Mesa/Boogie Throttle Box Owner’s Manual

Owner’s Manual

SAFETY PRECAUTIONS:

• Read these instructions.

• Keep these instructions.

• Heed all warnings.

• Follow all instructions.

• Do not use this apparatus near water.

• Clean only with dry cloth.

• Be sure to use only properly rated power adaptors or
universal power supplies (pedal board power supplies)
with appropriate attention paid to proper voltage, am­perage and ground schemes. Improper voltage/amper­age being provided to the pedal may cause poor tone,
inconsistent performance, damage to the unit or all of
the above. Proper voltage, amperage and grounding
specs are supplied at the end of this manual.

• REPLACE THE BOTTOM LID after battery replace­ment or switch adjustment before the unit is used.
Some electronic parts inside are static sensitive and
can be damaged from even a small static charge from
contact with carpet or other conductive surfaces. To do
an A/B comparison between BOOST and NORMAL
with the bottom removed – play the unit upside down.
DO NOT SET A POWERED UNIT “CONTROLS UP”
ON A METAL (or any) SURFACE WITH THE BOTTOM
REMOVED!

Congratulations on your choice of MESA/Boogie and welcome
to the MESA Family! The same passion for excellence, commit­ment to quality and dedication to customer satisfaction is pres­ent in each and every product we make in our one- and-only
shop in Petaluma, California, U.S.A. Rest assured that the very
same people that hand-build the finest amplifiers in the world
built your pedal and you have access to the same resources
for help that all our customers do. Call on us anytime and enjoy!

THROTTLE BOX™

The THROTTLE BOX is all about GAIN. This beast serves
up Rock and Metal with cut and aggression but retains the
signature warmth and organic sonic quality found in all our in­struments. While its main strengths lie in the heavier sounds,
the THROTTLE BOX is also versatile and the lower region of
the GAIN control should not be overlooked for Classic Rock
or howling Blues - both rhythm and lead. The middle range of
the GAIN control delivers tight, stinging Modern Crunch with
plenty of attitude and percussion. And when you put this pedal
to Metal, the upper one-third of the GAIN control unleashes a
Heavy Rock hot-rod that’s blistering with both gain and searing
top-end harmonics.

FEATURES & CONTROLS

IN:

This ¼” phono jack is the Instrument Input for the de­vice. Plug the Output of your guitar into this jack with a shielded
cable of good quality. The jack is a switching type jack and the
circuit is turned on when a cable is inserted. When the circuit is
activated by inserting a cable, the internal battery is being used
to power it – so be sure to unplug the cable from the INPUT
when it’s not in use.

NOTE: The internal battery is switched to an “ON” state
(drawing voltage) by a switching element in the INPUT jack.
To prolong battery life, disconnect the cable from the ¼”
INPUT jack whenever the unit is not in use.

NOTE: If you wish to leave the INPUT connected per­manently – as in a pedal board scenario – it is advisable
to power the unit with an external 9V DC power supply.
When an external (plug-in) DC 9-volt power supply is used
to power the unit, the DC jack on the pedal automatically
disconnects the battery to avoid battery wear and preserve
its useful life. If you are going to use external AC power
either for long periods or permanently in a pedal board
set-up, remove the internal battery to prevent (forgotten)
battery corrosion.

OUT:

This 1/4” phono jack is the OUTPUT for the device.
Connect the OUTPUT to the Input of your amplifier - or the
INPUT of the next device in line in your pedal board.

NOTE: A Word on Cables… Always use shielded instru­ment cables of the best quality and shortest length possible
when connecting these types of devices. This will minimize
degradation of your sound, particularly high frequency
roll-off, due to the added capacitance in longer lengths of
cable. We recommend no more than 18-20 feet total (Input
and Output combined) between your instrument and the
termination at the INPUT of the amplifier. If you must use
longer cable lengths, you might consider the use of a Buffer
or Line Driver to keep the tonal integrity intact. While these
change the sound slightly, it will usually be preferable to
top end roll-off. And yes – those little 4” interconnects count
too, so count them in your cable length.

LEVEL:

This is the master output level and it controls the
amount of signal provided to the host amplifier. It can be
used either to balance levels to compensate for high GAIN
settings - so that no jump in level occurs when switched
out of BYPASS. Another application is higher LEVEL set­tings to purposefully send a hotter signal to the host amp
and “slam” the input stage for increased clip, drive or gain.

LO/HI:

The LO/HI switch incorporated into the GAIN
circuit creates two different gain regions or saturation
amounts. LO works great for Crunch or clipped chording
and medium gain solo sounds. HI provides an increased
level of saturation that is better suited for really heavy Rock
/ Metal rhythm styles and smoldering single note lead work.
Try the LO Mode with the BOOST bypassed for the best
balance when searching for lower to mid gain sounds (see
BOOST section later in this manual). The balance between
low end and top end will be more in-sync and even, mak­ing the sound sweeter and more dynamic. Check out the
HI Mode with the BOOST engaged for high gain applica­tions where you need thunderous, tuned low-end for Heavy
styles.

GAIN:

This control determines the amount of gain (over-

drive) in the signal path.

Set low (8:00 – 10:30) it produces a range of subtle over­drive that’s soft and furry, yet featuring the classic mid­punch associated with these types of circuits. This range
is great for pushed and clip-threshold rhythm sounds and
to add a slight bump for Blues solo sounds.

The middle range (10:30 – 1:30) offers the most useful
region of gain that begins to saturate but still retains a dy­namic punch that keeps notes expressive and tight. This
works well for both Rhythm and Solo work across many
styles of music.

The high range of the GAIN control (1:30 – 5:30) is all about
thick saturation. This region will be the obvious choice for
extreme Rock, Metal and Heavy styles yet, should not be
overlooked for searing sustain in single-note soloing.

