Mesa Engineering Fillmore 50 1x12 combo

first play
25
november 2018 Guitarist
MESA ENGINEERING FILLMORE 50 1X12 COMBO
Duncan Alnico Pro IIs, the other a stock
USA ’63 reissue). The Fillmore 50’s lower
gain clean voice has the sparkling treble and
buttery midrange scoop of classic Blackface
tone, flattering to single coils but creating
real magic with PAF-style humbuckers.
At around one o’clock on the gain control,
there’s a subtle drive and smoky midrange
lift, with more of a tweed character that’s
outstanding for jazz, blues and roots genres
and really sings at high volume. The Drive
voice adds a forceful edge to this sound,
creating a more aggressive tone that sits
well for Texas blues lead and rhythm parts.
The Fillmore’s Hi lead tone is a
magnificent modern take on the smoother
lead sounds of the late Mark I and early
Mark II Boogie, packed with layer upon
layer of smouldering harmonic bite,
changing emphasis and colour depending
on how hard you hit the strings (and
sustaining what seems like forever at higher
gain settings). It’s Santana, early Larry
Carlton, Knopfler, Keith Richards and
much more. Every guitar we plugged in
sang through this channel.
The Fillmore’s reverb also deserves a
special mention. It’s remarkably free of
the noise and splatter that often affects
many spring reverb effects. A warm natural
ambience at lower settings, it turns into
a deep cavern at full power, but without
overpowering the guitar.
Verdict
The Fillmore 50’s classic Boogie-inspired
tones are full of spine-tingling nostalgia yet
manage to sound fresh and contemporary,
with exceptional range from a simple
control panel layout that makes dialling in
any guitar intuitive, rewarding and, above
all, great fun.
Our only small reservation is that for
some lower gain stuff, the Fillmore could
do with a little more volume, perhaps
making an extension cabinet necessary for
some players. Stick the gains up around
12 o’clock, though, and it’s definitely loud
enough. Still, if we’re being really picky, it
would have been nice to see a footswitch for
that effects loop.
The Fillmore 50’s price tag may cause
a sharp intake of breath for some, but we
think it’s justified. You’re getting a top-
drawer amp that’s aimed at professional
and dedicated amateur players, with build
quality, tone and creative potential to last a
lifetime (at around half the cost of a decent
custom shop guitar). Has Mesa just made
your perfect amp?
3. The Fillmore 50’s classic
valve-powered spring
reverb is exceptionally
smooth and quiet, with
plenty of range. It can be
foot-switched from the
rear panel if needed
4. Like some classic
Boogie amps, the
Fillmore 50 has a
single input jack and
a footswitch jack
underneath it for
changing channels.
Great tone comes
as standard; the
Fillmore 50 features the
legendary Boogie badge
on the speaker grille
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MESA ENGINEERING
FILLMORE 50 1X12
COMBO
PRICE: £2,175
ORIGIN: USA
TYPE: All-valve preamp and
power amp
OUTPUT: 50/25W RMS
VALVES: 5x 12AX7, 2x 6L6
DIMENSIONS: 475 (h) x 520 (w) x
220mm
WEIGHT (kg/lb): 18/40
CABINET: Birch ply
LOUDSPEAKER: 1 x 12” Mesa/
Celestion Black Shadow C-90
CHANNELS: 2
CONTROLS: Gain, bass, mid, treble,
presence, reverb, master volume,
voice switch x2, output power select,
channel select
FOOTSWITCH: Single-button
footswitch changes channels,
optional second footswitch toggles
reverb effect
ADDITIONAL FEATURES: Extension
speaker outlets, series effects loop
OPTIONS: A matching 1x12
extension cabinet costs £575
RANGE OPTIONS: The Fillmore 50
head sells for £1,899, with a 2x12
extension cabinet at £845
Westside Distribution
0141 248 4812
www.mesaboogie.com
PROS Superlative, vintage Boogie-
inspired low-to-medium gain tone;
exceptionally smooth reverb
CONS It’s not quite as loud as we
were expecting for a 50-watter;
it’s relatively expensive, especially
if you need the extra punch of an
extension cabinet
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VIDEO DEMO http://bit.ly/guitaristextra
GIT439.rev_mesa.indd 25 10/4/18 11:46 AM