A spectacular new spin on a 1950s formula.
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RatingsPros:Superb sounds. Superb construction. Superb range. Superb everything. Cons: Weighs 49 pounds. No tremolo. Street: $1,899 Mesa/Boogie California Tweed mesaboogie.com | Tones: Ease of Use: Build/Design: Value: |
Letās invert this review and put the conclusion up front: The California Tweed, Mesaās new take on old Fender amp circuits, is simply stunning. Itās easily one of the best-sounding tweed-influenced amps Iāve ever encountered. Perhaps thebest.
A Need for Tweed?
Letās face it: Fenderās 1950s tweed models can be problematic for modern guitarists. Itās easy to love their airy highs, cracking presence, and magnificent dynamic response. But their low end can be too loose and unfocused for contemporary tastes. Likewise, their tendency to get shrill at maximum volumes can alienate players who expect fatter, darker tones when they dime the volume. I suspect there are more than a few guitarists who fell in love with the lore of the tweed amp, only to encounter one in the flesh and find it a poor fit for their style.
In a nutshell, the California Tweed maintains the intensity and responsiveness of ā50s Fenders while updating other aspects for modern tastes. Lows are taut and focused. Cranking the gain yields smooth, warm overdrive. Also, Mesa has added a raft of cool modern features, capturing it all in an attractive and masterfully constructed 40-watt combo.
Fifty Shades of 6V6
The California Tweed employs a quartet of 6V6 power tubes. Historically, Fender used two of these in their midsized tweed amps, but relied on cleaner, glassier-sounding 6L6s in their 40-watt designs. But while Fender never made a 4 x 6V6 amp, the recipe has become so popular with boutique builders in recent years that itās no longer an oddity. Itās a winning formula, in fact, providing the volume of a 6L6 model, but with warmer tones and smoother transitions from clean and crunch.
Here, Mesa deploys the tubes in an ingenious design featuring five power modes, selectable via a front-panel switch. In full-powered 40-watt mode, the tubes run in class A/B pentode mode. For 30 watts, one pair of tubes runs in A/B triode mode and the other runs in A/B pentode mode. In 20-watt mode, only a pair of tubes is used in pentode mode. The same two tubes run as triodes in 10-watt mode. And at two watts, the pair runs in class-A parallel mode: one tube wired pentode and the other triode.
Cast of Characters
The result is much more than a spiffy power attenuator. Triode wiring sounds distinct from pentode wiring, producing looser tones that have been described as ābluesyā and āsloppy,ā depending on the playerās perspective. Pentode, triode, and pentode-plus-triode modes each have their own personality, and each responds differently to the gain control, so there is quite a cast of characters here. With this feature alone, Mesa boldly goes where no tweed has gone before.
The sensitivity and interactivity of the tone controls are reminiscent of 3-knob tone stacks on larger tweeds, such as the Bassman. Their voicing seems more manicured, however. Thereās an additional variable: two input jacks. The ānormalā input is loud and snappy, while ālowā is cleaner with greater headroom. Their characteristics differ enough that Iād consider adding an A/B switch to change inputs on the fly.
If this all seems a bit complex, donāt sweat it. You have to work pretty hard to get a bad tone from the California Tweed. A final sonic sweet spot is an unusually smooth-and-rich-sounding spring reverb. (On/off pedal not included.) The speaker is a Jensen Blackbird, a recent 100-watt 12"alnico model that offers more headroom than a vintage Jensen while maintaining a retro Fender character. Itās nothing like those clean, clinical-sounding JBLs Fender used in some vintage models.
Blonde Bombshell
The California Tweed looks as lovely as it sounds. Itās garbed in ācream broncoā vinyl (custom vinyl colors are available), offset by a wheat-colored grille cloth, a handle and corner protectors of dark brown leather, and a pale metal faceplate. Thereās even a blonde variation on Mesaās usual silver-on-black logo plate. Hernia warning, though: This thing weighs a hefty 49 pounds.
The cabinetry is solid and flawlessly joined. Inside, components are arranged on a circuit board, with chassis-mounted pots. Mesa describes the amp as āhandwired in the USA. And thereās much careful hand-wiring connecting the sections, plus daubs of glue to secure and separate the on-board components. You can tell that a skilled human being finalized this build.
