Your favorite Boogie model

[SLuiCe]

What is it? How much is it new? And why is it your favorite? How is the clean channel? (not all that important as I like the cleans of my Marshall, but helpful to know.)

I'm working on my first CD, and the range of guitar styles/sound is pretty extensive. I've decided to sell some shit and get an amp to cover what my Marshall JCM900 can not. I'm primarily interested in combos. Thanks!


Tom

[BluesMeister]

Mesa/Boogie Studio Caliber DC-2 combo

It was about Aud$1300 four years ago.

It was my first tube amp and for me, it's 25 Watts of window-rattling heaven.

The clean channel can be anything from ultra sparkling clean to a lovely pushed blues sound.

I'm constantly fiddling with the settings to find that elusive sound.

As guitar amps go, I rather like mine.

--
BluesMeister

[AcidRain]

I'm kind of eyeing a Boogie Nomad (55). Bias select switch, decent price, 55 watts... the price isn't bad, and for the specs, it looks to be fucking killer! IMO, at least...

[SLuiCe]

Thanks Blues...I'll check that one out if I can find one.

Acidrain, I saw one down at the shop. Looked pretty capable to me too, but I didn't plug it in. Both the major shops around here have major attitudes and since I wasn't planning on buying yet, I didn't bother. The problem with shops (here at least) is that anything above 1.2 on the master gets you a look like you've got nine heads and an antler sticking out of each of them. But screw 'em...that sucker's getting turned at least to 4. So have you played one yet?

[AcidRain]

not yet... just kinda checking out the specs. I might try to hunt one down to play next week.

[jacobs]

i use a mesa d-180 occasionally. it sounds huge for guitar, but its also 250 tube watts.

that thing will kill an unborn child, and should not be messed with when turned up.

i can't stand the rec's, i'd put in a good vote for a low wattage nomad though, i've played with those and gotten some good sounds.

[GONZO-X]

is still the original boogie i bought in 1981......

Mark 2B, 60 watts, head only, with 5 band eq.

i gigged with it, full time, on the road, for 5 years.......
it's still going strong.

the clean channel is killer. it's a compromise, when you're setting up for live (since it shares all the tone controls between the 2 channels), but i only use it for recording, so that's no biggie.....

the drive channel is like a really hotrodded fender, not real high gain, but that's cool, cuz you can put your favorite od/dist. pedal in front of it, and then you've got even more flavors.

you can find these on ebay, for about the same price i paid for it originally.

they quit making them around '83 i think..........

[GONZO-X]

[fprod south]

Hey Tom,
I second the Mk 2 recommendation. When I played a Mk2 I fell in love and bought a boogie of my own. I could best describe the Mk 2 clean as having tons of body but being shiny at the same time. I could get plenty of high gain sounds without using a pedal.

I play a dc-3 which is lower end for boogie, but I still love it. I think the nomad series is today's version of the dc series from a few years back. I've had my boogie about a year and still have yet to even try a pedal with it, not even for leads. Lots of gain in those things. Picked mine up for $500 used.

When you try a boogie out, you need to keep in mind that each boogie has a million horrible sounds and a couple hundred great sounds. Turning the knobs just a little bit actually makes a real difference unlike Marshall. Some of the knobs you will find yourself playing with the 0-4 range. If you turn everything to 10 it will probably sound like crap.

And stay away from them rectum fryers. Not your sound in my opinion.

[BluesMeister]

Originally posted by fprod south
I play a dc-3 which is lower end for boogie

My DC-2 doesn't have the EQ the the DC-3, DC-5 & DC-10 have.

Some of the knobs you will find yourself playing with the 0-4 range. If you turn everything to 10 it will probably sound like crap.

Absolutely correct! I have my lead channel gain on 2-1/2. On my rhythm channel though, gain is around 5-6. All other knobbage is set to no more than 4 in most cases.

And GonzoX, the beauty of the DC-2 (and the others in the DC series) is that we have separate tone controls for both channels. No compromises here!

--
BluesMeister

[Bill Assumpcao]

Tom,
I've got a Mark IIc and it is all the amp that I'm ever gonna need. Very versatile. Like fprod south said earlier, just a tiny adjustment of any knob will really influence the sound. Dial carefully!
I have no idea how much it would cost you (if you could even find one). If you do find one,
Plug in and have fun,
Bill

[SLuiCe]

This thread is awesome for me. Thank you guys very much!

[Henri Devill]

Love the Mark II C's...But my Favorite is the Mark III sim. class its just a little more over the top,but not like what they make now...I bought a Recto ..sold the Recto



Don

[Rocket Boy]

the recto is nice... once you get it set right its a really outstanding sounding amplifier. very versatile, give yourself time to set it and get used to it and you'll LOVE it. the nomad is nice too.

[Speeddemon]

Played a DC-10 combo a couple of times, couldn't get a decent sound out of it...

but the Mark IV... man.. I love that amp! That comes from a guy that usually doesn't like Mesa that much (I'm an Engl-man! )
Hell, I tried the Mk IV on its clean channel with a Boss Metalzone in front of it... one of the punchiest chugga-chugga sounds I've ever heard!

But the amp itself goes from sparkly clean to ultra high-gain and everything in between. Only minor thing is, that ch 2 and 3 don't have that oozing character of a Twin Reverb pushed hard, or a Vox AC30... but apart from that, it's the most versatile Mesa amp there is. Almost in league with the Engl Savage SE...

(I got a Savage 60 myself, the 2 channel version)

[mcmd]

I use a DC-3, - bought it new around '94. It's a great little amp and *has* that Boogie tone. You have to be careful with the eq, otherwise the amp dominates and your guitar' tone/sound can get squashed. Sometimes, after 'twiddling the knobs' my Strat starts to sound like my SG and visa versa....

I love this amp, but am also looking out for something different. Back in Ireland ('80) I giged with a Peavy Deuce valve amp, -which I miss bigtime, an old VOX AC30 with the blue speakers and an old Orange head and cab. They were all great amps with great tone, and my Boogie is no better just different.

/Dara

[foo]

Mk IV

Everything you can imagine - and then some. It's my third Boogie in 30 years.

I paid $1,000 used in '93

Got it from a Marshall owner who didn't know how to get a decent sound out of it.

[SLuiCe]

I'll definitely have to find a MK2 and a MK4 to try out! I tried a F100 today I actually thought it sounded pretty damn good! But I really need to try your suggestions because I'm coming to the Boogie world straight from JCM900/Fender Cab midrange HELL. Thus even the Dual Recto sounded pretty good to me....though I don't think I need that, especially for the price of the half stack.

Thanks again! More opinions welcome!

[lotuscent]

I really dig the blue angel - much more of a stripped, rootsy thing. Very blues. If you're not into total grind, the studio.22 is killer.

I had a Mk III that was so huge sounding, I could barely use it in clubs. When I was in the sweet zone, I had the bartenders yelling at me to turn it down.

[Outlaws]

Your favorite Boogie model

The one that Boogies its way out the door for the MARSHALL.