@belligerentamateur @OlaEnglund Can you guys do a comparaison in between C90 and V30 Open/closed ? (If it's not a dumb question and already done). Take care and have a great 2025 year full a tchugness guys.
The year was 1989. I had worked my ass off working for the parks department cutting grass in our local parks to pay the bills for me and my new wife and to save up for my first tube amp to play in my band. That amp was a Mesa Boogie 50 Caliber+ through a Mesa 4x12 with their Black Shadow speakers, a couple pedals and it was a GLORIOUS tone. That put me on the path to never ending tone chasing. I didn’t have to chase much because I started off with a great tone. My tone was better than my playing! 😂
DC-3 combo V1 owner in sept 1996 at 20 yo , after spending my summer picking apricots and peaches in the Rhône vallley. 1993 and DC-2 on the board. Clean can crunch "à la SRV" with the gain and mid (boost) a 7. Went over the 4x12" and Marshall rack of my other guit friend.
I think if you conceptualize the Mark Series style Eq being an Overdrive pedal and the 5 band Eq as being the amp tone stack, then makes them easier to dial in.
Exactly! Well said! Most people don't understand how to dial them in and approach the eq knobs as if they were the same as any other amp, but the EQ knobs are BEFORE the preamp section, so it's exactly as if it has a boost pedal in if you bump the input level, cut the bass/mids and bump the treble. Then use the 5 band GEQ as a normal EQ but typically the V shape is best for maximum brutality.
@@mindspace696 blind is just awesome. Yes, the 50C was used on it with the EQ scooped (justice for all style). It was also used on deliverance (I saw the rig during a concert in 98)
@@AIBCustomFx, thanks for the info. Sometimes I feel like offloading my C50+, but that knowledge helps me stick with it. I may even fire it up today and see how the neighbours like it, lol. I sold a C50+ in the early 2000s, because it is tricky to dial in, but I always regretted the decision and so I picked up another a few years ago. I should work with it more often until I master it, I suppose.
@@mindspace696 oh yeah, C50 are weirdly wired in the Eq section but they're vintage and really good when you find the sweet spot (a boost/OD helps!) There's not many amps capable of that tight attack and texture. This amp is an flawed pearl but a pearl nonetheless! 😁
I have a Mark V and it literally has taken me years to figure out how to properly use it. The biggest thing I learned about "Mark ___" amps is that the treble and gain work together. The treble knob is really more of a saturation control than anything else, you shape your sound mostly with the graphic eq.
To me, this is about as iconic as it gets for thrash tones. Soon as I heard the tone in the intro, smiled from ear to ear. You know it when you hear it.
One of the most iconic EQ curves in history. There's just a mechanical aspect. It's just pick attack boost, the fundamental note, and detached girth/sub effect that doesn't interfere with said pick attack or fundamental. I'll never sell my Mark IV. I've got other Marks but the IV is the one without the liquid lead thing going on in spades if you just raise the center slider or (gasp!) bypass the graphic and run through dark speakers like G1265 or swamp thangs or the avatar/Fane 65's.
I like the way the mids on that amp sounded bumped all the way up on that amp. It has a very modern and a very prominent sound that i would compare to maybe even a 5150's blue channel. What's even crazier to me is that this is an amp that was made in the 80's/90's and is still tight and focused enough to keep up with today's amps.
The Mark series and then the interpretation of the same that became VHT's were pretty much ideal amps waiting for genres of music. So much richer harmonically. Like you can back down the gain much lower to make it percussive AF without being weak vs where you have to set it in a Marshall. Of you back off a marshal there's nothing left there tonality.
Played in a band back in the early 90’s and the other guitarist had one of these amps and it shredded. He had the matching 2x12 cabinet and it rocked bad ass
I had been on the hunt for a reasonably priced Mesa Boogie, something older. I got lucky a few months ago when someone offloaded two (2) Mesa Boogie Dual Caliber DC5 Combo Amps at the local GC that they used to play -- in stereo -- when they were gigging. Everything was included - manual, footswitch, cable, dust cover. I played through both of them and bought what I thought was the one in the best condition. WHAT A MONSTER! I just love how it sounds when it reaches saturation, and the clean is absolutely dreamy with a hollow body or semi-hollow body if you ever break from metal or chugging and noodle around with some rockabilly. For someone like me (who is just noodling and playing along to their favorites in a spare bedroom), it is awesome to get that gnarling tone at low volumes and the be able to break up with just a simple tap on a footswitch or roll on the volume knob. The user manual even came with recommended settings for their famous "scooped" mids. And, as I understand it, John Sykes (Deep Purple, Whitesnake, Blue Murder, etc.) just plugged his Gibson LP into a Mesa Boogie, fiddled a little bit with the EQ and volume between songs, and recorded all the crushing riffs that are embedded in our memories today...
