This amplifier blew the output tubes and had serious problems, quiet typically for old Mesas. See how it got a good amount of care and how all the issues got fixed. Listen to the result - the sound of a resurrected Mesa Boogie Cal. 50+.
I'm about to do some work on one of these that I purchased in November. Reverb doesn't work, needs recap, and I want to replace a bunch of the carbon comps. This is my first time working on an amp, but I've been researching amp electronics, practicing soldering, and studying the schematic for half a year at this point. So glad you posted this video. I've rewatched the one on Brad's guitar garage at least 10 times at this point.
Good gracious! The first amp, you gonna work on is a Mesa! That’s plucky. I’m happy, that my video is helpful, though I can not cuss as good as Brad. But he’s a real expert, he knows what he’s doing. Good luck for your repair project. Be carefully, amps contain lethal voltages. Greetings from Germany
Hi Martin, I wish Kitty Hawk would have mounted the pots to the panel like Boogie did, they did get that right. It looks like the faceplates could have been made on the same machine as my M1s faceplate!, they are almost identical.
Hey Andy Mesa Boogie is bad, Kitty Hawk is worse. Not a pleasure to do repair jobs at all. But when they finally work, it’s a good feeling! Maybe both companies had the same suppliers, though Kitty’s where made in Germany and Mesas in California. They both used Mallory filtercaps for instance. But though they are thousands of miles ( kilometers) apart, the design seems to be the same crap😆 Who knows?? Have fun!
