Mesa Boogie Formula Preamp?

[SFW]

I haven't played one of these on a long time, so I'm trying to remember what they sounded like. Do you think I could get some Andy Timmonsish tones from one? I was thinking about a Formula Pre and the 20/20 power amp for a light way medium to simi-high gain amp. ?

 

[bigtimeoperator]

That's exactly the rig I have....Formula Pre and 20/20.

I've been using it via the slave outs into our standard PA, but I've also used it with a Hughes and Kettner 412 wired stereo 4 ohms, an Avatar 212 with vintage 30s, and an Egnater 212 with greenbacks.

I've been pleasantly surprised by any guitar I plug into this rig, from a 1960 Harmony H45 Mars with a single DeArmond pickup, to a Gibson SG with EMG active 81/85 combo.....Clean is clean enough to amplify an acoustic guitar well, and crunch is crunchy, OD is grind to grunge. OD2 is metallic enough to be a '68 camaro, steel wheels and all.

I really like it, and I've just tried it with a set of vintage Garnet (Winnipeg's Garnet Gillies, amp maker for Randy Bachman, Burton Cummings, etc) 4X8 cabs, filled with Marsland speakers. I can't believe the fantastic sound. Yeah, I know, I'm spoiled....but I love to play.

 

[Little B]

Those formulas actually are one of Boogies hidden gems...paired w/ a good power amp, theyre a little more modern sounding than a quad, and a little less gainy than a triaxis..Ive had a few rackmount V-twins I bought a ways back and passed over more than once a formula....knowing what I know now, I shouldve went w/ a formula early on....and I understand theres a few mods for it too!..