John Sykes didnt play in Deep Purple and played a Mesa Mark III Coliseum 300W Head together with an old Marshall 4 holer. But I guess the Caliber should be in the same ballpark as the Mark amps, thats why I'lll probably pick one up
Great overview of a seriously underrated amp. Nice job explaining the difference between the knobs and sliders. Knowing that, you can dial in savage tones. Sub earned. \m/,
I don’t know if you guys have heard of them,but there was this band from Sweden named Meshuggah,and this is the amp they used on there album entitled “None”
My thrash band back in the 90s used them. a lot of bands were amazed we didn’t need pedals and plugged straight in. Then, the dual rectifier was released.
You have to think of the EQ Knobs as your boost pedal and the GEQ is where the tone is shaped and where a V shape should be applied. So that means set the bass and mids at nearly zero, and boost the treble to nearly max. Sounds weird but that's how metallica got that sort of brutal chug out Mark 2c+ and mark 2c+ style amps with an EQ pedal in the FX loop. Ola Englund demonstrates this in the demo of the new mark 2c+.
Still have mine I bought new in 89-90. IMO one of the most underrated amps ever. I'm surprised you don't like it without the EQ, as I get some great sounds with EQ off. Bass 6, Mid 5, treble 5, try it. Don't sell it, you'll be sorry.... :)
Dude, I love your facial expression at 5.42 - 5.44! 🙂It looks like "OK, I´m slightly scared of what´s to come, but probably it will be good". And it is! Also have this one and agree with most you said. The one thing where one can notice this was meant as a "budget" Mesa is the power amp section. Mesas typically sound way louder and powerful than their rating, but this one does not. The later DC-5 I had years ago was significantly more in your guts & face at identical power amp rating. The Caliber 50 struggles against our very loud drummer and it does not develop as much low end thrust as other Mesas I have had. I prefer smaller cabs due to portability, so it may be more noticeable than with a 4x12 recto which makes everything sound huge.
I played the combo version for a decade, played a lot of clubs on the Sunset strip in the late 80s, early 90s with it. That amp absolutely rocked. It could also power my Marshall 4x12 cab just fine. But I just used it as a combo for gigs and it was more than adequate. I preferred it to the Mark III because it had a more organic, Marshall kind of tone and was also lighter. I didn't need three channels anyways. The Mark series give me a headache and I never liked the Rectos.
I just bought one and I am hyped getting my first amp from a large reputable brand. Ive always used bugera 6260 and 6262 the past 15 years. I love those but they are so heavy and 120watt is waaaaay to much oumph
Guitarist I used to play with had the 112 combo version of this, that thing was the best!!! Very light and small, other guitarists used to go "You're going on stage with that little thing?" Until he cranked it and made their ears bleed.
Finally someone is giving good value to this underrated, affordable & not easy to find (specifically in Europe) amp! The Caliber 50+ is my 2nd Mesa .. luckily I could find it as a combo 2 months ago then after few weeks I found other combo. Now I have 2 Mesa Caliber 50+ combos. I love that amp & i boost it with Maxon OD808! Few days ago I paired it with my Engl 4x12 pro.. man sounds so damn cool! Now im totally convinced to convert one of these 2 combos to head!
@Steve Stevens in general, all my collection is about heads .. except dc-5 will keep it combo. Why I'm converting it because I paired it on 4x12 Engl pro. the sound was quite different & awesome And to he honest, what the guy is asking more than the double of what I paid on mine!
I used to own a Mark IV, I´ve sold it, because I´ve wanted to buy an Engl Savage 120 Mk1... The Engl was a decent sounding, ultratight and awesome sounding highgain-monster, but nothin´ can beat a Mark IV, imho! I regret it, that I´ve sold the Mark IV! For me as a Mark-series fanboy, the Caliber 50 sounds incredible! Thx Kyle, awesome video!
Great demo. I've got one of these as a 1x12 combo that I have had for many years. I've got some crackling issues in the reverb circuit I probably need to get it looked at. It is so loud and man is it heavy .
i love my old dc 10, it just kills boosted, run it with a 92 dual rec and a marshall tsl 100 through a mesa 412 ,and 2 412 marshall jcm900 cabs ,all loaded with mesa vintage 30s! unfucenreal!!!!!!!!!!!!
Weird. I literally found your channel maybe 2 months ago and I’ve binge watched all of the amp demos, but I’ve also been on the hunt for a 50 cal plus head for like a year and just got one 2 weeks ago!
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Cool. I have the combo version of this amp. It doesn't get as much use as it deserves. Now I'm inspired to fire it up again and master it. It is, as you point out, a bit tricky to dial in - and very loud.
Nice vid. I have a Boogie .22, very similar to this, that I've always hated tinkering with. After watching this I know that maybe it isn't just me. I'll pull it out of its case this evening an have another go at it.
I always loved this amp . Still have my old Mesa Boogie preamp and the 50/50 power amp . But they are not in use that much . I just love my boogie MK III blue stripe .
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A screenshot of the settings would be nice I’m trying to dial mine in , paid 650 many years ago and I’ve got a fresh set of 6L6s didn’t care for the sovtec 5881s it had in it . Great info tho I’ll try to get a screenshot and zoom in
Kyle…. I know u have had this thing listed for a while and I want it so bad! I’m down in Va and just haven’t had to chance to drive up to you and get it. Ive been dying to grab one of these man hahaha
I think that was a Marshall combo on the Whitesnake 87 album. There are video's here on youtube about it. If I remember correctly, ( and there is a huge chance Im wrong) Zakk Wylde ended up using the same amp a bit on NO REST FOR THE WICKED. It was the same producer in the studio who advocated for the use of that particular amp.
