MESA BOOGIE Series 2 Owner's Manual
Hello from the Tone Farm ...You, smart player and all around intuitive human, have put your trust in us to be your amplifier company. This is something we do not take lightly. By purchasing and choosing this unit to be a part of your musical voice, you have become part of the MESA family...WELCOME! Our goal is to never let you down. Your reward is that you are now the owner of a great amp, bred of fine all tube amp heritage...
Series 2 TABLE OF CONTENTS Precautions OVERVIEW INSTANT GRATIFICATION (2 DEMONSTRATION SETTINGS) CHANNEL / MODE SELECT CHANNEL 1: CLEAN & PUSHED CHANNEL 2: RAW, VINTAGE & MODERN 1/2 2 3 3/4 CONTROLS GAIN TREBLE MIDDLE BASS PRESENCE REVERB (Rect-o-Verb Combo & Heads only) MASTER OUTPUT CONTROL SOLO CONTROL 4/5 5 5/6 6 6 6 7 7 8 TOGGLE SWITCHES STANDBY POWER 8 8 REAR PANEL CONTROLS, SWITCHES & JACKS SLAVE OUT SPEAKERS BIAS SELECT FX LOOP: Send & Return EXTERNAL SWITCHING CHANNEL SELECT TOGGLE FUSE AC R
PRECAUTIONS & WARNINGS Your MESA/Boogie Amplifier is a professional instrument. Please treat it with respect and operate it properly. USE COMMON SENSE AND ALWAYS OBSERVE THESE PRECAUTIONS: WARNING: EU: permission from the Supply Authority is needed before connection. WARNING: Vacuum tube amplifiers generate heat. To insure proper ventilation always make certain there is at least four inches (100mm) of space behind the rear of the amplifier cabinet. Keep away from curtains or any flammable objects.
Series 2 Operating Instructions OVERVIEW: Congratulations on your choice of the SINGLE RECTIFIER 50 Series 2 amplifier. You have purchased a handbuilt instrument of the finest quality and craftsmanship. A unique blend of yesteryears’ black magic power section design combined with our race-shop approach to finely tuned, high gain pre-amp circuitry leaves the RECT-O 50 Series 2 standing alone...instantly a classic destined for vintage status.
FRONT PANEL: First familiarize yourself with the layout of the Front Panel. Next, remove the footswitch from the transport pouch located inside the cabinet ( combo ) and connect it to the proper jack. RECT-O-VERB Series 2 amplifiers use a DIN jack located on the underside of the chassis’s outer edge. Labeling which reads FOOTSWITCH SOCKET BELOW should help you locate the jack. SOLO 50 HEAD Series 2 amplifiers have their DIN Jack located on the Rear Panel proper. (See illustration at the bottom of this page).
CHANNEL / MODE SELECT: Each channel of your amplifier contains different modes of operation that may be selected depending on your application. In this way you may decide to use the channels for their most obvious sounds or with the flick of a switch - invert the channels for the opposite sound style. The voicing of the modes is accomplished by rerouting and reconfiguring the circuit in both pre-amp and power sections of the amplifier.
CHANNEL / MODE SELECT: (Continued) MODERN: Aggressive. This is the word that best describes the menacing power of the RECT-OS’ most rebellious of all modes. A take no prisoners, crushing assault of top end cut and lightning fast response creates a sound of unparalleled aggression that has set a new standard for hard core sounds. The added tightness of the low end response combined with the radically more present top end keeps the MODERN mode tracking accurately even at extreme gain settings.
CONTROLS: (Continued) 2.) GAIN - In conjunction with the Tone Controls - Basically, a simple rule applies...as the Gain is increased the Tone control string has less and less effect on the signal until at 5:00 the signal is so saturated that you are getting mostly Gain and very little Tone. Again, this is the reason we suggest using the GAIN Control in its middle region. Here the Tone control string is very active and provides maximum shaping power - allowing you to dial virtually any sound you desire.