Sparkle and Snarl
About the audio examples: The first clip features only the amp and an all-original 1963 Stratocaster. I wasnāt shy about using the potentially prickly bridge pickup, yet the tone never gets shrill. For the second clip, I switch to a DIY guitar with humbuckers, adding germanium overdrive at the input and plugging an Eventide H9 multi-effector and Strymon Volante delay into the rear-panel effects loop.
You hear various power, gain, and tone-control configurations, though at some point I just controlled the sound from the guitarās pots. The California Tweed is exceedingly responsive to guitar volume knob adjustments. With the gain knob at 2 oāclock or so, you can go from chunk to low-noise sparkle directly from the guitar.
The Verdict
You read the verdict in paragraph one: The California Tweed kills. Itās got countless fine tones and no yucky ones. It augments the sparkle and sensitivity of vintage tweed amps with fuller lows, warmer high-gain sounds, and a wealth of tone-shaping tools. Granted, $1.9K aināt chicken feed. But the ampās tones, build, and features easily outdistance any number of costlier boutique models. California Tweed is both inspired and inspiring.
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In a career defined by evolution, Joe Bonamassa is ready to turn the page once again. The blues-rock virtuoso has just announced Breakthrough, his most adventurous and genre-blending studio album to date, out July 18th via his own J&R Adventures.
At the heart of the announcement is the release of the albumās powerful title trackāāBreakthrough' āa soulful, hard-hitting anthem about letting go, moving forward, and finding your fire again, available today on all streaming platforms.
Crafted across multiple continents and infused with a worldās worth of inspiration, Breakthrough marks a bold new chapter for Bonamassaāone that leans on fiery solos, emotionally rich storytelling, groove-driven arrangements, and stylistic exploration. Produced by longtime creative partner Kevin Shirley (Iron Maiden, The Black Crowes, Journey), the album was shaped by sessions in Greece, Egypt, Nashville, and Los Angeles, resulting in a vibrant sonic tapestry that shifts effortlessly from funky blues and Texas swing to acoustic ballads and swaggering hard rock.
Joe Bonamassa āBreakthroughā - Official Lyric Video
Watch the official lyric video for "Breakthrough" by Joe Bonamassa
āI think this album, Breakthrough, marks a shift in the styling of Joe Bonamassaās recording output,ā says Shirley. āWhile there are plenty of guitar solos on this record, his emphasis has been on songs primarily. Each time Joe undertakes a new recording project, he seems to access a different part of his vast library of music genre from the jukebox-in-his-head! This album is a round-the-world musical tripāfrom Little Feat funkiness to Texas swing, from hard rock power to acoustic singer/songwriter-style songs.ā
The newly released single āBreakthrough,ā co-written with longtime collaborator Tom Hambridge (Buddy Guy, ZZ Top, Lynyrd Skynyrd), captures the emotional core of the recordāan uplifting anthem about transformation, persistence, and letting go of the weight that holds us back. With gritty vocals, melodic guitar lines, and lush instrumentation, the track embodies Bonamassaās signature blend of power and finesse while ushering in a bold new direction.
āBreakthroughā follows the success of Bonamassaās recent singles āStill Walking With Meā and āShake This Ground,ā both of which hinted at the adventurous spirit behind the full album. āShake This Groundā delivered a moody, introspective edge, while āStill Walking With Meā leaned into warmth, gratitude, and classic soul. Each track reflects a different facet of Bonamassaās evolving songwriting approach, rooted in emotional honesty and anchored by his unmistakable guitar work.
The album announcement caps a stretch of extraordinary momentum for Bonamassa. Next up, Bonamassa recently began his extensive *European Spring Tour, followed by a June run with his powerhouse supergroup Black Country Communion* (featuring Glenn Hughes, Jason Bonham, and Derek Sherinian). After another round of summer dates across Europeāincluding sold-out shows in Irelandāheāll return stateside for his just-announced* 2025 U.S. Summer Tour*, a limited amphitheater run featuring stops at The Greek Theatre, Red Rocks, and more iconic venues.
