Ever wished for an amp with a 100 watt punch, but with the size and portability of a small practice amp?  Then the Mesa Boogie may be the end of your search.  The basic Boogie is a tube-type 60-watt unit in a package only a shade larger than the familiar Fender Princeton, small enough to make an easy fit on the front seat of a Volkswagen.  One of the many options available is a 100-watt version in the same cabinet.  And small though it is, the cabinet can accommodate a single 12" speaker of your choice.  If desired, the same amp may be ordered in a slightly larger cabinet, which can hold a 15" speaker.

    Much attention has been focused on the Boogie amp lately, probably as a result of its popularity with so many influential guitarists (for instance, see Mahavishnu John McLaughlin's comments in the Feb. '75 issue of GP).  Until now, it has been difficult for many people to get information about it or even find out how to buy one.  This mystery may be explained by the fact that the Boogies are built in limited numbers by designer Randall Smith and his wife, in a tiny factory at their home in Lagunitas, California.  Each amp is custom-made and tested by Smith--therefore they must be ordered directly from him and are not distributed through music stores.

    The Boogie amps are loaded with unusual features.  The cabinet of the standard model is made of Tolex-covered pine, but may be ordered in a choice of five hardwoods and assembled with dove-tailed joints as an option.  The grill cloth on the special cabinets is made of wicker caning, creating an attractive contrast with the darker woods, and a classy alternative to the usual metallic-thread grill material.  The grill cloth is mounted on a frame, which can be removed with four screws.  Underneath, the speaker is front-mounted, unique in a small amp, making rapid on-stage speaker replacement easy.

    If the 100-watt option is chosen, the Boogie will come wired with a power switch.  One position of this switch allows 100-watt use, while the other position disables two of the four power tubes, for 60-watt operation, because even the best I2" speakers can safely handle only 100 watts maximum, or less.  And if an amplifier is rated at 100 watts at clipping, then it may put out 150 or more watts when pushed to extremes of distortion.  Thus, if a Boogie owner uses the 100-watt position and plays loud and dirty, there is substantial danger of damaging the speaker.  Therefore, the 60-watt position would normally be used unless the owner adds an external speaker to share the power.    

    This does mean, however, that the amp is not foolproof.  The manufacturer relies on the owner's ability and willingness to use good sense and follow instructions to avoid speaker damage. 

     Many manufacturers would not take such a risk, but it seems justifiable to us because it is perhaps the only reasonable way to put so much power in such a small, ready-to-go package, and also because the Boogie is a limited production amplifier intended for professionals and not kids.

    The Boogie features an unusual pre-amp with volume, bass, treble, and middle controls, which may be used by plugging the guitar into input#2.  If input #l is used however, the signal from the guitar will pass through an additional stage of amplification with its own volume control.  To top it off, there is a master volume control at the output of the pre-amp. By choosing inputs and juggling the settings of the three volume controls, a wide range of tones may be produced, ranging from clean to "normal'" overdrive-distorted to extreme-overdrive-distorted, all at any volume level.When the extra amplification is used, the sustain will increase too; this is because the feeble signal coming from the guitar pickups when the string vibration from a note has almost, but not completely, died away will still be boosted to quite an audible level.  This feature is not unique, as it uses the general principle of most sustain devices, but it is very useful to have it built in.

    Some other Boogie options include a five position graphic equalizer and a reverb unit. The equalizers are not labeled, but we observed that they allow boosting or cutting up to nearly 12 db at 50, 250, 1000, 3000, or 7500 Hz frequencies.  As a supplement to the standard tone controls, they add a tremendous range of adjustment over tone quality and harmonic content.  A bypass switch permits addition or elimination of the equalizer's effect without changing the settings, so two separate tone settings, such as for lead and rhythm, can be preset and selected with the flip of a switch. The reverb option produces less accidental loud "sproings" from bumping the amp than most.

The Boogie's construction is quite sturdy. The chassis is cadmium-plated steel, and the corners are arc-welded for extra strength. To combat vibration loosening, the heavy parts, like transformers, are mounted with cardboard gaskets (something we haven't yet seen in other equipment), as well as lock washers and screw locking compound. However, we suggest spring clamps for the power tubes; the tubes are hung upside down, and any socket's grip on a tube will weaken after the tube has been removed a number of times. The amps all come equipped with 12-foot heavy-duty A.C. cords, a real convenience, as the 6-foot ones always seem to be too short.

    We found that the Boogie's power output capability fell somewhat short of the claimed figures. Like most amps, the exact power output varies with the number of ohms in the total speaker load.  The manufacturer states that impedance matching is not critical and that any load from 2 to 8 ohms is acceptable, but we observed that with the power switch at the "100 watt" position, at 500 Hz, the amp put out only 80 watts at clipping into 5 ohms, which decreased to 60 watts at 2 or 8 ohms.  Admittedly this will vary with A.C. line voltage and randomly with the tubes used, but the claim still seems unfairly exaggerated.  Yet, this complaint is really one about specifications, not performance.  The performance with regard to power output and distortion are entirely typical of tube amps of this type.  We'd prefer a conservative rating, but so many manufacturers are just as bad about this that it is hard to get too upset.

    On the whole, we recommend the Boogie amps highly. They offer an awful lot in a compact package, and manage to be uniquely attractive as well.  And builder Smith's love and care are evident in each unit that leaves his shop.

    List price for Super Sixty Boogie Amp: $450.00, plus additional charge for the many options. Available from Mesa Eng., Box 116, Lagunitas, CA 94938. Phone orders accepted Weds. afternoons only at (415) 488-4587.

This article appeared in the May 1975 issue of Guitar Player.  Since then the "factory" has moved from Lagunitas, tube clamps were added and the Mark II was introduced to even greater acclaim (seeFachblatt Test.)  Meanwhile only one type of hardwood at a time is available, due to the scarcity of suitable wood, and with regard to power ratings we must agree that no standard of measurement exists. For example, similarly powered units have been rated by Peavey at 120 watts.

*NOTE - Independent tests using an actual speaker instead of a load resistor of uncertain calibration show at least 100 RMS watts before clipping at 4 ohms.