Mesa Boogie Road King 2 Operating Instruction

OOGIE

ESA

Owner's Manual

Greetings from the Home of Tone

Congratulations on your choice of the ROADKING as your Guitar amplifier and welcome to the MESA/Boogie family! As a discriminating player you probably know that you have purchased the most comprehensive instrument for amplifying Guitar that is available. What you might not realize is that this entitles you to all the experience, resources and commitment our twenty-five years of service to musicians world wide has to offer. Our responsibility is to help you sound great! So, if at any time you feel you need help or direction, we are here for you...a phone call away.

Table of Contents

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Ch 1 & 2 Fat

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Ch 1 Tweed

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Ch 2 Brit

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Ch 3 & 4 Raw

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Ch 3 & 4 Vintage

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Ch 3 & 4 Modern

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FRONT PANEL:

REAR PANEL:

PRECAUTIONS & WARNINGS

Your MESA/Boogie Amplifier is a professional instrument. Please treat it with respect and operate it properly.

USE COMMON SENSE AND ALWAYS OBSERVE THESE PRECAUTIONS:

READ AND FOLLOW INSTRUCTIONS OF PROPER USAGE.

YOUR AMPLIFIER IS LOUD! EXPOSURE TO HIGH SOUND VOLUMES MAY CAUSE PERMANENT HEARING DAMAGE !

No user serviceable parts inside. Refer service to qualified personnel. Always unplug AC power before removing chassis.

EXPORT MODELS: Always insure that unit is wired for proper voltage. Make certain grounding conforms with local standards.

WARNING: EU: permission from the Supply Authority is needed before connection.

WARNING: Vacuum tube amplifiers generate heat. To insure proper ventilation always make

certain there is at least four inches (100mm) of space behind the rear of the amplifier cabinet. Keep away from curtains or any flammable objects.

WARNING: Do not block any ventilation openings on the rear or top of the amplifier. Do not

impede ventilation by placing objects on top of the amplifier which extend past the rear edge of its cabinet.

WARNING: Do not expose the amplifier to rain, moisture, dripping or splashing water. Do not

place objects filled with liquids on or nearby the amplifier.

WARNING: Always make certain proper load is connected before operating the amplifier.

Failure to do so could pose a shock hazard and may result in damage to the amplifier.

Do not expose amplifier to direct sunlight or extremely high temperatures.

Always insure that amplifier is properly grounded. Always unplug AC power cord before changing fuse or any tubes. When replacing fuse, use only same type and rating.

Avoid direct contact with heated tubes.

Keep amplifier away from children.

Be sure to connect to an AC power supply that meets the power supply specifications listed on the rear of the unit. Remove the power plug from the AC mains socket if the unit is to be stored for an extended period of time. If there is any danger of lightning occurring nearby, remove the power plug from the wall socket in advance.

avoid damaging your speakers and other playback equipment, turn off the power of all related

equipment before making the connections.

Do not use excessive force in handling control buttons, switches and controls. Do not use solvents such as benzene or paint thinner to clean the unit. Wipe off the exterior with soft cloth.

Overview:

Mesa Dual Rectiﬁ er Road King

as your ampliﬁ er and welcome to the

Mesa/Boogie

Family! By

Road King

is more than just an amp. It’s a

housed in one chassis that we refer to as an Advanced Ampliﬁ er

combine and dedicate them, you will ﬁ nd the

Road King

King

Road King

and though they may each be used for any sound,

Operating Instructions

OUTPUT SOLO

CH1 CH3

LOOPS

GAIN TREBLE MID BASS PRESENCE MASTER

RAW

MODERN

VINTAGE

RAW

MODERN

VINTAGE

AC MAINS

HI VOLTS

2xEL342x6L6

2x6L6

PROGRESSIVE LINKAGE

RECTIFIER TRACKING

DIODES5U4

5U4

CLEAN

TWEED

CLEAN

BRIT

FAT

GAIN TREBLE MID BASS PRESENCE MASTER

FRONT VIEW : COMBO

Road King

FOOT

CONTROLLER

CH 2

CH 1

CH 3

FT SW

CHANNEL

BOLD SPONGY

POWER FUSE

120 V~ 60 Hz 4 A

4 A SLO BLO

FUSE

HANDBUILT

IN PETALUMA

CALIFORNIA, USA

SEND 1

ROAD KING

CH4 CH3

EXT.