MID-CUT:

TONE control, the THROTTLE BOX incorporates a MID
CUT control that scoops out the midrange for the classic
Boogie “V” EQ curve. This has been an essential ingredi­ent for the many Artists that have employed this power­ful tool on our amplifiers for decades to get some of the
heaviest sounds around. This control works backwards
from what you might be used to with Tone controls. As you
increase the control you are increasing the “cut” and cutting
out more mids – until at the maximum setting (5:30) there
is hardly any midrange left in the signal path.

TONE:

incorporate individual TREBLE and BASS controls. It
provides simple, global adjustment of the entire range of
frequencies with one control – but your ear may perceive it
as most active on the amount of high frequencies present
in the mix. A setting of 12:00 represents a “flat” setting
with highs neither boosted or cut. Increasing the TONE
control past 12:00 boosts a broad band of high frequen­cies. Decreasing the TONE below 12:00 cuts (rolls off) the
same spectrum of high frequencies.

In addition to the standard “blend-type”

This control is found on devices that do not

BOOST:

Another valuable feature is the selectable
BOOST that allows you to further shape the EQ curve to
your needs. With the lower cover removed, this black DIP
switch is located at the edge of the battery compartment on
the lowest circuit board’s lower right corner (facing the bot­tom of the unit and the knobs away from you). Its lever is
flush with the circuit board and a slight cutout on the board
further identifies it. You may pull the Battery out for easier
access to this switch.

Remove the four Phillips-head screws on the Bottom Lid to
access the switch - just as you would to replace the battery.
Setting the switch to the RIGHT / OUTSIDE (viewed from
bottom / knobs away from you) BOOSTS (adds) gain and
low end. The unit is shipped from our shop set this way ­BOOST engaged. Setting the switch to the LEFT removes
the BOOST voice providing a more balanced response.

Heavy, high gain sounds usually benefit from the BOOST
position engaged. Low to medium gain sounds can work
with both positions, but often benefit from the more tapered
and balanced low end of the non-BOOST or normal posi­tion.

NOTE: The unit is shipped from the Factory set to the
BOOST position. To remove the BOOST and its increased
low end, remove the Bottom Lid and flip the tiny black DIP
switch on the lower right edge of the circuit board to the
LEFT (NORMAL) position.

NOTE: REPLACE THE BOTTOM LID after setting the
BOOST switch before using the unit. Some electronic parts
inside are static sensitive and can be damaged from even
a small static charge from a carpet or other soft surfaces.
Always replace the bottom lid after battery replacement or

switch adjustment before the unit is used. To do an A/B
comparison with the bottom removed – play the unit upside
down. DO NOT SET THE UNIT ON A METAL (or any)
SURFACE WITH THE BOTTOM REMOVED!

AC POWER:

This standard female DC Receptacle on
the pedal is the External Power Supply Jack and it accepts
the male plug from a standard 9-Volt DC“ wall-wart” power
supply. When installing your unit into a pedal board utilizing
a universal power supply (multi-output pedal board power
supplies), connect the external power source here. SEE
WARNING BELOW!

NOTE: The Exter nal DC Power Supply is Not Included.
WARNING!!! To avoid immediate damage to your unit and
the voiding of your warranty, the External Power Supply
MUST be 9VDC with a NEGATIVE CENTER plug polarity
and a jack size of 2.1mm x 5.5mm. Do NOT connect a (Volt
AC Power Supply to the EXT Power Jack!

The internal battery is automatically disconnected by a
switching element in the External DC Receptacle on the
pedal. However, if you know you will not be using battery
power for an extended period – for example, if you are
mounting the unit to your pedal board permanently - it is
wise to remove the battery to avoid possible damage from
long-term battery corrosion.

INTERNAL BATTERY:

This unit can operate on either
a 9-Volt battery or a standard 9-Volt “wall-wart” DC power
supply. The unit is shipped from the Factory with a long-life
9-Volt Battery to facilitate easier trial demonstration in a
music store environment.

NOTE: The internal battery is switched to an “ON” state
(drawing voltage) by a switching element in the INPUT jack.

Disconnect the cable from the ¼” INPUT jack whenever the
unit is not in use to prolong battery life.

BATTERY REPLACEMENT:

To access the 9-Volt bat­tery for inspection, replacement or removal; make sure
the External Power Jack is disconnected, remove the four
Phillips-head screws from the four corners of the bottom lid
and remove it. Note the orientation/direction of the battery
and terminals and replace it in the same position.

NOTE: Any type of 9-Volt battery will work in this device if
it is fully charged and functional. Carbon Zinc, Alkaline or
even Nickel Cadmium Rechargeable type batteries are all
acceptable replacements. Some pedal aficionados prefer
the “sweetness” they claim to hear from standard Carbon
Zinc type batteries, but you will have to decide what type
best serves your needs.

SPECIFICATIONS:

• Dimensions (W/D/H): 2.87” x 4.77” x 2.28” (73mm x

122mm x 58mm)

• Weight: 0.865lbs (393g) with battery, 0.765lbs (347g)

without battery

• True Bypass Switching

• Battery Type: 9VDC (one)

• Power Consumption (Current Draw): 9VDC/25mA

• DC Adapter (Optional): Power Jack 2.1mm x 5.5mm,

9VDC with Negative Center (Regulated Recommend­ed)

• Input Impedance: 1M Ohm (500k Ohm minimum)

• Output Impedance: 10k Ohm

SAMPLE SETTINGS: SAMPLE SETTINGS:

TIGHT CRUNCH LIQUID SOLO

®

MODERN DRIVE HEAVY GAIN

®