CONTROLS: (Continued) As Channel 1’s MIDDLE Control is swept past 1:00, it quickly starts to add gain in these midrange frequencies adding cut and punch. As the top end of the control is reached, ( 3:00 - 5:00 ) it becomes an additional gain control capable of taking both CLEAN and PUSHED modes to extremes. Experiment with this cranked region in conjunction with conservative settings of the other tone controls to balance both sound and feel.
CONTROLS: (Continued) MASTER: This control is the master feed from the end of the pre-amp to the driver stage and the Effects Loop. As you can see each Channel is fitted with its own MASTER Control, enabling the two channels relative volumes to be matched regardless of their extremely different sound styles and gain signatures.
CONTROLS: (Continued) SOLO: This control can only be activated if the correct Footswitch is connected to the Footswitch DIN jack. SOLO is an additional final output level control wired in parallel with the OUTPUT Control. It is capable of a setting above that of the OUTPUT Control and can not be set below. The amount of apparent boost also depends on that of the OUTPUT Control - in that if the amplifier is at either the extreme low or extreme high levels of the OUTPUT, its effectiveness is minimized.
REAR PANEL: SINGLE RECTIFIER SERIES 2 SOLO HEAD ALL TUBE AMPLIFIER HANDMADE IN PETALUMA, CALIF USA PATENTED 4,211,000 & OTHERS PENDING FOR SOLO, MUTE & LOOP CONFIGURATION FX LOOP SPEAKERS SLAVE FX MIX BIAS SWITCH RETURN EXT. SWITCHING SEND SOLO CHANNEL FOOT CHANNEL 1 FUSE EL34 FUSE 6L6 10% 4 OHM 4 OHM OUT 8 OHM (TO EXT. PWR AMP) CAUTION SWITCH MUST MATCH TUBES IN USE 90 % WARNING: To reduce risk of fire or CAUTION: To reduce risk of fire or electric shock, do not remove cover.
REAR PANEL: (Continued) BIAS SELECT: (Continued) chording or soloing, to an all out high gain crunch or lead sound. Players that use mostly these types of sounds may prefer the EL34 clip to the 6L6’s that come standard in the new RECT-O 50 amplifiers. If you need a variety of sounds and rely on a clean chording sound much of the time, you will likely prefer the stock compliment of 6L6’s that both of these two versions are fitted with.
REAR PANEL: (Continued) CHANNEL SELECT: This switch simply allows you to switch between the two channels (CHANNEL 1 and CHANNEL 2) without using the Channel Select Footswitch or, when one is not available. To use the footswitch however, the Channel Select switch must be in the (up) position. CHANNEL 1 CHANNEL 2 SET TO CHANNEL 1 TO USE FOOTSWITCH FUSE: This is the A.C.’s (Alternating Current) main fuse and provides protection from outside A .C. fluctuations as well as power tube failure damage.