SWITCH

CH2 CH1

SOLO REVERB LOOP 1 LOOP 2

WARNING:

To reduce risk of fire or

electric shock, replace fuse with

same type and rating only. Do not

expose this unit to rain or moisture.

WARNING:

To reduce risk of fire or electric

shock,

Do not remove cover. No userserviceable parts inside. Refer servicing to qualified personnel.

LOOP SYSTEM

ACTIV

BYPASS

LOOPS, SOLO

& MASTER CONTROLS

RETURN 1

NORMAL NORMAL

10%

90%

SEND LEVEL

FTSW MIX

SEND 2 RETURN 2

EXT. TRIGGERS

L A T C H

I N G

P U L S E

2x EL34 2x

6L6

2x6L6

2xEL34

6L6

2xEL+ 4x6L6

NORMAL

10% 90%

LOOP 2

PROGRESSIVE

LINKAGE

CH 4

DIODE

TUBE-TRACKING

RECTO

SPK

OFF

LOOP

OFF

LOOP

A + B

2x EL34 2x

6L6

2x6L6

2xEL34

6L6

2xEL+ 4x6L6

NORMAL

10% 90%

LOOP 2

PROGRESSIVE

LINKAGE

CH 3

DIODE

TUBE-TRACKING

RECTO

SPKR

OFF

LOOP

OFF

LOOP

A + B

2x EL34 2x

6L6

2x6L6

2xEL34

6L6

2xEL+ 4x6L6

NORMAL

10% 90%

LOOP 2

MIX

PROGRESSIVE

LINKAGE

CH 2

DIODE

TUBE-TRACKING

RECTO

SPKR

OFF

LOOP

OFF

LOOP

A + B

2x EL34 2x

6L6

2x6L6

2xEL34

6L6

2xEL+ 4x6L6

NORMAL

10% 90%

LOOP 2

MIX

PROGRESSIVE

LINKAGE

CH 1

DIODE

TUBE-TRACKING

RECTO

SPKR

OFF

LOOP

OFF

LOOP

A + B

LEVEL

OUT

SLAVE

CAUTION:

USE SHORTING PLUG IF NO SPKRS IN B

4 OHM4 OHM8 OHM

COMBO

SPEAKERS

USE WITH TWO 8 OHM CABS

CH 3 CH 1

2CH 4

REVERB

OOGIE

ESA

REAR VIEW : COMBO

Road King

to be many amps to many players and roam conﬁ dently between extremely

Road Kings’

Effects Loop section and we have provided two Series Loops to assure

Road King

is just that…our patented Progressive Linkage

Road King

also features Rectiﬁ er Tracking, a feature which automatically matches the type

Road King

incorporates a rich, all tube analog Reverb. Controlled per channel with the Rear Panel Reverb controls, it may be

King Kontroller

sound that has the elusive sag.

King Kontroller

Road King

behind us, let’s get ready to play.

Overview: (Continued)

After unpacking the ampliﬁ er remove the plastic webbing from all of the tubes (including the preamp tubes behind the row of

Install the 5U4 Rectiﬁ er tubes (if they are not already in place) by bending back the spring steel tube clamps just enough so that

Connect the 8 Pin DIN Footcontroller Cable to the female DIN connector located on the Rear Panel just under the Rotary Mode

Connect your speaker enclosure(s) to the proper impedance SPEAKER OUTPUT jacks “A & B”. If only one speaker cabinet is

Connect the A.C. Power Cable to a grounded A.C. outlet.

