What Mesa amplifier for blues
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Chocol8
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Warren uses the Soldano for some lead tones but much of the time you are hearing his Homestead.
If you want something smaller, non-Fender, and with a British Blues/Almans/Warren type sound, I would suggest the Marshall Studio JTM or Studio Vintage. New they are a bit above your range, but you may find a used one.
It will take longer, but a Ceriatone Marshall clone is actually a better amp for less money than the "real" Marshall's these days.
I don't think you really want a Mesa. In that price range it is probably going to have some history, and Mesas are difficult and expensive to repair. They do heavy tones very well which is why many people here love them and will tolerate the issues, but for a small blues amp, I would caution you to steer well clear.
Chocol8
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EOengineer
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For blues I’d chase down either a Blue Angel, a Fillmore, or maybe Cali Tweed.
metropolis_4
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If you’re looking for something different than Fenders, keep in mind Mesa tone is very firmly rooted in Fender amps.
In general I think of Mesa as a Fender amp option with more note clarity, more immediate attack, and more definition. They’re like Fender amps with cascading gain stages so you can get high gain out of them, but IMO they don’t handle low and mid gain as well (because of that clarity and definition).
Mesa tries to dip their toes into the Marshall world from time to time, but they don’t do it nearly as well as other amp makers put there
In general I think of Mesa as a Fender amp option with more note clarity, more immediate attack, and more definition. They’re like Fender amps with cascading gain stages so you can get high gain out of them, but IMO they don’t handle low and mid gain as well (because of that clarity and definition).
Mesa tries to dip their toes into the Marshall world from time to time, but they don’t do it nearly as well as other amp makers put there
EOengineer
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Every once in a while I will see a Mark V:25 combo pop up in the $1000 range. Probably a great option. A couple years ago I would have said a Mark IIB all day long but they've really climbed in price.
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Read the replies and there is a ton of great replies.
I'll go left field here and say, Vox AC15 and call it a day.
Slap a Soldano Superlead pedal in front of it and you'll get close to Warren.
So much of his tone is from his touch and how he plays---constantly using
the volume and tone controls on his guitar to get a bunch of different
textures and shades of gain.
Enjoy the pursuit!
I'll go left field here and say, Vox AC15 and call it a day.
Slap a Soldano Superlead pedal in front of it and you'll get close to Warren.
So much of his tone is from his touch and how he plays---constantly using
the volume and tone controls on his guitar to get a bunch of different
textures and shades of gain.
Enjoy the pursuit!
metropolis_4
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Read the replies and there is a ton of great replies.
I'll go left field here and say, Vox AC15 and call it a day.
Slap a Soldano Superlead pedal in front of it and you'll get close to Warren.
So much of his tone is from his touch and how he plays---constantly using
the volume and tone controls on his guitar to get a bunch of different
textures and shades of gain.
Enjoy the pursuit!
Can’t argue with that! I’ve been playing a LPD Eighty7 into an AC30 quite a bit lately and it’s a really great sound. Definitely a nice contrast to a Fender sound
Chocol8
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Hmmm. A couple more left field suggestions.
1) compression pedal to add sustain. There are a lot of options here, but clean with sustain is basically the result of compression of some sort, and you can use most to boost the signal into a clean amp to get more dirt with the sustain if you want.
2) Does it have to be tube? For a less than $1000, it would be hard to beat a Tonex One (or another modern quality digital device) and a Fender FR-10 or FR-12. Push your budget and a Fractal AM4 plus an FR-10 would be a fantastic rig as well.
In late 2025, digital solutions are getting really hard to argue against, especially for someone who is not sure what they really want. Once you get past the software learning curve, you can try a bunch of different amps and find exactly what you are looking for by your own ears and not by reading the opinions of others who don't know the tone in your head that you are chasing. You also get full control of volume without sacrificing tone or needing a attenuator which is a big plus.
Once you find the amp tone that suits you, you could always buy the tube amp behind the model or capture, but You probably won't want to.
newholland
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i was gonna say subway rocket, mebbe a .22- but thats pretty close to a deluxe, fillmore or cali tweed definitely. older marks- but i tend to think theyd be a little moderny. i dont like them, but mebbe a lone star... but i also dont play blues.
JiveTurkey
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Chocol8
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Digital always had its pluses and minuses but the pluses keep growing and the minuses are disappearing fast. I have been firmly in the both camp for a long time, and as much as I hate to say it, Tonex, NAM, QC, Fractal, and Helix Stadium are all so darn good, it's hard to argue for tubes anymore. Not that I am selling any of mine!
Richard_G
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If I’m looking for a blues amp, Mesa is seldom my first choice. That said, I think my Mesa Blue Angel is a wonderful blues amp—but that’s kind of an odd bird in Mesa land.
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