Mesa Boogie Subway Rocket Reverb User Manual
with Reverb
Owner’s Manual
The Spirit of Art in Technology
1317 Ross Street, Petaluma, CA 94954 USA
Hello from the Tone Farm...
YOU, the smart player and all around intuitive human, have put your trust in us to be
your amplifier company. This is something we do not take lightly. Our reward is that
we’ve made a classic amplifier and by choosing this amplifier, you have become part of the
Mesa family...Welcome! Our goal is to never let you down. Your reward is that you are
now the owner of an amp bred of fine all tube amp heritage...benefiting from the many
patented pioneering Mesa/Boogie circuits that led to the refinement of your new instrument. Feel confident, as we do, this amp will inspire many hours of musical satisfaction
and lasting enjoyment. It was built with you in mind, by players who know the value of
a fine musical instrument and the commitment it takes to make great music. The same
commitment to quality, value and support we make to you...our new friend.
TM
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Precautions ___________________________________________________________ Page #
Overview: __________________________________________________________________ 1
FRONT PANEL: Description & Usage
Power-Up / nstrument Input ___________________________________________________ 2
Connecting Footswitch_______________________________________________________ 2
Mode Select (sample settings)_________________________________________________ 2
CONTROLS ________________________________________________________________ 3
Gain ______________________________________________________________________ 3
Master_____________________________________________________________________ 3
Treble _____________________________________________________________________ 7
Middle
Bass
Reverb
Toggle Switches ________________________________________________________ 7 & 8
REAR PANEL: Description & Usage
FUSE ______________________________________________________________________ 8
Record / Phones ____________________________________________________________ 9
FX Loop - Send & Return _____________________________________________________ 9
FX MIx _________________________________________________________________ 9 &10
Speakers _________________________________________________________________ 10
Silent Recording ___________________________________________________________ 10
Personal Setting Page ______________________________________________________ 10
Tube Noise & Microphonics __________________________________________________ 11
Diagnosing Power Tube Failures______________________________________________ 11
Tube Noise ________________________________________________________________ 11
Diagnosing Pre-Amp Tube Problems __________________________________________ 12
Bias Adjustment ___________________________________________________________ 12
Parts Sheet________________________________________________________________ 18
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:
Do not expose amplifier to moisture, rain or water, 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.
Insure adequate air circulation behind amplifier.
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.
If there is any danger of lightning occurring nearby, remove
the power plug from the wall socket in advance.
To 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.
Remove the power plug from the AC mains socket if the unit
is to be stored for an extended period of time.
Do not use solvents such as benzene or paint thinner to
clean the unit. Wipe off the exterior with soft cloth.
YOUR AMPLIFIER IS LOUD! EXPOSURE TO HIGH SOUND VOLUMES MAY CAUSE
PERMANET 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.
READ AND FOLLOW INSTRUCTIONS OF PROPER USAGE.
TM
Operating Instructions
OVERVIEW: The SUBWAY ROCKET ushers in a new era of compact, portable and affordable combo amplification that boasts no
compromise, quality construction throughout. Don’t let small size and the sparse layout fool you...the ROCKET is an extremely
versatile single channel, Tri-Modal amplifier that provides a georgious clean sound, a soaring high gain lead and a giant, grinding
crunch - way too big for its humble size.
The Three Footswitchable Sounds (Modes) of world class personality housed in a Baltic Birch cab, along with our custom-designed
magic ten inch SUBWAY speaker, make the ROCKET a mighty ally in the studio, rehearsal hall or anywhere else that you might be
in need of Heavyweight Tone in a Bantam-watt arena. Its powerful footswitching capabilities and all the Gain a player could need,
make the ROCKET well suited for Rock, Pop, Country, Top 40 or any other style where versatility is the name of the game. Players
who lean heavier in the Roots or Blues direction may want to take a look at the ROCKETS’ older brother, the SUBWAY BLUES.
This simplified SUBWAY focuses on power section clipibility with a Tone-packed, stripped pre-amp perfectly matched to the same
twenty-watt burner.
Looking to the ROCKETS’ rear panel assures that your interfacing needs are covered. A parallel Effects Loop with a Mix control
provides tone insurance for even those questionable effects. Three speaker jacks ( one 8 Ohm and two 4 Ohm ) are provided to
ensure the proper impedance match to the many types of speaker enclosures. A Record / Phone Output jack is provided to capture
the ROCKETS’ soulful character direct to tape or into your own personal headset. The Silent Recording Mute switch located to the
left of center on the chassis’ under side and just beneath the rear panel, is a handy feature for those late night sessions when live
speaker volumes are just too loud or not needed.
As you can see, the ROCKET provides all the features any demanding pro culd need and at the same time remains simple to
operate.