Flip the A.C. Mains switch to the ON position and wait at least 30 seconds for the power tube ﬁ laments to warm up with the HI

Turn the Front Panel OUTPUT control to zero before ﬂ ipping the HI VOLTS switch to the ON position. This will prevent accidental

Flip the HI VOLTS to the ON position and enjoy your new realm.

The Rear Panel CHANNEL SELECT Rotary switch must be set to FOOTSWITCH to access either Channels or features via the

Switch out of the LOOP BYPASS position in the

Should you select a Channel when the Cabinet Switching Feature is

assigned

The SOLO Control is activated when the Footcontroller is connected to the FOOTSWITCH jack on the Rear Panel and the Ef-

The SOLO feature can be used to set a volume level above that of the OUTPUT control setting. It will not allow a setting below

Getting Started:

Helpful Hints:

The GAIN and TREBLE controls are the most powerful controls in all four channels. They should be used with taste and you will

The PRESENCE control determines alot about the voicing of gain sounds. Set lower it will fatten and compress single note

when you are not using two sets of

with a PRES-

Should you ﬁ nd that you favor RAW and VINTAGE and never need the aggressiveness of MODERN. Or

When switching Channels with Reverb applied or switching the Reverb itself in and out of the signal path with the Footcontroller, it

Helpful Hints:

(Continued)

CHANNELS 1 & 2: CLEAN

This is the lowest gain circuit of the

Road Kings’

twelve modes and is optimized for producing bal-

This mode comes from our original

Mark 1 Boogie

and puts emphasis on the low mid and bottom end

This mode appears in CHANNEL 1 only and is a variation on the CLEAN that appears in both channels.

mode enhancing what is already a rubber band joy-ride to achieve one of our favorite

for these lower headroom

CHANNEL MODES:

CLEAN

TWEED

FAT

BRIT

FAT

CLEAN

TWEED

FAT

BRIT

FAT

CLEAN

TWEED

BRIT

CLEAN

CHANNELS 1 & 2: FAT

CHANNEL 1: TWEED

CHANNEL 2: BRIT

This mode appears in CHANNEL 2 only and, as the name implies, was inspired by the great sounding

mode an awesome addition to your bevy of sounds.

This new

Road King

offers in CHANNELS 3 & 4 where, because of the PRESENCE controls more

This high gain mode is the famous liquid

Recto

voice and it can be found in its original state in

Rectos’

black magic, tube-rectiﬁ ed power section creates colors in gain that most players ﬁ nd truly

modes

is set in its lower range and RAW is set in its

sound and no matter which

CHANNEL MODES:

(Continued)

BRIT

FAT

CLEAN

RAW

MODERN

VINTAGE

RAW

MODERN

VINTAGE

MASTER

RAW

MODERN

VINTAGE

RAW

MODERN

VINTAGE

MASTER

CHANNEL 3 & 4: RAW

CHANNEL 3 & 4: VINTAGE

CHANNEL 3 & 4: MODERN

Aggressive. This is the word that best describes the menacing power of the

Road Kings’

mode tracking accurately even at extreme gain settings. Keep in mind that when using

in CHANNEL 3 you will have to run the PRESENCE control almost all the way up to ap-

mode as the more compressed nature of this tamer presence range in CHANNEL 3 tends

This control adjusts the predominant gain stage in each channels’ circuit with the function and taper being optimized for each

Road King

is really three separate multi-mode ampliﬁ ers built onto one chassis, so though

control for each channel comes in a different place and

control is the most powerful

Road King

controls’ role in shaping the overall tone of the sound we will look at it in two

alone and

in conjunction with the tone controls.

enhances the saturation and replaces some of the upper harmonics with a richer, warmer quality and a fuller

Road Kings’

saturates the signal and enhances low and low mid frequencies. While this region provides the maximum satura-

control sparingly and only when maximum sustain is needed.