@@saltpeter7429 All good. To be fair Sykes did own a couple of JCM800s that were modded by the late Jose Arredondo. He used them on the last Thin Lizzy album with Phil Lynott and I think he might’ve used them on the second Blue Murder album.
@@seanyiscubsfan1 He did sound amazing, of that I am sure. Too bad Coverdale did him dirty and tried to not give him his due, I wonder what more that WHITESNAKE lineup could have created?
Greetings Kyle, I'm not 100% sure but have you, or have you considered doing demos of the old Ibanez solidstate heads? Like either of the Toneblaster series, or even the short lived Thermion Tube amp?
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I tell people all the time, my Mesa .50 Cal+ is a great bang for buck amp that can hang with anything. My fav Mark type amp, except for a 2C++. Clean channel is almost bf Fender. It's versatile, fun to play.
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I just remember the advertisement early in 90s Guitar magazine wild body combo coming celestion 90 down in the advertisement you can see price 1000 dollars.
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I owned one of these and a MKIII blue stripe (purchased because I liked the 50cal so much). I believe its extremely close to a MKIII preamp. The power section is less beefy (smaller transformers) on the 50 cal. I think theres one less volume off of one of the gain stages compared to the MKIII (rhythm2), so the 50cal is a bit easier to dial in. But overall its like a diet MKIII.
Hi, I have a 50 cal+ Is the fatness difference in sound very big between the cal 50+ and the MK III? Can it compete against a MK III or does it crush it?
@@belligerentamateur just heard it your Egnator Renegade review too, love it. Now do the Rise and Fall intro riff or find a great Cro-Mags Age of Quarrel riff!
Great amp. I use mine with Mesa vertical 2x12s with the metal grills. One has EV and the other has Black Shadow speakers. Amp has never let me down. Can sound great at low volumes because of the dual volume controls for the lead channel
Boogie needs to start offering the old style metal grills on their cabinets again especially the recto oversized even if it’s still got grill cloth behind it to tame the harsh high end of the v30s but those old cabs with the metal grills are the best looking guitar cabinets ever.
The old Mark cabs are atrocious to carry, but I love their compact size and the Mark series amp played through the Mark series cabs is a special treat. It's very rocking, not scooped, but way more percussive then you could ever dream of getting through the recto or even those 3/4 back road kings. There's something special about open back black shadows and closed EVs with those amps. You figure by the time they got to the Mark III They were definitely designing the amp specifically to that cab and it shows. I wish I knew someone with a Mark 5 or Petrucci to hear through my Mark cab.
I had the .50cal (non-plus I think?) variant back in the day. Great amp, I traded it off for something less-good in a fit of stupidity (don't remember what specifically). I would say "wish I still had it", but my house fire in 2020 burned up my gear at the time and it would have perished anyway. It sounds awesome in this video for sure!
Man that amp sounds great! There is a lot of complexity in the gain structure. Also the frustration with mark amps should result in punching through dry wall since your name is Kyle 😉
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Will this take EL34s??? I love a Mesa Mark IV, but it’s a fickle beast. My favorite way to use it is in tweed mode with EL34s and it gets this bad ass squishy tone that you can hear on most of the bayside albums.
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The tone stack is NOT before the lead circuit in these amps, look up some schematics to see for yourself. The lead circuit is the very first two gain stages. With that being said there is still some clipping happening later in the circuit so it's still not like a Marshall for instance with the tone stack at the very end of the preamp. Compared to a Mark series amp this tonestack has a lot less influence on the feel/gain structure of the amp and while some settings translate between the amps quite well (as it still is the same Fender tonestack essentially), some don't, In my opinion at least. I also think these sound a lot more grainy than a Mark (and many other amps), brighter and with far less bottom but the graphic EQ is the same which gives it some of that familiar Mark character. The looks suggest that it's just a stripped down Mark amp but that is not quite true. It has its own thing going on.
@@MetalHermit83 It's after the effects loop, right before the poweramp, so if you take the signal from the effects loop the graphic EQ has no function. This amp has a dedicated slave out though, you could use it to tap into the signal after the poweramp. Alternatively you could modify it with an output between the EQ out and the driver if you insist on taking signal from exactly that part. The Mark IIC+ had something like this called the pre/poweramp junction if I'm not mistaken, and the Mark IV again something similar but with additional circuitry doing a crude speaker and mic simulation which was called the recording out.
@@washingtonirving2137 is there any draw back to using the power amp slave out? Like mixing two Poweramp sections? And is it like level out or is it a full power amp signal?
