PRODUCT REVIEW
TransAtlantic TA- 15
MESA/BOOGIE
BY LYLE ZAEHRINGER
Only Mesa/Boogie would release an amp
with such versatility that the manual would
be bigger than the amp itself. There’s a clear
trend toward building lunchbox-sized amp,
and Mesa makes no attempt to hide the fact
that they are late to the parade with their
TransAtlantic TA- 15. But unlike many of its
competitors, Mesa brings more to the table
than just shrinkage.
Sizing It Up
As its name implies, the two-channel, 12
lb. TransAtlantic is designed to deliver a
variety of British and American tones via
four 12AX7s and two EL84s. Front-panel
controls may seem a bit skimpy compared
to most Mesa amps—and players familiar
with Boogies that have more rear-panel
controls than most amps have altogether
will be shocked to hear that there aren’t any
controls on the TA- 15’s back. However, close
inspection of the front panel reveals a push-pull pot and multi-position toggle switch that
places the TransAtlantic into the same family
as its big brothers, in terms of tonal flexibility. Mesa knows fans of their amps thrive on
versatile routing and, as such, would likely
feel trapped by the lack of controls on most
lunchbox amps. The amp does not include
an effects loop or an emulated line out, so
in that regard it’s more akin to fully loaded
heads than some of its small peers.
From left to right, the TA- 15’s control panel
features two rugged input jacks—one for
your guitar and one for the single-button
footswitch. Scanning Channel 1’s knobs, we
have Volume, Treble, Bass, and Cut/Master,
the latter of which is the only push/pull knob
on the amp. When pushed in, the knob func-
tions as an inverted Presence control (the
sound gets darker as you go clockwise).
Pulled out, it functions as a master volume
for Channel 1, allowing you to drive this
“clean side” of the amp into delicious over-
drive. The Treble and Bass knobs furnish a
pretty wide range of EQ attenuation, how-
ever, if you’re really into midrange you may
find that it’s a bit trickier to dial it in without
a dedicated control. Channel 2 dispenses
with the push/pull knob and gives you a
straight Master knob, in addition to Gain,
Treble, and Bass knobs.
a matching 1x12" Mesa open-back cabinet.
Loaded with a 90-watt Black Shadow speaker
designed for Mesa by Celestion, this nifty
cab easily accommodated the TransAtlantic’s
wide variety of tones. The amp head also
comes with a padded gig bag. Sweet!
The TransAtlantic also features 4- and 8-ohm
speaker outs, and the exceptionally well-written manual illustrates numerous cabinet
configurations. I tested the TransAtlantic with
Meet the Toggle Switches
A bank of five mini toggles separates the knobs
for Channels 1 and 2. Two switches are dedicated to Channel 1, two are dedicated to Channel
2, and one toggles between channels or allows