CHANNEL MODES:

(Continued)

RAW

MODERN

VINTAGE

RAW

MODERN

VINTAGE

MASTER

GAIN

CLEAN

TWEED

FAT

CLEAN

BRIT

FAT

GAIN:

Road Kings’

extreme gain potential, the highest regions of the

Road King

Basically, a simple rule applies...as the Gain is increased the Tone control string

control in its middle region. Here the Tone control string is very active and provides

TREBLE:

As in most tube guitar ampliﬁ ers, the

control ( in all four channels of your

Road King

control where ample top end is mixed in and yet enough signal is still

Road

King

control can be used

control in Channel 1 TWEED should not be set much above 2:30 to avoid unwanted microphonic tube problems.

The

control is responsible for the blend of midrange frequencies in the mix and though its effect is not as dramatic as

Road King

control settings ( 7:00 - 11:00 ) where a scoop in this region produces

feel to the strings and

control is increased, ( 11:30 - 1:30 ) the sound is rounded-out and

GAIN

CLEAN

TWEED

FAT

CLEAN

BRIT

FAT

TREBLE

CONTROLS:

(Continued)

MID:

control settings ( 2:00 - 5:00 ) can introduce added gain and create enhanced focus, the trade-off will be a stiffer, more

control in CHANNELS 1 & 2 are swept past 1:00, it quickly starts to add gain in these

capable of taking both CLEAN and TWEED modes to extremes.

control

This control works similarly in all four channels in that it determines the amount of low frequencies present in a sound.

it mixes in changes from channel to channel. Like the MIDDLE control, it falls in line

the TREBLE control and the same scheme applies. When the TREBLE control is set

The

control is a high frequency attentuator that is placed at the end of each channels pre-amp stage

control settings darken and, in fact, compress the signal which works well to fatten single

Road King

control in its lower regions, where a balanced, vocal response is achieved.

Road King

and this can be great for sparkling clean

is truly amazing in

CONTROLS:

(Continued)

TREBLE MID

MID: (Continued)

BASS:

PRESENCE:

MASTER:

This control is the master feed from the end of the pre-amp to the driver stage and the Effects Loop. As you can see

control, enabling the four channels relative volumes to be matched regardless of their

control makes possible

sounds at high volumes

sounds at low volumes and everywhere between.

control in its

ranges ( 9:00 - 2:00 ). Here,

control creates the send to the Effects Loop, extreme

This is the overall

control for the entire ampliﬁ er. It is located at the input to the power section

receives its signal from the EFFECTS RETURN jacks of both LOOP 1 and LOOP 2 and therefor this

Road King’s

power section as a stand alone power amp for use

Road

King

in larger venues. Here’s how;

Connect your preamp signal to the EFFECTS RETURN jack of LOOP 1.

Select LOOP ACTIVE on the Rear Panel

Use the OUTPUT control as your power amp level control.

Adjust the PRESENCE control of the Channel you are using to taste.

Select a Channel and a power setting in that Channel.

Road King

in one Channel

have volume differences

actually ﬁ t your needs and can be used to create some interesting power possibilities…especially

or another parallel with another

Road King

using the MODERN mode of CHANNELS 3 & 4 for this application as the increased power sensitivity of this mode

CONTROLS:

(Continued)

BASS MASTERPRESENCE

OUTPUT SOLO

2xEL342x6L6

2x6L6

OUTPUT CONTROL:

This control is an additional output control wired in parallel with the main OUTPUT that you can pre-set to a higher level

SOLO

gets its signal from the EFFECTS RETURN jacks of

adds power and

Road King

control can be used to provide a footswitchable volume boost for the

Perfect for set breaks... this toggle switch also serves an even more important purpose. In the Standby position the

switch is in the Standby position. Wait at least

switch to the ON position. This prevents tube problems

This switch delivers the A.C. power to your new

Road King

CONTROLS:

(Continued)

OUTPUT CONTROL: (Continued)

OUTPUT SOLO

2xEL342x6L6

2x6L6

PROGRESSIVE LINKAGE

AC MAINS

HI VOLTS

AC MAINS

HI VOLTS

SOLO:

HI VOLTS:

A.C. MAINS: (POWER ON)

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