@MetalHippie83 There is a slave level control knob and it covers a range around line/instrument level, so low power. If you run that signal through another poweramp there aren't really any inherent drawbacks, just a couple of things to look out for: 1) you must keep a correct load on the speaker out (as always, or almost always to be exact); 2) if the aim is to run this power section with some other, simultaneously powering two or more (two amps must not use the same speaker unit, same cabinet is fine if it has stereo inputs) speakers then you should ensure that signals are roughly in phase on the speakers, whether that will occur or not depends on the particular equipment and connections that you make, but there always is a way to ensure the signals do not cancel each other out in the low frequencies, where it's the most important. Still though, chances are high that the interference will be not constant throughout the frequency spectrum, which adds a new dimension to the art of adjusting your tone; 3) you keep the tonal coloration from the power section of the Caliber which you may or may not like. And I'm fairly sure that this coloration changes somewhat depending on what exactly the load on the speaker terminals is, so whether or not it's a purely resistive load or a real speaker or something yet different, but I have never tested that really.
@@washingtonirving2137 apparently the geq is before the fx out, just slaved my 50 cal+ from fx out to my marshall origin fx in and the GEQ does in fact affect the tone as it would normally. I wonder if mine was modded it's an old 89 version
Maybe it doesn't matter, but I'm randomly curious how you'd dial in an amp with a 1x12, 2x12, and a 4x12, all with the same type speaker, maybe same brand cabinet. I say this, cause I have a 2x12 Mesa. heh
Thanks Kyle for making me spend over 2 grand on the silver Jubilee 😂😂. Now I'm in the market for a 2x12 mesa cab that pair nicely with the head. Any suggestions??
Such a classic amp! Thanks for the video!
hi ola
Appreciate u
Hey Ola....waiting and looking forward to the next batch of A1.6FRCAR Sustainiac guitars. End of January?...February? Thx
Hola Ola🤘🤘
@belligerentamateur
@OlaEnglund
Can you guys do a comparaison in between C90 and V30 Open/closed ?
(If it's not a dumb question and already done).
Take care and have a great 2025 year full a tchugness guys.
Great and reliable amp, bought mine new in 1991 and still using it as my main amp today!
The year was 1989. I had worked my ass off working for the parks department cutting grass in our local parks to pay the bills for me and my new wife and to save up for my first tube amp to play in my band. That amp was a Mesa Boogie 50 Caliber+ through a Mesa 4x12 with their Black Shadow speakers, a couple pedals and it was a GLORIOUS tone. That put me on the path to never ending tone chasing. I didn’t have to chase much because I started off with a great tone. My tone was better than my playing! 😂
I have a 2X12 C90 Black shadow cabinet . I'm 57 and i will newer let it go until I die !! 😂
Was it the year the Caliber 50+ was released ?
DC-3 combo V1 owner in sept 1996 at 20 yo , after spending my summer picking apricots and peaches in the Rhône vallley. 1993 and DC-2 on the board.
Clean can crunch "à la SRV" with the gain and mid (boost) a 7.
Went over the 4x12" and Marshall rack of my other guit friend.
I think if you conceptualize the Mark Series style Eq being an Overdrive pedal and the 5 band Eq as being the amp tone stack, then makes them easier to dial in.
100%. The knobs are pre-EQ, the sliders are post-gain EQ like the B/M/T knobs on any other amp. This is so overlooked it blows my mind.
@@RX120D yeah I had no idea 😮
Pretty much why these style amps dont need OD or boost pedals. I've always felt mesa style amps as sounding better with no pedals what so ever
Exactly! Well said! Most people don't understand how to dial them in and approach the eq knobs as if they were the same as any other amp, but the EQ knobs are BEFORE the preamp section, so it's exactly as if it has a boost pedal in if you bump the input level, cut the bass/mids and bump the treble. Then use the 5 band GEQ as a normal EQ but typically the V shape is best for maximum brutality.
It's actually COC's rig from the 90's, this and a tube screamer. Pepper Keenan approved!
Was the Caliber 50+ used on Blind? I love that album....
@@mindspace696 blind is just awesome. Yes, the 50C was used on it with the EQ scooped (justice for all style). It was also used on deliverance (I saw the rig during a concert in 98)
@@AIBCustomFx, thanks for the info. Sometimes I feel like offloading my C50+, but that knowledge helps me stick with it. I may even fire it up today and see how the neighbours like it, lol. I sold a C50+ in the early 2000s, because it is tricky to dial in, but I always regretted the decision and so I picked up another a few years ago. I should work with it more often until I master it, I suppose.
@@mindspace696 oh yeah, C50 are weirdly wired in the Eq section but they're vintage and really good when you find the sweet spot (a boost/OD helps!) There's not many amps capable of that tight attack and texture. This amp is an flawed pearl but a pearl nonetheless! 😁
Wasn't this also used on the first Down record?
Keep reviewing these classic amps. There’s lots of us shopping for used amps that need to hear the older stuff, not just the new gear.
I have a Mark V and it literally has taken me years to figure out how to properly use it. The biggest thing I learned about "Mark ___" amps is that the treble and gain work together. The treble knob is really more of a saturation control than anything else, you shape your sound mostly with the graphic eq.
That's why you have the fabric pamphlet to set your ground , and it is a great beginning ! Try that and then move to the sound that you like !!
Mike B from boogie said...more treble equals more gain.
To me, this is about as iconic as it gets for thrash tones. Soon as I heard the tone in the intro, smiled from ear to ear. You know it when you hear it.