FRONT VIEW
INPUT
FT.SWITCH
REAR VIEW
1
A
2
FUSE
1A SB
RECORD / PHONES
SUBWAY ROCKET
RHY
LEAD
5
4
6
7
8
9
0
10
7
6
8
9
10
2
0
1
5
4
3
6
7
2
8
1
9
0
10
GAIN MASTER
3
4
5
2
6
1
7
0
8
10
9
SUBWAY ROCKET
SUBWAY ROCKET
PREAMP PATENT
4,701,957
SEND
ON
3
2
1
5
4
3
4
5
3
6
7
2
8
1
9
0
10
TREBLE
0%
%
1
00
2
1
3
4
5
6
8
7
MIDDLE
0
10
9
5
6
7
4
8
3
9
2
1
10
0
BASS REVERB
D
YNA -WATT
3
4
2
5
1
6
0
7
10
8
9
OWER
TM
P
RHYTHM
F
T
S
W
CONTOUR
ON
L
E
A
D
STANDBY
SPEAKERS
POWER
FX MIX
RETURN
MUTE SPKR ON
SILENT RECORDING
HANDBUILT IN PETALUMA, CALIFORNIA.
8 OHM
4 OHM
4 OHM
PAGE 1
FRONT PANEL
LEAD ( switch in the center position )
POWER-UP: First familiarize yourself with the front and rear panels of your new ROCKET. 1.) Connect your favorite
guitar to the instrument INPUT jack. Now turn the power switch “ON” while leaving the STANDBY switch set to
“STANDBY.” It is always a good idea to practice this start up procedure as at least 30 seconds of warm-up time lessens
the shock on cold power tubes, thus prolonging their toneful life substantially. 2.) Connect the ROCKETS’ Mode Select
Footswitch ( which is included ) to the FOOTSWITCH jack that is located just below the instrument INPUT jack on the
far left of the front panel. If the footswitch is not available, you may use the Mode Select toggle located to the left of the
STANDBY switch to audition the ROCKETS’ three distinctly different sounds (SEE NOTE.) 3.) Using the example
below as a guide, set the controls as illustrated and turn the STANDBY switch to the ON position to fire up your new
ROCKET. Now its time to play ! Run through the three Modes and feel free to experiment with the controls.
NOTE: The Mode Selector ( RHYTHM - LEAD - CONTOUR ) switch must be in the center ( MIDDLE ) position for the Mode Select
Footswitch to work. This will select the Lead Mode until you choose another Mode with the Footswitch.
RHYTHM ( up position )
RHY
LEAD
RHY
LEAD
5
4
3
6
7
2
8
1
9
0
10
0
10
1
2
9
8
3
7
4
6
5
5
4
3
6
7
2
8
1
9
0
10
3
4
5
2
6
1
7
0
8
10
9
INPUT
INPUT
5
4
3
6
7
2
8
1
9
0
10
GAIN MASTER
0
10
1
2
9
8
3
7
4
6
5
5
4
3
6
7
2
8
1
9
0
10
GAIN MASTER
7
6
8
5
9
4
3
10
2
0
1
CONTOUR ( down position )
RHY
LEAD
5
4
3
6
7
2
8
1
9
0
10
3
4
5
2
6
1
7
0
8
10
9
INPUT
5
4
3
6
7
2
8
1
9
0
10
GAIN MASTER
7
6
8
5
9
4
3
10
2
0
1
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
TREBLE
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
TREBLE
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
TREBLE
L
E
A
D
STANDBY
L
E
A
D
STANDBY
L
E
A
D
STANDBY
ON
ON
POWER
ON
ON
POWER
ON
ON
POWER
RHYTHM
3
2
1
0
0
4
10
5
9
6
8
7
2
1
3
MIDDLE
3
2
1
0
0
4
10
5
9
6
8
7
2
1
3
MIDDLE
3
2
1
0
0
4
10
5
9
6
8
7
2
1
3
MIDDLE
5
6
7
4
8
3
9
2
1
10
0
BASS REVERB
5
6
7
4
8
3
9
2
1
10
0
BASS REVERB
5
6
7
4
8
3
9
2
1
10
0
BASS REVERB
3
4
2
5
1
6
0
7
10
8
9
3
4
2
5
1
6
0
7
10
8
9
3
4
2
5
1
6
0
7
10
8
9
F
T
S
W
CONTOUR
RHYTHM
F
T
S
W
CONTOUR
RHYTHM
F
T
S
W
CONTOUR
NOTE: It is normal for the volume of the CONTOUR Mode to be a little louder than that of the LEAD Mode, as the voicing of the LEAD
Mode is being drastically re-shaped and some frequencies are being boosted quite dramatically to achieve this sonically powerful
sound.
Again, these are merely examples of how to set up your new ROCKET for its maiden voyage. Experimentation will lead you to many
different sounds in each mode. Now that you have heard the three distinctively different Modes, let’s move on to understanding the
controls and their interactive roles in achieving the sounds that you want to hear.
PAGE 2
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