Mesa Studio Preamp love!

[timeblock]

Hi everyone! Show me some love for the glorious Mesa Studio Preamp!

 

[EOengineer]

One of my biggest gear regrets is selling my studio preamp a little over a decade ago. Absolutely next level tones out of it.

Unfortunately the hassle dealing with racks, wiring, and power amps pushed me towards my Mark III head - but I credit the studio preamp with helping me discover a very strong preference for the Mesa Mark sound.

Remember when you could scoop one up for < $500? I found mine for $400 on a whim stopping in a GC in Boston back in 2007 or so. If I ever come across another for < $800 I’ll grab it.

 

[timeblock]

I got mine for 250 Euros (260-270 US $)!

 

[stonge]

The Studio Preamp was great with my 87 yellow Ibanez Jem, and it was a big improvement over the Marshall 9001 that was using at the time. Only reason I sold the Studio was that I bumbled into a Quad Preamp which I still have. The drive channel on that Studio was just vicious BITD.

 

[EOengineer]

The Studio Preamp was great with my 87 yellow Ibanez Jem, and it was a big improvement over the Marshall 9001 that was using at the time. Only reason I sold the Studio was that I bumbled into a Quad Preamp which I still have. The drive channel on that Studio was just vicious BITD.

the Quad preamp is absolutely the better piece of gear if we’re comparing. Having all the push pull functionality gives you the IIC and III preamps in a couple rack spaces. Unbeatable if you can deal with the weight!

 

[gearJunkie]

gives you the IIC and III preamps in a couple rack spaces

I believe the quad preamp is a 3 space rack unit.

*not my gear, picture for representative purposes*

 

[gearJunkie]

Quad preamp is absolutely the better piece of gear

absolutely

 

[EOengineer]

I believe the quad preamp is a 3 space rack unit.
View attachment 22372
*not my gear, picture for representative purposes*

Just looking at this and imagining a 2:90 added to the mix gives me hernia anxiety.

 

[stonge]

Somewhere in Madison Square Basement... the matching Mesa 2-12 split-stacks are in the front room and the basement. After the hassle of moving one of the 2-12s upstairs I don't think i'll be hauling the rack and the other 2-12 upstairs anytime soon. Whomever buys the house will get a free SVT 8-10 cab because I am not hauling that behemoth upstairs lol.

 

[adam]

One of my biggest gear regrets is selling my studio preamp a little over a decade ago. Absolutely next level tones out of it.

Unfortunately the hassle dealing with racks, wiring, and power amps pushed me towards my Mark III head - but I credit the studio preamp with helping me discover a very strong preference for the Mesa Mark sound.

Remember when you could scoop one up for < $500? I found mine for $400 on a whim stopping in a GC in Boston back in 2007 or so. If I ever come across another for < $800 I’ll grab it.

I'm exactly the same. I regret selling mine, but I wanted to see if the Mark sound was for me. Turns out it absolutely was for me, and I bought my mark IV because of the studio pre and have never looked back.

To his day I've not found a better clean tone.