One of the most iconic EQ curves in history. There's just a mechanical aspect. It's just pick attack boost, the fundamental note, and detached girth/sub effect that doesn't interfere with said pick attack or fundamental. I'll never sell my Mark IV. I've got other Marks but the IV is the one without the liquid lead thing going on in spades if you just raise the center slider or (gasp!) bypass the graphic and run through dark speakers like G1265 or swamp thangs or the avatar/Fane 65's.
I like the way the mids on that amp sounded bumped all the way up on that amp. It has a very modern and a very prominent sound that i would compare to maybe even a 5150's blue channel. What's even crazier to me is that this is an amp that was made in the 80's/90's and is still tight and focused enough to keep up with today's amps.
The Mark series and then the interpretation of the same that became VHT's were pretty much ideal amps waiting for genres of music. So much richer harmonically. Like you can back down the gain much lower to make it percussive AF without being weak vs where you have to set it in a Marshall. Of you back off a marshal there's nothing left there tonality.
@16:22 Hells yeah! Life of Agony, Bad Seed!
@16:36
🎼 Am I to blame? 🎶
Played in a band back in the early 90’s and the other guitarist had one of these amps and it shredded. He had the matching 2x12 cabinet and it rocked bad ass
I had been on the hunt for a reasonably priced Mesa Boogie, something older. I got lucky a few months ago when someone offloaded two (2) Mesa Boogie Dual Caliber DC5 Combo Amps at the local GC that they used to play -- in stereo -- when they were gigging. Everything was included - manual, footswitch, cable, dust cover. I played through both of them and bought what I thought was the one in the best condition. WHAT A MONSTER! I just love how it sounds when it reaches saturation, and the clean is absolutely dreamy with a hollow body or semi-hollow body if you ever break from metal or chugging and noodle around with some rockabilly. For someone like me (who is just noodling and playing along to their favorites in a spare bedroom), it is awesome to get that gnarling tone at low volumes and the be able to break up with just a simple tap on a footswitch or roll on the volume knob. The user manual even came with recommended settings for their famous "scooped" mids. And, as I understand it, John Sykes (Deep Purple, Whitesnake, Blue Murder, etc.) just plugged his Gibson LP into a Mesa Boogie, fiddled a little bit with the EQ and volume between songs, and recorded all the crushing riffs that are embedded in our memories today...
John Sykes didnt play in Deep Purple and played a Mesa Mark III Coliseum 300W Head together with an old Marshall 4 holer. But I guess the Caliber should be in the same ballpark as the Mark amps, thats why I'lll probably pick one up
Great overview of a seriously underrated amp. Nice job explaining the difference between the knobs and sliders. Knowing that, you can dial in savage tones. Sub earned. \m/,
Honestly I prefer the metal tones on 50 cals to (some) marks. Cleans are pretty decent too. Hell of an amp glad I got mine for cheap
I don’t know if you guys have heard of them,but there was this band from Sweden named Meshuggah,and this is the amp they used on there album entitled “None”
This amp rips! I was not expecting this. Shouldn't have doubted a Mesa!!
My thrash band back in the 90s used them. a lot of bands were amazed we didn’t need pedals and plugged straight in. Then, the dual rectifier was released.
The 50 cal was my first big boy amp in the 80s and I haven't owned a better amp since.
Sounds great. Seems to be a lot more affordable than a Mark Series amp too. I'd totally consider one of these if I had more money.
13:17 right there, that right there made me want this amp.
These sound so much better than the dual recs.
You have to think of the EQ Knobs as your boost pedal and the GEQ is where the tone is shaped and where a V shape should be applied. So that means set the bass and mids at nearly zero, and boost the treble to nearly max. Sounds weird but that's how metallica got that sort of brutal chug out Mark 2c+ and mark 2c+ style amps with an EQ pedal in the FX loop. Ola Englund demonstrates this in the demo of the new mark 2c+.
This is literally exactly how I have it dialed for the entire video
I bought a new .50 caliber half stack around 1990. It was awesome.
Still have mine I bought new in 89-90. IMO one of the most underrated amps ever. I'm surprised you don't like it without the EQ, as I get some great sounds with EQ off. Bass 6, Mid 5, treble 5, try it.
Don't sell it, you'll be sorry.... :)
Dude, I love your facial expression at 5.42 - 5.44! 🙂It looks like "OK, I´m slightly scared of what´s to come, but probably it will be good". And it is! Also have this one and agree with most you said. The one thing where one can notice this was meant as a "budget" Mesa is the power amp section. Mesas typically sound way louder and powerful than their rating, but this one does not. The later DC-5 I had years ago was significantly more in your guts & face at identical power amp rating. The Caliber 50 struggles against our very loud drummer and it does not develop as much low end thrust as other Mesas I have had. I prefer smaller cabs due to portability, so it may be more noticeable than with a 4x12 recto which makes everything sound huge.
I have the combo of this. Great amp; it's staying with me.
Had a Subway Rocket with reverb that I sold and I wish I had that little puppy again.