With over 50 albums, 28 #1 Billboard Blues albums, and a lifelong commitment to evolving the genre, Bonamassa shows no signs of slowing down. Whether headlining iconic venues, mentoring rising artists through Journeyman Records, or supporting music education via his Keeping the Blues Alive Foundation, Bonamassa continues to shape the future of blues-rock with every note.
For more information on Breakthrough, tour dates, and VIP packages, visit jbonamassa.com.
Why is Tommyās take on āDay Tripperā so hard? And what song would Adam Miller never play with him? Plus, we get Adamās list of favorite Tommy Emmanuel records.
We call guitarist Adam Miller in the middle of the night in Newcastle, Australia, to find out what itās like to play with Certified Guitar Player, Tommy Emmanuel. Miller tells us just how famous Tommy is in Australia, and what it was like hearing him play from a formative age. Eventually, Adam got to open for Emmanuel, and theyāve since shared the stage, so we get the firsthand scoop: Why is Tommyās take on āDay Tripperā so hard? And what song would Miller never play with him? Plus, we get Adamās list of favorite Tommy Emmanuel records.
Adamās newly released trio album, Timing, is out now.
Plus, weāre talking about new recordings from Billy Strings and Bryan Sutton, as well as Brooklyn Mediterranean surf party band Habbina Habbina.
Patterns can be viewed as boring or trite, but a little bit of creativity can turn them into bits of inspiration.
Chops: Intermediate Theory: Intermediater Lesson Overview: ⢠Learn different ways to arrange scales. ⢠Combine various sequences to create more intersting lines. ⢠Solidify your technique by practicing unusual groupings of notes. Click here to download a printable PDF of this lesson's notation. |
I want to offer some food for thought on making sequences musical. Using sequences in our playing helps develop our musicianship in various ways. It can help us tune into the fretboard, develop melodic ideas all around the neck, and further our improvisation and compositional skills. So, spending time with sequences is certainly not time wasted. Please note that I sometimes use the word ārule" in this column, this is only a pointer to keeping on track of our exploration of these concepts. The intellect is very useful, but intuition is where the creativity comes from. When in balance lots of great things can be done. Let's get stuck in!
It's simple to play a scale from bottom to top, or top to bottom, but we can develop a sequence by shuffling these notes around. In Ex. 1 we have a C Major scale (CāDāEāFāGāAāB) played in thirds followed by a sequence highlighting the diatonic triads of the major scale. By following a ārule" we can develop many different sequences. The options are endless and a little overwhelming.
Click here for Ex. 1
Lets start by simply combining an interval sequence with an arpeggio sequence. In Ex. 2, the first two beats of the first measure feature ascending thirds. This is then followed by a triad arpeggio starting from the third note on the string. The next set of thirds then starts on the āand" of beat 4. The entire sequence is a seven-note pattern that is created by combining two thirds and a triad. It gives us a nice bit of rhythmic displacement as the phrase is now starting in a different place in the measure.
Click here for Ex. 2
Ex. 3 is a descending idea in A minor that basically flips the sequence we looked at in Ex. 2. Here, we are starting with two descending thirds before the triad. I'm using pull-offs and economy picking to articulate the triads. This one works well over D minor as well if you want a D Dorian (DāEāFāGāAāBāC) flavor.
Click here for Ex. 3
You can see the effectiveness of combining different sequences and groupings of notes to create interesting runs. It's also really effective for making phrases. In Ex. 4 we take a small fragment from Ex. 3 and change the rhythm. In the sound example I repeat this a few times over some implied chords in my bass line: Am, F, and Dm. It's great to get more from one line by seeing the different chord types you can play it over.
Click here for Ex. 4
In Ex. 5 we're going to start using fourths and fifths. It starts with an ascending A minor triad (AāCāE) before leaping to the 9 (B) and then hitting a G major triad (GāBāD). A similar pattern leads into the C major triad (CāEāG). Throwing in these wider intervals alongside triads is very effective for creating a dramatic sounding runs.
Click here for Ex. 5
For our next example (Ex. 6), we will take fragments from Ex. 5 and space them out a bit. I wanted once again to show how these sequence ideas can also be helpful for developing melodic phrases. Once we have a cool sequence or fragment, all we need to do is be creative with how we play it. We can change the rhythm, harmonic context, dynamic, and much more.