FACTORY SAMPLE SETTINGS HEAD HEAD VERSION VERSION SHOWN SHOWN SAMPLE 1 Sparkling Clean CLEAN CH1 MASTER SOLO OUTPUT PRESENCE BASS MID TREBLE GAIN CH2 PUSHED V I N T A G E RAW INPUT MODERN SAMPLE 2 Pushed Bluesy Rhythm / Solo: Both Channels CLEAN CH1 MASTER SOLO OUTPUT SAMPLE 3 PRESENCE BASS MID TREBLE GAIN CH2 PUSHED V I N T A G E RAW INPUT MODERN Blues Lead: Both Channels CLEAN CH1 MASTER SOLO PRESENCE BASS MID TREBLE PUSHED GAIN V I N T A G E OUTPUT CH2 RAW INPUT MOD
FACTORY SAMPLE SETTINGS COMBO VERSION SHOWN SAMPLE 1 Sparkling Clean CLEAN CH1 PUSHED INPUT GAIN RAW TREBLE V I N T A G E MODERN BASS MID PRESENCE MASTER OUTPUT CH2 SAMPLE 2 Pushed Bluesy Rhythm / Solo: Both Channels CLEAN CH1 PUSHED INPUT GAIN RAW MODERN SAMPLE 3 TREBLE BASS MID PRESENCE MASTER V I N T A G E CH2 OUTPUT Blues Lead: Both Channels CLEAN CH1 PUSHED INPUT RAW MODERN GAIN V I N T A G E TREBLE BASS MID PRESENCE MASTER CH2 OUTPUT SAMPLE 4 High Gain Lead / C
PERSONAL SETTINGS PAGE HEAD VERSION SHOWN SOUND 1 CLEAN CH1 MASTER SOLO OUTPUT PRESENCE BASS MID TREBLE GAIN CH2 V I N T A G E PUSHED RAW INPUT MODERN SOUND 2 CLEAN CH1 MASTER SOLO OUTPUT PRESENCE BASS MID TREBLE GAIN CH2 V I N T A G E PUSHED RAW INPUT MODERN SOUND 3 CLEAN CH1 MASTER SOLO OUTPUT PRESENCE BASS MID TREBLE GAIN CH2 V I N T A G E PUSHED RAW INPUT MODERN SOUND 4 CLEAN CH1 MASTER SOLO OUTPUT PRESENCE BASS CH2 PAGE 14 MID TREBLE GAIN V I N T A
PERSONAL SETTINGS PAGE COMBO VERSION SHOWN SOUND 1 CLEAN PUSHED INPUT V I N T A G MODERN E RAW CH1 GAIN TREBLE MID BASS PRESENCE MASTER OUTPUT SOLO OUTPUT SOLO OUTPUT SOLO OUTPUT SOLO CH2 SOUND 2 CLEAN PUSHED INPUT V I N T A G MODERN E RAW CH1 GAIN TREBLE MID BASS PRESENCE MASTER CH2 SOUND 3 CLEAN PUSHED INPUT V I N T A G MODERN E RAW CH1 GAIN TREBLE MID BASS PRESENCE MASTER CH2 SOUND 4 CLEAN PUSHED INPUT V I N T A G MODERN E RAW CH1 GAIN TREBLE MID BASS
RECT-O-VERB / SOLO 50 TUBE TASK CHART V2 A B V3 A B V4 A B V5 12AX7 V1 A B 6L6 A B REAR OF CHASSIS (HEAD VERSION) NOTE: POWER TUBES ARE HOT ! BEFORE CHANGING TUBES TURN POWER SWITCH TO OFF AND LET COOL OR USE A RAG FOR PROTECTION.
SPEAKER IMPEDANCE MATCHING & HOOK-UP GUIDE: IMPEDANCE: Wiring up speakers to provide the most effective load and making sure that all of them are in phase will help in creating the best sound possible. This is not too difficult, as long as you understand a few things about loading and how to connect your speakers to provide an optimal resistive load. MESA/Boogie amplifiers can handle 4 and 8 ohms effectively.
SPEAKER IMPEDANCE MATCHING & HOOK-UP GUIDE: (Continued) PARALLEL: When wiring in parallel, the resistance of the speakers decreases. Two 8 ohm speakers wired in ( hooked-up ) Parallel results in a 4 ohm load. It’s easy to calculate the effect of a resistive load when all the speakers are all the same resistance. It is really not suggested to wire different resistive load values in Parallel ( 8 and 4, 16 and 8 etc.
WIRING SCHEMES...
6 WIRING SCHEMES...
WIRING SCHEMES...
WIRING SCHEMES...
TUBE NOISE & MICROPHONICS: You may occasionally experience some form of tube noise or microphonics. Certainly no cause for alarm, this quirky behavior comes with the territory and the Tone. Much like changing a light bulb, you don’t need a technician to cure these types of minor user serviceable annoyances and in fact, you’ll be amazed at how easy it is to cure tube problems...
