Mesa Boogie Quad User Manual

QUAD PRE-AMP

MESA/BOOGIE

OWNER OPERATING INSTRUCTIONS

CONGRATULATIONS! By becoming the owner of the Mesa Quad Pre-amp, you have taken the
first step into a new world of tonal freedom. You are among the first of a new breed of players who
require the latest in digital footswitchability and yet refuse to sacrifice the old world "soul" of an all
tube amplifier. The Quad does this and much more.

You will be pleased to know that four years of planning and research went into perfecting this
instrument. Our experience as the leading force in guitar amplification for fourteen years helped us
in designing the Quad. This combined with input from players worldwide made it possible to deliver
sophisticated features in an easy to use format. So relax, and don't be intimidated! We've included
a complete description of all the controls and how they operate, as well as a very helpful settings
sheet. These are guidelines. Start here and as you become a more confident "tone pilot", feel free
to solo.

The Quad is a sensitive instrument, much like the guitar. Use this to your advantage. Read the
Owners Manual. Understanding the controls will help you create sounds you won't believe. With
time and patience you will find sounds that are uniquely yours and will provide you with a lifetime
of satisfaction and enjoyment from your music.

The Spirit of Art in Technology

NOTE: THE QUAD PRE-AMP WAS DESIGNED FOR USE WITH THE SIMUL CLASS 295 OR
STRATEGY 400 STEREO POWER AMPS. THESE ARE ALL TUBE POWER AMPS AND ARE AN
INTEGRAL PART OF THE MESA RACK SYSTEM FOR GUITAR. USE OF THE QUAD PRE-AMP
WITH ALTERNATIVE POWER AMPS IS NOT RECOMMENDED.

TWO INDEPENDENT CHANNELS, FOUR MODES!
To achieve greater tonal flexibility and footswitchable freedom, the Quad is separated into two

channels sharing one common input. Each channel offers two modes and a pre-assignable 5 band
graphic equalizer. Channel 1 is very similar to the Mark IIC, while Channel 2 is very much like the
Mark III. These were the premier guitar amps for the last five years, winning the praise of such
guitar giants as Steve Lukather, Lee Ritenour, Michael Landau, Stevie Ray Vaughn, and many
more. We found that many of these players used more than one amp and switched between them
for different sounds. A great idea but very heavy and bulky to move requiring custom made
switching systems. Thus, the need for the Quad. Two incredibly versatile amps in one taking up a
mere three spaces in your rack.

THE QUAD HAS REVERB! And you've got to hear it to appreciate it. By combining two different
sizes of 3 spring reverb tanks, we've developed a reverb that dares the digitals. With three
dimensional depth and a perfectly smooth decay we feel confident in saying this is the most
beautiful sounding reverb ever found in a guitar amp. Combine these features with a stereo effects
loop and stereo outputs and you can imagine the possibilities. The fun has barely begun.

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CHANNEL 1: RHYTHM 1, LEAD 1:
This channel would be considered the more "normal" of the two, delivering all the classic "boog"

tones you've come to love.
RHYTHM 1: A mode primarily designed to produce the ultimate in clean, sparkling, warm rhythm

sounds. With three pull shifts, (Bright, Bass Shift and Deep) as well as the standard Treble, Bass,
and Middle controls, this mode can "Out-Fender" even the best "Black Face Twins."

LEAD 1: A mode dedicated to the classic Boogie lead. Singing, vocal, grinding and searing are
just a few of the many descriptions we've heard over the years. With fifty times the gain of a
normal amplifier, two pull shifts (Treble Shift, Lead Bright), and separate Drive and Master
controls; this mode produces the smooth, warm, tight gain Boogies are famous for.

CHANNEL 2: RHYTHM 2, LEAD 2: Radical! This is truly the word to use when describing Channel

2. With unbelievable gain, this channel has been designed to provide two different distortion
sounds. One EQ’d specifically for rhythm, authentic, grinding, and "Brown." The other mode is the
ultimate in high gain lead sounds. Taken to the outer extremes this mode is truly a metal player’s
dream. Since versatility is one of MESA Boogie's forte, this channel can be used much like
Channel 1, (Clean Rhythm, Lead), by simply setting the controls lower. This mode was inspired by
the countless requests for “even more gain" than an already lethal Boogie. We've done it.

