Customer Feedback Trace suggested I turn the volume all the way up and use the gain control for volume on the clean side. I followed his advice and all I can say is wow. This is one of the most chimey, open sounds I have ever heard. This thing has a ton of headroom and just shimmers on the clean side. I play G&l commanche and legacy and a Heritage 535 on it and they all sound wonderful.
As good as the clean channel sounds the dirty one is even better. No more fuzz, no more buzz, no more super dark sound. Just tight, fat crunch. The amp has more gain now if you want it or you can lower the gain and get good classic rock sounds. I love this channel. Mesa should set these up like this from the factory.
I would recommend this to anyone who has this amp. I had a soso amp before, now I have an amp that sounds as good as some boutique amps for less money. Trace could really show Mesa something! - Tim Clardy, Harmony Central Reviews
Customer Feedback Channel 1 - Trace installed his new Clean Circuit Modification in my amp. Apparently, mine was the first to get this new mod design. As much as I liked the clean sound before, this mod is a significant improvement. Now the cleans fill the room. Very open. Chimey, yet warm and round. I A/B'ed the amp against a blackface Twin, and really preferred mine. The amp is really full, fat, warm, yet pleasingly chimey. I have a hard time giving anything a 10, because like all guitar players, I always wonder if there's something better. I've owned a JC-120 and it has an excellent clean sound; and I A/B'ed this amp against a blackface Twin (the Holy Grail of clean sounds?). This amp just sounds better to my ears. So I will give this a 10 without reservation.
Channel 2 - This is the whole reason I had it modified to begin with! Trace really got it right. First of all, the distorted chords really crunch. It doesn't have that sort of swirl that I used to hear in the old Marshalls that I've owned (long ago!) or played, but it is a very convincing crunch with a lot of oomph. No longer is it an ugly grind. There's more gain, which is all useable, than I will typically use. With the gain up really high, the notes retain their clarity, definition and just sustain forever! After the mod, the high end creaminess is retained, but it is so much clearer and more useable in the lower frequencies. I emphatically recommend Trace's work. - Bill Stetter, Harmony Central Review
Customer Feedback Trace has always been very friendly and cooperative. That being said Trace is one of nicest people I have dealt with, him and Robert Keeley could teach some of these companies some good customer relations! - Tim Clardy, Harmony Central Reviews