Click here for Ex. 6
Before we move on, it's important to remember that we can add colorful notes to our triads. Let's begin with some seventh-chord arpeggios. Ex 7 features are diatonic seventh arpeggios in G minor (functioning as a IIm chord) to get a Dorian sound.
Click here for Ex. 7
Ex. 8 is a little gratuitous of me. It begins with an idea made of several different concepts. First, we start with an Am7 arpeggio (AāCāEāG), then descend down an A5 arpeggio. I follow that up with diatonic thirds and end with a pedal-point sequence. If that's not enough, we then take this bigger idea and fit it around a chord progression. I move it to G7, Dm7 and then I break my ārule" slightly and outline notes of a C6 arpeggio (CāEāGāA). However, it does keep the same melodic contour of the initial idea. I used my ear and fretboard to guide me. It's always healthy to have a fine balance between intellect and intuition.
Click here for Ex. 8
We dig into C harmonic minor (CāDāEbāGāAbāB-C) for Ex. 9's monster two-measure lick. It sounds evil! In composing this phrase, I kept to the basic concept of finding seventh-chord arpeggios within C harmonic minor in the 8th position. I followed my ear as well as my slowly developing intellect. However, if you look closely you can see I was following a mini chord progression through this line. We start out with a CmMaj9 arpeggio (CāEbāGāBāD) in the first beat, followed by a G7b9 arpeggio (GĀāBāDāFāAb). Here we have a very strong Im-V7 movement in C minor. I then move back to our CmMaj9 arpeggio and in the second measure we start descending down an Eb augmented triad (EbāGāB). This is then followed by more CmMaj9 goodness.
Click here for Ex. 9
Ex. 10 is now taking Ex. 9 and extending it into a cool flamenco-inspired melody. The rhythms in this were inspired by the incredible Paco De Lucia. I follow the sequence from the previous example almost exactly, but I use a bit of artistic license to repeat certain fragments to fit into a ātop line" or āhead"-style melody.
Click here for Ex. 10
My aim here isn't to give you one rule to follow but instead to encourage you to take the sequences you know and love and start getting more out of them. Enjoy and stay safe!
MayFly Le Habanero Review
Great versatility in combined EQ controls. Tasty low-gain boost voice. Muscular Fuzz Face-like fuzz voice.
Can be noisy without a lot of treble attenuation. Boost and fuzz order can only be reversed with the internal DIP switch.
$171
May Fly Le Habanero
A fuzz/boost combo thatās as hot as the name suggests, but which offers plenty of smoky, subdued gain shades, too.
Generally speaking, I avoid combo effects. If I fall out of love with one thing, I donāt want to have to ditch another thatās working fine. But recent fixations with spatial economy find me rethinking that relationship. MayFlyās Le Habanero (yes, the Franco/Spanish article/noun mash-up is deliberate) consolidates boost and fuzz in a single pedal. Thatās far from an original concept. But the characteristics of both effects make it a particularly effective one here, and the relative flexibility and utility of each gives this combination a lot more potential staying power for the fickle.
āLe Habaneroās fuzz circuit has a deep switch that adds a little extra desert-rock woof.ā
The fuzz section has a familiar Fuzz Face-like tone profileāa little bit boomy and very present in that buzzy mid-ā60s, midrangey kind of way. But Le Habaneroās fuzz circuit has a deep switch that adds a little extra desert-rock woof (especially with humbuckers) and an effective filter switch that enhances the fuzzās flexibilityāespecially when used with the boost. The boost is a fairly low-gain affair. Even at maximum settings, it really seems to excite desirable high-mid harmonics more than it churns out dirt. Thatās a good thing, particularly when you introduce hotter settings from the boostās treble and bass controls, which extend the boostās voice from thick and smoky to lacerating. Together, the boost and fuzz can be pushed to screaming extremes. But the interactivity between the tone and filter controls means you can cook up many nuanced fuzz shades spanning Jimi scorch and Sabbath chug with tons of cool overtone and feedback colors.