DIAGNOSING PRE-AMP TUBE PROBLEMS: Because your amplifier is an all tube design, it is quite possible that you will at some point experience minor pre-amp tube noise. Rest assured - this is no cause for alarm and you can take care of the problem yourself in a matter of minutes by simply swapping tubes. Let us begin by saying; It is a “very good” idea to keep at least a couple of spare pre-amp tubes on hand at all times to insure uninterrupted performance.
BIAS ADJUSTMENT: (Part of a continuing series) An Article written by Randall Smith that we thought you might find interesting. CATHODE ( ) GRID ( , ) SCREEN GRID ( ) Here’s a question we often hear: “Why doesn’t Mesa put bias adjustments in their amplifiers?” BEAMCONFINING ELECTRODE ( ) .. ..... . ... . ... .. ... PLATE ( , ) Structure of a 6L6 / 5881 Beam Power Pentode. Well, there’s a short answer and a long answer to this question.
BIAS ADJUSTMENT: (Continued) control grids. Voltage and current are NOT the same. Current is the AMOUNT of electricity, the “quantity” — and is measured in amperes. Voltage is the degree of electric charge — like the “pressure” to use the old water analogy. Let me illustrate how different voltage and current are: When you scrape your feet across a carpeted floor in dry, wintery conditions, your body can become charged with 50,000 to 100,000 volts of static electricity.
BIAS ADJUSTMENT: (Continued) Again, this has some merit .. but it’s still not as good as using tubes that are matched in the first place because compensating for the mis-match causes the push-pull circuit itself to become unbalanced. Two wrongs don’t really make a right. Some of the other recommended biasing, “methods” — such as -”.. tubes running red hot, increase the bias .. sounds harsh and runs too cool, turn it down ...” are guesswork at best.
ON TRIODES, PENTODES & IRISHMEN: With apologies to Friends and Relatives from the Emerald Isle - who will make their appearance soon enough - the humor which follows is dedicated to the memories of Spec McAuliff and Fae (Rafael) McNally, two of the True Greats. As their numerical references suggest, the terms Diode, Triode and Pentode indicate the number of elements within the vacuum tube i.e. two, three or five. All tubes also require a filament or heater which is not included in the count.
ON TRIODES, PENTODES & IRISHMEN: (Continued) Thus a diode tube - one with a cathode and an anode - is mostly used to rectify alternating current into direct current by passing it without restriction, but in one direction only. This also explains why closing time is strictly enforced at Irish pubs: During normal operation, the traffic flow is similarly unimpeded and uni-directional toward the bar and this process rectifies the work-day negativity.
PENTODES: (Continued) Thus the proper cocktail waitress - visible through the louvers - is scantily clad so as to be all the more effective at reinforcing the attractive influence of her bar and by being located in between the door and the bar, she serves as bait to lure customers past the door’s negative influence.
BIAS SWITCH SWITCH MUST MATCH TUBES IN USE EL34 SWITCH pt# 602000 SOLO POT # 590148 OUTPUT POT # 590148 CH 1 CH 2 LENS pt # 703300 FX LOOP RETURN MASTER POT # 590738 POT # 590151 PRESENCE POT # 590737 POT # 590739 BASS POT # 590148 POT # 590737 MID POT # 590378 POT # 590738 TREBLE POT # 590148 POT # 590794 GAIN POT # 590792 SWITCH pt # 607111 CLEAN V PUSHED I RAW N T A G E MODERN JACK pt # 610120 INPUT SWITCH pt # 607313 NOTE: CHASSIS PARTS AND THEIR RESPECTIVE NUMBERS ARE
Thank you for trusting MESA/Boogie to be your amplifier company. We wish you many years of toneful enjoyment from this handbuilt all tube instrument.
The Spirit of Art in Technology 1317 Ross Street Petaluma, CA 94954 USA Phone: (707) 778-6565 Fax: (707) 765-1503 09/18/06
