Mesa Studio Preamp love!
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EOengineer
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One of my biggest gear regrets is selling my studio preamp a little over a decade ago. Absolutely next level tones out of it.
Unfortunately the hassle dealing with racks, wiring, and power amps pushed me towards my Mark III head - but I credit the studio preamp with helping me discover a very strong preference for the Mesa Mark sound.
Remember when you could scoop one up for < $500? I found mine for $400 on a whim stopping in a GC in Boston back in 2007 or so. If I ever come across another for < $800 I’ll grab it.
Unfortunately the hassle dealing with racks, wiring, and power amps pushed me towards my Mark III head - but I credit the studio preamp with helping me discover a very strong preference for the Mesa Mark sound.
Remember when you could scoop one up for < $500? I found mine for $400 on a whim stopping in a GC in Boston back in 2007 or so. If I ever come across another for < $800 I’ll grab it.
The Studio Preamp was great with my 87 yellow Ibanez Jem, and it was a big improvement over the Marshall 9001 that was using at the time. Only reason I sold the Studio was that I bumbled into a Quad Preamp which I still have. The drive channel on that Studio was just vicious BITD.
EOengineer
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the Quad preamp is absolutely the better piece of gear if we’re comparing. Having all the push pull functionality gives you the IIC and III preamps in a couple rack spaces. Unbeatable if you can deal with the weight!
gearJunkie
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I believe the quad preamp is a 3 space rack unit.
*not my gear, picture for representative purposes*
gearJunkie
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absolutely
EOengineer
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Just looking at this and imagining a 2:90 added to the mix gives me hernia anxiety.
Somewhere in Madison Square Basement... the matching Mesa 2-12 split-stacks are in the front room and the basement. After the hassle of moving one of the 2-12s upstairs I don't think i'll be hauling the rack and the other 2-12 upstairs anytime soon. Whomever buys the house will get a free SVT 8-10 cab because I am not hauling that behemoth upstairs lol.
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adam
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I'm exactly the same. I regret selling mine, but I wanted to see if the Mark sound was for me. Turns out it absolutely was for me, and I bought my mark IV because of the studio pre and have never looked back.
To his day I've not found a better clean tone.
Nice 2 have!
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0XI0
Roadie
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I love how it's almost exactly a bassman circuit, just extra gain stages and a few added control nodes. bright-capped main gain pot, second stage overdrive control, you can dial in your own breakup type with the tone stack, and still dial in your low end and mid scoop with the graphic. it's utilitarian idealism, like pre-fractal tone tweakability. the same preamp can be crystal clear fender country tone, or face melting speed metal, idk why u would continue to pursue tone if u have that. it's THE liquid gain sound
Boudoir Guitar
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Some of us remember 10 years before you got yours when they could be found for $200...
EOengineer
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dronerstone
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True, used ones were pretty cheap even over here (Austria), but that was 20 years ago. Between 200€ and 400€ depending on condition.
Then again, that a general phenomenon. I have 4 LAB Series amps and never paid more than 250€ for them.
Everything vintage and "hip" seems fucking expensive nowadays.
I remember buying a decent-condition 1960's Teisco/Kawai guitar for 60€ around 2005. During the last few years, I've seen similar models go for 500€ and more.
Then again, that a general phenomenon. I have 4 LAB Series amps and never paid more than 250€ for them.
Everything vintage and "hip" seems fucking expensive nowadays.
I remember buying a decent-condition 1960's Teisco/Kawai guitar for 60€ around 2005. During the last few years, I've seen similar models go for 500€ and more.