RHYTHM 2: A mode designed with crunch rhythm in mind. With ample gain to double as a lead
mode, this mode is probably the most versatile. Special attention has been paid to tight bottom
end even at the most extreme settings. An additional pull shift on the treble, for more gain, gives
you a total of four EQ shift functions (Bright, Treble Shift, Bass Shift, and Deep). Even the
"brownest" of Marshall’s will fear this mode. Rhythm 2 can also double as a second clean sound.
Just set the controls lower and a different world of bright shimmering clean sounds appear. This is
extremely useful when going from a clean chording sound to a clean single note sound. This mode
offers more tonal possibilities than many complete amplifiers.

LEAD 2: GAIN! This mode has it! Lead 2 is the "state of the art” in high gain lead sounds. Fed by a
hotter rhythm mode, Lead 2 is insane. With this much gain it becomes extremely hard to "contain"
or control the sound, not so with the Quad. Problems like feedback, microphonics, and loss of tone
control effectiveness have all been virtually eliminated. Smooth, touch sensitive, explosive and
deadly only begin to describe Lead 2. Yet with all this gain a great blues sound is still attainable at
lower control settings. (Months of painstaking R & D went into this mode. We've given you "more
gain". We sincerely hope you enjoy this mode as we have.)

THE CONTROLS: Let's review the controls, one at a time, to learn their various functions and how
they interact.

VOLUME: This control is very powerful in both channels of the Quad. Its setting determines not
only the gain in each rhythm mode, but the amount of signal fed to the lead modes as well. Lower
settings of this control will result in cleaner, brighter rhythm sounds and lower gain lead sounds.
Higher settings will result in fatter clean rhythm sounds in Rhythm 1 and more grinding crunch
rhythm sounds in Rhythm 2. This will cause the lead modes to sound more focused and remain
tighter, especially in the lower frequencies. In each channel you will discover a "sweet spot" for the
volume control. Most probably the number setting will be different on each Volume. Especially
when Rhythm 1 is set for a clean sound and Rhythm 2 is set for a crunch sound. Here's why:

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You will notice a difference in the taper of the two volume controls. This is an intended difference
and proves to be an integral part of the Quads versatility. Channel 1's Volume is much like that of
the Mark III. Very smooth, responsive and dynamic. The sweet spot is usually found somewhere
between 6 and 7½. Somewhere here, you'll find the ultimate shimmering warmth in your clean
sound and yet, send enough gain to your lead mode to keep it tight and singing. We've found 6¾ ­7 to be the norm. This set-up works well for a player who wants a great clean sound, and still be
able to switch to a great lead sound. Players who put the emphasis on the ultimate clean sound
will probably want to set the volume at 5½ - 6. If you never use clean sounds or don't need
"squeaky" clean rhythm sounds you'll probably be more concerned with Lead 1. In this case a
Volume setting of 7½ - 8½ would be in order.

Channel 2's volume control has a much different taper altogether. It starts out smooth and gentle.
Right around 7-8 it starts to unleash all its mighty gain. Between 8-10 is an explosive zone of tone.
Up here Rhythm 2 becomes a truly usable Metal Rhythm sound, grinding and huge. This in turn
provides enough gain to push Lead 2 into an insane frenzy yet still, tight and vocal sounding.
Lower settings on Channel 2's Volume control enable this mode to be used for a second clean
rhythm sound. This becomes very useful for a song with a clean chording sound and a clean
single note line at a different volume level. Keep in mind this type of setting will reduce gain to the
lead mode and you'll probably want to run the Lead drive slightly higher as a result.

We encourage you to experiment with these Volume control settings. The more familiar with this
control and its subtleties you are the faster you will become at finding those "ultimate" sounds.

PULL BRIGHT: This pull function accentuates the "super top" giving shimmer and sparkle to clean
rhythm sounds. It is primarily heard in the rhythm modes although it adds a bit of three
dimensionality to the lead modes. The "Pull Bright" tends to be the most useful in Rhythm 1, when
a clean "pop" or "funk" rhythm sound is dialed up. However, when used in Rhythm 2 a little more of
the top end "nasties" peek through. The effect of the Pull Bright diminishes as the Volume control
is turned up and has no effect when the volume is set at 10.