That's the best sound I've heard on this channel yet. And was that was that a NOFX tune in there? Something from S and M Airlines maybe?
Man that sounds killer...even without boost...
I played the combo version for a decade, played a lot of clubs on the Sunset strip in the late 80s, early 90s with it. That amp absolutely rocked. It could also power my Marshall 4x12 cab just fine. But I just used it as a combo for gigs and it was more than adequate. I preferred it to the Mark III because it had a more organic, Marshall kind of tone and was also lighter. I didn't need three channels anyways. The Mark series give me a headache and I never liked the Rectos.
If you get to try one again try the clean stuff with a good chorus in the FX loop. Great stuff.
i just ordered a mesa DC3 for a side project im starting im so excited to finally have a mesa!!
Tell me what you liked and what not
I really like your tests mate!
Very good job!
I just bought one and I am hyped getting my first amp from a large reputable brand. Ive always used bugera 6260 and 6262 the past 15 years. I love those but they are so heavy and 120watt is waaaaay to much oumph
Played in a band in the 90’s with a guitarist that used one of these. Things a beast 👍👍
Best amp demos. You do what we would do. Turn the knobs and see what happens. Great job
That’s like a perfect sound 🤘🏼
Your channel is the no.1 I go to for tone chasing new gear. It's awesome!👌
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Guitarist I used to play with had the 112 combo version of this, that thing was the best!!! Very light and small, other guitarists used to go "You're going on stage with that little thing?" Until he cranked it and made their ears bleed.
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My favorite rhythm guitar tone ever is this amp on Meshuggah None ep
Every once in a while here it sounds juuuuust like Puppets, pretty sick. I used to use one of these in the 90’s in rehearsal studios, great amp.
Finally someone is giving good value to this underrated, affordable & not easy to find (specifically in Europe) amp!
The Caliber 50+ is my 2nd Mesa .. luckily I could find it as a combo 2 months ago then after few weeks I found other combo. Now I have 2 Mesa Caliber 50+ combos. I love that amp & i boost it with Maxon OD808!
Few days ago I paired it with my Engl 4x12 pro.. man sounds so damn cool!
Now im totally convinced to convert one of these 2 combos to head!
There is one for sale in Spain, a head.
@Steve Stevens Yes, saw it but I'm converting mine already! 😊
@@omarheavy2009 Why concert? Isn’t it easier to grab that one?
@Steve Stevens in general, all my collection is about heads .. except dc-5 will keep it combo. Why I'm converting it because I paired it on 4x12 Engl pro. the sound was quite different & awesome
And to he honest, what the guy is asking more than the double of what I paid on mine!
@@omarheavy2009 oh I see, my friend!
Love that Phoenix.
I got the EII Phoenix.
I used to own a Mark IV, I´ve sold it, because I´ve wanted to buy an Engl Savage 120 Mk1... The Engl was a decent sounding, ultratight and awesome sounding highgain-monster, but nothin´ can beat a Mark IV, imho! I regret it, that I´ve sold the Mark IV! For me as a Mark-series fanboy, the Caliber 50 sounds incredible! Thx Kyle, awesome video!
Great video! Where do you have the Lead Master and Master knobs set? I find it gets much flubbier with the Master above 3.
That leeway riff was perfect
yes! Glad someone else caught that!
You have a really good tone in this video! Lots more clarity and loudness. I can hear the guitar tone very well! 🤘
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I'm digging the LTD Phoenix. I had the base a few years back and loved the look. I may have to purchase the guitar now.
@GeraldHuston1000 What giveaway?
So glad I found this vid, good to see heavy tones. Is this head and the DC5 combo the same or are there differences?
Quite different
Great demo. I've got one of these as a 1x12 combo that I have had for many years. I've got some crackling issues in the reverb circuit I probably need to get it looked at. It is so loud and man is it heavy .
i love my old dc 10, it just kills boosted, run it with a 92 dual rec and a marshall tsl 100 through a mesa 412 ,and 2 412 marshall jcm900 cabs ,all loaded with mesa vintage 30s! unfucenreal!!!!!!!!!!!!
Weird. I literally found your channel maybe 2 months ago and I’ve binge watched all of the amp demos, but I’ve also been on the hunt for a 50 cal plus head for like a year and just got one 2 weeks ago!
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There are couple on Reverb at the moment. Go get em!
Cool. I have the combo version of this amp. It doesn't get as much use as it deserves. Now I'm inspired to fire it up again and master it. It is, as you point out, a bit tricky to dial in - and very loud.
@@Nice-Me-New_Rockstars_Page goddamn shut up
Nice vid. I have a Boogie .22, very similar to this, that I've always hated tinkering with. After watching this I know that maybe it isn't just me. I'll pull it out of its case this evening an have another go at it.
I always loved this amp . Still have my old Mesa Boogie preamp and the 50/50 power amp . But they are not in use that much . I just love my boogie MK III blue stripe .
I’m actually gonna get one in a combo for my son , stoked
I have this head its in the shop but looking forward to the sick tones coming
Merry Christmas and Happy new year Kyle!!! 🥂🎉🥂🎉🥂
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Just bought a Studio Series combo without the EQ. Sounds unreal through my 4x12.
kyle!!! that sounded killer my brother, cheers!!!
