Mesa/ Boogie Transatlantic TA 15
“Few other amps, if any, could put the detail and nuance of so many classics under one hood.”
In recent years amp manufacturers have been producing smaller low-powered tube amps for big tube sounds at bedroom and club gig volumes. Mesa/Boogie arrived late to this party but offer a rich and versatile take on the ‘micro amp’ trend.
The Transatlantic 15 is a small all-tube 2-channel amp with multiple pre- and power-amp modes. As the name implies the Transatlantic is inspired by classic British and American amp tones and crams them into a tiny but powerful package. The all-metal lunchbox-sized chassis looks stylish yet very rugged with fewer controls than the average Mesa/Boogie, in fact neither channel features a mid tone control.Channel one has two modes, Normal and Top Boost. Channel 2 has three, Tweed, Hi 1 and Hi 2. Both channels can switch the power amp from 25W down to 15W or 5W and brings out different dynamic flavours in each mode. The open back speaker cabinet matches the amp’s wide tonal capabilities nicely and there are more than enough highs on both channels in all modes. Because this is a small amp, when cranking gain one should decrease bass as the EL84 tubes cannot faithfully reproduce the lows at higher gain settings. That’s not to say that it sounds thin with less bass at these high gain settings.In fact the tone stays rich, full and, especially on the 25 watts setting, dynamic. The well written manual is very detailed. It also lists possible speaker cabinet connection configurations for further tonal shaping.
Channel One
Normal mode is the amps dedicated clean sound. Very sweet and glassy with ample headroom in the 25W setting. It accepts pedals very, very nicely. Maintaining note definition with distortion pedals particularly well.Top Boost mode captures the British Vox flavour brilliantly! The signature raspy mids, cutting highs and crackly distortion really shine through! I couldn’t resist aping a few Brian May licks. The extent of the detail in this recreation is astounding. The way the distortion varies from note to note is spot on.
Channel Two
Tweed mode is a recreation of an old Fender Bassman and is also amazing; punchy and full of the smokey Fender warmth with rich harmonics. It also captures the smooth drive brilliantly which sings when playing slide with a Strat. Hi 1 mode captures Marshall’s sonic character and nuance. While this amp is in no way designed for modern metal it has more gain than I expected and has a very quick attack. Even with a Les Paul it’s quite bright with tone controls at noon but darkens and gets creamier when lowering the guitar volume. I was able to get some smooth feedback at a whisper quiet level. Hi 2 mode is based on the classic Mark series Mesas displaying their characteristic sizzle at a higher frequency than the Marshall making it ideal for cutting lead playing.
Verdict
The sheer richness of tone makes this amp amazing. Few other amps, if any could put the detail and nuance of so many classics under one hood. On top of that the head and combo are incredibly lightweight. The supplied foot switch, however, is a straight-forward channel switcher. What’s really missing here is the ability to switch between modes or power settings.
Another issue is that it doesn’t have an FX loop, making it impossible to take advantage of the amp’s sweet distorted tones while employing delay or reverb pedals. With these two issues in mind I must say the Transatlantic TA-15 is aimed more towards studio use and in this capacity the ability to switch between authentic classic tube sounds at the flip of a switch instead of moving cabinets and microphones will be a godsend. For live use they have recently released the Transatlantic TA-30, which includes higher wattage, effects loop and gorgeous tube reverb.
Supplied by: Rockit Distribution | | 021-511 1800
Suggested retail prices: TA-15 Head – R 12,995.00 | TA-30 Head R 18,895.00 | TA-30 Combo: R 20,795.00
Connect with Muse