VOLUME CONTROL
RECOMMENDED, SETTING: Channel 1 = 6¾, pulled

Channel 2 = 9, pulled

TREBLE: This control is the most powerful of the three tone controls. At high settings, (8 and
above), it will minimize the effect of the Bass and Middle Controls. At lower settings, (5 and below),
the Bass and Middle will become the dominant tone controls. Again most players find a 11sweet
spot" somewhere in the 6 to 8 range. Along with the Volume, these are the most critical controls
for performance and relationship between modes when footswitching. This control can also act as
a subtle gain control at high settings. Check both modes when setting this control. Maximum
Treble settings for more sustain in the Lead Mode can result in harshness in the Rhythm Mode. A
"perfect" setting can be attained by finding the "sweet spot" and fine tuning the pickup/volume
control setting on the guitar.

TREBLE SHIFT: This pull function is very powerful and probably the most useful. By shifting the
frequency of the treble down and boosting it, a fatter tone with more gain is achieved. The Treble
shift is voiced and applied differently in each channel. Channel 1 Is Treble Shift is voiced, just like
the Mark III, adding sustain and gain to Lead 1 only. This function is bypassed when Rhythm 1 is
chosen, as it tends to add "harsh" frequencies undesirable in clean sounds. Channel 2's Treble
Shift is voiced slightly higher than that of the first channel. This is essential in keeping the lower
frequencies focused at extreme gain settings. Another feature of this higher voicing appears in the

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lead mode. By raising the frequency of the shift, the higher frequencies have a "soaring" feeling
unequaled in any other guitar amp. Higher strings, when bending, seem to reach for the stars with
purity and focus. The Treble Shift in Channel 2 is manually operated and has no automatic bypass
function. This design was chosen so a player can apply the shift when using Rhythm 2 for a
Crunch Rhythm or Lead Sound, and bypass it when the mode is dialed up for-a clean sound. Most
players will prefer Channel 2's Treble Shift bypassed (pushed in), when using Rhythm 2 for a clean
sound.

TREBLE CONTROL
RECOMMENDED SETTING: Channel 1 = 6, pulled optional

Channel 2 = 8, pulled optional

BASS: This is a wide-ranging control and is very easy to use. It tends to become the dominant
tone control when low settings on the Treble Control are used, and more of a "coloring" control at
high Treble settings. It should be set with both modes in mind. High settings will produce a round
warm clean sound in the Rhythm modes but possibly add "low end flab" to the lead modes.
Likewise, an extremely low setting of the bass control can leave you with a "flat", two-dimensional
sound.

BASS SHIFT: This pull function can be very useful and important. Another name for it could be
"Breath Control" or "Pull 3-DII. In the Rhythm modes it truly does add "breath" to an already
"breathing" tube amplifier.

By lowering the frequency of the bass control and boosting it slightly, warmth unequaled by any
other feature appears. Single coil pick-ups benefit most from its action, becoming elastic and full of
body, while humbucking pickups produce the realistic, almost "acoustic" bottom end found in a fine
flat top guitar. If warm clean sounds are your forte, the Bass Shift is your campfire. In the Lead
Modes this same accentuation can prove invaluable in moving the air needed to obtain the huge
"chunking" low end often needed in today’s music. By pulling this control and dialing in the bass
slowly, you will find the perfect setting. Blending this with the Middle control's Pull Deep and the
Graphic EQ, you'll find that hugh low end you've always dreamed of. Fellow bandmembers will
swear Godzilla is coming down the street. This control also has a subtle effect on the higher
frequencies. A "voice" like quality will appear on higher strings with this control pulled. Experiment
with this control. Two very different "feels" can be obtained. Pulled and set lower (3 and below) a
warm "spread out" feel is obvious. Pushed in and set higher, a tighter “flutier” feel is apparent. This
can be more articulate and focused for hammering or two-handed styles. Also, used this way less
"pick noise" is heard and would be better for fast picking styles.

BASS CONTROL
RECOMMENDED SETTING: Channel 1: 3 pulled optional

Channel 2: 5 pushed optional

MIDDLE: This control is the least significant and easiest to use of the three tone controls. Like the
Bass, its effectiveness will be decreased by high settings of the Treble control and increased by a
low setting thereof. Although its action may not seem dramatic, it does add midrange warmth when
used with normal settings of the Treble and Bass Controls.

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