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This amp sounds wonderful once you mic it up and pan it hard L and R. I use tons of mids and 2 different mics.
With the combo two microphones? We’re do you ste de mike’s on the edge of the speaker?
@@nicostreutker8397 Greenback and V30. SM57 and CAD condenser. Edge of cone
A screenshot of the settings would be nice I’m trying to dial mine in , paid 650 many years ago and I’ve got a fresh set of 6L6s didn’t care for the sovtec 5881s it had in it . Great info tho I’ll try to get a screenshot and zoom in
Kyle…. I know u have had this thing listed for a while and I want it so bad! I’m down in Va and just haven’t had to chance to drive up to you and get it. Ive been dying to grab one of these man hahaha
Do you think this would nail John Sykes tones ala 1987 Whitesnake and Blue Murder? The prices on Mark III coliseum are nuts.
I think that was a Marshall combo on the Whitesnake 87 album. There are video's here on youtube about it. If I remember correctly, ( and there is a huge chance Im wrong) Zakk Wylde ended up using the same amp a bit on NO REST FOR THE WICKED. It was the same producer in the studio who advocated for the use of that particular amp.
@@saltpeter7429 No it wasn’t. It was a Mesa Mark III Coliseum. He also used them on the first Blue Murder record.
@@seanyiscubsfan1 see,? I told you I could be wrong!
@@saltpeter7429 All good. To be fair Sykes did own a couple of JCM800s that were modded by the late Jose Arredondo. He used them on the last Thin Lizzy album with Phil Lynott and I think he might’ve used them on the second Blue Murder album.
@@seanyiscubsfan1 He did sound amazing, of that I am sure. Too bad Coverdale did him dirty and tried to not give him his due, I wonder what more that WHITESNAKE lineup could have created?
Wow one of the best sounding amps you’ve demoed!
I played through a 50 cal that was modded and it really was a beast!
the sound of down and coc ... since fluff made a demo of this years and years ago i wanted one
Greetings Kyle, I'm not 100% sure but have you, or have you considered doing demos of the old Ibanez solidstate heads? Like either of the Toneblaster series, or even the short lived Thermion Tube amp?
Engl makes a combo from late 80 early 90 ....that got that great crunch too
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I tell people all the time, my Mesa .50 Cal+ is a great bang for buck amp that can hang with anything. My fav Mark type amp, except for a 2C++. Clean channel is almost bf Fender. It's versatile, fun to play.
Hey! Cool vid 👍 video idea: a video on the Mesa 2x12 that's been in the bg?
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@@Nice-Me-New_Rockstars_Page thanks but I'll think I'll pass, "Kyle"
I love the Mark series. And of course they sound best through a Mesa cab.
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I just remember the advertisement early in 90s Guitar magazine wild body combo coming celestion 90 down in the advertisement you can see price 1000 dollars.
@mondayokon8255 Hey
AMPS! That intro tone was immense!
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2 years ago had one, great sound, great cleans but rare...
Sounds fucking huge. Going to keep an eye out for one of these.
I owned one of these and a MKIII blue stripe (purchased because I liked the 50cal so much). I believe its extremely close to a MKIII preamp. The power section is less beefy (smaller transformers) on the 50 cal. I think theres one less volume off of one of the gain stages compared to the MKIII (rhythm2), so the 50cal is a bit easier to dial in. But overall its like a diet MKIII.
Hi, I have a 50 cal+
Is the fatness difference in sound very big between the cal 50+ and the MK III? Can it compete against a MK III or does it crush it?
@@Madsher The MKIII punches a lot harder and has more headroom. Its 'felt' more, if that makes sense.
Here we freaking go dude!
Whoa was there some Leeway in there????
absolutely was!
@@belligerentamateur just heard it your Egnator Renegade review too, love it. Now do the Rise and Fall intro riff or find a great Cro-Mags Age of Quarrel riff!
Great amp. I use mine with Mesa vertical 2x12s with the metal grills. One has EV and the other has Black Shadow speakers. Amp has never let me down. Can sound great at low volumes because of the dual volume controls for the lead channel
Boogie needs to start offering the old style metal grills on their cabinets again especially the recto oversized even if it’s still got grill cloth behind it to tame the harsh high end of the v30s but those old cabs with the metal grills are the best looking guitar cabinets ever.
@@brandonjackson5865 would be cool to see Mesa do some sort of retro line.
The old Mark cabs are atrocious to carry, but I love their compact size and the Mark series amp played through the Mark series cabs is a special treat. It's very rocking, not scooped, but way more percussive then you could ever dream of getting through the recto or even those 3/4 back road kings. There's something special about open back black shadows and closed EVs with those amps. You figure by the time they got to the Mark III They were definitely designing the amp specifically to that cab and it shows. I wish I knew someone with a Mark 5 or Petrucci to hear through my Mark cab.
@@brandonjackson5865 I would like to see them with the treadplate armor added to boot. The armored recto cabs look sick.
@@John-mh9ty sadly, the vertical 2x12 Mark series cabs weigh about as much as my Peavey 4x12. But that’s one of the reasons they sound so good.
