Mesa Boogie F-30

Mesa Boogie F-30

F Series amplifiers give you ultimate performance in a simple to use format that defines the very nature of a Mesa/Boogie… incredible tone, dynamic power and limitless expression.

Two independent channels, one dedicated to Rhythm sounds - the other dedicated to Lead, roam the entire spectrum of gain from pristine clean to grinding mosh and everywhere in between. The tidy six-control layout presents the comprehensive shaping power of these diverse channels in a deceivingly stripped string that will have you flying in less time than it takes you to tune.

The Lead Channel houses two Modes that share the controls, each fine-tuned to deliver stunning sounds in their prospective gain ranges. The LEAD Mode is superbly balanced for the medium gain range where purring blues gives way to rock n' roll rhythm and warm, voice-like solo sounds. Here the sound is fat and creamy, yet subtle enough to respond faithfully to very low settings of the GAIN control. This mode enables you to zero in on the region that best fits your playing style and the dynamics of your individual pick attack.

LEAD CONTOUR infuses a double dose of steroids to pump up the gain to preposterous proportions, producing one of the most hellacious crunch sounds around. This grinding wall of gain was inspired by our mighty Dual Rectifier SOLO HEAD and creates a unique and luscious harmonic spread not unlike that of the world renown Recto. The CONTOUR Mode has enhanced lows in just the right places and a super-focused top end that enables huge high gain sounds even at whisper volumes. This characteristic, along with the RECORD Output and SPEAKER MUTE feature, makes the F Series great recording amps in either home or studio environments, as well as their obvious virtue as live performers.

The rich, warm analog 3 spring REVERB adds depth and dimension to any of the sounds and each of the Channels has its own REVERB control. The REVERB effect can be triggered remotely via the footswitch.

Power is served up in three delectable dishes that can satisfy any appetite with their distinctive and different flavors. The tangy bite of the F30 with its patented 2 x EL84 Dyna-Watt power delivers dynamic bursts far in excess of its modest rating and a spankin' attitude only these 9-pin power punks can deliver. The rich and tasty F50 with its tried and true 2 x 6L6 power duo tends to be the main course. This popular plate balances delicious "little amp" harmonics with "big amp" versatility to arrive at a perfect blend that blooms with tone. The banquet of pentodes laid out in the mighty 4 x 6L6 F100 spread will fill up any crowd with its thick, rib-sticking gain and fatter low end. King of the F Series, this bad-ass buffet will cater any size gig and you'll leave with a taste of glory for the long ride home.

All three of these different and amazing F Series amplifiers are matched with one of our proprietary custom-designed Celestion Speakers, ensuring that every precious drop of tone you dial up is reproduced with the greatest of care.

So if you've tried the latest wave of gadget amps and were left feeling cold from a digi-dream that ended up a no-tone-mare…check out one of the new F Series amplifiers. They take the lately-less-travelled road of guitar amplification in order to focus on one of the golden rules in music - a most basic principle…if you got tone, you're gonna play!

Tips For Tone'n

The GAIN control is by far the most powerful control in each of the three available Modes. It not only determines the overall gain amount, shape and sensitivity of the Mode selected, but it is also a powerful Tone control. Generally speaking, whatever is dialed up here ultimately determines the Modes' personality. Set low, it allows cleaner and brighter sounds with enhanced dynamic response, especially in the higher frequencies. Set high, the whole personality of the Mode becomes darker, fatter and more overdriven.

As in most tube guitar amplifiers, the TREBLE control (in all three Modes) is the most powerful of the rotary controls and is next in line only to the GAIN control as a shaping tool. Because it is first in the signal path of the tone controls - and from here the Middle and Bass receive their signal - it is by far the dominant tone control. Use moderation when setting the GAIN & TREBLE controls - This will reduce the likelihood of pesky tube microphonic problems ever occurring, while at the same time making all three Modes easier to balance in volume and FX send strength. Use them with taste and remember that some of the best sounds are found by using these two controls in their middle regions.

The MID control is responsible for the blend of midrange frequencies in the mix and though its effect is not as dramatic as that of the Treble control, it plays an integral part in achieving great tone, while influencing the overall feel on the strings. In fact, it is capable of changing the feel dramatically, as it blends in a group of frequencies that tend to soften or stiffen the way a sound "feels" to play. Set low it provides a classic "scooped & compressed" voicing by allowing the Bass control to become more dominant. Set in the middle it becomes more rounded out and balanced, with a nice focused mid punch. Set high it can introduce added gain and create enhanced focus, however the trade-off will be a stiffer, more forward, less compressed feel.

The BASS control blends in the lower frequencies and its effectiveness, again, depends on the setting of the Treble control. It should also be set with moderation, as extreme settings in either low or high directions can produce an unbalanced tone. In any one of the three Modes, be especially careful using higher Gain settings. Too much Bass in the early stages of the pre-amp, combined with higher Gain settings can cause a flabby unfocused sound. Dial wisely!

The REVERB control enables you to dial-in just the right amount of Reverb from a rich, natural sounding analog Reverb circuit, featuring the use of a classic "long tank" spring reverb. NOTE: Avoid using high settings of Reverb in conjunction with high settings of Gain and Treble. This reduces the likelihood of annoying microphonic problems occurring.

The individual MASTER controls serve three purposes - FIRST: They serve as level balancing controls for each of the two channels. SECOND: They act as Effect Send controls for each Mode in the Effects Loop. THIRD: They act as the Record/Phones Send Level control.

The RECORD/PHONES jack provides direct-to-console interfacing for recording or sound reinforcement applications. It can also be used to power a set of personal headphones, which is a convenient way to practice day or night privately.

The EFFECTS LOOP is wired in parallel with the normal signal, providing a patch point between the preamp and power section. When using the Loop for external signal processing, the best tonal results will be obtained with the processors' dry / wet mix set to 100% and the FX Mix set as close to 10% as possible. The Return jack can also double as a "Power Amp Input" jack. When the Return is used as an input, the Master controls are the only two active controls, all other controls are inactive.

The SILENT RECORD MUTE SWITCH is located in the back, under the chassis and selects between "Speaker On" and "Speaker Mute" settings. This switch mutes the entire signal at the power section driver stage, removing the need for a speaker load IN THIS POSITION ONLY! NOTE: When this switch is set to the "ON" position, a load must be maintained, either by the speaker itself or some type of load resistor. Failure to comply with this instruction could result in major damage to the amplifier. We recommend leaving a speaker connected.

The Dyna-Watt power section is like being granted a musical "6th Sense"! It virtually anticipates the attack of your pick, providing amazing responsiveness, while adding dynamic headroom far in excess of it's conservatively rated wattage. It serves up the tones with an authoritative punch, featuring tight, percussive bottom end, rich harmonic mids and a crisp, chiming top end.

Features:

• 30 Watts of Patented Dyna-Watt Power / 2xEL84, 4x12AX7
• 2 Fully Independent Channels with
• 3 Footswitchable Sounds
  (Channel 1, 2 & 2 w/Contour)
• Independent Gain, Bass, Mid, Treble,
• Reverb & Master Controls per Channel
• Pull Bright (Channel 1)
• Contour Switch (Channel 2)
• Long Tank 3 Spring Reverb
• Parallel FX Loop w/Mix Control
• Record/Headphone Output
• Silent Record Mute Switch
• 3 Button Footswitch (Channel 1/2, Reverb & Contour)

Available as: 
• Short Chassis Head (Width 18 5/8")
• 1x12 Combo with Celestion Vintage 30 Speaker