratification came as the result of plugging into a totally
loaded and I mean loaded Mark III.
Frankly if I ever run into one again I'm buying it !!!
I'll use it as a "one trick pony" but what a trick.
I love that sweet singing Mark III Simulclass "stantana"
tone !!!!
If that means I'm a bad person just call me "Lu".