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Sneak Peek: Mesa Boogie Electra-Dyne

May 20, 2009

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Total Simplicity Meets Tonal Firepower

With its straightforward design and streamlined controls, Mesa/Boogie’s new Electra-Dyne delivers
maximum tone with minimal tweaking. It’s ideal for the guitarist who wants user-friendly navigation while still
maintaining as much flexibility as possible. For these players, the Electra-Dyne offers a palette of easy-to-
dial-in tones.

Three Modes
At first glance the Electra-Dyne appears to be a simple single channel amp, but behind its sparse front
panel you’ll find the power and flexibility of a three channel footswitching amp. The Mode Select mini toggle
provides access to three completely separate preamps. They share some of the same tube stages but the
signal path changes radically from mode to mode.

The CLEAN mode is based on the classic California “black face” era circuits. Drawing heavily from
Mesa/Boogie’s classic Mark I and Mark V, clean mode is perfect for rhythm playing and produces sparkling
top end harmonics. The VINTAGE LO mode pays tribute to classic Brit crunch. It brings more gain into the
picture and provides a pivotal sweet spot between clean and high gain sounds. Summoning maximum
firepower, VINTAGE HI mode pays tribute to high-intensity modified British circuits. These three classic
modes can be instantly accessed via the included footswitch.

ELECTRA-DYNE KEY FEATURES

• 90 watts of power, wide range of tonal flexibility,
streamlined controls.
• Three footswitchable modes—Clean, Vintage Lo and
Vintage Hi
• Rear panel Bias Select switch allows you to swap the
stock quartet of 6L6 power tubes for a EL34 power
tubes
• Simul-Class Power switch offers you a choice of 90-
watt or 45-watt output.
• All tube reverb with hard bypass option that removes
all reverb circuitry, including tube stages, from the signal
path.
• You can use reverb in all three modes or you can engage an auto-defeat feature which allows you to use
the REVERB on two of the sounds—clean and your choice of lo or hi—so you can keep either your crunch
rhythm or lead sound dry while having your clean sound wet.
• ¼" jack on the underside of the chassis for turning reverb on and off with a separate (not included)
footswitch.

Hit Next for the front panel features...

For more information, visit MesaBoogie.com

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FRONT PANEL FEATURES

1. Simul-Class Power Toggle Switch

A half-power option appears on the POWER SWITCH and gives you a choice of 90 watts of Simul-Class
Power—where one pair of the stock 6L6 run in Class AB and one pair run in CLASS A—or 45 watts of Class
A power for a lower threshold of power clip.

2. Mode Selector Mini Toggle Switch

The Mode switch allows you to switch between three separate modes: VINTAGE HI, CLEAN AND VINTAGE
LO.

The “black face era” inspired CLEAN Mode delivers the low gain sweet, sparkling chording sounds that
originally put Fullerton, CA. on the Tone map. Mesa/Boogie’s patented output scheme blanches out harsh
frequencies and enhances the beautiful even-order harmonics and sub-low breath.

The Electra-Dyne pays tribute to the classic British circuits with the medium gain punch of VINTAGE LO.
The input is routed to a separate input tube, a different set of pots and a whole different signal path dishes
out Classic Rock with enhanced levels of nuance. This LO Mode is delivers medium gain crunch chording
and when cranked, will saturate without losing its aggressive attack and chesty thump.

Selecting VINTAGE HI unveils a new take on the custom-modified British theme and delivers liquid, molten
gain. More tube stages are added and circuitry flipped to create this Boogie-ized, Simul-Class rendering of a
modified English amp, with huge crunch chords and soaring single note sounds.

Hit Next for the rear panel features...

For more information, visit MesaBoogie.com

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REAR PANEL FEATURES
3. Slave Output Jack and Level Control
A SLAVE Output is provided to capture the entire sound (both preamp and power section) of the amplifier so
that it can feed an effects rack or additional power amplifiers for big venue applications. This feed is a
padded-down version of the signal taken from the SPEAKER Output and does not provide any roll-off of top
end or other shaping that would be preferable for using the Electra-Dyne direct into a recording console.

4. Speaker Impedance Selector Switch

SPEAKER IMPEDANCE is selected via this mini toggle and provides for two 8 Ohm or two 4 Ohm jacks.
Standard MESA cabinets are either an 8 or 4 Ohm load. To use the ELECTRA-DYNE with 16 Ohm loads,
connect them using the 8 Ohm position. When using two 16 Ohm cabinets, also connect them to the 8 Ohm
jacks.

5. Bias Select Toggle Switch The Rear Panel

BIAS SELECT allows you to swap the stock quartet of 6L6 for a quartet of brighter sounding EL34 type
power tubes. This classic British tube delivers greater accentuation of the upper harmonics and produces a
low end this is somewhat stripped of sub-lows and therefore can sound tighter for certain styles.
Mesa/Boogie recommends the stock compliment of 6L6 for the greatest versatility and warmth and all three
Modes.

6. Footswitch Selector
EXTERNAL SWITCH jacks on the Rear Panel allow control of the Modes from a remote master switching
unit and respond to standard ¼" tip-to-ground latching logic. This feature allows for interfacing the Electra-
Dyne into a large stage rig where everything is called up remotely under (usually midi) programs in a master
switcher.

7. Reverb / Mode Defeat

Mini Toggle Switch With this mini toggle switch you can choose to use reverb in all three Electra-Dyne
modes (center “on” position) or you can engage an auto-defeat feature that defeats reverb on either the
vintage lo or vintage hi mode. It allows you to use reverb on just two of your sounds— clean and your
choice of lo or hi—so you can keep either your crunch rhythm or lead sound dry while having your clean
sound wet.

8. Reverb Level
Choose exactly how much of the Electra-Dyne’s rich, all-tube reverb you’d like to add to your guitar tone.

9. Reverb On/Bypass
Mini Toggle Switch Hard bypass option that removes all reverb circuitry, including tube stages, from the
signal path.

For more information, visit MesaBoogie.com