Fuuuuuudge I'll have to check this one later. Recently saw a 50 caliber combo online for not that much and was curious about it
I had the .50cal (non-plus I think?) variant back in the day. Great amp, I traded it off for something less-good in a fit of stupidity (don't remember what specifically). I would say "wish I still had it", but my house fire in 2020 burned up my gear at the time and it would have perished anyway. It sounds awesome in this video for sure!
What’s the difference between the caliber 50+ and the caliber 50
I'd love to see this channel do the whole 'sound like' *insert band/guitarist here. Especially withe array of amplifiers in your collection!
Lambchoppers and Josh Middleton do great videos like that
The smile on my face when you started riffing Leeway!!! 7:48
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Man that amp sounds great! There is a lot of complexity in the gain structure. Also the frustration with mark amps should result in punching through dry wall since your name is Kyle 😉
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I have 2 of these best amp I ever owned for live sound a little quite for big stage but best tone live
Will this take EL34s???
I love a Mesa Mark IV, but it’s a fickle beast. My favorite way to use it is in tweed mode with EL34s and it gets this bad ass squishy tone that you can hear on most of the bayside albums.
I could be wrong but I believe the earlier non + version had 34's but also no graphic EQ.
Hey Kyle, What Mesa Cab are you running this through? The Mesa Rectifier Traditional, or Standard 4x12?
Always wanted one! Amazing tone man.
the amp sounds great with the 5 band EQ unengaged, what are you talking about
Like the tuning preference.. but the c# gotta be in my tuning range ....
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Looking forward to the Obsidian video.
Man I miss my old DC5
The tone stack is NOT before the lead circuit in these amps, look up some schematics to see for yourself. The lead circuit is the very first two gain stages. With that being said there is still some clipping happening later in the circuit so it's still not like a Marshall for instance with the tone stack at the very end of the preamp. Compared to a Mark series amp this tonestack has a lot less influence on the feel/gain structure of the amp and while some settings translate between the amps quite well (as it still is the same Fender tonestack essentially), some don't, In my opinion at least. I also think these sound a lot more grainy than a Mark (and many other amps), brighter and with far less bottom but the graphic EQ is the same which gives it some of that familiar Mark character. The looks suggest that it's just a stripped down Mark amp but that is not quite true. It has its own thing going on.
You know where the geq is in the circuit? Do you still have use of it if you slave out to another amp using the fx send?
@@MetalHermit83 It's after the effects loop, right before the poweramp, so if you take the signal from the effects loop the graphic EQ has no function. This amp has a dedicated slave out though, you could use it to tap into the signal after the poweramp.
Alternatively you could modify it with an output between the EQ out and the driver if you insist on taking signal from exactly that part. The Mark IIC+ had something like this called the pre/poweramp junction if I'm not mistaken, and the Mark IV again something similar but with additional circuitry doing a crude speaker and mic simulation which was called the recording out.
@@washingtonirving2137 is there any draw back to using the power amp slave out? Like mixing two Poweramp sections? And is it like level out or is it a full power amp signal?
@MetalHippie83 There is a slave level control knob and it covers a range around line/instrument level, so low power. If you run that signal through another poweramp there aren't really any inherent drawbacks, just a couple of things to look out for: 1) you must keep a correct load on the speaker out (as always, or almost always to be exact); 2) if the aim is to run this power section with some other, simultaneously powering two or more (two amps must not use the same speaker unit, same cabinet is fine if it has stereo inputs) speakers then you should ensure that signals are roughly in phase on the speakers, whether that will occur or not depends on the particular equipment and connections that you make, but there always is a way to ensure the signals do not cancel each other out in the low frequencies, where it's the most important. Still though, chances are high that the interference will be not constant throughout the frequency spectrum, which adds a new dimension to the art of adjusting your tone; 3) you keep the tonal coloration from the power section of the Caliber which you may or may not like. And I'm fairly sure that this coloration changes somewhat depending on what exactly the load on the speaker terminals is, so whether or not it's a purely resistive load or a real speaker or something yet different, but I have never tested that really.
@@washingtonirving2137 apparently the geq is before the fx out, just slaved my 50 cal+ from fx out to my marshall origin fx in and the GEQ does in fact affect the tone as it would normally. I wonder if mine was modded it's an old 89 version
Sounds better than dual rec
Subbed strictly for the crooked camera
Such a FUCKING GREAT Amp which i Feel Fell under the Radar...BUT... GOOD FOR US Who had ( OR HAS) one !!!!!!!!!!! 🤘🤘 STILL have one !!!!!
Hi. Whats the year of your amp? Thanks
Maybe it doesn't matter, but I'm randomly curious how you'd dial in an amp with a 1x12, 2x12, and a 4x12, all with the same type speaker, maybe same brand cabinet. I say this, cause I have a 2x12 Mesa. heh
anyone know the riff from 12:58 ?
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Thanks Kyle for making me spend over 2 grand on the silver Jubilee 😂😂. Now I'm in the market for a 2x12 mesa cab that pair nicely with the head. Any suggestions??