Mesa Boogie 50 Cal. +..any thoughts?

[dogcityrocker]

Local music store has a Mesa 50 cal. + for sale. Its in great condition (think its late 80's-early 90's).

The store was closing, so I only fiddled with it a little, but it sounded promising. I still want to go back and try it out with some pedals, different guitars, etc. and compar it with a new F-30 or F-50.

Any owners/users/thoughts?

BTW I play fast-paced rock n roll/ 70's punk, ala The Clash and Ramones, so im looking for something that suits this style of music

[Ben Harmless]

I actually really wanted one of those for awhile. I once had a Studio .22, which I believe has a similar preamp, and it was one of the best amps I've ever owned. I got rid of it because of a harsh treble that wouldn't go away. Nowadays, I'd switch tubes, but back then, I knew nothing.

The Studio/Caliber series are killer amps IMHO. They've got the most Marshall in them of any Mesa amps I've tried, but still have a solid Mesa tone as well.

There were two different .50 Cal models. One had a pair of 6L6s, the other, a quartet of EL84s. Check under the hood. The EL84 version is rarer, but not nessecarily better.

Use your ears, and you won't be dissapointed.

[tlpruitt]

I had a .50 Cal with reverb and EQ in the mid 80's and I liked it. Mine had 4 - EL84 output tubes and I believe the '+' version uses 2-6L6 output tubes. I used Fender amps up to that point and the .50 Cal's basic rhythm channel seemed not much different from a Fender blackface amp tone. Not exactly the same but relatively close.

The one problem I had with the amp was the huge difference in gain and volume between the rhythm and lead channels. There seemed to be no way to balance the rhythm and lead channels without sacrificing tone in either. I ended up sticking with the rhythm channel and using pedals for lead tones.

After 2 years I ended up getting rid of it and going back to Fender amps since I wasn't really using most of the "added" Boogie features like channel switching and graphic EQ.

The Boogie amps are built very well and seem to be very reliable.

-Tim Pruitt

[Colin Johnston]

Be sure and A/B it against the new F series. The F series is designed to be an updated version of the Calibre series and Smith says he's addressed a few of the "issues" he had with the Calibres.

[Kris]

I sold it because I never could get a tone I liked out of it.

Previously I'd bought a Studio 22+, which was a great amp during its 6 months of functional life! (The 22+ has cooling issues...) I got the 50+ as a replacement from the dealer.

My 50+ had 2x6L6 and always sounded harsh and sterile no matter what I did.

Kris

[Zac]

I have a buddy that has had a 50 cal+ for many years. I borrowed it once and was very impressed with its fatter than blackface fender clean tone. It was pumping through a closed back cab with vintage 30's. Zac

[mike_levitt]

I had the 2 6l6 version and did not like it, but I was stuck with it for several years.

Clean sound was not as rich and lush as a fender. Dirty sounds were sterile and lacked depth and touch sensitivity.

Not the worst amp in the world, but there are many better ones.

I think something besides the 80W stiff as hell speaker in there would have helped a lot.

Mike

[slideman]

I've had one for about 15 years and they are extremely reliable and the sound is perfect for the style of music you want to play. It's definitely more of the "classic rock" and blues sound and has a very Marshall tone to it. It really nails the "Black Crowes" sound -- especially with P90's

Out of all the Boogies I tried through the years, the clean tone is the best out of this model IMHO. Someone else pointed out there seems to be a tone/volume balance required between the two channels -- this is true, but I found that the remedy is to balance and blend the preamp gain and the output/master at comparable levels so that when you switch there isn't a huge leap to fuzz city (Gain on 5 and Master on 5). The output tubes liked to be cranked with this amp and to avoid the typical preamp buzz.

Another option that Mesa offers is to send it to them and they will install a lead gain dial on the rear of the amp as well.

I don't play as much now -- I have a preference for a different sound these days, but once in awhile I'll take her for a spin.

[RaggedTele]

Originally Posted by dogcityrocker

Local music store has a Mesa 50 cal. + for sale. Its in great condition (think its late 80's-early 90's).

The store was closing, so I only fiddled with it a little, but it sounded promising. I still want to go back and try it out with some pedals, different guitars, etc. and compar it with a new F-30 or F-50.

Any owners/users/thoughts?

Hi, I own the .50 Cal (1987 non-eq model) and the Lonestar 2x12

I play a variety of R&R, Country, Motown, blues, pretty much everything and
personally I wouldn't own another amp. I have had my share of twins, princetons, peaveys, marshals, etc, but these two amps (depending on the size of the gig) are the only amps I have ever been satisfied with.

I recently did a show on Pedal Steel up in Indiana (or maybe it was Iowa?) and the .50 cal did a superb job. A week later I was using it to do a rock and country show on Telecaster.

That's my opinion.

Keep pickin

John in Ohio

[3 Chord]

I had a new boogie .22+ in 1990 and it is the only amp I wished I would have kept. I sold it because I was playing in a country band and it didn't have the power for clean. But since then I learned you can just mic the amp (duh!), oh well you learn as you go.

I think the 50 would be great. My little .22+ could nail older Billy Gibbons tones IMO, I love that "just got paid" type guitar sound.

[ShawnFFS]

I am rocking this baby for since 2008! It's built like a tank, I never want to get rid of this amp! Perfect for gigs since his size make it travel wise. When it get heat up good after 20 min or so it's a total Beast! You got the a/b selection switch on the back which I love sticking it to A. The only inconvenient with this Baby, the gain is controlling the overdrive channel which make it hard to get a heavy sound without ajusting the gain again when switching. I found my solution using Pedals and using clean channel which is totally working for me. I use the overdrive channel if I am looking for a 80's punk distortion sound ( you need pedals to get your sound if metal is your thing). The E.Q. is good since you got bypass/auto/and E.Q. in as option. I pay 800$ used and I am not dissapointed either I feel cheated. I will hold on to it forever if possible. It is trully a Vintage amp with a tone that is Mesa Boogie. You need ear condoms after you pass 1.5 volume knob. It is a Part of my SpaceShip.

-Shawn Wilson